jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 06/21/2019 - Lil Nirvana X, Are Rock's Greatest Riffs Copyrighted?, Philippe Zdar, Young Nudy, Billie Eilish...

I will never trade a conversation against a sunset.
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Lil Nas X at Stagecoach, Indio, Calif., April 28, 2019. His EP "7" is out today on Columbia.
(Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Friday - June 21, 2019 Fri - 06/21/19
rantnrave:// I have no idea if LIL NAS X gave KURT COBAIN a writing credit on his song "PANINI" because he seriously thinks the first few notes of the chorus have more than a vague, coincidental resemblance to "IN BLOOM," or if that's the price for any songwriter living in a post-"BLURRED LINES" world, or if '90s rock references are now an requisite part of the Lil Nas X brand (which was born, in part on an actual NINE INCH NAILS sample), or if the attention he gets from it offsets the royalties he's giving up, or if he's just a generous guy. But "Panini" is no more an "In Bloom" cover/sample/interpolation than Nirvana was a PIXIES cover band or my last name is LEFSETZ. I do know this: The 20-year-old from Atlanta who has no particular interest in being a country star (the feeling, from official Nashville, is mutual) knows what he's doing and he's put in the work and he's going to keep putting in the work till he can't no more, and he's either going to be my favorite new pop star of 2019 or one of my all-time favorite one-hit wonders. Either way, his super-short, super-catchy songs are catnip for the world of summer 2019, which starts today. His EP, 7, is out today on Columbia... I'd venture that my favorite rock song of 2019, FURY's "VACATION," is more deserving of some Kurt Cobain royalty participation than anything Lil Nas X has done. The scream-along hardcore anthem, which starts off with singer JEREMY STITH lamenting that his vacation is "over too soon," is built on a resequenced version of the four chords that Nirvana wrote into rock history with "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT": two sets of I and IV chords, a minor third apart. The chord sequence completes itself, in Fury's rendering, in a chorus that releases enough melodic tension to start an army of punk-pop bands. By the time Stith gets around to informing us that "buried are the ones I've failed to entertain," you're wondering if it's not only familiar chords, but also words, that he's resequencing. The song, from the Southern California band's second album, FAILED ENTERTAINMENT, doesn't sound remotely like Nirvana, by the way. Give Cobain a writing credit before someone sues... FACEBOOK has rescinded its ban on the cover of LED ZEPPELIN's HOUSES OF THE HOLY... This is one of the most bittersweet New Music Fridays in a long time. The release schedule includes the fifth album by CASSIUS, the French electro duo whose co-founder, beloved producer PHILIPPE ZDAR, died after falling through a window Wednesday in Paris. Also due today: the new HOT CHIP album, which features production by Zdar. The GUARDIAN's LAURA SNAPES remembers Zdar as "a veritable Zelig of French music innovation at the turn of the century." PITCHFORK's PHILIP SHERBURNE traces his life through nine classic records... It's FRIDAY and that means, in addition to LIL NAS X, CASSIUS and HOT CHIP, there's new music from HATCHIE, MARK RONSON, WILLIE NELSON, TITUS ANDRONICUS, ILOVEMAKONNEN, the RACONTEURS, MANNEQUIN PUSSY, BLACK MIDI, GUCCI MANE, BENNY THE BUTCHER, BEAK>, BEDOUINE, TRINA, BLACK PUMAS, FRUIT BATS, AARON WATSON, BUDDY & JULIE MILLER, RICHARD REED PARRY, HOLY GHOST, MR. HUDSON, PHILIP BAILEY, JANE WEAVER, HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, HARRY & THE POTTERS, TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB, K CAMP, JIM LAUDERDALE and the soundtrack to YESTERDAY.
- Matty Karas, curator
summer soft
Bloomberg
The Legal Loophole That May Leave Some of Rock's Greatest Riffs Up for Grabs
by Vernon Silver
Could the most famous passages of the most famous song by one of the biggest rock bands really not be protected by copyright?
The Guardian
Philippe Zdar: a studio master who gave pop a peerless joie de vivre
by Laura Snapes
The French producer has died after a freak accident - but leaves a legacy as a bon viveur who sprinkled everyone from Phoenix to Kanye West with his magic.
