We live in an on demand culture. There is nothing after Spotify and music radio dies. I know these are unpopular sentiments, but that does not mean they are untrue.
Let's talk about streaming... Just because we've been through so many iterations of formats, that does not mean another one will come down the pike. It's not so much about Spotify itself, but the technology it is based upon, the aforementioned on demand. You get it when you want it, instantly, with no waiting. Forget about the Luddites complaining about the obscure albums still not on streaming services, forget about the misinformed who believe you need to be in cellular or wifi range in order to listen, not knowing you can synch thousands of tracks to the hand-set, forget about those who need to own something, all these people get way too much press, and speaking of which, the press is run by oldsters, who can't handle progress, if I read one more NYT article about flip-phones or mobile-free days I'm gonna puke, talk to the youngsters they've got no problem with technology in their lives, and they've got no time for terrestrial radio.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON DEMAND!
Terrestrial radio is like network TV before the clicker and before cable, no one wants to go back to a land of limited choice. And once you got a clicker, you were flipping channels like crazy. You want to go back to the past?? Radio is a passive medium in an active world. Which is why Beats is such a bust. The idea was created by oldsters and it's been soundly ignored. Zane Lowe went from hero to zero. Zane should declare victory and quit, he had more influence at the BBC. There's a place for his skills, but it's not with Apple.
Kinda like record store owners. We had to listen to testimonials about how they were so good at their jobs and couldn't do anything else. But their stores went out of business anyway.
So I just did a presentation and got the inane radio questions, this time from public radio people. Waxing on about BBC 6 and...
It's about the IMPRIMATUR, the singling out of tracks, not the listening, not the repetition. And, what act has broken from public radio in the past five years, since streaming has taken hold. And if an act has gotten traction, it's amongst the oldsters. Radio is a circle jerk made up of people who see out of their asses. Since they had a job in the past, since they grew up on radio, it must exist in the future. Kinda like automobiles, other than in the demented U.S.A., which is now run by bozos, every country in the world, all the big manufacturers, are going electric. Hell, have you driven a Tesla? That's why Porsche is going electric, it can't beat the acceleration numbers. And BMW and MBZ too. But we keep reading the words of the wankers how internal combustion is improving and gas is forever when the truth is it loses because it's too inefficient, never mind the pollution problems.
Anybody bringing the future is pilloried. Like Spotify itself. Until all of a sudden the recorded music business turned around and everybody was making money. Well, not everybody, those who triumphed in a limited system are not making money, but not everybody survives when the world turns and the future arrives. But ain't that America, where everybody believes they're entitled to their gig forever.
So when it comes to delivery systems, of whatever type, think about instant. Amazon Prime, you get it in two days. Instacart, you get your groceries delivered to your house. Sure, you don't get to pick the fruit, but you save so much time! Think of all the time you wasted waiting to hear your favorite song on the radio! That's how we sold records to begin with, people couldn't wait to hear them.
And this benefited the record companies, but radio was always in a different business, selling ads, and record companies don't need to only have their wares exposed on radio. Hell, the internet gives them many more options. It's just a matter of adjusting to the new reality.
No one wants to adjust, everybody wants to self-righteously promote their identity in the past.
Sure, I loved free format radio...IN 1968!
Sure, I loved iTunes...FIFTEEN YEARS AGO!
Sure, I downloaded a lot of tracks from Napster, et al, but what a waste of time! That's right, people will pay for convenience.
Go where the people are, give them what they want.
Radio's got a huge future in non-music products. But not on AM, new cars come without AM radios, turns out electric motors interfere with AM. You reinvent the wheel. Who's the most famous guy in radio, the most profitable, the one with the most impact? HOWARD STERN! Rush Limbaugh doesn't come close, his audience is made up of old codgers who are fine with living in the past, but not Howard's. And Howard almost never plays a record, he's telling a story, he reinvented the format.
The past always comes back, BUT WITH A TWIST!
Don't tell me how it once was, but how it will be!
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Friday 9 November 2018
The Soup!
Isi is a concert promoter. He bought Airwaves out of bankruptcy. He's putting the pieces back together. And he's mostly excited about his Ed Sheeran dates next year. Why is Ed the biggest act in the world? And he is! This summer he was the only performer to consistently sell out in the U.K. Taylor Swift, who he once opened for, could not. Is it because of the SONGS?
Contemplate that. The performance is fascinating, Ed alone on stage, but if you think about it, even though he's collaborated with rappers, seemingly everybody, Ed's sound is almost retro, just a boy and his guitar, well, a little bit more on record. And he's paid his dues, from the streets to the stadiums, from the Liverpool docks to the Hollywood Bowl, as Ian would say. Why is no one following in his footsteps?
And after our convo with Isi and his lieutenant Will, we moseyed on down to the Saga Museum, on the recommendation of the concierge, to experience the history of Iceland and the Vikings and... The iron smelter's son was a poet, a thousand years ago. Made me think of so many poets who've been forgotten. And even back then religion has people killing each other. But mostly, the museum gave me the impression that people back then thought they were modern, what are people in the future gonna think about us?
And then we ate lunch in the museum restaurant. Which normally I'd avoid, but Felice is a three meal a day girl, however small, I tanked up at breakfast and could wait for dinner, eating a Balance Bar to tide me over, but she pointed to the soup on the menu and I caved. The concierge recommended the restaurant too, but how good could it be?
EXCELLENT!
First there was the bread. I know, I know, I'm trying to avoid carbs after going overboard last night, but the worst bread in Iceland is better than the best bread in the U.S. The crust is firm, the middle is moist and the butter is soft...you could make a meal out of bread alone!
But then they served the soup.
Let's see, it's billed as "Halibut Soup with Mussels, Apples and Raisins."
Who'd come up with that?
Then who'd come up with the dessert of "Rye Bread Soup, Raisins Soaked in Black Tea, Brown Butter Ice Cream." We didn't have that, but the soup!
The bowl was served with the halibut, mussels, apples and raisins, and then the server drenched it in a white liquid which evidenced oil spots and when you dipped your spoon... WHEW! The raisins were as big as olives, the apples were diced, the halibut was big and flaky and the mussels were shelled and all together it was dream-like. It's like the Icelanders know food is the thing, but then they push the envelope. Kinda like Ed if you think about it. If you've never seen him live, with the loops and...
The rewards go to those testing the limits. They don't always succeed, but when they do we're titillated, thrilled to be alive.
But it's risky out on the edge. People want you to fail, because they don't have the courage to put it all on the line themselves. And instant adoption is never the case, your audience is small and limited until everybody gets on board, and then you've got to repeat the process. The audience might like where you've been, but if you stay where you are, others pass you by. So an artist is always climbing the mountain, it's positively Sisyphean if you think about it.
But we live for the rewards.
http://maturogdrykkur.is/en/
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Contemplate that. The performance is fascinating, Ed alone on stage, but if you think about it, even though he's collaborated with rappers, seemingly everybody, Ed's sound is almost retro, just a boy and his guitar, well, a little bit more on record. And he's paid his dues, from the streets to the stadiums, from the Liverpool docks to the Hollywood Bowl, as Ian would say. Why is no one following in his footsteps?
And after our convo with Isi and his lieutenant Will, we moseyed on down to the Saga Museum, on the recommendation of the concierge, to experience the history of Iceland and the Vikings and... The iron smelter's son was a poet, a thousand years ago. Made me think of so many poets who've been forgotten. And even back then religion has people killing each other. But mostly, the museum gave me the impression that people back then thought they were modern, what are people in the future gonna think about us?
And then we ate lunch in the museum restaurant. Which normally I'd avoid, but Felice is a three meal a day girl, however small, I tanked up at breakfast and could wait for dinner, eating a Balance Bar to tide me over, but she pointed to the soup on the menu and I caved. The concierge recommended the restaurant too, but how good could it be?
EXCELLENT!
First there was the bread. I know, I know, I'm trying to avoid carbs after going overboard last night, but the worst bread in Iceland is better than the best bread in the U.S. The crust is firm, the middle is moist and the butter is soft...you could make a meal out of bread alone!
But then they served the soup.
Let's see, it's billed as "Halibut Soup with Mussels, Apples and Raisins."
Who'd come up with that?
Then who'd come up with the dessert of "Rye Bread Soup, Raisins Soaked in Black Tea, Brown Butter Ice Cream." We didn't have that, but the soup!
