Afleveringen
-
SureâFans have always driven popular music. Thatâs what it means to be popular in the first place, you know? To have fans? But if you look around todayâs sonic landscape, it feelsâŠdifferent out there. Forget clubs and message boards. Fandoms now have entire worlds, complete with enemies, economic strategies, and complex referential mythologiesâdense communities increasingly integrated into the major label money machine. To try to understand what has changed, Sam talks with Monia Ali, from the excellent Fandom Exile newsletter. They explore the cultural genealogy of contemporary fans, tracking how a set of practices built around conventions, Buffy, and shipping percolated into the musical universe, reshaping what it means to listenâor to loveâyour favorite artist. The difference between Revealed and Experienced Truth? The political economy of fan fiction? The centrality of LiveJournal? It's all thereâfrom One Direction to the world or, at the very least, a Swiftie near you.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Subscribe to Fandom Exile
Music: Jon McKiel - "Still Life"
-
Drake vs. Kendrick was about more than personal insults or verbal one-upmanshipâit was a referendum on the most dominant figure of the last decade of rap (Drake), as narrated by the only classicist with the critical clout and popular cred to issue the judgement. But while the conflict was ultra-current, the chosen forum dates back to the very beginning of rap, a symbolically charged space tied deep to its genetic code. What does a rap battle mean? How has it evolved? And why does it carry so much importance? To explore the question, Saxon and Sam go through the history of rap beef, tracing changing conventions and their relationship to both the music industry and the aesthetic structures of feeling that surround it. Then, they try to figure out what made this battle so intenseâmoving from Drake as 21st century Bowie to the "contentification" of music in the social media era. The Bridge to Gucci to the GrahamsâŠ.with a few detours.
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
-
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
This past March, Shigeichi Negishi passed away at 100. While you might not know his name, youâve certainly enjoyed the musical world he helped create. Negishi has long been credited as the inventor of Karaokeâpulling together consumer electronics, post-work drinking culture, and a love of pop tunes into an era-defining mix. A deeper dive, however, makes the story more complex (and honestly more interesting). Negishi was actually just one of a handful of simultaneous inventors. Far from a distinct commercial product, Karaoke might be better understood as the necessary, albeit somewhat-off-key, shadow of the modern music business.
To celebrate this legacy, Saxon and Sam dig into one of the most fascinating elements of our contemporary musicalâŠpractice? Industry? Culture? Karaoke has a way of blurring all those the lines. And so, in addition to the history, we explore the big questions: What does it mean to imagine yourself a star? Why do we want to perform Katy Perry songs in front of friends and strangers? How has Karaokeâs meaning in American culture changed over time? Where does all this fit into the history of folk musicâand what does it mean for our social-media future? A first pass, and definitely not a final say. Just hoolllddd onttooo that feeeellinnnnn....
Subscribe to our Newsletter
-
Dear Listener, Have you found yourself coming down with more consistent cases of nostalgia lately? Do you consider yourself a millennial? Well, if so, you might be soon buying a pricey concert ticket to one of the hottest trends in live music: The 20 year Anniversary Album Tour. Yes, your favorite album of 2004 (or perhaps 2014) can soon be heard live, in its entirety, front to back at a concert venue near you. But why is this becoming such a trend? Is it the pre-packaged social media ready presentation? Or that Millennials got deeper pockets now and will shell out big bucks on tickets (and a babysitter) to hear their favorite album played live? Or is it just Hollywood risk-aversion bleeding into the touring industry? As a jumping-off point, Saxon and Sam discuss an excellent recent article on Passion of the Weiss wondering on this very subject and then suss out whether Earl Sweatshirt really is touring ...too...much?
Read: We Outside: Congrats, Your Favorite Album is Old Enough to Go on Tour by Pravash Trewn
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
-
This week, we take a roundabout tour of the platform power that drives our musical landscape. First up is Neil Young, whose one-man stand against Spotify for its support of Joe Rogan just ended inâŠ.wellâŠtotal defeat. We explore why Ol' Neil was unable to escape the musical monopsony that defines our streaming age (with a few detours into the terrors of lo-fidelity audio and the dream that was Pono). Then, we look at what Universal Music has been up to, more specifically, by examining a set of recently announced partnerships with Spotify (they have videos now?) and K-Pop powerhouse Hybe (everyone, quick, into the WeVerse!) If platforms were already inescapable, what does it mean when the major labels start doubling down on them? Come for the secret, dollar-drenched sound of Scooter Braun and Taylor Swift burying the hatchet. Stay for how we LOST THE UNIVERSE.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Music: Chromatics - Fade to Black
-
Much of the time, it feels like almost nothing could shake up the streaming status-quo. This isnât one of those times. Over the past week, Congressperson Rashida Tlaib (with support from the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers) released the Living Wage for Musicians Actâa fascinating piece of legislation that (if passed) would completely transform the contemporary music industry. LikeâŠreally REALLY change things, in ways both obvious and subtle.
