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Culture ... It's Not Just In Yogurt
March 4, 2011
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"When a population becomes distracted by trivia, when cultural life is redefined as a perpetual round of entertainment, when serious public conversation becomes a form of baby-talk, when in short, a people becomes an audience and their public business a vaudeville act, then a nation finds itself at risk, culture death is a clear possibility."
-- From 'Life: The Movie - How Entertainment Conquered Reality' by Neal GablerI have used the above quote in the newsletter before, and I posted it again this week on my Facebook Profile page in reference to the media circus playing everywhere starring the megalomaniacal Charlie Sheen. It's one of the best books I've ever read and this review of the book on Amazon.com sums it up: "Gabler traces the evolution of high and low culture in American society through the 19th and 20th centuries, and describes how low-brow entertainment became so influential in the United States."
Of course, all the TV shows featuring interviews with Charlie racked up good ratings. Should we be surprised? Of course not. Everybody wants to watch a train-wreck or a Hollywood celebrity self-destruct. Remember when Britney Spears shaved her head and took a baseball bat to a car?
One need only look at the crop of shows offered on MTV - "Jersey Shore" being the biggest -- to see just how popular (and dreadful) "low-brow" entertainment has become.
Naturally, the show will be a future Trivial Pursuit question soon, but whatever becomes the next flavor-of-the-month MTV rave will no doubt be just as bad. As far as MTV is concerned, bad is good. "Jersey Shore" pulls in big ad dollars with its big ratings. But those big ratings only further bring more truth to Gabler's quote above.
A few weeks ago, "American Idol" featured an all-Beatle song show from here in Las Vegas, from the set of Cirque DeSoleil's terrific Beatle show, "Love." Aside from the fact that, as Jimmy Kimmel said "'Idol' desecrated the Beatles' catalog," it also featured some contestants saying on camera they didn't really know who The Beatles were or their music. Considering that most of them are in the MTV demos and probably know more about "Jersey Shore" and Snooki, that isn't so shocking. But for anyone thinking about a serious career as a musician or vocalist, one would think their scope of popular music would be broader than Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Monica and other current pop artists.
Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with being current. It's just that there is a whole world of great music out there more substantial and more ingrained in pop culture than what most of the contestants choose to sing.
But then again, who am I to make such judgments of the country's biggest and most successful karaoke contest now in its 10th season?
Right now all the major TV networks are searching for anyway possible to recapture the ratings they all once had in their glory days. Of course, outside of special event programs like the Super Bowl, The Oscars, etc. those old glory days ain't coming back. When almost half of the Top-20 shows are CSI clones or are of similar content, is it any wonder less people watch the big alphabet networks anymore?
When was the last time you heard anybody talking about last night's episode of any major network show? They aren't. But they are talking about "Mad Men," "True Blood," "Breaking Bad," "Boardwalk Empire," "Dexter" and all the other great shows on cable. Shows that are growing audience year over year.
Shows like these and others prove there is hope for those seeking a better cultural landscape.
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE A REAL ARTIST, VOL. 3
This week, another REAL artist, Adele, proved that quality wins out. Adele's new album debuted atop the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart at #1 and sold over 350,000 copies.
Again, labels looking to solves their declining revenues need only look at those first-week sales numbers to see that their future success is founded on their past success: great A&R and artist development to develop great artists for the long-term.
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
NOTE TO RETAILERS: IF YOU AREN'T ONLINE, YOUR PROFITS WILL DECLINE
Barring any unforeseen events, U.S. ecommerce spending will reach $278.9 billion by 2015, Forrester Research is predicting.
And Now For Some News ...
Despite Online Music Companies Being Not Profitable, Investors Want In
THE NEW YORK TIMESFrom the New York Times article: "Since the end of last year, at least $57 million in venture capital has gone to digital music start-ups, ending a recent financing drought and setting up an array of young companies like Rdio, SoundCloud and RootMusic in an already crowded marketplace.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Atlantic Records Builds A Better Website
CNET.COMIn an age of shrinking music sales and disappearing revenue, Atlantic Records is trying to put all of its resources to work. Atlantic is trying to give visitors a reason to stick around. And "sticking" is the key to success for any and all websites.
The label, part of Warner Music Group, dug into the vaults and began digitizing old photos, concert posters, and recorded interviews involving some of the iconic acts it has represented over 63 years. Managers unearthed Ray Charles' first contract (he signed with an X). They discovered ad copy from 1967 about Aretha Franklin and about Jackson Browne from 1971.
