Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: Friday Music: The Superstar Economy

Robyn Gallagher

Mon, 05 May 2014 11:02:42 +1200

I am no irrevocably scarred, and agree wholeheartedly with Craig.

Well, I could have posted a link to some of the brilliant pop songs that have won in recent years, but what's the fun in that?

Russell Brown

Sat, 03 May 2014 18:52:16 +1200

IFPI’s figures are a long way out and always have been. They don’t exist to accurately report on the music industry but to justify introduction of “protective” regulation.

The revenue figures are a different thing from the vast piracy claims. They're a pretty good survey of the mainstream industry at…

nzlemming

Sat, 03 May 2014 15:46:28 +1200

On the subject of music though, here’s a refreshing take on an old tune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyLt48kCPi4

[edit: that's the same guy, he had a haircut between shoots]

nzlemming

Sat, 03 May 2014 14:28:18 +1200

After all, in 2007 Ukraine came second with this masterpiece

I am no irrevocably scarred, and agree wholeheartedly with Craig.

nzlemming

Sat, 03 May 2014 14:24:03 +1200

Point taken about IFPI figures. But they'd have to be a long way out to really falsify what he's saying.

IFPI's figures are a long way out and always have been. They don't exist to accurately report on the music industry but to justify introduction of "protective" regulation.

Robyn Gallagher

Sat, 03 May 2014 14:04:15 +1200

I gather several former eastern bloc countries are in open uproar at the prospect of this impeding spectacle of western moral collapse.

Yep, groups in Russia, Armenia and Belarus have been petitioning against Ms Wurst’s appearance in the competition. It’s no surprise given that ex-Soviet countries tend to a lot…

Ian Dalziel

Fri, 02 May 2014 19:05:36 +1200

Nice to see The Verlaines get an 'absolutely essential' review in a recent Uncut* for their FN/Captured Tracks reissues of 'Hallelujah All The Way Home' & ' Juvenilia'

*warning link contains a Beth Gibbons Black Sabbath cover...

Dastardly Bounder

Fri, 02 May 2014 18:46:29 +1200

Sweet as Russell, I always appreciate your support...

And I think David Slevin is correct – curated music is the was I discover new tunes too. I maintain a list of relevant music blogs (www.fatberris.com is a fav) then follow artists on facebook (like trentmoller or lulurouge – who are…

Ian Dalziel

Fri, 02 May 2014 18:43:56 +1200

Forgitify is ruining my day and I can’t stop.
I believe there is a 12-step programme,
or was it 12-bar blues...
just one more...

Dan Slevin

Fri, 02 May 2014 17:54:43 +1200

There’s also the fact that while there might be shelf space for everyone and everthing, display space is shrinking. A music service, be it iTunes or Spotify, can’t show you very many things on your mobile phone screen.

I finally took up Spotify after the Telecom free deal and now…

Russell Brown

Fri, 02 May 2014 17:28:16 +1200

Bandcamp is awesome as a platform and means for artists to sell direct – but also really painful to use, if you know what you want or have a direct link you’re sweet but discovery in itself its pretty useless – as are most digital stores to be honest, fantastic…

Russell Brown

Fri, 02 May 2014 17:25:29 +1200

As a producer unaffiliated with any labels I’m using the triumvirate of Souncloud-Bandcamp-Facebook to publish, publicise and moneterise my music

Argh! And I was going to play my part in the blessed ecosystem by featuring your track this week! Soz! Best wait till next at this point.

I'll be in…

Craig Ranapia

Fri, 02 May 2014 17:21:38 +1200

I gather several former eastern bloc countries are in open uproar at the prospect of this impeding spectacle of western moral collapse.

If the Eurovision Song Contest doesn't convince you the human race deserves to be scoured from the earth by fire and flood, then it's just not doing its…

Dastardly Bounder

Fri, 02 May 2014 16:06:51 +1200

As a producer unaffiliated with any labels I'm using the triumvirate of Souncloud-Bandcamp-Facebook to publish, publicise and moneterise my music. Unfortunatley 23 million bedroom producers and bands are doing the same thing, making it a very cluttered space. It's no suprise to me that the super-tzars with the backing of…

bob daktari

Fri, 02 May 2014 15:37:24 +1200

Bandcamp is awesome as a platform and means for artists to sell direct – but also really painful to use, if you know what you want or have a direct link you're sweet but discovery in itself its pretty useless – as are most digital stores to be honest, fantastic…

Peter Darlington

Fri, 02 May 2014 14:52:13 +1200

I am enjoying the long tail and now if I like someone I check to see if they are on bandcamp because I know that is the quickest and best way to get $ to them without all the waitig and fee deductions of the alternative systems.

