Idolator

If you want to learn how to market your band/club/burgeoning multimedia empire in the late oughts, make time to read this New York Times profile of Fueled By Ramen, the label that, according to the Times, "has its acts promote one another as well as the company itself." And they aren't kidding on that last point—flip on TRL right now and you'll see that a bunch of the label's bands, including Panic At The Disco, Cobra Starship, and Gym Class Heroes, are being interviewed by Snoop Dogg and that Aussie VJ who can't convincingly read a cue card to save her life. But it gets better: The show will culminate in ramen-eating contests between members of the bands and some of their fans. Not only is that some great branding-reinforcement (what other label could have an equivalent contest? "Get a K Records tattoo faster than your favorite band can" just doesn't have the same amount of flair), all this coordinated sucking up of noodles is inevitably going to launch thousands of bandom stories. We'll have Kate report on those ASAP, don't worry. [NYT]