1)
HelloI know, what you're thinking, "another music blog...boooring....why would I read this when I can go to
Pitchfork or
Stereogum and read the same thing?" While I can't promise to always have the inside scoop on what's happening in the music world, I can honestly say that I LOVE music and promise...no, I guarantee...to blog about it with the utmost passion!
Although I don’t have as much job experience in the music industry as I would like to have, my blog is still going to focus on music and technology and how the industry itself is changing. I have always enjoyed music, but since I have started college I have become more and more interested in artists, labels, concerts, and music news. I even have my own show at my school radio station. I like all kinds of artists and genres, but have to admit that I am thus more of a fan of “indie” music and am more inclined to support independent labels in the indie vs. major label debate. My mom calls this being a music snob. She's probably right, but I still refuse to switch from KCRW back to KIIS FM! I'm already set in my ways...
One thing I am really excited to explore in this blog is how the music business has changed, especially with the different computer and Internet technologies artists are using to get exposure; le podcasts, viral videos (in the style of
La Blogotheque), and free (and legal) song and album downloads (in the style of Radiohead and
Girl Talk).
My point of view will be one from a person who is interested and excited to see how new technology has affected the industry, someone who actually does download music legally (and illegally), and does not see the Internet and p2p downloading as something that is killing the music industry, but forcing it to change and adapt to today’s music standards. There is a reason why record sales for many major labels are down. I would like to explore why and find a more sufficient reason than just "illegal downloading." For example, Radiohead’s last album,
In Rainbows, was available to download for free off of the band’s website, and they still were one of the most successful (and profitable) touring acts of last summer. However it can be argued that Radiohead would not have been as successful a band without the help of the major label,
EMI, they were on in the early nineties. No unknown band could release an album for free and have anywhere near the success that Radiohead had without an already devoted fan base. These are the kinds of questions and topics I will explore in my blog in addition to different kinds of music news that affect the industry/consumer and interesting tidbits that catch my eye.
I will also offer my opinion and give recommendations for new music and trends, looking at both sides of the spectrum, including both major and indie label artists, vinyl and mp3 formats, and broadcast and Internet radio. What I do not want to do is sound too biased or above anyone else’s opinion, the aim of this blog is not to force my opinions down anyone else’s throat or make them think I am not open to any opposing arguments or suggestions (I do have a soft spot for many mainstream artists like Madonna, No Doubt, and *gasp* Kelly Clarkson!), but open up a topic for discussion, give you something to think about (maybe all digital music should be free...), and maybe expose you to something you have never heard before, like say a really awesome MSTRKRFT
remix of a Yeah Yeah Yeah's song...
Technology and the Internet have forced everyone to change how they think about, experience, and even listen to music. If you would have told me ten years ago I would be able to carry my entire music library in my back pocket I would have thought you were crazy! Everyone is adapting in his or her own way, and I want to explore how we are doing that, whether it be through piracy, weird new record deals and release systems, or streaming and interactive services like
Last.fm or
Pandora. It is my goal for this blog to investigate just how everyone is adapting and reacting, but most of all, I want this blog to not only inform you but also be enjoyable and fun to read at the same time. So sit back, buckle up, and enjoy the weird and exciting rollercoaster ride that is the music industry.
2)
Blog Profile!I know how much you love reading my blog, you've most likely given up reading any other...but being well informed and diverse is key in this industry, so today I am going to take a look at another somewhat similar (and quite good!) music blog.
Freelance music journalist and college radio DJ, Kat Bee, writes the blog,
Sketchy Town, which is about Los Angeles, classic and independent pop/rock/electronica/etc. music (especially bands like Animal Collective and My Bloody Valentine), and what’s going on in the Music Industry today.
From Sketchytown.com-
SKETCHYTOWN blends the best of today’s emerging digital age with a bit of old-school, new-wave style thinking; blog meets electronic underworld meets music journalism meets girltastic webdesign.
Taking all these ingredients together, SKETCHYTOWN serves up a pretty sweet dish—we strive to bring up-and-coming bands to the forefront of the Los Angeles music scene and bands definitive of this ever-changing generation. SKETCHYTOWN also features up-and- coming, albums, music videos, and a slew of other awesome music-related things to check out—as well as people and places well-known and well-loved.
SKETCHYTOWN is Los Angeles’ answer to all the east-coast centric haughty music publications, highlighting some of the best gems in independent music while retaining a uniquely Southern Californian focus. Sometimes, it borders on the random, the ribald, the ridiculous—but hey, it would not be sketchy then, would it?
According to the blog, Kat has had some experience in the industry, writing for various Internet and print publications and DJ-ing at a radio station, and it definitely shows in her writing, she knows her stuff and has researched the topics pretty well. Posts are updated often, about every 3-5 days, however there are not too many comments on the posts, but I could be wrong about the popularity since I cannot figure out how to check a blog’s technorati rank!
There were two posts that struck me in particular because they illustrated exactly the type of topics I want cover in this blog, the ever-changing music industry and how the artist and consumer are adjusting to it. One post discusses how the economy has affected the concert industry, particularly festivals, and how annual festivals like Coachella are planning on doing a sort of lay-away plan for payments instead of paying it all at once (Disnelyland is trying a similar payment plan for the annual pass). You can read more about concert layaway plans here.
The other post discussed the recent demise of the local independent radio station indie 103.1, many music blogs posted about indie’s abrupt and controversial end, but Sketchytown’s was full of links for additional articles on the subject and discussed the disappearance of indie radio everywhere, including XM radio. I loved that she was able to cite different sources very simply in her post and provide links where I can read about the controversy in more detail. It shows that she does not think of her own opinion as the be-all-end-all, and carefully researches her topics before posting. This is a tactic I'd like to incorporate in my own posts here.