Read more about it by clicking here.
The Question: Physical Media Or Digital Files?
CNET.COMA question that many have asked, and the debate goes on. In 20 or 30 years, how will you feel about the downloaded music, movies, and books you buy today? CNET's Steve Guttenberg brings the question to light.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Trent Reznor On Scoring 'The Social Network'
THE LOS ANGELES TIMES"Looking back on how we did this, the smartest thing we did was gather as much information from David (Fincher). Unlike a Nine Inch Nails record, the music is in a supporting role that's serving the picture. That was very clear to us. So the smartest thing we did was listen to what David had to say. We weren't setting the bar too high for ourselves. We were throwing everything down. We told David that this was clay to be molded. Everything just happened to line up. It was exciting for me to work under somebody. I am the top of the pyramid in the Nine Inch Nails camp. I found it very refreshing to serve another master. It was inspiring and challenging, but refreshing."
Read more about it by clicking here.
Vinyl Again: Still Here, Still Growing
NPRVinyl has never really gone away. It's just meant different things to different generations. (And have you noticed lately how many late-night talk-show hosts are holding up a vinyl album by the music group they are introducing?)
Today, for the most part, that means fans of indie rock. According to that Nielsen end-of-the-year report, here are the top 10 vinyl albums of 2010.
Read more about it by clicking here.
The iPad 2 Is Finally Here
MEDIAPOSTLook for Apple to roll out their latest generation iPad to big box retailers.
With over 15 million iPads sold (15 million!), Apple obviously wants the iPad to stay far ahead of the oncoming competition from Android tablets, and the bigger threat of smartphones that do more. (And Apple has sold 100 million iPhones!)
Read the rest here: http://tiny.cc/29pbq
AND...
Did You Buy An iPad Recently? Get A $100 Refund
CNET
If you bought an iPad very recently, you may qualify for a $100 refund.
Apple is offering $100 back to customers who purchased the iPad at its former price, an Apple customer-service rep confirmed to CNET today. The refund, which will be applied to a person's credit card, applies to all versions of the first-generation iPad.
Read more about it by clicking here.
WARNERS HAS OFFERS:
Since putting itself up for sale in January, major record label Warner Music Group has received 10 offers from suitors for its various music publishing and label assets, Business Week reported, citing sources. Stay tuned.
OSCARS DON'T DELIVER:
The Academy Awards show fell to an 11.7 adults 18-49 rating, down 12% vs. last year's 13.3 adults 18-49 rating. The average viewership fell to 37.6 million viewers, down 9% vs. last year.
GIVING IT TO CHARITY:
Nelly Furtado tweeted that that she played a show for the Qaddafi family four years ago -- and now she's going to give the money to charity. Members of the music industry are calling on Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Usher and 50 Cent to also donate to charity the money they had made by performing private gigs for family members of Libyan dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi.
ONLINE VIDEO EXPLOSION:
User-generated videos were viewed 230 billion times by U.S. viewers in 2010, an increase of 147% from 2009, according to a report from market research firm AccuStream.
DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ARE WAITING FOR THIS, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE:
Gavin Rossdale has put together a new lineup of Bush
WE DID IT FIRST, SEE YOU IN COURT DEPT:
Motorola has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against TiVo, alleging the company's digital video recorder infringes on patents held by Motorola, The Wall Street Journal reported.
REMEMBER WHEN ALL THOSE RECORD STORES WENT BANKRUPT AND LABELS WANTED THEIR MONEY? NOW IT'S THE FILM STUDIOS TURN:
Hollywood movie studios Universal, 20th Century Fox and Summit Entertainment have filed claims against bankrupt video chain Blockbuster, seeking immediate payments or even return of their DVDs, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
LOVE AGAIN:
Love's unreleased 1973 LP, "Black Beauty," will finally hit shelves on June 7th, according to a statement released by the new label High Moon Records. Produced by Paul Rothchild - who worked on The Doors' first five albums - the R&B-infused album was meant to be the first record by a new lineup of Love three years after front man Arthur Lee disbanded the Sixties group.