The bowl was served with the halibut, mussels, apples and raisins, and then the server drenched it in a white liquid which evidenced oil spots and when you dipped your spoon... WHEW! The raisins were as big as olives, the apples were diced, the halibut was big and flaky and the mussels were shelled and all together it was dream-like. It's like the Icelanders know food is the thing, but then they push the envelope. Kinda like Ed if you think about it. If you've never seen him live, with the loops and...
The rewards go to those testing the limits. They don't always succeed, but when they do we're titillated, thrilled to be alive.
But it's risky out on the edge. People want you to fail, because they don't have the courage to put it all on the line themselves. And instant adoption is never the case, your audience is small and limited until everybody gets on board, and then you've got to repeat the process. The audience might like where you've been, but if you stay where you are, others pass you by. So an artist is always climbing the mountain, it's positively Sisyphean if you think about it.
But we live for the rewards.
http://maturogdrykkur.is/en/
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Thursday 8 November 2018
The Acosta Affair
"White House shares doctored video to support punishment of journalist Jim Acosta": https://wapo.st/2JPGGSA
I don't ever remember being addicted to the news like this.
I used to get the "New York Times" in high school and college, but I can't tell you I read much more than the sports pages.
And then my law school girlfriend's father bought her a subscription to the "Wall Street Journal" so I got hooked on that, back when it was only one section.
And I figure if you live in L.A., you've got to read the "Times," but so many don't anymore, that's what happens when you eradicate content, people give up on you, protect the bottom line at your peril. Why is it always corporations protecting their margins at the price of the product and those who produce it? If only artists ran the world...then we'd feel good but be broke!
But the greatest thing for a newshound is the smartphone. I turn off notifications, I don't know how you can live with those, I hate interruptions to begin with. But being able to get news instantly...wow! On the go, whenever you want. Sometimes I refresh the app to see if anything's changed in real time. Yesterday the "Washington Post" updated election results every minute, I loved that! Yes, I had to get the WaPo too, to read Margaret Sullivan, to get the beltway story and...
There was enough election analysis to blow a whole day. As it was, I laid in bed in my hotel room for an hour yesterday morning catching up on the election on my phone, John and Yoko had a bed-in for peace, maybe now we need one for truth.
You see the problem is a great swath of the public only saw the doctored video And since this same half has been taught not to trust the NYT, WaPo and CNN and MSNBC, they believe it's truth.
Now truth has always been a slippery subject. Especially in the arts, where there is no ombudsman, no real rules. If you trust movie grosses, you're not a profit participant. As for Soundscan, how in hell did ticket bundles ever become included? Years back Soundscan used to fight against shenanigans, skewing the system, but now it's all right, meaning those outside the industry believe these number ones are truly number ones, when they're not. And the truth is the music industry likes it this way. Never mind the inane ratio of streams to physical product.
But where does it stop?
We have chaos because there are too many messages to begin with. Now if everything's untrustworthy...
Were twelve people killed in Thousand Oaks or a hundred, or maybe it didn't happen at all. Maybe the shooter used a bow and arrow, not a handgun. Or maybe an AK-47. We can make it up as we go, we can say anything and some people believe it!
Why trust the encyclopedia?
Why trust Wikipedia.
Maybe facts are fungible.
It used to be we argued with different facts, now we make up our own facts. And if they do it at the highest level...
And the truth is Sanders knows she's lying, but she's doing it for the team. But the team always abandons you in the end, there's always someone younger and hungrier to take your place, your good deeds are forgotten.
And Trump is smart enough to know he's winning by losing. He's already lost the left wing, he's just strengthening his position with his base, and that base seems very strong, it took seats in the Senate. The problem is the WaPo, not Sanders. And how can you hurt that little intern... Who'd want to be a White House intern anyway? What kind of school did you go to, what kind of family do you come from that you think working with Trump is an honor. Used to be people could say no, have a backbone, character was everything. Now it's all about money and status.
And they protest at Tucker Carlson's house... Do you think you can get away with saying these heinous things forever? Do you listen to Tucker? I do, on Sirius XM, they've got all the news channels. It's positively horrifying, and he won't let you get a word in edgewise if you don't agree with him. Words have consequences, not only actions. So people hate you... Imagine if you were doing this in high school, you'd really be in trouble. Now we've got two gangs in America, the red and the blue, and the red keeps saying the blue can't fight back, but that is untrue.
And if you're in the cheap seats, way above the action, you're completely flummoxed. Has politics turned into the WWE, where the storyline is fake but the entertainment is real? Hell, Mrs. WWE ran for Congress. Fame is king in America, more than money. But fame is hard to get, and everybody's fighting for it. You see we never really graduate from high school, we all want to be POPULAR!
And that video director Matt Mahurin darkened O.J.'s skin on the cover of "Time." And Facebook thinks it lives above the law, being a universal product run by King Zuckerberg, who is a Jew, so he'd better watch out, no one's safe these days, which makes you wonder why anybody would really like to be famous. As for Google, didn't they pioneer this in the digital age, by giving us different answers to the same query? And despite the cries, ironically mostly by techies themselves, nothing changes, because people love the show, they feel empowered by technology, they can tweet Trump and he can block them, or at least he used to be able to, and Twitter doesn't block Trump, showing everybody is not equal in America and since I've attacked the right these same Republicans believe I should attack the left, false equivalency reigns, everybody's opinion is worth hearing, has the same weight, just because you're uneducated and dumb that does not mean you can't have your say. The earth is flat, global warming is a hoax, it goes on and on, and you're not ostracized, you're embraced! Used to be you were proud of your education, which was the liberal arts, not pure business, you went to college to be a better person, not to get a job. You developed honor. Your word was your bond. Used to be people were afraid cigarettes in movies were causing smoking in the youth, portraying it as cool. Is duplicity now cool, since Trump exercises it all day long?
I know, I know, we lost the election, I should just shut up and go home.
Or you'll work the refs, that's what the right is best at, blowing the whistle, stopping the game, crying foul.
But Conway's husband thinks the new AG is unentitled to serve and if what's black is white and white is black...
You just can't stop watching the show.
And they tell you to vote, but the truth is we feel powerless. It's their game, they control it, we're just bystanders, they tell us they hear us, will stand up for us, but few believe it.
Few believe anything anymore, unless it aligns with their world viewpoint. People tell me falsehoods every day, they see them online they hear them from friends, Snopes has been sidelined, what's it like living in a post-truth society?
That's what we're finding out right now.
I don't ever remember being addicted to the news like this.
I used to get the "New York Times" in high school and college, but I can't tell you I read much more than the sports pages.
And then my law school girlfriend's father bought her a subscription to the "Wall Street Journal" so I got hooked on that, back when it was only one section.
And I figure if you live in L.A., you've got to read the "Times," but so many don't anymore, that's what happens when you eradicate content, people give up on you, protect the bottom line at your peril. Why is it always corporations protecting their margins at the price of the product and those who produce it? If only artists ran the world...then we'd feel good but be broke!
But the greatest thing for a newshound is the smartphone. I turn off notifications, I don't know how you can live with those, I hate interruptions to begin with. But being able to get news instantly...wow! On the go, whenever you want. Sometimes I refresh the app to see if anything's changed in real time. Yesterday the "Washington Post" updated election results every minute, I loved that! Yes, I had to get the WaPo too, to read Margaret Sullivan, to get the beltway story and...
There was enough election analysis to blow a whole day. As it was, I laid in bed in my hotel room for an hour yesterday morning catching up on the election on my phone, John and Yoko had a bed-in for peace, maybe now we need one for truth.
You see the problem is a great swath of the public only saw the doctored video And since this same half has been taught not to trust the NYT, WaPo and CNN and MSNBC, they believe it's truth.
Now truth has always been a slippery subject. Especially in the arts, where there is no ombudsman, no real rules. If you trust movie grosses, you're not a profit participant. As for Soundscan, how in hell did ticket bundles ever become included? Years back Soundscan used to fight against shenanigans, skewing the system, but now it's all right, meaning those outside the industry believe these number ones are truly number ones, when they're not. And the truth is the music industry likes it this way. Never mind the inane ratio of streams to physical product.
But where does it stop?
We have chaos because there are too many messages to begin with. Now if everything's untrustworthy...
Were twelve people killed in Thousand Oaks or a hundred, or maybe it didn't happen at all. Maybe the shooter used a bow and arrow, not a handgun. Or maybe an AK-47. We can make it up as we go, we can say anything and some people believe it!
Why trust the encyclopedia?
Why trust Wikipedia.
Maybe facts are fungible.
It used to be we argued with different facts, now we make up our own facts. And if they do it at the highest level...
