Bright Eyes takes a shine to Lost Highway

Lost Highway has been a much-praised label in its three-year life.

Launched with the hit “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack, its roster includes acts ranging from Ryan Adams and Lucinda Williams to Johnny Cash, and the company is showcasing what it views as an orientation to “real” artists with a new compilation, “Lost and Found,” due Sept. 23, featuring some rarities from its acts along with album cuts.

But the real grabber for some on the collection is not from a Lost Highway artist at all. It’s a contribution by Bright Eyes, the Nebraska act that’s been the toast of the sensitive indie world for the last year.

“Trees Get Wheeled Away” was recorded specially for the project, joining such treasures as Cash’s version of “Wichita Lineman” (otherwise available only on the vinyl edition of his recent “American IV: The Man Comes Around” album), a previously unreleased Whiskeytown song and a Williams U.K.-only B-side.

What sets “Trees” apart, though, is that Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst has steadfastly maintained a distance from the major-label world, turning down many lucrative offers from record companies wanting to sign his band and even refusing to license songs for other projects, preferring the independent Omaha label, Saddle Creek Records.

Lost Highway is part of the Vivendi Universal conglomerate’s Universal Music sphere.

Oberst’s participation came after Frank Callari, Lost Highway’s senior vice president of A&R; and artist development, happened to see him on a TV show last year stating that “O Brother” was his favorite recent album.

A longtime fan of Bright Eyes, Callari reached out to Oberst via the artist’s booking agent and the next thing he knew the two were e-mailing each other, which led Oberst to invite Callari to hang out with him in New York and then during a Bright Eyes tour.

“In the course of our conversation he said, ‘Are you going to do ‘O Brother 2’?” Callari says. “I said no. And he said, ‘Well, if you ever do a compilation, let me know and I’ll give you a song.’ I was thrilled. He’s brilliant, and it’s a statement because he doesn’t want to deal with majors, but he was more than open to work with us, even on a one-off thing.”

The statement, as Callari sees it, is that Lost Highway has achieved its goal of being perceived as an artist haven, especially for American singer-songwriters.

Now attention turns to the label’s next phase. Lost Highway will issue the next album from newly signed Lyle Lovett and a second album by singer-songwriter Tift Merritt. A campaign for new artist Marc Broussard, signed to sister label Island Def Jam, will be worked with help from Lost Highway. This summer, Callari says, another compilation is planned to mark the label’s third anniversary.

Biting the hand that feeds

Radio stations have long had a pretty sweet deal with their festival-style concerts, a la the annual Weenie Roast and Almost Acoustic Christmas shows put on by rocker KROQ-FM (106.7) and the Wango Tango and Jingle Ball of pop giant KIIS-FM (102.3).

With consolidated ownership of stations and the key role of airplay in building hits, stations could pretty much command acts to play these shows, sometimes for free or at least at a steep reduction of their normal concert fees.

But the tide may have turned this summer, with musicians gaining the upper hand. In turn, that may mean talent will be harder to come by in the next round of such shows.

The reasons?

* More acts are demanding to be paid for these appearances -- and are getting paid by stations that are under great pressure to boost ratings.

* More top-flight acts are limiting the number of station shows they’ll do or are refusing them entirely, choosing to focus on their own tours.

* As the number of radio concerts has mushroomed, ticket sales have dropped for some, especially those in midsized markets.

“It’s been a tougher plow the last 12 months, and these shows go through it just like the other major concerts do,” says Roy Laughlin, Los Angeles regional vice president of Clear Channel Radio, the nation’s largest stations group, which operates L.A.’s KIIS, R&B; outlet KHHT-FM (92.3) and adult alternative KYSR-FM (98.7).

While artist managers and record company executives are reluctant to be quoted because of their relationships with radio, many contacted by Pop Eye note that where these shows had been consistent revenue windfalls for the stations in the past, many were money-losers this summer. That vulnerability has emboldened artists to just say no amid existing concerns that for some acts, playing these shows can hurt ticket sales to their own concerts in that market.

The effect probably won’t be felt among the biggest stations in the biggest markets. But many expect a scaling back or change of approach if fewer acts are willing to participate. One major band that did six shows last fall and winter is planning to do just one this season -- and it will be for KROQ.

“They started out with only a handful, usually with proceeds given to charity,” says Gary Bongiovanni, editor of concert business publication Pollstar. “As these grew and the conglomerates realized there was profit potential as well, they changed, so it’s not surprising we’re seeing changes in attitudes.”

Small faces

* Following extensive renovation, the theater known as the Palace will reopen in mid-September under the name Avalon, with a week of shows including Lisa Marie Presley on Sept. 16 and Liz Phair on Sept. 17.

* Cable’s Spike TV (now that it settled the name dispute with Spike Lee) is developing a show called “Remix” that’s being described as an “Iron Chef” for DJs. U.K. drum-and-bass star DJ Rap will host the show, in which two DJs will battle to create the best track from the same sample, with a rotating celebrity panel as judges. A pilot will be shot in the fall, with plans for the show to debut in early 2004. DJ Rap, who has just released her new “Touching Bass” album, is also hosting a documentary about slave labor, “The Power of Choice,” for England’s Channel 4.

* The performance by the reunited Blasters on Wednesday at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana will feature guest appearances by veteran blues harmonica player Billy Boy Arnold, rockabilly icon Sonny Burgess and ‘50s doo-wop group the Calvanes, with the whole thing being recorded and filmed for a CD and DVD release, due from the new Shout! Factory label in late January.