While itâs hard to see an immediate path towards it being signed into law, the act demonstrates a genuine hunger for large-scale structural changeâand helps to lay out an imaginative framework for what that could look like. We dig into the details, but also explore what this newfound sense of possibilities might mean for the futureâa question that also connects to current, racially-coded attempts to ban music-biz-hotbed Tik Tok. Connecting such seemingly disparate events, we wonder what this emergent energy means, and where it could go next. Come for the 12-Million Stream Capâstay for the beautiful dream of major label transparency.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Music: La Sécurité - "K9 Freaks Mix (Freak Heat Waves Remix)"
-
Is rock dead? Not according to Imagine Dragons. You know the band with 10 different billion-streamed songs? The one thatâs sold 46 million records? Youâve definitely heard of them, but....have you ever really HEARD them? Probably not. And thatâs because despite being the most successful band of the past 25 years, Imagine Dragons has received next to no critical attention. Not even a proper 0.6 take-down, let alone a serious examination.
And thatâs honestly a mistake. Because the group has a tremendous amount to tell usâabout our changing musical tastes, about the psychic landscape of modern America, and about the trajectory of rock in a post-genre future. Come for Sam listening to the entirety of the ID catalog for the sake of science. Stay for a new perspective on the meritsâand singular focusâof an act thatâs defined an era of angst.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
-
This past week, negotiations broke down between Universal Musicâthe biggest and most powerful of the three major labelsâand Tik Tok, the worldâs most viral social media platform. The result: Universalâs music has been pulledâalmost entirelyâfrom the mimetic app. Itâs a show of raw muscle the likes of which we havenât seen for years, and the implications are fascinating. But how did it come to this? Why are two of the biggest forces in the music business in a battle that neither should have wanted?
To better understand the story, we dig into the payout structures that define the conflict, the inter-sectoral strategies that shaped it, and the negotiations that led to everything falling apart. Once again, itâs a fight about the future of soundâand which type of business is going to own it. Come for everyone talking about AI without anyone talking about AI. Stay for a KILLER data-science research project.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
-
Like the rest of the increasingly small world of music criticism, we were shaken by the news that Pitchfork had not only been more-or-less gutted by publisher Conde Nast, but pulled into GQ. Gentlemanâs Quarterly. Of all possible things. G-freaking-Q...?
Weâre not gonna lieâthis one feels grim. But, what kind of grim? Events split the team, with Saxon spinning out a narrative of corporate confusion and brand-based failure, while Sam tried to pull some (desperate) fragments of sense from the seemingly nonsensical plan. Is music criticism lifestyle reporting? Is there an economic base for the record review? Will a thousand newsletter flowers bloom? This week we have questions, not answers. And definitely no good vibes. Insert your own "Wintour is the cruelest season" joke here.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
-
New year, same old music business. To get things kicked off right, we circle back to check in on two of our favorite industry players, and thingsâŠ.well, we hate to tell you, but things arenât GREAT, you know? Regarding Hipgnosis, the once high-flying music fund is very much in hot waterâconflicts of interest flying, shareholders revolting, and board-members unceremoniously shown the door. Who could have possibly seen this coming? Certainly not usâŠ
And then Spotify, where the timesâor at least the streaming payout structureâare a-changinâ. On the surface, new rules regarding monetization (under 1000 plays? No cash for you!) might seem relatively minor, but they reflect a more fundamental set of shifts within the power-structures of the industry. Everyone is gearing up for a fight about the next 25 years of musicâmoves like this are the first steps towards a new world order. And if recent events are any indication, Spotify doesnât seem like itâll be the one calling the shotsâŠ
Music: Black Lips - "Bone Marrow"
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
-
When we heard that BMI, an organization designed to collect money on behalf of songwriters, had decided (on its own?) to drop its non-profit status and go for the cash, our response was confusion. Likeâcan they even do that? What does that even MEAN? But then BMI sold themselves to a private equity fund. Backed by Google. And now...weâre concerned. To get a better sense of whatâs going on, we dig into the history of BMIâexploring how it emerged from battles between publishers, Hollywood, and the rising forces of radio, and what role it has played in the industry ever since. A fair and neutral arbiter, with no interests of its own...but of course. Then we try to understand what impact the privatization might have on the future of music. Bundling other peopleâs copyrights? Maybe. A foot in the door for AI legislation? Probably. Come for an argument about why songwriters should borrow tactics from the mob. Stay for tomorrowâs IP battles today.
