Music Industry Books

If you are a musician - or not - interested in learning more about the music industry, here are some books worth reading:

• All You Need To Know About the Music Business - Donald Passman
• The Musician's Handbook: A Practical Guide to Understanding the Music Business - Bobby Borg
• Confessions of a Record Producer: How to Survive the Scams and Shams of the Music Business - Moses Avalon

And finally, not as heavy on the technical knowledge, but I liked it anyways:

• Everything I'm Cracked Up to Be: A Rock & Roll Fairy Tale - Jen Trynin

Playlist 5/27/07

Mostly Ambient

Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks - Brian Eno
Juno - Harold Budd
Pantomime... - Harold Budd with Zeitgeist

-Intermission-
The Detectives - Alan Tew
Girl In A Sportscar - Alan Hawkshaw
Curly Shirley - Otto Sieben
The Penthouse Suite - Syd Dale
-End Intermission-

NICE AGE - Yellow Magic Orchestra
(Please) Lose Yourself In Me - My Bloody Valentine
Mysterious Skin Soundtrack - Robin Guthrie And Harold Budd

Artist Spotlight: The Cocteau Twins

It's hard to find a short bio on the Cocteau Twins because they were so influential. Here is something from AllMusic.com:

"A group whose distinctly ethereal and gossamer sound virtually defined the enigmatic image of the record label 4AD, Cocteau Twins were founded in Grangemouth, Scotland, in 1979. Taking their name from an obscure song from fellow Scots Simple Minds, the Cocteaus were originally formed by guitarist Robin Guthrie and bassist Will Heggie and later rounded out by Guthrie's girlfriend Elizabeth Fraser, an utterly unique performer whose swooping, operatic vocals relied less on any recognizable language than on the subjective sounds and textures of verbalized emotions."

And from their website:

"They were a phenomenon. Not necessarily the kind that plays to stadiums or fills MTV's timeslots or even sells millions of records. Rather, the kind that quietly causes a fundamental shift in perception, exerting a seminal influence that is universally felt if not always seen."

I recommend checking out "Heaven or Las Vegas", and then "Treasure."

Headphone Padding

Does anyone know if they still make headphones like these? I love the 70s padding. I actually think if someone were to market 70's style headphone padding in different colors they would sell very well. Anyone want to go into business with me?

Artist Spotlight: Chris Opperman

I discovered Chris Opperman whilst - yes, WHILST - wandering around the internet back in 1998. Highly recommended. Here's a snippet from his wikipedia page:

"For all of his multiple-genre excursions into rock and jazz, Opperman nonetheless sees himself first and foremost as a classical composer. 'If Beethoven were alive today,' says Opperman, 'he would be pushing the envelope with his musicians, utilizing the latest technology, and embracing many styles of music to create his own inimitable sound. That’s the standard I am striving to achieve.'"

That's how I want to be.

Artist Spotlight: Yellow Magic Orchestra

"The trailblazing force behind the emergence of the Japanese techno-pop sound of the late '70s, Yellow Magic Orchestra remains a seminal influence on contemporary electronic music -- hugely popular both at home and abroad, their pioneering use of synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines places them second only to Kraftwerk as innovators of today's electronic culture."

Trent Reznor on the Music Industry

From an interview with Trent Reznor:

"[I] have one record left that I owe a major label, then I will never be seen in a situation like this again. If I could do what I want right now, I would put out my next album, you could download it from my site at as high a bit-rate as you want, pay $4 through PayPal. Come see the show and buy a T-shirt if you like it. I would put out a nicely packaged merchandise piece, if you want to own a physical thing."

When will the music industry learn that its business model is obsolete? And, a related problem, when will they become more ethical all-around?

Graduation

I graduate in 2.5 weeks. Would anyone like to adopt me? Seriously.

Internet Radio Royalty Ruling Update

From Rusty Hodge of SomaFM.com:

"SoundExchange offers to settle for 30 months with Small Webcasters: it sounds good at first, but it's really a scam. By accepting this, we only delay huge royalty increases for 30 months. Meanwhile, our royalty rates will increase 800% from 2010 to 2011. Do not be fooled: this us just a ruse to make Congress think that SoundExchange and the RIAA are compromising with webcasters so that no legislative change is needed ... SoundExchange announced this as a purely political move."

Please help support the accessibility of diverse music by contacting your house rep and senators. You can do this easily through www.savenetradio.org.

Music for TV Dinners

Music for TV Dinners: "An inspiring and soothing collection of production music - ready-made tunes that have appeared in everything from feature-length movies to TV and radio commercials, and even those 'edifying' driver's ed and good citizenship films you were forced to watch in school."

The Loudness War

If you are like me, you've noticed that music produced since around the year 2001 has a different feel - less dynamic, more fatiguing - than music produced in the 80s and 90s. Here is a video I found offering a brief explanation as to why. In this case the culprit isn't songwriting or arrangement, but a production technique related to compression/limiting used for the purpose of gaining loudness on mainstream radio.

Why don't record companies service compressed non-dynamic discs to radio stations, and sell a dynamics-restored version to consumers?

