The Negative Side of the Internet

In the past couple of weeks I have discussed the various contributions the internet has made to the music industry. These contributions have had varying effects such as: expansion through online shows and fragmentation through online content generated by the artists themselves. In the big picture these have been fairly positive consequences however, the internet has brought about somewhat negative effects to the music industry as well.

Has anyone noticed how more and more older bands have started touring again. I have personally attended a handful of festivals over the past 3 years and it seems that each one of these festivals was headlined by a band that had its heyday several decades ago. For example, In 2007, Bonnaroo (a major music and arts festival held in Tennessee) was headlined by the Police; a group that formed in the 1970’s and broke up sometime in the 1980’s. To continue, In 2009, Bonnaroo was headlined by Bruce Springsteen (who’s musical career can really be traced back to the sixties) and Phish, a group that formed in the early eighties. Lastly, there was the ACL lineup this year (2010) which featured headlining artists such as The Eagles (formed in the early seventies) and Phish as well. Now, just to clarify, these bands are exceptional and I enjoyed all of these shows to the utmost extent but; some part of me is asking what is luring such distinguished and aged artists back into the spotlight? Perhaps it is nostalgia, these artists and bands were once the top acts in the world and they desire to attain that success once again. This is definitely possible and, to some extent, it probably contributed to the resurgence of all of these bands but, it seems that there are too many bands coming back for this to be the sole factor. 

After doing some research on the topic, I’ve found that the other reason, perhaps the main one, for these bands coming back is their money. With the proliferation of the internet, big-name bands are just not making as much money as they used to. As stated in the article “Why are all these bands touring again?” from the Dallas Morning News, ‘We’ve moved away from the notion that the release of a recording is an event.’ Basically, album releases have lost quite a bit of significance in the digital era. With online services such as iTunes, people can just pick and choose which songs they want off of a CD without necessarily buying the whole thing. This new method of distributing artists’ songs is convenient for the consumer, and even small bands trying to get their name out there, but, it comes a quite a price to the big-name bands trying to generate revenue. Such a price that these bands are being forced back out into the touring world where they can hopefully revive their old fan bases and convince them to purchase tickets to their shows. This has worked quite well for bands such as the ones mentioned above but, it has to be tiring traveling the nation again stirring up profits instead of just hanging out and letting the album sales do all the work.

                Therefore, despite all the positives that the internet has given to the music world, know that it has contributed some negative side-effects as well. Small artists and the consumer aren’t doing a great deal of complaining because the internet has ultimately helped serve them, however, big-name bands have taken an even bigger hit and, their whole dynamic might be heading for a change.

Read More:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-reunions_0422gl.ART.State.Bulldog.432ec8c.html

How the Internet has Fragmented Music

                Last week I discussed how the internet has added yet another contribution to the ever-changing music industry. The internet has begun introducing live online shows for the pleasure of any viewer who, for whatever reason, cannot make it out to a performance. This is a brilliant addition to the industry, like most others the internet has provided, but how will it affect the overall world of music. This week I would like to delve a little deeper into the history of music and explore what magnitude of change has been brought about by the proliferation of internet-based music.

                The 1960’s serves as a good base for this rundown because this decade marks a time when music became mainstream and, popular to people of all classes. The sixties were characterized by big-name bands, such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, who produced albums and performed live shows across several nations. This is a similar pattern to what artists today are accomplishing but there is one major difference; how these bands made it to the top. In the sixties, the process of becoming a big-name artist was highly selective. Knowing somebody inside the industry was almost a must because getting your music heard was very difficult. If you were lucky enough to get in with the industry, you would then have to create and perform songs that were tailored to the mainstream tastes of the big radio companies. Generating radio play translated into developing a loyal following of fans that would in turn, provide support for the ban. This was not the simplest of tasks and it could easily explain why there was only a handful of standout bands in that era which, seemed to be everybody’s favorite.

