The Scary New York

The New York Times has a photo essay from photographer John Conn who spent the late 70's and early 80's photographing the subway system.  For Halloween, the piece is titled When The City Was A House of Horrors.  

This was a great time for music in the city. I was going to college in the Bronx and riding the D Train at least once a week.  I remember taking those graffiti laden trains at all hours of the night coming back from shows downtown. It would be myself and a few girlfriends.  I look back now and say "What were we thinking?"  When you're in college and there is a band you want to see, you are fearless.

These photos brought me back to that time when it cost 50/60 cents to ride a filthy train downtown to see and hear great music. 

This photo to the right titled Trick or Treat, as well as others of Conn's can be purchased on his website. 

Searching the MC Hammer Way

MC Hammer announced he and his partners are creating a new search engine called WireDoo.   The WireDoo site is in pre-Beta, which means you can give them your email address and they might get back to you.  His announcement came at the Web 2.0. Summit in San Francisco this week.

In his own question and answer pitch he said, "Do we really need another search? Of course not."  His theory is this one will be more about relationships and topics rather than keywords.

This is not his first foray into the tech world.  Billboard noted:   In 2008 he launched DanceJam.com, a video sharing site for dancers, he develops iPad apps and has investments in multiple online start-ups.

Of course I envision a search that no matter what keywords you submit, you will get redirected to this. where you will also have the option of buying harem pants.

6 Reasons To Dislike Coldplay

The New Yorker rarely has articles like this.  When I saw the title Why I Don't Like Coldplay, I thought for sure it would be because they are so good, because the lead singer is married to Gwyneth, etc.  I was surprised to see a true-to-title analysis by Sasha Frere-Jones. 

He makes his case in a 6 point investigation. It's worth a read.  My favorite point is #5:

Seven out of ten times, Coldplay sound almost exactly like U2—the U2 that exists now, not the wiry, feral U2 of 1980 (which would be a decent idea). U2 have not broken up. This is inefficient. Coldplay should consider copying Big Star or The Monkees.

The songwriting doesn't really get much better than Big Star or the Monkees.  It's a sound suggestion. 

Lead singer Chris Martin seems to be a likable guy. He came across that way in a CBS Sunday Morning interview.  It just seems like the band is missing something.  Maybe Sasha is right, they need a ride on the Last Train To Clarksville. 

Acetates: The New MP3's

“The goal is to have surprises.”  In this ever-changing world of advancing technology, director/editor Alex Steryermark is surprisingly using a piece of recording equipment from the 1930’s to expose recording artists of the 21st century. “It’s about getting together with the artist in an authentic way.”

Alex has been accumulating PRESTOs, which inspired The 78 Project.    The PRESTO was considered a “portable” recorder (it weighs in at about 50 lbs). Alan Lomax used one for his field recordings. One of the most famous uses of the PRESTO was by a reporter and engineer who were sent to cover the Hindenburg landing.  Obviously a disaster ensued and they were able to record the events as they unfolded and interview survivors for an on-the-scene account. 

The 78 Project is an ongoing collection of mini-documentaries, which run from 6 to 9 minutes.  Explains Alex, “We asked artists to do their take on a public domain song:  folk, blues or murder ballads and one of their own songs. The piece is centered around the cover song.  The artist picks the recording location. Recording is an excuse to see artists in an exposed, intimate way.”

The 78 Project: Dawn Landes (Official Teaser) from The 78 Project on Vimeo.

A PRESTO records directly from one mic to the acetate disc, so it’s a live recording.  “It’s one mic and we have three minutes. We can screw up, they [the musician] can screw up.”  Dawn Landes performed the inaugural recording.  “Since it’s the first one we did, everything went wrong and we still got a great record.”   To date, they followed with two other recordings. The Reverend John Delore & Kara Suzanne recorded the early 19th century murder ballad Omie Wise.  Their updated version incorporates the OJ Simpson story.  The third piece takes place at an outdoor gathering with the Mynabirds.  

