(If you get this twice, I apologize, server issues.)
Now what exactly was Scooter Braun's crime here?
He made a business deal. Big Machine sold rights it held to Scooter, who had the money to pay for them. Done. Fair deal.
On the other side, you have Taylor Swift, who made a bad deal. Based on emotion, she left Big Machine for Universal, delivered a stiff record, is now trying to resuscitate it and someone must pay.
Meanwhile, Scooter observes the number one rule of social media, don't respond, but then Swift's activated fan base descends upon him to the point of threatening the lives of him and his family.
Welcome to 2019, where everybody feels as powerful as everybody else, where power is wielded by entertainers with social media followers as opposed to the rich. Where a President lies outright and is caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but not only does nearly half of America not care, there's an entire news organization, never mind internet sites and social media, based on spreading untruths on his behalf and saying it's no big deal. And you wonder why Taylor Swift is wielding her sword?
Let's go back to Bill Clinton. If the President lies under oath, why should I tell the truth? Seems like in the past thirty years, no one is. Everything is up for grabs. Even life and death.
Tom Petty's record company was sold and Petty insisted on concessions. Then again, Petty was poor, and was signed to a lousy deal with Shelter which was sold to ABC which was sold to MCA, the worst label in the business at the time. Petty declared bankruptcy and got a label, Backstreet, and an individual to run said label. Where in this process did Taylor Swift get screwed?
Taylor signed with Big Machine, which made her an international superstar. Big Machine owned the albums, which is standard industry practice. And then Big Machine sold its assets to Scooter. Nothing illegal here. As for morality...Swift knew Big Machine was up for sale, she didn't insist the sale not be to Scooter, and was pissed after the fact.
But Swift can't live with this. Because she's supposed to be Teflon, she's a pin-cushion of hurt. She's stunned when the media turns on her. When other stars/celebrities turn on her. Not going to school, she does not know how to navigate the ups and downs, she feels like she should be protected, like all those kids who go to private school and have their parents complain to the administration that they're being bullied. Do they call their parents when they get into a fight with a boy or girlfriend? Unfortunately, yes!
I mean come on, I don't want to talk like a Republican here, but can someone take personal responsibility? I'm a big believer in tort actions, irrelevant of whether some of the attorneys are sleazy, but we don't live in a strict liability world, where someone must pay for every loss. That's life, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. The game is to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and play again.
As far as Scooter being the devil... If only Taylor Swift worked with some of the true criminals in this business. Scooter's not perfect, but he does have a reputation for being artist-friendly. He didn't buy the assets to screw Swift, they're too expensive. He needs her cooperation. He can work without it, but it's much better to align interests.
Furthermore, Swift wants to be immune to the career arc, where you're hot and then you're not, especially in today's scattered, cacophonous internet world where you can release something great and it can still not flourish in the marketplace. You can play the game and lose. Then again, she's got those royalties from all those old records. And she can go on the road based on that music.
But Swift screwed her fans with dynamic ticketing, never mind the shenanigans you had to pay for/waste time on getting the right to buy tickets. Do you think there's not a hangover from that?
Swift misplayed her hand here, getting bad advice all the while, if she even listened to anybody. Any attorney will tell you she had the right to perform her old hits on the AMAs, hell, Scooter even admits that. As for synching with a Netflix show...she's got no right to that, that's a negotiation, how much does Big Machine want to receive in payment? They call it the music business, not music charity. Pay up, and Netflix can use 'em. Why should Swift get to use them for free, no one else does.
Karma is a bitch.
Taylor Swift refused to play nice with the industry. And when called on it, she developed a friend squad, which quickly abandoned her, then she enlisted celebrities to sing with her, who have been quiet, then she aligned with the LGBTQ community, which has not risen up in support for her...
But she does have her army of fans.
In a world where the average punter is uninformed or ill-informed and shoots up a pizza parlor, believing Hillary Clinton was running a child sex ring there.
So what are the odds that Swift's fans are aware of contract law, and what rights Big Machine does and does not have.
So Swift cries and says she's gonna rerecord her music. Go ahead, hasn't worked for anybody other than ancient artists doing this for synch purposes. She's throwing a tantrum.
So now it's come to this. Death threats. Will anybody really do it? Who knows? Ten per cent of the public is certifiably insane, and you don't know which ten per cent it is! And kids do shoot up schools and there is gunfire and death at concerts and...
We have to be scanned at every public event, if not actually frisked, and they've got active shooter drills at schools.
Is this the society we want?
This is the society we've got.
Charlie Minor was shot to death. You don't have to be on the front page to lose your life.
Meanwhile, Swift stays silent, to this moment, not calling off her dogs.
And Scooter's impassioned plea looks completely reasonable, with a muted twist imploring Swift to start a dialogue and call off her troops. And what does Swift do? Remain silent!
This is her moment to be the bigger person. To go on national TV, Facebook Live, YouTube, harvesting all of today's media and say of course she didn't want this consequence, of course she'll sit down with Scooter, of course she wants to resolve these issues, and she's thrilled that Scooter wants to too.
Then she rehabilitates her image a bit. And can maybe salvage her career in the eyes of everybody but the Swifties.
You can have power, but you don't have to use it.
She's brought Scooter to the table, but you can read in his screed that he ain't coughing up everything.
But he'll cough up something. A victory for moral rights.
But if only we lived in a country of morality.
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Friday 22 November 2019
Thursday 21 November 2019
Re-Dance Monkey/Tones And I
Hi Bob,
I co manage Tones And I for the world.
Tones has gone from living in her van busking last year to the #1 global streamed song (for over 2 months now and it's not slowing down, it's growing)
It's simply incredible and this is only the beginning.
Wait until you see her live! This is just the beginning.
Thanks for your words and hopefully see you at a show early 2020.
REGAN LETHBRIDGE
FOUNDER // DIRECTOR
w: www.lemontreemusic.com.au
TASH SULTANA-PIERCE BROTHERS-MADDY JANE-RILEY PEARCE-TONES AND I-GARRETT KATO
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we live and work
_______________________________________
Hey, Bob,
"Dance Monkey" is streaming #1 on our Alternative chart subscription service. Those folks are consuming the hell out of it, giving the new Billie a run for her money
Dave Van Dyke / President
Bridge Ratings Media Research
www.bridgeratings.com
_______________________________________
Hi and she is the longest running female at #1 in the UK since Leona Lewis: https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/tones-and-is-dance-monkey-is-now-the-longest-running-number-1-single-by-a-female-since-leona-lewis-s-bleeding-love__27748/
Best regards,
Michel Petré
Managing Director
Ultra Music Nordic
_______________________________________
did you hear her song "The Kids Are Coming"....it's a protest song....about fucking time....
Michael Rosenblatt
_______________________________________
Hi Bob,
One word.....Horrible.
Leigh Goldstein
_______________________________________
I have been in Slovakia for several months now, and this song was everywhere. However, they have content laws here too, so hearing homegrown music is frequent also. Some of it is very good. Oftentimes it is a popular Slovak singer covering well known songs, sometimes in remix style. I also have been marvel at some stations broad playlists that span hit music from 6 decades. Quite a departure from tight playlists in the US.
Terry Rindal
_______________________________________
Great track and great to hear Millie getting a Big Up
She is a relentless champion of Aussie music and all of us Conference Monkeys love her !
Stephen Budd
Stephen Budd Music / OneFest / Africa Express
_______________________________________
I and my kids dig this...
Steven Anderko
_______________________________________
We all know Millie. :).
Jake Gold
_______________________________________
Hey bob, Dave Ash here Tones' TM. Straight after fallon taping we went right to mercury lounge for an 8pm show time and she killed it there too. Unfortunately you just missed her set tonight at El Cid.
Let me know if you'd like to come to the Fonda gig in feb. I know it's years away and everything you've ever wrote about says how no one cares about what they're doing next week let alone in 3 months so I'll remind you closer to the date.
_______________________________________
Dance Monkey is awesome!
It was on Amazon Alexa in the pop list.
No such things as US charts when there is world charts. It's very strong pop. People should try writing a pop smash before saying it's easy to write. If pop writing was so easy, every songwriter will be super rich.
Clarence Jey
_______________________________________
I would disagree with your assessment that something is wrong with our American system of music.
She is just another good singer with shitty , simplistic one finger melody lines.
We have plenty of shitty music.
I just attended both days of the camp flog gnaw festival at dodger stadium and saw plenty of big name crap acts. Lots of simplistic, one finger melodies.
I told my buddy who got me free passes " I'm almost embarrassed to tell these rabid fans I got free tickets"
He replied " The only embarrassing part is that these fools paid 400 bucks for this "
regards
Thaddeus Graham
_______________________________________
She's going to go here. She's just too great and it's just too big to ignore at this point. Plus Easterlin don't fuck around.
Noah Sheer
Def Jam Recordings
_______________________________________
Sorry Bob. It didn't"t move me./ No complaints but a# 1. Don't hear it.
Stu Cohen
_______________________________________
Bob
another song that American radio aren't playin'
Jeff Laufer
We love the song at Rock Bands of L.A.com
_______________________________________
So this is everywhere in Europe and I dismissed it entirely until someone showed my this video of her performing the song in the streets around Byron Bay and explained the song. Until then I just thought it was a annoying edm bit, but when you see live recordings of her, the talent just goes through the screen - how cool is that! Anyways, here is the video:
https://youtu.be/5OlAjhSbIcs
Simen Smith Aulie
_______________________________________
"Relentless naggers"
https://youtu.be/jbR9QDfyTco
Ken Baum
_______________________________________
Pointless
D Hamil
_______________________________________
I listened to it. I don't get it. Your first instinct was correct.
Billie eilish gave us Mumble rap. I hope the genre of baby talk singing doesn't catch on.
Bill Seipel
_______________________________________
So interesting. Watched the video and her spot on Fallon. Is it the value that we place on beauty and expectation of that beauty,
particularly in women, that has gotten in the way of Tones and I moving up the charts? The fact that she is overweight, and not buying into the American idea of beauty. She doesn't dress for us. She isn't glamorous like Adele. She does have a voice though. I'm looking forward to hearing what else she's got.
Amy Madnick
_______________________________________
Watched it. Dreadful music. Meh...
Bob Davis
_______________________________________
Greetings from Canada Bob,
Definitely a hit record. I was ready to think the same thing, but when I saw this song get added to so many stations in Canada I realized there was something going on with this track. (and I had missed it)
Adam Smiths "Invisible hand" of the market still applies... but depending on your age, (and if you've studied American history or basic economics) the invisible hand of the Market in the music business means one of two things:
Old School: Get the "the market" to discover my product through paid or forced press releases and costly radio promotion, (to achieve forced consumption) so that "share of voice" can be guaranteed. With enough people hearing it, their will be enough movement in the market to justify this approach from a cost perspective. Not true -20 years of downsizing in the recorded music business and much of the old school still doesn't get it.
New School: Serve the early adopters with content (not just music) that entertains them all the way through their discovery journey, so that they will be able to do the promotion for you (evangelism). Do this with enough content over time and they will become Ambassadors the brand. This is why Weeknd can sell out three nights in a row, but Rhianna cant, even though she has had significantly larger profile at radio.
Australia, much like Canada knows that America is the "belly of the beast" for large scale breakthroughs, but ...when we get our Sh*&% together on a track, and our people in our respective countries support it, there is enough like minded people to affect the algorithms, which is the real Invisible hand of the market. .
Love your articles !
Take care
Clayton Walters
_______________________________________
I appreciate you getting to the bottom of what's rocketed this song up from nowhere. The song did nothing for me initially, just as it did for you, but when I clicked over to her doing it live I understood the appeal.
But I have to wonder, what does Tones' look and authenticity selling the song say about this musical moment? Has the overthick morass of perfectly serviceable tunes (and artists) in our streaming era made having an appealing image not only imperative, but necessary for anything approaching wide popularity?
I can't help but worry that having a distinct, digestible image is becoming more of a factor in musical success than ever. It feels like having songs that rise above the quality threshold where a meme or sympathetic personhood can lift them into the stratosphere is becoming ever more unnecessary. Which is the way it's been going as long as I can remember, but it's still sad to see. As a songwriter who values originality and artistic vitality, those unquantifiable i-know-it-when-i-get-goosebumps qualities, it feels bad to see worldwide music culture going to great lengths to lift something that offers little of neither. (yeah, seeing that voice come from that person is remarkable, but does that make the song better?) With its early-2010s production and canned message, "Dance Monkey" scans to me like the opposite of a classic, yet I'm probably going to be forced to remember it as an emblematic recording of 2019 for years to come. I'd rather not.
