Selling Rock

Corporations have been buying into hip-hop for a long time, but with indie rock moving into the spotlight as an underground force that motivates a lot of purchasing power (especially as the cynical youths that came along post-gen-X grow up and start to get hi-powered jobs and breed), well--now they're hitching their wagons to the rock.

Sucky.

All news bites below harvested from Pitchforkmedia.com, harvested within the last month:

re. LCD Soundsystem:
"What do LCD Soundsystem and Fall Out Boy have in common? No, they don't share space on latest installment of "The O.C."'s eternal soundtrack-- that's just LCD. It's that both James Murphy's disco-punk crew and the fresh-faced mall punx are headlining American tours sponsored by video game companies this autumn.
That's right, don't cry if the Nintendo Fusion Tour (starring Hot Topic faves FOB, the Starting Line, Motion City Soundtrack, Boys Night Out and Panic! At the Disco) was sold out when it stopped in your town. Thanks to Sony and their PlayStation DualPlay tour, us cynical hipsters can be in on the lifestyle-branding fun, too, as we're lead into the belly of the corporate beast by our fearless, cowbell-rocking leader.
"In our relentless effort to bring you the best vibes, LCD Soundsystem will kick off the second leg of one of the most exciting PlayStation DualPlay tours ever!" screams the DualPlay website. "From Portland to Atlantic City, led by James Murphy, LCD Soundsystem will move you in directions you might not be able to control!" Like to the bathroom to vomit up a toxic puke of Sparks, vodka, and Murphy's remaining cred points."

re. the Flaming Lips:
"Since there aren't enough drugs in the world to contain this band, they've recently allied themselves with a much more addictive and sinister substance: Coca-Cola. That's right, the Flaming Lips, as well as Guided By Voices, Fischerspooner, Swedish psych rockers Citizen Bird, and Japanese DJ Towa Tei have joined that long list of esteemed pop stars, from Tom Jones and Elton John to New Kids on the Block and Paula Abdull in lending their music to the caffeine empire.
It's all part of some mysterious internet ad campaign called "M5". According to the M5 website, the soda giant approached five style-conscious design groups to create "visions of optimism" through forward-thinking Coke ad campaigns. Positive thinking via cola consumption? God, that's a depressing thought.
The Designers Republic, MK 12, Lobo, Caviar, and Rex & Tennant McKay each signed up and banded with a different artist to create an online music video collage. Guided By Voices' and MK12's "Back to the Lake", Citizen Bird and the Designers Republic's "Joy", and Caviar and Towa Tei's "Milkyway" are all currently viewable on the site, with The Flaming Lips/Lobo and Fischerspooner/Rex & Tennant McKay coming soon. Accompanying the clips are making-ofs, band bios, and related links and downloads.
And while you can rest assured that the official "Pitchfork sellout detectors" are all equipped with fresh batteries, we can safely say that the resulting audio/visual mashups are definitely more successful than the Cosby-promoted "New Coke" blitz of the 80s. Now if only Radiohead would ante up "Fake Plastic Trees", they'd really be onto something."

...and the Dandy Warhols:
"The Dandy Warhols will whet fans' appetites with an appearance on Fox's "Mad TV" on October 11, performing lead Odditorium single "Smoke It." And if you're the kind of person who just can't get enough Dandy in your life, get pumped for late October, when John Fluevog shoes will unveil "The Dandy Warhol Boot," a "classic-styled leather boot" dreamed up by Dandy frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor and upscale cobbler Fluevog. See, kids, rappers and basketball players aren't the only ones who get their own shoe lines!"