The 78 Project - The Reverend John Delore & Kara Suzanne (Official Teaser) from The 78 Project on Vimeo.

Per the Project’s website:

As it cuts, the PRESTO throws up a thread about the thickness and texture of human hair.  That’s the negative space from the sound!  But not only is it INCREDIBLY FLAMMABLE, it can also become lodged under the cutting needle if it isn’t constantly guided away with a brush.  You want to ruin the shirt you’re wearing?  Try being the one holding the brush as the record spins.  Guaranteed to make you sweat.

Alex was developing the project with the executive producer Erik Nelson when he decided to just start recording. He had the equipment needed to film and record and knew the musicians.  These would be low-pressure situations (unless you worry about the PRESTO catching on fire). The original TV show idea was redeveloped as a web series.

Along with writer/producer Lavinia Jones Wright, they have completed three episodes.  They’ve done a great job of giving us just enough with the three trailers to whet the whistle of curiosity:  What are they going to give us next?  The first full-length piece should be posted this week.

The anticipation for a new music project used to be fever pitch. You could mark your calendar for the next Clash release and you were there at the record store waiting to buy it.  This has been lost in the current overload of music.  Wouldn’t it be nice to get a regular email alert that an admired musician has just recorded for The 78 Project?  It would be 6 minutes of rediscovering music and the people who make it, a nice surprise indeed. 

The 78 Project - The Mynabirds (Official Teaser) from The 78 Project on Vimeo.

Note on Alex Steyermark:  Music is always a big component of Alex’s work.  He’s a master at placing appropriate music in the right film scenes (music supervisor on films such as Malcolm X, The Ice Storm, For Love Or Money, Subway Stories).  His most recent directorial endeavor is Losers Take All, the story of the trials and tribulations of an indie  rock band trying to make it in the 1980’s. 

Rock's Royal Couple Splits

After 27 years of marriage, rock's reigning couple, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon are calling it quits.  Matador Records released a statement saying that Sonic Youth will complete their November South American tour, but there is no word on the fate of the band or the European tour dates that are posted on the band's website.  

Kim & Thurston in happier times.

My hypothesis on what caused the split.

1.  First there was the move from New York City to Massachusetts a few years back. This stunned the indie community.  No one every thought they would leave the city. I can't say I blame them for wanting a more "human" existence, but they were synonymous with downtown.  This may have changed their world a little too much.

2.  Thurston's inability to say no to every music documentary producer.  Is there one film out there that he doesn't appear in?  My friend and I have a running joke.  We time it to see how long a music documentary can play before Thurston appears. I haven't seen the George Harrison piece yet, but it wouldn't surprise me if he had a cameo.

Scene at home:
Kim: "Where are you going  Thurston?"
Thurston:  "Out"
Kim: "Don't tell me you're guesting on  another documentary.  You never have time for me and the kid."

moe. Plays One For Steve Jobs

moe. performs the song Crab Eyes solely with their iPads. It's a trip. 

If bands continue to do this, more and more roadies will be out of work.  It would make touring a lot cheaper.

What Xactly Is Simon's Goal?

I haven't been watching faithfully, only a bit here and there, but I'm confused by what Simon Cowell's goal is for the X Factor as far as presenting an entertaining TV show. 

Last night contestants were broken into groups:  Girls, Boys, Over 30 years olds and Groups.  Each judge was at an outdoor location with one of the groups. This is where it lost me. This didn't add a thing to the show, in fact it was outright boring.

-This type of auditioning does not lend itself to an outdoor setting.  There are vast rolling hills in the background, long vistas and poolsides.  If it were an athletic competition, it would be the perfect backdrop.  Singers without live bands (in almost all cases, I'll get to this later) shine in intimate settings. 

