I can't get this song out of my head. I know, I know, it was a hit a couple of months ago, but this aged boy only discovered it this week on Spotify's Top Hits in the USA playlist, or something like that. That's right, I've given up on Apple Music. No matter what Jimmy Iovine says its curation is not defining, there are new tracks every week and the app's a battery hog and it imported all the playlists from my iTunes library that I don't use rendering my MP3s I do sync to my phone unusable so I'm back to Spotify. And Deezer Elite.
And the other night I heard Selena Gomez's track "Good For You" on Sirius XM and was stunned how good it sounded, so that was my incentive to pull up the pop hits and... I discovered this.
It's kind of a cross between Billy Ocean's "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" and the breathy voice Prince employed in the beginning and it's so damn infectious it puts a smile on my face and has me dancing in the room, and I'm a stationary guy unless the music moves me.
I knew his name. But the acts come and go, they're too often fronts for old men. But I researched him and found out Jason Derulo had a slew of hits. And started off at Cash Money and was now releasing records via the Warner empire.
So the problem we've got is the scene is too vast for anybody to understand. And too often people dismiss genres, they're believers in what they already know. But you already do know this sound, and love it, you just haven't heard it done so well in such a long time. You think too much of the Top Forty is a laugh, base stuff you can't sing along to...
The intro is reminiscent of Human League's "Don't You Want Me," however brief. And then...
"It's too hard to sleep"
You're hooked immediately. It's the underlying rhythm. The melodic vocal line, delivered so intimately. But what puts it over the top is the anthemic chorus...
"Girl, you're the one I want to want me
And if you want me, girl, you got me"
That's the era we live in, one in which one listen is sufficient, where you get it immediately, where you know the song right away and are elated.
There are Michael Jackson whoops. And I'd be lying if I said that "Want To Want Me" is original, it's derivative, but in this era where we're waiting for a revolution, something to break down the barriers, this'll do.
And it's not only "Want To Want Me," it's the follow-up track, "Cheyenne," too. Which is quieter, more dreamy, with the feel of a George Michael solo cut, but with even more intensity.
You hear this stuff and wonder where you've been, how you could have missed out on something so great, something that's been hiding in plain sight. Taylor Swift called Jason Derulo up on stage, but unless you're a denizen of the Top Forty, you're probably clueless, to your detriment. Why can't Apple Music have ONE playlist, with FIVE tracks MAX! Genre is irrelevant, quality is the only criterion. You believe you hate rap and then you go to "Hamilton" and are blown away. Even the most dyed-in-the-wool rockers are gonna love these Jason Derulo tracks. Well, maybe not. But remember when Stevie Wonder was a favorite of both the blacks and whites, when we thought he was so good colors and styles disappeared..? Well, Jason Derulo ain't THAT good, but in the sea of mediocrity he climbs to the top of the heap.
CHECK THIS OUT!
Spotify playlist: http://spoti.fi/1Nih7Ei
"Want To Want Me": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rClUOdS5Zyw
"Cheyenne": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rClUOdS5Zyw
"Good For You": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TsVjvEkc4s
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Saturday, 8 August 2015
Friday, 7 August 2015
Luke Bryan Live From Irving Plaza
I know I'm supposed to prefer Jason Isbell. I know hipsters love rap and Beats 1. I know the way music used to be, with a mainstream and then an alternative that laughed at those not in the know. I know I live in the internet era where everybody with a bone to pick will try to make me feel inferior...
But I love Luke Bryan and my body tingled when he lit into "Play It Again"
Songs we know by heart. Isn't that what Jimmy Buffett plays? We've all got 'em. On vinyl, cassette, CD and MP3. Tracks burned into our brains, because they just make us feel good. And Luke Bryan's songs make me feel good. Not jumping up and down crying hallelujah, but rooted in this incomprehensible nation of ours where I so often feel like I don't fit and don't have a chance. That's why I went to the show, that's why I still go to the show.
And isn't it interesting that it's the country stars who can fill stadiums. That's right, Luke Bryan and Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift, who made her bones on music with fiddles and banjos. I know it's not the country music of old, I know it can be pedestrian, but they're singing about real things I can relate to with good voices and melodies. You want to do nothing so much as sing along.
That's the essence of the country concert, the singing along. Everybody belting out the words at the top of their lungs. Out of sheer joy. At being in the room with their hero.
That's right, musicians are the biggest heroes in our nation. Forget politicians, the techies and the public servants. We look up to the singers and players, because they're the ones who can make our lives all right. Get us happy in the moment. Have us forget our troubles with money and love and life. When that song is playing you don't have a care in the world. And when you're at the show it's a transcendent moment.
You'd think this stream should have taken place in Nashville. But Luke Bryan was in New York doing press for his new album, playing GMA, making the rounds. The last I checked, hip-hop was supposed to be the sound of the city, but one look at this audience would tell you otherwise.
I was alone, at home.
But when Luke Bryan lit into "Play It Again" I was together, with them, with him, basking in the pure sound of a song I've played more than any other in the last eighteen months.
"Oh my God, this is my song
I've been listenin' to the radio all night long
Sittin' 'round waitin' for it to come on and here it is"
The opening number was "Kick The Dust Up," which is sitting at the top of the chart right now. A routine stomper, it was better live than on record, and then...
"She was sittin' all alone over on the tailgate
Tan legs swingin' by a Georgia plate
I was lookin' for her boyfriend
Thinkin', no way she ain't got one"
It starts with an acoustic guitar. And soon enters a groove. And then Luke Bryan sings the above lyrics.
I don't know about you but my life hasn't always worked out. I stopped asking girls to dance after too much rejection. My friends listening to records were dateless. Our only hope was the music, it kept us going until we finally ran into someone like-minded who understood us and said yes...to conversation, to truth, touching came long thereafter. And honestly, it's the music that gave me the confidence, playing in my head.
"AM, FM, XM too"
That was our only savior, the radio. The deejay was our conduit. Back before there were twenty four minutes of commercials per hour, when we still thought the station was on our side. Back before the history of recorded music was at our fingertips. Those days will never return, we live in an on demand culture. And the question is what will we pull up on demand.
A friend from the Deep South e-mailed me "Drink A Beer" and I needed more, that's how I got hooked on Luke Bryan.
And Luke played that tonight. Along with "Roller Coaster."
"I should've known that kind of feelin'
Would last longer than that week did"
That's right, the tunes are my family, have lasted longer than any love. They don't change and they keep me warm at night.
"Crash My Party" is on my iPhone.
I've listened to it walking to Warm Springs in Sun Valley.
I've listened to it lying on the floor doing my back exercises in Vail.
I've listened to it hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains.
When everything's not quite right, or just the opposite, when things are exactly right, I pull up Luke Bryan to ride shotgun. And I wasn't even planning to watch this Yahoo live stream, if I'd missed it that would have been cool. But when I saw all the people in the audience, in wild anticipation, and when the band hit the stage and started playing the songs I knew by heart...
I knew I was exactly where I wanted to be.
I was back to where I once belonged.
And still do.
P.S. Live shows are parties. Luke played Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" and Taio Cruz's "Dynamite." It was about the show, not the ego.
P.P.S. When they turned out all the lights, and all you saw were the glow sticks and phone screens, I could only think...I've been there, and I want to be there again.
