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Good Advice From David Byrne
September 7, 2012
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"What is called the music business today, however, is not the business of producing music. At some point it became the business of selling CDs in plastic cases, and that business will soon be over. But that's not bad news for music, and it's certainly not bad news for musicians. Indeed, with all the ways to reach an audience, there have never been more opportunities for artists."
-- David Byrne, From his 'Survival Strategies for Emerging Artists - and Megastars' ( http://tinyurl.com/yq7y64 )The above quote from David Byrne's terrific article is just the opener. (And my many thanks to Portand DJ Clarence Duffy for posting this article on Facebook and giving me a heads up on it)
This article covers so much so well (and much of what I have written about over the pastr deacde) and should be required reading by everybody in the industry as well as "emerging artists and megastars."
David talks about where the industry is headed; what do record companies do? (or as he says "what did they do?""); how recording costs have become almost zero; why manufacturing and distributing costs are approaching zero (yes, think digital); why touring is not jut promoting one's music; the possibilities for new revenue streams; and more.
It's a must-read for one and all, and you can read it here on Wired: http://tinyurl.com/yq7y64
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
IF YOU DON'T SUCCEED AT FIRST, TRY TRY AGAIN ... NOKIA TRIES A MUSIC STREAMING SERVICE
Hoping the second time's a charm, Nokia is taking another crack at the streaming music space.
"And this time, it's completely ad-free and no cost. Lumia 710 and 900 device owners can grab it now from the Windows Phone Marketplace to start streaming or customizing their playlists; even when offline." says GigaOm. ( http://tinyurl.com/bsak6we )
"With a US-based team of 'musicologists' running the show ... users will have access to more than 150 playlists that span all major genres as part of an all-you-can-eat pro bono offering," according to Endgadget. ( http://tinyurl.com/cstrca3 )
"It's Pandora without the ads. Unlike the similar services offered by Samsung and Sony, Nokia Music won't cost you a dime. Not a bad deal, and certainly a reason to consider switching." ( http://tinyurl.com/c2ooscj )
In the bigger picture, ZDNet asks whether a music streaming service can save Nokia and Windows phones. "It's no secret that the Microsoft's Windows Phone platform has been struggling in the face of stiff and unrelenting competition from the iOS and Android platforms," its notes. ( http://tinyurl.com/9jzeo5x )
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
10 YEARS LATER ... A LOOK AT 'AMERICAN IDOL'S' FIRST WINNER, KELLY CLARKSON
From The Hollywood Reporter, "It's hard to believe a decade has gone by since Kelly Clarkson was crowned as the original 'American Idol' on Sept. 4, 2002. It was then that the cocktail waitress from Burleson, Texas emerged victorious over runner-up Justin Guarini in a voting contest that was a "58-42" split, according to Ryan Seacrest.
Since her iconic victory, Clarkson, 30, has amassed 73 Billboard hits, with the most #1 records of any 'Idol' in the show's history."
Read the full artricle on The Hollywood Reporter here: http://tinyurl.com/8f3berb
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 4
FROM BILLBOARD: LADY GAGA'S NEW ALBUM "ARTPOP" WILL BE AN INTERACTIVE APP
Lady Gaga is thinking bigger for her hugely anticipated next release, titled "ARTPOP," set for early 2013.
In a statement posted Wednesday to her website LittleMonsters.com, the fashion-forward pop diva says that "ARTPOP" will be "a multimedia experience" available to fans in various forms, most significantly a downloadable app for use on mobile computing devices.
Read the rest here on Billboard: http://tinyurl.com/d5vgzfn
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 5
ROLLING STONE'S READERS' PICKS FOR 'THE BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCES IN ROCK HISTORY
Check out the list and see if you agree with the readers who picked these top 10 vocal performances as the best. (I don't agree with at least four of the results)
Check out the list here: http://tinyurl.com/cpmxxak
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 6
BERKLEE'S NEWEST SAMPLE COURSE
Berklee Music offers several forward-thinking online courses designed specifically for careers in film, television, and visual media, and one of our most popular offerings is Film Scoring 101.
