Pentatonix: Season 3 Champs

[Kromm]

Wow, what a year this has been for them! I was joking with a co-worker who I hooked on PTX, "Watch, they'll be playing the White House next!" Um, pretty close...

Well a Voice winner (Tessanne Chin) played The White House not long after her win, so it's not a stretch for PTX at some point in their career.  There's that regular "In Performance at the White House" series there, as well as the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize (where they have guest performers doing the songs of the winner, pretty much just like the Kennedy Center thing).

[takalotti]

So, does anyone here know how I can get my local radio station to play PTX music?

I called in to request that they play anything off either of their Christmas albums, and they said they don't have them.

I know nothing about logistics at a radio station. Do I keep calling in to create "demand"? Can I offer to buy the albums and send them to the station? I hear Baby It's Cold Outside three times a day. It's not like they have so much music that they don't have room for any more.

There's one moment in Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy that cracks me up. Right after Mitch's wail, first Mitch does this move where his chest comes forward followed by his head in this sort of lurching motion. Then Scott does it. Then Kirstie ... well, Kirstie TRIES to do it, but she kind of ends up just doing this pigeon thing because she doesn't get her chest into it. Too cute. Also, Avi is SICK!!!

Edited December 8, 2014 by takalotti

[debbydeb]

According to this post, they will be honoring Tom

Hanks.

"Pentatonix performed for a tribute to #TomHanks version of “That Thing You Do” and of “Yankee Doodle Dandy” featuring a large assortment of official choirs and bands from the U.S. armed forces.
#CBS will broadcast it on December 30th at 9:00 ET/PT"

with picture of them being color coordinated and such:

http://goluaz.tumblr.com/post/104660431578/pentatonix-performed-for-a-tribute-to-tomhanks

[SrPab]

13 Best A Cappella Moments Of 2014...according to Fuse.tv.

Edited December 8, 2014 by SrPab-PTV

[Kromm]

Okay. Hanks would not have been my guess, I admit.

 

"That Thing You Do" doesn't seem impossible as acapella, but it does have a fairly distinctive opening guitar riff they'd have to totally drop.

 

And... the Tom Hanks connection to "Yankee Doodle Dandy" is what?  That he's done a lot of patriotic films?  I guess.  It's not hard to imagine that song with PTX fronting and marching bands and choirs.  It just won't be particularly... um... cool.  I wonder if whoever does the main lead part (Scott?) does a Jimmy Cagney accent with it or not.  I have to admit I'm gonna have to see this before I can ditch my skepticism.

Oh. I just followed the link and saw the photo.  I guess it makes imagining it a bit easier, but again I may have to bite my tongue a bit about some cheese factor.

 

[Sharpie66]

Earlier today (and of course I can't find the link now!), I was reading a recap of the night's festivities, and it looks like Martin Short was the MC for the Tom Hanks portion, so the cheese factor was definitely deliberate, since they were going for a comedic tribute. The article did say that PTX's version of "That Thing You Do!" was quite good, so that's something.

[Kromm]

Earlier today (and of course I can't find the link now!), I was reading a recap of the night's festivities, and it looks like Martin Short was the MC for the Tom Hanks portion, so the cheese factor was definitely deliberate, since they were going for a comedic tribute. The article did say that PTX's version of "That Thing You Do!" was quite good, so that's something.

Short often makes me want to put a gun to my own head in the past few years (was he always this bad or was I just more open to his look at me-me! shlock when I was a kid?), so I guess it HAD to be deliberately wink-wink smile smile, as you say.

[SrPab]

I have belief in deliberate cheese since Hanks, at least in his early acting career, was more known for his comedic roles. Even when the balance tipped toward drama, he was in the Toy Story franchise and has done voice work in animated fare, including The Simpsons. I'm just scratching my head at a Hanks + "Yankee Doodle Dandy" connection--all-American Tom hanks? Any stage work involving Yankees or Doodles or Dandies?

 

On a completely different note, ptxnewsandstuff tweeted that, apparently, PTX will be a guest performer at what looks to be the very last airing of the German tv show Wetten, dass...? on Dec. 13. The article is in German...and Google's translation engine is mediocre. Perhaps they made their appearance while in Europe on their promo push a few weeks ago, and the episode was taped then, to air this weekend. That page also has a link to a brief promo spot by PTX (in English).