P.P.P.S. Too much music appeals to only guys or girls. This audience was mixed. Illustrating we're all in it together. And it wasn't a sea of color, but at times Luke is closer to rapping than singing and once again, music and its makers are much more integrated than the institutions doing their best to antagonize and keep people apart.
P.P.P.P.S. Used to be we went to the club to hear a band, back before the bands came to us online and we had a plethora of choices at home. We're interested in hearing the hits. You've got 'em and we're coming, without them it's a struggle to garner a live audience.
P.P.P.P.P.S. Imperfection, it reigned. Not that there were mistakes, but the music wasn't seamless, it breathed, it had humanity. The concept is as antique as MTV, that people expect it to be as good live as it is in the video, on the record. No, they just want to feel you're like them, but different. And through a quirk of fate, they could be you, and if they could get a chance to meet you they'd be thrilled, but the longer you watched Luke Bryan the more normal he appeared. Proving, once again, we've all got our own special gifts. And you can win if you stop trying to be like everybody else and just act naturally.
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But I love Luke Bryan and my body tingled when he lit into "Play It Again"
Songs we know by heart. Isn't that what Jimmy Buffett plays? We've all got 'em. On vinyl, cassette, CD and MP3. Tracks burned into our brains, because they just make us feel good. And Luke Bryan's songs make me feel good. Not jumping up and down crying hallelujah, but rooted in this incomprehensible nation of ours where I so often feel like I don't fit and don't have a chance. That's why I went to the show, that's why I still go to the show.
And isn't it interesting that it's the country stars who can fill stadiums. That's right, Luke Bryan and Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift, who made her bones on music with fiddles and banjos. I know it's not the country music of old, I know it can be pedestrian, but they're singing about real things I can relate to with good voices and melodies. You want to do nothing so much as sing along.
That's the essence of the country concert, the singing along. Everybody belting out the words at the top of their lungs. Out of sheer joy. At being in the room with their hero.
That's right, musicians are the biggest heroes in our nation. Forget politicians, the techies and the public servants. We look up to the singers and players, because they're the ones who can make our lives all right. Get us happy in the moment. Have us forget our troubles with money and love and life. When that song is playing you don't have a care in the world. And when you're at the show it's a transcendent moment.
You'd think this stream should have taken place in Nashville. But Luke Bryan was in New York doing press for his new album, playing GMA, making the rounds. The last I checked, hip-hop was supposed to be the sound of the city, but one look at this audience would tell you otherwise.
I was alone, at home.
But when Luke Bryan lit into "Play It Again" I was together, with them, with him, basking in the pure sound of a song I've played more than any other in the last eighteen months.
"Oh my God, this is my song
I've been listenin' to the radio all night long
Sittin' 'round waitin' for it to come on and here it is"
The opening number was "Kick The Dust Up," which is sitting at the top of the chart right now. A routine stomper, it was better live than on record, and then...
"She was sittin' all alone over on the tailgate
Tan legs swingin' by a Georgia plate
I was lookin' for her boyfriend
Thinkin', no way she ain't got one"
It starts with an acoustic guitar. And soon enters a groove. And then Luke Bryan sings the above lyrics.
I don't know about you but my life hasn't always worked out. I stopped asking girls to dance after too much rejection. My friends listening to records were dateless. Our only hope was the music, it kept us going until we finally ran into someone like-minded who understood us and said yes...to conversation, to truth, touching came long thereafter. And honestly, it's the music that gave me the confidence, playing in my head.
"AM, FM, XM too"
That was our only savior, the radio. The deejay was our conduit. Back before there were twenty four minutes of commercials per hour, when we still thought the station was on our side. Back before the history of recorded music was at our fingertips. Those days will never return, we live in an on demand culture. And the question is what will we pull up on demand.
A friend from the Deep South e-mailed me "Drink A Beer" and I needed more, that's how I got hooked on Luke Bryan.
And Luke played that tonight. Along with "Roller Coaster."
"I should've known that kind of feelin'
Would last longer than that week did"
That's right, the tunes are my family, have lasted longer than any love. They don't change and they keep me warm at night.
"Crash My Party" is on my iPhone.
I've listened to it walking to Warm Springs in Sun Valley.
I've listened to it lying on the floor doing my back exercises in Vail.
I've listened to it hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains.
When everything's not quite right, or just the opposite, when things are exactly right, I pull up Luke Bryan to ride shotgun. And I wasn't even planning to watch this Yahoo live stream, if I'd missed it that would have been cool. But when I saw all the people in the audience, in wild anticipation, and when the band hit the stage and started playing the songs I knew by heart...
I knew I was exactly where I wanted to be.
I was back to where I once belonged.
And still do.
P.S. Live shows are parties. Luke played Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" and Taio Cruz's "Dynamite." It was about the show, not the ego.
P.P.S. When they turned out all the lights, and all you saw were the glow sticks and phone screens, I could only think...I've been there, and I want to be there again.
P.P.P.S. Too much music appeals to only guys or girls. This audience was mixed. Illustrating we're all in it together. And it wasn't a sea of color, but at times Luke is closer to rapping than singing and once again, music and its makers are much more integrated than the institutions doing their best to antagonize and keep people apart.
P.P.P.P.S. Used to be we went to the club to hear a band, back before the bands came to us online and we had a plethora of choices at home. We're interested in hearing the hits. You've got 'em and we're coming, without them it's a struggle to garner a live audience.
P.P.P.P.P.S. Imperfection, it reigned. Not that there were mistakes, but the music wasn't seamless, it breathed, it had humanity. The concept is as antique as MTV, that people expect it to be as good live as it is in the video, on the record. No, they just want to feel you're like them, but different. And through a quirk of fate, they could be you, and if they could get a chance to meet you they'd be thrilled, but the longer you watched Luke Bryan the more normal he appeared. Proving, once again, we've all got our own special gifts. And you can win if you stop trying to be like everybody else and just act naturally.
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Rhinofy-Some Stones Covers
AIN'T TOO PROUD TO BEG
This was during the denouement, when the Rolling Stones were the World's Greatest Rock And Roll Band, but their recorded efforts were spotty, their rep was based on their live show, and the hits of yore. I'll posit that "It's Only Rock 'n Roll" is better than its predecessor, "Goats Head Soup," but at this late date you only need to hear "Time Waits For No One," with Mick Taylor's exquisite guitar work and this, a cover of the Norman Whitfield/Eddie Holland song made famous by the Temptations.
"I know you wanna leave me
I refuse to let you go"
It's the guitar and the piano accents that push this over the top. It comes on like a freight train and settles right into the groove, I won't say it tops the Temptations' take but it's just not a raw copy, it stands on its own, the Stones' version has its own magic.
CAROL
The version from "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!"
It's the guitar tone!
Of course, the band covered the Chuck Berry number on its debut, and that version is good, but it's a tear, this live take is...LIVE! Slower, yet a romp. The band seems to be having fun.
Once upon a time "Ya-Ya's" was seen as a definitive live album, one of the greatest, only eclipsed by the Who's "Live At Leeds," back before everybody redid their parts in the studio and perfection reigned. But what makes "Ya-Ya's" so great is the feel. Listen.
GOING TO A GO-GO
From the forgettable 1982 live album "Still Life." This is the best thing on the LP. You'd think a Miracles cover would be superfluous, and on some level it is, but you get that live feel, which is remarkable today, when everything is either faked or studio perfect. That's right, the roughness, the imperfections, result in the magic of this track.
