11 facts that explain the escalating crisis in Iraq

We live in a star culture. But the “New York Times” did not get the memo, they let some of their biggest stars go, from Frank Rich to David Pogue to Nate Silver.

Unfortunately, all three are languishing without the imprimatur and the distribution of the “Times,” but if you read the memo, literally, the “Times” is suffering too.

Another exile is Ezra Klein, who was with the “Washington Post.” Klein has a new perspective on the news. That it’s being covered like a sport, with daily winners and losers, and if you’re not paying attention, you’re left out. Klein says he’s into stories that live on the web, that have life after their initial posting, kind of like the page on the secret menu at In-N-Out, which got little traction at first, but over the years has gotten tons:

The Ultimate In-N-Out Secret Menu (and Super Secret Menu!) Survival Guide

(Hey, there’s a music analogy there! Your record may be number one for a week, but have the shelf life of milk, listen to Beyonce’s super-duper video album recently?) So Klein’s new site has explanatory stories, for those who don’t follow the news with a passion, like the above one on Iraq. I recommend scanning at least the headlines, because you’ll finally understand what’s happening.

As for Nate Silver, he was the only one who analyzed the Eric Cantor defeat by data as opposed to emotion. He called it an “earthquake” and now other commentators have employed that term. Read what he had to say here:

Eric Cantor’s Loss Was Like an Earthquake

Also on his site, Silver has a bracket wherein they’re going to determine the best burrito in America, once again employing data. Analyzing to what degree Yelp is accurate.

SEARCHING FOR AMERICA’S BEST BURRITO

I believe Ezra Klein’s site Vox and Silver’s Fivethirtyeight have a long way to go in order to rise above. My passion for their cutting edge ideas has had me checking their sites for weeks, but only now am I even being seduced.

It’s very hard to break into people’s consciousness today. Even if you were a star somewhere else.

Which is why a star should debate whether they really want to leave the team. And the team should pay dearly for the star. In other words, the “New York Times” is not bigger than its writers, that’s last century thinking, today stars rule, in business, journalism and entertainment.

But both Klein and Silver are young. They’ll outlast the baby boomers running the old media. Will they inherit the earth?

Why is everybody so damn delusional?

I was brought up a shithead. That’s what my parents considered me to be. They weren’t coddling me, telling me how great I was, that I was going to be a world-beater, rather they kept telling me the world was a scary place and it was hard to be successful and if I put my nose to the grindstone I might be lucky to find a place in this society of ours, I wouldn’t end up on the street.

But throughout history, but much worse in the Internet era, is the plethora of “winners” who can’t see the forest for the trees, who believe the only impediment between them and success is your approval and your helping hand.

Let me make this clear.

Not a week goes by where I don’t receive multiple e-mails from people who are going to save the music business. Mostly, people who are going to redo music distribution!

I know these people have computers, because they’re e-mailing me, but do they not follow the game, do they not read the news, employ these services themselves?

You’re going to eradicate piracy!

That was the discussion ten years ago, piracy in the music business is a nonstarter, irrelevant, when everything can be streamed for free, why would you steal? But these people are gonna solve that problem.

Then they don’t realize they need money and rights, in that order. They believe if they just show up at Universal Music, Lucian Grainge will welcome them inside and grant the rights for nothing, bowled over by how good their idea is. Kinda like if you went into McDonald’s and rapped a Ronald McDonald theme they’d load you up with McNuggets. What planet do these people live on?

Now I’m not saying everybody’s like this.

Well, there’s the variation… You’re successful, and that’s not fair. You have a hit record, and I don’t, as a result I’ve got to talk crap about you until the end of time, or until my record makes it to number one, whichever comes first. But then you listen to the work of these people and your head spins around like Regan’s. Did they not play it for anybody else? Did no one else tell them that they weren’t good enough? Usually, they’ve got crappy voices. But it’s the material that blows your mind. Almost anybody can write a song, but that does not make it good.

How did this happen? Is it the end result of millennialism? With baby boomer parents so mad that they weren’t encouraged by their ‘rents that they’re overcompensating for their progeny?

I’ve got a degree in music business, where’s my job?

Ever notice that people are lining up to work in the entertainment industry, and your best way in is connections, and that most people don’t survive? Yup, even if you get a job you’re going to get fired. But these people don’t only believe they’re entitled to a job, but that given the chance they’ll find the next Beatles, or make their personal favorite number one.