-This week Simon set himself apart from the other judges.  Simon is in Paris, everyone else is in the US. Two are in California locations and one in the Hamptons.  Simon is the only sole judge.  The others all have a celebrity co-judge with them.  After a contestant sings and leaves the Paris performing area, three men crowd around Simon's feet like his harem. It conjured up images of those pictures of Jesus surrounded by children.  They are adoringly looking upward at this most sacred man.  This has got to be intentional. 

-Simon looks like he came from Miami Vice's central casting.  Reclining on his couch, he is attired in a white shirt open to his navel, bare feet, one leg on the couch and sporting a tan.  Is he suppose to look more "American?"  I hope that's not the Brits impression of us.

-From what I saw, only those auditioning in front of Simon had live musicians.  There was a piano set up poolside and a guitarist.  The other judges' contestants sang to recorded backing tracks. 

-The singers seemed lost in these vast settings.  I think it was a nice change from American Idol to have the auditions in front of an audience.  They are looking for an entertainer, not just someone with a good voice.  The ability to win over an audience is key and this setting added to the show.  The outdoor locations, do not. 

I'm having a hard time finding one good reason for shooting in these locales.  If Simon needed to be in Paris or was vacationing there, it does make sense.  Beyond that, I haven't got a clue.

No More Chicken Dance!!

What is with females singers and the chicken dance?  I'm starting to see it way too often.  It appears to come with the other ridiculous epidemic:  Shoes with 5" heels. No wonder these women can't walk across a stage with ease.  Are those shoes really necessary?  How many times do they have to visit orthopedic doctors?

The latest chicken dance siting was on Good Morning America.  Nicole Scherzinger performing this morning did an abbreviated version, which amounted to a few steps to the viewers left.  The move entailed walking across the stage as if you were tiptoeing in a Bugs Bunny cartoon while simultaneously  moving the head front to back to mimic the walk of a chicken crossing the road. (no joke will follow)



Focus on the white chicken in this video.

The ultimate grande dame of  chicken dancing is Carrie Underwood.  I saw her open for Keith Urban a few years ago and she was all over the stage looking like she was ready to lay an egg.   The move starts one minute into this video:


Lose the shoes and lose the dance. Have fun on stage.  Do not be beholden to a 5" heel.
In this case, don't break a leg.

It's Hard To Believe Steve Jobs Is Gone

In almost my entire working career, I've used Apple products and Steve Jobs has always been there, well except for that span where the board kicked him out (what were they thinking?).   It's hard to believe that Steve Jobs will not be around to introduce a new product. 

When I was growing up, I couldn't wait for the latest release of my favorite band. It was a time of anticipation and excitement.  As new record releases became less import and music was leaked, Steve Jobs slowly crept into that role of creating excitement.  The speculation on the latest iPhone was building for months and just yesterday the iPhone 4GS was revealed.  The talk leading up to it, could only rival that of the next Led Zeppelin record in the 1970's. 

Steve was probably one of the most important people of past 25 years and yes he left the world way too young at 56.  He was here and he did make a difference and I certainly benefited from it. 

The Low Energy of The Writer's Writer

I've been an avid reader of the New Yorker for years and finally made it to an event at this past weekend's New Yorker Festival.  The Writer's Writer featured three authors whose works I have read and enjoyed: Jeffrey Eugenides (Middlesex), Nicole Krauss (The History of Love) and Jhumpa Lahiri (Unaccustomed Earth).



The eye opener from the evening was Jhumpi's comments on an author's first piece.  “Everybody writes their first book with a certain innocence, a purity of vision.”  There are no guidelines when writing a first book, no pressures to write a certain way or to answer to your publisher, editor or PR person.  She believes a writer's writer keeps that purity of vision throughout his/her career.

Her comments would ring very true for lots of recording artists, especially now, as musicians can make records for and by themselves.  I've heard some musicians say "I only had one record in me."  A song writing paralysis sets in when more is demanded of them.  There is a sense of innocence that is lost.  Does that mean that writers (and musicians) who can hang on to that innocence and purity end up in obscurity? Not necessarily, but the writers did seem to think that more times than not, the writer's writer is not selling a lot of books.  I think of a musician's musician as one who can play anything with anyone.  More times than not, that person is usually a side musician, not the one selling millions of records. They are making a really good living, but not in the limelight.  Deborah Treisman, the fiction editor of the New Yorker and the moderator of the panel relayed a description she once heard of a writer's write as "someone who lives at or below the poverty line."  This elicited a chuckle from the audience.

