jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 10/28/2019 - Dowsing for Water With Kanye, Bandcamp's Rise, Max Martin, Bands & Brands, Lizzo, Dead Kennedys...

A vibrant imagination is where the best songs R found. Make-believe characters wearing make-believe clothes all 2gether creating memories & calling it Life.
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Moses Boyd performing at a Jazz re-freshed showcase at SXSW, Austin, Texas, March 14, 2018.
(Jason Bollenbacher/Getty Images)
Monday - October 28, 2019 Mon - 10/28/19
rantnrave:// I'm not sure what to make of a man who beseeches his listeners to "hold the selfies / put the 'GRAM away" on Sunday—the Lord's day, the day CHICK-FIL-A closes—but who's using his TWITTER account on this particular Sunday to promote his own internet livestream in all capital letters and who used his Twitter account the previous Sunday to promote his own new album in equally capitalistic letters. There's a specific word or two that comes to mind. There are a number of moments within the 27 minutes that constitute JESUS IS KING where you might find the same words dancing around your head. But I don't want to judge another man's relationship with his god, or with himself. I don't know where he is on his path. I do know he's still a hell of a producer, a master of sonics and aesthetics, and that there are a number of other moments where my nonbelieving soul is stirred. The choir urging us to "sing till the power of the Lord comes down" on the opening "EVERY HOUR." The sublime falsetto soul of "WATER," with guest singer ANT CLEMONS. The conscious hip-hop throwback of "FOLLOW GOD," with an agitated KANYE WEST (this is his record, after all) wrestling with competing fathers and taking a stand against social media "like" buttons. He got 434,000 likes on that tweet last Sunday, but only 39,000 on this Sunday's tweet. And there are moments where his rapping and singing will have you missing Clemons and assorted other guests and, especially, that choir. "I go hard," he raps. "That's on God." You may want God to go a little harder on him. On a purely musical level, that is. There are deeply complicated questions within all if this, and they don't all have satisfying answers, or any answers. Writing for BILLBOARD, NAIMA COCHRANE has important ones to ask about West's relationship with the black community. It's a question on a lot of people's minds right about now. The NEW YORK TIMES' JON CARAMANICA has a different question: Has he changed at all?... PRINCE narrates his life through age 19, and his co-writer DAN PIEPENBRING uses a variety of sources from Prince's vault to take the story forward another decade—till he disbanded the REVOLUTION—in the memoir THE BEAUTIFUL ONES, out Tuesday... You may find yourself thinking "Gee, ELTON JOHN is a lot like me" as you read his memoir, "ME," but (spoiler alert) Elton John is not in fact like any of us, friend-of-REDEF BILL FLANAGAN writes for AIR MAIL... DISCOGS looks back on the 2010s through the lens of the albums its users have bought or wanted to buy (a random way of accessing a decade's memories, as it were), while NPR reviews a decade in the life of BANDCAMP. Those and more in our continually expanding MusicSET: "Alright Alright Alright: The 2010s in Music"... RIP PAUL BARRERE, LEYNA GABRIELE and MARTA KURTAG.
- Matty Karas, curator
feats don't fail me now
NPR
The 2010s: The Rise Of Bandcamp
by Lars Gotrich and Bob Boilen
Since its founding in 2008, Bandcamp has become a buzzing, artist-friendly hub for music lovers, with pay-what-you-want pricing and lots of rabbit holes leading to music you won't find anywhere else. In this episode of All Songs Considered, CEO and co-founder Ethan Diamond says that when an artist succeeds on Bandcamp, Bandcamp succeeds.
The Guardian
'We're not made to be famous': Max Martin, the powerhouse of pure pop
by Michael Cragg
The man behind two decades of hits for Britney, Ariana, Taylor and and more is 'thankful' singers still put themselves out there. Now, 30 of his songs are getting a second life from Shakespeare.
Billboard
Using This Gospel: The Black Community's Skepticism of Kanye West's New Direction
by Naima Cochrane
For years, we made up our own excuses for Kanye, needing to identify an impetus in his erraticism. Now, we've had to start accepting maybe that this is just Ye.
