It’s a publicity stunt.

And based on my inbox, it worked.

Hi, I’ve been on a plane all day, flying to NYC for Internet Week and then on to Philadelphia for the Non-Commvention. And the gentleman sitting next to me in business development for Amgen waxed rhapsodic that if only there was one site with all the music, he’d be willing to pay fifty bucks a month for it.

He was stunned when I told him it already existed. And that not only was it ten bucks, on your computer, it was FREE!

That’s the modern music business for you, everybody thinks we’re paying attention, but we’re not. If people aren’t aware of the distribution platform, what are the odds they’re gonna know about your music?

Just about zilch.

I spent half of the flight finishing Carole King’s autobiography.

It’s trash.

She doesn’t tell you what you want to know and the only dirt she slings is against local Idahoans. Funny world we live in, where everybody knows the truth, but to get ahead they believe they can’t speak it. Really Carole, you worked that long in the music business and everybody was a prince? I’d say I want my money back, but what I really want is my time.

There’s very little about the "Loco-Motion", you’d think she never wrote those Goffin-King hits, and the only redeeming factor is when she talks about her four husbands and living in the wilderness. At least we get some insight into the human condition, which her songs delineate so well but she could not articulate in this book. Which she wrote herself, which is one of the problems. Why does everybody think they can do everything? Especially when on most of her hits she wrote the music, not the lyrics.

And the rest of the time I spent reading the newspaper. There was a story on Hoodiegate, you know, Mark Zuckerberg’s refusal to dress up for Wall Street.

Would you put on your finest for those bastards?

But what struck me is how this used to be how the musicians acted. They wore their street clothes on stage, they kept "the man" at arm’s length, corporations were anathema. Now they’re all like Mel Brooks playing the Gov in "Blazing Saddles", just asking where to sign.

And then there was that story about Jay Z’s "Budweiser Made in America" music festival in Philadelphia… Do they call it "Coors Coachella"? Or "Beck’s Bonnaroo"? One of the reasons Coachella lasts, why it’s become a rite of passage, why tickets sell without a lineup announced, is because the fans trust the promoters, it’s first and foremost about the music. Put the sponsor’s name in the title and you know money comes first. What an insult. Add in the insane concession prices and you wonder why concertgoers hate Live Nation. Couldn’t they leave ANY money on the table?

And I don’t expect fans to revolt against Jay Z, but the paradigm of getting in bed and ripping off corporations is so last century in a nation beaten down by recession. Now it’s all about giving back, not taking.

And when I got off the plane four musicians were using their suitcases as scooters. Yup, there was a platform upon which they stood and they dashed down the halls at light speed, impressive and fun.

And flying’s always insightful. The woman across the aisle was so tan, I thought it was a joke. Expect society to sterilize her so she can have no children and tan them too. I mean really, does she think she looks good?

But that’s America, where everybody wants to be famous, noticed for something.

And once upon a time, Counting Crows was famous for having one of the best debut albums ever. Although a lot of the credit needs to go to producer T-Bone Burnett.

And ever since, it’s been downhill.

So today they announce free distribution through BitTorrent, they’re anti-major label, they’re sticking it to the man. But the man abandoned them, there’s no money to be made. Certainly not on recordings.

But at the end of the diatribe, Counting Crows hypes its latest tour.

This is no new paradigm, this is all about attention. In an economy where that’s hard to get. The band cooked this up to get back on the radar screen. And it worked.

But stunts don’t last. People will forget tomorrow.

People. They’re what makes life worth living. I was just in CVS and saw kids with neck tattoos and pants below their butt. And my driver is itching to move back to the Dominican Republic, where he’s a famous bassist and can get paid to play all night long.

These are the stories we’re interested in. What makes people tick. How do you function in today’s society.

But Carole King issues platitudes and rather than retire, Counting Crows hide behind P2P to gain publicity.

Zuckerberg’s got it right. Be true to yourself.

That’s all you’ve got.

And I HATE Facebook!

You know the music business is antiquated when it’s eclipsed by the classically moribund book business.

On the front page of today’s "New York Times", there’s a story entitled: "Writer’s Cramp: In the E-Reader Era, a Book a Year Is Slacking". It goes on to delineate just that, today’s authors are writing constantly, to slake the unquenchable thirst of their fans.