An audience member asked how does an author deal with having either a screenwriter or a director take his/her work and morph it into something else.  Jeffrey said you have to realize that they are going to make it their own.  He said a director was true to his writing (Virgin Suicides) and another used the first 20 minutes of the movie as the basis of his story and then went from there. He said that was necessary as he wrote a short story (Baster) and they continued it. 

With the exception of Jeffrey, the night was low on energy.  It could be the late start time of 9:30pm. If it were a concert, the time would have made sense, but for writers discussing  writers, it's late.  Deborah Treisman could have moved the evening along a little faster, but she was courteous in letting the authors complete their thoughts.  I also think the topic did not lend itself to elaborating.  Once an authors stated their definition of a writer's writer and listed their favorite authors (each panelist read from their favorite author) , there wasn't much to play off of.

I've seen plenty of authors speak about their own works and it's been very engaging.  Maybe when authors speak of others works, it doesn't resonate the same way.

Of Note: Jeffrey's new book, The Marriage Plot which comes out  on the 11th, has a publisher who decided a Times Square Billboard was necessary.  

Lady Gaga 0, Fan 1

Lady Gaga and/or  her management appealed to the National Arbitration Forum.  Her claim was that ladygaga.org, which was started by a fan, was a trademark infringement.  The owner of the site claimed that she was not gaining any profit from the site and using it solely to promote Lady Gaga. 

This is where it gets tricky for an artist who fiercely wants to protect his/her image.  Is it worth alienating a fan who is clearly a superfan?  The website states on the homepage that it's an unofficial site. 

For someone as popular and in the public eye as Lady Gaga, she would have to think situations like this would be sprouting up all over. This fan was smart enough to register ladygaga.org.  In checking other domains, .net is another unofficial website, .info redirects to a dance website.  It's surprising that Gaga didn't register every domain configuration and redirect them all to her official website. 

The official verdict according to the Hollywood Reporter: 
Three panelists at the National Arbitration Forum ruled that Lady Gaga had failed to show that respondent lacked legitimate interest in the disputed domain name.

Fan 1, Gaga 0

Losers Take All

In a Six Degrees of Separation moment, I have a few connections to the movie Losers Take All.  It's based on a story by Ed Bradin and Roger Rawlings.  I've know Ed for years. Our first encounter may have been my first day of college.  His sister and I were college roommates.  I had never met her prior to going to Fordham.   While I was out of the room on that first day, Kerri moved in.  You can always judge someone by their music collection and apparently Eddy, who was there to drop off his sister at college, approved of my mine.  There was plenty of Ramones, Blondie, Beach Boys and  Elvis Costello. 

Ed joined us at Fordham two years later and he and Roger formed the band the Altar Boys.  This movie is based on their story.

In another degree of separation, the film director, Alex Steyermark is one of the best music supervisors I know.  He has such a connection between film and music.  It makes sense that two of his directorial stints have been music related.  The other film being Prey For Rock & Roll. 

The movie was seen at the Woodstock Film Festival this past Friday and hopefully it will be at a theater near you very soon.

Movie Trivia:  Billy Kay who plays one of the band members was the baby in the movie 3 Men And A Baby.  

Two Lead Singers Are Better Than One

The Jayhawks @ The Greene Space

Two lead singers, singing each song simultaneously is a rarity in music.  The first groups that come to mind were duos in the 1960’s.  Do duos count?  Chad and Jeremy and Peter and Gordon.  The Smothers Brothers also sang together, but took solos.  Squeeze has a few songs that Glen and Chris took leads together such as Take Me I’m Yours.  I don’t remember ever seeing a whole show where two lead singers sang every song in the set. 

