I've been thinking a lot about what direction the music industry might go in. Honestly, I don't know. Things aren't great when you look at the big picture. CD sales continue to drop quicker than a Rod Blagojevich f-bomb. Digital sales aren't as big (yet at least) as the majors hoped they would be. And very few people are making that much money in the business.
That's the business end of things, which only matter so much. We have established, though, that an artist needs to make a living. "How?" remains the big question.
Here's what you do first and foremost with your music: (picture first of all a drunken frat guy who thinks he's one bad-ass m-f-er, standing up on a table with a beer in one hand, sloshing profusely, trying desperately to emulate the trilling of Anthony Kiedis--it just makes it more fun to think about it this way...trust me) Give it away, give it away, give it away now.
Yep. All free. Or at least quite a lot of it free. People don't want to pay for music and really don't have to pay for music. Piracy is always an option. Yes, it's a crime, but I think to many people it's the type of crime that is equal to say-jaywalking. You know it's illegal (most do at least) but you do it anyway because it's far more convenient and self-serving to cross the street outside of the crosswalk's given perameters. And more and more, the industry is beginning to do what most cops do when they see jaywalking, turn away and kind of shrug their shoulders. The RIAA is backing off to some extent. But my point is this, if people want lots and lots of free music, give them lots and lots of free music.
So you are still not making money. Ok that's a problem. What to do then? Well if you get big enough or maybe even not so big, but write catchy songs, you could hand your music out to a corportation--a la Wilco to Volkswagon and Santogold to Budweiser. This does have it's drawbacks, but you get a paycheck and your music gets out there. I would argue, though, that sometimes it backfires. I can't hear Santogold (who is extrememly talented) and not think about those god-awful Bud Light Lime commercials. Maybe it annoys me too because the beers crappy as well.
Some say the money is now in ringtones and video games. I'll agree on this to a point. Video games have replaced music in the realm of "obsessions of youth". But you have games like Guitar Hero III which recently became the first game to hit the $1 billion dollar mark in sales, but also serve the duel purpose of exposing a new generation to classic rock anthems. So artists are catching on and going after deals with video game companies. This is not the be-all, end-all solution, though.
And everybody wants a cool ringtone, yes it's true. As much as I hate being on the bus and hearing a bad quality version of some Beyonce song that the phone owner decides to let play for awhile under the assumption that maybe we all want to hear this for some reason, there's money in this. But how much? And for whom exactly?
To me these are just quick fix gimmicks. You want to sell music and make a living off of it? Then you have to live it to be able to sell it!
If you are reading this via my Facebook page, may I direct your attention to a video I recently posted featuring author Malcolm Gladwell. Mr. Gladwell just published a book called "Outliers" whose main thesis is that most who are creatively successful are not so just because they are geniuses (although there are a few of those), but because they put in the time. It's the 10,000 hour rule. One must work on their craft for 10,000 hours before one truly becomes proficient at it. He uses Fleetwood Mac as an example. They produced 15 albums before they put out their classic masterwork, "Rumors". He also talks about The Beatles, who were really just an ordinary Liverpool pub band until they went to Hamburg and were the house band at a red light district bar--playing basically for 8 hours a night, every night. They honed their craft. They learned to eat, sleep (well maybe not much of this), and breath music.
This is what bands need to do as well. Of course the majors aren't going to wait around for 10,000 hours. That's not going to sell many ringtones. I think this becomes the job of the indie labels. Imagine this if you will...A label website dedicated to tracking the progress of their bands as they learn their craft. The bands could constantly give away what would amount to rough drafts and maybe even keep an online journal of their progression. A fan could watch as it all comes together (or not) for those dedicated enough to live the music to these almost fanatical ends. What Beatles fan wouldn't love to have every rough cut, misstep, and hidden gem from those early years in Hamburg? This would be in essence what they would be getting! I'm not saying that these bands who chose to do this would become the next Beatles, but maybe they would.
