I don't believe in separation of sound... I like to hear it all blended together. | | | | Julia Holter in Rome, Italy, Dec. 3, 2017.
(Roberto Panucci/Corbis/Getty Images) | | | | | |  | "I don't believe in separation of sound... I like to hear it all blended together."
| | | | | | rantnrave:// You don't need me to tell you how great ROBYN's new album, HONEY, is. You have the entire internet for that. Instead, let me draw your attention to the mysterious and wonderful depths of JULIA HOLTER's fifth album, AVIARY, also released Friday. I'm at a bit of a loss to describe, with words, an album that sounds like an abstract painting, awash in colors and moods and dazzling brushstrokes that aren't means to an end so much as they're ends in themselves. From the kaleidoscopic, orchestrated collisions of the gorgeous opening track, "TURN THE LIGHT ON," to the slow-building mantra that is "I SHALL LOVE 2," to the art-rock flirtations of "WHETHER" and "LES JEUX TO YOU," it's an album that bombards you with shapes as shapes, sensations as sensations, sounds as sounds. Holter's palette is full with pianos, synths, strings, voices and percussion, and over the course of an epic 90 minutes you might find yourself wondering if you're basically listening to a song cycle about that palette. And 30 or 40 minutes in, you may also find yourself wondering if there's any subject in the world more worth writing a song cycle about. This interview with the RINGER's LINDSAY ZOLADZ provides some insight into an album that, Holter suggests, is "not about communication. It's not about language. Even when there's words—the words are just music." But as with any great piece of art, sit with it long enough, absorb its timbres and textures, and the album will provide all the insight you need. You'll also feel feelings and hear hooks everywhere... The VERGE's DANI DEAHL and NILAY PATEL tear apart the terms and conditions of SOUNDCLOUD's PREMIER program—which is designed to let indie artists monetize their tracks without label or distribution help—and wonder if streaming services are effectively replacing predatory label contracts with predatory contracts of their own. SoundCloud defends its terms, which include an unusually broad release of potential legal claims against the company, but also tells the site, "We are always looking for ways to simplify our agreements for the benefit of our creator community, and will take the opportunity here to avoid future confusion." Stay tuned... LED ZEPPELIN vs. ROLLING STONE... The late JOHNNY HALLYDAY is the DRAKE of France. But bigger... RIP SONNY FORTUNE, TODD YOUTH and JOHN REYNOLDS. | | | - Matty Karas, curator | | | | | | | good times never seemed so good | |  | The Concourse | | Emphasizing unity over more specific forms of political commentary is the hardcore's lingua franca. You can't be a hardcore kid without acknowledging that there is a "them" and an "us." But how did it get so important? | | | |  | Forbes | | From musicians investing in esports teams to the rise of esports-driven record labels and music festivals, the two industries are merging together financially and culturally like never before. | | | |  | The Verge | | As indie artists escape predatory label contracts, streaming services may be offering something just as bad. | | | |  | Trapital | | Podcasts and video series offer more approaches for artists to play to their strengths and take shots at each other. | | | |  | The Daily Beast | | The legend of the slain rap artist only continues to grow--despite his dark and violent past. | | | |  | Rolling Stone | | Hanging at the rapper/producer's Wonka-esque HQ as he and the Black-Eyed Peas talk A.I., their new album and why the trio is "a media company." | | | |  | Slate | | Is this the real life of Freddie Mercury? Or is it just fantasy? We break down the new movie. | | | |  | Variety | | "I would take my music around to the labels and would get the whole 'It's not black enough' [response]. … The people at the R&B A&Rs couldn't deal with the pop side, and the people on the pop side were confused as well." | | | |  | XXL | | Bhad Bhabie went from notoriety for being on 'Dr. Phil' to breaking all of rap's rules. After releasing her debut mixtape, '15,' she's taking her music seriously. | | | |  | Pitchfork | | Note to artists: You can't start your own challenge and if you do, at least make it more than some random dance moves. | | | |  | Music Industry Blog | | Spotify's Daniel Ek is betting big on developing a 'two sided marketplace' for music. With the company's market cap on a downward trend despite strong growth metrics, Ek might find himself having to play up the disruption narrative more boldly and more quickly than he'd planned. | | | |  | Medium | | Is it any better than Spotify? And What About MQA? My thoughts! | | | |  | The New York Times | | A marathon musical performance in San Francisco will feature songs "written with good intentions," but that are "utterly revealing." | | | |  | Resident Advisor | | We asked ten DJs to pick their favourites from one of electronic music's most influential mix series. | | | |  | Fortune Magazine | | Amazon, Apple, and Google are investing billions to make voice recognition the main way we communicate with the Internet. It will be the biggest technology shift since Steve Jobs launched the iPhone. | | | |  | Quartz | | Songs from our adolescent years are like a neurological double-whammy. | | | | | Pitchfork | | Our latest Invisible Hits column focuses on the early projects of Debbie Harry and the nascent years of Blondie. | | | | | Rolling Stone | | With a comprehensive new box set serving as the final word on the album, Ray and Dave Davies and drummer Mick Avory reflect on their masterpiece. | | | |  | NPR Music | | After a move to New York in the late '60s, the clear-toned Fortune became a versatile fixture on the broad landscape of modern jazz. | | | |  | The Obelisk | | The third and most ambitious yet of Magnetic Eye Records' series of '[Redux]' compilations captures Pink Floyd at arguably (or, really, inarguably) their most iconic and comes accompanied by 'The Best of Pink Floyd,' another Various Artists take on a swath of tracks from the generation-defining British band's storied discography. | | | | |  | | YouTube | | | | | | | | | | | This song is overwhelming and cathartic and puzzling and beautiful and I want to drown inside of it. | | | | | | | | © Copyright 2018, The REDEF Group | | |
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