Does anyone care about music anymore?

I just finished watching "Almost Famous" for probably what was the 10th or 11th time, maybe more. Besides the fact that it has a great soundtrack, essential to a good film if you ask me, it captures the joy and passion of rock and roll. It speaks to what it means to be a fan of the music, first and foremost. It also captures a time that doesn't exist anymore. It's the time when people still cared about the music.

One of the funnier segments has the rock critic Lester Bangs (played flawlessly as usual by Phillip Seymour Hoffman) declaring rock dead. This is set in 1973 mind you. William Miller, the Cameron Crowe character, replies that at least he's there for the death rattle. So if 1973 was the death rattle, what does that leave us with in 2009? The rotting corpse?

That would be fitting, considering the times. Every industry is feeling the recession (which by the way, when does a recession become a depression, please let me know). But the music industry's been suffering pretty consistently for years now. I'll spare the details. We know them all by now. I watched the concert scenes in the film and thought to myself, "That's when rock and roll was what it was all about." Kids went to rock shows. They played rich vinyl albums. Yes, full-length albums filled with texture on so many levels: sonically, lyrically, spiritually.

I feel like music is kind of an after-thought now. People have their iPods and listen to music, I don't doubt that, but these days, it's like you're sharing a secret language when you find someone who wants to talk music. I'm not referring to talking about the artists who make the Grammy cut or who came out of American Idol, I'm talking about really talking about the MUSIC--underground bands, cutting edge artists, experimentalists, those who really know what it means to produce amazing works.

I worry about the future of rock and roll and popular music in general. It's fine to me when the major labels start to go under. I tend to feel like, "Well serve's 'em right for ripping us off for so long!" But when I hear about indie operations, like Chicago's Touch and Go, having to cut back, I cringe. If the indies can't make it, who's going to befriend the real artists? If it really takes 10,000 hours for anyone to become proficient at anything (see my previous post relating to the book, Outliers), how can anyone make it that long if there's no viable way to make a living?

Real fans of music are the ones who need to save it. I've said it before and I just said it again. We can't let it die. I'm not so naive to think that it will ever be like it was, but if those who care about good music just stand by and do nothing, I think things can only get worse. What does that mean exactly? Hell if I know. Maybe we should buy more music and see more shows. With what money and what time, though, right? I'm a firm believer that when something captivating comes along, people will support it. But then I come back to the question, "How can up-and-coming musicians make a living?"

There are billions of bands out there. But 95% of these bands are either really crappy or just doing this as a hobby and will quit after a short amount of time, after making the realization that they can't get gigs, no one's buying their cd's, and no one cares about their myspace page. Maybe with time they could get better--to the point that they can make quality, captivating music, but there are careers to think about. Rock is dead. Music is something you listen to, not do for a living. Maybe it never was actually, but now it's harder than it ever has been.

I think one problem is how this country views the arts. In European countries, it's like a foregone conclusion that the arts will be funded. Here, if legislators call for increased funding for the NEA, there is an outcry like people are calling for the funding of puppy slaughterhouses. There is a view by many that the arts are a simply a diversion. What type of society doesn't value art? I know President Obama's got bigger fish to fry right now, but how about establishing a Secretary of the Arts cabinet level position, like Quincy Jones and many others have suggested? How about we look into ways the arts can help fuel our struggling economy? How about more grants for independent artists, whether they be rock musicians, writers, visual artists, conceptual artists, etc? How about we fund arts programs in schools for once?

Ok so I'm getting a little off point. I'm guessing the government's not going to step in anytime soon, even though I think President Obama cares about the arts and may pursue some arts funding initiatives in the future. The inauguration festivities are evidence of that. Where does the indie musician/average music fan/indie music business owner/indie music journalist go from here then? I think some collaberation needs to happen where the minds meet and a new paradigm is established. The rock/pop scene of the '60s and '70s is dead. You can't go back. But we can't just stand by, throw our hands up in the air and say, "Oh well!". To me that's like standing by and watching a good friend get continually beaten, but doing nothing.

The world of music is a big mess right now. Guys like Live Nation and Ticketmaster think they're the ones to save it by merging, but that's not going to help the average fan or average band. It's still the world of the big dogs, though. I know as someone who tries to be an independent journalist, I'm not taken very seriously. I applied for press credentials for this year's SXSW and was granted them, provided I pay $135 for a wristband, which is a "press rate". That's serious money for a guy with no operating budget. I'm just an indie voice. Tack that on travel expenses, recording equipment expenses, rental car, and food, and what you have is a very expensive trip. And your average band faces a similar dilemma. Yeah this is the place to be to get exposure and to network, but most bands aren't getting their way paid. I'm not sure if I'll be making the trip or not.

