jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 04/19/2022 - Disruptions, Can Fivio Foreign Go Mainstream?, Concert Inflation, DJ Kay Slay, Doja Cat...

It's asinine that labels are still sending paper statements to artists a couple times each year. Open in browser Tuesday April 19, 2022 Reggaeton star Karol G at Coachella, April 17, 2022. (Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images) quote of the day "It's asinine that labels are still sending paper statements to artists a couple times each year." - Milana Rabkin Lewis, Stem CEO rantnrave:// Asinine Ponies Blockchain, NFTs, direct distribution, the Metaverse, selling vinyl at gigs, selling WAVs on your website, call it what you want, wrap it in whatever packaging you want, at the end of the day the best way to disrupt the recorded music business for the benefit of artists, if that's the goal, is to give them agency and information. Just tell them where their money is. Let them know how many units they've sold, how many songs have been streamed and downloaded, how many plays they've gotten on radio in Mexico City and in bars in Paris, what they're owed and when they're going to get it, and then make sure they do get it. That's it. That's my recipe for disruption. LOL at today's salty quote of the day, above, from STEM's MILANA RABKIN LEWIS, which comes from the middle of an otherwise business-like press release on her company's new $20 million funding round. Labels are "asinine," here's why, and now back to our press release. Stem is one of a number of innovative companies offering alternative tools to artists to fund, release, distribute and track their music, and I've always liked the basic approach, which makes clear it isn't a tech company looking for a way to capitalize on music but an artist services company with ideas on how to capitalize on tech. An essential difference, and quite a few artists and smart people in the business believe in it. Anyway, that's my explanation for today's quote of the day, which if funny/true and which I assume most people at most big labels agree with... Quote of the day #2 comes from new DEATH ROW RECORDS owner SNOOP DOGG, who, when he's not sipping Coronas on the beach, is a Metaverse and token guy, and not, apparently, a SPOTIFY guy. His first order of business upon taking over his old label, he told the Drink Champs podcast, was "snatched all the music off of those platforms traditionally known to people, because those platforms don't pay. And those platforms get millions and millions and millions of streams and nobody gets paid other than the record labels." For now that appears to mean Spotify and APPLE MUSIC but not TIDAL, which still has Death Row classics like DOGGYSTYLE and THE CHRONIC. The plan, Snoop tells the pod, is to start a Death Row app "sort of similar to AMAZON, NETFLIX, HULU," which sounds like a questionable prospect for fans—are you going to have to open a new app every time you want to hear an artist or record on a different label?—but maybe a necessary temporary one for artists and a label trying to navigate their way toward agency, transparency, information and eventually, one hopes, toward a more inclusive app, or maybe one that ties all the other apps together... Album announcement of the day belongs to KENDRICK LAMAR, whose official announcement of his fifth album, MR. MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS, came in the form of a retweet of a two-month old tweet from a fan complaining that "Kendrick Lamar is officially retired." Dear all other artists: That's how you reply to a tweet. The announcement of Lamar's first album in five years also serves as a subtle rebuke to Spotify boss DANIEL EK's infamous dictum that "you can't record music once every three to four years and think that's going to be enough." Dear Daniel Ek and colleagues: Yes. You can... Spotify competitor DEEZER is going public, at a planned valuation of $1.13 billion, via a merger with I2PO, a special purpose acquisition company. Deezer has about a 2% share of the global streaming market and, reports the Wall Street Journal (paywall), about the same valuation it had in 2018, when it last raised capital. Rest in Peace Romanian piano virtuoso RADU LUPU, who was venerated by his fellow players both for his technical prowess and his ability to express himself through the instrument. "The piano is... an impersonal machine of levers and hammers," the New Yorker's Alex Ross wrote in a review of a 2005 program of Beethoven concertos at Carnegie Hall. "But an A above middle C sounds different under Lupu's finger. It glows from within"... Modernist British composer HARRISON BIRTWISTLE, renowned for his complex, theatrical works... DAVID FREEL, singer/guitarist of the San Francisco rock band Swell, who in later years ran a custom vinyl-cutting business. - Matty Karas (@troubledoll), curator our man in paris The New Yorker Fivio Foreign's Big Move By Kelefa Sanneh He made his name rapping about gang warfare. Can he go mainstream? Bloomberg Fans Are Spending More Money at Concerts Than Ever Before By Lucas Shaw