My point is that the industry is grasping at straws. If you are a true musician, a true artist who feels his/her craft in your bones, then you should learn it and do it and find others who will support you. Quality will always outdo gimmicks. But quality takes time and energy and committment. Of all those who have become chess grandmasters, it has taken them at least 10 years to do so, except for one (the anti-Semitic, creepy Bobby Fisher, who just recently died) and it took him 9. 10,000 hours is roughly 4 hours a day for 10 years. Maybe then you'll have a killer track ready for Guitar Hero 27. Give it away until you do. Oh and find a day job you can stand because you may need it for awhile.
I think people are smart and discerning. And I also think people will always love music. If you give them quality, they will reward you. If you give them crap, they will abandon you. That's what you've got going on for you there, music industry geniuses. You dug your own grave. You want to see proof of quality outdoing mass produced drivel--vinyl sales are up for the first time in nearly 20 years! People crave things that sound good, whether it be a format that sounds good (and nothing sounds better than music on vinyl) or music itself that is well-crafted and that inspires and/or touches some nerve within them.
Calling for patience in the era of sound bites and short attention spans is practically revolutionary in its tone. But I think Malcolm Gladwell's on to something.
www.aiga.org/content.cfm/video-gain-2008-gladwell
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
A Mash-Up Blog for The New Year
Who doesn't like a good mash-up, right? I've got a lot of thoughts going on, so I thought I'd just let them spew and see what happens. Happy New Year to all, by the way! Here's hoping for a great year, filled with great music.
Bio-pics/Music Docs
I'm an addict when it comes to any film that relates to music. The Last Waltz is by far my favorite. How can it get better than Martin Scorcese directing a concert film featuring The Band, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, The Staples, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, and many other greats of the last half century!! It can't. It just can't. But when it comes right down to it, I pretty much watch them all. There's a great one on the grunge era called Hype! that speaks a little more to my generation. Loved Walk the Line. Woodstock and Monterrey Pop also do a great job capturing the raw energy of the '60s. Man, oh man, just watch Otis Redding during Monterrey Pop. It'll change your life.
I know 2009 is going to feature a new, in-depth doc about The Doors. The Doors are a tricky band to pin down. There is so much myth surrounding this band and of course, its dead frontman, Jim Morrison. A charismatic rock star who passes before his/her prime is sure to be labelled a "legend" and with this label comes a certain amount of perfunctory myth making. Add to that a slightly sensationalized bio-pic directed by Oliver Stone and you have a whole stew of truth mixed with Lizard King lore. I'll be interested to see how this turns out. I've always liked The Doors music and have always found myself drifting away for awhile, but always coming back, which is not something I can say about all of my musical obsessions (still haven't come back to Tesla or Lynyrd Skynyrd!). There's something about The Doors that is captivating beyond words. It's dark, sinister, and prophetic music that arose out of The Summer of Love. "Our love becomes a funeral pyre"---what???? That's some crazy metaphor-ing right there! And don't get me started with "The End". Listen to the live version on their box set that was released around '97 or '98. It'll change your life.
What happened to The Singer-Songwriter?
I'm thinking about this because I just watched a tribute/doc/concert film of Leonard Cohen called, "I'm Your Man". Leonard Cohen is probably number two or number three when it comes to greatest songwriters of all-time--definitely when it comes to living songwriters. The guy is a poet in the truest sense of the word (sorry Morrison, Leonard Cohen probably has more cred than you ever did in the poet dept.). In fact he was already a published writer well before he released his first album. His songs are well-crafted masterpieces. He sometimes takes months at a time to write one song and mulls over each line and word carefully. Does anyone do that anymore?
Half of what you hear in popular music today isn't even written by the person who is singing it. Country music is still by far the most popular radio format in the nation, but is notorious for performers who sing someone else's music and not their own written material. Not too undermine the talents of professional Nashville songwriters, but it's kind of disappointing when you think you're hearing someone's inner thoughts and emotions being sung directly to you and then you find out it's just an interpretation. One example I can think of is Tim McGraw singing a song called "Live Like You Were Dying" or something like that. The song was released shortly after his father passed away and you initially think, "Wow, this is a nice, heart-felt tribute to his dad". But the song wasn't written by him! I suppose he probably channeled some of his emotions into his interpretation, but man, I felt a little cheated (not like someone who loses their dad to cancer I'm sure, but still, in my small insignificant way, I felt cheated). And yes, it does take talent to interpret someone else's work, but there's something about hearing the physical voice meet up with the literary voice.