Thanks for doing what you do Bob!
All my best,
John Warlick
_______________________________________
Tones and I got it's start on social media platform TikTok. You probably haven't heard of the platform, but you'll know some other songs that started there (Old Towne Road, Truth Hurts). In fact the Spotify Viral 50 songs is often peppered with songs you hear on TikTok. TikTok was formerly known as musical.ly and has in excessive of a BILLION downloads.
If you read forums on FM Radio, the masters of that medium will wave their own flag espousing "proof" radio is relevant because 80% of people over age 12 "listened" to it. The fact is FM radio is the last choice for most of us. It's that fast food place on a lonely highway when you are a vegan. You need to eat, grimace reading the menu & the minute there are options you're gone elsewhere. I suspect the song has failed in North America because radio programmers can't figure out what format they should play it on. The same thing happened for Billie Eilish. Eilish should have got her break on Alt Rock Radio and yet it was Top 40 that first embraced her en masse. And they were late to the game. They don't seem to understand that in 2019 we don't care about genres or formats. We like music. Zane Lowe at Beats 1 (formerly @ BBC R1) seemed to be the first "big radio" guy to get that.
Mark Irvine
_______________________________________
ok
dance monkey
sounds like Edith bunker singing.
chalk on a chalkboard.
really terrible.
Phil Blaylock
_______________________________________
In perfect honesty, you are late (will explain). More over you seem to be analyzing this song with old lenses and a relentless hope for a world of music more familiar to you. I understand nostalgia but let me explain something about "Dance Monkey".
The song was on the Spotify playlist Pollen, as early as July 1st, 2019, and maybe earlier. Anyone who uses Spotify and likes discovering new music knows Pollen. It is a genre-less playlist dedicated to new quality music. When I found "Dance Monkey"in July, it was gold. The beat is tight, her voice is weird, and personally for me it was a great summer song for running and hanging around Maine on the ocean.
To be clear however, it isn't a Hit, certainly not in America. Not in the slightest. Hits in America come from conglomerate artists that use algorithms and the most strict of circumstances to produce music. "Dance Monkey" rather, is a unique little gem that invokes happiness, weirdness and movement. I argue that the delay in its spread in the US is rooted in our obsessiveness for seeking approval before liking something weird.
I heard "Dance Monkey" in the beginning of July and immediately knew the song was a 9/10 for my circumstance, to my ear and in my current emotional state. But I knew it was weird. I kept it to myself and therefore never really had that viral push to share it with my friends. Music is no longer just about the Hits. No longer do we even seek listening to the Hits.
Today, we play random playlists we identify with on Spotify, where each song and artist has the chance to be a vessel for evoking certain emotions while we live our lives. There aren't a group of "hits" being played on Spotify like the radio, you can actively stay away from them. The truth is, this song has been out for a very long time and due to it's weird nature, people needed to find other people who liked the song before they could commit.
So in conclusion, you we're late... this is an old song finally matriculating into the semi-accepted world of Jimmy Fallon and late night TV music acts, because "Dance Monkey" is a quirky and happy song that so many different kinds of people enjoy, hence the streaming numbers. The mass just needed to make sure "their people" agreed before diving in. Nothing more, nothing less.
Cheers,
Tyler
—
Tyler F. Weith
W: www.wshowstables.co
_______________________________________
Love it but she stole some of the piano break from the Mika song Relax.
The music business is in freak parade mode, a step up from Bo Ho Chic.
Like you said she can sing and the song is a hit but we are immune to greatness and context is king!
So the Adel effect goes on just like only cartoons are allowed to tell the truth, we now believe that only fat people can get down, the anti-cute singing pop.
We pigeon-hole art to our narrative and then wonder why it sucks!
Alas, the function is to serve the young, remember when we were that, so if they take the torch and put it out and stomp on it, what do you do!
Listen to Classical I guess!
P.S. I think Taylor and that bunch are all in on it, we all are the ones misinformed! All that free press, and she is allowed to play her own songs, we all freed her, wow!
John Payne
_______________________________________
"Dance Monkey" is the best song I've heard in 2019. Period. And, you know where I heard it first?
NRJ Radio.
You see I grew up in France. NRJ was a way of life there. Every Saturday, my mom and I listened to the Top 20 songs countdown. That's when I developed a passion and love for radio.
35 years later, in the US now, I still listen to NRJ radio but of course via the NRJ France app. They have the Eurohot 30 station which plays the best songs in Europe on a loop 24/7.
I heard Dance Monkey about 2 months ago as a breakthrough hit on the chart. I jumped out of my car seat and blasted the volume. It's rare to love a song from its first spin as you know, but this totally electrified me and my kids. We still listen to it at least 2-3 times every day on way to school.
Now back to the problem with US radio. Since I've lived here (35 years) It's hard not to notice how incompetent our radio programmers are. These iHeart execs do nothing to help break new music. Zero. The US is constantly behind in breaking and charting new music. This is nothing new. It's stupidity!!! Drives me nuts.
If you want to be ahead of the curve with global chart topping music and breakthroughs like Dance Monkey all you and the US program directors need to do is listen to NRJ Radio l's Hits of The Week station or Eurohot 30. That's it.
Kevin Vahidi
_______________________________________
From Greg Prestopino
OMG. I knew I shoulda gone to medical school.
Okay, so the video is actually pretty cute and bespeaks an elevated level of smarts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0hyYWKXF0Q
But about that "story behind "Dance Monkey". Y'know, if you have to explain a joke, it's not funny or you simply fucked it up?
Same holds true for songwriting. If you have to read an explanation of the lyrics, they probably weren't worth singing in the first place. As every writing teacher will tell you, PUT IT ON THE PAGE!! The lyrics are thin and the track is repetitive without being interesting.
And Bob, please don't give me shit about this being an age thing. There are a number of young songwriters I think are gifted and I love all sorts of contemporary pop and continue to produce/mix the work of various young artists.
I'm gonna go look for other stuff of hers; maybe she'll change my mind...
gPresto
_______________________________________
"And in the old days, prior to Pro Tools, prior to comping, you had to be able to sing to make it."
FYI - you needed a decent engineer, but comping was common before computer-based recording, as was punching. What you couldn't do with tape was loop recording, where you could just record take after take automatically. That's what made comping possible for people with no engineering talent.
On a completely unrelated topic that I think would interest you...I've done a lot of research lately on tempo changes in music from the pre-click-track era. It's FASCINATING!!! There are certain similarities where groups speed up or slow down the tempo, across songs and even genres. In other words these changes weren't random at all, although they weren't premeditated either; they just grew out of good musicians playing together.
Tempo changes add major "feel" and emotion with respect to musical tension and release that's not possible with click-track-based music. At a recent seminar I demoed adding tempo changes to one of my songs, and the audience flipped out. You may not "hear" a difference, but you feel it. Even James Brown's rhythm section, who people think had rock-solid tempo, varied tempo all over the place - but repeatedly, strategically, and precisely. That's something we've pretty much lost with today's music, and I have no doubt the emotional impact suffers.
Craig Anderton
_______________________________________
I've seen this song blowing up everywhere. She sounds like Millie Small with not as good a song.
Peter Paterno, Esq.
_______________________________________
I was so sorry that I clicked that link.
Kevin Kiley
_______________________________________
So you got me to check her out. Wow. There's a whole lot more happening here. Look at the official video for Dance Monkey and then this one of her busking in Byron Bay. https://youtu.be/5OlAjhSbIcs
Then look at the video for The Kids are Coming.
https://youtu.be/buWA_xsT_Is
Impressive. I hope she lasts. She might. She's young and an artist.
And maybe she doesn't need to hit here at least not the way we think of it. I suspect the kids are already listening.
In the words of some old band from the last century "Something's happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear."
Thanks
Mary Lou Troy (a frequent (and older) reader from the folk world)
_______________________________________
Your point about having music lessons in school is absolutely spot on. If only there were money for music classes. There is a program in Canada called Musicounts. Kiefer Sutherland lend his voice for the commercials (kudos to him). Terribly sad when there needs to be these programs when the government fails to fund music in schools. After all, doesn't music make the world go round and bring people together? Now who would want that?
Andrena Ryznar
Vancouver, Canada
_______________________________________
Hi Bob,
All the stats are great.... for right now. It's disposable music that will be totally forgotten in a year.
It's not new. It's not edgy. It's not prodding. It's completely interchangeable with other pop that saturates our present culture.
It's nothing but a very temporary ear worm... for some.
Take care
Jon
_______________________________________
I think you're initial reaction is correct. Just not that interesting...
Roy Liu
_______________________________________
Horrible! I'd rather die then listen to that shit!
David Wolnik
_______________________________________
I just watched the video, Bob.
I am sure that she will make a lot of money, but
all I can say is that I am glad that I grew up in the 60's
(tomorrow I turn 67).
This stuff is not for me.
Steve Isaacson
_______________________________________
Thanks for sharing, sometimes we just don't get it and this is one of those for me. Sincerity is good, but not enuff. Love those Aussies though.
John Brodey
_______________________________________
I loved it.
Katie Bradford
Portland, OR
_______________________________________
It's not stalling. The chart number stayed same 2 weeks in a row. It's up 1400 spins which is great!
It's a hit in some cities and not in others. Smart programmers are playing it. As for MediaBase,
it's not the only chart that counts. BDS is virtually the same chart. Both don't really mean much
anymore in the long run.
Mark Summer
ProgramDirector/MusicDirector/DiscJockey
WDDJ-WZYK-WKYQ
6000 Bristol Drive
Paducah, KY 42002
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I co manage Tones And I for the world.
Tones has gone from living in her van busking last year to the #1 global streamed song (for over 2 months now and it's not slowing down, it's growing)
It's simply incredible and this is only the beginning.
Wait until you see her live! This is just the beginning.
Thanks for your words and hopefully see you at a show early 2020.
REGAN LETHBRIDGE
FOUNDER // DIRECTOR
w: www.lemontreemusic.com.au
TASH SULTANA-PIERCE BROTHERS-MADDY JANE-RILEY PEARCE-TONES AND I-GARRETT KATO
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we live and work
_______________________________________
Hey, Bob,
"Dance Monkey" is streaming #1 on our Alternative chart subscription service. Those folks are consuming the hell out of it, giving the new Billie a run for her money
Dave Van Dyke / President
Bridge Ratings Media Research
www.bridgeratings.com
_______________________________________
Hi and she is the longest running female at #1 in the UK since Leona Lewis: https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/tones-and-is-dance-monkey-is-now-the-longest-running-number-1-single-by-a-female-since-leona-lewis-s-bleeding-love__27748/
Best regards,
Michel Petré
Managing Director
Ultra Music Nordic
_______________________________________
did you hear her song "The Kids Are Coming"....it's a protest song....about fucking time....
Michael Rosenblatt
_______________________________________
Hi Bob,
One word.....Horrible.
Leigh Goldstein
_______________________________________
I have been in Slovakia for several months now, and this song was everywhere. However, they have content laws here too, so hearing homegrown music is frequent also. Some of it is very good. Oftentimes it is a popular Slovak singer covering well known songs, sometimes in remix style. I also have been marvel at some stations broad playlists that span hit music from 6 decades. Quite a departure from tight playlists in the US.
Terry Rindal
_______________________________________
Great track and great to hear Millie getting a Big Up
She is a relentless champion of Aussie music and all of us Conference Monkeys love her !
Stephen Budd
Stephen Budd Music / OneFest / Africa Express
_______________________________________
I and my kids dig this...
Steven Anderko
_______________________________________
We all know Millie. :).
Jake Gold
_______________________________________
Hey bob, Dave Ash here Tones' TM. Straight after fallon taping we went right to mercury lounge for an 8pm show time and she killed it there too. Unfortunately you just missed her set tonight at El Cid.
Let me know if you'd like to come to the Fonda gig in feb. I know it's years away and everything you've ever wrote about says how no one cares about what they're doing next week let alone in 3 months so I'll remind you closer to the date.
_______________________________________
Dance Monkey is awesome!
It was on Amazon Alexa in the pop list.
No such things as US charts when there is world charts. It's very strong pop. People should try writing a pop smash before saying it's easy to write. If pop writing was so easy, every songwriter will be super rich.
Clarence Jey
_______________________________________
I would disagree with your assessment that something is wrong with our American system of music.
