COMMENT: The Decline of the Music Business.

In a recent Rolling Stone report, the magazine looked at the ever declining Record business, and how industry experts are proposing the new era of the music industry should look. They have five or so suggestions for the record labels to help them succeed in the digital age. And although they had some great suggestions, I would like to offer my insight to the conundrum.

First and Foremost - Rolling Stone had a suggestion that all music should be offered "ad-supported". This meant that music downloads should basically be free for the consumer while generating advertising revenue at all of the free music outlets. While this might seem like a good idea there are a few flaws to the logic, and I don't see it being the savior of the dying labels. The ad-revenue will just not be enough, and what's to say once person A gets the music for free he won't just email the .mp3 file to all his friends who will never even see the advertising, or visit the outlet.

Essentially the problem is the value of music in the digital age has become nearer and nearer to zero all the time. Prior to the CD and the .mp3, recorded music had value if only because it was the highest quality recording. Every time a consumer made a copy of a recorded piece of music - the quality was worse, and worse so the original had an intrinsic value. Not so today - any Joe Schmoe with a computer can created the highest quality lossless copy of original recordings and give them away essentially de-valuing the original. Why would I pay for the CD when the only thing of real value anymore is the artwork? The simple answer to this: Make all music free to the consumer. It is the only answer.

Think of it in these terms, if music has no monetary value anymore, why must I keep "selling it"? Instead, why not find some other value for it? I could see giving away music as a huge marketing campaign supporting all the other offerings an artist has at their disposal. Licensing, product endorsements, live performance; these are all things that can and do support artists everyday without ever selling records. It means that instead of trying to market and sell an item that has no value (recorded music), the artists would market and sell something else that does have value, themselves. They would become their own brand, and generate revenue from this source. And what better way to make sure everyone in the world knew who you were, than to give something away for free?

What do you think is the answer for the music business? Leave a comment and discuss...

Read the Original Story here.

Artist Spotlight: the Matches

I must first admit, that the inspiration for this post came from watching the following video for the Matches video "Salty Eyes".

The video, is inspired by the Bob Dylan film clip for "Subterranean Homesick Blues" which is a classic video of him flipping through keywords of the song all written on poster board. The Matches take on the video, as you can see, has them heaving various decrepit analog TV's displaying them in front of a steady cam before dropping them gloriously on the floor. It truly is a work of art.

Thus I decided to look into the band a bit more, and discover all I could about them in our first artist spotlight!

The matches are comprised of Shawn Harris on vocals and guitar, Matt Whalenon the drums, Justin San Souci on the Bass and Vocals, and lastly Jon Devoto on Guitar and Vocals. The band hails Oakland, CA as their home turf, similar to bands like Green Day and Rancid, and musicians like Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson. Originally calling themselves the Locals, the band members diligently promoted themselves at rock concerts and other venue's where music fans could be found. After a run in with another band titled "the Locals" out of Chicago - they changed their name to "the Matches", and kept blazing their rock music.

DISCOGRAPHY:

E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals


The first album cut by "the Matches" after their name change. The title cleverly poke's at having to change the band's name. They first released this album sans record label, after having recorded much of it in their garage, bedroom, or wherever they could find room. After being picked up on Epitaph records, the tracks were remastered, and re-released with the new label's mark on the album.

Decomposer


The sophomore effort by the matches fully released under their label Epitaph. The album features a full fledged mick of rock-saviour punk, as well as power pop ballads. It has quickly risen to popularity amongst the California music scene. The band went crazy during production of the album, and had nine separate producers each produce a track from the album. According to the albums wiki page, "John Feldmann of the band Goldfinger, Mark Hoppus of +44, Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion and owner of the label Epitaph Records are among the A-list production team".

For More Info:
the Matches Website
the Matches MySpace
the Matches on Wikipedia

What do you think of the Matches? Leave your comment below!