                Now, in the 21^st century, the nature of the game has changed quite a bit. Artists are still producing albums and performing live shows as they did in the past however, the process of constructing a solid fan base has transformed significantly. It is safe to say that the radio is no longer a decisive factor in whether or not an artist is going to be big or not. I mean who really turns on the FM radio these days to hear the biggest and the best bands? Rather, the internet has swept in and has basically become the medium most focused on by artists trying to get their name out there. Producing music through sites such as MySpace or YouTube, followed by social-networking efforts to connect with fans, has really become a platform for starting a successful music career. Not every major artist right now started this way but a majority of them still use this recipe to help move their careers along. Either way, what the internet has done is provide a self-serving method of becoming a successful artist with a loyal following. This impact of the internet is not only felt by aspiring artist but, also by listeners who wish to enjoy varying types of music. Thanks to the plethora of music-based websites, almost any genre can be heard at any given time. This has fragmented the broad audience of music listeners who can now pick and choose exactly what they want to listen to and not just go along with what a radio decides to play.

                This separation of a once united fan base may be the end of big-bands such as the Beatles. With everyone being capable of picking exactly which genre, and band, they wish to listen to, the chances of two random people having the same favorite artist is becoming increasingly unlikely. The internet has provided a way for users to get precisely what they desire but, it may have caused an end to the national phenomena’s we all used to be accustomed to.  

Read more:

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1900054,00.html

Music and The Internet are Doing It Again

   The emergence of the internet has had countless consequences on the music industry. Prior to the widespread use of the web, the conventional form of listening to music involved purchasing CD's from stores such as BestBuy and physically putting the CD into a radio of some sort. Those days are deteriorating, although not completely gone, as the music industry has shifted its focus to the internet.
   This shift has occurred over the past decade or so, starting with programs such as Napster or Kazaa, that allowed music to be downloaded straight over the internet. Although it suffered some trouble at first, via problems with artist's rights and piracy, the idea of online music has only been expanded on. In the years following Napster and Kazaa, we saw the proliferation of iTunes, using the iPod to make online music portable and convenient. Now, everything from MySpace to YouTube can be used to listen to music and survey new artists. It is safe to say that the internet has provided a dynamic playing field for musicians and, a whole new level of convenience for music enthusiasts.
   Now, according to www.wired.com (a website and magazine that chronicle all things happening in the music world), the internet is at it again, this time providing a way for music listeners to watch live shows on the web. In the article "MTV Could Break the Live Online Music Deadlock", author Eliot Van Buskirk documents how MTV is forging its way into the live online music world. According to Buskirk, MTV has launched a Live from NYC concert series that uses live internet streams to provide web users with a front-row seat to the show. As of May 2010, "MTV.com has streamed live concerts from Gorillaz, Honor Society, Ashlyne Huff, Just Kait, K’naan and Wale, Motion City Soundtrack and Never Shout Never," (Buskirk).
   The progress that MTV is showing in the live online music realm represents another monumental contribution that the internet is making to the music world. Just as albums have primarily transferred into the digital world, now live shows are moving over as well. Hopefully the difference will be that these internet streams do not actually take the place of live shows; rather they can serve as a backup plan for people not able to attend the real performances. For instance, wouldn't it be cool if a good act was coming to town, that for whatever reason you couldn't make it to, so instead you just pull it up on your computer screen while doing whatever else it is you had to do. It certainly wouldn't be the same as being there but, it sure is a lot better than missing the show entirely. Also, live online streams would make it possible to see concerts from all parts of the world and not just in your city. On any given night I could see my favorite band playing in Japan, all from the comfort of my living room. The possibilities of live online streams are endless and hopefully they will come to represent another positive merging of the musical and digital worlds.