Monday night’s Jayhawks performance at the Greene Space had me mesmerized.  Gary Louris and Mark Olson sounded like one.  It wasn’t that they weren’t harmonizing or singing different notes at times, while singing the same lyrics.  It just struck me that they sounded like a single unit.  The drummer, Tim O’Reagan and keyboard player, Karen Grotberg both contributed background vocals. Bassist Marc Perlman did not. 

The intimate show was recorded for a future broadcast for Soundcheck airing on Sept 30^th.  They opened the show with She Walks in So Many Ways.  I’ve been hearing the track on WEHM and love it.  It’s from the new album Mockingbird Time which is out this week.  Jayhawks and Mockingbirds are a good combo.  The album is the first full-length studio album featuring Gary and Mark (founding members of the group) since the wonderful 1995 release, Tomorrow the Green Grass. The duo wrote all the songs on the album. 

When asked about the writing process, Gary said it was just the two of them.  Band members add to the recording, but the two are the writers.  Both Gary and Mark said they still write a whole album with a theme, the way they always have.  Mockingbird follows a biographical journey of the band and their lives.  They still spend time on sequencing, even in this age of pick and choose tracks. 

Closer To Your Side brought thoughts of those duos: Peter and Gordon and Chad and Jeremy. The writing is more mature, but it follows in the tradition of great hooks and melodies.

Mark played acoustic guitar and Gary electric.  Both have a great sound to their playing.  The night would not have been complete without the “hit” (or nuggets as Gary referred to their more familiar songs) Blue.  It’s a classic.  One of my favorite covers of all time is their version of Bad Time.  They did not perform it, which was to be expected in 50 minute set.

It’s great to have Mark, Gary and their songwriting back.

Of Note:

Rolling Stone is streaming the new record.  

Major Labels Still Using Payola The Same Old Way

TechDirt alerted me to a post by the former president of Rykodisc, George Howard on TuneCore's blog.  As George points out, radio is the last stronghold for the major labels, meaning it's the last place they have some "control".   Getting most records on the radio involves lots of money, hiring "consultants" and being a part of the good old boys network, which still exists and has not been cracked in over 50 years.

In my experience the route to getting a song played on radio has not changed in many years.  It started in the late 80's and was in full swing by the 90's.  George explains the process:

Getting a song “added” to a station’s playlist to get a certain number of plays per week involves a rather byzantine process that brings in various parties, called independent promoters (“indies”).  These “indies” are first paid by the label.  It’s important to note that the money the indies receive isn’t necessarily compensation paid directly to them for getting Program Directors to get a song played.  Rather, they work more like an intermediary to pass the label’s money to the radio station. These indies, with the money paid to them from the labels, pay the radio station money for various listener give-aways, bumper stickers and so on. To top it off,  these very same indies are often also paid a second time by the stations themselves as a consultant to advise the stations on what songs they should play.

This is essentially why very few indie artists are heard on any format other than college radio (there are consultants for that format also).  They have a better chance of being struck by lightening than hearing themselves on Top 40 radio.  The majors have the most money and are tied in to the good old boys network.  If indies have the money, they don't belong to the network.

What George didn't touch on was the cost to the artists.  All this promotion money/payola is recoupable by the artist.  It goes to their bottom line.  It explains why Vertical Horizon had a big hit with Everything You Want and got paid nothing in royalties from their record label.    When I was working with the band, the album had sold about 1.4 million units and the band hadn't seen a penny in royalties.  The flip side of this is you are so happy a label has gotten behind you and is pushing you, that you ignore it as the spread sheet numbers keeps adding up.  It did make them a profitable touring band and the songwriters got nice publishing checks.   As an artist you weigh the outcome.



Things are much different now than 15 years ago.  There are other ways to be heard than on the radio.  The good news for artists is they have access to all of them. 

