Whatever qualms one might have about disobeying the Queen of Soul, clamoring to see this movie never feels like an act of disrespect. It feels like an act of worship and a trip to the moon. | | | | Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi of Rae Sremmurd at Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival, Houston, Nov. 17, 2018.
(Gary Miller/Getty Images) | | | | | |  | "Whatever qualms one might have about disobeying the Queen of Soul, clamoring to see this movie never feels like an act of disrespect. It feels like an act of worship and a trip to the moon."
| | | | | | rantnrave:// Is there a better symbol of the music biz in 2018 than GLASSNOTE MUSIC parting ways with its longtime distributor, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP, and more or less replacing it with a company whose name is ARTISTS WITHOUT A LABEL? Technically, the name of KOBALT's alternative label/services/distribution company is AWAL, but that's what the letters stand for, and its pitch boils down to, "We can do exactly what they do, except the artists get a bigger split and keep their copyrights; but otherwise, same." Whether that's a workable, sustainable model is a thinkpiece that probably can't be written yet, but this paragraph from BILLBOARD's recent interview with Kobalt founder/CEO WILLARD AHDRITZ is a telling starting point: "Ahdritz sees Kobalt playing the long game, sacrificing short-term payouts for eventual domination. It's the same story SPOTIFY is selling to its investors in the stock market: Once we take over, once we become indispensable, you'll see your return on investment." Another thinkpiece to put on your calendar: Is this how labels end, or this is what labels become? And is there a difference? In the meantime, serious congrats to our friend DANIEL GLASS, whose artists at Glassnote include CHVRCHES, MUMFORD & SONS and JADE BIRD, and who knows something about building a workable modern label himself, for the forward-thinking move... Also meantime, Universal seems to be having a good year, too... The music biz, which knows a thing or two about funny accounting, isn't quite sure about the accounting behind YOUTUBE's claim that it paid out $1.8 billion in music ad revenue over the past 12 months... MICHAEL LANG, who's promoted three WOODSTOCKs over the past 49 years, one or two of which you might remember, has "definite plans" for a 50th anniversary fest in 2019. Emphasis on "plans," according to Lang himself, who adds, "This is not a done deal yet".... A new serious player emerges in the competition to run the mechanical licensing collective that will be set up in the next year under the MUSIC MODERNIZATION ACT... Everyone who was old enough to buy records in the early '80s shared this amazing MINOR THREAT 2018 photo over the weekend, and they were correct to do so. It may be the most punk-rock thing that happened this year... MARIAH CAREY has spoken: Thou shalt not listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. All I want for Christmas is for you to agree with her... FREDDIE MERCURY at Live Aid vs. RAMI MALEK at Live Aid: Wow.
| | | - Matty Karas, curator | | | |  | Rolling Stone | | YouTube says that Article 13, a controversial clause in a new European law, will destroy its platform. The music industry says this is a smokescreen. Who's right? | | | |  | Water & Music | | "Playlists are the new radio" has a double meaning that no one's talking about. Playlists aren't just "the new radio" because they have wider reach or influence; they might be the new radio because their format is becoming similarly stale. | | | |  | The New York Times | | The activist folk singer Victor Jara was murdered in the days after a 1973 coup that brought Gen. Augusto Pinochet to power. A quest for his killers led to a Florida courtroom. | | | |  | CityLab | | The Showbox has become a flashpoint in the fight to preserve a changing city. | | | |  | Marie Claire | | She scored big time at the VMAs and AMAs, and made history with a billion-plus streams on Spotify, but her superstar status belies the introvert inside. | | | |  | Bandcamp Daily | | Launched by experimental producer Flying Lotus in 2008, Brainfeeder has become a go-to place for sonically challenging music. These are the label's most essential albums. | | | |  | The Tennessean | | A new music industry coalition with Nashville ties has formed in hopes of landing the lucrative licensing work created by the Music Modernization Act. | | | |  | CNBC | | Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino discusses his growing share of the live music market, the move to digital tickets and regulation. | | | |  | The Guardian | | Enyia, who was little known until Chance the Rapper and Kanye West supported her, is now among the high-profile candidates in a crowded field. | | | |  | Billboard | | The streaming platform with the most users in China proudly displays the fan metrics showing who bought the most albums for an artist. | | | |  | The Ringer | | Shame, joy, and dance, all in one special package. | | | | | Rolling Stone | | Before last week's mass shooting, California country bar was a communal gathering place for healing after Route 91. | | | |  | The Wrap | | Was there a middle ground in which she could have supported the positive side of hip-hop — the political expression, the musical genius — while convincing artists to drop, for example, misogynistic lyrics? | | | |  | Genius | | "I was able to say, 'If I do this, I don't want to be forced to do other people's material.'" | | | |  | The Quietus | | David Chiu speaks with Evelyn McDonnell, the editor of "Women Who Rock," a new anthology of essays profiling over 100 influential women musicians in rock and roll | | | | | Billboard | | The founders of Captured Tracks, Mexican Summer, and Sacred Bones explain how they were founded in the wake of the recession and the collapse of the music industry – and why they're all still standing today. | | | |  | Music Industry Blog | | MIDiA has just published its annual predictions report. Here are a few highlights. | | | |  | Complex | | From in-depth films about legends like 'Quincy' and 'Amy' to docuseries like 'Hip-Hop Evolution,' these are the best music documentaries on Netflix right now. | | | |  | NME | | The Killers turned down festival headline slots after the success of their debut album "Hot Fuss," aware that this isn't the sort of prestige slot you want to rush into like someone off "Gogglebox" applying for president of BAFTA. | | | |  | Free | | With live band karaoke, I can tune out the noise of life and be somebody else, someone who rocks out--all while backed by a real band. | | | | |  | | YouTube | | | | | | | | | | | OMG this chorus. Anthem alert. Hat tip to Piotr Orlov and Afropunk. | | | | | | | | © Copyright 2018, The REDEF Group | | |
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