Let’s see…

The advancements in the music business are:

1. Electronic delivery.

2. The 360 deal.

3. Topspin multiple price packages.

4. Kickstarter fundraising.

Nowhere in that list do you find anything about the music itself. That has stayed the same. Artists make albums, infrequently. Sure, there’s an occasional artist that drops an album a year, but has anybody thought about how this lack of frequency is affecting the fanbase?

The fans want more.

Ever since the Clive/Tommy era, it’s been about perfecting a product and selling it to every last person on earth over a period of years. As this article says, for literary authors, like Jeffrey Eugenides, that formula still might work, as it has for Adele, but for everybody else, it’s positively backward. Not only are you trying to convince people who don’t care, those who do are abandoning you.

You must maintain a relationship with your audience.

You think you’re on tour satiating your fans, but in the town you visited months ago, the fans have already forgotten you, they’re on to something else.

No, now you’ve got to make music constantly.

The rappers have this right with mixtapes, which is why Lil Wayne is so much bigger than the pop and rock acts. But many of those tracks are riddled with copyright infringement and can never be released commercially. Still, the model remains. These rappers are satiating their fans.

If you’re taking a year plus to create an album, you’re doing it wrong. Unless, of course, you’re releasing a steady stream of singles at the same time.

You’ve got to be in the fan’s face.

"Today’s readers seem incapable of being overwhelmed.

Scott Schiefelbein, a lawyer in Portland, Ore., wrote an enthusiastic review last month on Amazon.com of ‘Second Son,’ a short story by Mr. Child that Mr. Schiefelbein read after buying his latest novel, ‘The Affair,’ on his Kindle.

There is ‘no limit’ to the number of Mr. Child’s books he would buy, Mr. Schiefelbein said.

‘I’ll give basically anything he writes a chance,’ he said. ‘With my favorite authors, I always want to read more from them.’

Writer’s Cramp: In the E-Reader Era, a Book a Year Is Slacking

BINGO!

Albums are an archaic format. Originally they were 78s put in paper sleeves between leather covers. Then we had the LP and the CD. These were physical formats dictating to the art form. When is today’s format going to dictate to the art form? You can record cheaply and release constantly. This is a breakthrough! If you really have a statement to make over twelve tracks, be my guest.

Then again, nothing’s stopping you from releasing said music at the rate of two tracks a month.

Furthermore, twelve tracks/an hour’s worth of music is too much for almost anyone to digest anymore. It’s easier for the audience when it’s bite-sized chunks.

Then again, the labels want a revenue-generating event, that’s why they support albums. And it’s easier to drum up publicity in mainstream media…

Listen to yourself. You’re positively old school. You’re making music according to a dying formula when the public has already moved on and is ready for the new.

Singles already rule.

He who releases a steady stream of music, twelve months a year, year in and year out, will rule in the future.

Who’s gonna be first?

It’s rare that an artist covers a song and trumps the original recording by the original artist.

Shawn Colvin has that ability.

"This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)"

This version is wrecked by the tacking on of additional instrumentation to the naked live track.

But that’s like chipping a finger off Michelangelo’s David, or viewing the Mona Lisa through dusty glasses. The essence still shines through. But if these extraneous elements were scrubbed from the cut, it would be a masterpiece. Go see Shawn perform it live if you doubt me. Especially back in the day, when she had a limited number of originals, when she relied on covers to fill out her set.

Home is where I want to be

I don’t quite understand those people who live out of a suitcase. The older I get, the more I love the comfort of home. With everything in its right place.

And you’re standing here beside me
I love the passing of time

Media is all about toting up, cash and other assets. As if your money could keep you warm at night. Whereas life’s best moments are with another human being…with nothing special happening, feeling the warmth and electricity between you.

And I am just an animal looking for a home
Share the same space for a minute or two
Will you love me until my heart stops
Will you love me until I’m dead

My generation is riddled with divorce. Nobody believes anything’s forever except family…the kind you’re connected to by blood, your parents, siblings and children. Still, this is what we all desire… Acceptance, commitment.

Don’t leave me.

I’m counting on you.

I need you.

David Byrne wrote the song, but Shawn Colvin made it her own.

"Someday"

The original was done by Steve Earle on his legendary "Guitar Town" album. If they made music like that in Nashville today, none of you would bitch.