Re-Listen: "Consent Decrees" Episode
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
-
This time Sam and David Turner dig into the financially rocky patch in which Patreonâthe name that launched a thousand podcastsâhas recently found itself. Looking at the longer trajectory of the fan-funding platform, they try to piece together how it moved from a replacement for YouTube ads to a supposed panacea for the value collapse of musical (and cultural) productionâand try to understand the broader implications of the division it (implicitly) draws between the filthy-lucre of commerce and the pure connection of community. Come for Sam not knowing the basics of indy-streamer cultology. Stay for the fundamental question of whether fandom is a zero-sum game.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
Subscribe to Penny Fractions!
-
Over the summer, New Yorkâs premier EDM festival Electric Zoo descended deep into the Fyre Fest zoneâthat magical place combining blatant rip-off and profoundly unsafe conditions. Purchased by by owners of Brooklyn mega-club Avant Gardner the previous year, the latest edition of the three-day rave took the Bold and Forward Thinking step of mixing abrupt cancellations and incredibly poor crowd control with rampant overselling, producing a potentially deadly crowd-crush and an NYPD investigation. Fascinated and horrified, we decided to dig a bit deeper to figure outâŠwho ARE these guys? And what in the name of Frankie Knuckles is their deal? As we dug into the often insane specifics (Superfund Halloween Rave, Best Friends With Mayoral Staffers, Etc.), we realized that the question shed light on a deeper issue: as dance music and nightlife become big business, how do are events and venues balancing the desire for profits and the demand for safety? And could the finance money pouring into the space change things for the worse?
Read: Clubbing is Becoming Big Business. What Does This Mean for Dance Music? - Resident Advisor
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
Subscribe to Penny Fractions!
-
Hi folks! As part of our collaboration with Penny Fractions, we are bringing you the first episode of a new formatâDavid, Saxon, and Sam, thinking through our moment in an off-the-cuff convo about current events. We hope you like it!
The music industry was recently shaken by news around beloved marketplace/web-magazine Bandcamp, where half of the staff was recently let go (or, as press release from definitely-not-shady new owners Songtradr put it "After a comprehensive evaluation...50% of Bandcamp employees have accepted offers to join Songtradrâ). ItâsâŠnot great. Unfortunately, itâs also not entirely unexpected. To try to get our heads around whatâs happening, we talk union-busting, the decline of music criticism, the death of tech optimism, the rise of the influencer economy, the zombie-like survival of grifting, and what the future might hold for a synch-happy tech-bro Bandcamp. Somedays, it feels like it's their world, and we just live in it. Today might be one of those days.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
Subscribe to Penny Fractions!
-
First offâbig news in Money 4 Nothing-land. Weâve just OFFICIALLY joined forces with the amazing Penny Fractions newsletter to create a new and almighty Voltron (Sailors Moon?) of critical coverage on the music industry. Weâll be rolling out exciting new projects over the next few months, so please stay tuned! And now, on with the show⊠When news broke that a wave of Scott âScooter" Braunâs clients were leaving himâincluding mega-names like Ariana Grande and Justin Bieberâit seemed like it might be the beginning of the end for the most successful music manager of the 2010s. ButâŠwho is Scooter exactly? And why should anyone care? While most know Braun for his era-defining beef with Taylor Swift, we decided to go a bit deeper, exploring his remarkable ascent amid the shell-shocked chaos of the music biz during the early Obama Era. As we dug in, we realized that Scooterâs success actually provided a fascinating vantage-point through which to understand the distinctive era that ran from early Youtube to the launch of Tik Tokâa moment of disruption, change, and platform power that we might just be coming out of. Come for the Asher Roth (yeah, THAT Asher Roth). Stay for the T-Swift conspiracies.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
Subscribe to Penny Fractions!