JUST MY IMAGINATION (RUNNING AWAY WITH ME)
I liked "Some Girls," but didn't consider it the triumph the press did. Of course "Miss You" is great, albeit a period piece at this point, but my favorite cuts on the album were "When The Whip Comes Down" and "Beast Of Burden," which no one ever talked about, and this. Listen to Mick sing NEW YORK! You feel you're in that city. It's slow and groovy and if you don't like this you've got no soul. Yes the Stones take is slow, although not as slow as the Temptations' original, they make it rock, it's played by people who know their roots.
STOP BREAKING DOWN
All these years later, "Exile On Main Street" is unlistened to, despite its reputation, but it's my go-to Stones album these days. And I'd like to say that "Stop Breaking Down" is integral, but the truth is it's superseded by everything else on side four, especially my favorite, the underrated "Soul Survivor." The best track on side four is "Shine A Light," "All Down The Line" is the most famous, but the guitar on this Robert Johnson cover does its best to keep up. The Stones never recovered from the loss of Mick Taylor, that's the truth, just listen!
SHAKE YOUR HIPS
A Slim Harpo cover, that's nearly identical to the original, except for...the feel, the mood, it sounds like it was cut in a basement on drugs, as if the audience didn't matter, and they were just doing it for themselves. Who do we credit for this incredible sound, the long departed Jimmy Miller, half-brother to the disgraced "New York Times" reporter Judith Miller? A minor track on "Exile On Main Street" that adds flavor even if it doesn't dominate. Whew!
HARLEM SHUFFLE
This is how bad "Dirty Work" was, this unheralded 1963 minor hit by Bob & Earl was the single. And the Stones' iteration was overbaked, but it locked into a groove and satisfied the more you listened. The Stones brought the song back from the dead, I don't think anybody can do that with the rest of "Dirty Work."
YOU GOTTA MOVE
The best thing I've heard live all year. Wherein the Stones didn't worry about production, but did their best to nail a cover of this Mississippi Fred McDowell track at the Fonda. Their performance evidenced their roots and their skill and their devotion to the blues all at the same time. Used to be you played because you loved the music, the girls and dope and alcohol were extras, as for money and fame...are you kidding me?!
PRODIGAL SON
You didn't know it was a cover, did you? Of a Robert Wilkins track. Between Keith and Mick, it's all you need, back when the music was enough. Of course "Beggars Banquet" gets respect, which it deserves, but the focus is rarely on this but "Sympathy For The Devil" and "Street Fighting Man." But every single cut on the LP is magic, including this, which fits right in.
ROUTE 66
My favorite cover is Depeche Mode's, I don't think anybody can top that. But way before that band even formed, the Stones were recording the Bobby Troup classic both in the studio and live. My favorite is the studio take on the band's debut. It's simple and almost archaic, but truthfully, listening now is like going into a time tunnel and seeing what it was like in Merrie Olde England back in the day...and let me tell you, I WANNA GO!
AROUND AND AROUND
So I'm in London and "Ziggy Stardust" is all the rage. So I buy the album and go to see David Bowie at the Music Hall in Boston. And the concert ended with all the lights on and Bowie doing this song. That's my favorite cover, but the recording that was ultimately released years later didn't measure up. But my favorite STUDIO version of "Around And Around" is the one that opens up "12 X 5." I bought the album just to hear it, back before the days of YouTube and Spotify, when if you had a hankering to hear something you had to buy it, oftentimes the whole LP.
The joint used to be rocking. When we as a nation exited our domiciles on a regular basis, to hear live music, to be amidst the crowd, before we became addicted to Netflix and our mobile phones. That's right, once upon a time you heard a record like this and you had to buy a ticket to hear it up close, you were thrilled when your local band covered it, but...the highest experience in the church of rock and roll occurred at the gig where your favorite recording artist played the songs you knew by heart.
We knew the songs by heart.
And so did the Rolling Stones.
Spotify playlist: http://spoti.fi/1JNdtU1
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This was during the denouement, when the Rolling Stones were the World's Greatest Rock And Roll Band, but their recorded efforts were spotty, their rep was based on their live show, and the hits of yore. I'll posit that "It's Only Rock 'n Roll" is better than its predecessor, "Goats Head Soup," but at this late date you only need to hear "Time Waits For No One," with Mick Taylor's exquisite guitar work and this, a cover of the Norman Whitfield/Eddie Holland song made famous by the Temptations.
"I know you wanna leave me
I refuse to let you go"
It's the guitar and the piano accents that push this over the top. It comes on like a freight train and settles right into the groove, I won't say it tops the Temptations' take but it's just not a raw copy, it stands on its own, the Stones' version has its own magic.
CAROL
The version from "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!"
It's the guitar tone!
Of course, the band covered the Chuck Berry number on its debut, and that version is good, but it's a tear, this live take is...LIVE! Slower, yet a romp. The band seems to be having fun.
Once upon a time "Ya-Ya's" was seen as a definitive live album, one of the greatest, only eclipsed by the Who's "Live At Leeds," back before everybody redid their parts in the studio and perfection reigned. But what makes "Ya-Ya's" so great is the feel. Listen.
GOING TO A GO-GO
From the forgettable 1982 live album "Still Life." This is the best thing on the LP. You'd think a Miracles cover would be superfluous, and on some level it is, but you get that live feel, which is remarkable today, when everything is either faked or studio perfect. That's right, the roughness, the imperfections, result in the magic of this track.
JUST MY IMAGINATION (RUNNING AWAY WITH ME)
I liked "Some Girls," but didn't consider it the triumph the press did. Of course "Miss You" is great, albeit a period piece at this point, but my favorite cuts on the album were "When The Whip Comes Down" and "Beast Of Burden," which no one ever talked about, and this. Listen to Mick sing NEW YORK! You feel you're in that city. It's slow and groovy and if you don't like this you've got no soul. Yes the Stones take is slow, although not as slow as the Temptations' original, they make it rock, it's played by people who know their roots.
STOP BREAKING DOWN
All these years later, "Exile On Main Street" is unlistened to, despite its reputation, but it's my go-to Stones album these days. And I'd like to say that "Stop Breaking Down" is integral, but the truth is it's superseded by everything else on side four, especially my favorite, the underrated "Soul Survivor." The best track on side four is "Shine A Light," "All Down The Line" is the most famous, but the guitar on this Robert Johnson cover does its best to keep up. The Stones never recovered from the loss of Mick Taylor, that's the truth, just listen!
SHAKE YOUR HIPS
A Slim Harpo cover, that's nearly identical to the original, except for...the feel, the mood, it sounds like it was cut in a basement on drugs, as if the audience didn't matter, and they were just doing it for themselves. Who do we credit for this incredible sound, the long departed Jimmy Miller, half-brother to the disgraced "New York Times" reporter Judith Miller? A minor track on "Exile On Main Street" that adds flavor even if it doesn't dominate. Whew!
HARLEM SHUFFLE
This is how bad "Dirty Work" was, this unheralded 1963 minor hit by Bob & Earl was the single. And the Stones' iteration was overbaked, but it locked into a groove and satisfied the more you listened. The Stones brought the song back from the dead, I don't think anybody can do that with the rest of "Dirty Work."
YOU GOTTA MOVE
The best thing I've heard live all year. Wherein the Stones didn't worry about production, but did their best to nail a cover of this Mississippi Fred McDowell track at the Fonda. Their performance evidenced their roots and their skill and their devotion to the blues all at the same time. Used to be you played because you loved the music, the girls and dope and alcohol were extras, as for money and fame...are you kidding me?!