Still, Steve’s take is different. Aggressive, angry. Whereas Shawn’s is more depleted, more resigned. Steve’s definitely leaving…Shawn, we’re not so sure.

There ain’t a lot that you can do in this town
Drive down to the lake and then you turn back around

What a sensational rhyme!

Go to school and you learn to read and write
So you can walk into the county bank and sign away your life

They want to kill your dreams. But it’s so hard to go your own way, with everybody telling you not to take the risk.

Now my brother went to college ’cause he plays football
Me I never even got through high school at all
I got me a ’67 Chevy, she’s low and sleek and black
Someday I’ll put her on an Interstate, never look back

Wheels. With those and a tank of gas, your exit is primed. If you’re up to the challenge.

Meanwhile, Shawn changed the second line…in the original, Steve sings…

Well I’m still hanging ’round ’cause I’m a little bit small

Ooh, the perils of the younger brother!

"(Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night"

Once upon a time, before Tom Waits became a national treasure, before his audience caught up with him, I spent a drunken evening with him at the Troubadour. This was when he still lived at the Tropicana, back when it was still standing. I might have been a bit more inebriated than he was. Needless to say, we didn’t get along.

Then again, it’s tough to be great and for few to get it. Tom had a couple of covers, but his label just could not put him over.

I don’t want to say Shawn’s rendition is better than Tom’s, but it’s different, it’s from a female perspective. You get the trepidation and hope of a girl on a date. Whereas Tom is singing from a distance, he’s almost uninvolved, it’s like he’s peering at the scene through a window, whereas you get the impression Shawn is there.

I don’t want to be single ever again. I don’t want to go out looking for the action. I don’t want to come home a bit buzzed, long after midnight, having endured another evening of wasted time. After a while, you lose hope.

Funny, this was never a famous hit, but it’s embedded in the culture.

Are you looking for momentary rewards or are you looking to make a difference?

Oftentimes, both.

But many times, they’re mutually exclusive, they certainly were in the case of Tom Waits.

"Twilight"

It’s a Band song. But it never appeared on one of their albums, not during their heyday. Eventually, it showed up as an extra. I’ve included multiple takes here.

But most people heard this song first by Shawn, it was as if it was an original.

Don’t leave me alone in the twilight
‘Cause twilight is the loneliest time of day

Once upon a time, it was cool to sing about your vulnerabilities, about hope, loss and want. Before music became a celebration of hedonism, when singers became winners kicking losers to the curb. As for those country warblers…too often their custom-made songs don’t ring true. It’s not like they personally have experienced the loss.

Don’t put me in a frame upon the mantle
For memories turn dusty, old and gray
Don’t leave me alone in the twilight
‘Cause twilight is the loneliest time of day

We never forget. But I don’t want to be in your past, I want to be in your present.

"Window To The World"

If you’re really good with Google, you can find the original, by the unheralded act the Questionnaires.

Alas, it’s not on Spotify.

But it’s a curio, an ancient scroll brought back to life in Shawn Colvin’s stripped down take. At least they got their royalties (hopefully!)

This is my window to the world
All of the lonely boys and girls
Are a reflection in my eyes
Of me and you

You know how you play an album so much that songs you were kind of meh about suddenly become your favorites?

That’s the story with "Window To The World".

That’s what this computer screen is, my window to the world.

We’re inundated with diatribes by people castigating technology, saying it kills sociability, human interaction.

The Internet is the best thing that ever happened to me.

I was living alone in my house, disconnected from the world and suddenly…everybody started playing on AOL, the world wide web burgeoned, the action was no longer out, but at home, where I had the entire world right in front of me.

I’d like to say I make a good first impression. But too often I’m so eager for connection, I blow it. I want to be a member of the group, but for most of my life, that’s been a challenge.

But no longer.

I just fire up my computer, log on to the net and I’ve got the world at my fingertips, both human and inanimate. I can see mountains via cams, I can connect with people twelve time zones away. It’s thrilling. After all, that’s how I met you…

This is my window to it all
I see the heroes rise and fall
This is my window to the world
And I can see…

Spotify link

Previous Rhinofy playlists

It sounds bad, it comes without artwork and you can’t even buy it in a store. Who would want an MP3?