Edited December 9, 2014 by SrPab-PTV

[Sharpie66]

Maybe the all American stuff is related to his appearnces in Apollo 13 and Saving Private Ryan, and producing Band of Brothers and From the Earth to the Moon? You can't get more America Hurrah than NASA and the military.

Oh, and I am old enough to remember Tom Hanks's first big role in Bosom Buddies, alongside Peter Scolari and occasionally in drag, so I totally get why they are going with the comedic tribute.

Edited December 9, 2014 by Sharpie66

[Kromm]

That's what I meant when I said he does a lot of patriotic films.

 

It's not that I can't see the logic for it.  It's just that I never really thought of it as defining his career, the way that song suggests.

[Kromm]

As for the comedy stuff, you don't need Bosom Buddies for that.  You've also got Bachelor Party, Big, Splash, The Money Pit, Joe Vs. The Volcano, Dragnet, Turner & Hooch, etc. for the earlier silly comedies, and Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail for the mid-career romantic comedies.

[Sharpie66]

The Akousticats have a new video out that I posted over in the Also-Rans thread, but I'm cross-posting it here since it features their former member Jeremy Lewis, who is currently dating Kirstie, and the video features her and her dog Olaf throughout:

Also, the predictions for the upcoming chart figures for TCTM have been adjusted upward--instead of 175,000 that Billboard predicted last Friday, the physical sales number is 206,476. Still not enough to beat out Taylor Swift for the #1 spot, but excellent, nonetheless! If I'm right, this puts the total physical sales around 800,000, well within striking range of the Platinum Record status before Christmas.

[SrPab]

Since they've already taped the S5 special episode, it's wishful thinking that TCTM could be certified Platinum on Dec. 17 (and have an on-air mention of it).

 

You know what...that 206,476 number is based on physical CD sales and digital album (and digital equivalent; 10 = 1) sales, right? Or is it just purely physical CD sales? 

[Sharpie66]

It is just the physical sales, not digital adjustments.

PTX is in this year's Youtube Rewind video:

They are at the end, the last recognizable performers in the video.

Edited December 10, 2014 by Sharpie66

[Kromm]

I was much more excited to see Kid President.

 

Frankly I never know what to make of these "stars of YouTube" videos. At the very least they serve to illustrate how blurry the line between online stars and mainstream stars is getting.

[Kromm]

Just for a giggle, here's something from the "Pentatonix TV Commercials from Around the World" Department:

 

[Sharpie66]

I love the commercial!

 

BTW, they're going to be on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2015" (now, there's a mouthful!!). https://au.news.yahoo.com/entertainment/a/25741942/iggy-azalea-joins-new-years-eve-special/

[SrPab]

Someone is just bound and determined to drive ratings and make money off of Clark's name/rep. But yes, because PTX will be on it, I'll tune in or record. /small voice

Edited December 10, 2014 by SrPab-PTV

[Kromm]

Someone is just bound and determined to drive ratings and make money off of Clark's name/rep. But yes, because PTX will be on it, I'll tune in or record. /small voice

I'm sorry to disillusion you, but that person was Dick Clark himself.  He's the one who arranged for Seacreast to take over the show and also the one who's company negotiated keeping his name on the show anyway.

[Sharpie66]

Oh, totally--Dick Clark was a very smart businessman and promoter, and knew exactly how to keep himself in the limelight long after he departed this mortal coil. I'm sure his estate still gets a big chunk of whatever version of the Pyramid is still on the air, as well as the New Years Eve festivities.

 

Lawrence Welk wasn't as savvy, methinks...

 

(Oh, and btw? I'll be dvr'ing the show, too!)

[SrPab]

On a completely different note, ptxnewsandstuff tweeted that, apparently, PTX will be a guest performer at what looks to be the very last airing of the German tv show Wetten, dass...? on Dec. 13. The article is in German...and Google's translation engine is mediocre. Perhaps they made their appearance while in Europe on their promo push a few weeks ago, and the episode was taped then, to air this weekend. That page also has a link to a brief promo spot by PTX (in English).

Just saw a tweet from Avi that says he's (and, I assume, the rest of PTX) off to Germany. Perhaps their appearance on Wetten...dass? will be live, after all.

[Sharpie66]

Just looked at their page on Billboard, and "Mary, Did You Know?" has bounced back up to #38 on the Hot 100 chart (from #60 last week). Also, they now have four albums on the Top 200 album chart!