The style and layout of SketchyTown (as well as many of its topics) are very similar to what I am interested in, and aim to do with this blog. Sketchytown talks a little more about concert dates and album reviews than I will in this blog, but it captures the currently shifting music industry and its market in a way I too want to exhibit in my blog.
Some of the posts are long and contain a lot of references, others are short little musings, you will see no different here. And while Sketchy Town and its writer are more qualified and educated in this industry than I am, I will try to provide in my blog just as relevant and exciting information/news as it does. While SketchyTown’s audience is a little more focused to the L.A. region and the concert scene there, mine will try to draw in people in any state with news about music and the industry in a more general sense, however this may change as I go along. Those things aside, both of our blogs are still directed towards indie/alternative music lovers and young people with a taste for nostalgia and a craving for something a little less polished then Pitchfork. I hope that you will enjoy both.3)
Voice Critique
Blogging is different for everyone, some bloggers are really opinionated, some humorous, and others just give the facts. I like to think I fall somewhere in between...
I aspire to have the humorous voice of Diablo Cody (even her
Tweets are funny!) and the passion and zeal for my topic that Arianna Huffington has for her own. Unfortunately, being a beginner and a rather inexperienced writer, I am not even close to their standards! But, hey, I'll keep trying as long as you keep reading!
Today I am going to look at a couple posts on a blog that has a topic similar to my own, but in a different kind of voice. The blog I have chosen is
blog maverick: the mark cuban weblog. Mark blogs on a variety of topics, most of them having to do with technology. The posts I picked out from his blog have to do with piracy, one is about the music industry and CD’s, and the other about the MPAA and DVD piracy.
Mark’s blog is very plain to look at, there are virtually no pictures on any of the posts, few links, and little information about the blog other than links to other blog sites on the sidebar. But after "googling" his name I found out that he is a billionaire entrepreneur, owns the Dallas Mavericks, heads up HD Net, and was even on Dancing With The Stars! Imagine how dumb I felt for not knowing who he was before I found the blog!
Getting back to his blog...
Mark’s voice is apparent throughout these posts, especially in the one about CD piracy,
“the definition of insanity.. The Music Industry”. Mark uses sarcasm and repetition so that the reader is sure of his stance on the issue. Almost every single paragraph in the post begins with the phrase, “
Insanity is…”, Mark uses this sort of repetition to point out everything the Music Industry is doing wrong in its efforts to try and stop music piracy, and in doing this, Mark makes the reader also think that the Industry is acting “
insane” too.
His simplistic reasoning and use of metaphor makes it seem as though anyone who disagrees with him is “
insane” as well. (which could be a bit insulting if you do not agree with him...luckily I did!) Here's an example:
Insanity is ignoring year after year, the demographics with more money than time. Those who aren’t willing, or don’t have the time to troll through the net to figure out which network has the most music to download, searching for songs, picking out which peers to try to download from and then hoping it all worked out right. Those who would prefer to just buy music in the easiest way possible so they can get on with enjoying their music and their lives. Isn’t that why we buy bottled water? It’s easy and convenient?
I have to say, after reading the post, I agreed with Mark’s stance, although it is hard not to, after you read any of his posts you feel like a complete idiot if you do disagree with him...
DRM or any future similar technology will not stop people from “
finding ways to get music for free.” And the industry is way behind the times in terms of technology; subscription services are becoming the way to go, the cheaper they are the more successful they become. For example, almost everyone I know, and myself, use
Netflix because it’s cheap, has great customer service, and has a great interface. I don’t have a need to download movies anymore, but I still download music.
In his other post, "
A Note to the MPAA = Promotion works better than prevention", Mark takes a stance on movie piracy, similar to the one he took on music piracy, which, I must say, is a little surprising since he claims to have “
more than 1 billion dollars invested in the entertainment industry.” In this post, his voice is less apparent (not as much repetition), but he still takes on that same sarcastic and condescending tone and uses the simple reasoning seen in the "definition of insanity..." post:
Invest in a positive message that can get people more excited about their member products and the unique experience offered in theaters, or send a message that your customers are crooks and pirates. Invest in a message that could generate more revenues for your members, or invest in the cost of trying to close the “analog hole” which costs taxpayers money as you waste legislative time, consumers money, as you waste the time and money of cable, satellites and telcos who will fight this effort or spend millions having to adopt it, and of course drive up the cost of the movie going experience because of all the above.
He’s all for making money, but doesn’t see the point in fighting this losing battle. Why give up on everything and just go after the pirates? Why not invest more money in making the movie watching experience more enjoyable in theaters?
The theatrical exhibition industry just experienced a phenomenal several weeks with The Dark Knight setting record after record. People by the 10s of millions went to the theater, many multiple time to enjoy the unique experience of going to a movie. Could you please, please, please use the money you are going to spend fighting the unfightable and instead spend it on promoting the fun of going to the movies ? More people going to the movies is more people getting excited about movies. More people getting excited about movies means more people watching movies on TV, which is good for revenues, and more people buying DVDs or legal downloads of the movies. Again, good for revenues.
I especially liked and appreciated that paragraph. Mark uses a lot of repetition and simplicity to get his point across, and it works well. I was able to relate to it pretty easily, especially because I have worked in the movie theater industry (as a box office cashier!) and have seen first hand how excited people get about some movies, and the movie experience in general. I too believe that some things need to be changed, and the industry needs to focus some attention on changing the theatrical experience.
I never thought I would be agreeing with a billionaire entrepreneur on the topic of piracy! I actually enjoyed Mark’s posts, his humor kept me reading, and he embraced technology rather than fearing the evils of it!