NEWS: Radiohead Album "Almost There"

The infinitely complex nature of Radiohead. The band that went from obscure noisemakers, to epic Rock Gods with the release of their 1997 album "Ok Computer", only to find themselves back in obscurity in the present day.

However, for those of you that love to divulge themselves in the bands catalog now and again, you will be pleased to know that their seventh release to date is "Almost There". According to the web log of information at deadairspace the album is nearing completion in the studio, ready fot the finishing touches of mastering.

Stanley Donwood, the band's incredibly talented artist and web guru, described the band's new music as "almost embarrassingly minimal" with "lot's of bass". Thom Yorke, the moody paranoid frontman has described the newest work as "similar to OK Computer in a way but much more terrifying."

So exactly when can we expect to be blessed by this newest release. It appears that the band must first pen a deal with a new label, as "Hail to The Chief" marked the end of they relationship with the giant EMI. Besides that minor detail everything else looks in order.

Radiohead is: Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood, Phil Selway

Find Radiohead at
radiohead.com

Original Story: Spin.com

REVIEW: Sufjan Stevens: "Come on feel the Illinois"

A simple play on words can be either intriguing, or simply exasperating. As is the case with the mystery that is Sufjan Stevens, the boy with the odd name from Michigan. For those of you who haven’t heard, Sufjan has made it his audacious goal to write an entire album for each of the 50 states. Each state so far, has been painstakingly researched and captured in no less that 18 songs of wit produced by the prodigy that is Stevens. Is he mad? Or is he Genius? Only time will tell.

First a little background on the artist himself, which will greater explain the odd nature of the album itself. According to the profile found on his label ‘Asthmatic Kitty’ (more on that later), Sufjan is a self taught musician who is well versed in the mechanics of the “oboe, recorder, banjo, guitar, vibraphone, bass, drums, piano, and other instruments too numerous to mention.” Anyone who has the patience (or is downright crazy enough) to learn that many instruments, must have an incredibly odd taste in musical styles. He is also schooled in the art of literary verse from the New School for Social Research, and it is quite apparent from the lyrical style found in many of his songs.

On our next stop – we take an in depth look at the track titles found on the album. The shortest title by far is the track: “Chicago”, consisting of seven whole letters. Other titles include: “To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament, and It Involves an Inner Tube, Bath Mats, and 21 Able-bodied Men”, which is as thought provoking as it is disturbing. It certainly is a curious feat in itself to be able to title a song with an entire epic poem.

It is with these entirely odd facts at the helm of my mind that I decided to give Stevens a try. Certainly, a bloke who is as eclectic as they come can produce a wonderful artistry of musical delight! And so – I listened.

At first glance, the music contained within the shiny Compact Disc is exactly as I imagined it. There is no real genre to place the sounds within; it is rather a conglomeration of musical styles that “pop” in and out as the songs as they please. And not just the common styles like Pop, and Rock. There is to date Baroque Classical, Medieval Epic Bard, Opera, and Broadway Musical. Never is your mind simply at rest while listening to these songs, as you can never quite place what you are listening to. That being said – the mixture of the genre’s is just that – a mixture. The songs never quite evolve enough to become their own sub-genre. It can only be labeled as independent, and it seems that this is exactly what Sufjan wants.

All in all, there is a very unique mix of music and lyrics that will weave a million tall tales of life in Illinois on this album. But… to me it can never achieve more than great background music, because to listen is to subject your mind to a million unanswered questions.