 

That's Christmas to Me: #2 (last week: #2)

PTXmas: #18 (#36)

PTX Vol. III: #74 (#106)

PTX Vol. I: #198 (uncharted)

 

Also, their Holiday Singles chart results are pretty cool:

 

Mary...: #1

Silent Night: #21

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy: #27

That's Christmas to Me: #29

Little Drummer Boy: #30

White Winter Hymnal: #44

Carol of the Bells: #82

Hark the Herald Angels Sing: #96

 

And the two albums are #1 and #5 on the Holiday Album chart, same as last week.

Edited December 11, 2014 by Sharpie66

[SrPab]

From another ptxnewsandstuff tweet, a link to a WSJ article: Pentatonix Tears Up The Charts

 

The insights offered are refreshing and telling, if the fact-checking and anecdotes are true.

[Sharpie66]

That might be one of my favorite articles about them to date! But then, I always love behind-the-scenes stuff, which this is chock full of.

 

Surprises (at least to me!):

 

"The group hung on to the name they had coined before appearing on “The Sing-Off,” even though NBC had warned them they would regret it, said Pentatonix member Scott Hoying." NBC warned them against their name?

 

"'I had shopped this to every label in the business. They told me I was nuts,' said Lenny Beer, co-owner of the MGMT Company, which manages the group. When Sony’s RCA Records President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Corson called last year, Mr. Beer said he told him, 'Hey, man, you passed on this, like, 11 times already,' but eventually agreed to a deal." Heh--serves them right. I hope that they got a good chunk of change out of RCA for passing them up the first 11 times around.

 

"Moving Pentatonix to the next level in the new year will be a challenge for RCA, Mr. Naftaly said. The label wants to help the band create an original “smash-hit song—or ten of them,” that radio DJs play, he said. Messrs. Naftaly and Beer said that to make the tunes radio-friendly, Pentatonix might need to add instruments.

"The band doesn’t agree.

 

'“We’re not really into that idea,” said Mr. Hoying, adding that instruments would negate the roles of members Kevin Olusola and Avi Kaplan, who supply the group with vocal beats. “The second you add instruments, what makes us so special is lost.”

"Mr. Naftaly said he wasn’t considering anything “bombastic,” but maybe some subtle strings, since Mr. Olusola plays the cello and the band already has collaborated with violinist Lindsey Stirling." 

 

Good for them for nixing that idea. All I can think of is how a record label managed to wreck the purity of The Weavers' folk music in the late 1940s by adding really sappy strings to their already-produced songs (check out the record version of "On Top of Old Smoky" and wait for the ear-wincing awfulness to commence).

 

I never noticed that they don't have Friday night concerts--interesting. Actually, none of the quirks surprise me, especially Avi being the rule-enforcer.

[SrPab]

In an alternate universe, there is a successful a cappella group called "The Pentatonix". In another alternate 'verse, they are called "The Pentatonics". In the multi-verse, PTX fans bemoan the inclusion of the word "the" into the group's name. Perhaps NBC warned them of the wrong thing.

 

And as soon as someone finally grokked that PTX could be a money-maker, they stopped being passed over.

 

Is radio in the U.S. still such a big thing that it's considered the next level for PTX? I don't know where I side with this since I don't listen to radio (home or car) much. I understand music discovery and exposure possibilities--but you can get that with tv appearances, too. And, you know, the Internet.

Edited December 11, 2014 by SrPab-PTV

[Sharpie66]

Back in the late '80s, there was a great rock band out of Milwaukee (where I was going to college) called Da Bodeans--the "Da" was a joke on how Midwesterners of ethnic stock tended to pronouce "the" (think of "Da Bears" from SNL). It got so confusing for people who were not in the know to introduce them properly that they finally gave up and changed their name to just The Bodeans.

 

(I saw them at Milwaukee's Summerfest in 1986 where they were the closers on a triple bill with some group I can't remember and the Violent Femmes--awesome concert!!)

Edited December 11, 2014 by Sharpie66

[Sharpie66]

Dallas Morning Newsxhas a nice recap of the eventful month (so far!) for PTX, including a brief talk with Scott: http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/2014/12/checking-in-with-arlington-group-pentatonix-on-its-grammy-nod-and-trip-to-the-white-house.html/

[Rick Kitchen]

My local newspaper's weekly rundown of the charts has PTX at number one and number eight on the downloaded albums chart.

