BC: We're seeing the digital age change the ways in which people consume music, and it's changing the ways in which musicians interact with their audience and the ways in which they record in some cases. The means of production are in the hands of the artists these days, with digital recording technology making it possible to produce music independent of the studio system. Any predictions about the future of the music industry?
Mark: Ah, now this is something that should be interesting to watch. Right now we have this sort of churn going on with the traditional parts of the industry trying to deal with the somewhat unwieldy aspect of the digital age. To a certain extent they've lost control over their baby...and I'm pretty sure that they can't get it back. You're right, the availability of modern computers and software has transferred the power of creating and recording music back to the musicians. The real struggle is in distribution. We now have cooperation going on at places like iTunes. We still have the illegal downloading thing.
Honestly, I don't know how things will turn out. Many people predict that music will only be sold digitally in the future. No actual stores. That may well come to pass, but don't expect me to be a part of it. I like actually objects in my hands. For as much as I enjoy being able to click on a link to order something, it does not beat the experience of being at a store and flipping through bins of the "great unknown."
BC: Aside from BC, where do you go to read stuff these days? Do you have any favorite sites for music writing in particular?
Mark: My favorite non-BC music site is Perfect Sound Forever. Great writing, interesting stuff. A feature about Captain Beefheart here, an article about turntables there...what's not to love?!
BC: And one last question, because I couldn't resist: Why is Mark cranky?
Mark: Now this is funny. When I first put my website together, I struggled to come up with a name. I had this idea to go with "Mark Is...", but couldn't come up with anything. Then, me and TheWife are on vacation on the coast of Maine. We're driving through the little town of Bass Harbor and see a sign on a post in front of a small, nondescript ranch house: "Rue Cottage Books. For Luddites, Greens, and like-minded readers". Oh yeah, we are definitely stopping back there the next day. It turns out to be a very small (as in: it's her living room!) store of new and used books leaning toward the themes referenced on the sign. The owner, author Nichols Fox, has written several books. One of them, which should be next to everybody's copy of Fast Food Nation, is Spoiled: The Dangerous Truth about a Food Chain Gone Haywire. "Cranky" came from Fox's book on the history of the Luddite movement, Against The Machine. In that book Fox describes the "resistors," those who resist many modern technological advances...and that they're usually thought of as "cranks at best."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Joanie
Damn that Mark! I thought I'd paid him to say I was his favorite Blogcritic. (Note to self: stop payment on check to Saleski.)
Lisa, did you bother to find out if the man has a single brother who might be interested in work as a cabana boy?
2 - Eric Olsen
Splendiferous - thanks Lisa and congrats Mark! We're certainly glad you read Dawn four years ago - thanks for being such a core of the site all this time Mark - we wouldn't be what we are without you!!
3 - DJRadiohead
I'm with Joanie. That's the last nice thing I say about Saleski. My revenge shall be terrible.
Great job, Lisa!
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
I now realize that everyone else appreciates music on a much deeper level than me. Maybe that's for the best.
I think the greatest tribute would be for the word "Saleski" to become a verb here at Blogcritics. Any nominations on what it should mean? And please use examples.
5 - Mary K. Williams
Joanie - I'm with ya.
Known this dude for a while, and all I got so far was some damn coffee.
Seriously -
This is beyond cool Mark, you cranky bastage you.
6 - Eric Berlin
Outstandingness -- great to see the Great Saleski behind the curtain, and a photo no less !
7 - Aaron Fleming
Hurrah! Mucho kudos your direction!
8 - El Bicho
Congrats, Mark. Now when are you going to get the collected "FML" published as a book?
Great job again, Lisa. I'm already looking forward to next month.
For those BCers who feel slighted at being left off Mark's favorites, I suggest you get him in trouble with TheWife by pointing out that on the desert island he wants a picture of TheWife and not TheWife.
9 - Mary K. Williams
For those BCers who feel slighted at being left off Mark's favorites, I suggest you get him in trouble with TheWife by pointing out that on the desert island he wants a picture of TheWife and not TheWife
I am SO dialing that number right now - "Hello Linda...?"
: )~
10 - Mark Saleski
how quickly they turn on you...
sheesh!!!
11 - Mark Saleski
hey, at least i didn't say "a picture of katherine heigl"
12 - Mary K. Williams
Well, must be that head cold, you're off your game.
13 - Bennett
Nothing that wasn't overdue, and Lisa did a fantastic job. Keep up the good work Sir Saleski!
14 - Mark Sahm
Saleski: Even if I don't know 75% of the musical references you make in your posts, the 25% that I do know are always tactfully written and enjoyable. The BOTM nod is well deserved. Cheers.
15 - Dawn
I am a Mark Saleski lover from WAY back in the day - glad the world has caught up to my excellent taste!
Cheers to Mark!
16 - Dawn
BC: What do you think you'd learn if you could swap to the opposite sex?
Mark: It might be nice to know, once and for all, if size really matters.
I can answer that for you, size does matter.
But only in the brain, everywhere else it's subjective.
Seriously, Lisa, great job, great subject, great read!!!
17 - Lisa McKay
I'd like to thank everyone for their comments on this piece. These are a huge amount of fun for me to do, and as nice as it is to take credit for it, most of the actual work gets done by the honoree, so it's an easy gig :-)
A great side benefit of doing this (for me personally) is to get to know each writer a bit better as we go through the process of putting it together. Thanks to everyone for reading and enjoying!
18 - Glen Boyd
Conrats Mark.
I still want IN on that Seeger Sessions pow-wow you and Lisa and DJ Radiohead have planned though.
Pretty please?
Glen
19 - Glen Boyd
oops..
That was "Congrats Mark", not "conrats"...LOL
Damned butter fingers.
20 - Phillip Winn
Mark Saleski is a giant among giants, and his Friday Morning Listen should be on everybody's weekly schedule.
Thanks, Mark, for being awesome!
21 - Jackie
You rock, Mark! Congratulations on a well-deserved honor!
22 - Mat Brewster
I'll add my congrats here. FML rules the school! We need a book then a movie starring George Wendt as Saleski and John Ratzenburger as DJradiohead.
23 - DJRadiohead
And Woody Harrelson playing Brewster?
24 - jmp
congrat,mark you are super
25 - Mary K. Williams
Sounds like a good movie! Friday Morning Listen: You Won't Know Any of These Obscure Artists' Names - But After Hearing Them, You Just Might Want To!
Kinda long title though.