| Currently we are all being bombed. I have no idea what my life is going to be like tomorrow and how much longer I have, so it felt appropriate to share an archive of my 2010-2019 works, in case I never get to do that when I'm old. |
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| Cold, play: The remaining members of the Kyiv Classic Orchestra performed in Kyiv's Maidan Square, March 9, 2022. |
| (Yevhen Kotenko/Future Publishing/Getty Images) |
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| quote of the day |
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| rantnrave:// |
(Font) Size Matters
He may have 5 million followers on YouTube and a Grammy-nominated co-sign from EMINEM, but as far as LOLLAPALOZA is concerned, JOYNER LUCAS was a small-font name on the 10th row of a festival poster. At least until Wednesday, when the Massachusetts rapper took to Twitter to complain about the font size, to sort of threaten one of the pop stars in big type on the second row, and to tell the fest, "take my f**in name off that flier. I ain’t agree to that lineup." Lollapalooza appears to have complied with his wishes. As of Wednesday night, Lucas' name had disappeared from the poster. No such complaints have been heard—yet—from the 100x millionaire investment banker on the 19th row, though it may just be that money buys you the right not to have to complain about anything.
In other words, hi, live music appears to be back, sort of, for now anyway. Caveat masks. Caveat ventilation. Caveat gas prices. Etc. You will not be surprised, I don't think, to hear LIVE NATION CEO MICHAEL RAPINO say, "Tickets seem to be flying out of the door both from the front seat to the back. So we’re looking still for a record ’22 across the globe." Pollstar is reporting that artists like BAD BUNNY, BILLIE EILISH and DUA LIPA are filling up touring calendars particularly early this year and "The Great Glut of 2022" appears to be upon us. Good. Music fans have been waiting a long time. Bands have been waiting a long time. Venues have been waiting a long time. Be careful out there. Be kind and respectful to others. Be smart. Dance.
COACHELLA—the first Coachella since 2019—is in three weeks (!), with HARRY STYLES, BILLIE EILISH and KANYE WEST in the headline slots and a significant change away from the main festival grounds. PAPPY & HARRIETT'S, the iconic site of many a Coachella sideshow, is in the middle of a whopper of a legal fight among the partners who bought the venue a year ago. The majority owners, including the KNITTING FACTORY, sued their partners JOSEPH MORESCO and LISA ELIN, who they say locked them out of the operation soon after the deal closed, mismanaged the business and ruined relationships with artists and promoters, according to this epic account behind a paywall at the Desert Sun. Moresco says he blocked bookings that "either made little economic sense to the partnership and/or based upon my reasonable business judgment did not fit the genre of [Pappy and Harriet's]," and his and Elin's lawyers call the lawsuit frivolous. The room is open in the meantime. Locals and regulars don't seem very happy. Fantastic reporting by Desert Sun reporters BRIAN BLUESKYE and JAMES B. CUTCHIN.
Etc Etc Etc
Speaking of the Knitting Factory, here's a short story about MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, the first woman to serve as secretary of state of the US, who died Wednesday, and JOHN ZORN, LOU REED, LAURIE ANDERSON and Czech President VACLAV HAVEL and his wife (original source: SF Weekly)... And here, apparently, is the holy s*** monetary value of having PUSHA T do a jingle for your fast food restaurant. If you're looking for more background on the iconic, 19-year-old MCDONALD'S jingle that started this fast food jingle war, and who isn't, here's Pitchfork's 2016 account of "The Contentious Tale of the McDonald’s 'I’m Lovin’ It' Jingle," and here's the great podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz on delving deep into "one of the most recognizable melodies in the world."
Rest in Peace
Composer and percussionist WILLIAM KRAFT, who was noted for his writing for timpani and other underutilized percussion instruments. He was also a longtime fixture at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he spent 18 years as principal timpanist... Bay Area punk/post-punk guitarist MICHAEL BELFER, a member of the Sleepers, Tuxedomoon and Black Lab... Tour marketing executive ALLISON CANZANELLA, who worked with artists including Chance the Rapper, Paul McCartney and Billy Joel at AEG and Madison House.
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| - Matty Karas (@troubledoll), curator |
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| how to socialise & make friends |
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The New Inquiry |
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| Streaming Services |
| By Jaime Brooks |
| It doesn’t bother me as an artist to know that most people who love music are going to be subscribing to services like Spotify for as long as they’re available. I would just ask that you try to see Spotify for what it really is––a way to generate royalties from old music. The streaming services are not designed to sustain a new release industry. |
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Pitchfork |
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| Camp Cope Changed and So Can You |
| By Jenn Pelly |
| The outspoken Australian trio on moving towards hope, embracing Taylor Swift, and the twangy vulnerability of new album "Running With the Hurricane." |
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Westword |
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| Venues Look Back on Surviving the Pandemic |
| By Emily Ferguson |
| "We had to hustle again to get some programming going. We tried karaoke nights; we were cold-calling local bands to play, and a lot of them would tell us, 'We haven't practiced in a year!'" |
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| running with the hurricane |
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KQED |
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| NEA Jazz Master Maria Schneider Takes on Big Tech in Her Music and Advocacy |
| By Andrew Gilbert |
| If nature often serves as the protagonist in Maria Schneider's soundscapes, technology’s baleful impact on the music scene has increasingly come into focus as her antagonist. She’s been one of the boldest voices in music challenging the business practices of streaming services, testifying before Congress, writing essays and even filing a class action lawsuit against YouTube. |
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Song Exploder |
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| Song Exploder: Steve Reich – 'Different Trains' |
| By Hrishikesh Hirway and Steve Reich |
| Steve Reich's "Different Trains" was written for string quartet and pre-recorded performance tape and first performed in 1988 by the Kronos Quartet. It's about World War II and the Holocaust. It’s made up of three movements: America – Before the War, Europe – During the War, and After the War. For this episode, Reich breaks down the first movement. |
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The New York Times |
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| The Many Worlds of Rosalía |
| By Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli |
| The Spanish phenom’s music takes in a host of global influences, making her one of the most sonically ambitious and critically dissected pop artists today. |
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| what we're into |
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| Music | Media |
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| “REDEF is dedicated to my mother, who nurtured and encouraged my interest in everything and slightly regrets the day she taught me to always ask ‘why?’” |
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