[Rick Kitchen]

PTX has put several of the songs from "That's Christmas to Me" on YouTube backing a Yule Log.  :)

[Sharpie66]

Early sales projections for next Thursday's chart are starting to come out, and it looks like PTX will be at #3, with combined (sales + streaming) numbers around 205,000 - 210,000.

Edited December 13, 2014 by Sharpie66

[Kromm]

PTX has put several of the songs from "That's Christmas to Me" on YouTube backing a Yule Log.  :)

Actually all 11 tracks.

Really it shows they understand better than most in the music business that Album sales these days are inherently a volunteered fan contribution. There's no sense in NOT streaming it all for free, Yule Log or no Yule log, because all it does is shore up the fan loyalty (who'd get the music for free anyway if they darn well wanted to).

 

=======================

New Article : Stereogum - The Week In Pop: Goddamn, People Love Pentatonix

 

It's not entirely flattering about their performance style or vibe, but quite on top of their history and the reasons they've succeeded.

Edited December 13, 2014 by Kromm

[Sharpie66]

Here's the video of their appearance on the German show Wetten Dass, where they did a medley of songs that had been performed on the show during its run (today was its final episode): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5szZCsheK8/

Aaagh! I cannot get that link to work. Anyway, check it out on YouTube.

Edited December 14, 2014 by Sharpie66

[SrPab]

This one seems to work (for now)...PTX on last airing of Wetten...dass? --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5szZCsheK8

Edited December 14, 2014 by SrPab-PTV

[Sharpie66]

I'm reading through the FB posts of an a capella arranger (he did a few songs on Committed's  new Xmas album, amongst loads of others) named Tom Anderson that SrPab-PTV posted in the Small Talk thread, and just saw this post of his from back in April:

 

"There are a lot of good arrangers out there. The best manage to have not only chops but a truly unique voice - Mark Kibble and Christopher Given Harrison come to mind. And at this point I can no longer deny: Pentatonix belongs on that list as well. I don't know how the arranging duties break down from one song to the next, but whatever Colonel's Secret Recipe voodoo they have going on, it's one of the best things to happen to a cappella arranging in years. Lawd."

 

Ben Bram, PTX's producer and co-collaborator since TSO, had this to say in response:

 

Thanks Tom! I can't take too much credit, but for anyone curious, here's basically how it breaks down.

 

The vast majority of their TSO arrangements and live YouTube covers were/are done by the five of them woodshedding together with nothing written out. Sometimes I'll lend a hand if there's a harmonically intricate moment they need worked out on paper (for example "Bohemian Rhapsody" in Evolution or the jazz chord moment in OMG).

 

When it comes to recorded songs, the process varies. For songs like Daft Punk, Radioactive, Run to You, Say Something, and all the Christmas songs. we arrange those collaboratively with myself and some combo of Scott, Kevin, Avi, and Mitch huddled around my desk. That process is a combination of Finale input and in-the-room woodshedding.

 

Then there are songs like Natural Disaster and Love Again, where the group arranged those mostly on their own, and then brought them to me to finalize and hone. Valentine was arranged by the six of us woodshedding.

 

Like Marty said, it's attributed 100% to the power of collaboration. None of us would be able to create what we've been able to if we were doing it individually. Scott brings his endless well of ideas, Mitch brings his melodic and stylistic brilliance, Avi brings his unique aesthetic and critical ear, Kevin brings his absolute innovation and ridiculous work ethic, and I bring my attention to voice leading and knowledge of how to fit everything together in a cohesive way. All of us are PICKY AS HELL so if an arrangement gets past all of us, it's usually pretty good.

 

Also, there's nothing more exciting than when we arrange in a group and someone comes up with something cool, then someone else suggests a small change and all of a sudden it becomes REALLY FREAKING COOL and we all start to freak out about it. Pure musical glee.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Sharpie66

[Kromm]

Wow, poor Kirstie gets really underplayed in that description from Bram (he says "the six of us" a few times, but when talking about specific contributions never mentions her name).

 

Personally I don't think it's any big deal if she's less involved with that stuff than the others, but it DOES stick out a bit in that quote.

[Sharpie66]

She just had an "Ask Kirstie" question thing on Twitter a few days ago, and someone asked her if she regretted not putting her opinion in on more arrangements and ideas for the group. She said that she has had a problem with speaking up (I got the impression that she wasn't confident enough in her abilities to feel like she had something to contribute), but she said that she has been getting braver and is getting more input now than she has in the past. Good for her! That's the only way she's going to get some more solos--she's the one who brought "Rather Be" to the rest of the group, none of whom had heard it at that point.