And the end result is most of these people are ignored.

I don’t answer these people ever. But just yesterday, someone used a connection to get to me. You know, they know someone I know and will I look at their business proposal.

Which was INSANE!

First and foremost, if you believe a musician can solve business issues, you believe Todd Rundgren was responsible for music video and Peter Gabriel revolutionized digital distribution. Yup, that’s the truth. If you’re a musician, I only pay attention to your music. Because most people can do one thing well, at best. But these wunderkinds believe the world is their oyster, that every endeavor they pursue will be embraced by the lifers in the field!

But Todd did not create MTV. And Gabriel has been on the fringes of music distribution. And they both make unbelievable music, but neither has done much since they broadened their endeavors.

But now I’m attacking the truly talented. Maybe because I just want more of what they do best, good music.

But the truth is that too is up for grabs. If the masses like it, it can’t be good.

Unfortunately, the masses don’t read my newsletter. The masses who viewed Kiesza’s video 30 million times. I know, it sucks. People are just into self-torture. Those who put it to number one in the U.K. are zombies.

And then there are the know-it-alls who excoriate me for being late to the party, even though the track has had little traction in the U.S.

But the point is today everybody has a voice. And as a result, those who’ve won retreat from interaction, they don’t want to be dragged down into the hole of the delusional, who just want to grab your tail and whip you around and around, wearing you out in the process.

Furthermore, feedback is so instant and the haters so vocal that today you need a new characteristic to make it, a tough skin, because if you rise above, you’re going to be inundated with feedback from nobodies.

That’s right, nobodies.

Used to be nobodies owned their lot. Realized they were either dead-enders or their choices left them in their own locale, as consumers as opposed to creators. But now that everybody’s got the tools and the connection, they’re bombarding the populace ad infinitum with their delusional, wannabe efforts and we’re now living in a world where it’s impossible to get people’s attention, for all the idiots who demand it.

And I’m not complaining. Well, maybe I am. What I’m saying is I can’t feed back, can’t have intellectual discussion, because if I respond just once, I’m going to be the recipient of e-mail for YEARS!

And I know so many of you are reasonable. But I want to give you the perspective from where I sit. To know that you are not alone. That we live in an incomprehensible world where the dumb reign and the smart check out.

Kind of like the Spotify debate. Spotify pays 69%+ of revenues to rights holders, I’ve written it dozens of times, it’s all over the Web, but major musicians keep e-mailing me that Spotify is keeping all the money. Just like the hoi polloi think you need a connection to stream to your handset, not aware that there’s sync.

And this process is repeated in politics. Where disinformation rules. Where people believe death panels are gonna kill grandma and everybody’s new health care policy is worse.

And I’m not saying Obamacare is perfect but I am saying the right wing is responsible for the inaccuracies. Yup, there you have it, e-mail away, you who believe vitriol trumps facts.

So I just don’t understand the world we live in.

But I do understand why the rich and powerful live in gated communities, fly private and want nothing to do with the unwashed masses. BECAUSE THEY JUST CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT’S GOING ON!

P.S. If you tell the delusional the truth, that their idea ain’t gonna make it, it’s just not good enough, suddenly it’s your fault, you’re cut to shreds as this inane e-mailer gets on his high horse and recites his thin c.v. and yells that you just don’t get it, how wrong can you be, that they’ll come back to laugh on your grave. What’s the cliche, no good deed goes unpunished? Or, the truth is, they’re just mad you’re not helping them out, as if it’s your duty to push them around the game board of life.

Kiesza – Hideaway (Official Video) – YouTube

Hideaway – Spotify

This is a hit!

Last night I listened to the Spotify Top 50, to be more specific, “Today’s Top Hits,” hand-curated for your listening pleasure.

Sunday I listened to “Top Tracks in the United States” and almost barfed. So much was imitative of everything else, like all the producers were living in an echo chamber.

But “Today’s Top Hits” had this, Kiesza’s “Hideaway.”

Now the very first cut I heard on “Today’s Top Hits” was by Imagine Dragons, entitled “Battle Cry,” and I was astounded by how good it was. What came after…

You’ve got to understand. Baby boomers are history. Done. Gone. Kaput. As is classic rock. Sure, the acts live on, on the road, but the younger generation driving the new music business does not employ them as their frame of reference.

And all the deep niche people e-mailing me abhor the hits.

But if you’re under twenty, that’s the focus.