Now you can sample a free lesson from this course, which delves into working with SMPTE time code, to get a true sense of how it works. In this sample course, you can familiarize yourself with their award-winning online classroom and take a look at the many features found within the online course experience.
Check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/8togybw
And remember. You can download their Music Theory Handbook here: http://tinyurl.com/97zy4jv
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 7
FOR ANYONE WHO STILL MIGHT CARE ABOUT THE MTV VIDEO AWARDS, HERE ARE THE WINNERS
Here's the complete list of winners for the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards:
Video of the Year: Rihanna, "We Found Love"
Best New Artist: One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful"
Best Female Video: Nicki Minaj, "Starships"
Best Hip-Hop Video: Drake, featuring Lil' Wayne, "HYFR"
Best Male Video: Chris Brown, "Turn Up the Music"
Best Pop Video: One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful"
Best Rock Video: Coldplay, "Paradise"
Best Video With a Message: Demi Lovato, "Skyscraper"
Best Electronic Dance Music Video: Calvin Harris, "Feel So Close"
Most Shareworthy Video: One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful"
Best Choreography: Chris Brown, "Turn Up the Music"
Best Editing: Beyonce, "Countdown"
Best Visual Effects: Skrillex, "First of the Year (Equinox)"
Best Cinematography: M.I.A., "Bad Girls"
Best Art Direction: Katy Perry, "Wide Awake"
Best Direction: M.I.A., "Bad Girls"----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - BONUS TRACKS
* Plasma TVs have come a long way since they were first developed 10 years ago, and the burn-in problems they used to suffer are long gone. Now, they produce some of the best picture quality of any screen type. Check them out here: http://tinyurl.com/9b5jzwr
* Bob Dylan will soon release his much-touted new studio album, Tempest, and right now, the entire LP is streaming for free on iTunes. To hear it, go here: http://tinyurl.com/cq7788t
* Nokia officially unveiled the Lumia 920, a Windows 8 smartphone that's packed with cutting-edge features: http://tinyurl.com/9nvn3u2
And Now For Some News ...
NO MORE DAWG ON 'IDOL':
In the continuing saga of "American Idol" changes, the dawg days are over. Randy Jackson is officially leaving the judge's table, but will still remain a part of the show as a mentor. The show has not only "jumped the shark," but it's obviously doing anything possible to stay afloat.
NO SOLA PIA:
Hers was the most shocking elimination of "American Idol's" tenth season, but a little over a year since the show wrapped for Pia Toscano, the singer has parted ways with 19 Recordings and Interscope.
HIP-HOP'S BIG BUX MAN:
Dr. Dre unseated Jay-Z as the richest star in hip-hop, Forbes reports in their annual Cash Kings list, with $110 million in pretax earnings.
DICK CLARK SOLD:
Wall Street firm Guggenheim Partners and a group of investors bought Dick Clark Productions, "the company that produces the Golden Globe Awards show and the New Year's Eve broadcast hosted for nearly 40 years by its late founder" for an undisclosed sum.
RINGO WITH RORY:
Early recordings from Ringo Starr's first band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, have been rediscovered after more than 50 years. The BBC has reported. Recorded in March 1960, the tapes were found in Storm's sister's basement; they'll be collected into the group's first and only album to be released later this month.
STONES DO 2 NEW:
The Rolling Stones are including two new tracks on the upcoming greatest hits collection GRRR! The band finished the new cuts, "Gloom and Doom" and "One Last Shot," during recent sessions in Paris.
GAGA IN THE STATES AGAIN:
Lady Gaga has unveiled the North American leg of her Born This Way Ball tour. The pop star will start January 11th in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wrap up March 16th in Miami.
'FLASHDANCE' COMING TO BROADWAY:
'Flashdance --The Musical,' based on the 1983 movie, is coming to the Great White Way in August 2013, producers confirmed Tuesday.
LACMA TAPS FLORENCE & THE MACHINE:
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has tapped Florence and the Machine to appear at its big-ticket Art + Film Gala on Oct. 27. The fundraiser, now in its second year, is co-chaired again by Leonardo DiCaprio and museum trustee Eva Chow. This year the gala, sponsored by Gucci, will honor seminal L.A. artist Ed Ruscha and the late, renowned director Stanley Kubrick, with a special tribute by Steven Spielberg.
