jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 03/15/2023 - Fair Pay at SXSW, Artist Visas, Creating a Reggaeton Archive, Sped-Up Songs, Pink Floyd, Meg White...

One of my teachers wrote in my yearbook: 'Speak softly and carry a big stick.' And I took that to heart apparently. Open in browser Wednesday March 15, 2023 One drummer army: The White Stripes' Meg White in Australia, October 2003. (Bob King/Redferns/Getty Images) quote of the day "One of my teachers wrote in my yearbook: 'Speak softly and carry a big stick.' And I took that to heart apparently." - Meg White, drummer, the White Stripes rantnrave:// Paid (Barely) to Play SXSW MUSIC is under way. Maybe you ran into BOYGENIUS busking in baggage claim at Austin-Bergstrom Airport Tuesday afternoon. And maybe busking in baggage claim is the only sensible way to go at an international festival that's paying you a grand total of $250 (if you're a band, that is; it's $100 if you're a solo artist), minus $55 for the festival application fee, and minus the entire $250 if you decide you'd prefer a complimentary SXSW wristband instead, which is the choice most artists apparently make. Some 2,000 artists have signed a petition, sponsored by the UNION OF MUSICIANS AND ALLIED WORKERS, demanding "Fair Pay at SXSW," and on Tuesday several of them including Memphis' BLVCK HIPPIE, Chicago's DIVINO NIÑO and Tacoma's ENUMCLAW played an unofficial SXSW showcase to benefit the cause at Austin's HOLE IN THE WALL, where wristbands weren't required but donations were requested. (SXSW responded in February: "We appreciate the feedback from the UMAW and will be doing our policy review after next month's event.") On a recent KEXP podcast, RENÉ KLADZYK, a journalist and artist who records as ZIEMBA, talked in depth about why this matters to musicians struggling to support themselves on the road in 2023, and connected it to another looming issue: the US Department of Homeland Security's potentially devastating proposal to more than triple the fees for the visas international artists need to enter the country. The proposed fees, which would exceed $1,600 (and significantly more for traveling groups of more than 25 people, such as orchestras), would in part help fund the processing of asylum claims on the southern border. "They are pitting two issues against one another," US Rep. MAXWELL FROST, D-Fla., told Pollstar. "It will... beat down an industry that's coming back." There's widespread opposition among artists, presenters and arts advocates in the US and abroad, who say it could significantly hamper the ability of artists from Europe, South America and elsewhere to perform in the US at all, while creating enormous new expenses, likely to be passed on to consumers, for those who do. It should be noted it's just a proposal for now. A public comment period ended Monday, and opponents note that past attempts at increasing the fees have been defeated. But if it passes this time, SXSW could look very different next year, as could concert lineups and other performing arts programming throughout the US. Rest in Peace South African jazz singer/composer GLORIA BOSMAN. - Matty Karas, curator passive manipulation NPR A tough question led one woman to create the first Puerto Rican reggaeton archive By Lisette Arevalo, Pablo Valdivia and Ana Pais Patricia Velázquez spent her whole life listening to reggaeton. But when she was questioned about sexism in the songs, she began an investigation that would lead her to create something new. Pollstar Why The Artist Visa Hike Is A 'Lose-Lose' Proposition By J.R. Lind The Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service are proposing to more than triple the fees for the most common types of visas used by touring acts.  KEXP Sound & Vision: 250 By Emily Fox, René Kladzyk and Alaia D'Alessandro The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers has published an open letter calling for higher pay for artists performing at SXSW. Letter organizer René Kladzyk (artist name: Ziemba) talks about the list of demands. Alaia D'Alessandro of the Seattle band Tres Leches talks about the prevalence of getting paid $250 at festivals. Variety Pink Floyd's $500 Million Catalog Sale Is 'Basically Dead' -- Or Is It? By Jem Aswad Pink Floyd's proposed $500 million sale of the rights to their iconic five-decade, multiplatinum recorded-music catalog is "basically dead" because the surviving bandmembers "just can't get along," four sources