In other words, in an incomprehensible, cacophonous world, we all gravitate to reference points, that which rises to the top, that which everybody else listens to. Which is why so many of the tracks sound the same. Because it’s the same producers. And what today’s youngsters treasure most is fame. Money comes thereafter. And you don’t become famous making music that cannot get on the radio, that most people don’t want to listen to.

So we live in a pop world. And I wish people would try to expand the format, but outlets are suspicious of something new and…

We’ve got too many drum machines, too many beats oldsters would find less than infectious, and then you find something like Kiesza’s “Hideaway.”

It was the tenth song on the playlist, and it exploded into my ears, I was stopped in my tracks, WHAT IS THIS?

It’s the vocal. And it turns out this is truly Kiesza, all her tracks feature this sound, which is a good thing.

And my initial point is you can hear a hit. They’re rare. But they’re what we’re looking for. We want to uncover them. We want to listen to them. Over and over and over again.

And the weakest part of this track is the bass beats.

But Kiesza herself is an absolute KILLER!

Doing some research, I find I’m behind the curve. “Hideaway” went number one in the U.K. The video has nearly thirty million views. The only one out of the loop is me. And U.S. radio. But that won’t be for long. Because “Hideaway” can’t be denied, because of Kiesza herself.

Go down the rabbit hole and you discover the video was done in one take. And I discovered “Hideaway” through my ears, but I clicked through. And I was BLOWN AWAY! The clip had the offhandedness of the early Madonna work. Sure, it was choreographed, but Kiesza seemed to be having so much fun, seemed to need it so much, that I was sold.

Because this is the way it is today. Everybody’s a star. At least in their own mind. And if they’ve got the goods, they employ all media to get their message across. ‘N Sync’s moves were too studied, as if a mistake would get them fired, whereas the dancing in this clip is just imperfect enough to evidence LIFE!

So I clicked through to the Haddaway cover, and found out Kiesza maintained the same magic.

And then I went to the new Soundcloud clip, and although I wasn’t sure it was a hit, I did get it.

So what I’m saying here is while oldsters lament the loss of albums, while oldsters are bitching they can’t get paid, youngsters don’t care about any of that, they got the memo, they know it’s all about the track, that you’ve got to hook people with that and then dribble out another single, that the album, if it comes at all, is last, just a financial cleanup effort. Youngsters are all about surfing the now.

And, once again, the now is a pop world. Even country is pop. It’s where the ears are. And if you don’t care about attention, if you don’t care about fame, if you don’t care about money, stay in your niche. But the action is in pop.

Kiesza – What Is Love (Official Video) – YouTube

Kiesza “Giant In My Heart”- SoundCloud

X OFFENDER

It sounds like a modern day girl group recording…because it was produced by Richard Gottehrer, whose first number one was “My Boyfriend’s Back,” who had his hand in so many sixties hits with thin production that sound just like…this.

And, unless you lived in NYC, you never heard this, at least not until after “Parallel Lines.”

Catchy, minor work, not a bad start.

RIP HER TO SHREDS

This got a bit more airplay elsewhere, but not much. But this is more original than “X Offender,” and you fall in love with the attitude, it still puts a smile on your face today.

DENIS

The first, eponymous album, was released on Private Stock, the second came out on Chrysalis, which was spreading its wings from English art rock to…Blondie and eventually Pat Benatar and so many more. Chrysalis was built on the back of Jethro Tull, but got a second wind started by…Blondie. But this remake of the Randy & the Rainbows hit got some traction, airplay as far away as Los Angeles, but it was seen mostly as a curio, no one believed Blondie had any substance, never mind being on a trajectory to worldwide superstardom, and then…

HEART OF GLASS

Two words…MIKE CHAPMAN!

It was the same band, but a completely different sound.

The Commander was already a legend in the UK, but most of his success there didn’t translate to the United States, and then came…this.

Chapman cowrote and produced with Nicky Chinn, and we’d read over here that Suzi Quatro and Smokie and Mud were huge across the pond, but you never heard them here, but you heard THIS!

Chapman parlayed his success into his own label, Dreamland, put out a few stiff records and then disappeared FOREVER!

That’s right, 100% done. In addition to Blondie, he did Exile’s “Kiss You All Over” and Nick Gilder’s “Hot Child In The City,” and I must admit we did hear the Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz” before the American tsunami truly began, but no one took Sweet seriously, but in 1979, EVERYONE took Blondie seriously, starting with this disco hit that disco-haters couldn’t help but love.

