Was watching Conan the other night and an add for Chili's (the tex-mex restaurant) came on. The bulk of the ad was a little ditty sung about ribs. Surprisingly, the song had a total Old 97's-type beat (almost exactly like "Timebomb") and the singer sounded a HECK of a lot like Rhett Miller.

Did Rhett actually sing for this ad? And was that actually the Old 97's in the background, or just a facsimile?

OK, just checked the Old 97s website, and they did indeed do the Chili's commercial.

Are they that hard up for cash, or do they just not care about the whole "selling out" angle? Hmm....

I've not heard the commerical, but I personally say more power to them. Make the money while you can, and let the people who want to call you 'sell-outs' live in poverty.

It's not like they haven't been accused of selling out before: signing to Elektra led the alt-country purists to call them sell outs. And people have been calling the first Rhett solo record a sell out record since they first saw his picture on the cover.

There's a whole thread about music used in commercials, but as I've said repeatedly, it's one thing to call an artist a sellout for lending music to a commercial, but I imagine it's a whole different story when you're actually a member of that band trying to make a living. I don't think the Old 97s are the kind of band that's making money hand over fist, so you should probably cut them some slack. Does it really cheapen the quality of their existing music knowing they recorded a song for Chili's?

I'd like to see all the people who complain about artists "selling out" quit their jobs and form a band. I bet most would be recording jingles for Wal-Mart in no time flat.

Hey hey hey...I wasn't calling them sell-outs in the slightest. I'm merely aware of that angle.

Do I think the Old 97's playing a song about BBQ ribs cheapens their existing stuff? Actually, yeah, a little bit. Not enough for me to suddenly turn on them and call them "sell-outs" in a derogatory way, but yes. It's one thing to lend your existing music to a commercial, but you go a few steps further to actually record new material that's actively promoting something. Just wouldn't have expected it from the Old 97's -- Rhett's doing well financially (he said so when I saw him play over a year ago) and I've read he's very generous with his songwriting royalties. But admittedly I know nothing about the rest of the band's situation.

Some people say, Take the money and run. But compare that to another alt-country-ish band such as Wilco, who by choosing to uphold certain standards in their music, were dropped by their label. They were by no means well-off at the time, either -- Jay Bennett had multiple job-jobs on the side, for example.

I think Wilco may have lent a few of their songs to commercials...I'm not sure. But I highly doubt they'll be recording a song about sneakers for Nike any time soon. They uphold certain ideals, and would rather let their music exist on its own apart from petty commercialism, rather than give in and get nicer cars. Does that make them foolish? No, it just makes them artists.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Commontone,

I think the only way I would have a problem with an artist doing a commercial, would be if they were endorsing a product or company I was morally opposed to. Take Wal-Mart for example. If one of my favorite artists licensed their work to Wal-Mart, I'd probably stop buying their records. But, in the grand scheme of things, Chili's is pretty harmless. I generally don't eat there, because I don't think their food is all that great, but maybe Rhett Miller's a big fan. Whatever.

The Old 97's have never in the past presented themselves as "artistes." They're basically a Texas bar band that hit upon a great sound, thanks largely to Rhett Miller's voice I think, and they employ songwriting that's at worst better than a lot of stuff out there, and at best pretty fantastic. I like them, and own three of their CDs.

But in a way, seeing them or any band I like do a Chili's commercial is kind of like running into an old college friend who was insightful, bright and talented and on track to a brilliant career in psychology or something, and finding out he's settled on being an assistant manager at Target and really liked "Big Momma's House 2." It's like, "OK man, it's your life. Do what you gotta do, no judgement." But I can't help but feel disappointment.

I'm actually glad that I feel absolutely nothing about the Chili's commercial. I mean, who am I to judge the band on something that has absolutely nothing to do with me or my life? I don't think I've ever gotten anything that was advertised by a commercial, unless it was "free". Also, even though I've talked with Rhett Miller (with my wife, on our anniversary, yet), that certainly didn't make me his friend or even an acquaintance. I was just a passing fan, and the band certainly has always given me my money's worth.

Jeeze, I'm starting to feel like a jerk for even bringing this up. I watched the commercial, had a reaction, shared it here, and I'm pretty much over it. That's natural enough, isn't it? So be it - I'm going to go listen to "Buick City Complex" now

I see what you're saying Commontone, and I think it's a fairly common reaction among music fans. I probably felt the same way at some point in my life. But, for the most part, I don't let stuff like that bother me. Think of Gene Hackman. The guy's an excellent actor, and he's been in tons of terrific movies. But he also does the voiceovers for those Lowe's commercials. It doesn't dimish the quality of films like The French Connection or The Royal Tennenbaums. Does it?

Commontone, you and I agree a lot. I wasn't trying to shame you or anything. I was sharing my initial response, even if I was late and shouldn't act so friggin' superior. You don't need to apologize for anything. I'm just hoping that I needn't either.

I wasn't accusing you of calling them sell-outs, by the by. I was speaking generally to the general class of people who like to call bands out for selling out.

I don't disagree with most of what you said. BUT I don't think that recording a jingle for Chili's cheapens or changes their legacy. I won't feel any different about them when I pull out Fight Songs than I did before. They're still great, and if they can parlay some Chili's money into some new records, good for them. I'd rather hear the Old 97's shilling for Chili's than most of the commercial jingles you normally hear.

If they can make a little extra cash on the side, why not? Of Montreal has a song that Outback Steakhouse paid for, and now that's in their ads (and barely recognizable except for the bassline, anyway.)