We don’t ever get to a world where everybody is paying for music.
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Tanya Tagaq at Interstellar Rodeo, Edmonton, Alberta, July 2015. (Levi Manchak)
Thursday - October 27, 2016 Thu - 10/27/16
rantnrave:// "A recording contract acts as embalming fluid to the person you were when you first signed it." That's the NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE's TAFFY BRODESSER-AKNER' writing about KESHA as a pop star trying to do a major reset on her career while in the middle of a complicated, ugly and well-publicized legal fight with her producer and label. Virtually everything in and around that case is in dispute. Here's producer DR. LUKE's lawyer challenging many of the details of what the Times calls "a rape claim that’s past its sell-by date, which has turned into a banal contract dispute." The two sides can't even agree on whether they've agreed on a list of producers for her next album. What doesn't seem to be in dispute is Kesha's desire to not be the singer of "TIK TOK" ("make it more dumb," she says she was told) anymore. "Something that was always told to me is: ‘You’re fun. We’re going to capitalize on that,’" she says. "To this day, I’ve never released a single that’s a true ballad, and I feel like those are the songs that balance out the perception of you, because you *can* be a fun girl. You *can* go and have a crazy night out, but you also, as a human being, have vulnerable emotions. You have love"... I'm not sure what to do with BEN FOLDS' description of Kesha as "the only performer I can think of that has gone from being packaged to real." From STEVIE WONDER to MICHAEL JACKSON to JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, that's pretty much the history of pop... Will there ever be a time where everyone who listens to music pays for it? Short answer from SPOTIFY's TROY CARTER: no. (Was there ever such a time? Short answer: no)... Artists are fighting extra hard these days to make sure they get paid, though... #SAVEFABRIC, the (really impressive) compilation... PUSHA T interviewing TIM KAINE... Knowing me, knowing virtual you.
- Matty Karas, curator
fundamental
The New York Times
Kesha, Interrupted
by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Four years ago, she was a global superstar. Then a contract dispute - and her rape claim against her producer - sent her career into the wilderness.
Quartz
Music has been totally disrupted by Silicon Valley--yet it's still run by the same two moguls
by Amy X. Wang
The astounding careers of twin giants.
Vulture
Let’s Not Go Back to the Good Old Days of Real Rap Beef
by Craig Jenkins
Drake's vicious shot at Kid Cudi's mental health may be a tactical error.
Red Bull Music Academy
Dev Hynes Lecture (Montréal 2016)
by Dev Hynes and Lauren Martin
Liberation of soul and mind is essential to the work of Devonté Hynes. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in East London, Hynes has called NYC home for close to a decade. A musical shape-shifter, his sound has evolved from dance-punk to eccentric folk to the ‘80s informed, socially-minded R&B he crafts today as Blood Orange.
MTV News
Using Music To Overcome Illness
by Emily Tantuccio
I found a way to feel empowered instead of victimized by my experience with chronic illness.
Pitchfork
The Forgotten Precursor to iTunes
by David Chiu
Personics’ song-driven concept is one that the iTunes Store was built on. One big difference: Personics couldn’t rally the corporation of the major labels.
Slate
The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle on His 1995 Song “Cubs in Five”
by John Darnielle
And what it means to him in 2016.
Noisey
Dee Snider Is a Gun-Toting Feminist
by Kim Kelly
Stream the iconic Twisted Sister frontman's new solo album, and read on for his thoughts on censorship, Black Lives Matter, and Donald Trump.
Billboard
Will Lady Gaga's Old-School Promo Blitz for 'Joanne' Pay Off? Insiders Weigh In
by Chris Willman
With "Joanne" headed toward a modest first week, the traditional old-school route is put to the test.
The Ringer
The Pop Star Country Phase Sincerity Index
by Sam Donsky
Lady Gaga is the latest pop star to dabble in country. Here’s how she grades out.
overtone
The Guardian
San Fran-disco: how Patrick Cowley and Sylvester changed dance music forever
by Geeta Dayal
A new release celebrating the work of Patrick Cowley sheds light on San Francisco’s disco scene which was cut down in its prime during the Aids crisis.
CBS News
Phil Collins: 'Not Dead Yet'
by Jim Axelrod, Phil Collins and CBS Sunday Morning
The pop icon, whose candid memoir is a chronicle of his struggles with marriage, drinking and fame, finds liberation in the honest reckoning
Noisey
The Lemon Twigs Are Rock's New Old Young Dreamboats
by Kim Taylor Bennett
We meet the precocious teen brothers whose debut LP, 'Do Hollywood,' is beloved by Elton John and Alice Cooper alike.
Huck Magazine
Stretch & Bobbito: The story of hip-hop's greatest tastemakers
by Cian Traynor
From Nas to Jay Z, rap's biggest stars got their start on an underground radio show in the middle of the night. Now it's finally getting the recognition it deserves.
Hillary Clinton
A conversation with Pusha T and Tim Kaine
Music Business Worldwide
Pandora has lost $250m in 2016... and its listeners just fell again
by Tim Ingham
Company says its bottom line was hit by record company advances.
WSJ
What It's Like to Make Music With David Lynch
by Michael Calia
Singer Chrysta Bell sheds light on her 17-year collaboration with the artist and filmmaker.
The Council of Music Creators
Who Fired Maria Pallante?
The abrupt firing of the popular Register of Copyrights and friend of music creators has the creative world buzzing. Who was behind the firing? Who stands to benefit by a weakened copyright law? What does this action portend for our future?
The Atlantic
The Enduring Sadness of 'Back to Black'
by Spencer Kornhaber
Ten years after Amy Winehouse’s breakthrough release, the singer’s powerfully self-critical point of view stands alone.
Rolling Stone
35 Greatest Horror Soundtracks: Modern Masters, Gatekeepers Choose
by Christopher R. Weingarten, Brandon Soderberg, Steve Smith...
Composers, reissue-labels and synth-savvy musicians pick best in fright.
MUSIC OF THE DAY
via YouTube
"Aorta"
Tanya Tagaq
“REDEF is dedicated to my mother, who nurtured and encouraged my interest in everything and slightly regrets the day she taught me to always ask ‘why?’”
@JasonHirschhorn


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