ETA: She also said that she is tired of her name being mangle by people not saying or spelling it correctly, so she has been going with "Kirstin" lately. I hope it works out for her; I wish I could do the same with my last name...

Edited December 15, 2014 by Sharpie66

[SrPab]

Pardon me, but I'm all about this right now (and probably for the rest of the day): Rob Kapilow takes apart (in a nice way) Pentatonix's arrangement of "Angels We Have Heard On High".

 

I won't even pretend to understand lots of things he's talking about but he's sold on their reinterpretation of this song--and how they melded traditional with modern.

Edited December 16, 2014 by SrPab-PTV

[Sharpie66]

That's really cool!  Even though I was in band from 4th grade through college, I'm not into all the nuances of the chords and everything--I just know what I like. It's nice to hear an expert tear it down and show the bones of the arrangement.

 

I do have issues with him calling modern a capella "updated barbershop quartet", because it sure as hell isn't, as he goes on to demonstrate.

[Kromm]

Wow, they're putting on ridiculous frequent flyer miles. They were in Germany like a day ago, and now they're in Japan (I know it looks a lot like their last appearance on Japanese TV, at least down to having a similar weird looking set, until you get to the part where they sing Christmas music).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVCwy7-5jxU

I don't actually think they're currently IN Canada at the same time, but this other video came out today too (giving them the APPEARANCE of being in two places on opposite sides of the Earth the same day). I suppose this was taped on their last visit to Canada and the CBC held it back:

 

 

I wonder what time of day their bodies think it is.  They're on a morning show there in Japan,  Japan is 8 hours ahead of Germany, but Germany was 9 hours ahead of California (unless they were still on East Coast time from New York). 

Edited December 17, 2014 by Kromm

[Sharpie66]

Scott tweeted that they're about to perform on another morning show in Japan, this time singing a Christmas song that they haven't performed before, so I'm guessing it's one that is not on TCTM or PTXmas. Looking forward to it hitting YouTube sometime tonight!

After reading those Facebook posts and comments earlier this week, one comment struck me as something you don't see mentioned much in the press. The arranger whose page these were on said that, in his opinion, PTX has one of the best stage shows out there right now, regardless of the group's format. He said that they hit on the perfect blend of entertainment, so everyone could enjoy the show--sing along with Mitch's hook, cheer at his high notes, or go wild whenever Avi said or sang anything at all. It might not be perfect a capella, but it was entertainment, something that PTX understands is vital for success.

That got me thinking about Avi's impact on the group. Yes, he's an amazing bass singer, but he also has real charisma on stage (from what I've seen in the concert YT videos), appears to ground the group with his professionalism, and gives them another male lead with, iMO, an even richer tone than Scott or Mitch have. In interviews, Avi has mentioned that his voice had changed in the summer before high school, so he entered high school at the age of 14 with that amazing low voice.

Some time ago, I stumbled across this great post from Avi's high school choir director (from Choral.net at http://www.choralnet.org/301640):

I would like to add my voice to this discussion as the high school teacher for Avi Kaplan, the bass in Pentatonix.

First, it is a THRILL to see a former student reap such success. I always knew he "would make it" somehow, some day--and he did! I called him my choir's "subwoofer" and while he was there, I designed much of my curriculum around him, particularly our a cappella jazz ensemble. It is gratifying to see him employ much of what was attributable to the opportunities given him in high school from vocal technique to mic technique. Someone mentioned M-Pact and I hired Trist Curliss, who I knew from the Univ. of N. Colorado and the bass in that group, to not only clinic our jazz group but to have a one-on-one training session with Avi on being an a cappella bass on a mic. Guess it paid off.

One thing that unique to him and that the judges never picked up was his throat singing. There are three songs in which he used it and whenever you hear that high-pitched whistle tone, that's Avi singing his bass notes with an overtone. It is a way cool thing and it is something that I introduced him to and something that he has been fooling around with ever since. There is a cool interview with him on All Things Considered where he talks about that and demonstrates it.

When he was waffling on where to go to college, I emphatically told him that he would be nuts NOT to go to Mt. SAC and sing with Bruce Rogers. Of course, he got great classical experiences there, but he also was a member of the 2009 ICCA champions Fermata Nowhere. He also sang in Bruce's Singopation...