I'm not saying that SXSW will miss me, but it begs the question, "What happens when the indie artists, writers, labels can't afford to make it to these things?" It goes with the previous question about how one can make a living as a musician. What happens when producing art becomes a game of who has the most money, rather than producing art itself? Everyone loses, that's what happens. Especially when no one has money in the first place! Alternative voices and ideas get shut out. Then you're stuck with the same old tired voices that ran the industry into the ground and continue to do so.

I kind of think this is a test. This is a test for those who truly love music. How creative are those who love music willing to get to save it? I'm just one blogger/podcaster, though, who struggles to even get his friends and family to read/listen! It's a frustrating landscape and the situation is the same for bands. The market is oversaturated. Too many bands, too many bloggers. There's nothing new or interesting so I think people turn to other things, rather than digging for the new or interesting.

So let's review the situation: no money for musicians, companies supportive of indie musicians are cutting back or folding completely, an oversaturated landscape exists with thousands upon thousands of bands (mostly crappy) to choose from, no government help for artists trying to make a living, the big industry guys are consolidating their powers. Hey kids, wanna start a rock 'n roll band? Why bother, right?

I kind of feel that way about this blog sometimes. Why bother when thousands of others are doing the same thing, probably better than me? Why bother when sometimes I have only one or two readers at a time (thanks for reading, Mike!)? The answer is that I love the music. It's like how the "Almost Famous" character, Russell Hammond replies to William Miller's question, "What do you love about music?" He answers, "First of all...everything." It's an illness, it really is. But I heard too many Beatles records as a kid, have been to too many great concerts, have felt transformed by it all too many times to count. I love being around the scene. Hell, I even love the egotistical, self-righteous musicians who pour on the charm and make big promises to you, but just want you to make them look cool (that's another aspect of the music industry that "Almost Famous" captures spot on).

Chances are, I'll find a way to get to Austin. Maybe it'll be like going to a wake this time around, I don't know--celebrating what was, with all of the other people who love music just as much as I do. I don't think it has to be that way, though. It's time for the little guys at the bottom, though, to offer some life support. It's time to start thinking outside the box, to use a tired old cliche. I don't have the answers to the industry's ills, but I'm not willing to give up yet. There's too much at stake.

One For My Hometown.

I've never been out to the cities out east like NYC, Boston, Baltimore, Philly, or DC, but I have been to a lot of different cities and have yet to find one better than the one I live in--Chicago. I mean, come on, the president's from here. How much better can it get?

It's an unseasonably warm day here in Chi-town. I just got back from walking all over the place. Probably about five miles if I had to guess, but it's just a guess. I walked past Wrigley and down to the lake, which we Chicagoans tend to forget about during the winter months, but man did it look stellar today! I walked back and stopped to have lunch at Harry Caray's by Wrigley, where a cute bartender talked me into spending too much money on a delicious burger, loaded with toppings. She said I would probably fall in love with her because of how good it would be and yes I did.

And now after a couple of lunch beers, a full stomach, and sore legs, I'm ready to write! Yes, this is still a music blog. I'm working up to it.

Two music related things crossed my mind as I was out wandering. One, the warm weather is getting me psyched for SXSW next month. If I had to choose a second favorite city in this nation of ours, it would be Austin, TX. I will be heading down for my 3rd annual trip to SXSW next month. Austin deserves the title of "Live Music Capital of the World". I haven't been to every live music city in the world, but I can't imagine it getting much better than Austin. The airport even has great live music for god's sake! The image I always cut back to in my mind is the first time I ever walked down 6th St. and soaked in the beauty of live music coming out of most of the buildings I walked past. Now I know part of it is solely for SXSW, but part of it is the real deal. This is a city that embraces the wonder that is live music. Put it together with the weird characters, friendly people, delicious food, and beautiful scenery, and you have near perfection. At least from a guy who ends up there once a year.

