Is the album format dead?

A recent New York Times article argues that the album format is on life support in this age of iTunes singles and the iPod. The article, The Album, a Commodity in Disfavor by Jeff Leeds posits that music fans are more interested in downloading singles than whole albums and points out that “last year, digital singles outsold plastic CD’s for the first time.” But a quick read of the article makes it obvious that he is primarily talking about the “pop” album (for want of a better term), you know the American Idol/Christine Aguilera pop tarts who rule the commercial airwaves. But that has always been the case for this format.

From the long time staple of AM Top 40 radio, the 45 RPM single, technology has finally caught up to find its replacement. Fans of Wilco are still going to buy their albums, that won’t change, but here today, gone tomorrow fans of Britney and Avril just want to hear the hits baby. They also have come to realize that of the 12-14 songs on the CD, holy shit only two of them are actually any good!

The one hit wonder pop phenomena has always relied on the single as its most effective way to promote its stars. The albums were merely a way to resell the same song with a bunch of filler. Let those fans have their icing. I prefer the cake of a fine rock and roll band like the recent Apples in Stereo or Sloan albums which bring me on a sonic journey all over the rock and roll map. Sure some songs are “better” than others but did you ever notice that two people could never agree on which ones? Long live the album, in whatever format the music industry foists on us next.

Later.

Help save Internet radio!

Smart kids prefer hard rock

Now we know the truth. The real eggheads are not into Bach and Mozart. More likely they are into Ozzy and Megadeth. So says a recent study by a team at the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth at Warwick University in the UK. According to the study mentioned recently on KNAC, “the researchers believe many bright children often feel isolated because of their high IQs - so they tend to seek comfort in loud music.”

If this is in fact the case, for all these years I must have been a genius! Now it is all starting to make sense….

Later.

Bootlegging is alive and well

I remember when I was in (ahem) high school and bootlegs were this incredibly exotic and tantalizingly illegal passport to musical experiences that only the true rock and roll aficionado would cultivate. For me, the dream combo was the infamous “Destroyer” four album Led Zeppelin box set coupled with the legendary “Copenhagen Warm-Ups” double-album where you could hear “In the Evening” in all its psychedelic, extended bizarro glory. Of course there were the endless number of excruciating “Let it Be” bootlegs that made even the most passionate Beatles fan a tad bit nauseous and I could never really understand the Grateful Dead “Dark Star” phenomena but hey, that was just me right?

Well if you think bootlegging live performances a la Grateful Dead taping section has gone the way of the 8 track you will be surprised to note that it is still going strong, even in this day of peer to peer networks as revealed in Music fans keep bootlegging alive. Fans are still recording and trading shows and amazingly, they are trading them via snail mail! Yet that’s right, in this day of the Internet, tape traders (I know, I know..) are still trading amongst a vibrant population of dedicated (some say obsessive) fans who claim that the Internet removes all sense of community from the activity.

Hey, who am I to argue with that? Even though bands like Pearl Jam and the Tragically Hip now make recordings of all shows officially available, I have to admit that interacting with real fans is still somewhat cooler than just downloading off the net. Now where is that version of “Turn on Your Lovelight” from the Orpheum in Boston from 1972? Somebody’s got to have it….

Later.

Guster and the green touring revolution

When Guster kick off their spring Campus Consciousness Tour in Winston-Salem at Wake Forest  University tonight, it will be with a tour organized to lessen as much as possible its environmental impact on the planet. Utilizing buses powered by clean-burning domestically made bio-diesel fuel and purchasing renewable energy credits through Native American owned renewable energy company Native Energy, Guster is part of a growing number of musicians who are combining the process of touring and making music with environmentally benign practices.

The impressive thing with Guster is that they are showing the way forward for others to make the same commitment. Guster singer/guitarist Adam Gardner and his wife Lauren Sullivan formed the Maine-based environmental organization Reverb three years ago to help those in the music business adopt eco-friendly practices wherever possible. According to a recent article in Pollstar, Reverb does “green entertainment consulting for artists who want to clean their tours through the use of biodiesel for transports, biodegradable plates and utensils backstage, and many other options to cut down on carbon emissions.” Lauren Sullivan explained to the magazine

“We sort of create a la carte environmental programs for the artist. We’ll map out the tour, do all their fueling, negotiate all payments - we’ll take that off their plate. “We do the greening behind the scenes, such as coordinating biodiesel fueling for their truck fleets and mapping those all across the country.”It’s all about meeting them wherever they are in terms of what they’re doing and helping to make their efforts come to life.”