She is just another good singer with shitty , simplistic one finger melody lines.
We have plenty of shitty music.
I just attended both days of the camp flog gnaw festival at dodger stadium and saw plenty of big name crap acts. Lots of simplistic, one finger melodies.
I told my buddy who got me free passes " I'm almost embarrassed to tell these rabid fans I got free tickets"
He replied " The only embarrassing part is that these fools paid 400 bucks for this "
regards
Thaddeus Graham
_______________________________________
She's going to go here. She's just too great and it's just too big to ignore at this point. Plus Easterlin don't fuck around.
Noah Sheer
Def Jam Recordings
_______________________________________
Sorry Bob. It didn't"t move me./ No complaints but a# 1. Don't hear it.
Stu Cohen
_______________________________________
Bob
another song that American radio aren't playin'
Jeff Laufer
We love the song at Rock Bands of L.A.com
_______________________________________
So this is everywhere in Europe and I dismissed it entirely until someone showed my this video of her performing the song in the streets around Byron Bay and explained the song. Until then I just thought it was a annoying edm bit, but when you see live recordings of her, the talent just goes through the screen - how cool is that! Anyways, here is the video:
https://youtu.be/5OlAjhSbIcs
Simen Smith Aulie
_______________________________________
"Relentless naggers"
https://youtu.be/jbR9QDfyTco
Ken Baum
_______________________________________
Pointless
D Hamil
_______________________________________
I listened to it. I don't get it. Your first instinct was correct.
Billie eilish gave us Mumble rap. I hope the genre of baby talk singing doesn't catch on.
Bill Seipel
_______________________________________
So interesting. Watched the video and her spot on Fallon. Is it the value that we place on beauty and expectation of that beauty,
particularly in women, that has gotten in the way of Tones and I moving up the charts? The fact that she is overweight, and not buying into the American idea of beauty. She doesn't dress for us. She isn't glamorous like Adele. She does have a voice though. I'm looking forward to hearing what else she's got.
Amy Madnick
_______________________________________
Watched it. Dreadful music. Meh...
Bob Davis
_______________________________________
Greetings from Canada Bob,
Definitely a hit record. I was ready to think the same thing, but when I saw this song get added to so many stations in Canada I realized there was something going on with this track. (and I had missed it)
Adam Smiths "Invisible hand" of the market still applies... but depending on your age, (and if you've studied American history or basic economics) the invisible hand of the Market in the music business means one of two things:
Old School: Get the "the market" to discover my product through paid or forced press releases and costly radio promotion, (to achieve forced consumption) so that "share of voice" can be guaranteed. With enough people hearing it, their will be enough movement in the market to justify this approach from a cost perspective. Not true -20 years of downsizing in the recorded music business and much of the old school still doesn't get it.
New School: Serve the early adopters with content (not just music) that entertains them all the way through their discovery journey, so that they will be able to do the promotion for you (evangelism). Do this with enough content over time and they will become Ambassadors the brand. This is why Weeknd can sell out three nights in a row, but Rhianna cant, even though she has had significantly larger profile at radio.
Australia, much like Canada knows that America is the "belly of the beast" for large scale breakthroughs, but ...when we get our Sh*&% together on a track, and our people in our respective countries support it, there is enough like minded people to affect the algorithms, which is the real Invisible hand of the market. .
Love your articles !
Take care
Clayton Walters
_______________________________________
I appreciate you getting to the bottom of what's rocketed this song up from nowhere. The song did nothing for me initially, just as it did for you, but when I clicked over to her doing it live I understood the appeal.
But I have to wonder, what does Tones' look and authenticity selling the song say about this musical moment? Has the overthick morass of perfectly serviceable tunes (and artists) in our streaming era made having an appealing image not only imperative, but necessary for anything approaching wide popularity?
I can't help but worry that having a distinct, digestible image is becoming more of a factor in musical success than ever. It feels like having songs that rise above the quality threshold where a meme or sympathetic personhood can lift them into the stratosphere is becoming ever more unnecessary. Which is the way it's been going as long as I can remember, but it's still sad to see. As a songwriter who values originality and artistic vitality, those unquantifiable i-know-it-when-i-get-goosebumps qualities, it feels bad to see worldwide music culture going to great lengths to lift something that offers little of neither. (yeah, seeing that voice come from that person is remarkable, but does that make the song better?) With its early-2010s production and canned message, "Dance Monkey" scans to me like the opposite of a classic, yet I'm probably going to be forced to remember it as an emblematic recording of 2019 for years to come. I'd rather not.
Thanks for doing what you do Bob!
All my best,
John Warlick
_______________________________________
Tones and I got it's start on social media platform TikTok. You probably haven't heard of the platform, but you'll know some other songs that started there (Old Towne Road, Truth Hurts). In fact the Spotify Viral 50 songs is often peppered with songs you hear on TikTok. TikTok was formerly known as musical.ly and has in excessive of a BILLION downloads.
If you read forums on FM Radio, the masters of that medium will wave their own flag espousing "proof" radio is relevant because 80% of people over age 12 "listened" to it. The fact is FM radio is the last choice for most of us. It's that fast food place on a lonely highway when you are a vegan. You need to eat, grimace reading the menu & the minute there are options you're gone elsewhere. I suspect the song has failed in North America because radio programmers can't figure out what format they should play it on. The same thing happened for Billie Eilish. Eilish should have got her break on Alt Rock Radio and yet it was Top 40 that first embraced her en masse. And they were late to the game. They don't seem to understand that in 2019 we don't care about genres or formats. We like music. Zane Lowe at Beats 1 (formerly @ BBC R1) seemed to be the first "big radio" guy to get that.
Mark Irvine
_______________________________________
ok
dance monkey
sounds like Edith bunker singing.
chalk on a chalkboard.
really terrible.
Phil Blaylock
_______________________________________
In perfect honesty, you are late (will explain). More over you seem to be analyzing this song with old lenses and a relentless hope for a world of music more familiar to you. I understand nostalgia but let me explain something about "Dance Monkey".
The song was on the Spotify playlist Pollen, as early as July 1st, 2019, and maybe earlier. Anyone who uses Spotify and likes discovering new music knows Pollen. It is a genre-less playlist dedicated to new quality music. When I found "Dance Monkey"in July, it was gold. The beat is tight, her voice is weird, and personally for me it was a great summer song for running and hanging around Maine on the ocean.
To be clear however, it isn't a Hit, certainly not in America. Not in the slightest. Hits in America come from conglomerate artists that use algorithms and the most strict of circumstances to produce music. "Dance Monkey" rather, is a unique little gem that invokes happiness, weirdness and movement. I argue that the delay in its spread in the US is rooted in our obsessiveness for seeking approval before liking something weird.
I heard "Dance Monkey" in the beginning of July and immediately knew the song was a 9/10 for my circumstance, to my ear and in my current emotional state. But I knew it was weird. I kept it to myself and therefore never really had that viral push to share it with my friends. Music is no longer just about the Hits. No longer do we even seek listening to the Hits.
Today, we play random playlists we identify with on Spotify, where each song and artist has the chance to be a vessel for evoking certain emotions while we live our lives. There aren't a group of "hits" being played on Spotify like the radio, you can actively stay away from them. The truth is, this song has been out for a very long time and due to it's weird nature, people needed to find other people who liked the song before they could commit.
So in conclusion, you we're late... this is an old song finally matriculating into the semi-accepted world of Jimmy Fallon and late night TV music acts, because "Dance Monkey" is a quirky and happy song that so many different kinds of people enjoy, hence the streaming numbers. The mass just needed to make sure "their people" agreed before diving in. Nothing more, nothing less.
Cheers,
Tyler
—
Tyler F. Weith
W: www.wshowstables.co
_______________________________________
Love it but she stole some of the piano break from the Mika song Relax.
The music business is in freak parade mode, a step up from Bo Ho Chic.
Like you said she can sing and the song is a hit but we are immune to greatness and context is king!
So the Adel effect goes on just like only cartoons are allowed to tell the truth, we now believe that only fat people can get down, the anti-cute singing pop.
We pigeon-hole art to our narrative and then wonder why it sucks!
Alas, the function is to serve the young, remember when we were that, so if they take the torch and put it out and stomp on it, what do you do!
Listen to Classical I guess!
P.S. I think Taylor and that bunch are all in on it, we all are the ones misinformed! All that free press, and she is allowed to play her own songs, we all freed her, wow!
John Payne
_______________________________________
"Dance Monkey" is the best song I've heard in 2019. Period. And, you know where I heard it first?
NRJ Radio.
You see I grew up in France. NRJ was a way of life there. Every Saturday, my mom and I listened to the Top 20 songs countdown. That's when I developed a passion and love for radio.
35 years later, in the US now, I still listen to NRJ radio but of course via the NRJ France app. They have the Eurohot 30 station which plays the best songs in Europe on a loop 24/7.
I heard Dance Monkey about 2 months ago as a breakthrough hit on the chart. I jumped out of my car seat and blasted the volume. It's rare to love a song from its first spin as you know, but this totally electrified me and my kids. We still listen to it at least 2-3 times every day on way to school.
Now back to the problem with US radio. Since I've lived here (35 years) It's hard not to notice how incompetent our radio programmers are. These iHeart execs do nothing to help break new music. Zero. The US is constantly behind in breaking and charting new music. This is nothing new. It's stupidity!!! Drives me nuts.
If you want to be ahead of the curve with global chart topping music and breakthroughs like Dance Monkey all you and the US program directors need to do is listen to NRJ Radio l's Hits of The Week station or Eurohot 30. That's it.
Kevin Vahidi
_______________________________________
From Greg Prestopino
OMG. I knew I shoulda gone to medical school.
Okay, so the video is actually pretty cute and bespeaks an elevated level of smarts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0hyYWKXF0Q
But about that "story behind "Dance Monkey". Y'know, if you have to explain a joke, it's not funny or you simply fucked it up?
Same holds true for songwriting. If you have to read an explanation of the lyrics, they probably weren't worth singing in the first place. As every writing teacher will tell you, PUT IT ON THE PAGE!! The lyrics are thin and the track is repetitive without being interesting.
And Bob, please don't give me shit about this being an age thing. There are a number of young songwriters I think are gifted and I love all sorts of contemporary pop and continue to produce/mix the work of various young artists.
I'm gonna go look for other stuff of hers; maybe she'll change my mind...
gPresto
_______________________________________
"And in the old days, prior to Pro Tools, prior to comping, you had to be able to sing to make it."
FYI - you needed a decent engineer, but comping was common before computer-based recording, as was punching. What you couldn't do with tape was loop recording, where you could just record take after take automatically. That's what made comping possible for people with no engineering talent.
On a completely unrelated topic that I think would interest you...I've done a lot of research lately on tempo changes in music from the pre-click-track era. It's FASCINATING!!! There are certain similarities where groups speed up or slow down the tempo, across songs and even genres. In other words these changes weren't random at all, although they weren't premeditated either; they just grew out of good musicians playing together.
Tempo changes add major "feel" and emotion with respect to musical tension and release that's not possible with click-track-based music. At a recent seminar I demoed adding tempo changes to one of my songs, and the audience flipped out. You may not "hear" a difference, but you feel it. Even James Brown's rhythm section, who people think had rock-solid tempo, varied tempo all over the place - but repeatedly, strategically, and precisely. That's something we've pretty much lost with today's music, and I have no doubt the emotional impact suffers.
Craig Anderton
_______________________________________
I've seen this song blowing up everywhere. She sounds like Millie Small with not as good a song.
Peter Paterno, Esq.
_______________________________________
I was so sorry that I clicked that link.
Kevin Kiley
_______________________________________
So you got me to check her out. Wow. There's a whole lot more happening here. Look at the official video for Dance Monkey and then this one of her busking in Byron Bay. https://youtu.be/5OlAjhSbIcs
Then look at the video for The Kids are Coming.
https://youtu.be/buWA_xsT_Is
Impressive. I hope she lasts. She might. She's young and an artist.
And maybe she doesn't need to hit here at least not the way we think of it. I suspect the kids are already listening.
In the words of some old band from the last century "Something's happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear."
Thanks
Mary Lou Troy (a frequent (and older) reader from the folk world)
_______________________________________
Your point about having music lessons in school is absolutely spot on. If only there were money for music classes. There is a program in Canada called Musicounts. Kiefer Sutherland lend his voice for the commercials (kudos to him). Terribly sad when there needs to be these programs when the government fails to fund music in schools. After all, doesn't music make the world go round and bring people together? Now who would want that?
