First posted on Mark Is Cranky:
Pop singer Esthero thinks we need a musical revolution. There's nothing subtle about her stance either:
- I'm so sick and tired of the shit on the ratio and MTV, they only play the same thing no matter where I go I see Ashanti in the video I want something more
That sassy opening to the title track of We R In Need of a Musical Revolution puts a funny twist on this point: mainstream radio is wallowing in stagnation. There's a lot of great music out there not being heard and something has to be done about it.
A musical revolution? It just might be here.
I've had this CD kicking around the 'active' pile for quite some time. Earlier this week, while giving it an Nth listen at work, I happened upon the latest issue of Wired magazine. Being a sorta neo-Luddite, I'd given up on Wired some time during its first year. The content was OK, but the hyperactive layout (things like orange text over a silver background) was enough to make your eyeballs spin counterclockwise. What caught my eye this time around was the front cover teaser: "The End of Radio (as we know it)".
Since radio has been dead to me for a number of years, I figured that this stuff was worth a look.
First up was an article on Howard Stern and satellite radio (written by Ana Marie Cox aka Wonkette...I held my nose and read on.) I've heard more than a few claims that this technology will never take off because people don't want to pay for it. We'll see. Cable television can be considered a counterexample. All I know is that I truly miss the days of free-form radio where the DJ is allowed to play whatever comes to mind. Can Howard Stern drag enough listeners over to Sirius to push it over the top? Could be. Heck, I'm kinda psyched that you can get a Tivoli/Sirius tabletop radio. Cool stuff.
Article comments
1 - Jason @ Insomnia Radio
I'll buy Esthero's album solely based on that lyric :-)
My podcast, Insomnia Radio, has the tagline 'KILL YOUR F.M.' and I think you'll find that we feature an excellent selection of indie music, devoid of corporate radio and RIAA aftertaste.....
Great article, happy that you found podcasting!
2 - Tom Johnson
Mark, pull out all the stops and get the 60gb Photo Ipod. Forget the "Photo" tag - it's the space that matters. Apple just lowered the price on these puppies to $449 (but they don't include the dock (no big deal) or the Firewire cable (USB only - not a huge deal, either.)) Had I known, I might have held out another couple of months. $599 was just too much for 60gb, but $449 is pretty fair. If you're on a budget but still want space, the 40gb models should be discounted, as Apple will no longer be making the 40gb non-photo Ipod. Oh, and Amazon has a deal where if you sign up for their credit card you get an additional $30 off.
As for the non-Ipod contingent, I'm wary of them. I did a lot of research (3+ months) before I settled on the Ipod as my DAP, and I know there are plenty of very happy owners of competing brands, but there's a lot more owners of Rio and Creative models that have had their hard drives crap out for absolutely no reason, or parts break off. Apple may be the brand to show off, but they dominate the market for more reasons than just vanity.
The best thing you can do is go to a store that has several examples of the various players and actually get them in your hands, powered up, so you can see how it works. Once I held the Ipod and played with the menu system, I was sold.
3 - Mark Saleski
yep, when i get the bucks, i'll probably go for the biggest one available.
4 - sydney
Esthero is amazing. Her first album was a gem. It was popular in Canada but not quite so in the US, despite earing her opportunities to work with all the bug name stars in the US.
Thier will be no musical revolution untill the media and distribution companies are broken apart. Too much power consolidated into about 5 corporations. These companies, not the buying public, control the quality that the mainstream access (contrary to popular belief).
However, popular music will change styles every so often, but the stuff inthe mainstream will always be the safest and most mundane we have to offer. Thats what happens when you have a copoprate music culture.
(excuse my spelling.. lazy)