Commentary

Decades-dense

FOB-Decades-dense

The American Telegram & Telegraph company might be shaking off the last of its 1880s dust; it recently teamed with a band from the double-oughts that borrows some of its sound from the 1980s and named itself for the decade after: AT&T and BBDO New York enlisted Scottish indie band 1990s for the "Beat City" spot - a computer-generated animation set to music to launch the new '80s-cum-retro-futuristic Sony Ericsson Walkman phone. Jackie McKeown, lead singer and guitarist, had a few comments on being the brand's new house band.

How were you approached for this AT&T spot?
Through our friend and colleague Mr. Danny Benair [of Natural Energy Lab, a music placement company]. The best guy in the world for getting 1990s music into the strangest places.

How has it affected your band?
Nothing like this affects our ambitions as artists. It does bring our music to a wider spectrum of the public, though, so I guess you might think twice about what you write knowing it's going into quite a few more homes. You might - but you probably wouldn't.

So many artists have gotten a boost from ad exposure. What does this mean for the future of music?
There's always some new pain-in-the-ass making artists' lives difficult. This probably goes back to the Middle Ages. Artists need to quit whining about their sorry lot and get on with it. You need a bit of friction to make it good. Who really cares?

Is there another product that you are looking to sidle with?
Not particularly. Flying shoes?

Do you own one of these phones?
No, but I'd like to. My current LG phone keeps applying William Burroughs's cut-up technique to my text messages. This can lead to embarrassment and lawsuits.

Did this commercial help you purchase a new wardrobe?
Yes, and clothes to put in it, too.

Would you rather be in an iPod commercial?
No, why?

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