-
If you listen to essentially any piece of contemporary music, youâre likelyâmore than likelyâto hear the influence of Bob Moog. Moog invented the first modular synthesizer, a device for creating electronic sound simultaneously more powerful and more accessible than anything that had come before. Initially adopted by the avant-garde, Moogs were quickly scooped up by the elite of rock and pop, laying a heavy sonic signature on the 1970sâand pretty much much everything that has come since. Think...Floyd. Think Stevie. To learn more, we talked to Albert Glinsky, the author of âSwitched On: Bob Moog and the Synthesizer Revolution,â the definitive biography of the man behind the tones. And the story? Itâs wild. Featured topics include: home-grown Theremins, electronics stolen from Con-Ed, Japanese industrial conglomerates, hippy rip-off albums about the zodiac, open-faced breadboards, John Cage & Co, and the determinative power of the keyboard. How an inveterate tinkerer, ensconced in upstate New York, remade the world.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
Music - Panic Girl - "Washed Ashore"
-
Machine Learning. Itâs in the news, and increasingly, it's in our tunes. Somehow. Maybe? Given the ravenous hype cycles of tech, it can be extremely difficult to separate the real, the potentially real, the squint-and-maybe-you-can-see it, and âthe SEC wants to speak to you nowâ of it all. To try and get a better sense of how AI is factoring into the present-day music industry as it actually, you know, exists, we talked with Cherie Hu of Water and Music. We discuss production tools, major label plots, social media possibilities, and push-button production, and tried to figure out the ways these technologies could be revolutionaryâor more of the same. To put it another way? Come for the changeâstay for the continuity.
subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
Music - Man Rei - "I Don't Want Money"
-
On Nov 5th, 2021, the first night of Travis Scottâs Astroworld festival collapsed into horrorâa terrible crowd crush at the Houston event killed 10, and reportedly injured thousands. In the wake of the catastrophe, fingers were pointed at Scott, at Live Nation, at the Police, at Rap music, at âthe kids.â And then? Silence. We didnât really know what happened, and no details emerged for a long, long time.
Until now. Coinciding (suspiciously, perhaps) with the release of Scottâs new album âUtopia,â a grand jury decided that no one was criminally liable for the deathsâand the Houston PD released their entire investigative report. How did this happen? Who was at fault? And what would stop it from happening again? To try and answer these questions, Sam and Saxon dug deep into the documentation, trying to understand the fatal breakdown. And the answersâŠwell...they arenât reassuring. Far from a riot or a panic, Astroworld seems like it mostly went according to plan. The problem was that the plan was fundamentally flawedâdependent on inexperienced workers, unfamiliar collaborators, and shaped by a fear of the crowd it was supposed to protect. Ultimately, Astroworld seems increasingly like a microcosm of the rotten, financialized state of American life. And while a slight sliver of hope might exist in antitrust activity, it doesnât seem like things are going to get better anytime soon. The opposite of Utopia.
subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
-
This week, the crew digs into two timely stories providing some new perspective on this crazy little thing called music. First, they dig into the rising influence of so-called âsuper fansâ: folks who consume content from their favorite artists along 5 or more distinct channels. According to recent research they are not just a thingâtheyâre increasingly driving the industry. What does this rampant physical consumption tell us about the digital world? Does it follow the endless trend for infinitely increasing commodification? Or does its very irrationality suggestâŠan off ramp? THEN, a discussion of one of the biggest labor stories in a year full of them: the Hollywood strikes! Saxon and Sam dissect some of the macroeconomic forces behind demands from writers and actors, and try to puzzle out why this all went down now. More topically, they also wonder whether anything like this could ever happen for musicâand think through what a lack of labor representation means for the industry shaping conversations of the future. Music: Lona Mesa - "Spaceman" "Time to Break Up Hollywood" - Matt Stoller
subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
-
"Ambient Music" has seen a renewed interest for reasons that we can only speculate. 2016 election? Increased atomization of individuals? The multi-headed hell-scape of pandemic + climate change + economic woes? Sure. Whatever the reason, the past decade as seen a revival of soundscapes and synths that is both helping us escape from the toils of our everyday and also, more darkly, making us more functional subjects in the service of Capital. Starting from the conceptual ideas of John Cage and Eno's late modernist visions illustrated by 'Music for Airports,' Sam and Saxon attempt to trace a history of contemporary Ambient with a look towards alternative possibilities and potentials that go beyond chill-out rooms and curated mood playlists. Also discussed: the merits of 17th century Harp Music, homemade iPhone field recordings, and the liberating benefits of being inefficient.
Music: Emily Sprague - "Water Memory"
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Follow us on Twitter!
- Laat meer zien