And the move to be more eco-friendly in the music business seems to be taking off. Artists as diverse as Bonnie Raitt, Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morrisette, Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band and Willie Nelson have all implemented green touring practices. Reverb is also working with Warner Brothers Records in making them more eco-aware and I have already written about Smog Veil Records’ new eco-friendly headquarters building.

Now you can certainly debate whether the act of buying renewable energy credits results in an appreciable impact on reducing global carbon emissions but you cannot deny the fact that the level of awareness that is growing in the music business matches the rising level of awareness in the general public and that we are finally starting to make some changes to the way we live our lives in order to lessen our impact on this planet. Whether these actions result in a small or large positive impact is, in my opinion beside the point. The point is that doing something, anything is always better than doing nothing at all. And that is something that Guster is reminding everybody who attends their concerts. I’m green with envy.

Later.

GUSTER TOUR DATES

03/28/07 WED Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
03/30/07 FRI Grand Opera House Macon, GA
03/31/07 SAT Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN
04/02/07 MON Liberty Hall Lawrence, KS
04/03/07 TUE Lloyd Noble Areana Norman, OK
04/04/07 WED Donald W. Reynolds Center Tulsa, OK
04/06/07 FRI Stubb’s BBQ Austin, TX
04/07/07 SAT Granada Theater Dallas, TX
04/09/07 MON Western Illinois University macomb, IL
04/10/07 TUE Luther College Decorah, IA
04/13/07 FRI Beacon Theatre New York, NY
04/14/07 SAT Beacon Theatre New York, NY
04/20/07 FRI Opera House Boston, MA
04/21/07 SAT Opera House Boston, MA
04/26/07 THU Williams College Williamstown, MA
04/27/07 FRI Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
04/28/07 SAT Siena College Loudonville, NY
04/29/07 SUN Loyola College in Maryland Baltimore, MD
05/04/07 FRI Furman University Greenville, SC
05/05/07 SAT Erskine College Due West, SC
06/22/07 FRI Telluride Bluegrass Festival Telluride, CO

Rock and Roll Report Radio is on Tonight!

Head over to www.ckut.ca tonight from 10:00 - 11:00 PM EST for the latest edition of Rock and Roll Report Radio on the Drastic Plastic Program.

Tonight I’ll be playing stuff from The Martyr Index, the Tender Box, the Shake, Annex, Major Tom, Three Quarter Stone and more! Stop by and feed your ears.

Later.

Mark

There are thousands of web radio stations but is anybody listening?

I am a huge fan of what I refer to as Radio 2.0 which consists of everything from services like Last FM to web radio stations to podcasting but a recent LA Times article asks the question “Is anybody actually listening?”

According to Few tune in to Web DJs, “Tens of thousands of radio shows air regularly on the Web, often with audiences whose numbers could fit around a dining room table. Virtually every musical niche is represented.”

Now the main point of the article seems to be that these web DJs are in essence pissing in the wind to an audience of one but I think it really misses an important point. People like Richard Inman or hell me for that matter do this because we are passionate about what we do. On top of that, technology has allowed us to play music and speak to people who want to listen to what we have to say and play. Whether that audience is in the dozens or the thousands is irrelevant. Maybe not to the hit making machinery of the major labels but it certainly means a lot to the musicians that I play to to know that the people listening to shows like Rock and Roll Report Radio are listening because they want to and that is in essence part of how a band builds a fan base in this Radio 2.0 world. Everything is a niche these days but from little niches revolutions grow.

Later.

American Laundromat Records and Daisy Rock Guitars Announce Neil Young Cover Song Contest

Unsigned Female Artists Can Win a Spot on a Nationally Distributed Benefit CD, a Daisy Rock Guitar and More!

Stonington, CT - American Laundromat Records and Daisy Rock Guitars are co-sponsoring a contest inviting female artists and female-fronted bands to submit a cover version of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” to win a Daisy Rock guitar, consideration for an official Daisy Rock endorsement, and a guaranteed slot on the upcoming American Laundromat Records benefit CD “Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young”. All proceeds from the Cinnamon Girl project will be donated to Casting For Recovery, a national non-profit support and educational program for women who have or have had breast cancer. Tanya Donelly, Jill Sobule, The Watson Twins, Kristin Hersh, Lori McKenna, Josie Cotton, and Britta Phillips are just some of the outstanding female artists covering Neil Young for the Cinnamon Girl benefit CD due out October 3, 2007.