In this week’s "New Yorker", there’s a fascinating story on Clayton Christensen, author of the revered "Innovator’s Dilemma", which posits great companies run by great leaders satiating their customers’ desires are inches away from obsolescence. Kind of like the CD. Did you know the new MacBook Pros are gonna come without them? There’s no need for a CD drive when you can download all your software online. But, you point out MP3s sound like shit…

And that’s just the point. The disruptive technology is usually worse than what it ultimately replaces. It may never get better, it sometimes doesn’t have to. But oftentimes, it does. And it puts the big companies out of business.

Look at the major labels. They were selling a perfect medium. But consumers thought CDs were overpriced, that’s why they shifted to the inferior MP3. Which even had the advantage of being free. And it turns out many of those who do pay prefer the file over the disc. Internet delivery will rule, it’s just a matter of when discs die.

And it’s just a matter of when the major labels die. Or are marginalized, since they own so much intellectual property.

You see the majors are missing the point. Yes, all those hobbyists creating music in GarageBand and home Pro Tools rigs are not as good as the major label artists.

Once upon a time, major labels were full-service operations. They sold everything from pop to classical. There was no genre they did not compete in. But over time, they’ve been reducing not only the number of genres they operate in, but the number of acts they sign and promote. They only see this as good business, they’re going where the money is. Yes, the money is in slickly recorded, highly promoted Top Forty music. They don’t want almost anything else. And everything else has barely sold. You see the major labels have moved upmarket.

Kind of like the steel mills. They were full-service operations. Everything from rebar to sheet steel. Rebar was a low margin product, so when mini-mills came in and filled that need by recycling scrap, the big steel companies ceded the market. Why work with such thin margins in such a limited field?

But over time, the mini-mills learned how to cheaply produce sheet steel. And all the major companies went out of business, each and every one of them.

That’s the example Clayton Christensen uses. That’s what’s happening in the music business.

Right now, the hobbyists are operating in a low margin, limited upside business. But home recording keeps improving. And now we even have acts that make some noise without a label. But it’s still the sideshow. But soon it will become the main show.

Yes, the underside of the market is getting so good, that it’s moving up. You can distribute via Tunecore and iTunes/Spotify. After making the recording with the money you raised on Kickstarter. Radio and TV mean less than ever before. And despite ignoring Rebecca Black, radio will go on the next Internet sensation… Hell, isn’t that the story of Gotye? Mainstream outlets could not deny the online buzz. This will happen again.

Those running the major labels are not dumb. And they tend to be very experienced. But they’re blind to what’s happening at the bottom of the market. Just think about it, what does Doug Morris know about the Internet? Famously, he said very little.

Just like the MP3 replaced the CD, new companies will replace the majors. As for the longevity of these companies…streaming is going to replace files, if you’re not constantly innovating and changing, you could be headed for the scrapheap. Imagine Apple’s stock if it still relied on the iPod, if it didn’t offer the iPhone. It would be like selling boom boxes in a mobile world.

And speaking of boom boxes… In the seventies, owning a great stereo was a badge of honor. People spent thousands, companies burgeoned. And then the all-in-one appeared. A lousy product at a cheap price. But then the product improved, it got good enough, and the all-in-one killed the stereo companies.

If you’re complaining everything new sucks, you’re missing the point. It DOES suck. But it keeps improving. Sure, you’re inundated with the GarageBand work of prepubescents who think their stuff is great, but more and more there are twentysomethings who’ve spent nearly a decade learning how to play and record, and their stuff is good. But it’s not Top Forty friendly. But you no longer have to be on radio to get exposed…

You don’t fail because you’re doing a bad job. Most companies fail because they refuse to see the disruptive technologies, the ones that are crummy first and then get so good.

Remember when you didn’t want an answering machine with a chip, because the sound was bad and capacity was low?

Well, now you can’t find an answering machine with tape.

Then again, few people use answering machines. They use voice mail. Oftentimes on their mobile phones.

And remember when mobile phones were cumbersome and had lousy functionality? Now they’re tiny and you oftentimes can’t tell if someone is calling from a landline or a mobile.

The disruptive technology is at first pooh-poohed, it’s crummy. But as it gets better, it gains audience, and then it becomes the mainstream.

The only hope for the major labels is to move downmarket.

But they’re doing just the opposite.

It will doom them.

When Giants Fail, What business has learned from Clayton Christensen