And the truth is Sanders knows she's lying, but she's doing it for the team. But the team always abandons you in the end, there's always someone younger and hungrier to take your place, your good deeds are forgotten.
And Trump is smart enough to know he's winning by losing. He's already lost the left wing, he's just strengthening his position with his base, and that base seems very strong, it took seats in the Senate. The problem is the WaPo, not Sanders. And how can you hurt that little intern... Who'd want to be a White House intern anyway? What kind of school did you go to, what kind of family do you come from that you think working with Trump is an honor. Used to be people could say no, have a backbone, character was everything. Now it's all about money and status.
And they protest at Tucker Carlson's house... Do you think you can get away with saying these heinous things forever? Do you listen to Tucker? I do, on Sirius XM, they've got all the news channels. It's positively horrifying, and he won't let you get a word in edgewise if you don't agree with him. Words have consequences, not only actions. So people hate you... Imagine if you were doing this in high school, you'd really be in trouble. Now we've got two gangs in America, the red and the blue, and the red keeps saying the blue can't fight back, but that is untrue.
And if you're in the cheap seats, way above the action, you're completely flummoxed. Has politics turned into the WWE, where the storyline is fake but the entertainment is real? Hell, Mrs. WWE ran for Congress. Fame is king in America, more than money. But fame is hard to get, and everybody's fighting for it. You see we never really graduate from high school, we all want to be POPULAR!
And that video director Matt Mahurin darkened O.J.'s skin on the cover of "Time." And Facebook thinks it lives above the law, being a universal product run by King Zuckerberg, who is a Jew, so he'd better watch out, no one's safe these days, which makes you wonder why anybody would really like to be famous. As for Google, didn't they pioneer this in the digital age, by giving us different answers to the same query? And despite the cries, ironically mostly by techies themselves, nothing changes, because people love the show, they feel empowered by technology, they can tweet Trump and he can block them, or at least he used to be able to, and Twitter doesn't block Trump, showing everybody is not equal in America and since I've attacked the right these same Republicans believe I should attack the left, false equivalency reigns, everybody's opinion is worth hearing, has the same weight, just because you're uneducated and dumb that does not mean you can't have your say. The earth is flat, global warming is a hoax, it goes on and on, and you're not ostracized, you're embraced! Used to be you were proud of your education, which was the liberal arts, not pure business, you went to college to be a better person, not to get a job. You developed honor. Your word was your bond. Used to be people were afraid cigarettes in movies were causing smoking in the youth, portraying it as cool. Is duplicity now cool, since Trump exercises it all day long?
I know, I know, we lost the election, I should just shut up and go home.
Or you'll work the refs, that's what the right is best at, blowing the whistle, stopping the game, crying foul.
But Conway's husband thinks the new AG is unentitled to serve and if what's black is white and white is black...
You just can't stop watching the show.
And they tell you to vote, but the truth is we feel powerless. It's their game, they control it, we're just bystanders, they tell us they hear us, will stand up for us, but few believe it.
Few believe anything anymore, unless it aligns with their world viewpoint. People tell me falsehoods every day, they see them online they hear them from friends, Snopes has been sidelined, what's it like living in a post-truth society?
That's what we're finding out right now.
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Iceland Airwaves
We took WOW Air to Reykjavik. It's one of those discount airlines, and unlike the major carriers, they fly direct, so we did. I'm warming up to the concept. Since they charge for absolutely everything, people took fewer bags on board. And since they sell everything, you buy what you need, there's no regular drink service. It's more civilized. We had the "Big Seat," which is a fraction of business class and the seat doesn't lie completely flat but it's less than $500 each way and it includes food and bags and...I'd like to complain, but I can't, I enjoyed it!
And we landed in Reykjavik at four in the morning. Maybe that's why it's so cheap. But Reykjavik is not. Didn't the economy crash back in '08? And I read that it rebounded. But I don't know whether it's stuff needing to be imported or what, food is pricey, but extremely good, and after taking a short nap, we went out to hit the town.
It's cold here. Although they're having a heat wave. It's between forty and fifty Fahrenheit, but everybody outside America uses Celsius. Maybe we should just switch to metric overnight, since nobody in America, I mean the States, since Canada went metric eons ago, can do math anyway, metric is easier, and much more coherent.
And Reykjavik is tiny, almost a fishing village. There are a few high rises off in the distance, but the inner city is positively low-rise, walkable, cute. For me it's kinda like going back to where I once belonged. Last night I didn't see one woman without a knit cap. Everybody wears casual clothing. It's like living in Vermont.
So we went to the Settlement Museum, where they unearthed a longhouse from two centuries ago. History is so fascinating, makes you feel like a bug, so little, inconsequential. And the language comes from Norway, as do the people, and do you know they had ornamental beads and bracelets back then? Status, appearance, it's always a factor.
And around six we moseyed over to this church-like building for the opening of Iceland Airwaves, that's why we're here, I'm speaking tomorrow. It's been going on for twenty years, the airlines started it, they used to have name-brand talent, now it's all locals and...
The mayor gave an introductory speech, while holding a Heineken. We talked to him afterward, he said he was a medical doctor! And it turns out everybody from Iceland stays here, or comes back here, or so everybody told us. They talked about the quality of life, the good jobs... As for the weather, our driver told us the short days in the winter contributed to more children, he had four, although he was only planning on two. And everybody does speak English, with an accent, but everybody's super-friendly and you tell yourself "I can live here," even though you won't. When you live in a big city it's hard to fathom living anywhere else, everything's at your fingertips, but living off the grid in Iceland would be kind of liberating, at least I think so.
And then we went club-hopping.
There are hundreds of bands in multiple venues and you listen to the rumors and you check the app and you wander from joint to joint, although they include the Art Museum and the Opera House, to see bands...
Who never seem to have heard of the Spotify Top 50.
Yes, two acts rapped, but we saw a prog rock act, a yacht rock act, it was all music, very liberating, going back to where we once belonged, since you can't make any money playing music in Iceland, the focus is on the music itself. But unlike America, and like every other country in the world, the government supports the arts. The bigwig is Sigi, who used to drum for the Sugarcubes, his card says "Supreme Glorious Leader" of Iceland Music, cracked me up. And music is a hard job to keep, a hard business to stay in. Sure, there's a thin layer of superstars, but below that everybody's got an angle. A rent-controlled apartment, a rich uncle, some kind of niche that pays the bills. But it's an addiction, that too many can't give up. And a club, that most don't understand.
And today we woke up to go to the Blue Lagoon. You've seen pictures. Google it, you'll recognize it.
It's about forty five minutes from Reykjavik, and the landscape is a moonscape, all lava, with rivulets where water used to be, if you fall asleep and veer off the highway you're gonna be in big trouble.
And our friend Ellen told us we needed to go to the Retreat, but it's temporarily closed for repairs. So we entered the big lagoon with the hoi polloi.
They're organized, you get a wristband, and a robe and zories and you descend into the water slowly, inside, and then...
YOU'RE IN THE BLUE LAGOON!
It's pretty massive. And not so deep. From about thigh to neck, depending upon where you are. And it's warm in some spots and hot in others and you wander around, feeling the heat.
Oh, that's another thing, it was raining and blowing when we got there... The three minute walk from the parking lot was torture, like being at the top of the mountain before you ski down on a blustery day. And once in the lagoon...
You get a face mask, of silica. That's why the water's so blue supposedly, silica. The water's hot because it comes from nearly a mile underground and it's unfathomably hot at first, close to a thousand degrees they said, but at the surface it's around a hundred and...
You wander around, you can't swim, the water doesn't feel good in your eyes and...
You glide over to the bar, I had a banana smoothie, made with skyr, Felice had some firefly drink, with carrot and ginger with quite a zing. And the water's supposedly great for your skin, and the people watching is insane! Different nationalities, different shapes, bad tattoos. I wonder if there's such a thing as a good tattoo. Maybe you think so, right after you get out of the shop, but give it some years. I wandered into the steam room with a guy who had people on both knees, I'm not sure if they were relatives. And so many women had sleeves, but seemingly no one could stop there. And it's funny, they don't seem to know they have tattoos, but they're new to the viewer.
And after showering we went to the adjacent restaurant, Lava, a reservation at which was included with our admission. It was fabulous! The bread was crusty and moist. Why was the center moist? I don't know! And the desserts! Felice's creme brulee was the best I've ever had, and not skimpy, but not cheap either!
And on the way back...
We drove through some fishing village. That was scary. Even the police station was closed after dark. Living there in the winter... Although our driver said it was mostly people working in fishing and construction, Poles. Did you see that Poland pulled back from its authoritarian government, at least in the hinterlands? Maybe it's only a phase.
