jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 02/21/2022 - Let's Tok Grammys?, WA Mozart Meet J Dilla, Big Thief, Inventing the Remix, Top Dawg Entertainment...

Silence is our enemy. Sound is our weapon. Open in browser Monday February 21, 2022 Warrior III: Janelle Monáe at the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans' City Park, Oct. 30, 2009. (Barry Brecheisen/WireImage/Getty Images) quote of the day "Silence is our enemy. Sound is our weapon." - Janelle Monáe rantnrave:// Let's Tok Grammys? The GRAMMYS and OSCARS, which both had historically bad ratings in 2021, will air just a week apart this spring with the film awards going first, and Billboard is wondering if that could signal further doom for the music awards. "It may be hard for the Grammys to make a serious bid for attention until the Oscars are over," PAUL GREIN writes. "And day-after Oscar recaps... will likely encroach even on that scant seven days between the two shows." The Oscars, which may be even more desperate for viewers than the Grammys, are throwing in a couple gimmicks: Three hosts for the first time since 1987, and public voting. Moviegoers are voting on TWITTER for their favorite film, which won't actually win an Oscar but will get airtime during the broadcast. They're also voting on their all-time favorite movie scenes, some of which will be shown on air, which is the kind of thing the Oscars have always liked to showcase anyway, no news there. But fans' favorite film is a step into uncharted territory for a normally buttoned-up show, a potentially terrible idea, and, one wonders, maybe the kind of thing the Grammys should consider, too? Twitter's favorite album of the most recent Grammy year? It would be by BTS, one imagines, and what would be wrong with that? There are 86 award categories at this year's event and BTS is nominated in only one of them (Best Pop Duo/Group Performance). Maybe Twitter knows butter, I mean better? Or what if, say, Grammy got a little more social with its categories? How about a Grammy for Best Sync on TikTok? Or Best YouTube Cover Version? Best Freestyle Rap? I don't think the Grammys want to be a simple popularity contest, nor do I think they should, but I do wonder if they might be better served by aligning themselves more closely with how and where music is consumed these days. A&Rs are looking for talent on social media; why shouldn't award shows be looking there, too? Why wait till this year's budding TIKTOK star releases her first major label album two from now? Why not act now? Ice Ice Plaintiff TV/film composers HEAVY YOUNG HEATHENS are suing US Olympic figure skaters ALEXA KNIERIM and BRANDON FRAZIER, who they say skated to their arrangement of "HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN" without permission, and NBC for broadcasting the performance. This was only the second Olympics in which skaters—in an attempt to attract younger fans to the sport—were allowed to use songs with vocals. The New York Times reported during the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang that skating competitions were considered live events for which licensing is compulsory and no sync rights are needed. But a repeat broadcast, or a broadcast outside the context of the live coverage, might trigger different rights, a music lawyer told the Times. The skaters, who used COLDPLAY's "FIX YOU" in a later event, told USA Today their legal team was dealing with the suit while they concentrated on the competition. NBC and US Figure Skating haven't commented. (Why that Coldplay song, btw? Knierim and Frazier and other skaters explain their choices.) Rest in Peace Singer-guitarist DALLAS GOOD, co-founder and leader, with his brother Travis, of beloved Toronto country-rockers the Sadies. By extension, he was also an honorary member of pretty much every other country-roots-rock band of a certain type... JAMAL EDWARDS, founder of the online music hub SBTV, a crucial platform for grime and instrumental in launching the career of several British artists including Ed Sheeran. Edwards was awarded an MBE for his service to British music when he was 24... STEVE SALAS, a founding member, with his brother Rudy, of Latin R&B band Tierra. The singer-bassist's other bands included El Chicano and the Salas Brothers, both Eastside Los Angeles staples... SCOTTY WRAY, Miranda Lambert's longtime guitarist, bandleader and songwriting collaborator. - Matty Karas (@troubledoll), curator the archandroid Los Angeles Times Mozart. Coltrane. Ellington. And J Dilla? Why the underrecognized beatmaker belongs among the legends By Dan Charnas Hip-hop beat-maker J Dilla's unique rhythms influenced artists such as Questlove and Kendrick Lamar and transformed the way traditional musicians approach their instruments. Vulture The Miracle of Big Thief By Justin Curto Contemplating infinity, cross-country trips, and a towering double album with rock's critical darlings. Slate Who Really Invented the Remix and How