The average ticket price has jumped 10% from 2019, while spending on parking and merchandise is up even more. No Bells Can a streaming platform create a niche music genre? By Kieran Press-Reynolds Spotify's editorial playlists like hyperpop and phonk may help smaller artists, but they threaten to flatten how online communities are seen. WIRED The Artful, Subdued Translations of Modern Pop By Jason Parham Young artists like Latto, Vince Staples, and Doechii are subtly persuading listeners to rethink the way music genres can be interpreted. The Atlantic A Stanford Psychologist Says He's Cracked the Code of One-Hit Wonders By Derek Thompson What separates Blind Melon from Shania Twain? NPR Music Recovering and reclaiming Black women's place in music history By Ashawnta Jackson Black women's contributions to pop music have long been erased or misunderstood. Three recent books, including Danyel Smith's Shine Bright, focus on these stories, offering a richer record of history. Billboard Artists Say Universal Music Is Holding Masters 'Hostage,' Demand Class Action Status By Bill Donahue UMG has "systematically and uniformly" rejected termination notices from a large class of artists, according to a new filing. The FADER From graffitti tags to diss tracks, DJ Kay Slay's hip-hop influence was generational By Son Raw DJ Kay Slay, who passed away on Monday (Apr. 18), was an era-spanning innovator who never shied away from competition. Vulture The Highs, Lows, and Whoas of Coachella 2022 By Dan Reilly, Ilana Kaplan and Zoe Haylock From Harry Styles's Shania Twain cameo to … a metal version of the "Simpsons" theme? UPROXX Doja Cat Should Have Headlined Coachella 2022 By Aaron Williams Sunday night, Doja Cat made a pretty solid argument that she is one of the biggest and best rappers -- and performers -- on the planet. one flight up New Frame Intifada 1987: The story of a rare Palestinian album By Atiyyah Khan A rare recording featuring Palestinian artist Riad Awwad and poet Mahmoud Darwish has resurfaced, found amid a collection of 12,000 old cassette tapes in the West Bank. Culture Notes of an Honest Broker Did the Blues Originate in New Orleans? By Ted Gioia Something unusual happened in New Orleans music around 1895-was it the birth of the blues? Bloomberg Billionaire Francois Pinault and Partners Are Set to Buy Deezer in a $1.1 Billion Deal By Angelina Rascouet Billionaire Francois Pinault and the other founders of a blank-check firm are buying music-streaming platform Deezer in a deal valued at more than $1 billion. The Guardian It's 'Atlanta' meets 'Entourage,' but with sexier accents: the brilliant French rap drama that's breaking records By Michael Hogan "All The Way Up" is a thrilling dive into the French hip-hop scene that became a word-of-mouth sensation there, watched by tens of millions. Now, it lands in the UK at last. Rolling Stone Every Harry Styles Song Ranked By Rob Sheffield He's built one of the wildest, weirdest songbooks of modern times -- from Seventies raunch to epic folk beauty to glam grandeur. Pitchfork Jazz Poet Alabaster DePlume Isn't Afraid to Ask the Biggest Questions By Laura Snapes In this Rising interview, the British musician talks about playing with a new band at every show, the catharsis of surrendering to the moment, and the intrinsic sense of community that powers his stunning new album. CDM Create Digital Music Here's what to know about the return of synth maker legend Tom Oberheim By Peter Kirn Moog and Sequential got their names back. Roger Linn never went away. Now Oberheim is back after 35 years, restoring the legacy of one of the great synth makers. You've likely seen this news, but let's break it down even further. BBC Sounds Carl Cox: Music and Motorbikes By Rick Faragher and Carl Cox Legendary DJ Carl Cox opens up about the glory days of dance music and his love of bikes. The Independent Charley Crockett: 'If you know nothing, you're probably not gonna write a great song' By Leonie Cooper Prolific, stylish and uber talented, Charley Crockett is an old-school country music superstar in waiting. Leonie Cooper talks to the Texan singer-songwriter about FaceTiming Willie Nelson and busking his way across America. Complete Music Update The battle for Sheffield's Leadmill music venue By Andy Malt and Chris Cooke CMU's Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including the battle over Sheffield's Leadmill venue after its current management were served with an eviction notice, plus the producer suing Justin Bieber for allegedly breaking promises on royalties. what we're into Music of the day "Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)" Arcade Fire A last-minute addition to the Friday early evening lineup. "Unconditional I" is from Arcade Fire's new album, "We," due May 6 from Columbia Video of the day "Round Midnight" Bertrand Tavernier Director Bertrand Tavernier's smoky portrait of an American jazz musician in Paris earned Dexter Gordon an Oscar nomination for his acting and Herbie Hancock an Oscar win for his score. 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