The New York Times
Kanye West, Heretic by Nature, Finds God
by Jon Caramanica
On "Jesus Is King," his ninth album, the rapper turns to gospel music, suggesting a shift in his public image that's actually not much of a change at all.
The Undefeated
Kanye has a new album, but he isn't worth our time anymore
by David Dennis Jr.
In the past, we've overlooked his antics because of his transcendent music. That Mr. West is gone.
Superhype
How the Intersect Music Festival Demonstrates the Risks of the Band/Brand Relationship
by David Deal
Cultural relevance is a two-edged sword, as the Amazon Web Service (AWS) Intersect music festival illustrates.
Complex
How Netflix's 'Rhythm + Flow' Became a Breakout Reality Hit
by Brenden Gallagher
Netflix's "Rhythm + Flow" isn't just a hit, it is one of the best television shows of the year, precisely because it embraces authenticity in a television format that so often feels completely fabricated. 
NPR Music
'We Live In The Time Of Joni Mitchell': Brandi Carlile Turns 'Blue' Into Repertoire
by Ann Powers
Carlile's tribute concert established a new approach to canonizing Mitchell's work. And in a video produced for the concert, musicians and friends share their favorite lyrics by Mitchell.
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello on Linda Ronstadt
by Elvis Costello
In very different times, my reaction to having my songs recorded by other singers was downright suspicious, territorial and, at times even a little hostile. To say the least, I lacked grace...
Variety
How the Genre-Defying NVDES Became Apple's 'House Band'
by James Patrick Herman
The iPhone 11 ad uses the AWAL artist's song "Brazooka," his fourth collaboration with the tech giant.
skin it back
Literary Hub
Dead Kennedys in the West: The Politicized Punks of 1970s San Francisco
by Lincoln A. Mitchell
When the Sex Pistols, the signature band of the British punk scene, broke up following their San Francisco concert in January 1978, punk rock entered a new era. The Clash, who went on to become the best of all punk rock bands, had not yet released an album in the United States, so there was no natural successor to the Sex Pistols.
Texas Music
Lizzo's Moment
by Julia Smith
How a formerly homeless 30-year-old classically trained flautist became this year's pop superstar.
Music Business Worldwide
Zane Lowe on Apple Music and Beats 1's commitment to artists and being the 'No.1 service for hip-hop in the world'
by Murray Stassen
'We want artists to be able to do whatever they want, ultimately. That's always been the dream.'
Guitar.com
Fender CEO Andy Mooney on why Fender Songs will change the way we learn guitar
by Chris Vinnicombe
The Fender CEO on how Fender Songs will break down genre barriers for learning your favourite tracks.
Discogs
The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s
by Jeffrey Lee Puckett and Brent Greissle
Real people. Real collections. This list of the best albums of the 2010's consists of the most desired and most purchased records by Discogs users.
VICE
11 Artists on Covering John Cage's '4'33"'
by Keagon Voyce
Mute Records is celebrating its 40th birthday with 58 covers of Cage's trailblazing piece of silent music from artists like Lee Ranaldo and Maps.
Complex
Rap Life, Dad Life, Real Life
by Myke Bogan
Myke Bogan is a father and rapper based between LA and Portland. The balancing act between fatherhood and artistry defines his professional and personal life.
The Guardian
Comic strips, goofy snaps and mirror selfies: inside Prince's private archive
by Sukhdev Sandhu
When Prince died, he was three months into work on a deeply personal memoir. Co-writer Dan Piepenbring talks about bringing his idol's project to completion.
FACT Magazine
Sonic Futures: How Technology is Guiding Electronic Music
by Anoushka Seigler
"Sonic Futures: How Technology is Guiding Electronic Music" is an original mini-documentary exploring British technological innovation in electronic music.
The Washington Post
How the Kinks turned a British history lesson into a rock masterpiece that still resonates
by Geoff Edgers
Ray and Dave Davies talk about "Arthur," their just-reissued 1969 album, which feels newly relevant in the era of Brexit.
MUSIC OF THE DAY
YouTube
"Stranger Than Fiction"
Moses Boyd
"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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