Beginnings

I remember my first need to look at the Billboard Charts. I had made a prediction that the band Something Corporate was going to be "the next big thing" and their first album was coming out in Spring of 2002. I had heard the song Constantine on a car ride back from a college reunion and I just knew that this band had the chops and songwriting skills to be a juggernaut. I was also convinced that piano based rock could make inroads in the emo scene based on the recent successes of Coldplay and Vanessa Carlton in other genres.


Something Corporate was in the number 1 position on the Heatseeker Chart when I picked up Billboard the next week and number 100 overall. I felt validated. My keen ears were able to discern the difference between a random act with no potential and a possible platinum artist. Of course, Something Corporate faded away and the lead singer became the banal Jacks Mannequin. I blame this more on the poor singles selection of the MCA radio promotion team rather than the band, but regardless they did not become the darlings of the emo scene, but my first prediction meant something, and I have been in love with A&R ever since. The best a&r exec is part stock broker, part critic, and part psychic. This blog will examine them all.