   The No. 1 song in the country right now is "Thrift Shop" by
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, a rap group out of Seattle. Their
claim to fame: They got the song to the top of the chart by
themselves, without being signed by a major label.  They've
bragged about this success in a video spoof and on Twitter.
After their album went to No. 1 on iTunes, Macklemore sent out
the following tweet.  But the story they've been telling — the
story that's been widely reported — is not entirely true.  The
truth is that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis hired a company to help
them get their music into stores. That company, Alternative
Distribution Alliance, is an arm of Warner Music Group, one of
the most major of the major labels.  Still, the rise of "Thrift
Shop" is something new. It's an indication of a power shift away
from the major labels to the artist themselves. Clearly,
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis accomplished a lot on their own.  The
rap group spent their early years hustling and playing small
clubs like a lot of acts. But th