Andrena Ryznar
Vancouver, Canada
_______________________________________
Hi Bob,
All the stats are great.... for right now. It's disposable music that will be totally forgotten in a year.
It's not new. It's not edgy. It's not prodding. It's completely interchangeable with other pop that saturates our present culture.
It's nothing but a very temporary ear worm... for some.
Take care
Jon
_______________________________________
I think you're initial reaction is correct. Just not that interesting...
Roy Liu
_______________________________________
Horrible! I'd rather die then listen to that shit!
David Wolnik
_______________________________________
I just watched the video, Bob.
I am sure that she will make a lot of money, but
all I can say is that I am glad that I grew up in the 60's
(tomorrow I turn 67).
This stuff is not for me.
Steve Isaacson
_______________________________________
Thanks for sharing, sometimes we just don't get it and this is one of those for me. Sincerity is good, but not enuff. Love those Aussies though.
John Brodey
_______________________________________
I loved it.
Katie Bradford
Portland, OR
_______________________________________
It's not stalling. The chart number stayed same 2 weeks in a row. It's up 1400 spins which is great!
It's a hit in some cities and not in others. Smart programmers are playing it. As for MediaBase,
it's not the only chart that counts. BDS is virtually the same chart. Both don't really mean much
anymore in the long run.
Mark Summer
ProgramDirector/MusicDirector/DiscJockey
WDDJ-WZYK-WKYQ
6000 Bristol Drive
Paducah, KY 42002
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Peter Garrett-This Week's Podcast
This almost didn't happen. It was all set, but then Peter's people said he had a hard out at ten to twelve and I didn't think that would be enough time so I asked for an earlier start, and he canceled. Then I said the original start time would work and it was back on but it turns out that had nothing to do with it, the issue was whether the interview could be broadcast at Australian Music Week or not. Peter didn't want it to be, Australian Music Week ultimately agreed, and it was back on the schedule.
So it happened at Studio 301 in Sydney (https://studios301.com). They don't make studios like this anymore, with multiple rooms, even mastering. I get excited in places like this, this is the epicenter, this is where the music is made.
They had a museum of old equipment, an original Mitsubishi digital tape machine, never mind a bunch of Studers. Guitars even. They took me to every room, which I dug. Then we got to the big studio, the one that can fit orchestras, and in the control room, which was larger than most studios themselves, stood Peter Garrett.
I was intimidated. He's six foot four something and has a bald head and he had to be out before noon and I figured he'd be recalcitrant, off-putting, but nothing could have been further from the truth!
Now I avoided Peter for the better part of ten minutes, if you converse before you start you risk leaving the best stuff in the green room, I've learned that, so they're setting up the mics and it's taking time and I'm getting more and more anxious and then we begin.
It was like talking to a long lost friend. And I'm looking at my watch at ten to twelve and Peter doesn't even blink, he just keeps on going. We don't stop until twelve twenty. Whereupon Peter says he wants to continue to talk, but first he has to go to the bathroom. I figured that was it, but Peter came back and we talked for another hour, until I had to leave for some TV show. We were wrestling with the issues, it was so much fun.
Now this subsequent hour was not on mic, but there's plenty here.
What it was like growing up in Australia, how Peter joined Midnight Oil. His experience in the government.
Whether you're a fan of Midnight Oil or not, you'll enjoy this. Peter's the opposite of the traditional musician. He's eloquent, thoughtful, passionate...I dug it, and you will too!
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-garrett/id1316200737?i=1000457435902
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0aPAuavb6Q61Cb2AsFVEFB
https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=65434803
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So it happened at Studio 301 in Sydney (https://studios301.com). They don't make studios like this anymore, with multiple rooms, even mastering. I get excited in places like this, this is the epicenter, this is where the music is made.
They had a museum of old equipment, an original Mitsubishi digital tape machine, never mind a bunch of Studers. Guitars even. They took me to every room, which I dug. Then we got to the big studio, the one that can fit orchestras, and in the control room, which was larger than most studios themselves, stood Peter Garrett.
I was intimidated. He's six foot four something and has a bald head and he had to be out before noon and I figured he'd be recalcitrant, off-putting, but nothing could have been further from the truth!
Now I avoided Peter for the better part of ten minutes, if you converse before you start you risk leaving the best stuff in the green room, I've learned that, so they're setting up the mics and it's taking time and I'm getting more and more anxious and then we begin.
It was like talking to a long lost friend. And I'm looking at my watch at ten to twelve and Peter doesn't even blink, he just keeps on going. We don't stop until twelve twenty. Whereupon Peter says he wants to continue to talk, but first he has to go to the bathroom. I figured that was it, but Peter came back and we talked for another hour, until I had to leave for some TV show. We were wrestling with the issues, it was so much fun.
Now this subsequent hour was not on mic, but there's plenty here.
What it was like growing up in Australia, how Peter joined Midnight Oil. His experience in the government.
Whether you're a fan of Midnight Oil or not, you'll enjoy this. Peter's the opposite of the traditional musician. He's eloquent, thoughtful, passionate...I dug it, and you will too!
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-garrett/id1316200737?i=1000457435902
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0aPAuavb6Q61Cb2AsFVEFB
https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=65434803
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Wednesday 20 November 2019
New York City
There's nothing like it!
Although I've been all 'round the world and there's no place I'd rather live than L.A. Sure, there's the weather, but even more there's the anonymity, and the phoniness, as a refugee from the east coast, it's still refreshing, no one's in my business and I'm not in theirs but I do miss the camaraderie, you meet someone one night in the east and they're friends for life, you hang, in L.A...maybe you go out before you have kids, or turn forty, but after that all the entertainment takes place behind closed doors, and that tends to end early, since everybody's got to get up with the sun to hone their bodies.
But there's something about the pulse, the convenience of Manhattan, I mean where else can you walk a block at midnight to get distilled water for your CPAP machine? Then again, the world is changing, now it's all about delivery, shopping only stands if it's an experience, entertainment, but the truth is we're moving away from consumerism, that's the big story of the younger generation, one that the boomers refuse to acknowledge. Who needs a car? Who needs a big house? You want to be able to lock up and disappear...yup, that's another thing the younger generation is into, travel.
But here's where one gets blowback from the poor, the disadvantaged, those claiming poverty even though they're doing quite fine. MUST BE NICE! What kind of country do we live in where it's a badge of honor to be poor, and everybody who is poor thinks they're one step away from being a billionaire. Cory Booker talking about all the disadvantaged wanting to be entrepreneurs, as if they're not having trouble finding quality candidates for "Shark Tank," a passe paradigm if there ever was one. Now it's about society, the environment, not products. Suddenly we're all in it together, even though that's anathema for those who've got it, the winners.
Kinda like this thousand dollar hotel room. For that money, you'd expect the penthouse, but not in New York!
So I reserved a Lyft.
My flight was at eleven. I'm anxious, I don't want to be late, I want to be there ninety minutes before, even though I've got CLEAR, I just never want to miss a plane.
But it was supposed to rain.
So I changed my reservation from nine to eight forty five. That'd be plenty of time. They say they'll be there by eight fifty-five at the latest. But no, the guy who took the res squeezed in a ride before mine, I could see it on the map, and now it's after nine and...
Oh, I know, FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS!
But the truth is the standard of living has risen throughout the world. And that's just a way for people to feel better than you. That's one thing that drives me wild, when people e-mail me..."you're better than that." No, I'm not! That's exactly who I am!
So this guy is a documentary filmmaker, and an actor, and he's filling time before he has to go to Germany after the first and he does it for the conversation, and despite being a dyed-in-the-wool liberal, he's concerned about Me Too.
All males are concerned about Me Too, at least those who've still got their balls. You see you can't discuss it with women. It's black and white. And men are afraid. I'm not talking about the repeat offenders, with no knowledge of themselves, I'm just saying guys are always talking about this, fearful they're going to say something wrong and get canceled. And today, one strike and you're out baby!
Dennis Prager was in security before me. I recognized him because he's so tall. Did you see him on Bill Maher the other week? You should watch it, to get the right wing position. Yup, the problem is the left, there is no racism in America...huh? And his bag got picked to be picked apart and...
The plane ride was bumpy, that's rarely the case anymore. The paper was jumping up and down in my hands. Oh, there were a couple of good stories in the "New York Times." The one about getting topless in the mud to find love in Australia. The one about the jihad at Syracuse. These stories don't even make the L.A. "Times." Oh, but the LAT had that story about T-Series, which eclipsed PewDiePie on YouTube. Maybe you've got no idea what I'm talking about, god, it's so easy to be out of the loop these days, but that's why I read all the papers, to try and get the pulse of the world. T-Series...started out as a record counterfeiter in India. The founder got shot to death by the Mob. As for that Australian mudfest in the NYT? Everybody's looking for love, and you find it in the strangest places, at least if you look, too many people get older and are afraid to look.
And after I finished the paper and the hot nuts, that's why you fly American, for the hot nuts, I dug into my book, "The Most Fun We Ever Had," by Claire Lombardo. The story of a family. With four daughters. It doesn't always work out. And these are the stories I get into, about people, after all, that's all there is. And I thought I'd finish it, but it's seven hundred pages and I'm barely halfway through. I've got so much I want to read. And then there's TV, I ran into Jeff Garlin at Sirius Tuesday and he told me to watch his Netflix special, because it addresses Me Too. But does one stay home or integrate or..?
My Lyft driver on the other end drove one of those toaster cars. At about thirty miles an hour. And I wanted to get to the hotel to watch the debate. And her route was so circuitous, she was breaking the rules of WAZE, which was in Chinese. I called her on it, but then I got uptight about my rating. So I tried to make nice and talk, but she couldn't understand me, she barely spoke English.
And the truth is I'm excited by the city, amped up, running on west coast time, I love that New York never sleeps.
But there's a chilling effect in America these days. Not only with Me Too, but everything. Every time I think of writing, I get uptight about the blowback. You can't be yourself anymore, people disapprove. And god help you if you make a mistake, it's as if you killed somebody. And I get it, like that old Dylan song, everybody wants to drag you down into the hole they're in. But what they don't realize is there's a whole set of people above us, living a life they are not privy to.
So everybody in America is self-deprecating. Say you worked hard and earned it and deserve it and you're a pariah. Then again, in hip-hop everybody's the greatest.
So everybody's fighting for recognition and everybody feels lost.
Music used to fill this hole. It took you away, to a special place, where you felt safe and understood.
But now music no longer fills that need. Now it's mostly commerce, almost pre-Beatles. It's just a business, it's not THE business.
But say that and you hear you're too old.
And then Scorsese comes out against Marvel movies and he's laughed at. But how about a debate. Spielberg was wrong about movies needing to be in theatres, especially when at home you've got a sixty five inch set with the film starting whenever you want, but we can't debate the bigger issues anymore. You're wrong and I'm right, or vice versa. Or else someone's provably wrong and they're entitled to equal time, which drives one just nuts.
And what is the race about anyway? Is it about money and family, status? One thing's for sure, you can't have it all, you're lucky if you can achieve one thing. And oftentimes it's at the sacrifice of something else.
And sometimes you feel in the swing of things and sometimes you feel horribly out of it.
And we're all looking for safety. That's in Lombardo's book. Things just don't work out. Then they do, then they don't. You wonder when you can calm down and relax.
Probably never.
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Although I've been all 'round the world and there's no place I'd rather live than L.A. Sure, there's the weather, but even more there's the anonymity, and the phoniness, as a refugee from the east coast, it's still refreshing, no one's in my business and I'm not in theirs but I do miss the camaraderie, you meet someone one night in the east and they're friends for life, you hang, in L.A...maybe you go out before you have kids, or turn forty, but after that all the entertainment takes place behind closed doors, and that tends to end early, since everybody's got to get up with the sun to hone their bodies.
But there's something about the pulse, the convenience of Manhattan, I mean where else can you walk a block at midnight to get distilled water for your CPAP machine? Then again, the world is changing, now it's all about delivery, shopping only stands if it's an experience, entertainment, but the truth is we're moving away from consumerism, that's the big story of the younger generation, one that the boomers refuse to acknowledge. Who needs a car? Who needs a big house? You want to be able to lock up and disappear...yup, that's another thing the younger generation is into, travel.
