Any artist who has been a busker who has never been in the charts, we don’t even know that there are charts. I didn’t even know that was a thing. I just listened to playlists. | | | | New York City firefighter Tim Barr plays "The Star-Spangled Banner" outside NYU Langone Medical Center, April 27, 2020.
(Noam Galai/Getty Images) | | | | | |  | “Any artist who has been a busker who has never been in the charts, we don’t even know that there are charts. I didn’t even know that was a thing. I just listened to playlists.”
| | | | | | rantnrave:// How brutal might the next couple years be for the live music business? Some 55 percent of Americans don't think live music should resume until a coronavirus vaccine is available—even if it takes more than a year—and only 27 percent say they'd be willing to go to a show if venues open before that, according to a new REUTERS/IPSOS poll. California GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM on Tuesday outlined a four-stage plan for eventually reopening the country's largest state, and concerts are in the last stage, with "the highest risk parts of our economy," to be contemplated only after "therapeutics have been developed." "Therapeutics" doesn't automatically mean waiting for a vaccine; it could include the development of effective treatments, which may appear well before a vaccine. It could still be a long way off. And now the first major cancellation of a 2021 music conference has arrived. FOLK ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL, a gathering of acoustic musicians scheduled for next February in Kansas City, Mo., is off. "Moving a conference that draws more than 3,000 people from over 40 countries—in prime flu season—was the only responsible thing to do," executive director AENGUS FINNAN told VARIETY. For context, that's only a month before the next SXSW would presumably take place—or when a second straight SXSW conceivably could be canceled. That's how long and brutal this is and could continue to be. As for that vaccine, we've all been hearing estimates that it's probably 12–18 months away. There are efforts to try to fast-track a vaccine, but even then, that would mean getting it faster to health care workers and at-risk populations, not the average BILLIE EILISH or BON JOVI fan. And there are plenty of experts who say even 12–18 months is wildly optimistic. There are, of course, other governors and public officials who want everything to open sooner. But when is reasonable? Another month? Three months? The fall? The new year? Or is that the wrong question to ask? I'll stand with my governor, Newsom, on this. When it's medically safe to stand and dance and sing and scream along with 100 or 1,000 or 10,000 other people, that's when it will be reasonable. Whenever we get there. A group of live entertainment giants including LIVE NATION, AEG and the BROADWAY LEAGUE have asked Congress to extend emergency financial assistance to the live event industry, whose businesses "were the first to close and will be the last to reopen." They're also hoping to work with the CDC and FEMA on guidelines that would allow at least some venues to open. How about this for an extreme guideline: In 2014, as part of a Swedish film series, BOB DYLAN and his band played a set at the ACADEMY IN MUSIC in Philadelphia for a single fan, Swedish journalist FREDRIK WIKINGSSON. This is one of my favorite live videos on YOUTUBE. It's also, obviously, economically unfeasible as a continuing live entertainment option. But some enterprising artist or promoter could replicate it or, better, find other options that adapt what they do to these strange times, rather than trying to force these strange times to adapt to what they do. What other solutions might exist between a lonely living room livestream and a traditional concert? How do you expand the former? How do you shrink the latter? How do you continue to fill this new space we're inhabiting with sound?... NICK CAVE on musical plagiarism is beautiful and true... RIP Grammy winning classical cellist LYNN HARRELL (whose instrument got him banned for life from DELTA's frequent flyer program), MCKENZIE BELL and INDIA ADAMS... And finally today, welcome back to some users at MICROSOFT-owned email services who may have been missing our emails because of spam filter issues. Apologies. | | | - Matty Karas (@troubledoll), curator | | | |  | The New York Times | | The Electric Recording Co. in London cuts albums the way they were made in the 1950s and ’60s -- literally. | | | |  | Rolling Stone | | What "Fortnite’s" parent company Epic Games - and its complex business model -- tells us about the future of music, rights and artists. | | | |  | MTV News | | In honor of the variety program’s 100th episode, we’re looking back on what makes 'Run BTS' essential viewing for fans new and old. | | | |  | Music Business Worldwide | | Jess Keeley on being "professionally punished" for having children - and how the music business needs to change. | | | |  | Billboard | | Billboard's staff celebrates the best songs from a turn-of-the-century golden age of pop-rock radio hits. | | | |  | BBC News | | The pop star has set herself the challenge of recording a new album from scratch in six weeks. | | | |  | Music Industry Blog | | Tomorrow (Wednesday 29th April) Spotify announces its Q1 2020 results, at which point we will find out whether it had a COVID-bounce like Netflix did (adding 15.8 million subscribers in Q1) or whether growth slowed. But before that, there is one little detail from Spotify's 2019 Annual Report which warrants a closer look. | | | |  | Bloomberg | | Other than China, the countries are the biggest music markets Spotify doesn’t serve yet. | | | |  | NPR | | Many musicians canceled tours and delayed album releases due to the pandemic. But some are now using home recording setups and streaming services to write and publish songs about the coronavirus. | | | |  | MEL Magazine | | For NBA fans, "The Last Dance" has been a treasure trove of 1990s nostalgia - especially for all things Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. | | | |  | Los Angeles Times | | Playing weddings was a safe, steady gig for musicians. Until coronavirus. Now everyone from mariachis to DJs to bookers wonders when the next gig might be. | | | |  | Resident Advisor | | Ryan Keeling hears how, despite the almost unbelievable range of essential work he creates, the last person to celebrate his achievements might be Nicolás Jaar himself. | | | |  | First Floor | | Talk of real change in the music industry is slowly picking up steam. | | | | | The New York Times | | The pandemic has engendered new ways to flex. | | | |  | Broken Record | | Tame Impala | | by Rick Rubin, Justin Richmond and Kevin Parker | | Rick Rubin talks to Tame Impala's Kevin Parker about his newest release, "The Slow Rush," and his creative process. Kevin shares key influences on some Tame Impala songs. Then Kevin turns the tables on Rick, asking about his work on "Californication" and "Yeezus," which yields sage advice on record making. | | | | | Rolling Stone | | “I was thinking this is a bulletproof business,” says one of many merch execs who have lost their biggest revenue stream. | | | | | Billboard | | In six weeks, the virtual series Live From Out There has brought in more than $300,000 for artists and crews through weekend concerts and festivals. Started by Ben Baruch of 11E1even Group management ( Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Goose, Big Gigantic), the series launched immediately after mass gathering bans and state-wide lockdowns began across the United States in mid-March. | | | |  | Toronto Star | | A year ago, she was performing near a hostel in the Australian beach resort town of Byron Bay, living in her car, and “setting up all this electronic equipment, busking for six hours, writing music during the day, busking again and playing seven nights a week.” And she was very OK with it. | | | |  | Deep Dive: An AllMusicBooks Podcast | | STIFF Records was a maverick of an independent label. Founded by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera, their motto was "If It Ain't Stiff, It Ain't Worth a F***!" One word sums up why Stiff Records came into being: frustration. Their brash and humorous takes artwork, marketing, and the music itself changed the industry. | | | |  | Music Tectonics | | What’s changing as we stare down our current moment of crisis? What does it say about where we want to head as a community and industry? How does our ability to respond to this fast-moving pandemic reflect our opportunities and possibilities as we approach even bigger challenges like climate change? | | | | |  | | YouTube | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | © Copyright 2020, The REDEF Group | | |