And our driver said he had no problem with the Poles. Although he did have a problem with the mayor, who he said wanted to give everybody a bicycle and insist they drive the same car, he wanted to be rewarded with the fruits of his labor, but to me the mayor seemed pro-business, but maybe not enough.
And on the drive back, I fell asleep. And have just been napping in the hotel room, it's impossible for me to stay awake after all that sugar and those carbs, but when out of town I lift the limits...but maybe that's not a good enough rationalization.
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And we landed in Reykjavik at four in the morning. Maybe that's why it's so cheap. But Reykjavik is not. Didn't the economy crash back in '08? And I read that it rebounded. But I don't know whether it's stuff needing to be imported or what, food is pricey, but extremely good, and after taking a short nap, we went out to hit the town.
It's cold here. Although they're having a heat wave. It's between forty and fifty Fahrenheit, but everybody outside America uses Celsius. Maybe we should just switch to metric overnight, since nobody in America, I mean the States, since Canada went metric eons ago, can do math anyway, metric is easier, and much more coherent.
And Reykjavik is tiny, almost a fishing village. There are a few high rises off in the distance, but the inner city is positively low-rise, walkable, cute. For me it's kinda like going back to where I once belonged. Last night I didn't see one woman without a knit cap. Everybody wears casual clothing. It's like living in Vermont.
So we went to the Settlement Museum, where they unearthed a longhouse from two centuries ago. History is so fascinating, makes you feel like a bug, so little, inconsequential. And the language comes from Norway, as do the people, and do you know they had ornamental beads and bracelets back then? Status, appearance, it's always a factor.
And around six we moseyed over to this church-like building for the opening of Iceland Airwaves, that's why we're here, I'm speaking tomorrow. It's been going on for twenty years, the airlines started it, they used to have name-brand talent, now it's all locals and...
The mayor gave an introductory speech, while holding a Heineken. We talked to him afterward, he said he was a medical doctor! And it turns out everybody from Iceland stays here, or comes back here, or so everybody told us. They talked about the quality of life, the good jobs... As for the weather, our driver told us the short days in the winter contributed to more children, he had four, although he was only planning on two. And everybody does speak English, with an accent, but everybody's super-friendly and you tell yourself "I can live here," even though you won't. When you live in a big city it's hard to fathom living anywhere else, everything's at your fingertips, but living off the grid in Iceland would be kind of liberating, at least I think so.
And then we went club-hopping.
There are hundreds of bands in multiple venues and you listen to the rumors and you check the app and you wander from joint to joint, although they include the Art Museum and the Opera House, to see bands...
Who never seem to have heard of the Spotify Top 50.
Yes, two acts rapped, but we saw a prog rock act, a yacht rock act, it was all music, very liberating, going back to where we once belonged, since you can't make any money playing music in Iceland, the focus is on the music itself. But unlike America, and like every other country in the world, the government supports the arts. The bigwig is Sigi, who used to drum for the Sugarcubes, his card says "Supreme Glorious Leader" of Iceland Music, cracked me up. And music is a hard job to keep, a hard business to stay in. Sure, there's a thin layer of superstars, but below that everybody's got an angle. A rent-controlled apartment, a rich uncle, some kind of niche that pays the bills. But it's an addiction, that too many can't give up. And a club, that most don't understand.
And today we woke up to go to the Blue Lagoon. You've seen pictures. Google it, you'll recognize it.
It's about forty five minutes from Reykjavik, and the landscape is a moonscape, all lava, with rivulets where water used to be, if you fall asleep and veer off the highway you're gonna be in big trouble.
And our friend Ellen told us we needed to go to the Retreat, but it's temporarily closed for repairs. So we entered the big lagoon with the hoi polloi.
They're organized, you get a wristband, and a robe and zories and you descend into the water slowly, inside, and then...
YOU'RE IN THE BLUE LAGOON!
It's pretty massive. And not so deep. From about thigh to neck, depending upon where you are. And it's warm in some spots and hot in others and you wander around, feeling the heat.
Oh, that's another thing, it was raining and blowing when we got there... The three minute walk from the parking lot was torture, like being at the top of the mountain before you ski down on a blustery day. And once in the lagoon...
You get a face mask, of silica. That's why the water's so blue supposedly, silica. The water's hot because it comes from nearly a mile underground and it's unfathomably hot at first, close to a thousand degrees they said, but at the surface it's around a hundred and...
You wander around, you can't swim, the water doesn't feel good in your eyes and...
You glide over to the bar, I had a banana smoothie, made with skyr, Felice had some firefly drink, with carrot and ginger with quite a zing. And the water's supposedly great for your skin, and the people watching is insane! Different nationalities, different shapes, bad tattoos. I wonder if there's such a thing as a good tattoo. Maybe you think so, right after you get out of the shop, but give it some years. I wandered into the steam room with a guy who had people on both knees, I'm not sure if they were relatives. And so many women had sleeves, but seemingly no one could stop there. And it's funny, they don't seem to know they have tattoos, but they're new to the viewer.
And after showering we went to the adjacent restaurant, Lava, a reservation at which was included with our admission. It was fabulous! The bread was crusty and moist. Why was the center moist? I don't know! And the desserts! Felice's creme brulee was the best I've ever had, and not skimpy, but not cheap either!
And on the way back...
We drove through some fishing village. That was scary. Even the police station was closed after dark. Living there in the winter... Although our driver said it was mostly people working in fishing and construction, Poles. Did you see that Poland pulled back from its authoritarian government, at least in the hinterlands? Maybe it's only a phase.
And our driver said he had no problem with the Poles. Although he did have a problem with the mayor, who he said wanted to give everybody a bicycle and insist they drive the same car, he wanted to be rewarded with the fruits of his labor, but to me the mayor seemed pro-business, but maybe not enough.
And on the drive back, I fell asleep. And have just been napping in the hotel room, it's impossible for me to stay awake after all that sugar and those carbs, but when out of town I lift the limits...but maybe that's not a good enough rationalization.
--
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Wednesday 7 November 2018
The Election
Trump is no fluke.
That's what we learned as a result of the 2018 midterms. And that you can't change anybody's mind. You can get out the vote of your party, changing demographics can flip seats, egregious behavior can be penalized, but not in all cases, and states that are half and half can switch leaders. But it's the same as it ever was, only we didn't know it was this way, it took Trump to tell us so.
They were waiting for someone to harness their anger, who promised to flip the script, go back to where they once belonged, or at least believed they did, bring back mom and apple pie, along with a lot of racial hatred, but that was baked in anyway.
Then again, there are right wingers who are pissed I said that.
But the left should stop listening to them, the way the right stopped listening to the left.
I could go deeper, about defining the debate, playing the game, but I'm tuckered out. Agent Orange has been President for two years and what we've learned is he deserved to be. Sure, he lost the popular vote, sure the game is rigged, but under the rules as presently promulgated, he was victorious, and they're not gonna change the rules.
And I could go all wonky on you, but the truth is the left never saw it coming. The results of globalization, the results of income inequality. The left did get a good job of getting out the vote, as did the right, but the underlying message was lost to those not fully aligned with its viewpoint. It was all about stopping Trump, in a country where so many love Trump.
Those on the left had hope, that it was just a bad nightmare, that the ship could be righted given another chance. But this does not seem to be the case. And it's scary for Democrats, Roe v. Wade has already been limited in so many states, it's going to get worse. And little progress will be made in a leftward push, despite controlling the House. It's basically just a defense, and all the fun is in playing offense.
So now what.
Democrats should stop listening to Republicans the same way Republicans stopped listening to Democrats. Republicans have parlayed this fiction that we live in one big homogenous country, and therefore the Democrats should blink, should adjust, but that turns out to be hogwash, the country is divided, you're on one team or the other, and the left should play to win, just like the right.
And what does this mean?
The left controls the culture. They should start throwing touchdowns irrelevant of right wing blowback. Rap lyrics, movie scenes, producers should do whatever they want, because there's no way in hell they're ever going to satiate the right other than to cave.
The future is based on culture. And even though the left thought they controlled it, it turns out they don't. But they play music everywhere, and go to movies and watch Netflix... This is our stealth operation to change this country.
MTV purveyed racial integration and normalized homosexuality to the point that gay marriage was passed. That's the power of art, that's the power of a position. It takes years to make change, just like it took years for the Republicans to produce dividends from the Federalist Society.
In other words, forget those who are not on your team.
I know, I know, this does not fit with your kumbaya philosophy, where we all must get along, but we don't.
