Marxism got one thing right- economics drives history. If people want mind-blowingly good music on a large scale like we saw in the 20th century then the music business must adapt to the new landscape- where listeners call the shots- and increase profit incentives for artists and songwriters. Otherwise, it’s going to be near impossible for anyone to round up the next cream of the musical crop, make millions off them, and ensure they are known to every living soul- even if they are the next Beatles, Frank Sinatra, or Bob Dylan. As we all know, the richest artists aren’t necessarily the most talented and I doubt I would recognize the names of any of today’s newest and wealthiest musicians. Will there ever be worldwide musical superstars such as we saw in the 20th century whose talents deserve such riches and fame?
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| Mandrill |
Not every artist becomes rich and famous and it’s hard to make art when you’re working three jobs and scraping to survive. For consumers to be able to enjoy the best of what is out there, artists need an economic incentive to expend energy, time, and capital on writing, recording, and performing- and some way for their music to reach potentially millions of listeners. Though the 20th century saw many artists getting ripped off (even the big names), it was a great time for consumers of music as well as artists and producers. Time to be great again. We have nothing to lose but the pop slop that continues to offend and send each of us scurrying to our separate corners of the Internet (and has been doing so for the past 25 years). Here are some of my favorite most recent musical discoveries. Enjoy- and Happy Easter!
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| Cracker |
01. Alkaline Trio – “She Lied to the FBI” (2013)
02. Arab Strap – “The Shy Retirer” (2003)
03. Bruce Springsteen – “Thunder Road (Live)” (1975)
04. Dramarama – “Scenario” (1985)
05. Nat King Cole – “Harlem Blues” (1958)
06. Cracker – “Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)” (1992)
07. Kelly Hogan – “Papa Was a Rodeo” (2000)
08. The Postal Service – “Sleeping In” (2003)
09. Future Islands – “Seasons (Waiting for You)” (2014)
10. Future Islands – “A Dream of You and Me” (2014)
11. Mandrill – “Fencewalk” (1973)
12. The Monkees – “Through the Looking Glass” (1969)
13. The Peppermint Trolley Company – “I’ve Got to Be Going” (1968)
14. Judy Collins – “Michael from Mountains” (1967)
15. Yo La Tengo – “Detouring America with Horns” (1992)
16. Damien Jurado – “Letters & Drawings” (1999)
17. M. Ward – “To Go Home” (2006)
18. Josh Rouse – “Dressed Up Like Nebraska” (1998)
19. The Bevis Frond – “He’d Be a Diamond” (1991)
20. Mickey Newbury – “I Don’t Think Much About Her No More” (1969)
Listen to the playlist on Spotify...
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