jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 04/21/2023 - Grainge: The Next Generation, NBA YoungBoy Working From Home, Frank Ocean, Brad Paisley, Tower Records...

I don't think there's ever gonna be a label exec or an A&R guy or a marketing guy who says, 'Go and sing this different,' and pushes music forward. No one was telling Picasso to paint the ear on the left-hand side. Open in browser Friday April 21, 2023 Muna's Naomi McPherson (left) and Josette Maskin at Coachella, April 14, 2023. The LA group is back at the Mojave stage this afternoon. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images) quote of the day "I don't think there's ever gonna be a label exec or an A&R guy or a marketing guy who says, 'Go and sing this different,' and pushes music forward. No one was telling Picasso to paint the ear on the left-hand side." - Elliot Grainge, founder and CEO, 10K Projects rantnrave:// It's Friday And YOUNGBOY NEVER BROKE AGAIN, who released eight full-length projects while living under house arrest in Utah in 2022, is slowing down: DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME, which he literally did try at home, is only his second album of 2023 (though with 33 tracks, maybe it counts as two?). The world's most popular noncommercial rapper has also promised to slow his roll, aesthetically speaking—dialing back his aggro, confrontational lyrics (a little anyway), as if to match the relatively quiet surroundings of the mountain home he's still not allowed to leave. "I'm only going to get more groovy from here," he told Billboard early this year... EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL, aka husband and wife Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn, they of "the chic sway of cocktail jazz, the giddy thrill of jangle-pop, the stirring beats of electronic dance music," return with their first album in 24 years. They stopped after the 1999 album "Temperamental" to raise their family—while continuing to work on music projects separately—and found themselves drawn back toward EBTG during the pandemic. "We started with low expectations, but actually we've impressed us," Thorn told the New York Times. "If you're going to come back after a long gap, then come back with a bang." Seattle doom metal band BELL WITCH's epic FUTURE'S SHADOW PART 1: THE CLANDESTINE GATE is a single 83-minute track. It's the first of a planned three-album cycle in which the end of the final album will connect to the beginning of this one, so the three can be played as a continuous loop... Indie rocker MAC DEMARCO's ONE WAYNE G, which appears to collect demos and sketches recorded over the past five years, has 198 more tracks than the Bell Witch album, most of them apparently instrumentals and most with nothing more than a date for a title ("20190205," "20221121," etc.). It's as if he uploaded the entire contents of his Voice Memos folder to Bandcamp. Everyone's favorite artist should do this at least once in their career. Also today: New albums from Agust D (aka Suga of BTS), Tiësto, Lloyd Banks, Swizz Beatz, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Nourished by Time, Dreamer Isioma, Superviolet, Portrayal of Guilt, Iann Dior, Zombie Juice (of Flatbush Zombies), Gabe 'Nandez, Jain, Jordy, Ben Wendel (feat. Cécile McLorin Salvant, Terence Blanchard, Bill Frisell and others), John Pizzarelli, M.E.B. (formerly known as the Miles Electric Band), Easy Star All-Stars (reggae remake of David Bowie's "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust..."), Morgan Heritage , Alfa Mist, Kae Tempest, Brother May, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Esther Rose, Bella White, Lael Neale, Dorthia Cottrell, Enter Shikari, As Everything Unfolds, Naomi Yang (score to her own documentary film, "Never Be a Punching Bag for Nobody"), All Hands_Make Light, Arthur King (released Wednesday), Silver Moth (new band featuring Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite), the Infamous Stringdusters (tribute to Flatt & Scruggs), Cinder Well, Rose City Band, Nathan Connolly (of Snow Patrol), Pearl & the Oysters, Floodlights, Brutal Youth, Cathedrale, the 69 Eyes, Jethro Tull, Ian Hunter (feat. posthumous appearances by Jeff Beck and Taylor Hawkins)... And the 63-track "EarthPercent x Earth Day '23 Compilation Album" (released Thursday), featuring tracks from Brian Eno, Dry Cleaning, Julia Holter, Michael Stipe & Gaelynn Lea, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and many more... And Saturday is Record Store Day. Sellers' Market Forty-five indie agencies and management companies have signed on to a nine-point proposal by the NATIONAL INDEPENDENT TALENT ORGANIZATION to fix the "broken ticket-buying experience" in the US. The wish list includes all-in ticketing, with service fees included in the advertised price of a ticket but itemized so ticket buyers can see what the fees are; a cap on those fees; a ban on speculative resales; stronger anti-bot laws, and the right for artists to control how tickets are resold. A lot of those bullet points align with what LIVE NATION/TICKETMASTER, which is under government scrutiny for anti-competitive practices and for angering TAYLOR SWIFT fans, recently proposed in its own plan to fix the market. One particular point of non-alignment: The indies want primary ticket sellers like Ticketmaster to be legally banned from participating in, or profiting from, resales. Screen Shots ALLEN HUGHES' five-part documentary series DEAR MAMA: THE SAGA OF AFENI & TUPAC SHAKUR premieres today on FX and Hulu... CHEVALIER, a biopic about the 18th century French Senegalese violinist/composer JOSEPH BOLOGNE, THE CHEVALIER DE SAINT-GEORGES, is in theaters today. STEPHEN WILLIAMS directed the film about the overlooked Black virtuoso... Director LISA CORTÉS' theatrical doc LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING is streaming on demand. Dot Dot Dot COACHELLA 2023 happens all over again this weekend, this time without FRANK OCEAN, whose Sunday night slot will be taken over by BLINK-182, who will in turn be followed by a mega dance set from SKRILLEX, FOUR TET and FRED AGAIN.. It was unclear, as of Thursday night, which of those slots is the night's official headliner, or if it matters. The weekend will again be livestreamed on YOUTUBE... Your Coachella ticket, was it worth the