reuters has a story with a little tiny paragraph toward the end that reinforces my long discussion here on meta-roj that the cd format is the best opportunity in the histoy of recorded music for the upstart, unsigned musicians in the competition for attention…
But using acronyms to market music can be a risky proposition, particularly once consumers learn that the music they bought on the Internet is shackled and bound compared with free-roam compact discs.
posted by roj at 11:16 am
to coordinate with the laying of the cornerstone for the freedom tower on the site of the world trade center, the meta-roj blog announces a design contest for the war on terror memorial.
we have a great tradition of war memorials in america, and i want to get a jump on this one. you have a big legacy – the new world war 2 memorial, the vietnam wall, and thousands of others, both grand and subtle.
i love creative people, so let’s get on this. i don’t want to impose too many restrictions, but i do appreciate the value of boundaries. so, let’s make these designs that can be built in physical space, and, in memorial tradition, something that will last (no virtual memorials, no projectors and such). the contest is open to everyone. just drop a link to your design proposal in the comments.
posted by roj at 11:47 am
on this fourth of july, i thought i’d look for some inspiration about the american process… and eventually, i found fred foster.
fred foster, of durham, north carolina, provides limousines to get people to the polls. of course, that only works if they aren’t jammed, but the point is that mr. foster supports the democratic process with the resources he has available.
you can hear an interview here [real media, windows media only].
posted by roj at 11:33 am
posted by roj at 11:25 am
we like chuck d around here. we really, really, do.
Chuck D: We have a powerful online community through Rapstation.com, PublicEnemy.com, Slamjams.com, and Bringthenoise.com. My thing was just looking at the community and being able to say, “Can we actually make them involved in the creative process?” Why not see if we can connect all these bedroom and basement studios, and the ocean of producers, and expand the Bomb Squad to a worldwide concept?
posted by roj at 11:18 am
just because we need to continue to emphasize the futility of the drm thing…. i saw this:
The funny thing is that I wrote the piece in question in all of 7 minutes in my head on the train. I got to the office and punched it out pretty quickly.
obviously barry created a derivative work of something he had in his mind, and i don’t think he got it properly licensed.
so, we need to get to work on a series of mind-drm technologies. obviously the first places to start are the input side of the mind – surgically implanted electronically-controlled blinders and ear plugs (and eventually, of course, the rest of the senses). if you haven’t purchased a license to see and/or hear something, you won’t.
after that, we need to work on restricting output to keep barry from making the same mistake.
posted by roj at 11:06 am
i’m going to half-bake this thought because it’s the 4th, and we’re waving the flag today. maybe someone will run with it… maybe someone already has…
it seems to me that we’ve gotten a little flexible with the definition of “sovereign nation” with regard to iraq, and we still have lawyers working the fine points to better accomodate the policy agenda (saddam is legally in iraqi custody but physically in american custody and so on).
well, there’s a long history of flexibility with that particular term in america, and i’m thinking of the “sovereign indian nations” and all those treaties over the centuries. so, i guess i’m hoping we don’t leave a similar stain on our history with the “sovereign iraq.”
and while i’m thinking these thoughts, i wonder if there’s any comparison to be drawn between indian casino construction-and-taxation deals (hello, arnold) and iraqi reconstruction-and-reimbursement deals.
posted by roj at 10:57 am
about a month ago, i ran across an article on the phenomenon of the farewell tour… something we’re seeing so much these days, that they’re getting silly with the names… the eagles “farewell i” tour and phil collins and his “first final farewell” tour.
the article touches on several possible and interrelated things, but i guess the most dramatic is the economic conflict between mortgages and falling record-sales revenue. in my own head, i’ve broken down all the potential revenue in music into three categories – performances, patrons and recordings. so with the bottom falling out (relatively speaking) of the recording segment, it’s no surprise to me to see people with established relationships with audiences back out on the road milking that cow again. it’s also no surprise to see (well, hear) so many old hits in commercials.
But the music landscape has changed, rapidly creating a disconnect between artist and fan. Music, to young people, is a song on iTunes or the hit single of the week – not a way of life, as it once was, says Styx manager Charlie Brusco. Pop stars with long-term career potential are a dying breed.
what do you think?
posted by roj at 10:51 am