| We just have to accept that young people are hyper-focused on two things. They want the visual element of the song. I don’t think we can put that genie back in the bottle. And the other thing is that they want to put their fingerprints on the song... They want to create the derivative work. They want to slow it down, speed it up, remix it. |
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| A brief inquiry into onstage relationships: The 1975's Matty Healy and fans at London's O2 Arena, Jan. 13, 2023. |
| (Burak Cingi/Redferns/Getty Images) |
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| quote of the day |
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“We just have to accept that young people are hyper-focused on two things. They want the visual element of the song. I don’t think we can put that genie back in the bottle. And the other thing is that they want to put their fingerprints on the song... They want to create the derivative work. They want to slow it down, speed it up, remix it.”
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- Ole Obermann, global head of music, TikTok
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| rantnrave:// |
Oh Yeah
How to defy (dubiously documented) music listening trends and (legit) radio programming trends and maybe just maybe grow your old-school terrestrial radio station ratings:
Play more new music.
Play more music, period.
Have actual local DJs in your actual local studio communicating with your actual audience while playing music they actually want to play.
Crazy, right?
That’s the (admittedly anecdotal) message from this Billboard piece on a number of public radio stations in the US whose ratings have been skyrocketing while commercial stations around them gasp for air. KUTX has seen its share of the Austin, Texas, radio audience more than triple in the past three years, “leapfrogging Austin’s primary pop and country stations,” ELIAS LEIGHT writes. KEXP in Seattle tripled its ratings, too, over the same period, while Minneapolis’ KCMP and Philadelphia’s WXPN saw more modest gains. All four stations have deep playlists top-heavy with current music and get much of their funding not from advertisers but from listeners who apparently are demanding that music. They’re hosted by DJs who have agency over what they play and know who they’re playing it for. Hashtag oldschool.
No one is suggesting KIIS-FM in Los Angeles start playing FANTASTIC NEGRITO or SPECIAL INTEREST deep cuts, but programmers there and elsewhere could do worse than ask themselves some related questions the next time they’ve got a few minutes and a cup of coffee. Such as: Do music fans actually like variety? Do they crave new sounds? Are they hungry, in an age of algorithms and consolidation, for human guides? Are their minds open? Should you give Special Interest a shot after all? Are music fans really listening to less new music these days, or are the chartkeepers and data miners simply not noticing when (and where) they do? Is there a commercial pop (or country or R&B or...) equivalent to this kind of programming?
Or should y'all just start spinning classical music?
Etc Etc Etc
Who owns SPOTIFY?... WTF happened to hip-hop album covers?... JOHN LYDON wants to represent Ireland in EUROVISION for reasons that are heartbreaking and beautiful and I’m rooting for him... SHAKIRA’s disses don’t lie... How Christians invented nu metal... STEVIE WONDER, VERNON REID and JOE SATRIANI on the majesty of JEFF BECK, who "went forward in a way that would frighten normal people"... Gibbons (no relation to ZZ TOP) sing duets.
Rest in Peace
Pioneering electronic musician YUKIHIRO TAKAHASHI, best known as the drummer and lead singer of Yellow Magic Orchestra, a group he co-founded. He also played in Sadistic Mika Band and Metafive... Australia’s “Difficult Woman,” soul singer RENÉE GEYER, who electrified audiences at home in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s while enjoying a simultaneous career as an in-demand backup singer in the US and UK... TV producer/director BRUCE GOWERS, who directed Queen’s iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody” video in 1974 (for a paycheck of $590) and, a couple generations later, the first decade of “American Idol” (hopefully for a lot more)... KEITH BEATON, tenor singer in ‘70s Philly soul band Blue Magic, who had a major 1974 hit with “Sideshow”... Singer/guitarist C.J. HARRIS, sixth-place finisher on season 13 of “American Idol” in 2014... FRED “SONNY” BAKER, last surviving member of ‘60s and ‘70s Detroit R&B group the Dynamics... "UNCLE” RAY CORDEIRO, whose 72 years on the radio in Hong Kong earned him the Guinness World Records title of “World’s Most Durable DJ."
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| - Matty Karas, curator |
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BBC Culture |
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| Gen Z and young millennials' surprising obsession |
| By Daisy Woodward |
| A radical new wave of artists are sweeping the previously elite world of classical music -- with a little help from fashion. Daisy Woodward explores how classical got cool. |
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Salon |
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| How "M3GAN" weaponizes music |
| By Alison Stine |
| You knew the AI doll danced, but did you know she would harness the manipulative power of singing like a princess? |
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Soundtracking With Edith Bowman |
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| Cate Blanchett On The Music Of Tár |
| By Edith Bowman and Cate Blanchett |
| Cate Blanchett is magnificent in Todd Field's new film, Tár, which charts the downfall of composer and conductor Lydia Tar. We won't say too much more about it, except that Cate has real musical chops, and puts her heart and soul into her incredible performance, and that it is scored by the wonderful Hildur Guonadottir. |
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CBS News |
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| In Shangri-La with music producer Rick Rubin |
| By Anderson Cooper, Rick Rubin and 60 Minutes |
| As an NYU college student, Rick Rubin launched Def Jam Recordings some 40 years ago and has been a hitmaker ever since. Anderson Cooper interviews the music producer about his unique approach. |
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The New Yorker |
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| John Cale Makes It New Again |
| By Matthew Allan |
| A conversation with the songwriter about collaborating with younger musicians, his tricky relationship with Lou Reed, and the true sign of a great artist. |
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Cosmopolitan |
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| Raye on leaving her record label and her new album |
| By Shannon Mahanty |
| She's written for Beyoncé, had multiple Top 10 singles and was signed to one of the world's biggest record labels. But for seven long years, she wasn't allowed to release an album. Why? This is Raye's story. |
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Money 4 Nothing |
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| Reggaeton Gets Sued |
| By Saxon Baird and Sam Backer |
| It was revealed this past week that basically all of Reggaeton is being sued. No, really. Sam and Saxon dive into all the reasons why this is a huge deal, and what happens when a very localized music and culture hits international markets and thus, a whole new set of laws around copyright. |
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Afropop Worldwide |
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| Amapiano to the World |
| By Christine "DJ Kix" Mwaturura |
| South Africa is one of the biggest dance music nations, and now it seems like the whole world is dancing along to its amapiano (piano/yanos) beats. We explore how this homegrown sound is winning over the hearts of audiences across the world. We also speak to two of its rising stars: Teno Afrika and Luxury SA. |
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Trapital |
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| Why Selling Music Catalogs is a Complex Decision |
| By Dan Runcie |
| The narrative makes these decisions seem more black and white than reality. Artists have many reasons to sell, and ownership of music assets is often more complicated than it seems. |
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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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