PRODIGAL SON
You didn't know it was a cover, did you? Of a Robert Wilkins track. Between Keith and Mick, it's all you need, back when the music was enough. Of course "Beggars Banquet" gets respect, which it deserves, but the focus is rarely on this but "Sympathy For The Devil" and "Street Fighting Man." But every single cut on the LP is magic, including this, which fits right in.
ROUTE 66
My favorite cover is Depeche Mode's, I don't think anybody can top that. But way before that band even formed, the Stones were recording the Bobby Troup classic both in the studio and live. My favorite is the studio take on the band's debut. It's simple and almost archaic, but truthfully, listening now is like going into a time tunnel and seeing what it was like in Merrie Olde England back in the day...and let me tell you, I WANNA GO!
AROUND AND AROUND
So I'm in London and "Ziggy Stardust" is all the rage. So I buy the album and go to see David Bowie at the Music Hall in Boston. And the concert ended with all the lights on and Bowie doing this song. That's my favorite cover, but the recording that was ultimately released years later didn't measure up. But my favorite STUDIO version of "Around And Around" is the one that opens up "12 X 5." I bought the album just to hear it, back before the days of YouTube and Spotify, when if you had a hankering to hear something you had to buy it, oftentimes the whole LP.
The joint used to be rocking. When we as a nation exited our domiciles on a regular basis, to hear live music, to be amidst the crowd, before we became addicted to Netflix and our mobile phones. That's right, once upon a time you heard a record like this and you had to buy a ticket to hear it up close, you were thrilled when your local band covered it, but...the highest experience in the church of rock and roll occurred at the gig where your favorite recording artist played the songs you knew by heart.
We knew the songs by heart.
And so did the Rolling Stones.
Spotify playlist: http://spoti.fi/1JNdtU1
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
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Wednesday, 5 August 2015
Taylor Swift In Vanity Fair
It's shit like this that makes me think music is doomed, if not our whole damn nation. Taylor Swift might have lived a life on the road, but she didn't go to college and get the knowledge, the powers of analysis that would allow her to parse details and come up with cogent statements, never mind solutions. As for "Vanity Fair," they got their headline, what do they care, they've got more clicks! Furthermore, I doubt the writer/interviewer could understand the underlying concepts, it seems that no one can.
Taylor Swift's beef with Spotify is that it's got a free ad-supported tier. She's cool with paid subscription. If Spotify got rid of its free ad-supported tier she'd make a deal tomorrow. Instead, she lauds Apple Music which is giving her music away for free to the end user, contradicting her statement in the "Wall Street Journal" about music having "value," and furthermore, Apple hasn't even said how much it's gonna pay for three months of free streaming, just that it'll pay something, probably about as much as Spotify in the end.
So, what has Taylor Swift done? A disservice to the music industry and herself. But she's being lauded all the while.
Make me puke.
That's right, I can strongly argue that Taylor Swift is what's wrong with music today. She took a huge country career, built upon her personal story married to hooks and melody, and turned to the world's greatest hitmaker, Max Martin, to make her into a pop star. Pop stars come and go, the legends are forever. And today there's really only one pop star, Mr. Martin, his fingerprints are all over not only Taylor Swift's music but the Weeknd's too, never mind... Furthermore, Martin has a coterie of apprentices who churn out more hits, and you've got to give him credit, but if you're looking for honesty and innovation from a fortysomething Swede, you're looking in the wrong place. We've never had a Swedish Bob Dylan, and if you're a legend, you write not only your own music, but your lyrics too.
In pop you fall in and out of love.
The legends sing about something deeper.
But I want to get back to Spotify.
The truth is streaming has already won, and to diss Spotify is like dissing the supermarket. What, do you expect everybody to grow their food at home? Of course not, it's labor intensive and expensive and you've got little choice. Streaming killed the iTunes Music Store dead, otherwise why would we have the execrable Apple Music!
Ain't that the music business. Jimmy Iovine is one of us, unlike Daniel Ek, so he gets a pass. Huh? Just try using Apple Music, if you're not frustrated, if you don't hit dead ends, you're lying. Whereas Spotify and Deezer and the rest of them are much more seamless.
It's like Taylor Swift decided to piss on Ford to make a deal with GM. They're both making cars, they're both trying to make a profit. Then again, to applaud Apple for its deep pockets is laughable, the anti sixties statement. Apple doesn't care about de minimis royalty payments because it's got so much cash. Why don't we get behind DuPont while we're at it, or Exxon! At least give credit to Neil Young for attacking Monsanto. That's right Taylor Swift, you could use your power to agitate for good for all, but really you're self-centered. And if I hear one more superstar say they're doing it for the little people, I want them to sign a document ensuring they won't complain when their time is done and they can no longer get on the chart and the little people are replacing them. They're doing it for themselves. Jay Z and Madonna ain't altruistic, nor is Taylor Swift. That paradigm went out with the sixties.
So, piracy used to be rampant. And then streaming came along and eviscerated it. In the U.S., YouTube dominates. We want to move people to a paid model. It's complicated. But we've made progress. But there's so much infighting and misinformation that the public holds up its hands and says NO MAS!
We want people to check out all streaming services, and choose the one they like best. We don't want to dissuade them from partaking. And when the free three months at Apple Music expire does Taylor Swift believe all her fans are gonna pony up ten bucks a month? Of course not, then she'd be really stupid.
And she'd be stupid to remove her videos from YouTube, it'd kill her career overnight. But YouTube pays a pittance.
And I don't really give a shit about Taylor Swift. She's rich and she's famous with all the attendant perks. Another one percenter, that's fine. But when the Koch brothers proffer misinformation it makes me crazy and I feel the same way when Taylor Swift employs smoke and mirrors and personal feelings and agendas to depict a landscape that is inaccurate.
Then again, those corporate titans are not ignorant.
Taylor Swift is suffering in the Nordics, where Spotify is dominant and physical is almost dead, never mind downloads. She's gonna blink and cave, it's just a matter of time. Because the only thing she cares about is her career. But she's so deep in the bubble she's got no idea what's going on.
Ain't that America.
http://vnty.fr/1ImAed1
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Taylor Swift's beef with Spotify is that it's got a free ad-supported tier. She's cool with paid subscription. If Spotify got rid of its free ad-supported tier she'd make a deal tomorrow. Instead, she lauds Apple Music which is giving her music away for free to the end user, contradicting her statement in the "Wall Street Journal" about music having "value," and furthermore, Apple hasn't even said how much it's gonna pay for three months of free streaming, just that it'll pay something, probably about as much as Spotify in the end.
So, what has Taylor Swift done? A disservice to the music industry and herself. But she's being lauded all the while.
Make me puke.
That's right, I can strongly argue that Taylor Swift is what's wrong with music today. She took a huge country career, built upon her personal story married to hooks and melody, and turned to the world's greatest hitmaker, Max Martin, to make her into a pop star. Pop stars come and go, the legends are forever. And today there's really only one pop star, Mr. Martin, his fingerprints are all over not only Taylor Swift's music but the Weeknd's too, never mind... Furthermore, Martin has a coterie of apprentices who churn out more hits, and you've got to give him credit, but if you're looking for honesty and innovation from a fortysomething Swede, you're looking in the wrong place. We've never had a Swedish Bob Dylan, and if you're a legend, you write not only your own music, but your lyrics too.
