@Sapphiron:
I kind of agree with you, but it's not only black and white. When starts a band/musician to sell-out (and what does it mean)?
Maybe we can agree that that the term "sell-out" means writing songs to please someone (record-label, the audience...).
I'm coming from the harcore-scene where the worst thing you could say about a band was sell-out. But it went that far, that every band who got a major-contract or didn't play in small clubs was said to be sell-out. But in most cases I didn't find it appropriate. I think Sick Of It All was one of those band, and you couldn't really say they made pop-music after getting the major-contract. This just as an example why I'm careful with using the term sell-out.
Sticking to Hardcore: A live-show was considered as "good" when there was a lot of stagediving and pogo, the music came second. When writing songs with my HC-band (and I think that's the case for many bands) we thought "OK, we need a song where the audience can go crazy." Then we wrote a song that we thought would make the people jump around. That was what we wanted and expected other HC-band to do. You could consider this sell-out, because we had the audience in mind.
Another example for sell-out I'm fine with:
Refused was one of the most important HC-bands, they broke up because they were to popular (at least I've heard that). But then the singer formed a new band
The (international) Noise Conspiracy which you could call music for the (rock-)masses. First I thought "Ah, now that he's popular,he wants to make more money out of it, than could ever be made with a HC-band." But his explanation was like this: The political message is more important than the music, so pop-music is the best thing to reach many people with this message. Is this sell-out? (btw. personally I would keep politics out of the music...another topic)
I'm really a fan of avantgarde-music. With avantgarde I don't mean a special style or genre, but coming from the meaning of the word, new unconventional music that is "ahead of it's time". But to do so, you have to know existing music and shift away on purpose. You have to think about what people know and are used to listed to, and then break with conventions. What comes out could be crazy music not liked by anyone, impossible to sell; or maybe a popular masterpiece changing the conventions of listening. However you have to keep the audience in mind...
(have to come to an end, out of time...)
What I wanted to say is, that musicians should make the music they want to do for themselves, but it's very hard to have not anything else in mind. You can/should say "I only make music for myself", but to be honest, if you make music you want somebody to listen to it.
Hope this wasn't too confusing
Hans Holo
PS: About Villes songs: As I stated above, my personal preferences atm lead me to the statement. It's way more interesting for me to listen to "electro-metal" than just another metal-song.