M.I.A. on Letterman

Did anyone catch M.I.A. on Letterman last night?  It was an interesting performance. Letterman did not quite know what to think about it.

Under the Covers

Here is some local music for you with Ishi covering "Clementine" by Sarah Jaffe.  Sarah Jaffe's latest album, Suburban Nature, is good stuff.

Sarah Jaffe - Clementine (mp3)

Distribution of Music Revenue

As my earlier post from the WSJ article illustrated how the music industry model is not making sense to the fans.  Here are details illustrating how the current business model does not make sense for the artists either.

Is a patronage model the answer?

JULY 12, 2010

SAD PIE CHART ILLUSTRATES DISTRIBUTION OF MUSIC REVENUE...

THE ROOT | READ FULL STORY >

The Root:

If you thought the life of most musicians was comparable to the blissful and blinged-out existences of Kanye and Rihanna, you’ve clearly not heard much about our ever-desiccating music industry. According to the latest Nielsen research, only 2.1 percent of the albums released in 2009 sold even 5,000 copies—that’s just 2,050 records out of nearly 100,000, and to fewer people than go to a small liberal arts college.

James Brown - The Big Payback (mp3)
Mojo Nixon - Big Payback (mp3) 

Concert Business Struggling

There is a great article that appeared in the WSJ last week depicting the music industry's struggles this summer to get fans to buy concert tickets.  There has to be a better model.  No one likes the high ticket prices plus the high fees.  It is time for the music industry to change its ways.  The big question is what model works for both fans and the performers?

The End of the Road?
by John Jurgensen

The concert business a lone bright spot in the struggling music industry, is in trouble this summer.  A tale of bad backs, cancelled acts and angry fans.


You can read the entire article here.

Redferns/Getty Images

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day at Wembley Stadium on June 19.

It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It) - The Rolling Stones (mp3)

Thieves

I am back from vacation.  We drove to northern Colorado over the 4th of July.

Here is a video from She and Him.