PS: Since we are on the subject of music production, when I'm in charge there will be more "wet" mixes. In other words, more reverbs, delays, flangers and phasers: space. Things are mixed too "dry" these days for my taste.

Playlist 5/20/07

Zappa and Elsewhere

Sexual Harassment In The Workplace - Frank Zappa
Andy - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention
I Can't Stop - Mike Keneally
Windows - Missing Persons
I'm In Love With The Ooo-Ooo Man - GTO's
Looking For Nina - Mike Keneally & Beer For Dolphins
The Car Song - Mike Keneally
Open Up! - Mike Keneally
Ampersand - Adrian Belew
Biznis As Usual - Ike Willis
Regyptian Strut - Frank Zappa
Toads Of The Short Forest - Frank Zappa

What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body? - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention
Strawberry Letter 23 - Shuggie Otis
Planet Of My Dreams - Frank Zappa
My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama - Frank Zappa
My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama - Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai
Ballerina - Steve Vai
Ballerina 12/24 - Mike Keneally
Salamanders In The Sun - Steve Vai
Salamanders In The Sun - Mike Keneally
Love Secrets - Steve Vai
Dog Breath Variations - Frank Zappa
Uncle Meat - Frank Zappa
Systems Of Edges - Frank Zappa
Ya Hozna - Frank Zappa
Chalk Pie - Frank Zappa

G-Spot Tornado - Frank Zappa
Apostrophe' - Frank Zappa
The Trans-Love Express - Jean-Luc Ponty
Festival - George Duke
Falling In Circles - Bozzio, Levin, Stevens
I´m So Cute - Frank Zappa
If I Only Had A Clavinet - Mats/Morgan
I'm Tweeked/Attack Of The 20 Lb Pizza - Vinnie Colaiuta
Sofa No. 1 - Michael Hedges
Sofa No. 1 - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention
Shampoohorn - Z
Moggio - Frank Zappa

Playlist 5/13/07

All Frank Zappa

Inca roads - One size fits all
The M.O.J. Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath - You Can't Do That On Stage 6
Carolina Hard Core Ecstasy - Bongo Fury
The Poodle Lecture - You Can't Do That On Stage Vol. 6
Dirty Love - You Can't Do That On Stage Vol. 6
Wet T-Shirt Nite - Joe's Garage
I Have Been In You - Sheik Yerbouti
Flakes - Sheik Yerbouti
Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk - Broadway The Hard Way
Dumb All Over - Have I Offended Someone?
Village Of The Sun - Roxy And Elsewhere
Let´s Make The Water Turn Back - Make A Jazz Noise Here

St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast - Apostrophe
Can't afford no shoes - One size fits all
Pygmy Twylyte - Roxy And Elsewhere
A Little Green Rosetta - Läther
When The Lie's So Big - Broadway The Hard Way
Tink Walks Amok - The Man From Utopia
Orrin Hatch On Skis - Guitar
Naval Aviation In Art - Läther
The Radio Is Broken - The Man From Utopia
Heavenly Bank Account - You Are What You Is
Envelopes - Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
The Beltway Bandits - Jazz From Hell

The Black Page # 1 - Läther
Put A Motor In Yourself - Civilization Phaze III - Act One
Thirteen - You Can't Do That On Stage Vol. 6
I Don't Wanna Get Drafted - The Lost Episodes
Rdnzl - The Lost Episodes
Dupree´s Paradise - Make A Jazz Noise Here
Night School - Jazz From Hell
Strictly Genteel - You Can't Do That On Stage Vol. 6

Playlist 5/06/07

Crescendolls - Daft Punk
After - Dzihan & Kamien
Windy City - Lars Bartkuhn
Funky Lowlives / Nota Bossa - Claude Challe
Butter My Mask - Fila Brazillia
Souvenir de Paris - Dimitri From Paris
Elevator - Jaffa
God Save the Mona Lisa - Fantastic Plastic Machine
Heartbeat - Annie
Hi-Fi Trumpet - Eighteenth Street Lounge Soundtracks

Computer Love - Kraftwerk
Ghost Trains - Erlend Øye
Cinnamon Girl - Type O Negative
Wave - Antonio Carlos Jobim
The Air-Conditioned Nightmare - Mr. Bungle
Word Play Drum Beat - Adrian Belew
I Only Said - My Bloody Valentine
What's He Building? - Tom Waits
Slither - Inner
For The Birds - Juliana Hatfield
Assembly Language - The Mistakes

User Friendly - Steve Morse Band
Uncle Skunk - Guthrie Govan
To the Women in My Life Le Lis - Billy Cobham
You're Stepping On My Daisy - Groove Collective
Silver Lady Disco - Z
Little Green Men - Steve Vai
Monkey Businessman - Michael Manring
Prelude No 16 Op 28 - Chopin
Point Of View Point - Cornelius
Soulshine -Michael Franti And Spearhead
Moment's notice - John Coltrane
Blackjack - Tortoise
Seasons - Bobby Hughes Experience