Musicological banter

[killsaly]

awesome. This one was one of my favorites, though i do not understand what exactly is going on. 

[xneverwherex]

this was one of the most awesome shows ive ever seen. the crowd was comprised of mostly call fans that were definitely much older. Mid-30s I was one of the youngest people at the show. A lot of the fans were giving Robert a hard time - he messed up a few songs - forgot lyrics here and there - couldnt reach all the notes - etc. Regardless, everyone loved it. Robert was clearly embarrassed a few times, but he pulled through. He was indeed a good sport. They had spent ages trying to put this together and for Robert to learn all of the songs. I forgot which guy it was, but he was sporting a BRMC shirt. The band was charming, but at the end of the day - it was clear that everyone missed Michael. It was one of the most beautiful tributes Ive ever seen. They played for a good 2 hours and it was pure awesomeness!

Obviously this isn't the first time an offspring has taken over for a parent in a band but this would be good show to see...  I had no idea about the BRMC/The Call connection until after Micheal Been had passed away, he served as the bands soundman for several years.

*****

It gives us great pleasure to announce to you all that the seminal rock group 'The Call' will be reuniting with B.R.M.C.'.s Robert Been for two select shows!!!

Disbanded in 1990 The Call's original members Scott Musick, Tom Ferrier, and Jim Goodwin will be taking the stage with Robert Been, taking over the role of bass and vocals in honor of his father, the late Michael Been - twenty years since their last live show!

But now for the really exciting news - Tickets go on sale on Friday March 1st from www.the-call-band.com

April 18th: San Francisco, CA / Slim's

April 19th: Los Angeles, CA / The Troubadour

[Justin Tonation]

I saw The Call at the Bayou in the late 80s. Got their autographs on a CD afterwards. Rhett would not approve.

[kosmo vinyl]

Thanks for the post on the Call.  Despite the hiccups sounds like a cool event

[kosmo vinyl]

It's a sign of the times when a leading craptasticEDM producer, comes with equally craptastic "americana"

[kosmo vinyl]

pray for my soul... i just found out that evil spotify has the complete singles collection, while I don't want the entire collection it would be nice to listen to them and cherry pick some of the obscure releases...

[slappy]

If you're more visually inclined to absorb information, here's a infographic on how Spotify, Last.FM, Rhapsody, etc. reduce the ability for a musician to make a living wage.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/11/how-musicians-really-make-money-in-one-long-graph/249267/

[killsaly]

I saw that yesterday.  I wonder where Bandcamp would fit on that.

[kosmo vinyl]

Is it ok to listen to archival music on Spotify?

[kosmo vinyl]

So is Wavves stuck forever playing venues the size of the Black Cat?  Or is his career on that downward slope to Empire.

[azaghal1981]

Go for the King Tough, leave before the Wavves.

[killsaly]

I can already imagine the responses to this article and its main point, knowing people around here...
http://trustmeimascientist.com/2013/08/08/why-vinyl-is-not-going-to-save-the-music-industry/
(parts I am referring to below)

But ? Is the ?low sound quality of digital a turnoff??

There are two possible answers to this: A ) ?Yes, if by ?turnoff?, you mean ?people are listening to more music than ever before.? (They?re just not paying for it)? or B ) ?Yes, but only because our perception is dead wrong.?

Here?s the reality: Modern digital doesn?t have low sound quality. By any objective standard, it?s actually far better in terms of raw sound quality than vinyl is!

We?re not just talking about CDs here. This statement includes any good resolution downloads or streaming files. The problem is that music marketers have effectively been lying to listeners by telling them that modern digital doesn?t sound good. And we?ve got to stop. Now.

Perception affects enjoyment more than anything else. That?s where the failure is. Right now, by any objective standard, we have the best listening formats and equipment ever made, and at prices that are mind-bogglingly low.

In reality, modern digital actually sounds f*ing great. A 320kbps stream from Spotify, eMusic or MOG sounds indistinguishable from a CD when heard by the ear. This has been confirmed in countless blind tests. Meanwhile, within the spectrum of human hearing, a CD is unquestionably closer to the original master than vinyl is. We can prove that with measurements and we can prove it with listening tests. There is no doubt. Zero.

