We’re not just getting the American music market anymore, Marah now competes for attention worldwide, with bands from India, Japan, Korea, etc. despite what you think of the ‘quality’ of that music. There’s just so MUCH music now, good or bad — so MUCH competition for bands. With the American and British middleman/gatekeeper traditional music business in fade (e.g. Radiohead’s recent ‘direct-to-listener’ play — Bowie and Peter Gabriel had forseen this back in the early 80’s) Marah doesn’t have the ‘Big Machine’ (Joni Mitchell’s ‘star making machinery’ — which she obviously already disdained at that point) behind it like that music period of the 50’s-90’s. I agree, no Guralniks, Dave Marshes, no Landua’s, no Bangs and even Christgau was ‘let go’ from his long time LA paper, a victim of the changing times.

Marah may well only ever achieve an audience of maybe — maybe — 1/2 million loyal fans…worldwide, not just in US. The may never sell out MSG or the O2 arena. For a recheck, see my other longtime faves Wilco and the Jayhawks for bands that ‘shoulda/woulda/coulda’ if the record biz had it’s head on straight, but also toiled in relative obscurity.

Someone out there may be writing the next ‘Born To Run’, but they’re probably not American and they’ll probably not be recognized until they’re in their 40’s and at the tail end of their music careers, ready to head off into film producing or writing. Also, realize that the younger generations may not want to be a ‘musician for life’, like Bruce or Bono. They will probably switch careers at least three times before the age of 75.

my $.02 for now…

And his name was Bruce Springsteen.

Last I heard he was still toiling in obscurity as well.