What's the future of the music industry?

So Remi Wolf is logstandard indie! (What is Sicilian about Kate McGarrigle, though?)

remi wolf isn't bad, you couldn't pay me to listen to dow jones jr. tho lol

The dark hilarity of "rich kid indie" is that most of the rich kids who get into it are so fully committed to cosplaying DIY that you can be close friends with them for years and have no clue, none at all, that their entire thing is parent-funded

Generally if you want to know "who's rich?" just follow the loudest voices on Twitter complaining about how "poor" they are

Personally I like it when rich people decide to make albums and pay people to help them, better than them getting into bitcoin and real estate with that money

I think also

That it's brutally ironic that this thread is a pile of articles over fifteen years about "the music industry is dying" and "nobody is listening to new music any more"

And then it becomes a pile of shit talk about "a new young rock band comprised of two women signed to Domino records that has become too popular for people's liking" like

There is a correlation here, no?

“Another one”? None of those artists Josh names are pretending to be “indie”

I didn't mean to imply they were pretending to be anything, just kids of privilege who likely had good connections.

Also the irony of the apparent democratisation of "A full acceptance of all music as having a right to one's approval" - coupled with the proviso of it being judged by individuals on "a case by case base", with an erratic and bizarre set of prejudices (e.g. too popular, didn't pay enough dues on the touring circuit, received hidden patronage or benefited through contacts in the music industry)

Would be a shame to see a child of Lenny Waronker make it as a musician, huh

As I explained already several times, popularity/instafame/loadsamoney/nepotism doesn't preclude it being good, it just means that the acclaim has a higher bar to clear so as to seem justified (to me, the subjective critic, who has a measure of cynicism about how acts sometimes make it in the popular realm). I went and examined my prejudices yesterday by listening to an entire Bad Bunny album - it was good! Maybe today I'll listen to the entire Wet Leg album.

It's just another way to skip to the front of the line, I guess. Of course, there *is* no line, and anyone that thinks they're entitled to success in the music industry due to their hard work is almost as bad as someone that uses their privilege as a shortcut. There are far, far more popular acts that came from nothing or nothing special than there are acts that came from particularly privileged backgrounds, and while there *are* some shortcuts, I don't think there is any real rhyme or reason as to who gets successful and how. Even actual talent is generally not enough to get you there.

I think also

That it's brutally ironic that this thread is a pile of articles over fifteen years about "the music industry is dying" and "nobody is listening to new music any more"

And then it becomes a pile of shit talk about "a new young rock band comprised of two women signed to Domino records that has become too popular for people's liking" like

There is a correlation here, no?

― flamboyant goon tie included, Thursday, 28 July 2022 14:22 (thirty-six minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

I don't see the point being made here. Those articles were surely nonsensical even at the time?

xxp you're not a critic until you set out the case law - why you think it's good or not. Until then you're just a bogstandard punter.

ooooh! well, you're on

What is Sicilian about Kate McGarrigle, though?

Per Wikipedia, she was born "in Montreal, Quebec to Irish pianist Francis McGarrigle and French Canadian mother Gabrielle Latrémouille".
So, not Sicilian at all.

Got me. That's just what wikipedia says.

Did Waronker and McGarrigle have children together? Is this some secret thing? I’m suspicious of your intel, Josh

lol, maybe there is more than one Remi Wolf? This one apparently was also a competitive downhill skier.

yeah apparently her real name is remi francis wolf, so idk where that last name would've come from

I see that biographical detail on this website (which lists her body type as “Medium fat”) – but it looks “sus,” as the kids say

That's just what wikipedia says.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, July 28, 2022 8:26 AM (ten minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

the shit you posted wasn't even on wikipedia! christ

anyway, the real remi wolf is fun. she's got a song called "grumpy old man" that sounds like "brimful of asha" or "how bizarre," but with a "ramble on" bassline

xpost I know! It was just a weirdly generic but still specific entry. I found the other stuff when I googled her. And honestly the only reason I googled further was because she was from Palo Alto, usually a place of privilege, and a childhood competitive skier (ditto) and American Idol candidate. My first suspicion was that she was the child of tech people!