Variety
Universal Music Fire Will Have 'Zero Impact' on Company's Value, and Artists Will Have a Tough Time Suing: Analysts
by Jem Aswad
Despite the anguished reactions from musicians, fans and even the company's chairman over the estimated 500,000 Universal Music master recordings lost in a 2008 fire, multiple analysts and experts tell Variety that the loss will have "zero impact" on the valuation of UMG and its parent company Vivendi's stated objective to sell up to 50% of it.
Midia Research
The Classical Music Market: Streaming's Next Genre? [PDF]
by Mark Mulligan, Keith Jopling and Zach Fuller
Classical music is young, big in size and is embracing streaming. A white paper.
XXL
2019 'XXL' Freshman Class
Check it out.
Synchtank
Behind the Booming Business of Songwriting for K-Pop with Peermusic
by Emma Griffiths
Key takeaways from Midem's 'Songwriting for K-pop' panel which discussed the intricacies of the Korean music market and the opportunities it presents.
Complex
Young Nudy, Reluctant Rap Star
by Frazier Tharpe
Following a tumultuous start to his year, Young Nudy dropped one of the best projects of 2019 so far. Can he keep the momentum going and stay out of trouble?
Vogue Australia
How Billie Eilish went from unknown teen to megastar in two years
Playing to sell-out crowds across the globe, Billie Eilish is beloved for more than just her music. At just 17, she's also earning adulation for her singular style, authenticity and her innate strength to carve her own career path. Here, read the full cover story and see every picture from "Vogue Australia's" July 2019 issue.
Music Business Worldwide
The music industry just failed to fix streaming fraud with a toothless 'Code of Conduct'
by Tim Ingham
The industry has come together to pledge... nothing new, really.
Rolling Stone
Fake Streams Could Be Costing Artists $300 Million a Year
by Elias Leight
As streaming platforms grow, indie labels are becoming increasingly concerned about how the numbers can be manipulated.
bummer in the summer
Slate
How Pandora's Music Genome Project Was Created
by Mike Pesca and Nolan Gasser
The science of song.
Penny Fractions
There is No Career in Memes (Sorry Lil Nas X)
by David Turner
 What is the value in going viral?
Afropunk
Revolution Rave: How Dance Music Changed South Africa
by Zamalisa Mdoda
The smuggling of Techno music into the South African rave scene in the 90s gave Black producers material to create an entirely new and authentic South African genre of music -- Kwaito.
Chicago Reader
How Homocore Chicago propped open the gate for queer punks
by Micco Caporale
Today's activist bookers face dramatically different hurdles, but Joanna Brown and Mark Freitas gave them all a running start with this 1990s concert series.
The New Yorker
The Nostalgia in Beto O'Rourke's Indie-Rock Videos
by Amanda Petrusich
When the Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke was a younger man, he played in a band called Foss. It was a relatively obscure group, both inside and outside of El Paso, O'Rourke's home town, where the band was based.
The FADER
An interview with the Houston City Council candidate formerly known as Scarface
by Jordan Darville
Read an interview with Brad Jordan a.k.a. Scarface about his run for Houston City Council, the passing of his Geto Boyd bandmate Bushwick Bill, and much more.
The Evening Standard
Florence Welch: Touring's lonely now I'm sober... but the fans save me
by Alistair Foster
Florence on going sober, tour nerves and why she has to switch off social media.
Electronic Beats
Los Angeles Hardcore: Inside The Incredible Retro-'90s Rave World Of Flapjack The Kandi Kid
by Michelle Lhooq
Flapjack The Kandi Kid is an LA-based DJ active in the city's thriving hardcore rave underground.
Genius
Behind The Rise Of Lil Tecca
by Eddie Fu, Delisa Shannon and Tia Hill
Queens, New York native Lil Tecca has gone from local rapper to viral sensation to Billboard hitmaker in a matter of months. Prior to debuting on the Hot 100 chart with "Ransom," the 16-year-old rapper gained a following with buzzing hits like "Love…
Metal Insider
'Metal Insider's' response to domestic abuse in the metal community
by Zenae Zukowski
On Saturday (15th), while I was sitting in the airport waiting to head back to New York, I noticed MetalSucks published a rather disturbing story on Katy DiSanto, the wife of Vektor vocalist/guitarist David DiSanto, of accusing her husband of abuse. You can read Katy's full story via as well as make a donation on her campaign.
MUSIC OF THE DAY
YouTube
"1999"
Cassius
RIP Philippe Zdar.
"REDEF is dedicated to my mother, who nurtured and encouraged my interest in everything and slightly regrets the day she taught me to always ask 'why?'"
@JasonHirschhorn


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