Production is king

This has been on my mind since I heard Jon Brion interviewed on Sound Opinions last year, but a lot of musicians really do use production - or at least a more complex texture - as a replacement to more traditional songwriting techniques i.e. melody, harmony, etc. He used Zeppelin's "Kashmir" as one example, saying that if you take it out of its original recorded context, it loses so much of its meaning that its practically a different song. In contrast, he played on the piano the first few bars of Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me" to show how it doesn't rely nearly as much on its timbre to define its character.

I first noticed this in 2002 when I saw Alejandro Escovedo play at my school. This first half of his set was clever, well-arranged songs that were downtempo and mostly acoustic. Then for the second half, he decided to pull out his electric guitar and distortion pedal. All the intelligent songwriting went out the window as the number of chords in each song dwindled to about 2 or 3 per. All subtlety disappeared, presumably because he could hide behind the thicker texture and higher energy level.

To me, it all became a lot more solidified when I was doing some research on timbre in pop music during my senior year of college. Reading through some of Alban Zak III's writings on changes in songwriting as a result of the broader use of the recording studio as a tool to more fully develop the timbre of a finished product. The final product then becomes reliant on careful production and is a series of ideal moments ready for listeners to hear in that exact context over and over. Until someone decides to cover the song (remixes of all kinds are immune), everyone expects to hear every melodic or rhythmic gesture in a specific timbre. Then in a song like Kashmir, the exact sound is possibly even more important than the melody or rhythm itself.

Enough theories for now. More actual examples next time.

Internet music hasn't died just yet

Today was supposed to be the day that new, stricter royalty rates for Internet radio would be enforced. The Copyright Royalty Board initially expected small Internet broadcasters to pay the same royalty rates that satellite radio broadcasters pay. Instead, a set of rules exempting smaller broadcasters from paying the new rates immediately were approved. Larger broadcasters like AOL and Yahoo are still expected to pay the new rates in full starting this week.

Wired has the full story, but here are some prominent notes:

Those organizations with numerous stations - often it's one stream per genre- have their monthly flat fee per stream capped at $50,000/year.

Small net broadcasters may be able to pay royalty fees according to the old structure until 2010, but could be slapped with fees and interest.

It's good news for now, but nothing seems certain. According to the article, the CRB can decide to enforce the stricter rules almost at anytime if it wants.

Sonic Youth makes some new friends

To be really blunt about it, any band or musician who's not looking for new ways to distribute and sell their music is a complete fool. Going with a traditional, non-independent record company, though it's been seen as the ultimate break to get a contract, has never really been all that safe. And that's especially true today as record stores and the entire mechanism of selling physical copies of music have been suffering at the hand of diminishing CD sales.

So when Thurston Moore announced that it was going to distribute a Sonic Youth singles/hits compilation through Starbucks' Hear Music label, a few purists were apparently shocked and disgusted that a band that has always represented unbridled artistry in music could partner with such a blatant symbol of commercialism. Though I haven't seen any complaints myself, Billboard seemed eager to mention that there were plenty.

It seems like such a betrayal because unlike the Universal Music Group or so many large record companies, Starbucks is incredibly visible. In most cases,when people
buy music from a major label, they don't see themselves as buying the label's product. They just know they are buying the CD in their hands and rarely if ever notice the fine print saying who recorded, distributed, and owns the rights to the music. That's a sharp contrast to when people buy something from Starbucks where it's practically impossible to ignore the company colors, logos, and name all over the shop and its products. So it appears much more capitalistic when Sonic Youth plans to distribute its music through Starbucks.

Then there's the undeniable fact that the traditional paths that musicians use to promote their music are drying up. Terrestrial radio has been homogenous and unwilling to take any risks for at least the last ten years. The record store, especially the smaller, independent ones aren't faring very well financially. And due to the higher royalty rates Internet radio stations will have to pay starting today, it may become even more difficult to hear look for and hear new music.

Starbucks' Hear Music label has been wildly successful compared to the abovementioned sectors of the music industry, becoming part of a lifestyle brand under the Starbucks name. I can't say that I am a supporter of the idea of a Starbucks lifestyle brand, but It appears to be an effective way to introduce and distribute music to people that would be interested in discovering something new. In that case, it's hard to say that it's a bad thing from a purely musical standpoint.

Hello World

So last Saturday marked the end of my isolation from the outside world. My time without home Internet service, TV, radio, etc. has come to an end and now I am awash in information pouring in from the outside world. This is like breaking the Yom Kippur or Ramadan fasts - neither of which I have ever observed, but I have been known to take part in the feasts that follow. Within the first couple of hours after being connected, I managed to download 7 or so albums just because I could. I mean, I wanted them, but it was more about being able to get whatever I wanted.

I have to admit that the time removed from information's mainstream was refreshing. Before my disconnection, I was more or less addicted to information, especially free information. Despite being out of the loop entirely when it came to music and news, it was a relief to not be driven by the need to know exactly what was new and earth-shattering. In all, it was nice while it lasted.

Now that I'm back, I've got some pent-up words that may be shared eventually. And of course I have the 10 albums I downloaded to comment on.