Agreed, Bandcamp is…

Russell Brown

Fri, 02 May 2014 14:26:13 +1200

Bandcamp’s $69m to artists so far might not outweigh the sales of the hits as Anderson suggests, but leaving that number out entirely as Mulligan tends to also significantly skews the figures.

Is it that significant? That’s about 0.5% of global recorded music revenues since Bandcamp launched. Although I agree,…

Samuel Scott

Fri, 02 May 2014 14:24:30 +1200

Forgitify is ruining my day and I can't stop.

Russell Brown

Fri, 02 May 2014 14:16:38 +1200

A big yes to what Andrew says above. I have been happily listening to non- superstars since ages ago. I take some interest in what is happening in music but much of my listening is off the grid and is not superstars.

Mine too. Well, maybe. Who knows? If I…

Jason Kemp

Fri, 02 May 2014 13:31:16 +1200

I am enjoying the long tail and now…

Alan Perrott

Fri, 02 May 2014 13:29:50 +1200

ha, Robyn, that's exactly what I was going to post – what's not to love about Eurovision?
seems to be a shift from the club beats to moody ballads this year, but it's got to be Austria's year.
and while disappointed Jedward aren't back for Ireland, it's good to see…

Andrew Dubber

Fri, 02 May 2014 13:10:13 +1200

The Long Tail has its uses as a conceptual framework, but I found myself debunking it a couple of days ago in a public conversation with Dave Allen (formerly Gang of Four / Shriekback – now at Beats Music) when he trucked out the old 'eventually everything gets played' quote…

Kumara Republic

Fri, 02 May 2014 13:06:53 +1200

In other music news, an Official Information Act request has revealed why Immigration NZ banned Odd Future from coming to New Zealand back in February: they thought they’d be able to spin it into a good-news story for the agency.

When you read the emails between agency officials, it sounds…

Kumara Republic

Fri, 02 May 2014 13:03:35 +1200

But the way the global catalogue has grown actually exagerrates this effect The long tail is stuffed with shit no one wants to buy: vanity releases, soundalike records, etc. Mulligan actually suggests biting the bullet and cutting this “pollution” out of major music services altogether. At the least, removing it…

Rich of Observationz

Fri, 02 May 2014 12:57:59 +1200

It's a total abuse of power, and I say that as a firm believer that gangsta rappers are a bunch of knobheads. But everyone's entitled to due process. Hopefully their management will find a way of suing INZ for this.

bob daktari

Fri, 02 May 2014 12:51:01 +1200

The long tail is stuffed with classic songs and gems that very few people want to buy or hear, your vanity items and shit call is a little disingenuous – one shouldn't suggest the material in the long tail contain no merit or need culling, just no one should expect…

Geoff Lealand

Fri, 02 May 2014 12:32:43 +1200

One up for the Austrians. Could be worse--could be Miss Brat Wurst.

Geoff Lealand

Fri, 02 May 2014 12:30:31 +1200

Timely stuff, Russell. I still hear folk trot out the 'Long Tail' tosh as if it were established fact.

On another topic, just read an interesting article in Screen Education (Aust) about how some cinemas are now doing special film screenings for sensory-sensitive/autistic children--keeping the lights on, turning down the…

Russell Brown

Fri, 02 May 2014 12:20:42 +1200

In the mean time, here’s Austria’s entry: Miss Conchita Wurst, an elegant bearded-lady diva. Her song “Rise like a Phoenix” is like a long lost Bond theme.

I gather several former eastern bloc countries are in open uproar at the prospect of this impeding spectacle of western moral collapse.

Robyn Gallagher

Fri, 02 May 2014 12:09:14 +1200

In other music news, an Official Information Act request has revealed why Immigration NZ banned Odd Future from coming to New Zealand back in February: they thought they'd be able to spin it into a good-news story for the agency.

When you read the emails between agency officials, it sounds…

Robyn Gallagher

Fri, 02 May 2014 11:58:19 +1200

This week I'm super excited because it's Eurovision Song Contest week! This year it's being held in Copenhagen and judging by the rehearsal videos, it's going to be the usual blend of great pop and weird thrills.

This year Sky channel UKTV have the NZ screening rights (a good match,…

Public Address

Fri, 02 May 2014 11:58:19 +1200

Discussion from blog post.