A Sensible Musician

After reading the NY Times article on Nick Lowe, I'm beginning to believe he's one of a small breed: The Sensible Musician.  He embraces his age (early 60's).  He had a stroke of luck by having his song (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding covered on the Body Guard soundtrack.  The royalties allowed him to make music the way he wanted.  He didn't have to play the game.  He was financially sound.

Nick's latest The Old Magic came out yesterday.   The cover sports a woman who resembles Karen Carpenter. 









On the heels of Doris Day having a top 10 album hit in the UK this past week, my friend suggested Doris and Nick should record an album and call it Sense and Sensibility.  I think she's on to something. 

For your ears: 
Nick guest DJ's on All Songs Considered.

Happy Birthday Freddie!

Today would have been Freddie Mercury's 65th birthday.  The Google Doodle honors him.





I was lucky to see Queen at Nassau Coliseum during their Night At The Opera tour. He will always be one of the most charismatic front persons in music.  He was a great songwriter, singer and performer.  My friend Adrienne adored him. What's not to love?

Whose Convenience?

Why don't they just call it what it is?  It's a fee to purchase a ticket.  It's not convenient for me to spend an additional $2.95 per ticket.  WNYC's The Green Space is not the first venue to label it a "convenience charge". 

I just purchased two tickets to see the Jayhawks at the Green Space, which I'm excited about.  I haven't been there. I haven't see the Jayhawks in years.  I don't mind a $3 fee. It's definitely within reason, but I hate it being disguised.  Tell me what it is. 

That being said, there are still tickets available for the Sept 19th show and the "ticket fee" of $20 includes a glass of wine or beer:  very civil. 

Two Great Songwriting Duos Lose A Partner

Both Nick Ashford and Jerry Leiber passed away.  Both were part of two of the most successful songwriting duos of all time.

Nick along his wife Valerie Simpson had their own hit with Solid (As A Rock), but penned the following for other singers:

Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
Ain't No Mountain High Enough (seeing a pattern here?)
I'm Every Woman



Jerry Leiber was one half of Leiber Stoller.  A few of the acts they wrote for were Elvis Presley, The Coasters, Ben E King and The Searchers.

Songs included:
Jailhouse Rock
Hound Dog
Love Potion No. 9
Stand By Me
Is That All There Is?

News Radio Kills the Radio Star

One of the last music format radio stations in New York has gone news.  101.9 went FM News over the weekend. The new call letters are WEMP-FM.  The NY Times reports it's a breezier version of the news. 

Passion At The Work Place

When there is excitement and passion in the workplace, people want to be there participating.  Eileen Gittins recognizes this.  She founded Blurb.  The company that started out as a self-publishing startup for mainly artists making their own art books.

It has grown because

1. They pay attention to details.
2. Give the customer the quality they expect.
3. Maybe this is the most important, as Gittins says "I just get energized by ideas and by people who are committed wholeheartedly to whatever it is they’re doing."  She says this goes for not only her employees but her customers as well.

I remember the days (that makes me sound old) when it was exciting to walk down the halls of a record company.  There was music everywhere. Posters hung on the walls.  Boxed vinyl was stacked all over the place creating a labyrinth in the offices.  Laminates hung on lanyards from bulletin boards.  People would accost me to listen to the latest  not-yet-released songs from Paul Westerberg.  It was fun, exciting and there was passion everywhere.

Fast forward to a story I remember hearing from Sony Music.  When Howard Stringer landed there in the late 90's, it was rumored that he asked Donnie Inner to turn down his music as it was too loud.  Can you imagine running a record company and being told to turn down the sole reason for the company:  music?  The corporate heads sucked out the passion.

Mashable has an interview with Gittens, which is worth the read.  She talks about growing her company.  The original business model:  Could we make money as a business on a book of one? Meaning if somebody made a book, and they only ever ordered one copy, could we have a viable business? And the reason why that was so important was that’s the opposite of traditional book publishing and creating apps. 

She's focused, smart and passionate.