Read more:
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/05/mtv-could-break-the-live-online-music-deadlock/

Leniency decresing in musician criminal cases

It is certainly no secret that musicians have received quite a bit of leniancy over the years when it comes to criminal cases. Musicians from Johnny Cash to James Brown have all been documented committing crimes, most being multiple offenders according to MuchMusic.com, a website that documents all things music. Still, these musicians are remembered for their music and not their mishaps. This preferential treatment can be attributed, atleast somewhat, to the unmatched abilities of most famous musicians. Sure these people may be breaking the law but, they're the best at what they do. If you lock them up then you have second-tier performers and that's not going to make the masses happy. Therefore, historically, musicians have been cut some slack so they can continue to do what they do best, make music. However, this leniancy has taken a big hit as of late as more and more musicians are starting to pay the consequences of their actions.
  According to Austin360.com, rapper T.I., otherwise known as Clifford Harris Jr., was convicted of felony gun charges in 2007 and subsequently sentenced to prison. Harris served 10 months of his sentence before being released on probation, according to Austin360.com. This probation is reminiscent of musician leniancy in years past, however, the events to follow are surely not. The conditions of Harris's probation were the standard no drugs and no traveling along with 1,000 hours of community service. According to Austin360.com, Harris ran into some problems with the no drugs part as he was arrested in California last month on suspicion of drug possesion. His punishment for this is 11 more months in the big house, not merely a slap on the wrist. All leniency has gone out the window and Harris, like many other rappers and musicians now days, is facing a hefty prison sentence. "T.I's attorneys argued that after reviewing nearly 250 cases with similar charges, none of those people were put back behind bars for violating probation," states Austin360.com. This is clear evidence that judges are cracking down on musicians and not letting them run rampant as they have in years past. It's almost like they are making examples out of these musicians as they are in the spotlight and people, especially kids, are looking up to them. T.I. isn't the only one in the doghouse though as many other rappers are facing time as well. Lil' Wayne, another highly successful rapper, is currently serving a prison sentence for felony gun charges also. These prison sentences being served by musicians who are otherwise very popular is a testament to the decrease in preferential treatment around the nation.There was a time when these crimes were overlooked but that time has come and gone. In this day and age if you commit a crime your going to have to pay the price for it, musician or not.

PR 317 Blog 1 - Phish Review

    Phish headlined the friday night of ACL this past weekend along with the Strokes. Although the Strokes may have drawn a bigger crowd, Phish was right on par with their musicality and showmanship that has led them over the past quarter of a century. Austin360.com analyzed their show and concluded that, unfortunately, Phish is not a band for everyone. Their music is unique and diverse which is not accepted by everyone, however, loyal Phish fans were enthralled by their performance on Friday night.
    According to Austin360.com, the last time Phish played in Austin was in 1999, before the band took a break for a few years. At that time, according to Austin360.com, Phish had become "the godfathers of the jame band scene" but they were growing tired. After two decades of touring the quartet decided it would be best to split from each other and from touring.
    This split essentially lasted until 2009 when they came back rejuvenated and in full swing. This rejuvenation was exemplified by their performance on the friday night of ACL 2010. Phish came right out of the gates when one of their tested classics "Down with Disesase." According to Austin360.com, "the song was tight and crisp, but not in a worklike manner." Phish was effortlessly souding spot on, much to the delight of their loyal fans.
    They continued to play their classic live songs throughout their set, but, managed to integrate covers that would tailor to the crowd. On their second song, Phish came out with a cover of the Talking Heads "Cities". Following that Phish played a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Rock n Roll". Covering these songs provided unfamiliar Phish fans with a chance to appreciate the bands talents while listening to songs that they might actually be familiar with.
     This idea of tailoring to the crowd continued when the band came out with a "country-inflected 'Possum' that had Trey Anastasio's quitar dripping with Texas twang" according to Austin360.com. "Possum" is one of Phish's oldest song but in light of their recent revival they were able to add the necessary twist to it that provided a spark plug for the band and the fans.
      Phish continued to play lights out through the rest of their set. Along with the aforementioned "Texas twang", the band was able to integrate sounds from blues, jazz and pure rock and roll. Phish's whole set was fueled with energy and passion and this was reciprocated by the audience. The crowd was not as large as usual headliners but they were "having the fun of 150,000 people" according to Austin360.com.
      Despite their age, Phish played every bit as well as they have over the past 25 years. Their temporary break seemed to have served them well as they are back in action and playing just as well as they ever have.