As I walked around Chicago today, I thought about how underutilized this city's rich music history is. Chicago is the home of the blues. It is one of the cities where America's only true original artform, jazz, developed. It has been home to several great rock acts, like The Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Chicago, among others. It has produced rappers like Kanye West and Common. It was the home to Chess Records, which released records from Muddy Waters and countless legends. It produced The Staples Singers and Buddy Guy. It has an underappreciated folk/singer-songwriter history that produced, in my oh so humble opinion, three of the greatest singer-songwriters of the 20th century--John Prine, Steve Goodman, and Michael Smith.

Why doesn't Chicago take more advantage of this rich history? Why isn't there an entertainment district like 6th Street where one can hear live music blaring out of every building? Oh sure, Chicago has some great venues like The Empty Bottle and Schuba's. It has also hosted Lollapalooza for the past few years now, but I still thing the city could cash in quite a bit more if they just embraced the music culture that exists here. Here's a call to Mayor Daley and the Chicago City Council: look at what you have. Utilize it. Why not a Chicago Music Hall of Fame or museum. Take a lesson from Austin. Chicago should be one of the premier music cities in the world, but I'm not sure if it is at this point. The history is there, but as for the present, one word: underutilized.

Second thing I thought about as I walked around The Windy City today, and yes it is pretty windy today (even though the nickname did not come from the gale force winds that usually add insult to injury this time of year)--the aforementioned, Steve Goodman.

My mind often wanders to Steve Goodman when I walk past Wrigley Field, especially on a spring-like day like this. Steve Goodman was and is the epitomy of Chicago and Chicago Cubs fans. He lived and breathed this city. He wrote songs about his horribly underachieving favorite baseball team, about the crooked towing companies, about the famous original machine-politics mayor of Chicago. He had that wry, honest Chicago way about him, much like other famous citizens of this city--Studs Terkel and Mike Royko for example. Goodman and I were never Chicagoans at the same time, as he died in '84, a decade and a half before I would become one down to my bones, but still I feel as if I can identify with him. That speaks volumes to his immense talent.

So as I walked past that great baseball shrine on Clark and Addison, I thought about the man who composed the song that plays now after every Cubs victory. I looked at the stadium, which is being touched up in preparation for the season that is just two months from its beginning, and I could almost hear the refrain, "Hey Chicago, whaddya say, the Cubs are gonna win today". And as I walked past the statues of Ernie Banks at Clark and Addison and Harry Caray at Addison and Sheffield, I thought to myself, "Steve Goodman should be here too."

I propose that a Steve Goodman statue should be put up at the entrance to the bleachers, right at the corner of Sheffield and Waveland. What a more perfect place for the man who encapsulates what it means to be a Cubs fan. I picture the statue being the diminutive Goodman seated with his guitar, wearing a Cubs hat and blue Cubs jacket, seated in the stands singing, "A Dying Cubs Fans Last Request". If I'm not mistaken, and it's been awhile since I've read Clay Eals' amazing Goodman bio, "Facing The Music" so I'm not positive on the facts, Goodman did a piece for a local tv station where he is doing just that. The picture is vivid in my head.

Goodman knew what it was to suffer with the lowly Chicago Cubs. Yet he also knew the joy of being a Cubs fan. Who else, but a hopelessly die hard fan, could write such an optimistic song as, "Go, Cubs, Go". Here is a man who sat in the bleachers on many a warm summer day. He would occasionally bring his guitar and play for the fans. The man bled Cubbie blue and had a deep abiding love for the game of baseball. What better representation for all of the true Cubs fans, than a statue of Steve Goodman. And why not? There stands a statue of a non-player at Sheffield and Addison already. Why not one just down the block too. Maybe save the corner of Clark and Waveland for a Ron Santo statue. Then it's an even two and two. This team as much as any is about the fans as much as the players themselves.

This day is a real tease! Much like the Cubs making it to the playoffs. You know they are going to lose, just like you know that this day is just one glorious anomoly in the midst of another harsh Chicago winter. But in this city, you take advantage of what you have, when you have it. You don't think Mayor Daley's going to milk the Obama connection for all it's worth in his mission to get the 2016 Olympics? Please! He's all over it. It's time the Cubs and the City of Chicago to do the same and embrace the amazing music that is associated with them. There's nothing like Chicago anywhere around. It truly is "My Kind of Town"!

Shocking News! The Music Industry is Trying to Screw Us Even More!

Big rumor has it that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are talking merger, thus bringing together the titans of concert promotion and artist management together with the titans of ripping concert-goers off by tacking on service fee after service fee.