In pop you fall in and out of love.
The legends sing about something deeper.
But I want to get back to Spotify.
The truth is streaming has already won, and to diss Spotify is like dissing the supermarket. What, do you expect everybody to grow their food at home? Of course not, it's labor intensive and expensive and you've got little choice. Streaming killed the iTunes Music Store dead, otherwise why would we have the execrable Apple Music!
Ain't that the music business. Jimmy Iovine is one of us, unlike Daniel Ek, so he gets a pass. Huh? Just try using Apple Music, if you're not frustrated, if you don't hit dead ends, you're lying. Whereas Spotify and Deezer and the rest of them are much more seamless.
It's like Taylor Swift decided to piss on Ford to make a deal with GM. They're both making cars, they're both trying to make a profit. Then again, to applaud Apple for its deep pockets is laughable, the anti sixties statement. Apple doesn't care about de minimis royalty payments because it's got so much cash. Why don't we get behind DuPont while we're at it, or Exxon! At least give credit to Neil Young for attacking Monsanto. That's right Taylor Swift, you could use your power to agitate for good for all, but really you're self-centered. And if I hear one more superstar say they're doing it for the little people, I want them to sign a document ensuring they won't complain when their time is done and they can no longer get on the chart and the little people are replacing them. They're doing it for themselves. Jay Z and Madonna ain't altruistic, nor is Taylor Swift. That paradigm went out with the sixties.
So, piracy used to be rampant. And then streaming came along and eviscerated it. In the U.S., YouTube dominates. We want to move people to a paid model. It's complicated. But we've made progress. But there's so much infighting and misinformation that the public holds up its hands and says NO MAS!
We want people to check out all streaming services, and choose the one they like best. We don't want to dissuade them from partaking. And when the free three months at Apple Music expire does Taylor Swift believe all her fans are gonna pony up ten bucks a month? Of course not, then she'd be really stupid.
And she'd be stupid to remove her videos from YouTube, it'd kill her career overnight. But YouTube pays a pittance.
And I don't really give a shit about Taylor Swift. She's rich and she's famous with all the attendant perks. Another one percenter, that's fine. But when the Koch brothers proffer misinformation it makes me crazy and I feel the same way when Taylor Swift employs smoke and mirrors and personal feelings and agendas to depict a landscape that is inaccurate.
Then again, those corporate titans are not ignorant.
Taylor Swift is suffering in the Nordics, where Spotify is dominant and physical is almost dead, never mind downloads. She's gonna blink and cave, it's just a matter of time. Because the only thing she cares about is her career. But she's so deep in the bubble she's got no idea what's going on.
Ain't that America.
http://vnty.fr/1ImAed1
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Tuesday, 4 August 2015
Re-New Rules
From: Mike Vial
Here's 11 for the newbies:
1. Learn to self-record:
It's the one missing skill that's holding me back. Recording may be cheaper than decades ago, but doing a record for 5K, 10K, 20K is still a lot of money to self-fund those first releases before being able to leverage; and it's harder to break even on those releases with sales diminishing. At least track some elements at home or DIY spaces.
Even Sufjan Stevens recorded Illinois unconventionally, and got great results. (Pitchfork article)
2. Recognize crowdfunding has peaked:
It's a one time shot, and it's not an exciting topic now that everyone is pestered by multiple campaigns every month. If you try to do two campaigns, expect your friends and family to be annoyed; expect your fans to hesitate.
3. Pave your own way:
Studying other artists' successes is hard to replicate. Most independent musicians who had success through the Internet leveraged previous major label promotion and/or were early adopters to a platform before it peaked. Don't look at an artist's history from 2007-2012 and try to replicate it exactly in 2015.
4. Learn time-management more than ever:
There are so many distractions interfere with what's really important: writing, practicing, gigging, being present in life.
5. Focus on having the time, not the title:
Don't try to be a full-time musician for the title; focus on being available, and not living in debt. It's the time that's important, so one can jump at an opportunity, can practice, can compose. Musicians want to be "full-time" thinking it's a secret to success, and then go full time before they are financially ready, before having the contacts to get work, or even the skills... What if a day job doesn't take 40+ hours a week, pays most of the bills, and offers chances to travel Thursday through Saturday? That's a great job!
6. Know your numbers, manage your money:
Artists often say, "I'm not good with the money, that's why I need a manager." No. You don't have a choice to ignore finances as independent musicians. Open up Excel. Keep track of every cent earned from the beginning of your music business. Make reasonable decisions.
7. Pay attention to hidden costs:
Gigging has hidden costs: Car repairs, insurance, fret-work on guitars, equipment replacement, lost time rehearsing or driving, gas mileage, investing in your retirement--a musician should look beyond the monthly bills for the hidden costs, and budget for them.
8. Remember, not all gigs are created equally:
That wedding gig might require 6-10 hours of additionally rehearsing before it. That decent paying bar gig might not generate any fans. Some students we teach are more demanding than others... Consider all the hidden hours that go into jobs. One might not be able to demand more money from a client, but declining work is just as important as accepting it.
9. Pay attention to your body:
You need to know yourself to stay at your best health, to perform well. Your sleep, your caffeine intake, your stimulant or alcohol consumption, your time recharging, your time exercising--keep your life in order. Advocate for your needs; don't party when you work. Avoid spending money at the bar during your gigs. And remember, you will feel emotionally down at times; regroup mentally and avoid making big decisions when you are run-down.
10. Look out for yourself, especially if you are a solo artist:
If you are paying session players, doing all the booking and generating the gigs, but not making any money, you aren't doing anyone any favors in the end when you give up. You need to make more money than the rest of the contractors you hire to stay afloat. It's not selfish, it's how a business survives. If you can't afford it, then reevaluate your options.
11. Ask yourself why you need to be a musician before you jumping with both feet into the water:
Are you doing this because you have something to say? Because you love to travel? Because you have a ego that needs affirmation? Seriously, why do you need to be a touring musician; are you ready to embrace the difficulties of full-time gigging? Be honest with your answer; it will guide your future.
_________________________________
From: Jake Udell
Hey Bob, this is a response I wrote to one of my clients' fathers who wanted to get my perspective in response to your New Rules e-mail yesterday. Since you're always encouraging music industry leaders to speak up, I figured I'd share my thoughts with you!
Hope all is well!
Best,
Jake
#
In this article, he heavily favors the live business - for the average artist, the live business is where 90% of their revenue is generated. However, despite Bob's emphasis on the live experience, this piece specifically gives little credit to the building blocks that create loyalty toward a musician - the songs themselves.
I agree with almost everything Bob says in this, but it's important to recognize there are two sides to the coin on some of the topics he mentions -
1. You're a musician, not a recording artist -
Without records, what would you play? :)
2. Festival gigs are the leg up -
Yes, festivals are an amazing opportunity for exposure, especially for young acts, but the highest grossing acts in the world make the most significant income selling hard tickets. Festival plays will always be important, but if you prove you can sell hard tickets, the festival needs you more than you need them.
3. Agitate for better streaming payments, but don't focus on it -
Agreed. It is worth mentioning that I personally believe records will be worth more, not less in a few years, but it's not worth agitating over.
4. Transparency -
He's spot on.