But here's where one gets blowback from the poor, the disadvantaged, those claiming poverty even though they're doing quite fine. MUST BE NICE! What kind of country do we live in where it's a badge of honor to be poor, and everybody who is poor thinks they're one step away from being a billionaire. Cory Booker talking about all the disadvantaged wanting to be entrepreneurs, as if they're not having trouble finding quality candidates for "Shark Tank," a passe paradigm if there ever was one. Now it's about society, the environment, not products. Suddenly we're all in it together, even though that's anathema for those who've got it, the winners.
Kinda like this thousand dollar hotel room. For that money, you'd expect the penthouse, but not in New York!
So I reserved a Lyft.
My flight was at eleven. I'm anxious, I don't want to be late, I want to be there ninety minutes before, even though I've got CLEAR, I just never want to miss a plane.
But it was supposed to rain.
So I changed my reservation from nine to eight forty five. That'd be plenty of time. They say they'll be there by eight fifty-five at the latest. But no, the guy who took the res squeezed in a ride before mine, I could see it on the map, and now it's after nine and...
Oh, I know, FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS!
But the truth is the standard of living has risen throughout the world. And that's just a way for people to feel better than you. That's one thing that drives me wild, when people e-mail me..."you're better than that." No, I'm not! That's exactly who I am!
So this guy is a documentary filmmaker, and an actor, and he's filling time before he has to go to Germany after the first and he does it for the conversation, and despite being a dyed-in-the-wool liberal, he's concerned about Me Too.
All males are concerned about Me Too, at least those who've still got their balls. You see you can't discuss it with women. It's black and white. And men are afraid. I'm not talking about the repeat offenders, with no knowledge of themselves, I'm just saying guys are always talking about this, fearful they're going to say something wrong and get canceled. And today, one strike and you're out baby!
Dennis Prager was in security before me. I recognized him because he's so tall. Did you see him on Bill Maher the other week? You should watch it, to get the right wing position. Yup, the problem is the left, there is no racism in America...huh? And his bag got picked to be picked apart and...
The plane ride was bumpy, that's rarely the case anymore. The paper was jumping up and down in my hands. Oh, there were a couple of good stories in the "New York Times." The one about getting topless in the mud to find love in Australia. The one about the jihad at Syracuse. These stories don't even make the L.A. "Times." Oh, but the LAT had that story about T-Series, which eclipsed PewDiePie on YouTube. Maybe you've got no idea what I'm talking about, god, it's so easy to be out of the loop these days, but that's why I read all the papers, to try and get the pulse of the world. T-Series...started out as a record counterfeiter in India. The founder got shot to death by the Mob. As for that Australian mudfest in the NYT? Everybody's looking for love, and you find it in the strangest places, at least if you look, too many people get older and are afraid to look.
And after I finished the paper and the hot nuts, that's why you fly American, for the hot nuts, I dug into my book, "The Most Fun We Ever Had," by Claire Lombardo. The story of a family. With four daughters. It doesn't always work out. And these are the stories I get into, about people, after all, that's all there is. And I thought I'd finish it, but it's seven hundred pages and I'm barely halfway through. I've got so much I want to read. And then there's TV, I ran into Jeff Garlin at Sirius Tuesday and he told me to watch his Netflix special, because it addresses Me Too. But does one stay home or integrate or..?
My Lyft driver on the other end drove one of those toaster cars. At about thirty miles an hour. And I wanted to get to the hotel to watch the debate. And her route was so circuitous, she was breaking the rules of WAZE, which was in Chinese. I called her on it, but then I got uptight about my rating. So I tried to make nice and talk, but she couldn't understand me, she barely spoke English.
And the truth is I'm excited by the city, amped up, running on west coast time, I love that New York never sleeps.
But there's a chilling effect in America these days. Not only with Me Too, but everything. Every time I think of writing, I get uptight about the blowback. You can't be yourself anymore, people disapprove. And god help you if you make a mistake, it's as if you killed somebody. And I get it, like that old Dylan song, everybody wants to drag you down into the hole they're in. But what they don't realize is there's a whole set of people above us, living a life they are not privy to.
So everybody in America is self-deprecating. Say you worked hard and earned it and deserve it and you're a pariah. Then again, in hip-hop everybody's the greatest.
So everybody's fighting for recognition and everybody feels lost.
Music used to fill this hole. It took you away, to a special place, where you felt safe and understood.
But now music no longer fills that need. Now it's mostly commerce, almost pre-Beatles. It's just a business, it's not THE business.
But say that and you hear you're too old.
And then Scorsese comes out against Marvel movies and he's laughed at. But how about a debate. Spielberg was wrong about movies needing to be in theatres, especially when at home you've got a sixty five inch set with the film starting whenever you want, but we can't debate the bigger issues anymore. You're wrong and I'm right, or vice versa. Or else someone's provably wrong and they're entitled to equal time, which drives one just nuts.
And what is the race about anyway? Is it about money and family, status? One thing's for sure, you can't have it all, you're lucky if you can achieve one thing. And oftentimes it's at the sacrifice of something else.
And sometimes you feel in the swing of things and sometimes you feel horribly out of it.
And we're all looking for safety. That's in Lombardo's book. Things just don't work out. Then they do, then they don't. You wonder when you can calm down and relax.
Probably never.
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The Debate
OK Boomer!
Now that was a waste of time. I bet more people sat through Sondland than this dreary, mostly self-congratulatory so-called debate
It is not business as usual. Trump has proven that. So what do the Democrats say, what does the establishment say, what does the media say? Let's go back to the old rule book! It's almost as if Trump is Napster and the Dems are the labels. And you know what? CDs never came back. That's right, streaming replaced files, and reinvigorated recorded music revenues to boot!
So who is complaining?
THE OLD PEOPLE!
The boomers who think their doody doesn't stink. Who believe since they lived through the sixties and can wear skinny jeans and own smartphones that they know what's going on. But they don't!
As a matter of fact, boomers are retiring in droves, passing the baton, but they want to give one more middle finger to those younger than they are, they want to keep everything they've gotten, all the spoils, and screw the rest of the public.
Now this is America. Where no one can sacrifice. Carter said to wear a sweater to stay warm during an energy crisis and he was excoriated, you can't mess with the American way of life, which is all about raping the environment and pillaging while you're at it. But if you speak to the younger generation...
The younger generation that's into experiences, not assets.
The younger generation hobbled by student debt.
The younger generation with even fewer opportunities for upward mobility than their contemporaries in Europe...and they're PISSED!
So what do we get during the debate?
ALL THE THINGS THEY'VE DONE! As if nothing has changed.
I'll tell you what's changed. We need passion. Trump is a great salesman. Amy Klobuchar starts talking and my eyes roll into the back my head. It's a new day, talk about new day problems.
That's why I've been excited by Elizabeth Warren. You can see she believes what she's saying, the passion underneath, the refusal to play to the polls.
Now Mayor Pete had a pretty good night. I'm stunned that no one attacked him, since he's supposedly winning in Iowa. And why is Buttigieg winning? THE ADS!
That's right, at this late date, many people are unfamiliar with the candidates. Because they're overwhelmed with information and in some cases disillusioned by the circus in D.C.
Trump says he's gonna drain the swamp?
Dems say let's go back to what once was, kumbaya, HUH?
So it is all about Trump. All the candidates saying it's about issues are wrong. Trump makes it about his opponents and Dems say it's about the issues. Trump calls Hillary a "nasty woman" and the Dems say the polls say that impeachment and name-calling works against them. It's as if their schoolbooks are out of date, as if they were published in 2014.
So here's the scoop.
It comes down to Warren, Mayor Pete, Bernie and Kamala. Biden is a joke. Yup, marijuana should not be legal. What's next, parietals at party schools? I mean sometimes you've got to get out of the way for the future, isn't that what Bob Dylan sang?
Kamala had a relatively good night. Because she was pissed. I'm pissed, AREN'T YOU?
Now Tom Steyer was right when he said is it's not about convincing Trump supporters, but getting Dems to actually vote. Which requires a candidate that speaks to them, who they believe has their best interests at heart, who can move the ball forward.
Working with the Republicans?
Don't make me laugh.
So what we've learned is the most powerful person in politics is Mark Burnett. He made Trump a star. I'd link to the "New Yorker" article delineating this, but you won't read it if you haven't already, it's long, you don't have the time. It turns out everybody in New York thought Trump was a joke, but Burnett made him into a star!
That's what we're looking for, stars. If you're not one, get out of the way, you can't succeed. You've got to have the goods and then you've got to be marketed. Yup, in 2019 cream does not rise to the top. As for TV...the only people watching are oldsters, the younger generation will just catch the clips, the spin, that's all they have time for.
But the DNC and the establishment are afraid of pissing the boomers off. They want to keep their medical insurance, even though they're already on Medicare. They don't want any changes. They want evolution, not revolution.
But the last twenty five years have been all about revolution, tech revolution. Uber and Lyft killed the taxi business. Who wants the taxi business to come back other than the drivers and the shysters who have them paying for worthless million dollar medallions?
Of course Trump should be the issue!
My money is behind Warren. But Mayor Pete or Bernie would be o.k. Just someone who can stand up to Trump in a debate. Someone who can go for the jugular, no, someone who can go for the balls. Go high when they go low? No, you've got to play their game to win, even though they'll be howling all the while. It's a street brawl I tell you, and the old establishment doesn't get it, they're afraid of the UFC, they're afraid of hip-hop, their idea of danger is staying up after eleven.
Gavin Newsom refuses to buy automobiles from the companies who sided with Trump. Gavin is employing his leverage. Maybe California should secede. Maybe the issues have to be defined, how the red states get disproportionately more from the federal government, how their two senators overrepresent their population.
But no, the Dems are playing to the media and the pollsters. The same ones who got it wrong last time around.
Oh, Nate Silver will say the polls were right. Yeah, it's like a hundred to one shot. Yup, there's a chance the horse could lose, but even Trump himself didn't expect to win.
Just like the Democrats in Congress. Who keep going on TV and telling us the Senate won't convict Trump. Why? Sondland flipped, they all flipped against Trump, but somehow the senators won't?
The reason you play the game is you never know who will really win.
And just like in football, the rules keep changing. But there's no NFL in charge of elections, as a matter of fact, even the government doesn't have a hold on elections.
So I'm done with the debates. This one was billed as a barroom brawl. Instead, we mostly got niceties, at least until the end, after eleven on the east coast, when the aforementioned boomers, the only ones watching, were already asleep.
So...
1. Get the message out. That's the hardest thing to do today. And the message is...ANYBODY BUT TRUMP! If you think it's about the issues as opposed to Trump, get out of the way, put down your megaphone, you're clogging the channel.
2. It's about stars, not issues. God, if the Dems were smart, they'd hire Mark Burnett to do a "Voice" for them, get everybody to watch, let people see who has got it.
3. It's about who can stand up to Trump in a debate. It's not about building the best team of all time, it's about forming the one that can win the World Series against the opposing candidate.
4. Ignore the polls. We won't know what is truly going on until there's voting. The truth is I won't answer a poll, you won't either, and I can cite chapter and verse where I've been right and the polls have been wrong, because it's about guts, not intellect, it's about what you feel in your soul, what resonates.
5. Fox News, MSNBC, NYT, WSJ, WaPo...they're for the lifers, for those truly interested, mostly old people. The younger generation lives online. Call in Mark Zuckerberg, Evan Spiegel, have them advise you. Or maybe even Sheryl Sandberg, she's a Democrat. These are devious people who will do anything to win, they know how the web works, time to get them on board.
6. It's a movement, not an election. You want people to feel included, and today the rank and file are the stars, elevate them, that's one thing good about Warren shooting selfies.
7. They blew up the music business, they blew up the television business, they already blew up politics, but the only people who seem to know are the Republicans.
8. Hearts and minds baby.
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Now that was a waste of time. I bet more people sat through Sondland than this dreary, mostly self-congratulatory so-called debate
It is not business as usual. Trump has proven that. So what do the Democrats say, what does the establishment say, what does the media say? Let's go back to the old rule book! It's almost as if Trump is Napster and the Dems are the labels. And you know what? CDs never came back. That's right, streaming replaced files, and reinvigorated recorded music revenues to boot!
So who is complaining?
THE OLD PEOPLE!
The boomers who think their doody doesn't stink. Who believe since they lived through the sixties and can wear skinny jeans and own smartphones that they know what's going on. But they don't!
As a matter of fact, boomers are retiring in droves, passing the baton, but they want to give one more middle finger to those younger than they are, they want to keep everything they've gotten, all the spoils, and screw the rest of the public.
