OT: The Semi-irregular Music Thread

[BrunoPuntzJones]

And I get why people use spotify, and no judgement. I just don't like that their streaming rates are so absurdly low for how much money they're raking in.

Hasn't Spotify been losing money hand over fist pretty much since launch?

 

[HandshakeLine]

Hasn't Spotify been losing money hand over fist pretty much since launch?

I don't know, but if they are, that's an insanely incompetent board, because they're undercutting nearly everyone else on the royalty front.

This article is slightly out of date, but jives pretty well with my friends' (and my own former) experiences in the industry:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/03/how-much-musicians-make-spotify-itunes-youtube

In short, your best bet as an artist to actually make any money on your listens is something like bandcamp, physical merch, or iTunes purchases. Streaming services are good, IF you're already a huge, established name, but if you're not, you're usually looking pennies, not dollars coming in, certainly not at the rates that Spotify pays. (Disclaimer, I got my first streaming royalty check last year from a few EPs that an old band reissued for digital streaming-- and it was TINY. ). I get why it's set up like it is, and no disrespect to the big artists that are making their money off it.

But, again, if Spotify can't turn a profit on $.0011 per play of a song, something ain't right. Either nobody's found a way to make streaming media profitable, or they're hemorrhaging cash somehow.

 

[RizzleMcRib]

Daydream Nation is 110% stone cold classic. It was like the 2nd tape I ever bought with my own money. I think the first was Ugly Kid Joe in a moment of dumb rural Pennsylvania hickdom.

Speaking of PA bands though, I'm suprised there's no love for Allentown's Pissed Jeans, especially from the noise/heavy/hardcore spectrum here. The new album SLAYS.

Dude... Oh the irony. The new Pissed Jeans album is one of the most punk rock things I've heard in a long time. Hands down my favorite album of 2017 so far.

 

[RizzleMcRib]

HandshakeLine, I don't know if you've ever heard of American Sharks. They are a bit like a mix between Pissed Jeans and Red Fang. Super duper party rock. Just if you buy the album, side 2 starts with this weird "you are now possessed by satan" monologue. It is supposed to play at 45. I was alone in my basement in that "right" frame of mind for music. Forgot that. It was on 33. Slow sludgy devil voice coming out of my speakers. Scared the bajeezus out of me.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

I don't know, but if they are, that's an insanely incompetent board, because they're undercutting nearly everyone else on the royalty front.

This article is slightly out of date, but jives pretty well with my friends' (and my own former) experiences in the industry:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/03/how-much-musicians-make-spotify-itunes-youtube

In short, your best bet as an artist to actually make any money on your listens is something like bandcamp, physical merch, or iTunes purchases. Streaming services are good, IF you're already a huge, established name, but if you're not, you're usually looking pennies, not dollars coming in, certainly not at the rates that Spotify pays. (Disclaimer, I got my first streaming royalty check last year from a few EPs that an old band reissued for digital streaming-- and it was TINY. ). I get why it's set up like it is, and no disrespect to the big artists that are making their money off it.

But, again, if Spotify can't turn a profit on $.0011 per play of a song, something ain't right. Either nobody's found a way to make streaming media profitable, or they're hemorrhaging cash somehow.

Yeah, I'm not disputing that Spotify doesn't pay much in royalties. I know that's true. Their business model is screwy though (like most apps) and every year seems to bring a mix of "will Spotify become profitable" and "will Spotify declare bankruptcy" articles.

I half expect streaming to never be profitable and to persist as a dominant technology mostly due to convenience.

 

[tom_servo]

Dude... Oh the irony. The new Pissed Jeans album is one of the most punk rock things I've heard in a long time. Hands down my favorite album of 2017 so far.

Haven't heard this. Will check it out.

I like this photo thing you're doing.

 

[clefty]

Someone mentioned Nine Inch Nails before. New song.



It's...interesting. Song and video alike. Not really what I've come to enjoy about NIN usually, but hey, it gets the head bopping.

 

[RizzleMcRib]

Haven't heard this. Will check it out.

I like this photo thing you're doing.

