jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 05/24/2023 - UMG Goes to Sleep, Country's Long-Running Food Fight, Can Songwriters Strike?, Battle Rap, Arlo Parks...

The people who are listening to my music aren't living my life and maybe they weren't there. But there is something about detailing the eyelash on somebody's cheek, or what exact song was playing on the CD when this happened, and the exact tone of brown of the floor... Being specific makes it feel like it's something that I really lived, and it is. Open in browser Wednesday May 24, 2023 Arlo Parks at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park, Austin, Oct. 7, 2022. (Rick Kern/WireImage/Getty Images) quote of the day "The people who are listening to my music aren't living my life and maybe they weren't there. But there is something about detailing the eyelash on somebody's cheek, or what exact song was playing on the CD when this happened, and the exact tone of brown of the floor... Being specific makes it feel like it's something that I really lived, and it is." - Arlo Parks, on songwriting rantnrave:// Sleep It Off If you can't beat 'em, join 'em—and sleep with 'em. UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP is partnering with A.I. music company ENDEL, known and sometimes derided for its functional music, which it says is "not designed for conscious listening." Endel's music is designed for activities like sleeping, studying and, major labels like UMG have suggested, taking streaming market share away from traditional artists and record companies. But now, UMG chief digital officer MICHAEL NASH says, Endel's technology will power "new music soundscapes... anchored in our artist-centric philosophy... powered by A.I. that respects artists' rights." Meaning? "We can process the stems from MILES DAVIS' KIND OF BLUE and come back with a functional sleep version of that album," co-founder OLEG STAVITSKY told Billboard in March. A UMG deal doesn't come with "Kind of Blue," unfortunately, but Endel will get its chance to work its ambient/artificlal magic with artists from UMG's REPUBLIC and INTERSCOPE labels within the next few months, the companies said in their announcement. MIDNIGHTS (ENDEL'S VERSION) anyone? You Ain't Lettuce Enough It's been eight years since the TomatoGate scandal exposed a not-very-well-kept secret about mainstream country radio in the US—that programmers refuse to play two songs featuring female singers in a row because they believe men are the lettuce in country music's salad and women are mere tomatoes, to be sprinkled on that salad like a garnish. Yes, someone actually said that. And yes, programmers at prominent commercial stations actually agreed. The world was crazy eight years ago. But the scandal led to an industry-wide uproar and programmers across the country, suitably embarrassed, started adding more women, and more back-to-back blocks of women, to their playlists, and a resurgence of female country stars followed, with increased radio play leading to chart and streaming success, which led to labels rushing to sign and promote more women, which led to still more radio play, and today, eight long, healthy years later, you can hardly escape MEGAN MORONEY, LAINEY WILSON, PRISCILLA BLOCK, KELSEA BALLERINI, MICKEY GUYTON, MAGGIE ROGERS, CARLY PEARCE, HAILEY WHITTERS, BRITTNEY SPENCER, ASHLEY MCBRYDE and all their superstar peers on the country radio dial at normal, daytime hours, when most listeners are awake. . Just kidding. Etc Etc Etc CD BABY is giving up its original business—distributing CDs and other physical products for indie artists—to concentrate on digital distribution. The company, part of Downtown Music Holdings, told customers its physical distribution business will close down next month... In its second round of layoffs in less than year, SOUNDCLOUD has cut another 8% of its staff, mostly in the US. "This is a challenging but essential decision to ensure the health of our business and get SoundCloud to profitability this year," CEO ELIAH SETON wrote in a memo to employees, as reported by Music Business Worldwide and Billboard... CHRIS BLACKWELL, ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO and an absent ARVO PÄRT, who was home in Estonia, received their POLAR MUSIC PRIZES Tuesday night in Stockholm. "There is nothing easy about the act of creating music," Blackwell told the assembled luminaries... MIAMI HEAT basketball star JIMMY BUTLER is also the team's unofficial locker room DJ and his playlists include MORGAN WALLEN, RICK ROSS and NICKELBACK. His teammates swear they appreciate it. Rest in Peace CHAS NEWBY, one of two lefthanded bassists who played with the Beatles. He was there for a handful of gigs in and around Liverpool in 1960. The group's other lefty bassist enjoyed a slightly longer run... South African music copyright lawyer GRAEME GILFILLAN, who zealously protected the rights of musicians including Miriam Makeba