Now this is America. Where no one can sacrifice. Carter said to wear a sweater to stay warm during an energy crisis and he was excoriated, you can't mess with the American way of life, which is all about raping the environment and pillaging while you're at it. But if you speak to the younger generation...
The younger generation that's into experiences, not assets.
The younger generation hobbled by student debt.
The younger generation with even fewer opportunities for upward mobility than their contemporaries in Europe...and they're PISSED!
So what do we get during the debate?
ALL THE THINGS THEY'VE DONE! As if nothing has changed.
I'll tell you what's changed. We need passion. Trump is a great salesman. Amy Klobuchar starts talking and my eyes roll into the back my head. It's a new day, talk about new day problems.
That's why I've been excited by Elizabeth Warren. You can see she believes what she's saying, the passion underneath, the refusal to play to the polls.
Now Mayor Pete had a pretty good night. I'm stunned that no one attacked him, since he's supposedly winning in Iowa. And why is Buttigieg winning? THE ADS!
That's right, at this late date, many people are unfamiliar with the candidates. Because they're overwhelmed with information and in some cases disillusioned by the circus in D.C.
Trump says he's gonna drain the swamp?
Dems say let's go back to what once was, kumbaya, HUH?
So it is all about Trump. All the candidates saying it's about issues are wrong. Trump makes it about his opponents and Dems say it's about the issues. Trump calls Hillary a "nasty woman" and the Dems say the polls say that impeachment and name-calling works against them. It's as if their schoolbooks are out of date, as if they were published in 2014.
So here's the scoop.
It comes down to Warren, Mayor Pete, Bernie and Kamala. Biden is a joke. Yup, marijuana should not be legal. What's next, parietals at party schools? I mean sometimes you've got to get out of the way for the future, isn't that what Bob Dylan sang?
Kamala had a relatively good night. Because she was pissed. I'm pissed, AREN'T YOU?
Now Tom Steyer was right when he said is it's not about convincing Trump supporters, but getting Dems to actually vote. Which requires a candidate that speaks to them, who they believe has their best interests at heart, who can move the ball forward.
Working with the Republicans?
Don't make me laugh.
So what we've learned is the most powerful person in politics is Mark Burnett. He made Trump a star. I'd link to the "New Yorker" article delineating this, but you won't read it if you haven't already, it's long, you don't have the time. It turns out everybody in New York thought Trump was a joke, but Burnett made him into a star!
That's what we're looking for, stars. If you're not one, get out of the way, you can't succeed. You've got to have the goods and then you've got to be marketed. Yup, in 2019 cream does not rise to the top. As for TV...the only people watching are oldsters, the younger generation will just catch the clips, the spin, that's all they have time for.
But the DNC and the establishment are afraid of pissing the boomers off. They want to keep their medical insurance, even though they're already on Medicare. They don't want any changes. They want evolution, not revolution.
But the last twenty five years have been all about revolution, tech revolution. Uber and Lyft killed the taxi business. Who wants the taxi business to come back other than the drivers and the shysters who have them paying for worthless million dollar medallions?
Of course Trump should be the issue!
My money is behind Warren. But Mayor Pete or Bernie would be o.k. Just someone who can stand up to Trump in a debate. Someone who can go for the jugular, no, someone who can go for the balls. Go high when they go low? No, you've got to play their game to win, even though they'll be howling all the while. It's a street brawl I tell you, and the old establishment doesn't get it, they're afraid of the UFC, they're afraid of hip-hop, their idea of danger is staying up after eleven.
Gavin Newsom refuses to buy automobiles from the companies who sided with Trump. Gavin is employing his leverage. Maybe California should secede. Maybe the issues have to be defined, how the red states get disproportionately more from the federal government, how their two senators overrepresent their population.
But no, the Dems are playing to the media and the pollsters. The same ones who got it wrong last time around.
Oh, Nate Silver will say the polls were right. Yeah, it's like a hundred to one shot. Yup, there's a chance the horse could lose, but even Trump himself didn't expect to win.
Just like the Democrats in Congress. Who keep going on TV and telling us the Senate won't convict Trump. Why? Sondland flipped, they all flipped against Trump, but somehow the senators won't?
The reason you play the game is you never know who will really win.
And just like in football, the rules keep changing. But there's no NFL in charge of elections, as a matter of fact, even the government doesn't have a hold on elections.
So I'm done with the debates. This one was billed as a barroom brawl. Instead, we mostly got niceties, at least until the end, after eleven on the east coast, when the aforementioned boomers, the only ones watching, were already asleep.
So...
1. Get the message out. That's the hardest thing to do today. And the message is...ANYBODY BUT TRUMP! If you think it's about the issues as opposed to Trump, get out of the way, put down your megaphone, you're clogging the channel.
2. It's about stars, not issues. God, if the Dems were smart, they'd hire Mark Burnett to do a "Voice" for them, get everybody to watch, let people see who has got it.
3. It's about who can stand up to Trump in a debate. It's not about building the best team of all time, it's about forming the one that can win the World Series against the opposing candidate.
4. Ignore the polls. We won't know what is truly going on until there's voting. The truth is I won't answer a poll, you won't either, and I can cite chapter and verse where I've been right and the polls have been wrong, because it's about guts, not intellect, it's about what you feel in your soul, what resonates.
5. Fox News, MSNBC, NYT, WSJ, WaPo...they're for the lifers, for those truly interested, mostly old people. The younger generation lives online. Call in Mark Zuckerberg, Evan Spiegel, have them advise you. Or maybe even Sheryl Sandberg, she's a Democrat. These are devious people who will do anything to win, they know how the web works, time to get them on board.
6. It's a movement, not an election. You want people to feel included, and today the rank and file are the stars, elevate them, that's one thing good about Warren shooting selfies.
7. They blew up the music business, they blew up the television business, they already blew up politics, but the only people who seem to know are the Republicans.
8. Hearts and minds baby.
--
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Tuesday 19 November 2019
Dance Monkey
https://bit.ly/35cKhDI
I didn't know what they were talking about.
Everybody in Australia was asking me about Tones And I. Why hadn't she broken in America. After all, she had a billion streams!
It became relentless. To the point where when I finally played the track I was unimpressed, just another poppy dance tune, another confection, meaningless, here today and gone tomorrow.
So there's a conference circuit. You go anywhere in the world and you see the same people. Actually, that's Millie's job. She works for Sounds Australia (https://bit.ly/2Ov2zcC). Which is funded by APRA AMCOS and the government. I could go deeper, but I stopped listening when Millie explained it at dinner.
Actually, I didn't recognize her. She's lost in the neighborhood of a hundred pounds. Her mother sent her a fat picture and that was it, Millie fired up a calorie counting app and shed the weight. But her face was familiar and then I remembered that conversation we'd had in Barcelona, just before I flew home, even though she thought I was bluffing.
So Millie's been working for the organization for ten years, which is kind of surprising, because in the U.S. you get blown out, it's someone else's job. Also, who wants to be on the road that much?
So since I've been home Millie keeps e-mailing me info about "Dance Monkey."
And then I got another e-mail today.
Doing my Sirius show earlier, I debated whether I was gonna have to tell Millie to cool it. These relentless naggers bug me. Especially those who send PR notices whom I don't even know. No wonder everybody's moved on from e-mail, you just can't keep your inbox clean.
But just now I decided to tackle the mail, and when I got to Millie's missive I clicked through to see an article from Down Under saying Tones And I got a standing ovation on Fallon.
Yeah, right.
I'm glad Jimmy's tanked in the ratings, his show has no edge, trying to please everybody he's pleasing almost nobody. Furthermore, the applause is always phony, you've been to a TV taping, the light goes on and you light up, the person who warms you up tells you to. You feel privileged to be in the belly of the beast, so you act like a trained seal.
In other words, a standing ovation on television means nothing to me. And you no longer break acts on late night TV, no one is watching, certainly not the younger demo that spreads the word.
But when I looked at the video...
Tones And I (Toni Watson) looked completely different from my mental image. Like Billie Eilish, her frame was swathed in clothing so you couldn't see her body. As for the puffer vest...is that hip anywhere? And I say that as someone who wears a vest in the winter, love those pockets!
And the sweatshirt and...she starts to play. That's right, she's actually PLAYING! Got to give props to those Australians, they've got the chops!
But this is not the record, which hops from the beginning, rather the playing is slow and meaningful, closer to Laura Nyro than Mariah Carey.
AND BOY CAN SHE SING!
Everybody's been faking it for so long that we no longer believe anything is real. Come on, photos, videos, even an elementary school kid has the skills to compile fakes.
And we've got all these singing competition shows, but they evidence skill and no talent. You see talent is in-born, you can't teach it to someone, not in art. You develop your voice because you have something to express.
And in the old days, prior to Pro Tools, prior to comping, you had to be able to sing to make it.
No more.
So Tones And I is a revelation!
They say you've got to see the acts live.
But today most of 'em, at least the pop ones, those in the Spotify Top 50, can't perform. It's all on hard drive.
But Toni Watson's voice is so pure your eyes bug out. You mean someone really has a voice like that?
Then Toni gets up from the piano and...the hard drive goes wild and she starts to move and sing and it's not quite the same dramatic effect, but one thing's for sure, she can most definitely sing and emote and just like that old Kiki Dee song says, she's definitely got the music in her.
She's moving to the music, your skin starts to tingle you're privileged to be experiencing this, a star is being born right in front of your very eyes.
Now I must say I went back to the record and I didn't quite get the same feeling, and what about those lame lyrics? But I went to Genius (https://genius.com/Tones-and-i-dance-monkey-lyrics) and it turns out there's a story behind "Dance Monkey," it's not mindless at all. It's the story of Toni busking, and feeling the need to perform for the short attention span audience.
Now "Dance Monkey" is #22 on the Mediabase Top 40, the only radio chart that counts. And it's stalled at that number to boot.
But it's #11 on the Spotify United States Top 50. With an upward green arrow, just two spots behind Lewis Capaldi's "Someone You Loved."
Capaldi is #3 on Mediabase.
Lewis is #1 on "Billboard"'s Hot 100.
"Dance Monkey" is #23 and holding on the Hot 100.
So, maybe "Dance Monkey" just ain't gonna make it in the United States. Yup, we're the defining factor, we rule.
NO!
"Dance Monkey" has gone to #1 in 27 countries!
Sure, it made it to the top of the chart in Poland and Slovakia, but it also went to #1 in France, Germany and the U.K! It seems like we're the only country left out, hell, it's even #2 in Canada!
Something is wrong with our system. "Dance Monkey" is an undeniable hit, but it's stalling here.
Then again, after this video...
P.S. Toni Watson learned to play in school. If only we had money for music classes in the United States.
P.P.S. Tones And I is getting 714,993 daily plays on Spotify in the U.S. "Dance Monkey" is #1 on the Spotify Global Top 50 with 5,721,918 streams a day. The Spotify cume is 515,652,626. The official video has 198,038,725 views on YouTube.
P.P.P.S. Maybe we need a Millie Millgate for American music.
P.P.P.P.S. There's no 808!!
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I didn't know what they were talking about.
Everybody in Australia was asking me about Tones And I. Why hadn't she broken in America. After all, she had a billion streams!
It became relentless. To the point where when I finally played the track I was unimpressed, just another poppy dance tune, another confection, meaningless, here today and gone tomorrow.
So there's a conference circuit. You go anywhere in the world and you see the same people. Actually, that's Millie's job. She works for Sounds Australia (https://bit.ly/2Ov2zcC). Which is funded by APRA AMCOS and the government. I could go deeper, but I stopped listening when Millie explained it at dinner.
Actually, I didn't recognize her. She's lost in the neighborhood of a hundred pounds. Her mother sent her a fat picture and that was it, Millie fired up a calorie counting app and shed the weight. But her face was familiar and then I remembered that conversation we'd had in Barcelona, just before I flew home, even though she thought I was bluffing.
So Millie's been working for the organization for ten years, which is kind of surprising, because in the U.S. you get blown out, it's someone else's job. Also, who wants to be on the road that much?
So since I've been home Millie keeps e-mailing me info about "Dance Monkey."
And then I got another e-mail today.
Doing my Sirius show earlier, I debated whether I was gonna have to tell Millie to cool it. These relentless naggers bug me. Especially those who send PR notices whom I don't even know. No wonder everybody's moved on from e-mail, you just can't keep your inbox clean.
But just now I decided to tackle the mail, and when I got to Millie's missive I clicked through to see an article from Down Under saying Tones And I got a standing ovation on Fallon.
Yeah, right.