Furthermore, tech is controlled by lefties, and everybody is ruled by tech, forget those without a cellphone, the ones who don't go on the internet, there's always a fringe whose story gets amplified way out of proportion, like those who believe they should get a front row seat at sticker price an hour before the show, or think cassettes are making a comeback. Don't blink, that's what we've learned.
There is no harmony.
We can't all just get along.
But art has power. It's hard to listen to rap and hate black people, and the sound of the youth is rap.
And films may be all about superheroes, but Netflix is not. Which is why an indie film should sell to a streaming service, not play in an art house, then you're destined to obscurity. You only get to hype once in this world, so do it when and where it has the most effect, when people can experience your work.
So it's a long game folks, a very long game. And those who grew up in the protest era can know that those days are through, snuffed, gone. We can't build on the foundations of the sixties, because they've been eviscerated, but we can build a new edifice, it's just got to look different.
There's no protest because today's music-makers were brought up in an era where Mariah Carey was the progenitor. It's about melisma, it's about fast cars and good times. It's about lifestyle. But even if you create a protest song it can't be heard, there's too much cacophony.
So it's depressing for an oldster. The state of the country. The Supreme Court. It's finally the youth's country.
But change happens on the sly, when you're not paying attention. The color of this nation is changing, has changed, and that will have political effects. The cities lead, the country follows along. For a long time you had little media in the hinterlands, but now you've got plenty, and the parents may be watching "Gunsmoke," but the kids are not.
And just like everybody moved to the city while we didn't realize it, the fabric of this country can change while no one's paying attention. But it's not gonna happen fast, and it may not be recognizable, and people hate change.
But it's coming.
Not only MAGA people, but the music business too. Remember all that anti-internet stuff, the anti-streaming stuff? There are still acts complaining, still wannabes complaining, wanting the old opportunities that have disappeared. But change is here to stay.
It flipped one way, it can flip back.
But not by trying to convince those on the other team they're wrong, but by digging down deep and just doing your job.
Can we all stop paying attention to the news 24/7?
I hope so, then again, we've got a President who says he wants to end birthright citizenship when the Constitution says otherwise, and heinous hate crimes all over our country.
But please, stop listening to the other team. It may be in power now, but it has no future. Fox has lost all credibility now that Hannity has gotten on stage with Trump. But that proves the point, either you're in or out, a believer or not, it makes no sense to rail against Fox if you're not a believer, and it makes no sense to take crap if you watch MSNBC. We are a divided country. As bad as it was during the Vietnam era, only worse. Then we had strong unions, then we had a middle class, back when the mantra was we were all in it together, to love your brother.
Those days are through.
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That's what we learned as a result of the 2018 midterms. And that you can't change anybody's mind. You can get out the vote of your party, changing demographics can flip seats, egregious behavior can be penalized, but not in all cases, and states that are half and half can switch leaders. But it's the same as it ever was, only we didn't know it was this way, it took Trump to tell us so.
They were waiting for someone to harness their anger, who promised to flip the script, go back to where they once belonged, or at least believed they did, bring back mom and apple pie, along with a lot of racial hatred, but that was baked in anyway.
Then again, there are right wingers who are pissed I said that.
But the left should stop listening to them, the way the right stopped listening to the left.
I could go deeper, about defining the debate, playing the game, but I'm tuckered out. Agent Orange has been President for two years and what we've learned is he deserved to be. Sure, he lost the popular vote, sure the game is rigged, but under the rules as presently promulgated, he was victorious, and they're not gonna change the rules.
And I could go all wonky on you, but the truth is the left never saw it coming. The results of globalization, the results of income inequality. The left did get a good job of getting out the vote, as did the right, but the underlying message was lost to those not fully aligned with its viewpoint. It was all about stopping Trump, in a country where so many love Trump.
Those on the left had hope, that it was just a bad nightmare, that the ship could be righted given another chance. But this does not seem to be the case. And it's scary for Democrats, Roe v. Wade has already been limited in so many states, it's going to get worse. And little progress will be made in a leftward push, despite controlling the House. It's basically just a defense, and all the fun is in playing offense.
So now what.
Democrats should stop listening to Republicans the same way Republicans stopped listening to Democrats. Republicans have parlayed this fiction that we live in one big homogenous country, and therefore the Democrats should blink, should adjust, but that turns out to be hogwash, the country is divided, you're on one team or the other, and the left should play to win, just like the right.
And what does this mean?
The left controls the culture. They should start throwing touchdowns irrelevant of right wing blowback. Rap lyrics, movie scenes, producers should do whatever they want, because there's no way in hell they're ever going to satiate the right other than to cave.
The future is based on culture. And even though the left thought they controlled it, it turns out they don't. But they play music everywhere, and go to movies and watch Netflix... This is our stealth operation to change this country.
MTV purveyed racial integration and normalized homosexuality to the point that gay marriage was passed. That's the power of art, that's the power of a position. It takes years to make change, just like it took years for the Republicans to produce dividends from the Federalist Society.
In other words, forget those who are not on your team.
I know, I know, this does not fit with your kumbaya philosophy, where we all must get along, but we don't.
Furthermore, tech is controlled by lefties, and everybody is ruled by tech, forget those without a cellphone, the ones who don't go on the internet, there's always a fringe whose story gets amplified way out of proportion, like those who believe they should get a front row seat at sticker price an hour before the show, or think cassettes are making a comeback. Don't blink, that's what we've learned.
There is no harmony.
We can't all just get along.
But art has power. It's hard to listen to rap and hate black people, and the sound of the youth is rap.
And films may be all about superheroes, but Netflix is not. Which is why an indie film should sell to a streaming service, not play in an art house, then you're destined to obscurity. You only get to hype once in this world, so do it when and where it has the most effect, when people can experience your work.
So it's a long game folks, a very long game. And those who grew up in the protest era can know that those days are through, snuffed, gone. We can't build on the foundations of the sixties, because they've been eviscerated, but we can build a new edifice, it's just got to look different.
There's no protest because today's music-makers were brought up in an era where Mariah Carey was the progenitor. It's about melisma, it's about fast cars and good times. It's about lifestyle. But even if you create a protest song it can't be heard, there's too much cacophony.
So it's depressing for an oldster. The state of the country. The Supreme Court. It's finally the youth's country.
But change happens on the sly, when you're not paying attention. The color of this nation is changing, has changed, and that will have political effects. The cities lead, the country follows along. For a long time you had little media in the hinterlands, but now you've got plenty, and the parents may be watching "Gunsmoke," but the kids are not.
And just like everybody moved to the city while we didn't realize it, the fabric of this country can change while no one's paying attention. But it's not gonna happen fast, and it may not be recognizable, and people hate change.
But it's coming.
Not only MAGA people, but the music business too. Remember all that anti-internet stuff, the anti-streaming stuff? There are still acts complaining, still wannabes complaining, wanting the old opportunities that have disappeared. But change is here to stay.
It flipped one way, it can flip back.
But not by trying to convince those on the other team they're wrong, but by digging down deep and just doing your job.
Can we all stop paying attention to the news 24/7?
I hope so, then again, we've got a President who says he wants to end birthright citizenship when the Constitution says otherwise, and heinous hate crimes all over our country.
But please, stop listening to the other team. It may be in power now, but it has no future. Fox has lost all credibility now that Hannity has gotten on stage with Trump. But that proves the point, either you're in or out, a believer or not, it makes no sense to rail against Fox if you're not a believer, and it makes no sense to take crap if you watch MSNBC. We are a divided country. As bad as it was during the Vietnam era, only worse. Then we had strong unions, then we had a middle class, back when the mantra was we were all in it together, to love your brother.
Those days are through.
--
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--
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-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Monday 5 November 2018
The Bodyguard
https://www.netflix.com/title/80235864
There are enough twists and turns to eclipse a roller coaster.
Then again, roller coaster rides end ninety seconds later, "The Bodyguard" stays with you.
It's tense. Tension is underrated. It makes the world go round. Or maybe that's anxiety. Both are feelings we want to avoid, but we're never more alive than when we experience them. So you can turn "The Bodyguard" off, or you can stay tuned in while your blood temperature rises and you keep watching until the end for relief.
And the final episode is a bit of a disappointment, it gets a bit cheesy. But that final scene in the examination room...
We're afraid of terrorists. Many of us are afraid of Muslims. But if you live in America, your contact is minimal. The funny thing is the people who are most scared live where terrorists will attack last. At least foreign terrorists, whether Muslim or not. You see they go for the cities, they want to have the most impact, and ironically those are the blue districts. Which are relatively kumbaya. But then you watch "The Bodyguard" and ask yourself...should I be afraid?
