Steve Jobs, or at least the well paid marketing people on Jobs' payroll, have done an excellent job at exposing unique, quality music to the masses. The fame that comes to the artists behind these cultural phenomena, is likely both a blessing and a curse. It's inevitable that someone will start to throw around the "Sellout" label, and the artists lose the street cred earned by being broke and unsigned. The symbiotic relationship between the artists and Apple works to sell the music, the store to buy the music (iTunes), and the hardware to play the music (iPod). That's some mighty impressive vertical integration.
1 2 3 4 - Feist
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The Canadian singer-songwriter has released 4 solo albums since 1999 while also performing as a member of the Broken Social Scene since 2000. Feist found moderate success with her hard work, but when Apple selected her song 1 2 3 4 for one of their iPod commercials her popularity soared, springboarding her the point that Sesame Street asked her to remake her song for the purpose of teaching kids how fun it is to count to 4.
Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
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Often the very well paid marketing wonders at Apple beat me to the punch, but with The Ting Tings I can enjoy the satisfaction in knowing that I found them first. I had been enjoying their catchy pop genius for several months when I heard the rumours that they would be the next iPod poster children. Apple choose to use Shut Up and Let Me Go one of the lesser songs by The Ting Tings. I prefer their tunes That's Not My Name and Great DJ, and strongly suggest you check them you if you like this track.
New Soul - Yael Naïm
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The Israeli-French singer-songwriter was completely unknown to me before I first saw the commercial for the MacBook Air. Apparently Steve Jobs picked this track himself causing Yael Naïm's career to skyrocket, making her the first Israeli to get a single in the US Top 10.
"New Soul" is about self-reflection. She says she was inspired to write it after a conversation with a friend about reincarnation. "I thought I was an old soul, and that I knew life, but then starting the real life I figured I am completely new," Naim says. "I mean, everything was a mess and I did a lot of mistakes. So it was just looking back and say, 'Okay, let's start again, it's okay.'"
- Interview with the NPR March 21st, 2008
The wise young soul is currently touring extensively through Europe.
Mi Swing Es Tropical - Quantic & Nickodemus
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Nickodemus, an experienced young DJ from New York City, joined forces with Quantic, to create this upbeat Latin tune that is perfect for dancing! These two have both been busy since the upbeat commercial brought their sound into the mainstream. Quantic just released a new album, Death of the Revolution and Nickodenmus released Endangered Species Remixed, featuring a remix of every tune off the album Mi Swing Es Tropical was originally released on, Endangered Species. The pair toured together in Columbia, Mexico and the US earlier this year.
I should also make note of the fact that the song, Flathead, featured in my previous post by The Fratellis was also highlighted in one of the colorful, people dancing about iPod commercials.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
I couldn't resist posting this song, even though it doesn't quite fit with the others being that it has no association with Apple whatsoever. it has been a favourite of mine since I tracked if down after hearing it on one of the early Mazda Zoom Zoom commercials in the late 90s. A remake of the traditional Capoeira song Zum, Zum, Zum Capoeira Mata Um that was featured on the Only The Strong soundtrack, the 1993 film about Capoeira. I'm sure you have all heard parts of this song on the commercials with that cute kid whispering Zoom Zoom, who isn't really a kid any more. The song is fun and uplifting. By the way... I tried Capoeira once, the pros of the Brazilian dance/fighting style make it look easy, but really, it's quite hard.
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