It is of my firm belief that Chad and Scott Stapp have an ongoing potty competition going on with each other. It’s the only rational explanation for this.
Your move, Scott.
Read about Chad’s “talent” [sun.co.uk]
Kevin Kelly has a great post over at his blog on a possible new business model for artists. The basic idea is that in order to make a living as a musician, you need 1,000 true fans who will buy anything you put out. This number increases proportionally with the more people you have in your group.
While “1,000 Fans” is more of a catchy nomenclature than a hard and fast rule, the general idea is very intriguing. We’re truly moving away from a superstar-only oriented music industry into a more niche-based one that can accommodate many successful artists.
Read “1,000 True Fans” [kk.org]
“Hi, we’re an unsigned band from Los Angeles,” introduces The Airborne Toxic Event singer/guitarist, Mikel Jollett, to the frisky and diverse sold-out crowd at the Troub.
Two songs into the set, you would have been hard-pressed to believe that this Los Feliz quintet wasn’t signed by a Major or Major Indie (your Merges and Sub-Pops of the world), much less completely unsigned. Joined on stage by Noah Harmon (bass), Steven Chen (guitar/keyboard), Anna Bulbrook (viola), and Daren Taylor (drums), the soft-spoken Jollett crooned with his Morrissey-esque baritone and we soaked it in. The band members weren’t just going through the motions like so many other typical indie-xerox bands. They were playing with stage presence, with exuberance, with gracefulness.
This was not your ordinary hype-band.
Wired’s Listening Post has an excellent bullet point interview with Sony BMG executive, Thomas Hesse, about the current state of the music industry and what the future holds. Surprisingly, Hesse has some genuinely insightful thoughts on the state of the industry.
Here are some highlights:
I gotta admit, the last place I expected to hear some rational, well-thought out analyses on the music industry’s current plight was from a Sony BMG executive. Mr. Hesse has managed to make me start to take the major labels seriously again. I don’t agree with everything he says in the interview, but he has enough good points that he has my respect.
Read the rest of Hesse’s interview [wired.com]
Out of NOWHERE, Nine Inch Nails have released their new album available right this second from the nin website.
Trent Reznor shows again why he’s the most innovative artist today in pioneering new business models for music. The album, a 36-track instrumental album collection called Ghosts I-IV, is available via six different SKU’s, from free to $300. The album is even released under the Creative Commons License, solving the earlier issues he had when trying to hold remix contests with fans.
From the press release:
FREE DOWNLOAD Ghosts I – The first 9 tracks from the Ghosts I-IV collection available as high-quality DRM-free MP3s (320kbps LAME encoded, fully tagged) including complete 40 page PDF. Also includes the digital extras pack – various wallpapers, icons, and graphics tools for your computer, website, profile, etc.
$5 DOWNLOAD Ghosts I-IV – All 36 tracks in a variety of DRM-free digital formats (320 kbps LAME encoded, fully tagged; FLAC Lossless; Apple Lossless) including a 40 page PDF. Also includes the digital extras pack – various wallpapers, icons, and graphics tools for your computer, website, profile, etc. This version is also available from the Amazon MP3 store.
$10 2XCD SET Ghosts I-IV – 2 audio CDs in a gatefold digipak package with a 16-page booklet. To be shipped TBD. Includes immediate DRM-free download of the entire collection in same choice of formats as $5 Download option. Download will include the 40 page PDF and the digital extras pack – various wallpapers, cons, and graphics tools for your computer, website, profile, etc. This configuration will be released to retail in North America (April 8), Australia (April 5), the UK (April 8), Japan (April 5) and most European territories (April 8).
$75 LIMITED EDITION DELUXE PACKAGE Ghosts I-IV – Hardcover book holding 2 audio CDs, 1 data DVD of all 36 tracks in multi-track format (in .wav files readable by Mac and Windows), and Blu-ray disc featuring stereo recordings in high-definition 24 bit 96Khz with exclusive slide show. Includes immediate DRM-free download of the entire collection in all formats and with all extras mentioned above. Also includes 48-page hardcover of photographs by Phillip Graybill and Rob Sheridan. Discs and art book both housed in fabric slipcover.