And should I be afraid that Trump is burying the FBI and CIA, that the truth is never gonna come out. Or that these organizations have gone rogue. And what is everybody hiding, one thing's for sure, Trump's hiding a bunch, then again, a lot of his misdeeds are out in the open and he's surviving just fine.
But this is the U.K. With a long history of terrorist attacks. How much of your freedom are you willing to give up to feel safe?
But it's worse than that, you've already given up so much. CCTV. There are cameras everywhere, especially in England, but here too. If you want to commit blue collar crime, if you want to commit crime based on physicality, you'd better stop right now, you're gonna get caught. That's what overwhelms you with "The Bodyguard," they've got it all on hard drive. And we may think the police are incompetent, but give them enough time and they start to connect the dots...
Is this the kind of society we want to live in?
I'm flummoxed. We want no crime, but we don't want Big Brother, and we are moving toward Big Brother, while the techies have no moral compass and the Luddites just tell us to tune out... But the worst thing is you've already given up your privacy. All your data is online, mostly for free, your address, your age, even if you never ever fired up the internet.
That's one thing that killed the rock business, the shenanigans in hotel rooms. Now everybody's got a camera, you cannot abuse women.
And "The Bodyguard" is full of powerful women. The Home Secretary, the head of the police. And the government workers are a rainbow of colors. There's nowhere in the U.S. that's like this. Maybe Toronto in Canada, but in England all the races have to get along, but that does not mean some are not suspicious, especially those inured to the old ways, living in the hinterlands, afraid of the other. Trump shouldn't have bothered focusing on the caravan, he should have just told his acolytes to watch "The Bodyguard," it would have scared the crap out of them.
But at times you wince, some things are too convenient, some of the plot twists unbelievable.
But the love, the desire...
You see women oftentimes make the first move. They send a signal. Most guys are passive, they're waiting for the green light. And the most uptight appearing leader is a sexual animal just like the loser on the street. We're all the same under the skin.
And the scenes of passion are real, they evoke desire in the viewer.
But "The Bodyguard" is less believable than "Fauda."
But you've already decided not to go to the West Bank. But London?
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There are enough twists and turns to eclipse a roller coaster.
Then again, roller coaster rides end ninety seconds later, "The Bodyguard" stays with you.
It's tense. Tension is underrated. It makes the world go round. Or maybe that's anxiety. Both are feelings we want to avoid, but we're never more alive than when we experience them. So you can turn "The Bodyguard" off, or you can stay tuned in while your blood temperature rises and you keep watching until the end for relief.
And the final episode is a bit of a disappointment, it gets a bit cheesy. But that final scene in the examination room...
We're afraid of terrorists. Many of us are afraid of Muslims. But if you live in America, your contact is minimal. The funny thing is the people who are most scared live where terrorists will attack last. At least foreign terrorists, whether Muslim or not. You see they go for the cities, they want to have the most impact, and ironically those are the blue districts. Which are relatively kumbaya. But then you watch "The Bodyguard" and ask yourself...should I be afraid?
And should I be afraid that Trump is burying the FBI and CIA, that the truth is never gonna come out. Or that these organizations have gone rogue. And what is everybody hiding, one thing's for sure, Trump's hiding a bunch, then again, a lot of his misdeeds are out in the open and he's surviving just fine.
But this is the U.K. With a long history of terrorist attacks. How much of your freedom are you willing to give up to feel safe?
But it's worse than that, you've already given up so much. CCTV. There are cameras everywhere, especially in England, but here too. If you want to commit blue collar crime, if you want to commit crime based on physicality, you'd better stop right now, you're gonna get caught. That's what overwhelms you with "The Bodyguard," they've got it all on hard drive. And we may think the police are incompetent, but give them enough time and they start to connect the dots...
Is this the kind of society we want to live in?
I'm flummoxed. We want no crime, but we don't want Big Brother, and we are moving toward Big Brother, while the techies have no moral compass and the Luddites just tell us to tune out... But the worst thing is you've already given up your privacy. All your data is online, mostly for free, your address, your age, even if you never ever fired up the internet.
That's one thing that killed the rock business, the shenanigans in hotel rooms. Now everybody's got a camera, you cannot abuse women.
And "The Bodyguard" is full of powerful women. The Home Secretary, the head of the police. And the government workers are a rainbow of colors. There's nowhere in the U.S. that's like this. Maybe Toronto in Canada, but in England all the races have to get along, but that does not mean some are not suspicious, especially those inured to the old ways, living in the hinterlands, afraid of the other. Trump shouldn't have bothered focusing on the caravan, he should have just told his acolytes to watch "The Bodyguard," it would have scared the crap out of them.
But at times you wince, some things are too convenient, some of the plot twists unbelievable.
But the love, the desire...
You see women oftentimes make the first move. They send a signal. Most guys are passive, they're waiting for the green light. And the most uptight appearing leader is a sexual animal just like the loser on the street. We're all the same under the skin.
And the scenes of passion are real, they evoke desire in the viewer.
But "The Bodyguard" is less believable than "Fauda."
But you've already decided not to go to the West Bank. But London?
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Amanda Palmer-Sirius This Week
The Queen of Kickstarter, the champion of Patreon, the creator of "Mr. Weinstein Will See You Now": https://bit.ly/2IGG3tT
Amanda's a brilliant thinker, tune in for her insight.
Tuesday November 6 on Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive
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Amanda's a brilliant thinker, tune in for her insight.
Tuesday November 6 on Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive
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What Is A Hit
A hit is something you can't get out of your head, that you have to play again and again. In the old days it meant twisting the radio dial till you could hear it, or running to the record store to buy it, now it involves going online to stream it. A hit may or may not be played on the radio. A hit may or may not be in the Spotify Top 50. But a hit engenders conversation, you tell everybody you know about it, you implore them to listen to it, to feel the joy, to become part of the club. Every musical act should strive to write a hit. You know it when you do it, after you have some experience that is. At first you believe everything you do is a hit. But as you acquire skill you realize hits are hard to come by. Sometimes a hit is in the song, sometimes a hit is in the recording. Or sometimes it's both. True hits don't sound like anything that came before, they might be a synthesis of what once was, or reference what once was, but the public is excited by the new and different, that will never change. A hit can be a an album cut. A hit can have no album. People know when they hear a hit, they smile, they become energized, sometimes they dance. The music envelops them, changes their view, the outside world disappears, although maybe the tune might make people think about an old love or an old experience from their life. You can play the radio game, but at this point in time terrestrial stations are lost in the past, like the CD. They don't go on records unless you have a track record. They don't play anything but that which sounds similar to what they're already playing. Streaming focuses on hip-hop, you can follow the trend or go another way. If you go your own way you cannot bitch about people not playing your cut. The goal is to see whether listenership increases. That's what's so great about streaming, you can see it, in real time. If someone buys something, you can never know whether they played it or not. Even if a hit is a sleeper, if it's not adopted by the audience right away, if you know a track is brilliant your audience will ultimately adopt it, even though that may take years. Today it's best not to second-guess the market, in a world where consumers are in control. Promote the hit, not the song that is upbeat or what is like what middlemen are focusing on. Also, do not bitch if you cannot write a hit, it's your fault, not the audience's. The audience is never wrong, if they hear something great they eventually adopt it. And history is littered with cuts that were not chart hits, did not get much radio play, if any at all, and are still hits. People talk about Tesla because it creates hits, no one talks about the Chevy Cruze. You talk about "The Bodyguard," not the shows the media tells you to pay attention to. And why should anybody in the media be an expert on music? The audience knows. Sure, if you're cutting edge and different traction might take a while. And there are acts plying the boards making reasonable money who've never written a hit. But when you record a hit, your whole world changes, everybody wants a piece of you. Go for it.
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Sunday 4 November 2018
Audience & Impact
There's not an artist alive who prefers money to reach. Unless that person was never an artist to begin with, or is so far over the hill that they've got nothing to say. That's why you become an artist, to have your message heard by the most people possible. Then again, with all this focus on cash in the media and MTV "Cribs" it's no wonder the younger generations have the wrong idea, they never grew up in an era where music changed the culture, when it was the most impactful art form, when music led instead of followed, when Warner Music built Warner Cable. You HAD to have the record. Politicians utilized performers to garner big bucks, because the performers were more authentic than they were, garnered more attention and adulation, people just wanted to get closer to them, whereas today Jerry Brown is bigger than anybody in Hollywood, because he got something done. Furthermore, if you've got reach there are a zillion ways to monetize. Remember when acts refused to do things because it would hurt their image? When you take money from the man your message is compromised. You sacrifice some of your truth, and all you're selling is truth if you're doing it right. The audience wants to believe you dug down deep to extricate these feelings and listeners are privy to your unadulterated personality and thoughts, which is why your star starts to rise in the first place. By being everyman, by having people identify with you and your message, you rise above. Which is why writing songs by committee does not work, you may repeat the formula and make money, but there is no message and you have no impact, and that's anathema in art, especially music, where truth pays dividends for decades. Movies are one and done, musical careers when done right go on forever.