close to the situation tell Variety -- however, sources close to the band insist that it's not. The Verge Why Spotify wants to look like TikTok, with co-president Gustav Söderström By Alex Heath and Gustav Söderström You're going to have strong feelings about this redesign. Billboard With Sped-Up Songs Taking Over, Artists Feel the Need for Speed By Elias Leight Life in the fast lane: Labels are leaning into uptempo remixes as a way of driving streams and bringing "new life to tracks." The Guardian 'I'm a little hard to pin down': country star Brad Paisley becomes unlikely Ukraine advocate By David Smith The three-time Grammy winner appeared at the White House to perform his new, pro-Ukraine song -- which has a cameo from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Pitchfork Arabic Music Is on the Brink of a Global Breakthrough By Danny Hajjar Thanks to the rise of platforms like TikTok and the breakdown of traditional music-industry gatekeeping, a new generation of Arab artists is reaching a worldwide audience on their own terms. Love is the Message ‎Love is the Message: The Gallery By Jeremy Gilbert and Tim Lawrence Jeremy and Tim check in to Nicky Siano's downtown spot The Gallery, a legendary party space often uttered in the same breath as the Loft, the Paradise Garage and the Warehouse. Nicky was a highly influential and original DJ who had as much as influence on Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles as David Mancuso. NPR Music RETRO READ: Meg White Is The 21st Century's Loudest Introvert By Talia Schlanger White's drumming made her one of the loudest musicians of this century, yet she's often remembered for being a quiet person -- setting a no-apologies template for letting her work speak for itself. in the cold, cold night Adam Neely The Mesmerizing Harmony of Wayne Shorter By Adam Neely Exploring Infant Eyes, and why Wayne Shorter's music is great! The Cadence Streaming Has 99 Problems, But Regulators Ain't One Calls for an FTC probe have little potential. The Telegraph Can Apple really start a classical-music revolution? By James Hall The tech giant is about to launch the world's largest classical streaming service on its new app. But how will it work? Rolling Stone The Industry Voted Him 'Best New Artist' -- and Then Moved On. Now Sie7e Is Making a Comeback By Lucas Villa The prolific singer-songwriter from Puerto Rico is seizing a new opportunity in music with the refined EP "El Día Antes del Día." God's Music Is My Life How Did Teri Desario's Anti-Imperialist Message Make Its Way Into Contemporary Christian Music? By Tim Dillinger Teri DeSario's prophetic and forward-seeing eye understood an expanded notion of faith that remains, to this day, taboo and viewed as heretical.  Billboard Why Stephen Cooper Chose Web3 for His First Move After Warner Music By Glenn Peoples Amid growing skepticism around NFTs, Cooper and OneOf CEO Lin Dai explain why artists "are far better off embracing than rejecting" the new paradigm. No Depression Musical Mission: A Trip to Havana With Trombone Shorty By Hilary Saunders Inside a musical exchange in Havana hosted by the Trombone Shorty Foundation, which aims to forge connections between students and musicians drawing from the rich cultures of Cuba and New Orleans, which have more in common than you might think. KQED Olivia Records Musicians Keep a Lesbian Feminist Legacy Alive By Andrew Gilbert Teresa Trull and Barbara Higbie reflect on their history-making movement. The Guardian Forget the 80s -- the best time to be a British metalhead is now By Matt Mills Not only are the legends of old still touring, but a new generation of musicians are broadening the genre's music and deepening its political engagement. Rolling Stone The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time By Adrien Begrand, J.D. Considine, Grayson Haver Currin... Devil horns up! From Sabbath to Scorpions to Slipknot, from the Sunset Strip to Scandinavia. what we're into Music of the day "Let's Build a Home / Goin' Back to Memphis" The White Stripes Live on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," 2003. Video of the day "Keeping the Rhythm: An Exploration of Women Drummers" Sherrie Maricle/National Museum of American History A livestream discussion featuring clips of Terri Lyne Carrington, Dottie Dodgion, Pauline Braddy, Viola Smith, Cindy Blackman and the stream's host, Sherrie Maricle. 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