But yeah, I only stumbled on it when I was googling acts I'd never heard of. Frankly, I have a lot of trouble figuring out the Wainwright/Roche/McGarrigle family tree, anyway. I'm not even sure Lenny Waronker and Kate McGarrigle were ever a couple, come to think of it.

Meanwhile, Flea and the kids today

Girls and boys you might not believe this but there was a time when music journalists, when writing about youth culture music, wrote about the music.

— Flea (@flea333) July 28, 2022

The Grateful Dead formed in Palo Alto btw

Wish I could go back in time and buy a couple of houses then.

yeah come on the 2022 median home price in Palo Alto is $*dies*

Would be a shame to see a child of Lenny Waronker make it as a musician, huh

― slide into my KMFDMs (morrisp)

did that.dog ever "make it"

how about charlie haden's kids, is it ok if they "make it" because he was a jazz bassist

fairly sure morris was being sarcastic

Yes, it was a joke (with Anna & Joey in mind).

ILX: the future of the music industry is arguing about the authenticity of indie rock

I also was thinking 20 years ago, or I guess like 17 years.

Sorry, I wasn't intentionally being dismissive. My post was mainly a dig at Tracer Hand's 'post-punk was 40 years ago' comment

anyone that thinks they're entitled to success in the music industry due to their hard work is almost as bad as someone that uses their privilege as a shortcut.

definitely not nearly as bad

There are far, far more popular acts that came from nothing or nothing special than there are acts that came from particularly privileged backgrounds

any data on this? Because as far as I can tell this hasn't really been true for a very long time, at least not in indie rock and electronic music. In other genres - metal, rap, jazz, maaaaybe. But I also understand this is a thing we are not supposed to talk about for some reason

agreed with deej, this thread should go back to being about calling ted gioia an idiot

Deflatormouse, gotcha, no worries! Didn't take it dismissively.

the future of the music industry is arguing about the authenticity of indie rock

otm, I got bills to pay

this thread should go back to being about calling ted gioia an idiot

Now we're talking

_the future of the music industry is arguing about the authenticity of indie rock_


otm, I got bills to pay

welp: https://www.gofundme.com/f/5296xq-help-dummy-find-a-way-home?member=20995937

Whatever happened with the Animal Collective guy's pitch for donations to ... fuck around in Africa? Indonesia? Heck, whatever happened with (perplexingly) hapless critic S F-J's pitch for donations to buy a new laptop, since his New Yorker gig clearly wasn't doing it for him?

welp: https://www.gofundme.com/f/5296xq-help-dummy-find-a-way-home?member=20995937

― rob

"every time we put in directions to "home" on our phones it keeps giving us directions to someplace called Portishead, help!"

Coincidentally, Bristol is where Wet Leg’s Teasdale did her DIY thing for a while.

Own up, which ones of you donated?

the band are in the middle of another explosive tour across the US, keeping the DIY dream alive for venues, opening bands and of course THE FANS

Dummy with a working van: "bands need to just keep their heads down, keep their egos in check, and do the work"
Dummy with a broken van: "the underground music scene will collapse if you dont buy us a new van"

Red flag disclaimer in that go fund link: "All funds will be delivered directly to DUMMY, to use at their discretion. This fundraiser is not affiliated with the band or their management."

So, like, it could be the weed budget.

Sounds like it may not even get to them.

Collective Soul and Goo Goo Dolls both have new albums out this weekend. It’s kind of surreal to me how bands like that keep on steadily releasing new material over the years (as opposed to, say, just playing the hits in concert). Do even their fans want to hear new music from them?

Whatever happened with the Animal Collective guy's pitch for donations to ... fuck around in Africa? Indonesia?

it took deakin 7 years but he delivered on the kickstarter eventually & most of the funds went to charity.

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1091-why-animal-collectives-deakin-took-7-years-to-make-his-kickstarter-funded-album/

Do even their fans want to hear new music from them?

Something like 73 rave reviews on a new video on Collective Soul's FB page; v positive reviews of the album in Spin, American Songwriter and AMG. I'll check with my MIL next time I see her how she feels about the new material. (Not like I've been listening to it.)

New videos seem to have about 85k views on YouTube, as opposed to 57M for the official video of "Shine". I imagine it's enough that they're not flipping burgers.

if playing the hits can fund studio time and making new stuff gives you the motivation to keep playing the hits... good on ya