As we all know, an a cappella group will only be as good as their bass. Pentatonix is so lucky to have Avi. He's a great singer, musician, and one of the finest young men I have ever known. But they are all lucky to have each other. There is something about them that when they combine their voices, it is the most energized, incredible sound! What are the chances that such a talented trio would all be at the same high school? I think this group was meant to be. And I certainly hope that this show and Pentatonix brings an aspect of our choral art to more visibility and interest. It is very exciting! I think there was a great display of talent in many groups (Afro Blue, Vocal Point, North Shore, etc.) that I really found exceptional. I think that Pentatonix, however, has an actual chance to go main stream...

The cool thing about this choral art is that most of us choral directors give our various Avi's the best opportunities that we can, particularly at the high school level. It is rare to see something like this happen because of it, but we all know that our students are so much more enriched in life because of what we do. What a great profession to be a part of!

ETA: the Trist Curless that the teacher mentions as giving high-school Avi a session on how to sing on a mic is now singing with Manhattan Transfer, and was also the sound engineer on PTX's 2014 tour. In one of their European PTXperience videos, Avi is doing a downward run on his soundcheck, stops before hitting the low note, then finishes it off, concluding with "Come on, Trist!" A capella is such a small community!

Edited December 18, 2014 by Sharpie66

[Sharpie66]

Chart updates!

 

1. TCTM was #1 on the Amazon mp3 album sales charts for the year, beating out Taylor Swift.

 

2. Billboard 200--all five of their releases are on the chart this week!

          TCTM: #3 (#2 last week)

          PTXmas: #23 (#18)

          PTX Vol. 3: #65 (#74)

          PTX Vol. 2: #188 (uncharted) 

          PTX Vol. 1: #189 (#198)

 

3. Billboard Holiday Albums:

         TCTM: #1 (#1)

         PTXmas: #4 (#5)

 

4. Billboard Holiday Singles:

         Mary, Did You Know?: #2 (#1)

         That's Christmas to Me: #36 (#29)

         Silent Night: #37 (#21)

         Little Drummer Boy: #46 (#30)

         White Winter Hymnal: #48 (#44)

         Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy: #49 (#27)

         Carol of the Bells: #100 (#82)

Edited December 18, 2014 by Sharpie66

[SrPab]

Just now saw this on PTX's FB page...they have another tv appearance: Tonight (Dec. 18) at 8:00PM ET on the CW network for the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball. Check your local listings.

 

ETA: Regarding Sharpie66's post above about PTX albums/songs charting...perhaps U.S. music lovers will tire of the covers but I still find it mildly amusing that after all this time what they're doing is being listened to and, more importantly, bought (albums that are half covers/half originals and such). The CASA group page has a thread with a number of comments regarding TSO, PTX, and whether a cappella as a whole is better for the tv show or worse off. Additionally, there are comments regarding original a cappella music and why a cappella is not on U.S. radio more. I mentioned upthread that perhaps PTX signing with RCA gives them access to songwriters who can craft potential hits. Might one or more of these be passed to PTX first(!) and they can do their arranging-fu on it?

 

It seems that labels want a market to already exist that they can milk for profit instead of creating a market from scratch. But I wonder, even if a "hit" song gets to PTX first...who would market it to radio? And, would RCA insist on adding strings (cello or violin kind) to position it better for making a persuasive argument to radio? PTX doesn't want to add instruments. Would RCA tell them to market it themselves? Or would they deny them access to their songwriter stable unless they added an instrument (or 10)?

Edited December 18, 2014 by SrPab-PTV

[SrPab]

That FB CASA group page I referenced in my post directly above this one? Here it is (again, it's the replies left behind that are illuminating or provocative or bellicose): http://www.facebook.com/groups/ACappellaNow/

 

Log in to your FB account and then click the link. The post you want to peruse was left by Andy Smigielski. I've put this in the PTX subforum because PTX is referenced heavily in the bulk of the replies--mainly because they're cited when comparing/contrasting to whatever point(s) the replier is making. My overall takeaway is one of a push-pull...some people want PTX to be/sound a certain way; some claim they are radio friendly so why aren't they on radio; some claim they aren't a vocal group. The bigger U.S. (contemporary) a cappella community is discussed, too--but again, it is mostly when comparing/contrasting with PTX.