To be eligible, bands must meet the following requirements:
- Have a lead female vocalist, and at least one female guitarist or bassist
- Have a website and/or myspace page, and gig regularly at local clubs and venues
- Be a fan of Neil Young’s music

The contest winner will receive:
- A guaranteed spot on the Cinnamon Girl benefit CD
- Free Daisy Rock guitar or bass, and consideration to earn an official Daisy Rock endorsement
- Winner will be announced worldwide on the American Laundromat website and myspace page as well as the Daisy Rock web site and myspace page

To enter, artists are invited to submit their cover version of “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” on CD to American Laundromat Records, c/o Cinnamon Girl Contest, P.O. Box 1428, Pawcatuck, CT 06379. Submission deadline is May 15th. The winner will be chosen and announced on June 1st. Any questions regarding the contest should be directed to americanlaundromat@hotmail.com with the following in the subject field “Cinnamon Girl Contest Question”.

ABOUT DAISY ROCK GUITARS
Daisy Rock (http://www.daisyrock.com) is the original girl-guitar company dedicated to successfully supplying and marketing pro-quality guitars for females. The company is led by its President, Tish Ciravolo, and co-owned and distributed by Alfred Publishing. Daisy Rock’s ongoing mission is to provide females of all ages with whatever it takes to learn to play guitar and enjoy music. Daisy Rock has established and continues to strengthen its reputation as “THE female guitar company.”

ABOUT CASTING FOR RECOVERY
Casting For Recovery (http://www.castingforrecovery.org) is a national non-profit support and educational program for women who have or have had breast cancer. Casting for Recovery provides an opportunity for women whose lives have been profoundly affected by the disease to gather in a beautiful, natural setting and learn fly-fishing, “a sport for life.” The weekend retreats incorporate counseling, educational services and the sport of fly-fishing to promote mental and physical healing. Founded in 1996, Casting for Recovery has been offering free retreats across the country. They rely on local volunteers and organizations to support their community based retreats.

ABOUT AMERICAN LAUNDROMAT RECORDS
American Laundromat Records (www.alr-music.com) is an indie-rock label based out of Southeastern, CT. Founded in 2004 by music enthusiasts Joe Spadaro & Sean T. Rayburn, the label is best known for their popular 2005 compilation “High School Reunion - a tribute to those great 80’s films” which featured indie-rockers Frank Black, Kristin Hersh, Matthew Sweet, The Dresden Dolls and others covering those beloved tunes from some of the 80’s most popular teen films. Other upcoming projects include “Dig For Fire - A Pixies Tribute” featuring They Might Be Giants, OK Go, British Sea Power, The Rosebuds, and many more. A November 13, 2007 release date is scheduled.

Goodstock 2007 - The Trailer

Dana & Carl’s This is Rock and Roll Radio Returns Tonight!

I’m posting this straight from their e-mail announcing the return of This is Rock and Roll Radio:

Hello again from Dana & Carl and THIS IS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL RADIO, the self-proclaimed Best Three Hours Of Radio On The Whole Friggin’ Planet. After a long delay which can only be described as…ah, skip it. The point is that our divorce from Syracuse Community Radio has finally gone through, and that we return to the web this very Sunday, March 25, with a live show from 9 to midnight Eastern at our new URL, www.westcottradio.org.

The fact that we and the other former programmers at Syracuse Community Radio are able to resume webcasting at all can be credited directly to YOU, the loyal TIRnRR supporter. When we needed the kind of help that only money can buy, you folks stepped up in numbers too big to ignore, and we can’t thank you enough. Though the web address has changed, everything else is pretty much the same as we ever was: Same cramped little studio! Same crappy equipment! Same witless banter between Dana & Carl! And, thankfully, the same commitment to playing one great record after another, and to somehow living up to our own addled, humilty-challenged hype.

We’ll also be adding a podcast in the near future, provided we can get a deal on some pods. For now, though, effective immediately, WE’RE BACK, starting this week, with the latest from RICHARD X. HEYMAN, THE GILLIGANS, ZOLI & THE FLYING MACHINE and, and…Lordy, I don’t even know yet. Maybe something by THE LEONARDS, some ISLEY BROTHERS, some BAY CITY ROLLERS, NIKKI CORVETTE, NELSON BRAGG, THE ELECTRIC PRUNES, THE RAMONES…! Perhaps we’ll even play a couple of subtle dedications to our former comrades at Syracuse Community Radio. Heh, heh.

Whatever we do, it’ll be more fun if you join us. So dial us up on the web this Sunday, from 9 to midnight Eastern at www.westcottradio.org, and find out why so many otherwise-rational people thought that this was radio worth saving. It’s what rock ‘n’ roll radio sounds like, once again, on Sunday nights in Syracuse each week.

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