Pablo Picasso-Musicians in Masks
This article is related to the Shooting stars post (the first entry in our blog section) which was focused more on the technological booming, how this has affected the mass media production and the role of globalization in music (click here for related posts). Today I will try to outline how the record label system targets its audience based on the marketing rules and how music is used by the mass media instead being an independent medium of free expression.
The last century was crucial for the evolution of music. Several styles and sub-styles were created (pop, rock, metal, rap) however is this healthy for music today? Perhaps we have gone too far with all the labels we give to the different music styles. They are certainly useful in order to categorize the different sounds and name the different ways of expression but sticking to that is unacceptable, and as I will try to show, it is one of the ways the labels use to sell as much as possible.
Posted: 2 July 2009. Continue reading »
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In this year’s Novello awards an “unknown” band entered the race: The Leisure Society. And surprise, surprise, the usual suspects were all awarded, while the “homeless”, independent, not patronized by labels band was left out.
I still wonder why the organizers even bothered to enter the song in the competition since the awards are predestined for the money-machines who finally got them. It is definitely not for their musical superiority, definitely not for their good looks. The most logical explanation is that an outsider can be used as an attraction for the surprise-thirsty audience; “outsider against the mainstream” is a good story for the media even if the outsider does not make it. It is an incident that makes the event more memorable.
Posted: 22 May 2009. Continue reading »
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As announced in a recent BBC article, Prince has agreed to release his latest album Lotus Flow3r via US retail chain Target. Prince, known for his activism for the protection of the musician?s copyright, chooses to price his album at $11.98 only. And he is not the only one; both AC/DC and Bruce Springsteen have also distributed an album via Wal-Mart, ignoring the record labels.
Artists here make their point clear: this is their way of showing their dislike of the labels? policies and against music piracy as well. They are actually pioneers towards a change of status regarding the domination of the music business by record companies.
CD prices can become more affordable, music piracy can be tackled and a larger percentage of the profit can go where it actually belongs, to the artist. But we shouldn?t misinterpret Prince. Giving out his album Planet Earth for free in the UK with The Mail On Sunday newspaper is not an invitation for free (and of course illegal) downloading. The greedy labels? policies
Posted: 8 March 2009. Continue reading »
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What is “bad music”? Have you heard anything interesting in music from 2000 and on? What happens in the music industry of the 21st century? In order to examine how the music industry works today we will compare it with the music of the 60s, 70s and 80s after reviewing the modern society of the Western World. Music is the art of harmonic sounds as a way of expression.
Music, as a cultural achievement shows a huge development in the human history to date, therefore it could be considered as one of the most important methods of social communication. To people in many cultures, music is a part of their way of life.
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