5. Hits don't guarantee live business -
He's right. It's worth mentioning that while they don't guarantee it, artists that have hits are more likely to be in the public eye and more likely to have a successful live ticket business. Radio is still important to the majority of artists. When groomed correctly, many of revenue streams of an artists business grow on trajectory together and often times one can trigger the other - i.e. records doing well triggering live business or vis-versa
6. Live is freedom -
You can ALWAYS do it your way if you're good enough and believe in yourself enough to know you are! Labels have their way of doing things and are at times difficult to work with because of their preconceived notions of what works. When you look at the biggest hits of the past 3-5 years, they were all extremely unconventional and from unconventional artists i.e. Lorde - Royals, Macklemore - Thrift Shop, Sam Smith - Stay With Me, etc. However, as the industry's power continues to give way to the internet everyday, the labels understand the freedom that they have to grant the artist because the artist in many ways controls their audience. It is a constant back and forth - I would agree that live is freedom, but I do believe labels ultimate intention is to empower artists creatively - whether they can hold to it or not can at times be another story.
7. Talent is more important than looks -
Yes. Differentiation is very important even with talent and often times differentiation can come via image. Differentiation enables an artist to establish an unfair advantage for themselves by creating (their own lane) instead of competing (with others).
8. Live lasts. Hits don't -
Hits enable the live to last.
9. Summer/Schummer -
Agreed with this example and realize it was an extreme, but for an artist like the Weeknd a summer hit can be the difference between selling out the Hollywood Bowl and Staples Center. It depends on who the artist behind the hit is, as well as the loyalty they've already built with that audience. Carly Rae Jepsen came out of nowhere! Her song was bigger than she was. Kudos to Carly, Scooter, and their team's hard work of giving her the attention that an artist deserves these past couple years regardless of her one hit. We're still talking about her. They'll find a way!
10. Chops are everything. -
Definitely - and it's as much mental as it is skills. Artists have to be ready for what it means to be a superstar or they'll fizzle or worse...
11. Michael Rapino, not Lucian Grange -
They're both brilliant. Michael fights for artists. Lucian loves breaking artists - but are major labels fighting for new artists or their catalog? What would you do differently if you were in their position and generating more income from your catalog than from new artists?
It's worth mentioning the majors' position on digital rights makes it extremely challenging to market new artists. For example, the cost of allowing any one artist to use soundcloud is minimal, in fact the opportunity cost of not using the platform as a marketing tool is far superior, but it sets a bad precedent for their catalog and its value. This is unfortunate for both artists and music technology entrepreneurs. The best results will be had when every stakeholder begins to think about what's best for the future of the music business, but those perspectives are extremely different depending on whether you're a new artist or own a significant portion of all music recordings ever created. The battle continues...
12. Music is everywhere! - Online presence is extremely important -
Art will always speak the loudest though.
13. Know who your fans are -
Yes. My friend and mentor Creighton Burke, the head of digital at AEG, has taught me so much about data and the way its being used to pave the future of the music industry. Platforms such as Sirius, Pandora, Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, etc. have been extremely supportive of my clients and been extremely influential in determining whether a record is a hit and furthermore in creating the best scenario for it to become one. These platforms are willing to take chances on artists and songs they believe in. And that's what the music industry is all about!
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Here's 11 for the newbies:
1. Learn to self-record:
It's the one missing skill that's holding me back. Recording may be cheaper than decades ago, but doing a record for 5K, 10K, 20K is still a lot of money to self-fund those first releases before being able to leverage; and it's harder to break even on those releases with sales diminishing. At least track some elements at home or DIY spaces.
Even Sufjan Stevens recorded Illinois unconventionally, and got great results. (Pitchfork article)
2. Recognize crowdfunding has peaked:
It's a one time shot, and it's not an exciting topic now that everyone is pestered by multiple campaigns every month. If you try to do two campaigns, expect your friends and family to be annoyed; expect your fans to hesitate.
3. Pave your own way:
Studying other artists' successes is hard to replicate. Most independent musicians who had success through the Internet leveraged previous major label promotion and/or were early adopters to a platform before it peaked. Don't look at an artist's history from 2007-2012 and try to replicate it exactly in 2015.
4. Learn time-management more than ever:
There are so many distractions interfere with what's really important: writing, practicing, gigging, being present in life.
5. Focus on having the time, not the title:
Don't try to be a full-time musician for the title; focus on being available, and not living in debt. It's the time that's important, so one can jump at an opportunity, can practice, can compose. Musicians want to be "full-time" thinking it's a secret to success, and then go full time before they are financially ready, before having the contacts to get work, or even the skills... What if a day job doesn't take 40+ hours a week, pays most of the bills, and offers chances to travel Thursday through Saturday? That's a great job!
6. Know your numbers, manage your money:
Artists often say, "I'm not good with the money, that's why I need a manager." No. You don't have a choice to ignore finances as independent musicians. Open up Excel. Keep track of every cent earned from the beginning of your music business. Make reasonable decisions.
7. Pay attention to hidden costs:
Gigging has hidden costs: Car repairs, insurance, fret-work on guitars, equipment replacement, lost time rehearsing or driving, gas mileage, investing in your retirement--a musician should look beyond the monthly bills for the hidden costs, and budget for them.
8. Remember, not all gigs are created equally:
That wedding gig might require 6-10 hours of additionally rehearsing before it. That decent paying bar gig might not generate any fans. Some students we teach are more demanding than others... Consider all the hidden hours that go into jobs. One might not be able to demand more money from a client, but declining work is just as important as accepting it.
9. Pay attention to your body:
You need to know yourself to stay at your best health, to perform well. Your sleep, your caffeine intake, your stimulant or alcohol consumption, your time recharging, your time exercising--keep your life in order. Advocate for your needs; don't party when you work. Avoid spending money at the bar during your gigs. And remember, you will feel emotionally down at times; regroup mentally and avoid making big decisions when you are run-down.
10. Look out for yourself, especially if you are a solo artist:
If you are paying session players, doing all the booking and generating the gigs, but not making any money, you aren't doing anyone any favors in the end when you give up. You need to make more money than the rest of the contractors you hire to stay afloat. It's not selfish, it's how a business survives. If you can't afford it, then reevaluate your options.
11. Ask yourself why you need to be a musician before you jumping with both feet into the water:
Are you doing this because you have something to say? Because you love to travel? Because you have a ego that needs affirmation? Seriously, why do you need to be a touring musician; are you ready to embrace the difficulties of full-time gigging? Be honest with your answer; it will guide your future.
_________________________________
From: Jake Udell
Hey Bob, this is a response I wrote to one of my clients' fathers who wanted to get my perspective in response to your New Rules e-mail yesterday. Since you're always encouraging music industry leaders to speak up, I figured I'd share my thoughts with you!
Hope all is well!
Best,
Jake
#
In this article, he heavily favors the live business - for the average artist, the live business is where 90% of their revenue is generated. However, despite Bob's emphasis on the live experience, this piece specifically gives little credit to the building blocks that create loyalty toward a musician - the songs themselves.
I agree with almost everything Bob says in this, but it's important to recognize there are two sides to the coin on some of the topics he mentions -
1. You're a musician, not a recording artist -
Without records, what would you play? :)
2. Festival gigs are the leg up -
Yes, festivals are an amazing opportunity for exposure, especially for young acts, but the highest grossing acts in the world make the most significant income selling hard tickets. Festival plays will always be important, but if you prove you can sell hard tickets, the festival needs you more than you need them.
3. Agitate for better streaming payments, but don't focus on it -
Agreed. It is worth mentioning that I personally believe records will be worth more, not less in a few years, but it's not worth agitating over.