$300 ULTRA-DELUXE LIMITED EDITION PACKAGE Ghosts I-IV – Contains all elements from deluxe package, along with exclusive 4XLP 180-gram vinyl set, and two limited edition Giclee prints available exclusively in this package. Disc book, art book, and prints are all housed in a fabric slipcover. 4XLP vinyl set comes in its own fabric slipcover. INCLUDES immediate DRM-free download of the entire collection in all formats and with all extras mentioned above. LIMITED TO 2500 PIECES, NUMBERED AND PERSONALLY SIGNED BY TRENT REZNOR.
$39 4-vinyl version will be available at retail April 8.
Brilliant. Trent’s definitely learned from the Saul Williams experiment.
By creating a tiered distribution model, Reznor satisfies different level of consumers with aplomb. He gets the mass-market/non-fans with the free 25% of the album. If they like the music, buying the entire album digitally is a very reasonable $5 investment. If they don’t like it, not as much bandwidth is wasted on them as giving away the entire album. It also creates a bigger incentive for people to pay up. For people who want a badge of honor/lossless recording/CD for the car a 2 CD set is only $10. While it’ll be a little bit before they ship, they still get the instant gratification of a digital download along with digital art bonuses. For the true audiophiles/remix artists/fans, the $75 edition has every possible file format (including Blu-ray!) you could want along with a nice hard art-package. Finally, for the extreme fans/collectors, he’s got a truly unique limited edition offer. Hell, there’s even a vinyl version if you’re a record snob/Bob Lefsetz.
Combining digital with physical offerings in affordable options makes too much sense. It’s a wonder no one hasn’t done it before. To top it off, there was no “street date” with this release. A new NIN album was a given, but no one had any idea it would be this quick and this sudden. The usual process of leading with a radio single, announcing dates and “building hype” is completely shattered. Taking a cue from Steve Jobs at Apple, Reznor announces and distributes AT THE SAME TIME. What an idea! Why the fuck won’t more artists/labels see this? Nothing is more annoying to a fan than seeing/hearing new material from their favorite artists and not being able to buy/consume it the second it comes out.
The only blemish on this release thus far is that the webstore seems to be absolutely hammered to hell right now. I can barely load the page, much less buy or download anything. Did we not learn anything from the In Rainbows initial fiasco?
Discounting the technical difficulties, though, this, my friends, is how it is done. It doesn’t even matter if the music sucks, I wouldn’t want to buy music from my favorite artists any other way from now on.
Read the full press release after the jump
Buy/Download Ghosts I-IV [ghosts.nin.com]
It’s that time of the month again. Here are my top 5 favorite records I’ve been listening to in February.
The Airborne Toxic Event – ?http://www.myspace.com/theairbornetoxicevent
Track to start with: Sometime Around Midnight
If there’s one song you listen to all month, make it The Airborne Toxic Event’s Sometime Around Midnight. It’s been on repeat on my Winamp ever since I bought it off Amazon the other week. Sometime Around Midnight starts off with a symphonic string melody that fades into a soft guitar introduction. As the vocals and percussion come in, the song gradually builds a crescendo of sound into an intense, almost Arcade Fire – Intervention-like swell into head bobbing, belt-it-out bliss.
No, the album isn’t called “?”, the title just hasn’t been revealed yet. This Los Angeles quintet’s quickly garnered a lot of buzz recently amongst show-goers and local radio stations. Singer Mikel Jollet, has a smooth baritone voice that reminds you a fair bit of Morrissey with a splash of Win Butler intensity in there to keep you in check. Only four recorded studio songs have been released thus far and they showcase the band’s spectrum of sounds, from Franz Ferdinand-like danceability on “Does This Mean You’re Moving On?” to contemplative melodies (“Wishing Well”) to simply… epic (“Sometime Around Midnight”).