In terms of singer-songwriter's of this generation, you kind of have to think of people who are still alive, but were more relevant in past generations: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the aforementioned Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney (although he hasn't written anything nearly as powerful since he wrote with John Lennon), Carole King, and Joni Mitchell. I suppose if you're looking for more recent master songwriters you could include Tupac, Bono, and Kurt Cobain. Tupac and Kurt are dead and Bono and the U2 crew wrote their best work in the '80s and early '90s. I guess if you're talking about relevant singer-songwriters in this moment, you could look to Conor Oberst, but I'm struggling to think of more. Some of the hip-hop guys are pretty good, like Kanye and Common, but I feel like their latest works were a bit weak. I just don't know. I guess everything is cyclical, so in a year or two, we'll probably get a rash of wanna-be Dylan's and then wish they would go away. Maybe it's a lost art.
Inauguration Festivities
Seventeen days remain until Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. It'll be a glorious day for several reasons: an end to the Bush Dictatorship, the historic swearing in of the first black man to become president, and it'll be my birthday. Maybe that last one doesn't hold quite as much historic weight, but hey, it'll be glorious nonetheless. It'll also be interesting to see who will be performing at the ceremonies. Springsteen and Obama were pretty tight on the campaign trail, so it wouldn't surprise me if The Boss made an appearance. Then you have the traditional liberal voices like Eddie Vedder and Neil Young, but I'm guessing neither will be there. Will the hip-hop community be represented? Obama once cited Jay-Z. And there's the Chicago hip-hop-sters like Kanye, Common, and Rhymefest. Will any of them be invited?
My prediction is that Jay-Z will be there on his best behavior, maybe with Beyonce, but maybe not. I think Springsteen will definitely be there and Dylan will be invited, but won't show. My hope, and I think this isn't that much of a long-shot either, is that Mavis Staples will be there as well. First off, Mavis is a Chicagoan and Barack has to keep it real with the Chicago folk. Secondly, being part of The Staples Singers, she represents a link to The Civil Rights Movement. Third, she's just an amazing person/performer. I'm hoping she'll make the guest list. Buddy Guy would be a nice Chicago addition as well.
Upcoming Podcast
Well, I'm editing together podcast number one of The Hidden Chord. I'm still shooting for a January release date and I'm quite excited about it. It will include some great commentary and discussion from Phillip Groves, Joao Morlett, and myself. It will also include an interview and music from an energetic and exciting up-and-coming band called The Shackeltons. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a more energetic live show than theirs, nor am I sure if I've met more down to earth guys than these guys. Also I'll be playing a couple of tracks from other bands who are out there grinding it out, trying to make it in today's scene. It should be fun!
Bio-pics/Music Docs
I'm an addict when it comes to any film that relates to music. The Last Waltz is by far my favorite. How can it get better than Martin Scorcese directing a concert film featuring The Band, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, The Staples, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, and many other greats of the last half century!! It can't. It just can't. But when it comes right down to it, I pretty much watch them all. There's a great one on the grunge era called Hype! that speaks a little more to my generation. Loved Walk the Line. Woodstock and Monterrey Pop also do a great job capturing the raw energy of the '60s. Man, oh man, just watch Otis Redding during Monterrey Pop. It'll change your life.
I know 2009 is going to feature a new, in-depth doc about The Doors. The Doors are a tricky band to pin down. There is so much myth surrounding this band and of course, its dead frontman, Jim Morrison. A charismatic rock star who passes before his/her prime is sure to be labelled a "legend" and with this label comes a certain amount of perfunctory myth making. Add to that a slightly sensationalized bio-pic directed by Oliver Stone and you have a whole stew of truth mixed with Lizard King lore. I'll be interested to see how this turns out. I've always liked The Doors music and have always found myself drifting away for awhile, but always coming back, which is not something I can say about all of my musical obsessions (still haven't come back to Tesla or Lynyrd Skynyrd!). There's something about The Doors that is captivating beyond words. It's dark, sinister, and prophetic music that arose out of The Summer of Love. "Our love becomes a funeral pyre"---what???? That's some crazy metaphor-ing right there! And don't get me started with "The End". Listen to the live version on their box set that was released around '97 or '98. It'll change your life.
