What took you?

One of my boring, tedious, holier-than-thou rules (channelling Bill Hicks) is that if a band licences its music for use on adverts, I don't buy their music any more. They don't need my money, because they've got lots fro allowing the music which previously existed as an autonomous work of art to support someone else's quest for money (I exempt bands who've lost control of their work from the rule).

One of the most painful losses was New Order, who've popped up on a Mars Bar ad, though with their complicated backstory, they may well not have any control over their catalogue.

But what really surprised me was hearing The xx on an advert yesterday. They've released one album, which won the Mercury Music prize a couple of days ago, yet they've already decided that what they do is simply a saleable commodity, rather than art.

I know, of course, that bands need to make a living and that the record industry is in flux, but this band is hugely acclaimed. They'll sell lots of records and sell a lot of tickets - there's no need to eke out a declining career, or to fund their pensions by licencing big tracks, as fading bands perhaps understandably do. Instead, they've taken the conscious decision to trade on their moment in the sun.

So farewell, The xx. You don't need me, won't understand me, won't miss one miserable old git's £10, but it matters to me.

Cue scornful response from Ben.