I'm glad Jimmy's tanked in the ratings, his show has no edge, trying to please everybody he's pleasing almost nobody. Furthermore, the applause is always phony, you've been to a TV taping, the light goes on and you light up, the person who warms you up tells you to. You feel privileged to be in the belly of the beast, so you act like a trained seal.
In other words, a standing ovation on television means nothing to me. And you no longer break acts on late night TV, no one is watching, certainly not the younger demo that spreads the word.
But when I looked at the video...
Tones And I (Toni Watson) looked completely different from my mental image. Like Billie Eilish, her frame was swathed in clothing so you couldn't see her body. As for the puffer vest...is that hip anywhere? And I say that as someone who wears a vest in the winter, love those pockets!
And the sweatshirt and...she starts to play. That's right, she's actually PLAYING! Got to give props to those Australians, they've got the chops!
But this is not the record, which hops from the beginning, rather the playing is slow and meaningful, closer to Laura Nyro than Mariah Carey.
AND BOY CAN SHE SING!
Everybody's been faking it for so long that we no longer believe anything is real. Come on, photos, videos, even an elementary school kid has the skills to compile fakes.
And we've got all these singing competition shows, but they evidence skill and no talent. You see talent is in-born, you can't teach it to someone, not in art. You develop your voice because you have something to express.
And in the old days, prior to Pro Tools, prior to comping, you had to be able to sing to make it.
No more.
So Tones And I is a revelation!
They say you've got to see the acts live.
But today most of 'em, at least the pop ones, those in the Spotify Top 50, can't perform. It's all on hard drive.
But Toni Watson's voice is so pure your eyes bug out. You mean someone really has a voice like that?
Then Toni gets up from the piano and...the hard drive goes wild and she starts to move and sing and it's not quite the same dramatic effect, but one thing's for sure, she can most definitely sing and emote and just like that old Kiki Dee song says, she's definitely got the music in her.
She's moving to the music, your skin starts to tingle you're privileged to be experiencing this, a star is being born right in front of your very eyes.
Now I must say I went back to the record and I didn't quite get the same feeling, and what about those lame lyrics? But I went to Genius (https://genius.com/Tones-and-i-dance-monkey-lyrics) and it turns out there's a story behind "Dance Monkey," it's not mindless at all. It's the story of Toni busking, and feeling the need to perform for the short attention span audience.
Now "Dance Monkey" is #22 on the Mediabase Top 40, the only radio chart that counts. And it's stalled at that number to boot.
But it's #11 on the Spotify United States Top 50. With an upward green arrow, just two spots behind Lewis Capaldi's "Someone You Loved."
Capaldi is #3 on Mediabase.
Lewis is #1 on "Billboard"'s Hot 100.
"Dance Monkey" is #23 and holding on the Hot 100.
So, maybe "Dance Monkey" just ain't gonna make it in the United States. Yup, we're the defining factor, we rule.
NO!
"Dance Monkey" has gone to #1 in 27 countries!
Sure, it made it to the top of the chart in Poland and Slovakia, but it also went to #1 in France, Germany and the U.K! It seems like we're the only country left out, hell, it's even #2 in Canada!
Something is wrong with our system. "Dance Monkey" is an undeniable hit, but it's stalling here.
Then again, after this video...
P.S. Toni Watson learned to play in school. If only we had money for music classes in the United States.
P.P.S. Tones And I is getting 714,993 daily plays on Spotify in the U.S. "Dance Monkey" is #1 on the Spotify Global Top 50 with 5,721,918 streams a day. The Spotify cume is 515,652,626. The official video has 198,038,725 views on YouTube.
P.P.P.S. Maybe we need a Millie Millgate for American music.
P.P.P.P.S. There's no 808!!
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Monday 18 November 2019
Physical-SiriusXM This Week
Keep/Sell/Buy?
Tune in tomorrow, Tuesday November 19th, to Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.
Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz or @siriusxmvolume/#lefsetzlive
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
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Tune in tomorrow, Tuesday November 19th, to Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.
Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863
Twitter: @lefsetz or @siriusxmvolume/#lefsetzlive
Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive
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Sunday 17 November 2019
Mailbag
Re: Warren Defends Swift
Dear Bob,
The private equity industry has evolved from being a helpful catalyst of change in the late 70s to being parasitic today. They don't build the economy, they harvest it by converting decades of capital investment and brand building into cash. Not every PE firm does this, but the biggest ones do it aggressively. They often do it so aggressively that the target company fails. Jobs are almost always an early casualty. Communities suffer. So I think Warren is right about the issue.
Warren cites Taylor Swift for the same reason you do: her story cuts through the noise.
To appreciate Swift's position, it helps to think about the ways it is similar to the current debate over privacy. Some privacy activists argue that personal data is an asset that each user should own. Others (like me) believe personal data is a human right, not an asset, and no one should be able to monetize it, including the person from whom it is taken.
Swift appears to be arguing that she should have some say in what happens to her copyrights. She views that as a human right.
Music copyrights are different from personal data because artists monetize them as part of recording and publishing deals, but it is not crazy for Swift to ask for a conversation about whether there ought to be limits.
Private equity firms will try to convert the copyrights into cash right away, by borrowing against them, and there is some chance of insolvency. Under what circumstances should artists have a say? Should they have any right to purchase?
Roger McNamee
_____________________________________
From: Tom Ross
Re: Warren Defends Swift
Great article and you are absolutely correct on most of your premises! Bankers and funds are more and more controlling the business of the arts when we know it's all for future income streams. And why would mid-level executives work for the man when there is no upward mobility in the fruits of their hard work and time invested in developing new artists. The current business models are bent too heavily to the top of the food chain and like our country, the worker bees will get stung! Thank for bringing these issues into the open. Cheers, TR
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: Alan Hamel-This Week's Podcast
Al was indeed famous in Canada. On that kids show he mentioned - Razzle Dazzle, which I used to watch faithfully as a kid, one of his co-hosts was Trudy Young. After the show ended she fell off the radar until one day Bob Ezrin brought her into the studio where I had just started as an engineer - Nimbus Nine studios in Toronto. I was star struck - the beautiful blond from Razzle Dazzle!
We had no idea why he brought her in that day - was she a singer too? What project was this? We thought we were working on his new top secret album that had blown our minds the day before when he played us the 24 track tapes that he had brought in from France. Bob told my engineering partner Ringo Hrycyna and I that we were in fact going to work on the Secret Project, and to set up some mics in different areas so that it would sound like a person was walking from a living room into the bathroom. Not the craziest thing he had ever asked us to do, so we shrugged and put one Neumann U87 mic in the dead vocal booth and another in the nearby live hallway.
While we were setting up it looked like he was writing lyrics on the spot and showing them to Trudy. I asked him which mic she was going to sing into first and he said "she's not singing - she's acting.... she might improvise, and she's not going to do a run-through for you guys to set the levels. Just hit record and whatever you do DON'T FUCK IT UP!"
I said to Ringo we have to set the compressors on "stun" because we might only have one chance; we had no idea how loud she was or what the hell they were going to do; and I would rather die than let it distort the tape and let Bob down.
I think she did it in one take. It's the famous hotel groupie scene in the song "One Of My Turns" from Pink Floyd's The Wall.
Michael McCarty
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: Sydney
Hey Bob, hope you're still enjoying Sydney!
I've been meaning to write to you for years; you've written about a couple of projects I've been involved in--first it was "Something About You" by Hayden James and then ODESZA. (I did additional production and mixed Something About You and mixed the ODESZA album.)
Your letter has helped me feel connected to the rest of the music world even while I've been thousands of miles away. Thanks for that.
The super quick overview: I'm originally from NJ then NYC, Stockholm and LA, and now Sydney for the last 10 years. I started in the music business as Arif Mardin's assistant in my early 20's and worked in studios in NYC as an engineer. They don't make them like Arif anymore. He was a legend in every sense of the word. Learned so much.
I was also a singer in a band and had a couple of failed major label experiences. Then wound up in Stockholm working with a pop singer, married her and she got signed to Atlantic US. Then moved to LA, worked with the band Weezer on a Rick Rubin produced album, got divorced, met my current Aussie wife and moved to Sydney to have our first son.
At that point I figured it was all over...I started working with random rock bands and tried to keep learning. I linked up with a label here called Future Classic and started making records with them (one of those was "Something About You"). Mixed an artist named Chet Faker and then started working with an electronic artist named Flume. All of sudden I was a 38 year old rock guy from the tri-state area working with one of the most groundbreaking electronic artists in the world. The combination of old school and new was a good one and resulted in the Flume album called Skin (I mixed it). Skin won a Grammy for best Electronic album...back in LA, which was nice! That led to lots more in the electronic world, like ODESZA's "A Moment Apart". That album in particular felt like a great blend of the analog and digital, which is why I was so happy to see that you connected with it. Now I'm more excited about music at 44 than I was at 24. So many possibilities. No rules.
All the best,
Eric J Dubowsky
_____________________________________
Subject: Lucinda
Bob —Just wanted to say belated thanks for the piece on Lucinda. Very much appreciated. The original plan was to do 10-15 of these CW shows and move on but word of mouth spread and promoters started calling and asking for them so it turned into an entire year —oddly enough to the day. We are still stunned by the response. I have to tell you that what she thought was the coolest thing you said was that you weren't really fan and came to the show anyway. She loves that kind of honesty-that's what she's all about -sometimes to a fault. And yes the girl has backbone to burn. When you've been kicking around for as long as she has you know that there have been a lot of different "names" for women with backbone. Thanks again and hope you doing better with your recent health issues. As Lu likes to say, "this getting older thing ain't for sissies".
All the best,
Tom Overby
_____________________________________
Subject: Bill and Shep
I am very new to podcasts but these two sucked me and i fell in love with two dear friends once again. Shep managed me for a year
and Bill is a close pal….I'm a big fan now./
Chris Difford
Firle, East Sussex.
_____________________________________
From: Millie Millgate
Subject: 10 lessons for Disney, Apple and all the new streaming companies - Vox
This year, TLC's "Dr. Pimple Popper" was more popular with women 25-54 in its timeslot than the Shonda Rhimes series "How to Get Away with Murder," which stars Tony and Academy Award winner Viola Davis.
https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/11/12/20959837/streaming-wars-10-lessons-matthew-ball-alex-kruglov-disney-apple-amazon-netflix
Millie
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Dear Bob,
The private equity industry has evolved from being a helpful catalyst of change in the late 70s to being parasitic today. They don't build the economy, they harvest it by converting decades of capital investment and brand building into cash. Not every PE firm does this, but the biggest ones do it aggressively. They often do it so aggressively that the target company fails. Jobs are almost always an early casualty. Communities suffer. So I think Warren is right about the issue.
Warren cites Taylor Swift for the same reason you do: her story cuts through the noise.
To appreciate Swift's position, it helps to think about the ways it is similar to the current debate over privacy. Some privacy activists argue that personal data is an asset that each user should own. Others (like me) believe personal data is a human right, not an asset, and no one should be able to monetize it, including the person from whom it is taken.
Swift appears to be arguing that she should have some say in what happens to her copyrights. She views that as a human right.
Music copyrights are different from personal data because artists monetize them as part of recording and publishing deals, but it is not crazy for Swift to ask for a conversation about whether there ought to be limits.
Private equity firms will try to convert the copyrights into cash right away, by borrowing against them, and there is some chance of insolvency. Under what circumstances should artists have a say? Should they have any right to purchase?
Roger McNamee
_____________________________________
From: Tom Ross
Re: Warren Defends Swift
Great article and you are absolutely correct on most of your premises! Bankers and funds are more and more controlling the business of the arts when we know it's all for future income streams. And why would mid-level executives work for the man when there is no upward mobility in the fruits of their hard work and time invested in developing new artists. The current business models are bent too heavily to the top of the food chain and like our country, the worker bees will get stung! Thank for bringing these issues into the open. Cheers, TR
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: Alan Hamel-This Week's Podcast
Al was indeed famous in Canada. On that kids show he mentioned - Razzle Dazzle, which I used to watch faithfully as a kid, one of his co-hosts was Trudy Young. After the show ended she fell off the radar until one day Bob Ezrin brought her into the studio where I had just started as an engineer - Nimbus Nine studios in Toronto. I was star struck - the beautiful blond from Razzle Dazzle!
