While there would seem to be no reasonable argument for collecting CDs for their monetary value, collecting them for their intrinsic value—for the music contained on them—remains a worthy endeavor. | | | | Inge Johansson and Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! in London, Dec. 8, 2016.
(Imelda Michalczyk/Redferns/Getty Images) | | | | |  | “While there would seem to be no reasonable argument for collecting CDs for their monetary value, collecting them for their intrinsic value—for the music contained on them—remains a worthy endeavor.”
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| | rantnrave:// News item A: "There are 12 people—I could name names—that control the playlists that have global impact and have the most impact on new music being streamed." That's THADDEUS RUDD, co-president of MOM + POP MUSIC, speaking at MIDEM on Tuesday about the consolidation of playlist curation. News item B: Here's who those curators are—and aren't—selecting for their playlists. Tl;dr version: Exactly one song on RAPCAVIAR, total, over a four-week period, by a female rapper. Exactly four songs on HOT COUNTRY, over a four-week period, that featured a female singer in any role at all. These aren't algorithmic playlists. Someone is programming these mixes and actively making these choices. (And, as LIZ PELLY discovered in her research for her story "Discover Weakly," those choices directly affect what songs get picked up by algorithmic playlists.) Why are they making those choices? What responsibility do they feel when they make them? What feedback are they getting from their users? Where do they draw the line between what their users know they want to hear vs. what their users don't know they want to hear? What pressure and pushback are they getting from labels? Is expanding their users' musical worldview part of their jobs? Is exposing them to diverse voices part of it? What does the word curator mean to them? What are their own prejudices? How were the 12 of them chosen? What's lost when you hear almost nothing but male voices day in and day out?... Thaddeus Rudd also suggests that playlist curators are more insulated from label pressure than radio programmers are. Is that because a lot of them come from editorial backgrounds, where that insulation is a core principle? The full Midem panel at which he spoke is a great discussion on the intersection of playlists and A&R, and worth 30 minutes of your time... As is this BOB LEFSETZ podcast with DANIEL GLASS, a true believer in old-school A&R who will convince you over the course of an hour that there's nothing all that old-school about it. Also, he'll explain how SIRIUSXM is responsible for a hell of a lot of concert tickets... Case files and updates: OZZY vs. AEG. COURTNEY LOVE vs. um, wow. MUSICARES calls in an outside investigator... FACEBOOK turns on the music... RIP JALAL MANSUR NURIDDIN. | | | - Matty Karas, curator |
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 | The Baffler |
| With its partnerships and editorial content, Spotify has paid lip service to gender equality on its platform. But the numbers reveal a different story. | | |
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 | The New Yorker |
| Thinking about Charlie Parker, every day. | | |
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 | Atlas Obscura |
| Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't because lifts were terrifying. | | |
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 | Miami New Times |
| Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy sits cross-legged on a comfy chair and talks openly about astral projection (he's for it), feminism (he's against it), and systemic oppression (it's over, apparently) while declining to address or reflect upon the criminal reasons he's unable to leave his house. "Would I change anything about my journey?" he says at one point. "F***, no." | | |
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 | Medium |
| Voice interfaces, smart speakers, geolocation and other cutting-edge, screen-less technologies are transforming music consumption as we know it. | | |
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 | Pigeons & Planes |
| The current wave of emo is the most diverse the scene and genre has ever seen. | | |
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 | Pitchfork |
| From crystal-encrusted haute couture to pantsless casual looks, Rihanna’s incomparable eye for fashion is an essential part of her art. | | |
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 | The Atlantic |
| The company’s quickly abandoned stance against misbehavior is a sign that the record industry still doesn’t want to police the ethics of its stars. | | |
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 | Variety |
| Writes Maverick's Nick Jarjour: "Our negligence should have changed 25 years ago after Kurt Cobain’s tragic suicide." | | |
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 | Billboard |
| As Nashville continues to evolve, the 100 movers, shakers and influencers on Billboard's fourth annual Country Power Players list drove a $1.3 billion business in 2017, thanks in part to fans (finally) embracing streaming. | | |
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| | | the famous 1938 carnegie hall jazz concert |
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 | The Quietus |
| We're supposedly in the middle of a vinyl revival, streaming services are hoovering up all the coin, and everyone seems to have a cassette column. But, argues James Toth, it's the humble compact disc that we should be celebrating | | |
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 | Mixmag |
| The iconic transformational festival helps rewrite the West Coast's dancefloor ethos. | | |
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 | Consequence of Sound |
| As the Roo of old fades away, the next generation emerges more immersive than ever. | | |
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 | The Fader |
| A raver-next-door goes from DIY parties to global sensation, and she’s bringing her friends. | | |
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 | Okayplayer |
| We kick off Black Music Month with producer Jimmy Jam as he shares never-before-told stories behind his and Terry Lewis’ most iconic hit records. | | |
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 | Paper |
| The way we have conversations has changed. | | |
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 | Complex |
| Two albums released by the same label within a week of each other, and produced by the same person, end up giving us a study in contrasts. | | |
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 | NOW Toronto Magazine |
| World music is more influential and borderless than ever, but the term is outdated. So what do we call it? Global beats? The new Canadian Sound? | | |
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 | Midem |
| Let’s discuss on how playlist professionals have replaced radio DJs as the new power brokers, as streaming services’ ready-made song lists become hitmakers. | | |
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| Billboard |
| Given the relatively small, close knit country music industry and its 24/7 work ethic, there are quite a few of them. | | |
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 | YouTube |
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