Tv Tunes: Partners In Crime

First it was teens. Now it is the adults' turn to discover tunes on TV, as a new breed of musically sophisticated crime and drama programming emerges in prime time.

The shows—glossy, cinematic and atmospheric—are feeding viewers' appetite for under-the-radar acts.

"The landscape of using music in TV has changed greatly in the last couple of years," says Billy Gottlieb, music supervisor for Fox-TV's new crime drama, "Bones." "It used to be the bastard stepchild—the last thing a studio wanted to do was put extra money into the music. But now there's an expectation that audiences want to hear new music and not some standard needle drop."

That is a welcome change for the music business and is especially appealing to indie artists, who tend to be ignored by commercial radio and need every opportunity for mass exposure.

"When you can only get so much radio airplay—which is mainly taken over by major labels—[TV] helps with a critical-mass kind of approach," says Jennifer Czeisler, VP of licensing for indie Sub Pop Records.

Expectations for music on TV were heightened in large part by hipster audiophile Seth Cohen, played by Adam Brody, who served as a guidepost to breaking acts on Fox-TV's "The OC."

Though they are not pegged with the same coolness factor as "The OC," today's crime dramas—including the "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" franchise, "Without a Trace" and "Cold Case," all on CBS—mix high-profile talents like Johnny Cash, John Lennon and the Who with such indie darlings as the White Stripes, Gary Jules and Sub Pop's Iron & Wine.

"There is so much quality in the production and the writing that goes into these shows today, that [artists] want to be a part of it," says Hollywood veteran Jerry Bruckheimer, executive producer for the CBS dramas. "They know that they'll be widely represented to millions, and for a breaking artist, that's a great shot."

With the TV studios eager to showcase new acts, Gottlieb says his job is that much easier: "I don't have to chase down an established artist who wouldn't be nearly as interested as the baby bands."

A prime-time example is Australian singer Sia, whose performance of the much-talked-about "Breathe Me" played during the closing montage in this summer's series finale of HBO's "Six Feet Under." Virtually unknown in the United States before the Aug. 21 broadcast, her import album, "Colour the Small One" (Go! Beat/Island/Universal)—which is not yet available in U.S. stores—shot to No. 3 on iTunes following the TV exposure, according to her manager Juliet Lloyd-Price of IE Music Management.

"A series that takes a cinematic approach and treats music as an essential component rather than incidental is going to be a better platform," Lloyd-Price says. "The makers of 'Six Feet Under' used music incredibly intelligently and emotively within the series."

Blue Merle, managed by Red Light Management, saw a substantial increase in activity on its Web site following the use of "Every Ship Must Sail Away" during the closing montage in the second episode of "Bones," manager Adam Foley says.

"More and more companies are turning toward bands rather than a generic music bed," he says. "For artists, it's definitely changed lately for the better." Immediately following the Sept. 20 airing of "Bones," he says, the group's touring manager's phone would not stop ringing. "He interacts directly with the street team, so we also saw an initial reaction immediately that way."

While the crime dramas shy away from the use of post-show musical credits—called "ad cards"—favored by teen dramas like "The OC," fans have proved enterprising enough to give value to these placements.

"Clearly we've now seen that a memorable song by a relatively unknown artist can propel viewers to search out the music," Lloyd-Price says. "It's become easier for viewers with the Internet, especially message boards."

Czeisler adds: "When you consider millions of people are watching, you only need a small percentage of them to be proactive for the placement to be effective."

The dramas also have proved effective for house DJs and electronic acts, whose music seems to fit the genre. Songs by Paul Oakenfold are frequently used on "CSI" and ABC's "Alias," and an original Crystal Method score is featured as the theme song to "Bones."

"You need that driving feel of high-energy beats when you're watching those shows," says 3 Artist Management's SuzAnn Brantner, who manages Oakenfold and the Crystal Method.

Brantner says she realized the reach of TV drama placements while in Europe with the Crystal Method, and kids in Germany and the Netherlands knew the group from its theme to the now-defunct "Third Watch" on NBC.

The Crystal Method "has always been very active in licensing [its] music, knowing that it's a way to get music heard beyond the radio," she says. To spread the word on the use of its song "Massive Attack" as the theme to Fox-TV's new drama "House," the group placed images online and posters in traditional retailers.

In the case of house DJ Sasha, also managed by Red Light Management, the placements are a way to generate excitement among his fan base by unveiling new material.

"We got the info out to as many people as we could," Foley says of the new Sasha songs used in a past season of "CSI." "Knowing when the episode was coming out, we were really able to maximize it."

The exposure can also drive sales of the show's DVD releases, Foley points out: "I can see fans of Sasha's buying the 'CSI' DVD set because that's the only place they can hear those unreleased tracks."

The "CSI" franchise has also spawned two successful soundtracks: "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and "CSI: Miami," both on Hip-O Records. Including a varied lineup of acts like New Order, Zero 7, Oasis, Grand Theft Auto and Citizen Cope, the albums have sold a combined 45,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Jason Alexander is music supervisor for the series.

Two volumes of "Six Feet Under"—released in 2002 and this year—have sold 91,000 units on the strength of buzz-worthy acts like Sia, Jem, Death Cab for Cutie, the Arcade Fire and soundtrack maven Imogen Heap. Music supervision for "Six Feet Under" is handled by the noted team of Gary Calamar and Thomas Golubic.

Gottlieb says that if "Bones" proves successful, a soundtrack could follow.

Despite the temptation, Bruckheimer says he steers clear of trying to find a hit.

"It's always about the emotion that a song gives you in a particular scene, and if it turns out to be a hit, then that's good," he says. "When you choose a placement that helps the song become a hit rather than helping the emotion behind the scene, that's when you get in trouble." ••••