Come on, it’s great.

HANGING ON THE TELEPHONE

You bought the album, dropped the needle, and the record took off like a shot!

It’s quintessential New York, despite being written by west coast artist Jack Lee for his band the Nerves.

It’s a bundle of nervous energy from the east coast where everybody’s got something to say and girls are aggressive and have attitude. Listening made you want to move to the gritty streets of New York.

This is an unexpected album opening treat akin to Alice Cooper’s “Under My Wheels” from “Killer.” In both cases, the albums got no airplay, you didn’t hear them unless you bought them, and then when the sound came out of the speakers you were stopped in your tracks!

From the lyrics to the sound to the delivery, “Hanging On The Telephone” is a triumph.

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

A one-two punch, “One Way Or Another” followed “Hanging On The Telephone” and it’s got a great riff, but it’s Debbie Harry’s sneer that puts it over the top.

FADE AWAY AND RADIATE

My favorite cut on “Parallel Lines,” made genius by the presence of one Robert Fripp, who has just reunited a version of his King Crimson band but has faded away and is not radiating, but those who were around still know…Robert had the chops, but even more interesting was the way he tested limits.

Listen intently for his work here, it’s so subtle, yet so striking, interstellar communication.

I love this.

ATOMIC

The hit from the follow-up to “Parallel Lines” known as “Eat To The Beat.” There was a ton of press, that a video was made for every track. And “Eat To The Beat” was good, but not as good as “Parallel Lines,” however it is fully listenable.

DREAMING

Another “Eat To The Beat” single, which I actually preferred to “Atomic,” even though it wasn’t as successful. It’s not only the sound, but the lyric, which depicts a whole vignette, the song was penetrable, as opposed to so many of today’s hits.

UNION CITY BLUE

Anthemic.

Written during Debbie Harry’s ill-fated venture into acting in the flick “Union City.”

THE HARDEST PART

My favorite track on “Eat To The Beat.”

In a bulletproof vest, shatterproof glass, overdrive, we’re gonna pass

This is pure magic, from the sounds to the changes to the lyrics to the delivery. It was released as a single, but did not blow up. Still, it’s the one I played in my car, the one I still love to hear today.

THE TIDE IS HIGH

And just when it looked like Blondie had peaked, suddenly they were UBIQUITOUS with this white reggae cover of the old Paragons track.

It sounds kinda phony, kinda like Zeppelin’s “D’yer Mak’er,” but at this point most Americans had still never heard of Bob Marley, had not been to Jamaica, and this was a great entry point.

I haven’t listened all the way through in decades, I’m not sure I ever did back then!

RAPTURE

The gigantic, subtle hit that made rap safe for the suburbs.

And everybody gives Blondie credit for respecting the genre and blowing it up.

One of the most important cuts in rock and roll.

This track alone is probably why the band is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

THE HUNTER

The one I didn’t buy. The album that killed Blondie. Seemingly everybody got the word it was substandard, they didn’t buy it, it was available for years in cut-out bins, and when it was done, so was the band.

CALL ME

Going back to 1980, at the band’s peak, Giorgio Moroder reached out and Debbie Harry cowrote and sang on this monster hit, the theme song of “American Gigolo.”

It sounds like movie music, it sounds like disco, but it sounds SO GOOD!

It’s the way Debbie sings at the top of her lungs and range…CALL ME!

RUSH RUSH

And this Moroder/Harry composition’s performance was credited to Ms. Harry. Airplay was limited, I had to buy the 12″ just to hear it.

This is so infectious. It was featured in “Scarface,” but most people don’t know it.

You should.

So there you have it, Blondie’s peaks. And high they were. They were one of the biggest bands in the universe at the turn of the decade, from the seventies to the eighties.

Debbie Harry tried to fly solo. The band eventually reunited. But it was too late to catch fire once again, they’re now an oldies act. But being hip as well as mainstream, and not kitschy, they haven’t gotten their one big victory lap a la Journey.

I guess that’s the problem with staying alive.

If Debbie Harry had O.D.’ed, Blondie would be legends.

Harry broke ground as a female front person. She doesn’t get enough credit because she was so good-looking, as if that’s a crime. Furthermore, she was over thirty when the band broke through. She was a trailblazer.

And Chris Stein was the musical mastermind, and Clem Burke pounded the skins and every member was indispensable, because Blondie was a BAND!

Rhinofy-Blondie Primer