Then again, most people don't know any artists. Or judge someone negatively if they are not rich. They impose their feelings on performers, where it used to be the other way around. Anybody can make money, not anybody can make art.
And you know if you're an artist. And sure, you'd like to pay the bills, but what truly gets you off is when a fan testifies to you, how they relate, how you saved their life. And when you reach so many people so not only can you sell out arenas but impact the culture, then you've really won. Don't listen to Gene Simmons, who says it's all about the money. Tell him his songs suck and no one wants to see him anymore and you'll get a rise out of him. Yes, he too is an artist, because he had a vision. Aided by Bill Aucoin and Bob Ezrin, you cannot do it all by your lonesome, but would Kiss have become so big without the makeup, without the theatrics? They were the first to do it, they deserve credit. And the penumbra of money-making ventures never would have come to pass if it weren't for their audience.
Sure, we all complain about money when we can't pay the bills, but if an artist is solvent, an ongoing venture, he or she should pat themselves on the back. And figure out a way to expand their reach. Which is my problem with Patreon. Big deal that you can dun your fans to keep you alive. BUT IT'S SO FEW FANS! It's meaningless in impact. No band, no album ever broke from Kickstarter, never mind Patreon. The question is how do you reach those who are not already addicted. And when you do, there's no better feeling... When someone quotes you to you, sings your song to you.
So let's get our priorities straight. Sure, there's commerce. But the reason this business went nuclear is because the Beatles broke the rules and became about message, they literally moved the culture. It was about playing to everybody as opposed to somebody. They wanted it all, not just cash. And we all bought instruments to play along, and just playing the songs was enough. And just being in a sea of Deadheads was enough when the band was on stage.
It's kind of like politics. It wasn't until Trump and 2016 until we learned, until the press learned, that we weren't one big happy family getting along. And now the country is in turmoil, which is scary, but it's a process we must go through to get to the other side. The music business is anti-turmoil, but that's what we need, that's what made it peak. Not only business turmoil, but artistic turmoil. There was always some new thing scraping away the old, and we came to like the new thing, and now we haven't had a new thing this century!
But we will. Because those with different values, who are about the work as opposed to the money, are grinding it out as we speak. They're not manipulating Spotify playlists, not tricking people online, just playing. They are on a journey. But that journey is gonna explode, just you wait. We'll all want in. It's fun to be a member of the group, it's fun to be first, and then we'll go in search of the next thing. That's what an audience does, focus on the art, not the money. The cash is a byproduct, never forget it.
Then again, most people don't know any artists. Or judge someone negatively if they are not rich. They impose their feelings on performers, where it used to be the other way around. Anybody can make money, not anybody can make art.
And you know if you're an artist. And sure, you'd like to pay the bills, but what truly gets you off is when a fan testifies to you, how they relate, how you saved their life. And when you reach so many people so not only can you sell out arenas but impact the culture, then you've really won. Don't listen to Gene Simmons, who says it's all about the money. Tell him his songs suck and no one wants to see him anymore and you'll get a rise out of him. Yes, he too is an artist, because he had a vision. Aided by Bill Aucoin and Bob Ezrin, you cannot do it all by your lonesome, but would Kiss have become so big without the makeup, without the theatrics? They were the first to do it, they deserve credit. And the penumbra of money-making ventures never would have come to pass if it weren't for their audience.
Sure, we all complain about money when we can't pay the bills, but if an artist is solvent, an ongoing venture, he or she should pat themselves on the back. And figure out a way to expand their reach. Which is my problem with Patreon. Big deal that you can dun your fans to keep you alive. BUT IT'S SO FEW FANS! It's meaningless in impact. No band, no album ever broke from Kickstarter, never mind Patreon. The question is how do you reach those who are not already addicted. And when you do, there's no better feeling... When someone quotes you to you, sings your song to you.
So let's get our priorities straight. Sure, there's commerce. But the reason this business went nuclear is because the Beatles broke the rules and became about message, they literally moved the culture. It was about playing to everybody as opposed to somebody. They wanted it all, not just cash. And we all bought instruments to play along, and just playing the songs was enough. And just being in a sea of Deadheads was enough when the band was on stage.
It's kind of like politics. It wasn't until Trump and 2016 until we learned, until the press learned, that we weren't one big happy family getting along. And now the country is in turmoil, which is scary, but it's a process we must go through to get to the other side. The music business is anti-turmoil, but that's what we need, that's what made it peak. Not only business turmoil, but artistic turmoil. There was always some new thing scraping away the old, and we came to like the new thing, and now we haven't had a new thing this century!
But we will. Because those with different values, who are about the work as opposed to the money, are grinding it out as we speak. They're not manipulating Spotify playlists, not tricking people online, just playing. They are on a journey. But that journey is gonna explode, just you wait. We'll all want in. It's fun to be a member of the group, it's fun to be first, and then we'll go in search of the next thing. That's what an audience does, focus on the art, not the money. The cash is a byproduct, never forget it.
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Barbra Streisand
What kind of bizarre world do we live in where the hype is bigger than the music?
Welcome to 2018, when ancient artists depend upon the press to do their bidding and their new music has no impact. Talk about adjusting to the paradigm...they don't. Just like the rockers decrying streaming payments as they fade away into irrelevance.
We've got to train oldsters, rockers, to get on board with streaming, it's the only way to have an impact in our society. The first thing anybody does is look at the numbers, and on YouTube and Spotify, Barbra's are positively anemic. "Don't Lie To Me" has been played 281,253 times on Spotify and viewed 582,333 times on YouTube, evidence that when a tree falls in a forest, it definitely does not make a sound. As for sales, which are completely irrelevant, only propped up by "Billboard"'s bizarre chart formula, Streisand's new LP released on Friday is now #4, but that's like saying a horse is number four out of the gate, when the race is over, where is he or she? In this case, way down the pack. In a matter of weeks, Barbra's album "Walls" will be so far down the chart as to be essentially unfindable. But she'll get to be on the chart for one week in the newspapers, whoop-de-do! This is the same b.s. trumpeted when an ancient kacher gets another number one and then goes straight into the dumper. Remember the Neil Diamond album that went straight to number one this century? Nobody else does either.
But Barbra broke the number one rule of 2018 music, "Don't Lie To Me" is not a hit! If you can get through the entire track without shutting it off you're a better person than me, or work for Barbra or deaf. Mediocre has no place in 2018. It's either great or we tune out. Forget short attention spans, we've just got incredible crap detectors in this overwhelming world where multiple choices are confronting us every day and we don't even have enough time to watch all the television programs we want to. Fifty seven channels and nothing on? That was a time and place, now there's too much on. And the Boss has gone small ball. He plays to a few on Broadway every night who overpay for the privilege and he's going to show it all on Netflix soon, going where the eyeballs are, knowing how the game is played, as opposed to going to HBO, where the average viewer still thinks it's appointment television, not knowing how to use On Demand or knowing how to download the app, never mind enter their name and password and use it. Kaepernick aligns with Nike, Streisand aligns with the usual suspects. Does her audience, now at retirement age, into their trappings, even have CD players in their late model cars? Did you see that Whole Foods even ripped out the CD racks from their checkout lanes? He or she who plays in the past is destined to remain in the rearview mirror, growing ever smaller until they disappear from view.
Babs still thinks the old model still works. That if she comes down from the mountaintop radio will play her work, even though no one listens to the radio anymore, despite terrestrial radio and the record industry continuing to pay fealty to it. Yup, that's right, labels are addicted to radio like the brain dead enterprises they are. And Sony has no clue how to sell Streisand's new work, other than to employ the old playbook. Look at the Chiefs, who with a new quarterback have altered play in the NFL, and I know that even though I haven't watched a single game all year, it's in the air, it's the buzz, everybody's talking about it.