To this I say, big deal. First of all the deal may not go through considering coroporate America is under a bit more scrutiny with a new president running the show. Second of all, haven't they been screwing us for decades already?

I mean, Ticketmaster has been the antichrist of the music industry since at least the mid-90s when Pearl Jam took them on. I don't know how Live Nation has been screwing us exactly, but I'm sure they have been too. Oh well. I'm convinced that the large scale music industry is just about done for anyway. Let it crumble so the indies can rise up and take things in the direction they should have been going in for years. Let the artists have the music back.

Bruce Springsteen, bless his sold-out heart, came out against this proposed deal, which good for him I guess, but I don't know how I feel about the Boss these days. He played a lackluster performance at the Super Bowl, where he let his songs be editted down for time and turned into a large scale karaoke party. On top of that, The E Street Band wasn't actually even playing! One day he looks like the rock poet laureate as he plays on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for the Obama Inauguration. The next day he's sliding crotch first into the tv cameras as his legacy as a blue collar, working man's rock & roller, is cheesed up to the max for the benefit of NBC's tv ratings and the super rich who can afford tickets to the game. So thanks, but no thanks for voicing your opinion Bruce. Take a lesson from your idol Pete Seeger, who also graced the stage of the inauguration festivities, and walk the walk when you talk the talk.

But whatever. I'm done with the big scene. Sure occasionally something interesting will come out of the evil lair's of the major labels, but it's happening less and less frequently. Take a band like Fleet Foxes. They would never end up on a major label, but there they were stealing the show on SNL a couple of week's back. Sure they don't put up Lil Wayne numbers when it comes to the Billboard charts, but a band like this has longevity. Where the major labels are looking for quick flash in the pan superstars that they can make some money on, they miss the point of overlooking bands with real talent. Fleet Foxes have been gaining momentum gradually over the past year and will only continue to do so. The quick fix will bring you a couple of dollars up front, but then what happens when people get sick of the gimmick? They find a band like Fleet Foxes, that's what. Take the example of The Shins. People were talking about them in the indie world for quite sometime and then the movie Garden State propelled them even further. By the time they released their next album, not only were they huge on the indie scene, their album debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts.

But the thing with the major labels is that they've dug themselves too far down to be able to have patience for bands to gain momentum. The days of profit are gone for them and now they are in desperation mode. So to all of you indie labels, just keep doing what you're doing. Find credible talent and let them find their voice. The great thing about most indie labels is that they are run by people who actually know and actually love music. Those are the people who are going to rescue the industry.

So go ahead LiveTicketNationMaster, have your little merger. No one's going to care for that long anyway. Music was fine before you and will be fine after you as well.

Oh and not to be a broken record, but please subscribe to the podcast. I'm having a few technical difficulties with getting it up on iTunes, but once I find a decent hosting site, that should be taken care of. But the bands I feature on the podcast for this month represent what's good about the industry. Both The Shackeltons and Astral Feedback have the street cred of a working rock and roll band (you know, the street cred that Springsteen just lost). They are passionate about the music and are trying like hell to make it. And they care about their craft. They want to make good music and put a lot of sweat into doing so. Check them out on the podcast, but also go check them out online. If you like them, buy something. If you don't, find a different hard working band to support. Go to a show, buy a shirt. Support your local music scene!

myspace.com/astralfeedback
theshackeltons.com

...and scroll down and click on the link to get to the podcast!!!

THE PODCAST!!! Click Here For The Link or Just Subscribe!!!

Here it is! Volume 1 of The Hidden Chord Podcast! The centerpiece of the podcast is definitely the foul-mouthed roundtable discussion, but their is absolutely more that you need to listen to. Our Artist of the Month is The Shackeltons. These kids from Chambersburg, PA are the real deal! With a whole lot of energy, enthusiasm, and rock and roll spirit, The Shackeltons bring it--every ounce of it. With emotions ranging from funereal to matrimonial, this group is all about love and heart.

And don't forget to check out our Indie Up-and-Comer of the month, Astral Feedback. These Michiaganders are steeped in the dirty Detroit sound, a la White Stripes, but bring a healthy dose of experimentation as well. Is that a little Beach Boys I hear? These guys (and girl) are one to watch as their first full length release comes out this spring. First Michigan, then the world!

Hope you enjoy it. We're already preparing for next month's episode, so stay tuned! See you in Austin.