What happened to The Singer-Songwriter?
I'm thinking about this because I just watched a tribute/doc/concert film of Leonard Cohen called, "I'm Your Man". Leonard Cohen is probably number two or number three when it comes to greatest songwriters of all-time--definitely when it comes to living songwriters. The guy is a poet in the truest sense of the word (sorry Morrison, Leonard Cohen probably has more cred than you ever did in the poet dept.). In fact he was already a published writer well before he released his first album. His songs are well-crafted masterpieces. He sometimes takes months at a time to write one song and mulls over each line and word carefully. Does anyone do that anymore?
Half of what you hear in popular music today isn't even written by the person who is singing it. Country music is still by far the most popular radio format in the nation, but is notorious for performers who sing someone else's music and not their own written material. Not too undermine the talents of professional Nashville songwriters, but it's kind of disappointing when you think you're hearing someone's inner thoughts and emotions being sung directly to you and then you find out it's just an interpretation. One example I can think of is Tim McGraw singing a song called "Live Like You Were Dying" or something like that. The song was released shortly after his father passed away and you initially think, "Wow, this is a nice, heart-felt tribute to his dad". But the song wasn't written by him! I suppose he probably channeled some of his emotions into his interpretation, but man, I felt a little cheated (not like someone who loses their dad to cancer I'm sure, but still, in my small insignificant way, I felt cheated). And yes, it does take talent to interpret someone else's work, but there's something about hearing the physical voice meet up with the literary voice.
In terms of singer-songwriter's of this generation, you kind of have to think of people who are still alive, but were more relevant in past generations: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the aforementioned Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney (although he hasn't written anything nearly as powerful since he wrote with John Lennon), Carole King, and Joni Mitchell. I suppose if you're looking for more recent master songwriters you could include Tupac, Bono, and Kurt Cobain. Tupac and Kurt are dead and Bono and the U2 crew wrote their best work in the '80s and early '90s. I guess if you're talking about relevant singer-songwriters in this moment, you could look to Conor Oberst, but I'm struggling to think of more. Some of the hip-hop guys are pretty good, like Kanye and Common, but I feel like their latest works were a bit weak. I just don't know. I guess everything is cyclical, so in a year or two, we'll probably get a rash of wanna-be Dylan's and then wish they would go away. Maybe it's a lost art.
Inauguration Festivities
Seventeen days remain until Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. It'll be a glorious day for several reasons: an end to the Bush Dictatorship, the historic swearing in of the first black man to become president, and it'll be my birthday. Maybe that last one doesn't hold quite as much historic weight, but hey, it'll be glorious nonetheless. It'll also be interesting to see who will be performing at the ceremonies. Springsteen and Obama were pretty tight on the campaign trail, so it wouldn't surprise me if The Boss made an appearance. Then you have the traditional liberal voices like Eddie Vedder and Neil Young, but I'm guessing neither will be there. Will the hip-hop community be represented? Obama once cited Jay-Z. And there's the Chicago hip-hop-sters like Kanye, Common, and Rhymefest. Will any of them be invited?
My prediction is that Jay-Z will be there on his best behavior, maybe with Beyonce, but maybe not. I think Springsteen will definitely be there and Dylan will be invited, but won't show. My hope, and I think this isn't that much of a long-shot either, is that Mavis Staples will be there as well. First off, Mavis is a Chicagoan and Barack has to keep it real with the Chicago folk. Secondly, being part of The Staples Singers, she represents a link to The Civil Rights Movement. Third, she's just an amazing person/performer. I'm hoping she'll make the guest list. Buddy Guy would be a nice Chicago addition as well.
Upcoming Podcast
Well, I'm editing together podcast number one of The Hidden Chord. I'm still shooting for a January release date and I'm quite excited about it. It will include some great commentary and discussion from Phillip Groves, Joao Morlett, and myself. It will also include an interview and music from an energetic and exciting up-and-coming band called The Shackeltons. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a more energetic live show than theirs, nor am I sure if I've met more down to earth guys than these guys. Also I'll be playing a couple of tracks from other bands who are out there grinding it out, trying to make it in today's scene. It should be fun!
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