I know it's easy to sound like a nostalgic old git, but I think the media influences what is available a lot more now than in the past. Could you imagine something like Island or Stiff records starting up now, they would need Simon Cowell's permission! I think the fact there is so much by the way of technology so everything goes "viral" that it is a lot easier to manipulate what is fed to the public (christ! I sound like Sisu on a conspiracy theory trip)
Now there I do agree with you. Given that ostensibly it should be far easier to 'get your music out there' than it was in our day, control has truly returned to the 'packagers'.
