"If Black Keys sound generic, would you mind recommending some similar current artists? Because I can't think of one."
I can, anything from Tight Bros From Way Back When to Flat Duo Jets to JSBE.  I don't say that to disparage the Black Keys (I can take 'em or leave 'em) but let's not pretend they are reinventing the…

"Escape from New York in Detroit?" Actually, filmed in St. Louis. Come on down, I'll walk you across the Chain of Rocks bridge where they filmed the climax. One of my middle school teachers was an extra in that movie.

That's Udo "The Tank"  Dirkschneider, fella.

Hey, I said "proto-speed metal", too! Alright, dude!

Accept was pretty far from a hair band (initially). They were more of a proto-spped metal band.

Maybe you're just wrong?

I love how you don't even mention the Buzzcocks, who are playing (in small font).

Touch Too Much was basically Def Leppards blue print right up to Pyromania, really. 
I really like Beatin' Around the Bush.

Ain't nobody told you?

Wrong, wrong, wrong about THX-1138. It's essentially a photo-negative of Logan's Run and it's all the better for it.

It's kind of a shame it *was't* made into a movie. Can imagine what an 'Apple'/'St. Pepper's'-esque fiasco THAT would have been? HA!

And it was very good, too. Doop was such a great character. Did you read the arc where he projects his mind outward and alter the space/time continuum? He then has to (silently) go restore the universe and after he does it no one is the wiser. Great stuff.

Then I suppose I should have inverted the question: What can Madonna provide for Interscope? Does she have that much juice left to justify a price tag like that?

Arse, she's been quite gay-friendly through the years, thank you.

What does it mean for an act like Madonna to be signed to a "record label" such as Interscope in 2011? What can they provide for her that she cannot provide for herself? Sincere question.

You just moved up to Otter.

"That's just his student ID number from his Academy days."

"watchable"… there's a ringing endorsement.

ΘΣ

Tape was very expensive back then so, yea, essentially they were being cheap/frugal. And especially the for the BBC, there was no perceived after-market for these things.