Thanks dude. That's a cool thing to hear. I just like sharing music. It's the great equalizer. You'll see people getting into it in other threads. Then they come here see that they have common ground in music. You'll just say to yourself, "F yeah. That dude/dudette (I don't discriminate)is pretty cool." People also seem to associate hockey with pretty bad music, Fall Out Boy (if you like them, cool. Just not my thing.) and all that arena/jock rock. Maybe Pens fans are the exception. Who knows. I just remember reading the first few pages of this thread, some dude listed Jawbreaker - 24 Hour Revenge Therapy as one of their top 5 favorite albums. I was kinda stoked. You just have to smile and be like, "that's my dude." To some that might sound silly. That's cool. People like to share their passions. I'm sure that's the main reason most of us are here. My 2 passions just happen to hockey and music (too bad that I am pretty mediocre at playing both).Long ramble ended.

 

[HandshakeLine]

We've got a pretty diverse crew here so this is always my favorite off-season thread. Thanks for the head's up on American Sharks, Rizzle!

 

[RizzleMcRib]

While this album is not my favorite Beatles album (that will always be Revolver, which I consider the greatest and most important album of all time), it is my favorite pre Bob Dylan introducing them to the devil's lettuce album. It's the album that George Harrison, my favorite guitarist, really came into his own. The sound of that Rickenbacker 360/12 string, especially the lead on "I Should Have Known Better" completely gets me every time. It also reminds of being a young kid watching "A Hard Day's Night" with my dad on VHS. I still revisit that movie every once and a while.

 

[RizzleMcRib]

Happy birthday Ian Curtis. He would have been 61 years old today. Only feels right to play this.
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures

As did this shirt.

 

[RizzleMcRib]

In my opinion, this is the greatest debut (*2nd favorite debut in the last 30ish years) and follow up album of my generation. That being said, I'll always be team Pinkerton.

*The Strokes - Is This It (I consider it the greatest album of this century and favorite debut of my lifetime '78 - present)

 

[HandshakeLine]

There is where we part company. It's a good album, but I'm not really sure it's in my top 10 debuts, let alone albums of this century.

But strokes and folks.

Edit:

Here's my top 10 debut albums, in no particular order:

Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
Velvet Underground & Nico - Velvet Underground & Nico
Nas - Illmatic
Patti Smith - Horses
Neu! - 1972
Suicide - Suicide
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
BORIS - Absolutego
Einstürzende Neubauten - Kolaps

 

[PennDanzig]

on rotation all day. dumb heavy.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

In my opinion, this is the greatest debut (*2nd favorite debut in the last 30ish years) and follow up album of my generation. That being said, I'll always be team Pinkerton.

*The Strokes - Is This It (I consider it the greatest album of this century and favorite debut of my lifetime '78 - present)

If you ever have the extra cash, I'd highly recommend the MOFI issues of the first 2 Weezer albums.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

I'll play the picture game.
I finally got around to this over the weekend. It was the Vinyl Me Please selection a few months ago.
Never listened to a full Gorillaz album before, only the singles. This one is good! Especially Dare.

 

[tom_servo]

Cool shirt. Someone gifted me something kinda similar:

 

[RizzleMcRib]

There is where we part company. It's a good album, but I'm not really sure it's in my top 10 debuts, let alone albums of this century.

But strokes and folks.

Edit:

Here's my top 10 debut albums, in no particular order:

Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
Velvet Underground & Nico - Velvet Underground & Nico
Nas - Illmatic
Patti Smith - Horses
Neu! - 1972
Suicide - Suicide
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
BORIS - Absolutego
Einstürzende Neubauten - Kolaps

Maybe my wording was confusing...
Hahaha. No no. I didn't mean all time. I meant debut albums since I've been alive. We will just say after 80. Yes, there have been many great debuts since then. Let's take Appetite For Destruction. Incredible debut, but I was 9. So even though it was great, I wasn't old enough to appreciate it at the time. For me Is This It came out at the perfect time. I was 23 living in Tampa. It took something old and made it new again. It was a perfect storm. Time, place, and it's just an incredible album. It was one of the few albums that lived up to the hype. So are there better debuts, sure, but I wasn't there to experience them.

About the century thing. It's only 2017. That's 17 years. I didn't mean the last 100.

If I had to list what I think are the all time top 10 debuts..

The Stooges - The Stooges
Ramones - Ramones
The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers
Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction
The Strokes - Is This It
Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace of Sin
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Weezer - The Blue Album
Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True
Television - Marquee Moon

Honorable Mentions (I know that's cheating) - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell / Queens of the Stone Age - QOTSA (Regular John is one of my favorite album openers. It just rocks.)

