Quarter to two & the working day is done. Yep, another trial. Posts will be sporadic but I'm enjoying the conversation. For the record I didn't find MJ's list pretentious but I wasn't surprised at the comment. C'mon, she namechecks Aleister Crowley, refers to "alchemical implements," and describes a song as "quix*o*tic" in consecutive entries. She may be unselfconscious about her artiness but that doesn't mean that it isn't there and will rub some people the wrong way. Whereas Laurie Anderson is totally self-conscious about her artiness but devoid of defensiveness about it. That meta-arty aspect is central to what she's doing. And she looks great doing it. Not that that has anything to do with it but I enjoy it. And Lou Reed is right about her being smarter than he is. Then again Yoko was smarter than John, too, but she wasn't the better artist. I'm rambling. Time to wrap this up and go to bed.
Just sent two songs to B'rawk: one for msbelle (the reason will be obvious), and one for JZ. I think it was JZ who expressed a hatred for "groovy" or one of its variants. Anyway even haters of total groovalosity will enjoy Al Green "trying to be groovy like my Jesus". NOTE: looks like I sent JZ's to B'rawk2.
Where you goin' with that gun in your hand?
and describes a song as "quix*o*tic"
That's the name of a band (asterisks included). Features Christina Billotte, formerly of Slant 6 and Autoclave (the latter of which also included Mary Timony). [link]
Whatever Happened to Mary's Danish?
I was only able to skim this article - but this
Roughly 340,000 Mary’s Danish records were sold; not one member has to date received a penny of royalties.
is really sad. I bought one of those copies!
I loved Mary's Danish. I saw them on that Jane's Addiction tour the article mentioned. At Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS - in 1991 - my junior year of high school. That was the night I started dating the guy who would go on to be my boyfriend for the next 10 years. The jerk.
Also - boo on dumb people calling Miranda July pretentious. I have bought several copies of her new book for birthday presents this summer.
but this is really sad. I bought one of those copies!
Is this where I link to Steve Albini's classic tome The Problem With Music?
Yeah, that essay crossed my mind.
In general, have things gotten better for indie bands since then?
I read that indie bands signed to smaller labels are making more money than they used to, but this has more with sales transparency than with any major change in royalty schemes.
In that NYTimes magazine article that was linked to, they were talking about The Gossip, a band that was with Kill Rock Stars, had just signed with Columbia. It made me a little sad.
Sleater-Kinney was with KRS for years and always refused to sign with a major, so I hope The Gossip at least got some good advice before hand.
Rick Rubin won't save them. To be fair, though, the Gossip sounds way more mainstream commercial than Sleater-Kinney ever did.