 

Back to radio airplay...in the 2014 U.S. music scene, is it of paramount importance that PTX get radio airplay outside of whatever they get during holiday season? While RCA may have that as a priority, I don't know if that is an overwhelming aspiration for PTX. I imagine any or more radio airplay they get would not be unwelcome but I would hope what they really want is to keep putting out music that many people love (and buy).

 

Reading the replies in that thread again, I definitely feel like there are fault lines in the U.S. a cappella community: state-of-the-world before PTX...and after PTX. Or something along the lines of "we NEED PTX to take us to the mountaintop (for respectability/credibility/radio airplay/etc.)" versus "PTX is not the future of a cappella". Or something like "PTX is just a glorified cover band" versus "they are innovative (but need to put out original songs)".

 

There is original a cappella music (lots of it and, obviously, quality varies) but by and large the backbone is built on covers of existing songs. There are replies calling out a cappella songwriters to write better (radio friendly?) songs but the pace of progress is too slow for some. PTX may not be the future of a cappella but they are a part of its present...and from what I've seen just on YT alone, they are influencing somebody--several even.

[debbydeb]

PTX has their own shelf in Barnes and Nobles, at least this christmas season. Whatever they're doing marketing wise, they're savvy as hell.

http://thatraptorjazz.tumblr.com/post/105618410199/look-what-i-found-at-barnes-and-noble-yesterday

I've just read the thread in that facebook post (thanks SrPab), i'm more confused now. some people seem to think along the lines of "any news is good news" in that PTX is indeed repaving the way again (i.e. building on the legacy of past successful acappella names and see if they can push/make a bigger dent/add more cracks to the music genre glass ceiling). Others seem to think that PTX is hurting acappella by not sounding like acappella, by being too poppy and less conservative, which leads to another kettle of fish etc etc. I still don't know what to think though.

[SrPab]

Yeah, debbydeb, that thread has confused me, too. There's a multi-sided dichotomy (can a dichotomy be non-binary?) in play--and perhaps a deliberate misinterpretation of terminology.

 

That's a CASA group page--Contemporary A Cappella Society (of America). Some elements of contemporary a cappella include beatboxing (which, in my mind, is more than just vocal percussion), dubstep-py bass, modern pop vocal stylings, and the like. The wording of some of the replies suggests a dismissiveness or a misunderstanding of what contemporary a cappella is--and instead just uses the term "a cappella" loosely. I know that the history of a cappella includes things like Gregorian chants, madrigals, barbershop harmony, streetcorner/doo wop...and this thing called "contemporary" (as well as other types of a cappella music).

 

Traditional vs Modern; Old School vs new School...do you detect a generational gap, too? What do these same people think of a group like a.squared with live looping, or ARORA with their effects pedals, or Australian group Suade? For that matter, how are groups like VoicePlay and The Filharmonic or MO5AIC regarded--or any of the hundreds of less-well-known pro and semi-pro contemporary aca-groups in the U.S./world?

 

And it seems like some of them want to have their cake and eat it, too. They put PTX on a pedestal and immediately turn around and try to knock them off of it. You know what, PTX is going to keep on keeping on. No one is forcing anyone to hop on board their train. If you don't want PTX to be the only (big) name in town, then step up and reach for that brass ring yourself. But it's not going to be handed to anybody.

Edited December 19, 2014 by SrPab-PTV

[Sharpie66]

I remember reading the CASA recaps of TSO Season 3, written by Warren Bloom. He talked a lot about how a significant portion of the a cappella community hated the idea of including rap in a cappella, and even he winced a bit at some of the heavier inuendoes that were included in the lyrics that season (especially Urban Method's inclusion of the line from "Poison": "Me and the crew used to do her...").

Edited December 19, 2014 by Sharpie66

[Bella]

This strikes me as one of those fruitless conversations in which the perfect is the enemy of the good. News flash: "perfect" isn't going to exist for most, maybe all, of the a capella purists.

[Sharpie66]

OK, PTXposure is getting to be a bit ridiculous: ESPN's Sportscenter is now featuring their music!

 

Oh, and it looks like they're on track for another 200K week, which means that they'll hit the platinum mark!

Edited December 19, 2014 by Sharpie66

[ohjoy]

Oh, and it looks like they're on track for another 200K week, which means that they'll hit the platinum mark!

I may have just clapped and did the sports-champion fist-pump in my office. :-) Their success over the last couple of months has been like getting my own gift -- an "I told you so" button I can play for all the people who looked at me quizzically when I started obsessing about them three years ago.

[Sharpie66]

I know, isn't it great?!