4. Transparency -
He's spot on.
5. Hits don't guarantee live business -
He's right. It's worth mentioning that while they don't guarantee it, artists that have hits are more likely to be in the public eye and more likely to have a successful live ticket business. Radio is still important to the majority of artists. When groomed correctly, many of revenue streams of an artists business grow on trajectory together and often times one can trigger the other - i.e. records doing well triggering live business or vis-versa
6. Live is freedom -
You can ALWAYS do it your way if you're good enough and believe in yourself enough to know you are! Labels have their way of doing things and are at times difficult to work with because of their preconceived notions of what works. When you look at the biggest hits of the past 3-5 years, they were all extremely unconventional and from unconventional artists i.e. Lorde - Royals, Macklemore - Thrift Shop, Sam Smith - Stay With Me, etc. However, as the industry's power continues to give way to the internet everyday, the labels understand the freedom that they have to grant the artist because the artist in many ways controls their audience. It is a constant back and forth - I would agree that live is freedom, but I do believe labels ultimate intention is to empower artists creatively - whether they can hold to it or not can at times be another story.
7. Talent is more important than looks -
Yes. Differentiation is very important even with talent and often times differentiation can come via image. Differentiation enables an artist to establish an unfair advantage for themselves by creating (their own lane) instead of competing (with others).
8. Live lasts. Hits don't -
Hits enable the live to last.
9. Summer/Schummer -
Agreed with this example and realize it was an extreme, but for an artist like the Weeknd a summer hit can be the difference between selling out the Hollywood Bowl and Staples Center. It depends on who the artist behind the hit is, as well as the loyalty they've already built with that audience. Carly Rae Jepsen came out of nowhere! Her song was bigger than she was. Kudos to Carly, Scooter, and their team's hard work of giving her the attention that an artist deserves these past couple years regardless of her one hit. We're still talking about her. They'll find a way!
10. Chops are everything. -
Definitely - and it's as much mental as it is skills. Artists have to be ready for what it means to be a superstar or they'll fizzle or worse...
11. Michael Rapino, not Lucian Grange -
They're both brilliant. Michael fights for artists. Lucian loves breaking artists - but are major labels fighting for new artists or their catalog? What would you do differently if you were in their position and generating more income from your catalog than from new artists?
It's worth mentioning the majors' position on digital rights makes it extremely challenging to market new artists. For example, the cost of allowing any one artist to use soundcloud is minimal, in fact the opportunity cost of not using the platform as a marketing tool is far superior, but it sets a bad precedent for their catalog and its value. This is unfortunate for both artists and music technology entrepreneurs. The best results will be had when every stakeholder begins to think about what's best for the future of the music business, but those perspectives are extremely different depending on whether you're a new artist or own a significant portion of all music recordings ever created. The battle continues...
12. Music is everywhere! - Online presence is extremely important -
Art will always speak the loudest though.
13. Know who your fans are -
Yes. My friend and mentor Creighton Burke, the head of digital at AEG, has taught me so much about data and the way its being used to pave the future of the music industry. Platforms such as Sirius, Pandora, Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, etc. have been extremely supportive of my clients and been extremely influential in determining whether a record is a hit and furthermore in creating the best scenario for it to become one. These platforms are willing to take chances on artists and songs they believe in. And that's what the music industry is all about!
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Sunday, 2 August 2015
New Rules
1. You're a musician, not a recording artist.
It's 2015 and not only have recording revenues declined, the whole world of music has gone topsy-turvy. Yes, there are a few superstars who base their careers on successful recordings, but everybody else is now a player, destined to a life on stage. This ain't gonna change, this is the new reality. You can make an album, have fun, but don't expect people to buy it or listen to it. The audience wants an experience. You're better off honing your presentation than getting a good drum sound on hard drive. Your patter is more important than the vocal effects achieved in the studio. You're back to where you once belonged, a performer. Be ready for a life on the road. Look for places to play. People love a good time. If you deliver one, you'll get more work.
2. Festival gigs are the leg up.
Sure, there are headliners at the festival, but most acts are there for the exposure. The festival pays your bills and exposes you to new fans. You must deliver at the festival gig, you must be so good that people talk about you. It's where the rubber meets the road, it's your opportunity to ignite word of mouth, and word of mouth is everything in the new music business.
3. Agitate for better streaming payments but don't focus on it.
Streaming is just one source of income. And for everybody who performs live, it's de minimis. Most of the money is made elsewhere. To focus on streaming revenues is to get hung up on your tire brand as opposed to your car. Streaming won, it's the public's music consumption mode of choice, your goal is to get people to stream/hear your music so they're curious enough to see you live, or check you out when you're on the undercard at the festival.
4. Transparency.
I'm all for clearer accounting, I'm all for recording artists taking more of record company revenues. But this is now dominating the debate when the truth is it's a sideshow. And isn't it interesting how live is so completely different. Sure, accounting is not perfect live, promoters inflate costs and hide revenue. But the truth is on the road acts make the lion's share of the money. The guarantees are insane. Your goal is to get enough fans such that your guarantee goes up. Better to have an agent interested in your act than an A&R man.
5. Hits don't guarantee live business.
Iggy Azalea can barely sell a ticket and Wilco hasn't ever had a hit but performs to thousands a night. Who do you want to be? Of course you want to be Wilco, believe me.
6. Live is freedom.
You can do whatever you want on stage. As long as the people respond and come back, you're in control, you're winning. Whereas labels are always telling you to employ a cowriter, to do it their way. You want to do it your way, believe me.
7. Talent is more important than looks.
Looks sell newspapers, they generate clicks. But they don't sell tickets. And you're in the ticket selling business. MTV died. And that paradigm did with it. Just because the media world has not caught on and trumpeted the result that does not mean it's not true.
8. Live lasts, hits don't.
Let's be clear, a hit song lives on in people's memories. But I challenge most of America to sing two songs from Taylor Swift's new album. For all the hype about Ms. Swift, the truth is she's someone everybody knows, but few know her music. She's a huge niche artist. And she's the biggest artist in the world. It's even worse for One Direction, the other biggest act in the world, most people can't even sing one song, even if more than a few know who Harry Styles is. This is so different from the way it used to be, when we had ubiquity, when everybody knew Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night," both youngsters and oldsters. With everybody in control of the remote, we've learned that most don't want any one thing. That's why a hugely successful TV show has ten million viewers and late nighters like Fallon only do a couple of million (in a nation of 300+ million!) Disconnect from the hype network, none of these entities are that big. Which gives you a giant opportunity. You can find
your fan base and grow it. Just don't expect it to include everyone and don't believe you're entitled to it. If no one wants to see you live, you should probably find another line of work. But almost no one wants to see you when you're new. Which means you must slog it out, paying your dues, until you find what makes you unique. And music is all about uniqueness, doing something everybody else does not. Me-too is for the radio, not for the stage. If you're not the type who perseveres, if you're not willing to forgo not only college, but creature comforts, you're never going to build a lasting career.
9. Summer/Schmummer
Carly Rae Jepsen might have one of the biggest summer hits of the twenty first century, but Tedeschi Trucks has a larger core audience and does better live business and the band has NEVER had a hit! Song of the Summer is a construct for the media, it's meaningless in the music business at large.
10. Chops are everything.
Practice. Once you're competent, then you can improvise, then you can take chances. And great art is always about taking chances.