In terms of raw sound quality, what?s available today is provably higher-fidelity than vinyl, cassette, 8-track, reel-to-reel, wax cylinder, AM/FM radio, and just about any other consumer format ever invented. But we?re failing to tell that story.

At this point, we don?t need to convince the engineers to design better digital. They?ve already done their jobs. The technology is there. Now we?ve gotta do our jobs and convince people to start paying for it again!

Unfortunately, my friend went on to write:

?I?m embarrassed to admit that it has been years since I heard vinyl. That all changed 2 nights ago when I was at a friends house. I was sitting there and noticed the warmth, the sonic space, the timbre of the instruments. It was?sumptuous, sensual, dare I say, intoxicating.?

I believe my friend. Wouldn?t doubt him for a second. But here?s the thing: What really happened was that he sat down and listened to an amazing-sounding recording on a friends? stereo? Which was far better than his own. Of course you?re going to notice new things!

Yes: Great speakers sounds amazing. Hanging out with friends, listening to albums and feeding off of each others? enthusiasm is awesome. No question. These things can make a huge difference in perceived audio quality. Vinyl on the other hand? Not so much.

Don?t get me wrong ? Vinyl can be great. People actually can hear a difference under blind listening conditions. There can even be something so subtly familiar, ?so soft around the edges? about the medium. It?s just that with good vinyl, those differences are not that dramatic at all. And, when we prefer it, it?s because we like the measurably less pristine sound of the format.

It may be counter-intuitive to some vinyl promoters, but pretending that digital can?t sound as good or better than vinyl is a major part of the problem facing musicians today. Not only is it untrue, but it reinforces the backwards notion that today?s recordings just aren?t worth paying for. When we lie to kids and tell them digital is lousy, we?re effectively saying ?that sucks, you don?t have to pay for that garbage.? While in fact, ?that garbage? is among the best we?ve ever had.

The problem of musicians? income in the 21st century is not going to be solved by singing the praises of vinyl. It is going to be solved by developing great streaming services and making sure they pay fair rates. It?s going to be solved by reasonable and effective crackdowns on piracy. And it?s going to be solved by information campaigns that tell people the truth, inspiring them to put value back into the music that is already right there at their fingertips.

That is all that can save musicians. There is no way that vinyl can do it alone.

So spread the truth: If you want sound quality, we?ve got better sound quality today than ever before. If you want convenience and access, that?s here too. If you want low prices, my God are they low. Perhaps too low. If you want physicality and ritual, you can get that too. Buy your CDs, buy your vinyl. As long as you?re buying, those things are not going to go away.

[Dejecty-hatch lııllı|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|̲̅̅=̲̅̅|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|llıl]

Nice article.  I do like a lot of things about vinyl, but I have always thought the 'outstanding sound difference' argument to be a little weak and hipsteresque

[atomicfront]

Nice article.  I do like a lot of things about vinyl, but I have always thought the 'outstanding sound difference' argument to be a little weak and hipsteresque

Vinyl sounds better to me.  And why is there an argument anyway?  If I prefer vinyl and I buy it everyone should be happy.  Musicians get money.  Jobs in US and Canada were the vinyl is pressed and the album covers are printed.  Local record stores get cash from me.   

[killsaly]

as long as there are things to argue about, there will be arguments.   

I'd much rather listen to a pristine digital file. 

Would you prefer a VHS tape to a DVD?  A cassette tape to a CD? 

People like to inject subjective experiences into the objective vinyl vs digital debate (ie memories of youth and the "ritual" of listening to vinyl). 

if you prefer it, good.  But it doesnt mean it is better. 

Did you read that article?

In terms of raw sound quality, what?s available today is provably higher-fidelity than vinyl, cassette, 8-track, reel-to-reel, wax cylinder, AM/FM radio, and just about any other consumer format ever invented. But we?re failing to tell that story.