Our resident chart guru Chris Molanphy was on WNYC’s On The Media this weekend, where he shared his thoughts on the meaning of the pop charts in an age where music is so atomized. The transcript isn’t up yet, but you can listen to his package—and the rest of the show, which is all about Where Music Is Now—at the link. [On The Media] MORE »
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If you’re in the Washington, D.C., area and you have the afternoon free today, feel free to come by the Georgetown Hotel and Convention Center at 2 p.m. for a discussion of the state of music writing that features Scott Plagenhoef of Pitchfork, Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune, David Malitz of the Washington Post, and me, among others. The discussion is part of the Future Of Music Coalition Policy Summit, which wraps up today and which, according to reports from friends who have been here this week, has been chock-full of good discussion since it kicked off on Sunday. (If you can’t make it, there’s also a Webcast of the event.) [Future Of Music Coalition] MORE »
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Popping in on this Labor Day to say that if you missed me chatting with National Public Radio’s Guy Raz yesterday about five albums to look forward to this fall—including this Friday’s release of Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3, as well as albums by Miranda Lambert, Annie, the Roots, and Hope Sandoval—you can hit up NPR’s Web site to hear it. And feel free to tell me what you thought I forgot! Time constraints, you know. [NPR] MORE »
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I’m going to be on WNYC’s Soundcheck at 2 p.m. ET, where I’ll be debating whether or not the album is still a viable commodity in today’s shuffle-filled age. And yes, the “Single Ladies” problem—in which good singles are buried by albums’ poor sequencing, or (more often these days) the promo cycle stopping once the album hits shelves—is on the docket for discussion. Tune in! [WNYC] MORE »
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In case you missed my appearance on All Things Considered this weekend—in which I discuss the calculus for determining summer songs, why we’re probably stuck with the Black Eyed Peas forever, and the awesomeness of Amerie—it’s streaming at the public-radio network’s Web site. (Bonus: The transcript, in which it is revealed that I said “you know” approximately 1,438 times during the segment, and in which my “songs coming out of car radios” metric for judging a summer song’s power is compared by a slightly overzealous commenter to condoning torture.) [NPR] MORE »
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In case you have no plans tonight and you find yourself in or adjacent to the Red Hook area of Brooklyn, N.Y.: I will be performing at the Jalopy Theater (315 Columbia St.) tonight as part of “Critical Karaoke,” in which music scribes perform a piece that’s written to the length of the song they’re writing about; also on the bill are Michaelangelo Matos, Robert Christgau, Rob Sheffield, Rob Harvilla, among others. The song I’m going to discuss is by an act that’s a frequent topic of conversation around these parts, although it’s probably not the act you’re thinking of right now. Showtime’s 9 p.m. Come down! (I’ll post the piece tomorrow, for those of you who are geographically challenged.) [Jalopy Theater] MORE »
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Yesterday I was on WNYC’s fine music-themed show Soundcheck, where I had the chance to discuss the fate of music magazines with host John Schaefer and Hitsville proprietor Bill Wyman. If you care to hear what we talked about—I did use the term “celebrity-industrial complex,” ha ha—the episode’s embedded after the jump; you can also stream it here. MORE »
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A Place To Talk About Talking About Music Videos
A programming note: I’m going to be on Soundcheck, the music-chat program on New York’s WNYC, at 2 p.m. ET for an hour-long discussion of the state of the music video. Joining me and Soundcheck host John Schaefer will be music-video director Rik Cordero, whose credits include the video for the Roots’ “Birthday Girl” and Q-Tip’s “ManWomanBoogie,” and indie darlings the Decemberists, who have been known to dabble in the video form as well. It should be a fun show–I was invited to pick my favorite videos of recent vintage, so I imagine those will be discussed as well–and Chris Molanphy will be in the audience! Please tune in, and feel free to join the discussion in the comments right here.
The State Of The Music Video [WNYC] MORE »
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I’m going to be on WNYC’s Soundcheck at 2 p.m. ET, discussing my 10 picks for free shows in New York City this summer. A sneak peek of the list is at the link; feel free to add your picks–whether they’re in New York or wherever you might live–and note that on July 31, you can take in the very Idolatorish double bill of Kelly Clarkson and Polvo. (OK, it’s an ad hoc, two-venue double bill, but you know it’s going to be fun, even with the getting up at the crack of dawn.) [WNYC] MORE »
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My former colleagues at Gawker asked me for my summer-jam picks; I obliged them, although the songs listed aren’t “picks” so much as they are “songs from which you will be unable to escape should you ever decide to leave the comfort of your headphones.” People seem to be sort of up in arms that I didn’t include Lady GaGa on the list, but I honestly forgot about her while I was brainstorming! Not sure if that says more about her songs’ staying power or my ability to strategically ignore annoying things, to be honest. [Gawker] MORE »