Did J.Lo and Katy Perry Weaponize It? By Chris Molanphy What began as a way to keep dance floors packed became a means to a hit by any means necessary. Mic Punch on TDE's transformation, SZA's growth, and Kendrick Lamar's swan song By William Ketchum III Top Dawg Entertainment's president shares game on developing relationships with his artists, his regrets over not releasing a Black Hippy album, and priceless advice from Jay-Z. The Guardian 'How is this classical music?' Composers' fury at Grammys shortlist By Dalya Alberge Outraged musicians say nominations have been 'mis-categorised', allowing pop and jazz artists to compete. Culture Notes of an Honest Broker A Regulator Asks My Advice on Blockchains for Musicians By Ted Gioia Here's what I said. Toronto Star Two Toronto radio stations have merged. Here's why music execs say it's a loss for Black culture By Demar Grant "I do think they can exist on the same station, but I don't think that they necessarily should exist on the same station," Keziah Myers of the Black music collective Advance said of the merger of Flow 93.5FM and G98.7. "It relegates (many) Black music genres to one place." Kreative Kontrol Dallas Good Remembered By Vish Khanna Remembering my friend, the Sadies' Dallas Good who passed away suddenly on February 17, 2022. Amidst the shock, I reflect upon my long relationship with Dallas' music and how he was genuinely the centre of our musical universe, connecting me and other people from all over the world. Music x What are they building in there? And why they shouldn't necessarily care whether you know By Maarten Walraven Let's look at three decentralized startups: Water & Music, Audius and GenesysGo/Shadowy Super Coders. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Drill Rap - If You Don't Know, Now You Know By Trevor Noah What is drill rap, and why is NYC Mayor Eric Adams trying to ban it? Trevor discusses the controversies surrounding it and the root causes of violence within the community. dirty computer VICE How Music Fell in Love With S***posting By Emma Madden Arca, Doja Cat and even John Mayer all profess to love the extremely online meme art form. Stereogum David Crosby On The 'Scummy People' At Spotify And His Lack Of Hope For The Music Industry By Ryan Leas "They're making billions with a b and they're paying out pennies with a p. That's not OK." Country Queer Lavender Country's Patrick Haggerty: Still Breaking Ground, 50 Years On By Sam Seliger In his improbable 21st-century renaissance, Haggerty has become something of a godfather to the burgeoning queer country scene, and his unique character has turned him into a cult figure. Pitchfork A Critical Survey of All the Random Things Older Rappers Are Doing Now By Alphonse Pierre In a genre where anyone over 30 is at risk of, fairly or unfairly, being labeled as "washed," it's a balancing act for rappers to maintain their cultural relevance without watering things down or settling into niche territory. InsideHook Is the World of Signature Guitars Finally Ready to Fix Its Gender Gap? By Hilary Saunders There are more female guitarists than ever. It's time that guitar companies recognized that. The Guardian 'Making music is about making assets for social media': pop stars battle digital burnout By Rhian Jones After Charli XCX left social media citing unkindness from fans, musicians are opening up about the pressures of maintaining an online presence The New York Times Devendra Banhart, Thao Nguyen and Tenille Ja'Nae on Being a Musician During Covid By Julia Rothman and Shaina Feinberg "Of course the pandemic completely rearranged the blueprints for how I knew how to navigate through the world." Three musicians on the constant shifting two years into the pandemic. Billboard The Ledger: What Does Wall Street Think of Concert No-Shows? By Glenn Peoples Some venues are finding that abnormally high numbers of ticket buyers are not showing up for concerts — could this affect investors' confidence? interdependence.fm Permanently archiving music and its context with Nina By Holly Herndon, Mat Dryhurst, Jack Callahan... A conversation with Jack Callahan, Eric Farber and Mike Pollard of Nina, who are building a protocol for permanent collections of music on the fast and affordable Solana Blockchain.  Salon Forget Bruno. "Dos Oruguitas" is the "Encanto" song we really need By Jodi Eichler-Levine Like abuela, we all thought we would be different people than who we are now. what we're into Music of the day "Say Her Name (Hell You Talmbout)" Janelle Monáe (feat. Various Artists) Monáe's searing 2021 update of her 2015 police brutality protest song "Hell You Talmbout." Video of the day "Janelle Monáe on Growing Up Queer and Black" The New Yorker Music | Media SUBSCRIBE Suggest a link "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?'" Jason Hirschhorn CEO & Chief Curator HOME | ABOUT | SETS | PRESS Redef Group Inc. LA - NY - Everywhere Copyright ©2021 UNSUBSCRIBE or MANAGE MY SUBSCRIPTION