AltWeeklies Wire
Bypassing Record Labels, Jill Sobule's New Album is Funded by Fansnew
Sobule has had a hard time with record companies. The singer/songwriter has been dropped by MCA and Atlantic, not to mention the two indie labels she recorded for are now defunct. Naturally, Sobule was hesitant about shopping her latest album to another label; but without any money of her own, other options were few and far between.
New York Press |
David Chiu |
05-14-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Record Store Day Arrives in Charlestonnew
Ironically, after almost 10 years, the plot of Empire Records has never been more current. Just as the film's titular shop faces extinction, so do the last remaining mom-and-pops still stocking discs. But in Charleston, things aren't so gloomy.
Charleston City Paper |
Bryan Reed |
04-15-2009 |
Music
Advertisers Go from Licensing Songs to Releasing Themnew
The synergy of marketing and indie music has evolved so swiftly that selling a tune for use in a commercial or video game seems almost quaint. Marketers aren't just horning in on the territory of record labels' promo departments -- they're starting to act like labels.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
04-13-2009 |
Music
Change of Direction at SXSWnew
Ten years ago, SXSW was widely accepted as the ultimate opportunity for baby bands and A&R representatives to make goo-goo eyes at each other. But today younger, wiser bands don’t bat their eyelashes at the majors like they used to, and South by Southwest is all the better for it.
Boston Phoenix |
Michael Brodeur |
03-27-2009 |
Music
Tags: music industry, SXSW
Music's Biggest Party Reflects a Shifting Music Industrynew
The music industry is shrinking, but there are more bands than ever before, and more ways to hear them. A report from the frontlines of SXSW.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
03-26-2009 |
Music
Tags: music industry, SXSW
Together, Live Nation and Ticketmaster Could Exert a Dangerous Amount of Powernew
When news of the proposed Live Nation and Ticketmaster merger flashed across the internet, it was accompanied by the same mix of panic and dread you'd expect in response to an announcement that great white sharks were carrying the Ebola virus and could now fly.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
02-23-2009 |
Music
'Don't Stop' Looks at Karaoke's Democratization of Musicnew
Despite his book's limitations, it's hard to disagree with Brian Raftery's basic proposition: Skill is overrated, and the music stars or publishing houses who own the big hits tend to be overpaid.
Seattle Weekly |
Brian Miller |
01-12-2009 |
Nonfiction
If Full-Length Albums are Dead, Why Do So Many People Still Want Them?new
Rather than a dying format, the album is perhaps more like the novel or feature-length film -- a good idea that has weathered and will continue to weather technological trends. It's already survived numerous physical products: the vinyl LP, the 8-track, the cassette tape, and the compact disc. Who's to say that it won't survive the digital download?
Washington City Paper |
Brent Burton |
01-08-2009 |
Music
Can We Save the Music Industry? Do We Want To?new
If you are the type of person who cares passionately about the future of music in America, this is one of the most exciting and frightening decades in modern history.
Boulder Weekly |
Dale Bridges |
01-05-2009 |
Music
Can I Bite Your Thigh? A Trent Reznor Interviewnew
The Nine Inch Nails frontman goes off on a failed record industry and life as an indie artist after decades of appeasing "asshole" executives.
Sacramento News & Review |
Alia Cruz |
12-13-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
CDs for Christmas -- One Last Timenew
The major record labels are pulling out all the stops to release a plethora of new and reissue albums in the hopes that they can pump some blood back into what is increasingly looking like a moribund business model.
Boston Phoenix |
Daniel Brockman |
12-12-2008 |
Music
Whither the Album?new
Chuck Klosterman says Chinese Democracy is the format's last hurrah. Kanye proves him wrong.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
12-08-2008 |
Music
Wanna Be MySpace Music's CEO?new
Rupert Murdoch's toy is trying to go legit; mayhem may ensue, and success may not.
Dallas Observer |
Karla Starr |
12-08-2008 |
Music
Von Iva Hits the Big Time with Jim Carreynew
How do you amass a large audience from outside the traditional music industry? If you're San Francisco's Von Iva, the answer has moved from labels to licensing -- a direction that recently landed the group in the onscreen company of Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel.
SF Weekly |
Jennifer Maerz |
12-03-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Avoiding Wal-Mart for Your AC/DC Fixnew
Independent retailers have found ways to get around big-box exclusives.
Seattle Weekly |
Sara Brickner |
12-02-2008 |
Music