and Duran Duran... Longtime Metal Church drummer KIRK ARRINGTON, who played on the Bay Area metal band's first seven albums... Disgraced Australian pop and TV star ROLF HARRIS. - Matty Karas, curator collapsed in sunbeams The Pudding They Won't Play a Lady-O on Country Radio: Examining Back-to-Back Plays by Gender, Race, & Sexual Orientation By Jan Diehm and Jada Watson We looked at 29 radio stations across the US to see how often they played back-to-back songs by women. Don't Rock the Inbox No Two Ladies Back to Back! By Marissa R. Moss This newsletter, written by two women, is basically illegal on country radio. Pitchfork Why Songwriters Can't Have Their Own Writers Strike--Yet By Luke Ottenhof The WGA strike has put a renewed focus on creatives' fight for fairer pay. When will musicians get their big moment? The New Yorker Battle Rap's Unwoke Representation Politics By Jay Caspian Kang Even if the point of battle rap is trading increasingly offensive insults, the whole thing functions on a certain system of trust. Rolling Stone How Hip-Hop Gave Me a Second Chance at Life By A.D. Carson Unpacking the history of rappers who have attempted to publicly navigate issues with mental health. The New York Times Audiences Are Coming Back to Orchestras After a 'Scary' Fall By Zachary Woolfe "It seemed like a switch flipped right before Thanksgiving," the leader of the Chicago Symphony said. Sound Expertise The Paradoxes of Black Classical Music with Kira Thurman By Will Robin, D. Edward Davis and Kira Thurman The African-American pianist Hazel Harrison played with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1904, and was promptly forgotten. But Kira Thurman, author of the incredible book "Singing Like Germans," remembers. Dazed Digital MP3s made by NPCs? The rise of AI-generated muzak By Günseli Yalcinkaya AI-generated music is clogging up Spotify algorithms and creating an increasingly mid and barren hellscape - but is there more to the story? Billboard With So Few Hit Covers in 2023, Why Is Luke Combs' 'Fast Car' Doing So Well? By Katie Atkinson This week's Five Burning Questions looks at Luke Combs' version of Tracy Chapman's 1988 classic, which moves 11-9 on the Hot 100 this week. GQ Rob Grant, Lana Del Rey's Father, Loves Being a Nepo Daddy By Gabriella Paiella At 69, Rob Grant is releasing his debut album, 'Lost at Sea.' He's also been an ad man, domain developer, father to international sensation Lana Del Rey--and a huge boat enthusiast. my soft machine Broken Record Broken Record: Arlo Parks By Justin Richmond and Arlo Parks Arlo Parks performs live and talks about how seeing Black creators pushing the boundaries of popular music inspires her. Pitchfork Why Your Favorite Artists Want Marta Salogni to Mix Their Records By Grayson Haver Currin Using analog tape machines and a keen sense of empathy, the London-based studio whiz has helped Björk, Bon Iver, Depeche Mode, and others zero in on the sounds--and feelings--they're searching for. Her own new album exposes her emotional core. The Guardian 'It was fun until it wasn't': hip-hop A&R Dante Ross on De La Soul, ODB -- and punchups with P Diddy By Christian Kriticos Hailed as the genre's Forrest Gump for his time with artists from Busta Rhymes to Santana, today Ross contends that streaming, sampling and materialism have changed the genre beyond recognition. Music Business Worldwide It owns a chunk of both Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group. But what is Fidelity Investments? By Daniel Tencer Unlike other US brokerages, Fidelity Investments is a family-run affair, with 49% in the hands of the prominent Johnson family of Boston. Vulture Andy Rourke Paid His Dues By Craig Jenkins The late Smiths' bassist often felt expendable. But take him out and the band's songs collapse. Stereogum Album Of The Week: Water From Your Eyes 'Everyone's Crushed' By James Rettig After years in the trenches, Nate Amos and Rachel Brown's winking, sardonic recording project has landed at an institutionalized label, Matador. And while one might believe that becoming part of such an esteemed roster represents the start of a new chapter, Water From Your Eyes know better than that. Any form of success is just another opportunity for failure. All City Tony Supreme: 'I'm about exploring wellbeing and freedom through music' By Ciaran Thapar 10 years ago, Anthony Olanipekun finished a prison sentence. Now he's the CEO of a charity called Grounded Sounds -- and an advocate for the healing power of music. Eli Enis Seek and Consume: On Sub Pop, Bruce Pavitt and Eternal Music Criticism By Eli Enis Why reading Bruce Pavitt's Sub Pop writing from the 1980s made me feel optimistic about the value of music criticism today. what we're into Music of the day "Weightless" Arlo Parks From "My Soft Machine," out Friday on Transgressive. 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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