11. Michael Rapino, not Lucian Grainge.
Watch Rapino on Jim Cramer's "Mad Money." Listen to the numbers. Rapino is the anti-label guy, as are all promoters. It's not about them, but the acts. A label will tell you acts come and go, but Live Nation and AEG are building relationships forever. Promoters pay your bills. Promoters want to serve you. You have leverage over promoters. Promoters are in bed with you. Furthermore, the faces don't change, they're lifers, there to build your career with you. Labels get new CEOs, but Paul Tollett has been running Coachella from its inception.
"Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino: The Changing Face Of Music - Mad Money - CNBC": http://bit.ly/1fX5SGo
12. Music is everywhere!
People want it, and that's a good thing. And they will continue to. It's just a matter of adjusting to the way they want to consume it. The public wants to graze online, they want tracks, not albums. And they want to be able to research you and know more about you, which is why you must have an online presence.
13. Know who your fans are.
It's all about the data. That's why Facebook and Google are flourishing. They know who their users are, and they utilize their habits and preferences to hook them up with advertisers. You're the product. You can connect directly with your fan base online. It doesn't matter how many likes you've got or Facebook friends or YouTube views. Those are nearly meaningless statistics utilized to quantify something elusive. They can be faked and every few years we switch platforms and start counting all over again. Your career is forever. It's about knowing who your fans are and how to reach them. Not overloading them and playing primarily to them. Your fans own you, not the radio station or the media. Your fans will support you. And most of your fans are not vocal, they will not click or tweet or send you e-mail but they'll show up and buy merch. Play to them, otherwise you're just a celebrity. Celebrities go on game shows, open shopping centers and stand for nothing. You're a musician, you
lead with your music...PLAY IT!
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It's 2015 and not only have recording revenues declined, the whole world of music has gone topsy-turvy. Yes, there are a few superstars who base their careers on successful recordings, but everybody else is now a player, destined to a life on stage. This ain't gonna change, this is the new reality. You can make an album, have fun, but don't expect people to buy it or listen to it. The audience wants an experience. You're better off honing your presentation than getting a good drum sound on hard drive. Your patter is more important than the vocal effects achieved in the studio. You're back to where you once belonged, a performer. Be ready for a life on the road. Look for places to play. People love a good time. If you deliver one, you'll get more work.
2. Festival gigs are the leg up.
Sure, there are headliners at the festival, but most acts are there for the exposure. The festival pays your bills and exposes you to new fans. You must deliver at the festival gig, you must be so good that people talk about you. It's where the rubber meets the road, it's your opportunity to ignite word of mouth, and word of mouth is everything in the new music business.
3. Agitate for better streaming payments but don't focus on it.
Streaming is just one source of income. And for everybody who performs live, it's de minimis. Most of the money is made elsewhere. To focus on streaming revenues is to get hung up on your tire brand as opposed to your car. Streaming won, it's the public's music consumption mode of choice, your goal is to get people to stream/hear your music so they're curious enough to see you live, or check you out when you're on the undercard at the festival.
4. Transparency.
I'm all for clearer accounting, I'm all for recording artists taking more of record company revenues. But this is now dominating the debate when the truth is it's a sideshow. And isn't it interesting how live is so completely different. Sure, accounting is not perfect live, promoters inflate costs and hide revenue. But the truth is on the road acts make the lion's share of the money. The guarantees are insane. Your goal is to get enough fans such that your guarantee goes up. Better to have an agent interested in your act than an A&R man.
5. Hits don't guarantee live business.
Iggy Azalea can barely sell a ticket and Wilco hasn't ever had a hit but performs to thousands a night. Who do you want to be? Of course you want to be Wilco, believe me.
6. Live is freedom.
You can do whatever you want on stage. As long as the people respond and come back, you're in control, you're winning. Whereas labels are always telling you to employ a cowriter, to do it their way. You want to do it your way, believe me.
7. Talent is more important than looks.
Looks sell newspapers, they generate clicks. But they don't sell tickets. And you're in the ticket selling business. MTV died. And that paradigm did with it. Just because the media world has not caught on and trumpeted the result that does not mean it's not true.
8. Live lasts, hits don't.
Let's be clear, a hit song lives on in people's memories. But I challenge most of America to sing two songs from Taylor Swift's new album. For all the hype about Ms. Swift, the truth is she's someone everybody knows, but few know her music. She's a huge niche artist. And she's the biggest artist in the world. It's even worse for One Direction, the other biggest act in the world, most people can't even sing one song, even if more than a few know who Harry Styles is. This is so different from the way it used to be, when we had ubiquity, when everybody knew Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night," both youngsters and oldsters. With everybody in control of the remote, we've learned that most don't want any one thing. That's why a hugely successful TV show has ten million viewers and late nighters like Fallon only do a couple of million (in a nation of 300+ million!) Disconnect from the hype network, none of these entities are that big. Which gives you a giant opportunity. You can find
your fan base and grow it. Just don't expect it to include everyone and don't believe you're entitled to it. If no one wants to see you live, you should probably find another line of work. But almost no one wants to see you when you're new. Which means you must slog it out, paying your dues, until you find what makes you unique. And music is all about uniqueness, doing something everybody else does not. Me-too is for the radio, not for the stage. If you're not the type who perseveres, if you're not willing to forgo not only college, but creature comforts, you're never going to build a lasting career.
9. Summer/Schmummer
Carly Rae Jepsen might have one of the biggest summer hits of the twenty first century, but Tedeschi Trucks has a larger core audience and does better live business and the band has NEVER had a hit! Song of the Summer is a construct for the media, it's meaningless in the music business at large.
10. Chops are everything.
Practice. Once you're competent, then you can improvise, then you can take chances. And great art is always about taking chances.
11. Michael Rapino, not Lucian Grainge.
Watch Rapino on Jim Cramer's "Mad Money." Listen to the numbers. Rapino is the anti-label guy, as are all promoters. It's not about them, but the acts. A label will tell you acts come and go, but Live Nation and AEG are building relationships forever. Promoters pay your bills. Promoters want to serve you. You have leverage over promoters. Promoters are in bed with you. Furthermore, the faces don't change, they're lifers, there to build your career with you. Labels get new CEOs, but Paul Tollett has been running Coachella from its inception.
"Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino: The Changing Face Of Music - Mad Money - CNBC": http://bit.ly/1fX5SGo
12. Music is everywhere!
People want it, and that's a good thing. And they will continue to. It's just a matter of adjusting to the way they want to consume it. The public wants to graze online, they want tracks, not albums. And they want to be able to research you and know more about you, which is why you must have an online presence.
13. Know who your fans are.
It's all about the data. That's why Facebook and Google are flourishing. They know who their users are, and they utilize their habits and preferences to hook them up with advertisers. You're the product. You can connect directly with your fan base online. It doesn't matter how many likes you've got or Facebook friends or YouTube views. Those are nearly meaningless statistics utilized to quantify something elusive. They can be faked and every few years we switch platforms and start counting all over again. Your career is forever. It's about knowing who your fans are and how to reach them. Not overloading them and playing primarily to them. Your fans own you, not the radio station or the media. Your fans will support you. And most of your fans are not vocal, they will not click or tweet or send you e-mail but they'll show up and buy merch. Play to them, otherwise you're just a celebrity. Celebrities go on game shows, open shopping centers and stand for nothing. You're a musician, you
lead with your music...PLAY IT!
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
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
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