Operator Please – Yes Yes Vindictive [AU Import]http://www.myspace.com/operatorplease
Track to start with: Just A Song About Ping Pong
Five-piece band from Australia, these kids are lots of fun. Operator Please takes the exuberance of The Go! Team and focuses it with the brattiness of The Donnas and the confidence of Shirley Manson.
I saw over on Nah Right that Prodigy’s latest blog post delineates in exquisite detail his numerous contributions to the rap community.
A few of my favorites:
#2 RAPPING WORDS THAT DONT ALWAYS RHYME
#12 PROTOOLS,,,,STARTED USING IT IN 98
#19 WEB SITES, I HAD INFAMOUSSTORES.COM AND WAS WRITING BLOGS BACK IN 99 LONG BEFORE IT BECAME POPULAR IN HIP HOP TO HAVE A WEB SITE.
#23 MAKING EXPOSING THE ILLUMINATI, SECRET GOVERNMENT AND HIDDEN TRUTHS THAT NEW HOT SHIT…
#26 I COULD JUST KEEP GOING BUT NOW I’M TIRED… HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY TREND SETTING, LOOK AT WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE.
For what it’s worth, P, I have never ever questioned your trend setting. You bring to the table a delicious feast of fresh and innovative actions that define the zeitgeist of the 21st century.
(Full list after the jump)
When I heard Audiosurf would be coming out in February, I just kinda assumed it was going to be the end of the month because that’s usually how these things work.
Au contraire, mon frère.
I just got word that Audiosurf releases on Steam this Friday for only $9.95 ($8.95 if you pre order it before then). A demo will also be released if you’re undecided on getting it. If you missed the boat on this game, read my recent Indie Game Spotlight on it.
To sweeten the deal even more, the game comes with the soundtrack to Valve’s Orange Box, including the lovable Portal credits song, “Still Alive.” On top of this, the game also has achievements as one of the first titles to take advantage of Valve’s new Steamworks package.
Support great indie developers and affordable digital distribution!
Excuse me while i fire up Steam to preorder it.
Audiosurf on Steam [steampowered.com]
With the rise in popularity of games such as Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Singstar, the amalgamation of music and interactivity has reached the mainstream masses in recent years. As more and more people are exposed to music games, the complaint of “I don’t like the song list they have.” invariably surfaces sooner or later. Since it’s virtually impossible to cater to each and every person’s musical tastes, developers have done their best to have a little something for everyone. But what if you could use any song you have as the basis for such a game? Not just as a soundtrack, but as a crucial foundation to how the game is played. That’s exactly the basis for independent developer, Invisible Handlebar’s upcoming release, Audiosurf.
Don’t go to the Website, don’t watch the trailer, stop reading this right now and get your ass to the THEATRE!
Apparently he enjoyed it. So much so that he did what is quite possibly the pottiest thing a human can do at a movie theater:
I thrust my arm in the air and sang along even though Felice and I were the only people in the theatre!
Much love to Felice who was probably shaking her head at lil’ Bobby.
That being said, I’ve viewed the film myself and I must say it was simply amazing. 3D films have an unfair stigma of being cheesy/corny/gimmicky, but this film is certainly none of those things. It’s the closest experience to actually being at a live music concert. Now, that may seem like a trite statement, but I mean it in full earnest. The 3D effects in the film are tastefully done, so much so that you almost don’t even notice them there. It just feels natural. Yet you’ve never experienced something like it before. That, my friends, is a true mark of innovation.
I’ve seen U2 four times and each time I waited 8 hours in front of the venue in order to get a prime spot in the pit for the show. Does the movie match that experience of the concert? Of course not, there’s just no way to replicate the vibe, the intensity, the MUSIC of being there in person. But you could argue the experience of the movie might exceed that of being in the nosebleed seats, and Lefsetz, in fact, does mention this. I got goosebumps and chills while viewing the movie as if I was at a real U2 show.
While I can’t bring myself to slather on anymore hyperbole, I will say that Lefsetz is right about this one. Whether or not you like U2, do yourself a favor and go see this film. You won’t regret it.
Read Lefsetz on U2 3D [lefsetz.com]