Dinosaur Jr's Beyond was on many best of 2007 lists. I don't know where you've been but I've heard all those bands discussed frequently. Dig Lazarus Dig (Nick Cave) is already looking to be one of the best albums of 2008.

I didn't hear anything, beyond listening to the radio I don't follow much when it comes to music. I wasn't a big fan of Sonic Youth or Dinosaur Jr. back in 1994/1995 when I first heard of them so I just never kept up with them. I'm also not a huge Green Day fan but I know most of their new songs because I can recognize them as they are on heavy radio rotation (the stations I listen to).

Perhaps I am out of the loop (under a rock) when it comes to what is still relevant, etc. My point was, I don't blame a band when they do what's necessary in order to stay relevant and sell more records while acquiring more fans in the process. I don't view that as selling out as music can be argued to be a just as much a business as it is an art form.

I pretty much feel that a band is like a business and people should go in with the mindset to maximize profit...

yeah, they are selling a product and the more polished that product is the more of it they are going to sell.

The musician who is smart in business will always have the advantage over the musician who isn't
(obvious I know).

That might be the single dumbest opinion i have ever heard. I will not even bother to explain why, it says that for itself.

dumbest? really? I've seen some pretty dumb **** on here. I respect your different opinion on the matter, I know you said you won't explain why but I am curious to know why you feel a band shouldn't view themselves as a business.

You can ask any real musician who truly loves what they do, and they will tell you the same. Being in a band is not a business, or about seeing how many coppies you can sell, or how much money you can fit in your pockets, but about putting your music out and seeing how people respond to it.

edit: If you are making a song for the purpose of putting money in your pockets you have some learning to do.

Why not make the song because you love making music but then take that song you love and make some money with it? I don't see why the two can't be married... as humble as it is to be the starving artist it's also pretty stupid when you can be making a nice living by doing what you love. When I say business I don't mean when it comes to writing the songs, I mean when it comes to marketing them.

So Bob Marley, Pink Floyd and The Beatles are sellouts?

F*ck.

i agree dookie is a pretty good album. You have no idea how much **** i got from my friends when they saw it on my ipod.