Tracklist: (Come on feel the Illinois) - Just for kicks

1. "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois" – 2:09
2. "The Black Hawk War, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience but You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, 'I Have Fought the Big Knives and Will Continue to Fight Them Until They Are off Our Lands!'" – 2:14
3. "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" – 6:45
1. "The World's Columbian Exposition"
2. "Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream"
4. "John Wayne Gacy Jr." – 3:19
5. "Jacksonville" – 5:24
6. "A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, but for Very Good Reasons" – 0:47
7. "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step Mother!" – 3:03
8. "One Last 'Whoo-Hoo!' for the Pullman" – 0:06
9. "Chicago" – 6:04
10. "Casimir Pulaski Day" – 5:54
11. "To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament, and It Involves an Inner Tube, Bath Mats, and 21 Able-bodied Men" – 1:40
12. "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" – 6:17
13. "Prairie Fire that Wanders About" – 2:11
14. "A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in which Sufjan Stevens Has an Existential Crisis in the Great Godfrey Maze" – 0:19
15. "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!" – 5:23
16. "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!" – 5:09
17. "Let's Hear that String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All the Way out in Bushnell" – 0:40
18. "In this Temple as in the Hearts of Man for Whom He Saved the Earth" – 0:35
19. "The Seer's Tower" – 3:54
20. "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders" – 7:03
1. "The Great Frontier"
2. "Come to Me Only with Playthings Now"
21. "Riffs and Variations on a Single Note for Jelly Roll, Earl Hines, Louis Armstrong, Baby Dodds, and the King of Swing, to Name a Few" – 0:46
22. "Out of Egypt, into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I Shake the Dirt from My Sandals as I Run" – 4:21


Released: July 5, 2005
Genre: Folk rock
Label: Asthmatic Kitty
Producer: Sufjan Stevens


Find
at


Sufjan Website
Asthmatic Kitty

Way Back When: Oasis - What's the Story, Morning Glory

What's been spinning through my head over and over. Oasis, "What's the story) Morning Glory". Really the entire Oasis catalog is spinning madly on my mP3 player. Why the retro-grade detour down rock and roll memory lane?

To me, Oasis represents it's own genre of musical genius. The songs have a timeless quality to them that I can listen to over and over again. From the intro on Hello, leading off with the beautifully dirty Vox amplifiers, to the ballad of Wonderwall, I just can't stop listening.

Another draw to the band is the intrigue of the brothers Gallagher relationship. The warring tension that has kept on through a decade of Rock and Roll, that is an ever present theme in the music. I wonder how it all works every time I hear the music. It intrigues me that the brothers really don't like each other, or at least don't get along very well. I can see , and hear rather, how such conflict can be the foundation for awesome music.

And another thing I love about Oasis, is their consistency. They have a formula that works, and they stick with it tried and true. It is a truly British rock sound that will have you chugging Guiness in ecstasy in no time.

Oasis, like a wonderful Supernova of Sound exploding into your ears.


Oasis Website
Get your Vox gear at GuitarCenter.com

REVIEW: The Police live - not so good

I guess it must be said, that musicians as creative as they are, definately are not the greatest at marketing. For example, today's post stems from the forum entry Stewart Copeland posted regarding one of the gigs they played in Vancouver BC. In this particular entry, Mr. Copeland actually trashes himself and the band's performance. I know that pride cometh before the fall - but I don't think that necessarily means that we must air our flub ups to the world!

"This is ubelievably lame. We are the mighty Police and we are totally at sea" states Copeland as he rips on and on about every bad chord, missed beat, and lame dance they did.

Although hilarious to read, it actually quite painful, as he states "we changed the keys of EVERY LITTLE THING and DON’T STAND SO CLOSE so needless to say Andy and Sting are now on-stage in front of twenty thousand fans playing avant-garde twelve-tone hodgepodges of both tunes". I can just imagine the agony, having messed up a few times as a musician myself knowing that everything is wrong, and there is nothing you can do about it. But there is really no reason to delve into the intimate details of such flubs. A simple "We didn't play our best, but we'll get them in the next show" would suffice.

The reality of such events is that the crowd, in all their infinite knowledge of all things musical, doesn't really notice any of the crap that goes on. For all they're concerned, it's all a part of the show. "Stewart, I liked this gig best of all three. Despite the accidents I loved it." was a response that online user Dietmar left to the Copeland forum. No, the crowd never notices a thing.

Forum Post