Dec 23
RyanMusic cursed arrows, digital download, pay what you want, radiohead
First off, sorry I’ve been so quiet on this site as of late. I’ve spent the past few weeks working on the new issue of my vegan magazine, T.O.F.U. and I’m proud to say it’s finally out!
T.O.F.U. Magazine (ilovetofu.ca)
Although it’s not completely music-related, the issue does contain an interview from a great band called Cursed Arrows. Plus, it’s available using the pay-what-you-want model a la Radiohead. So far, that’s been a really interesting experiment. I’ll probably post more on it later when sales dwindle down.
So, during all of this I have done little in terms of the music side of things. Of course, I’ve read bits here and there, but that’s about it. One thing that crossed my path today was this great piece:
Downloading music didn’t just kill the music business… (thisisyourconscience.com)
I think it touches on something similar to what Terry McBride talked about in his Tedx presentation. Basically, music should not just be something you buy, music should be something you live.
Without the wait for the album, the trip to the record store, the artwork and lyric booklets, the late night college station picked up by a terrible clock radio tilted at just the right angle, and so many other little elements, music can become just something you buy. Hell, you may not even think it’s worth buying.
I wanted to argue that digital music could do the same thing while I was reading the article, but when I started thinking of the albums I bought this past year that meant something, I think they all connected to a moment. The albums I’ve purchased through iTunes have had little play compared to those I stumbled upon in a record store or picked-up at a show. I’ve actually forgotten about a few as the months went by only to come across them in my playlist with surprise.
So, now the questions is: how do we produce an experience with music that is consumed through 1s and 0s?
Oct 27
RyanMusic, The Business barenaked ladies, copyright, radiohead
In the year 2010 you should be aware of how important, and often how easy, it is to maintain the rights to the music you create. The days of signing it all over to a label in exchange for Cadillacs and gold records are over. Well, at least for most.
However, what about those folks who were starting when contract days were the only days? The folks who signed them in the hopes of getting somewhere further than their local bar, and those artists who wanted to see their name in lights on Madison Square Gardens. Some of them signed contracts for multiple albums, which in some cases lasted a career. For those artists, I would assume some major legal battles could ensue or perhaps it is just simply a matter of “grin and bear it” to be able to make music.
In rare cases, the artists find a way out of the contract or they just don’t sign a new one when the time comes to do so. Artists like Radiohead and the Barenaked Ladies have found a new and interesting world outside of the labels they dealt with for so long. Sadly, their catalogue has stayed in the hands of the majors instead of with them while they walked out the door. So we see greatest hits compilations and re-issues without the artists consent as the label tries to squeeze a few more bills out of their departed cash cow.
In even rarer cases, you have artists like Squeeze who put in the time (and money) to re-record their old songs in order to maintain the rights to at least one version of their classics. It’s not the typical route for any artist, but it just might be the best choice for them in the long run.
With the new versions, and a loophole in their contract, they are able to deal directly with possible clients who wish to license their music, and they will see a larger percentage of the profits from this effort.
Plus, they have the ability to remove that horrible synth that may have seemed like such a great idea twenty years ago!
Apr 03
RyanImage, Of Interest, Video bucket truck, erykah badu, hey rosetta, music video, radiohead, rage against the machine
“The performance ended with a nude Badu acting out receiving a fatal gunshot to the head at the spot where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.”
Erykah Badu cited for disorderly conduct
I have yet to see the video, but the fact that I already know about it is a good thing. Chances are I will watch it despite not having paid attention to Badu in years. Granted, getting naked in a public place will grab you attention whether through the press or online views, but I’m curious to know why they imitated the assassination of JFK. I’m hoping the whole video will give more substance to something that could just simply be a publicity stunt.
It is the art of making sure something has substance that has me writing right now. In the past I have promoted the idea of going above and beyond simply writing good songs, but I think something else that gets overlooked by a lot of artists is expanding the medium in which you express your thoughts. Music videos can be a great way to add something visual and dramatic to a song, and in some ways they can become the identity of the song (see Radiohead – Just for instance). Granted, some videos can be funny or simply stunning and depend more on the song to sell itself, but others can push a song from soft and quiet into just plain chilling (see Hey Rosetta! – Red Song). In fact, some bands have come to be known just as much for the content of their videos as the lyrics in their songs (see Rage Against the Machine – Sleep Now in the Fire and Bucket Truck – The New York Times).
I guess I’m basically just suggesting that when the time does come to make a video, whether it be your first or your tenth, think about what you could do to add to the art you have already made. If you were lucky enough to get a grant, perhaps from MuchFact, use it to the fullest extent. If not, then as I’ve stated before, creating something visual is not as expensive as it used to be. Just remember that somewhere down the road there will be people who tie moments of their lives to your music, and maybe that is already the case, so the more you can do to draw them in further the more they will (hopefully) do to show their love for that.
keep dreaming,
Ryan
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