We had no idea why he brought her in that day - was she a singer too? What project was this? We thought we were working on his new top secret album that had blown our minds the day before when he played us the 24 track tapes that he had brought in from France. Bob told my engineering partner Ringo Hrycyna and I that we were in fact going to work on the Secret Project, and to set up some mics in different areas so that it would sound like a person was walking from a living room into the bathroom. Not the craziest thing he had ever asked us to do, so we shrugged and put one Neumann U87 mic in the dead vocal booth and another in the nearby live hallway.
While we were setting up it looked like he was writing lyrics on the spot and showing them to Trudy. I asked him which mic she was going to sing into first and he said "she's not singing - she's acting.... she might improvise, and she's not going to do a run-through for you guys to set the levels. Just hit record and whatever you do DON'T FUCK IT UP!"
I said to Ringo we have to set the compressors on "stun" because we might only have one chance; we had no idea how loud she was or what the hell they were going to do; and I would rather die than let it distort the tape and let Bob down.
I think she did it in one take. It's the famous hotel groupie scene in the song "One Of My Turns" from Pink Floyd's The Wall.
Michael McCarty
_____________________________________
Subject: Re: Sydney
Hey Bob, hope you're still enjoying Sydney!
I've been meaning to write to you for years; you've written about a couple of projects I've been involved in--first it was "Something About You" by Hayden James and then ODESZA. (I did additional production and mixed Something About You and mixed the ODESZA album.)
Your letter has helped me feel connected to the rest of the music world even while I've been thousands of miles away. Thanks for that.
The super quick overview: I'm originally from NJ then NYC, Stockholm and LA, and now Sydney for the last 10 years. I started in the music business as Arif Mardin's assistant in my early 20's and worked in studios in NYC as an engineer. They don't make them like Arif anymore. He was a legend in every sense of the word. Learned so much.
I was also a singer in a band and had a couple of failed major label experiences. Then wound up in Stockholm working with a pop singer, married her and she got signed to Atlantic US. Then moved to LA, worked with the band Weezer on a Rick Rubin produced album, got divorced, met my current Aussie wife and moved to Sydney to have our first son.
At that point I figured it was all over...I started working with random rock bands and tried to keep learning. I linked up with a label here called Future Classic and started making records with them (one of those was "Something About You"). Mixed an artist named Chet Faker and then started working with an electronic artist named Flume. All of sudden I was a 38 year old rock guy from the tri-state area working with one of the most groundbreaking electronic artists in the world. The combination of old school and new was a good one and resulted in the Flume album called Skin (I mixed it). Skin won a Grammy for best Electronic album...back in LA, which was nice! That led to lots more in the electronic world, like ODESZA's "A Moment Apart". That album in particular felt like a great blend of the analog and digital, which is why I was so happy to see that you connected with it. Now I'm more excited about music at 44 than I was at 24. So many possibilities. No rules.
All the best,
Eric J Dubowsky
_____________________________________
Subject: Lucinda
Bob —Just wanted to say belated thanks for the piece on Lucinda. Very much appreciated. The original plan was to do 10-15 of these CW shows and move on but word of mouth spread and promoters started calling and asking for them so it turned into an entire year —oddly enough to the day. We are still stunned by the response. I have to tell you that what she thought was the coolest thing you said was that you weren't really fan and came to the show anyway. She loves that kind of honesty-that's what she's all about -sometimes to a fault. And yes the girl has backbone to burn. When you've been kicking around for as long as she has you know that there have been a lot of different "names" for women with backbone. Thanks again and hope you doing better with your recent health issues. As Lu likes to say, "this getting older thing ain't for sissies".
All the best,
Tom Overby
_____________________________________
Subject: Bill and Shep
I am very new to podcasts but these two sucked me and i fell in love with two dear friends once again. Shep managed me for a year
and Bill is a close pal….I'm a big fan now./
Chris Difford
Firle, East Sussex.
_____________________________________
From: Millie Millgate
Subject: 10 lessons for Disney, Apple and all the new streaming companies - Vox
This year, TLC's "Dr. Pimple Popper" was more popular with women 25-54 in its timeslot than the Shonda Rhimes series "How to Get Away with Murder," which stars Tony and Academy Award winner Viola Davis.
https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/11/12/20959837/streaming-wars-10-lessons-matthew-ball-alex-kruglov-disney-apple-amazon-netflix
Millie
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Disney+
Is it about catalog or originals?
Verizon gave me a free year of Disney+ since I'm an Unlimited customer. I'm always wary of these deals, since you end up being charged and not realizing it, and oftentimes it's hell to cancel. But I wanted to see what was going on.
Not much.
We used to get a thrill from hardware, now we get a thrill from software.
I went through the prompts. From the text to the Verizon site to Disney's.
Then I turned on the TV and pulled up the Roku. Entered my e-mail address and password and I was inside. It was kinda like buying an iPod or iPad, but virtual. The aughts were about hardware, the teens have been about software, even though oldsters just can't understand how you pay for something you don't own.
But ownership is passe. Especially if you're old. You realize you can't take it with you, and in truth no one is counting. You can gather all the totems, believe you've won the game, and then find out you're the only one playing it. Especially today, when everybody is in their own silo.
On paper, Disney+ sounds interesting. IRL? Not so good. You see you've seen everything, at least all you want to see. And the new product... I mean come on, "Star Wars"?
And then I went back to AppleTV+. You've got to hand it to both Disney and Apple, their interfaces are slick, but when you dig down deep their new offerings are thin. As for Apple...it seems they want you to buy things. Who came up with this model? Build your library? Weren't we supposed to get rid of our libraries? With digital books, Felice wonders why we should keep the hard copies. And the truth is, I never reread a book, I put them on the shelf to demonstrate an accomplishment, what I've read. But the truth is the only people impressed by physical libraries today are the ones out of the mainstream. With everything at your fingertips, it makes no sense to own. Furthermore, digital is easier to search!
But if you went to an east coast college, it's hard to let go of this old paradigm. Hell, it's what's driving the vinyl comeback. People want to own something. But it's akin to Civil War re-enactment, a hearkening back to what once was. And if people even play this vinyl, so many of them have "stereos" that will kill it in one spin, they're better off listening through hundred dollar headphones.
So what do I want to watch?
SOMETHING NEW!
Hmm... But the media keeps telling us the most popular show on Netflix is "Friends."
Then again, at this point "Lucy" is nearly burned out. All the sixties shows on endless reruns, "Mayberry R.F.D."...turns out they don't interest the young 'uns.
But they do want to watch "Seinfeld."
Hmm... Probably the best sitcom ever. But once upon a time it was created out of thin air, did you see the NBC exec who pushed for it just died, how he took money from his specials budget to pay for it? And now, Jerry and Larry are rich.
New products keep the flame burning, the cycle going.
I never watch a movie again, life's too short.
Then again, I know people do.
And I'll be honest, oftentimes Springsteen's "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" goes through my brain when I'm searching for a streaming show.
Because I don't want to waste my time, I only want greatness.
Most of the new shows on Netflix are not great, but there are more pickings there, I can find something to watch. On Disney+ and AppleTV+?
But ain't that the establishment...studios, distributors and the media. They've got an investment in the past. When what excites people is the future.
So right now, Netflix is looking stronger. It's got the most production. It's not hobbled by relationships with cable systems.
As for those worrying about profitability, now is not the time. Netflix needs to produce and produce and end up on top, win the war.
As for Apple dripping out episodes of "The Morning Show"...that's a failed strategy. The theory was if you drip it out, you create water cooler moments. But the truth is everyone agreed the initial episodes sucked, and now they've got no interest in seeing the rest, even though word of mouth is better on the later episodes. Proving even Apple has no idea how the customer thinks, how word is spread. You've got to let people FINISH! So they'll testify! Yup, if someone has watched the whole series and says it's great, the odds are better you'll tune in too. It's like Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point," these early adopters live to spread the word. And this word reaches mainstream media LAST! Everything is off the radar before it shows up on the radar.
Tech has taught us you innovate or you die.
Right now, Netflix is innovating the most. Disney and Apple not so much. Don't look at today's dollars, but tomorrow's. Right now, Netflix is winning the battle.
Right now I recommend "The Devil Next Door." I lived through the Demjanjuk scandal, even remember it, but I was riveted. By the stories of the Holocaust survivors. By seeing the participants thirty years later. I know that has little to do with the story, but when you see the people from the eighties today, and see how they've aged, not only do you realize that everybody you haven't seen in that time period has aged/changed, but you too!
"The Devil Next Door": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8h16g1cVak
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Verizon gave me a free year of Disney+ since I'm an Unlimited customer. I'm always wary of these deals, since you end up being charged and not realizing it, and oftentimes it's hell to cancel. But I wanted to see what was going on.
Not much.
We used to get a thrill from hardware, now we get a thrill from software.
I went through the prompts. From the text to the Verizon site to Disney's.
Then I turned on the TV and pulled up the Roku. Entered my e-mail address and password and I was inside. It was kinda like buying an iPod or iPad, but virtual. The aughts were about hardware, the teens have been about software, even though oldsters just can't understand how you pay for something you don't own.
But ownership is passe. Especially if you're old. You realize you can't take it with you, and in truth no one is counting. You can gather all the totems, believe you've won the game, and then find out you're the only one playing it. Especially today, when everybody is in their own silo.
On paper, Disney+ sounds interesting. IRL? Not so good. You see you've seen everything, at least all you want to see. And the new product... I mean come on, "Star Wars"?
And then I went back to AppleTV+. You've got to hand it to both Disney and Apple, their interfaces are slick, but when you dig down deep their new offerings are thin. As for Apple...it seems they want you to buy things. Who came up with this model? Build your library? Weren't we supposed to get rid of our libraries? With digital books, Felice wonders why we should keep the hard copies. And the truth is, I never reread a book, I put them on the shelf to demonstrate an accomplishment, what I've read. But the truth is the only people impressed by physical libraries today are the ones out of the mainstream. With everything at your fingertips, it makes no sense to own. Furthermore, digital is easier to search!
But if you went to an east coast college, it's hard to let go of this old paradigm. Hell, it's what's driving the vinyl comeback. People want to own something. But it's akin to Civil War re-enactment, a hearkening back to what once was. And if people even play this vinyl, so many of them have "stereos" that will kill it in one spin, they're better off listening through hundred dollar headphones.
So what do I want to watch?
SOMETHING NEW!
Hmm... But the media keeps telling us the most popular show on Netflix is "Friends."
Then again, at this point "Lucy" is nearly burned out. All the sixties shows on endless reruns, "Mayberry R.F.D."...turns out they don't interest the young 'uns.
But they do want to watch "Seinfeld."
Hmm... Probably the best sitcom ever. But once upon a time it was created out of thin air, did you see the NBC exec who pushed for it just died, how he took money from his specials budget to pay for it? And now, Jerry and Larry are rich.
New products keep the flame burning, the cycle going.
I never watch a movie again, life's too short.
Then again, I know people do.
And I'll be honest, oftentimes Springsteen's "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" goes through my brain when I'm searching for a streaming show.
Because I don't want to waste my time, I only want greatness.
Most of the new shows on Netflix are not great, but there are more pickings there, I can find something to watch. On Disney+ and AppleTV+?
But ain't that the establishment...studios, distributors and the media. They've got an investment in the past. When what excites people is the future.
So right now, Netflix is looking stronger. It's got the most production. It's not hobbled by relationships with cable systems.
As for those worrying about profitability, now is not the time. Netflix needs to produce and produce and end up on top, win the war.
As for Apple dripping out episodes of "The Morning Show"...that's a failed strategy. The theory was if you drip it out, you create water cooler moments. But the truth is everyone agreed the initial episodes sucked, and now they've got no interest in seeing the rest, even though word of mouth is better on the later episodes. Proving even Apple has no idea how the customer thinks, how word is spread. You've got to let people FINISH! So they'll testify! Yup, if someone has watched the whole series and says it's great, the odds are better you'll tune in too. It's like Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point," these early adopters live to spread the word. And this word reaches mainstream media LAST! Everything is off the radar before it shows up on the radar.
Tech has taught us you innovate or you die.
Right now, Netflix is innovating the most. Disney and Apple not so much. Don't look at today's dollars, but tomorrow's. Right now, Netflix is winning the battle.
Right now I recommend "The Devil Next Door." I lived through the Demjanjuk scandal, even remember it, but I was riveted. By the stories of the Holocaust survivors. By seeing the participants thirty years later. I know that has little to do with the story, but when you see the people from the eighties today, and see how they've aged, not only do you realize that everybody you haven't seen in that time period has aged/changed, but you too!
"The Devil Next Door": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8h16g1cVak
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
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