First and foremost if you're an aged act you have to know who your fans are. So you can reach them directly. Does Streisand have a mailing list? Her acolytes are addicted to e-mail, and unafraid of coughing up their identifying info. Instead of spending all this money on press, she should have spent it on young 'uns finding out who her fans are and then signing them up. And if all these fans listened to her music, and there was something worth hearing, they'd tell everybody they know. Word of mouth doesn't only work with kids, it may be slower with adults, but they need fodder. No one is listening to "Don't Lie To Me" and telling their friends they have to play it, otherwise they'd lose all credibility. And the President may be full of crap, but on a personal level all we've got is our credibility, and we've got to protect and nurture it.
Meanwhile, Babs gets credit for standing up to Agent Orange, only her efforts have not moved the needle. She comes from a different era, where acts have power and money is secondary, and it flows from your power anyway. Today's young stars are all about the Benjamins. They're not about music, but money. And they don't want to hurt their career and the records are just a building block to a brand empire. Sure, Streisand branched out into movies, but she started on the stage, but she never stopped doing it her way, not worrying what anybody else thought, she's a beacon for women.
But beacons emanate from the art. And Babs bunted here.
Now even if she had written a stone cold smash what would have happened?
Not a whole hell of a lot more. You see the system is broken. We keep trying to quantify music success and all those in power focus on the wrong metric. Records are now secondary to live. All the emphasis is still on labels when it should be on agencies. You not only make your money on the road, that's where we find out who truly has fans, who has impact, who can not only sell tickets but merch. Insiders know this, the press still hasn't caught on. If Barbra truly wanted to have an impact, she'd SING! LIVE! Pop up wherever there's a political battleground, singing an anthem, which "Lie To Me" is surely not.
The oldsters don't remember how they started off. Woodshedding, off the grid. They think they're entitled to the attention, they're not willing to go back to the garden and build it again. They just want to remind us who they once were and what they're entitled to.
The game is gonna change. Used to be multiple genres of music got attention, now it's only hip-hop, when the truth is a giant swath of the public never listens to it. This is not the MTV era, where if it was on the service all Americans were aware of it, this is the last gasp of an old system of quantification.
So I applaud Barbra Streisand for weighing in on the political situation. But she did not need a whole album to make her mark and have an influence, she only needed one song, which she could promote and fans could bang until it reached public consciousness.
But "Lie To Me" is not it.
Music drove the world. It does not now. But the power remains. If you harness it, if you realize the game has changed.
She's still Barbra Streisand, but she believes it's the same as it ever was. It's not. Bad attempt poorly executed.
But in the modern business your failures don't hurt you. Here's how you do it Babs, you cut one stone cold smash. Or you play the easy way, and are featured on a rapper's track. Believe me, tons of acts would say yes, if for no other reason than they'd want to reach your audience. And what a topsy-turvy idea, instead of utilizing a rapper in a break, use a singer, a legend, one of the best of all time!
But Babs believes she's entitled to win just like Hillary Clinton.
And we all know how that turned out.
Welcome to 2018, when ancient artists depend upon the press to do their bidding and their new music has no impact. Talk about adjusting to the paradigm...they don't. Just like the rockers decrying streaming payments as they fade away into irrelevance.
We've got to train oldsters, rockers, to get on board with streaming, it's the only way to have an impact in our society. The first thing anybody does is look at the numbers, and on YouTube and Spotify, Barbra's are positively anemic. "Don't Lie To Me" has been played 281,253 times on Spotify and viewed 582,333 times on YouTube, evidence that when a tree falls in a forest, it definitely does not make a sound. As for sales, which are completely irrelevant, only propped up by "Billboard"'s bizarre chart formula, Streisand's new LP released on Friday is now #4, but that's like saying a horse is number four out of the gate, when the race is over, where is he or she? In this case, way down the pack. In a matter of weeks, Barbra's album "Walls" will be so far down the chart as to be essentially unfindable. But she'll get to be on the chart for one week in the newspapers, whoop-de-do! This is the same b.s. trumpeted when an ancient kacher gets another number one and then goes straight into the dumper. Remember the Neil Diamond album that went straight to number one this century? Nobody else does either.
But Barbra broke the number one rule of 2018 music, "Don't Lie To Me" is not a hit! If you can get through the entire track without shutting it off you're a better person than me, or work for Barbra or deaf. Mediocre has no place in 2018. It's either great or we tune out. Forget short attention spans, we've just got incredible crap detectors in this overwhelming world where multiple choices are confronting us every day and we don't even have enough time to watch all the television programs we want to. Fifty seven channels and nothing on? That was a time and place, now there's too much on. And the Boss has gone small ball. He plays to a few on Broadway every night who overpay for the privilege and he's going to show it all on Netflix soon, going where the eyeballs are, knowing how the game is played, as opposed to going to HBO, where the average viewer still thinks it's appointment television, not knowing how to use On Demand or knowing how to download the app, never mind enter their name and password and use it. Kaepernick aligns with Nike, Streisand aligns with the usual suspects. Does her audience, now at retirement age, into their trappings, even have CD players in their late model cars? Did you see that Whole Foods even ripped out the CD racks from their checkout lanes? He or she who plays in the past is destined to remain in the rearview mirror, growing ever smaller until they disappear from view.
Babs still thinks the old model still works. That if she comes down from the mountaintop radio will play her work, even though no one listens to the radio anymore, despite terrestrial radio and the record industry continuing to pay fealty to it. Yup, that's right, labels are addicted to radio like the brain dead enterprises they are. And Sony has no clue how to sell Streisand's new work, other than to employ the old playbook. Look at the Chiefs, who with a new quarterback have altered play in the NFL, and I know that even though I haven't watched a single game all year, it's in the air, it's the buzz, everybody's talking about it.
First and foremost if you're an aged act you have to know who your fans are. So you can reach them directly. Does Streisand have a mailing list? Her acolytes are addicted to e-mail, and unafraid of coughing up their identifying info. Instead of spending all this money on press, she should have spent it on young 'uns finding out who her fans are and then signing them up. And if all these fans listened to her music, and there was something worth hearing, they'd tell everybody they know. Word of mouth doesn't only work with kids, it may be slower with adults, but they need fodder. No one is listening to "Don't Lie To Me" and telling their friends they have to play it, otherwise they'd lose all credibility. And the President may be full of crap, but on a personal level all we've got is our credibility, and we've got to protect and nurture it.
Meanwhile, Babs gets credit for standing up to Agent Orange, only her efforts have not moved the needle. She comes from a different era, where acts have power and money is secondary, and it flows from your power anyway. Today's young stars are all about the Benjamins. They're not about music, but money. And they don't want to hurt their career and the records are just a building block to a brand empire. Sure, Streisand branched out into movies, but she started on the stage, but she never stopped doing it her way, not worrying what anybody else thought, she's a beacon for women.
But beacons emanate from the art. And Babs bunted here.
Now even if she had written a stone cold smash what would have happened?
Not a whole hell of a lot more. You see the system is broken. We keep trying to quantify music success and all those in power focus on the wrong metric. Records are now secondary to live. All the emphasis is still on labels when it should be on agencies. You not only make your money on the road, that's where we find out who truly has fans, who has impact, who can not only sell tickets but merch. Insiders know this, the press still hasn't caught on. If Barbra truly wanted to have an impact, she'd SING! LIVE! Pop up wherever there's a political battleground, singing an anthem, which "Lie To Me" is surely not.
The oldsters don't remember how they started off. Woodshedding, off the grid. They think they're entitled to the attention, they're not willing to go back to the garden and build it again. They just want to remind us who they once were and what they're entitled to.
The game is gonna change. Used to be multiple genres of music got attention, now it's only hip-hop, when the truth is a giant swath of the public never listens to it. This is not the MTV era, where if it was on the service all Americans were aware of it, this is the last gasp of an old system of quantification.
So I applaud Barbra Streisand for weighing in on the political situation. But she did not need a whole album to make her mark and have an influence, she only needed one song, which she could promote and fans could bang until it reached public consciousness.
But "Lie To Me" is not it.
Music drove the world. It does not now. But the power remains. If you harness it, if you realize the game has changed.
She's still Barbra Streisand, but she believes it's the same as it ever was. It's not. Bad attempt poorly executed.
But in the modern business your failures don't hurt you. Here's how you do it Babs, you cut one stone cold smash. Or you play the easy way, and are featured on a rapper's track. Believe me, tons of acts would say yes, if for no other reason than they'd want to reach your audience. And what a topsy-turvy idea, instead of utilizing a rapper in a break, use a singer, a legend, one of the best of all time!
But Babs believes she's entitled to win just like Hillary Clinton.
And we all know how that turned out.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-TuneIn: http://tunein.com/lefsetz
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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