Enter the 36 Chambers, that could be debated. Same with Illmatic.

 

[RizzleMcRib]

Cool shirt. Someone gifted me something kinda similar:

Dude, that is pretty freakin badass.

 

[RizzleMcRib]

I'll play the picture game.
I finally got around to this over the weekend. It was the Vinyl Me Please selection a few months ago.
Never listened to a full Gorillaz album before, only the singles. This one is good! Especially Dare.

Dude, is that a 530? It is a beaut. How is VMP? I did it about 2 years ago, whenever it came out. I got a few good things. Father John Misty - I Love You Honey Bear, Diarrhea Planet - I'n Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, and J Dilla - Donuts. Then I cancelled it. Ive thought about going back. I do like how you can go back and order past records though.

 

[RizzleMcRib]

If you ever have the extra cash, I'd highly recommend the MOFI issues of the first 2 Weezer albums.

MOFI remasters are amazing. Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue, blows me away every time.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

Dude, is that a 530? It is a beaut. How is VMP? I did it about 2 years ago, whenever it came out. I got a few good things. Father John Misty - I Love You Honey Bear, Diarrhea Planet - I'n Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, and J Dilla - Donuts. Then I cancelled it. Ive thought about going back. I do like how you can go back and order past records though.

It is! Interesting story on how I acquired it. About 6-7 years ago, I was working at a doctors office and became friendly with one of the regular patients. We would talk about random things including vinyl. He told me he had an old Pioneer that he brought home when he was stationed in Japan in the 70's. I told him that if he ever decided to sell it, to let me know.
I ended up moving on to another office and 1 day about 2 1/2 years ago he tracked me down and wanted to sell me the table. He initially quoted me $125, but when I get to his house, he jacked it up to $200. I looked it over and it was in beautiful condition! Only thing wrong was the stop button didn't work. We haggled back and forth and I ended up paying the $125.
My wife and I signed up for VMP this year. So far we like it. Obviously you have to be open to getting music that your aren't familiar with or that's not in your wheelhouse, but the swap out feature is nice to have. We'll see what the rest of the year is like and then decide to renew or not.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

MOFI remasters are amazing. Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue, blows me away every time.

I will probably get that at some point along with some others.

 

[RizzleMcRib]

It is! Interesting story on how I acquired it. About 6-7 years ago, I was working at a doctors office and became friendly with one of the regular patients. We would talk about random things including vinyl. He told me he had an old Pioneer that he brought home when he was stationed in Japan in the 70's. I told him that if he ever decided to sell it, to let me know.
I ended up moving on to another office and 1 day about 2 1/2 years ago he tracked me down and wanted to sell me the table. He initially quoted me $125, but when I get to his house, he jacked it up to $200. I looked it over and it was in beautiful condition! Only thing wrong was the stop button didn't work. We haggled back and forth and I ended up paying the $125.
My wife and I signed up for VMP this year. So far we like it. Obviously you have to be open to getting music that your aren't familiar with or that's not in your wheelhouse, but the swap out feature is nice to have. We'll see what the rest of the year is like and then decide to renew or not.

You got that for 125?!!!????!!! My God what a steal. I've seen them go for almost 4 times as much. I paid more than that for my 518. Yes it was upgraded (wooden plinth and new feet), but still. What cartridge do you have on it?

I didn't know VMP had a swap out feature. That kinda makes it all worth while. I wish they had that when I was a member.

Keep posting those pictures. Hopefully we can get it to catch on. It's also always cool to see other people's equipment.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

You got that for 125?!!!????!!! My God what a steal. I've seen them go for almost 4 times as much. I paid more than that for my 518. Yes it was upgraded (wooden plinth and new feet), but still. What cartridge do you have on it?

I didn't know VMP had a swap out feature. That kinda makes it all worth while. I wish they had that when I was a member.

Keep posting those pictures. Hopefully we can get it to catch on. It's also always cool to see other people's equipment.

I definitely got lucky on that deal. It even had the original cart and stylus on it.

Right now I have an AT-95e but am going to upgrade to a Nagaoka MP-110 soon. I do have another table, a Pro-Ject Carbon Debut. I bought that before getting lucky with the Pioneer.