price?... Livestreaming platform MANDOLIN, which launched early in the pandemic, has gone out of business. Count it among a curious subset of recent startups: those that couldn't survive the pandemic's end... KAROL G and BECKY G were the big winners at the LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS Thursday night in Las Vegas... A well-regulated kudos to STEVE EARLE. Invited to perform Tennessee's newest official state song for legislators in Nashville, the singer/songwriter, whose "COPPERHEAD ROAD" joins 10 other official Volunteer State songs, took the opportunity to remind the lawmakers he has another song "you gotta check out"—the anti-gun ballad "THE DEVIL'S RIGHT HAND"... The great war to welcome Taylor Swift to town. Rest in Peace Oboist/journalist BLAIR TINDALL, whose tell-all memoir, "Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music," was turned into a hit Amazon TV series. - Matty Karas, curator amplified heart Los Angeles Times Elliot Grainge is ready to step out from his father's shadow By Mikael Wood His father is chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group. But the way Elliot Grainge sees it, "In the last few years, the power of the major label has been completely decimated." The Ringer What's a God to a Machine? By Jeff Weiss Frank Ocean emerged from self-imposed exile to headline Coachella Weekend 1. After a polarizing set, he won't be returning for Weekend 2. What does his performance say about artistry in an increasingly algorithmic and AI-generated world? Billboard The Secret Life, House Arrest and Rebirth of YoungBoy Never Broke Again By Meaghan Garvey Despite spurning traditional models of success, the iconoclast became one of the planet's most popular and prolific rappers. Now he's atoning for his past — and contemplating what's next. The Washington Post How Brad Paisley became the most outspoken country star to support Ukraine By Emily Yahr The musician talks about how his collaboration with the Ukrainian president led to an actual face-to-face meeting in Kyiv. We Are the Mutants On 4th and Broadway: Remembering Tower Records By Michael Gonzales I dug all them shops, but I had no particular favorite until 1983, when Tower Records opened on Fourth and Broadway. The Guardian 'Our children will know who we were by our vinyl': the magic and mayhem of running a record shop By Dave Simpson Record Store Day will have music fans queuing up this weekend - but how do these shops survive, and what do they bring to the high street in 2023? Our writer puts in a shift at Jumbo in Leeds to find out. Music Business Worldwide Does YouTube owe Bad Bunny an explanation – or a bigger check? By Bill Werde Bill Werde juxtaposes record numbers for Latin music in the US with YouTube's historical payouts to music rightsholders. Billboard Music Creators Want Consent in the AI Age, But Developers Find Safe Havens Abroad By Kristin Robinson It's creatives vs. computers as artists fight to protect their copyrights. Rolling Stone Just Because AI-Generated Rap Songs Go Viral Doesn't Mean They're Good By Andre Gee The fact that so many rap fans keep clamoring about how "real" they sound is an unfortunate sign of the times. The Honest Broker Spotify Gives 49 Different Names to the Same Song By Ted Gioia Composers and recording artists are all different too, but the music is identical--what's going on? walking wounded The Washington Post The rebirth of the National: 'This record kind of saved our band' By Travis M. Andrews 'First Two Pages of Frankenstein,' the band's ninth studio album, helped curb some anxieties about its future. Fans, including collaborator Taylor Swift, remain loyal as ever. The FADER The benevolent reign of DJ Tiësto By Alex Robert Ross Dutch mega-DJ Tiësto explains what it's like to control 60,000 people's emotions at once. The Guardian Let's go round again: the ridiculous rise of fifth-anniversary vinyl reissues By Shaad D'Souza With young fans craving vinyl copies of relatively recent releases, the industry is shortening the nostalgia cycle to almost nothing. But how long can this boom really last? Pitchfork National Independent Talent Organization Reveals Plan to Reform Concert Ticketing By Madison Bloom NITO has released a nine-point strategy to fix unfair ticketing practices, supported by 45 independent management companies and booking agencies. Consequence At a Carbon Neutral Music Festival, We Gain More Than We Give Up By Wren Graves, Mary Siroky, Jonah Krueger... A look at the science behind carbon neutral music festivals and the impact it has on the fan experience. Tidal Ney Matogrosso: 'I'll die a transgressor' By James Gavin On the eve of a historic New York City concert, the Brazilian icon reflects on a life of unbridled expression and gay liberation. GQ The Inescapable Dominance of Don Toliver By Paul Thompson The Houston rapper and Travis Scott protege released one of the best albums of the year so far-another step on his steady path to industry dominance. Kreative Kontrol Kreative Kontrol: Adam Horovitz from Beastie Boys By Vish Khanna and Adam Horovitz Adam Horovitz reflects upon his time being Ad-Rock in Beastie Boys, the 2023 NBA playoffs, a toaster oven, 'Beastie Boys Book' and 'Beastie Boys Story' and 'Beastie Boys Audiobook,' satire and comedy, embracing new technologies and making things up as you go. Dallas Observer Almost Dallas-Famous: The DFW Music Scene Is Built To Last, but Are Local Fans Coming? By Eva Raggio Dallas has venues of all sizes, seasoned players, excellent schools, and various local publications covering the local scene. The stage is set, the mic has been checked again and again. Are fans listening? DJ Mag How to survive as a record store in 2023 By Eileen Pegg Despite the vinyl resurgence, high costs and countless online competitors mean it's still tough going for record stores. DJ Mag speaks to shops around the UK and beyond about the innovative methods they're using to stay afloat and provide essential community hubs in 2023. what we're into Music of the day "No Lease" YoungBoy Never Broke Again From "Don't Try This at Home," out today on Motown. Video of the day "Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni & Tupac Shakur" Allen Hughes On FX and Hulu. 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?'" 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