IN-FLIGHT FRACAS:
Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin was arrested for fight with a flight attendant, and forced an emergency landing. The altercation began when the singer was refused alcohol aboard his American Airlines flight to Los Angeles. He was taken into custody at Austin's Bergstrom International Airport.
FREDDIE THE BIRD:
In honor of the Sept. 5 birthday of legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, Rovio Entertainment has immortalized the singer as an Angry Birds character. Freddie the Angry Bird is featured in a new YouTube animation short that rocks to the Queen track "Bicycle Race."
WATCH THAT APPLE STOCK GO UP AGAIN:
iPhone 5 sales could hit 10 million in first week. Assuming a ship date of September 21st, the new iPhone may deliver between 6 million and 10 million in sales during the last week of the month, says Apple analyst Gene Munster.
SWEDEN IS #1 FOR BEST WEB USE:
Sweden is the best at putting the Web to use, according to a new report spearheaded by Tim Berners-Lee, the guy who basically invented the World Wide Web (and who had a role in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics). The United States came in second place on the much-anticipated study, which was published online Wednesday by the World Wide Web Foundation.
PASSING:
Hal David, the lyricist behind such standards as "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" and "What the World Needs Now is Love," has died at 91, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers said Saturday. The Oscar- and Grammy-winning songwriter, who teamed with musician Burt Bacharach on dozens of hit songs, died last Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles from complications of a stroke, ASCAP said. (You can read more about Hal David's contributions to the music industry on CNN here: http://tinyurl.com/buxo3ot )
PASSING:
Singer-songwriter Joe South, who penned hits like "Games People Play" and "Down in the Boondocks" in the 1960s and 70s, has died. He was 72. South, whose real name was Joseph Souter, died Wednesday at his home in Buford, GA, northeast of Atlanta, according to Butch Lowery, president of the Lowery Group. Lowery said South died of heart failure, but did not know any other details.
PASSING:
Starship lead guitarist Mark Abrahamian died after suffering an apparent heart attack following a show Sunday in Norfolk, Nebraska, The Associated Press reports. He was 46.
PASSING:
Michael Clarke Duncan, an Oscar nominee for "The Green Mile" died this Monday at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 54.
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
"Eat breakfast at Gucci. My girl a superstar all from a home movie."
-- Kanye West, obviously referencing "Kim Kardashian: Superstar," one of the best-selling sex tapes of all time, starring his girlfriend, who became famous via the X-rated romp. (From The Supeficial.com. "Granted, just yesterday I said people shouldn't take rap lyrics seriously, but these make Kim Kardashian look bad because her boyfriend's an idiot who tried to brag about her "accomplishments," but instead shattered years of Kris Jenner trying to manipulate the media into believing Kim and her whole family were devastated her sex tape was leaked.")"Britney's not going to appreciate the fact that Christina -- who has been a bit of a rival -- isn't allowing Britney to have a night of her own. The reason they've done this is they don't want people to see 'X Factor' because they've heard how good the series is. They don't want their audience to see Britney Spears. They don't want their audience to see Demi Lovato."
-- Simon Cowell who believes NBC's move is personal, especially after his show, "Britain's Got Talent," crushed "The Voice" in the ratings when the latter went head-to-head with the former in the U.K. (Boo-hoo Simon, Britney's not going to "appreciate" it? It's about winning in the ratings rat race and you know that)
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
'Breaking Bad' Creator Thinking Maybe Next Season Should Take Dark Turn
LOS ANGELES-Following last Sunday's Breaking Bad midseason finale, creator and showrunner Vince Gilligan told reporters that in a departure from the "light, fun tone" that has characterized the program thus far, the concluding episodes may take more of a darker turn.
"Ever since the very first episode, in which [main character] Walt is diagnosed with cancer and forced to sell meth to provide for his pregnant wife and cerebral-palsy-stricken son, I've thought that perhaps one day we could begin taking the show in a grittier direction."
Read the rest here and laugh: Click Here.
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"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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