indierockcamel

Indie Rock vs. Camel cigarettes & Rolling Stone

Indie Rock vs Camel

We, the undersigned independent record labels, wish to share our indignation regarding Rolling Stone’s November 15th pull out editorial, which featured the names of our artists in conjunction with an ad for Camel cigarettes. This editorial cartoon gives every impression of being part and parcel of the advertisement wrapped around it.

The use of an artist’s name to promote a brand or product should be done only with the artist’s explicit consent, something that was neither solicited nor obtained from the labels or bands.

When questioned, Rolling Stone has referred to the “Indie Rock Universe” pull out section as an “editorial”, but it hardly seems accidental that this editorial content is wrapped in a giant ad from R.J. Reynolds announcing their support for independent artists and labels. The idea that this was a coincidence in any way seems dubious at best. There are two other pull out sections in this same issue of Rolling Stone. Both are wrapped in advertising, but neither of these ads could be construed as part of the editorial content within.

Many of the bands named, and the labels that represent them, are very unhappy with the implication that they have any involvement with R.J. Reynolds and Camel cigarettes. We ask that Rolling Stone apologize for blurring the line between editorial and advertisement, and in doing so, implying that the bands named support the product being advertised.

Sincerely, Kill Rock Stars, Touch and Go, Skin Graft, Lovepump United, Lucky Madison, 5RC, Audio Dregs, and Fryk Beat.

That letter was sent to me on December 13th. “The feature appeared in a 40th anniversary edition of Rolling Stone magazine published Nov. 15.” On December 20th, Xiu Xiu and Fucked Up filed a class action suit against Camel and Rolling Stone.

On a related note, someone got me the first 40 years of Rolling Stone on DVD for Christmas. I won’t complain about that. A picture of it, and the whole list of bands that Rolling Stone and Camel put in the questionable ad, below….

Rolling Stone

Bands in Camel/Rolling Stone’s “Indie Rock Universe” ad:

!!!
1990s
A Place to Bury Strangers
A Silver Mt. Zion
Against Me!
AIDS Wolf
Andrew Bird
Animal Collective
Antony and the Johnsons
Arcade Fire
Architecture in Helsinki
Arctic Monkeys
Art Brut
Babyshambles
Band of Horses
Bat For Lashes
Beirut
Belle and Sebastian
Biffy Clyro
Bjork
Black Dice
Black Mountain
Bloc Party
Blonde Redhead
Boards of Canada
Bonde de Role
Boredoms
Boris
Bright Eyes
Brightblack Morning Light
Bucks and Gallants
Built to Spill
Cat Power
Celebration
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
Coco Rosie
Comets on Fire
CSS
Daft Punk
David Pajo
Dean and Britta
Death Cab for Cutie
Deerhoof
Devendra Banhart
DeVotchka
Diplo
Dirty Pretty Things
Dirty Projectors
DJ Mehdi
Dr. Dog
Dungen
Ellen Allien and Apparat
Emily Jane White
Emma Pollack
Erase Errata
Explosions in the Sky
Fall Out Boy
Feist
Fields
Franz Ferdinand
Frog Eyes
Fucked Up
Fugazi
Ghostland Observatory
Girl Talk
Godspeed You Black Emperor!
Gogol Bordello
Grizzly Bear
Guided by Voices
Guitar Wolf
Gym Class heroes
Handsome Furs
High on Fire
Home Blitz
Hot Chip
Husker Du
Inferno Friendship Society
Interpol
Iron and Wine
Jans Lekman
Japanther
Jesu
Joanna Newsom
Jose Gonzalez
Joy Division
Junior Boys
Justice
Kaiser Chiefs
Klaxons
Last Days of May
Laura Veirs
Lavender Diamond
LCD Soundsystem
Le Tigre
Les Savy Fav
Liars
Lightning Bolt
Little Claw
Low
M. Ward
M.I.A.
Mates of State
Matmos
Minus the Bear
Modest Mouse
Mogwai
Mountain Goats
Mum
My Chemical Romance
My Morning Jacket
Neutral Milk Hotel
New Pornographers
New Young Pony Club
Nirvana
Oakley Hall
Octopus Project
Of Montreal
Panda Bear
Panic! at the Disco
Parts and Labor
Pavement
Peter and the Wolves
Pissed Jeans
Pixies
PJ Harvey
Plain White T’s
Prinzhorn Dance School
Psapp
Radiohead
Ratatat
Ryan Adams
Scout Niblett
Sea Wolf
Shitdisco
Sigur Ros
Simian Mobile Disco
Sleater-Kinney
Sonic Youth
Sons and Daughters
Spoon
St. Vincent
Stephen Malkmus
Sufjan Stevens
Ted Leo
The Cribs
The Cure
The Decemberists
The Fiery Furnaces
The Fratellis
The Futureheads
The Go! Team
The Gossip
The Hold Steady
The Killers
The Magik Markers
The National
The Nightwatchmen
The Ponys
The Rapture
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
The Rogers Sisters
The Shins
The Smiths
The Stills
The Strokes
The Thermals
The Thrills
The USA Is a Monster
The World
TV on the Radio
Tyvek
Vampire Weekend
We Are Wolves
White Denim
White Magic
White Stripes
Wilco
Will Oldham
Wolf Eyes
Wolf Parade
Wolfmother
Xiu Xiu
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yo La Tengo

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