CROWE DOC ON EJ & LEON:
The 2011 Tribeca Film Festival will open with a free outdoor screening of "The Union," Cameron Crowe's documentary about Elton John's collaboration with Leon Russell. The screening will take place on April 20th
WILCO ADDS NAMES TO THEIR FESTIVAL:
Wilco has announced the lineup for their Solid Sound Festival, which will take place on June 24th-26th in North Adams, MA. This year's bill include performances by Thurston Moore, Syl Johnson, Levon Helm, the Handsome Family, Here We Go Magic and of course, Wilco.
ROD HONORED:
Rod Stewart will be the recipient of the ASCAP Founders Award at the org's 28th Annual Pop Music Awards, April 27th, at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in L.A.
LENNOX HONORED:
Annie Lennox will receive the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award at the 2011 NARM Convention Awards Dinner on May 12th.
CHINA REVIEWING DYLAN'S APPLICATION:
China is reviewing an application from Bob Dylan to stage concerts in the country, a year after the American folk legend's planned concerts in Beijing and Shanghai were canceled, an official at the Ministry of Culture said Thursday.
FINALLY:
After a few months of news about it, Sony Music on Wednesday announced that it has named former Universal Music chairman and CEO Doug Morris as its new chief executive.
ROOT FUNDING:
RootMusic, the developer of an application that helps bands create Facebook pages, has added $800,000 to its $2.3 million funding round announced in January, closing the round at $3.2 million, Billboard reported, citing a regulatory filing.
PASSING:
Suze Rotolo, Bob Dylan's girlfriend in the early-'60s, who walked arm-in-arm with the songwriter on the iconic cover of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan," died February 24th after a long illness. She was 67.
The Music Industry Past, Present & Future, And The Internet I answer questions on EconTalk
I did an interview about the industry and the Internet at EconTalk with host Russ Roberts. Russ is also a professor of economics at George Mason University, blogs at Cafe Hayek, and has written three novels that teach economics. He's also the co-creator of the Keynes-Hayek rap video. (And if your understanding of the economic meltdown that occurred needs to be enlightened, this video will do it)
In the interview we talk about the evolution of the music industry, the impact of the digital revolution, and I give my reasons for believing in the virtues and potential of the Internet in enhancing the music industry. I point out, as I have many times here in the newsletter, that the internet allows numerous artists to make money from their music and it can enhance revenues from live performances by expanding an artist's base. We also discuss the challenges facing record companies and I suggest that the full potential of the Internet as a distribution channel has yet to be fully exploited. There's a lot of ground covered, but based on the comments already posted of those who have tuned in, they've enjoyed it.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Quotes of the week
"GaGa is Stefani Germanotta. I don't create any separation between my birth name and my subsequent birth name - Lady Gaga. That's the point of what I'm trying to say. Gaga is not manufactured ... it is not artificial. I wish I could give that gift to everyone on the planet -- the ability for you to create an idea and perceive of something, whether it be a name or a vision for yourself, and just choose to become it. The world, and I base this on the music industry, is obsessed with artists and glamour and creativity and fashion. And artistry has become something that people believe is artificial. For myself, it is my reality. I exist at all times halfway between reality and fantasy. That's the way I was born."
-- Lady GaGa tells Billboard"They did the reunion, they finally got that done so maybe they'll finally get a record out. It would be great - the fans deserve some new Van Halen music. And as great a musician as Ed is, he really needs to be more prolific because we need more great music out there. There's a lot of bad music out there. We need guys like Eddie Van Halen."
-- oOPERSONOo
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Netflix Switches Over To Convenient New Physical Locations
LOS GATOS, CA-Officials at Netflix announced Thursday that the company has finally reached its long-term goal of constructing a chain of easily accessible stores. "Having actual physical locations was always our ultimate intent, and we are proud to provide our customers with the convenient option of driving to a nearby Netflix store and renting any available movie for just $3.99 per title," said Netflix spokesman Henry Regis.
Read the rest here and laugh: Click Here.
The Blogs
Check out Jerry Del Colliano's (the founder of INSIDE RADIO) daily blog, by clicking here: http://www.insidemusicmedia.blogspot.comWebsite
Check out attorney Ray Beckerman's website at: http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com where he prints news about the RIAA's ongoing activities
Smart Marketing Consulting Services
Smart Marketing Consulting Services has been in business sixteen years, and consults clients in the music, entertainment, attraction, media, and technology industry on branding, marketing, online exploitation, maximizing new media, and more.
"And the beat goes on, the beat goes on ... drums keep poundin' rhythm to the brain."
"Work is life, you know, and without it, there's nothing but fear and insecurity." -- John Lennon
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