beatles

Spotify: future of music or final nail in the coffin?

by David D. on September 8, 2011

One day in the not-too-distant future, we hope to give everybody instant access to all the music in the world.

~ Spotify

 

What do YOU think?  Take the quick 3-question survey here.

If you live in Europe or read MMT, you have probably been using or hearing about Spotify for a few years.  Spotify landed in the US on July 14, 2011, with the free version available by invitation only*, and premium versions available immediately for $4.99 or $9.99 per month.  (All the features you want are in the $9.99 version.)

Spotify is the celestial jukebox done right: over 15 million tracks available on-demand and almost instantly, with 320 kbps streams available for some songs (more on that in a future article).  Apple is notoriously tight-lipped, so who knows what they will be offering later this year.  But iCloud and the iTunes Match service (as announced) look feeble by comparison.

Not everyone is thrilled.  You won’t find Arcade Fire on Spotify, or any of the usual suspects: Metallica, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin.  And some artists who play nice with the other streaming services have pulled their material from Spotify, complaining about the fractions of a penny paid per stream.

The income streams to the artists are affected massively and therefore that accelerates the downward spiral, which eventually will lead to artists not being able to record music the way it should be recorded. Ultimately, in some cases, it will completely kill a lot of smaller bands that are already struggling to make ends meet.

~ “Century Media Pull Their Repertoire from Spotify!”

While the major labels and pop music may be able to reap a real income stream from Spotify simply due to the sheer volume of streams, the Spotify model is not financially sustainable for any indie niche label. As the industry moves more in this direction (competitor Napster, for example, only yields slightly more, about 1 cent per stream), it will simply choke the indie labels out of business.

~ Brian Brandt, “Is the Spotify Model Really the Answer?”

Spotify responded by saying they were “launched out of a desire to develop a better, more convenient and legal alternative to music piracy.  Spotify now monetises an audience the large majority of whom were downloading illegally (and therefore not making any money for the industry) before Spotify was available.”

What do you think?  If you have been using Spotify, take the survey and let us know how you feel about it as a musician, or as a listener.

*If you haven’t tried Spotify yet, you should.  Although they still require invitations, it looks like they’re now being sent as soon as you request one.  If not, Bob Lefsetz still has some available here, or email me and I’ll send you one.  Get on it!

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Five things that make the Fab Faux fabulous

by David D. on April 18, 2011

Fabulous. Fantastic. Phenomenal.

This month marks the thirteenth anniversary of the faux five, which puts them a couple years past what the fab four were able to manage.  What is it that keeps them together, and has kept their fans coming back for well over a decade?

The Fab Faux played Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC last Friday — here’s how one fan described the show on Facebook:

Last night was my fifth Fab Faux show and it was the best yet! Not only did they do the entire Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, they opened with an incredible set including “Little Child” and “Anna” (performed live by them for the first time!). Jimmy (Ravi-oli) Vivino is a god! His “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Within …You/Without You” left me breathless.

Will’s “She’s Leaving Home” made the poignant (if cliched) song remarkably moving. Frank, Rich and Jack (loved the quirky “When I’m Sixty-four”) proved once again that the Fab Faux consists of five of the greatest musicians playing today. Great strings! Great horns!! Great harp!!! Great show!!!

~ Rosalyn Vergara – The Fab Faux Fan Page

Deconstructing this brief review will reveal five elements that make that Fab Faux fabulous:

1. The Songs - At the end of the show, Will Lee gave thanks to the the players, the crew, the audience, and most of all, the Beatles: “for creating this wonderful music for us to share with you.”  Without the Beatles catalog of over 200 songs, produced in just over a decade (1960 – 1970), none of this would be possible.  Of course it’s not just the number of songs, but the quality, breadth, depth, and variety that makes the Fab Faux shows work.

If these same musicians devoted themselves to the works of Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds (1970 – 1980), would anyone be going to see them for the fifth time?  Didn’t think so.  Thank you, Beatles!

2. Musicianship – In other hands, this material could be (and has been) a disaster.  Imagine that the Beatles were still around and looking for a group of established studio musicians to serve as sidemen for their live shows.  Extend that to its magical conclusion and you have the Fab Faux.

Just as conductors study the scores of past masters and hire the finest musicians to recreate their works, the Fab Faux have studied the Beatles and carefully create note-for-note, tone-for tone, effect-for-effect, and perfectly timed versions of their studio recordings.   And although they don’t attempt to mimic accents, they do put together transcendent harmonies and moving lead vocals for each song.

3. The Show - When the Beatles went into the studio to record Sgt. Pepper’s, they were fed up with touring and had no intention of performing the songs live.  Which makes it all the more impressive that the Faux can pull off the Beatles most ambitious works in concert.

It’s one thing to hear the horns, bells, whistles, blocks, and alarm clocks on the Beatles’ recordings, but it’s something else to see them brought to life with uncanny precision on stage.

Erin Hill joins the Fab Faux on stage for "She's Leaving Home"

4. Supporting Cast - The five core members of the Fab Faux can (and do) deliver the Beatles straight-ahead rock and roll on their own, but a larger ensemble is required to faithfully recreate some of the songs with dance-hall, classical, and psychedelic elements.  So we have the Hogshead Horns and the Creme Tangerine Strings joining in as needed, and a harp rolled out on stage when it’s time for “She’s Leaving Home.”

Sure it would be easier (and a whole lot cheaper) to pull up the harp patch on a synthesizer, but would it sound or look as good?  Same for the piccolo trumpet solo on “Penny Lane,” the strings on “I am a Walrus” and the misery sticks on “When I’m 64.”

5. Respect - For some, the Beatles music is a like a sacred trust that should be preserved and kept pure.  To others…well, here’s how Nathan Rabin described the ending of Peter Frampton and the Bee Gee’s film version of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: “The closing number is a maraschino cherry of awfulness atop a ten-scoop Sundae of pure crap.”

The Fab Faux have found the perfect balance of respect and joy for sharing the Beatles music, and possess the chops to deliver a fun and meaningful musical experience.  In a world of machine-made, auto-tuned, and mass-marketed music, the Faux (ironically?) provide a more genuine handcrafted alternative.  And we <3 them for that.  Peace and love.  Peace and love…

Click here for pictures from the show, and here for our review of the 2010 Fab Faux concert in DC.

photo: David D’Agostino

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Win Tickets to See and Meet the Fab Faux in DC!

by David D. on March 7, 2011

Performing with the Hogs Head Horns and Creme Tangerine Strings
Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band in its entirety and a full set of fan favorites

Go to the brand new MMT Facebook page to enter for a chance to win two tickets to see the Fab Faux at Lisner Auditorium in DC on 4/15/2011.  The winner and their guest will also be invited to meet and greet the Fab Faux after the show.  You don’t have to “Like” the MMT Facebook page to win, but it sure would be nice if you did!

Fab Faux

“Beatles Tribute Band” doesn’t really do justice to the performances of the Fab Faux. Unlike most other groups who attempt this, there are no wigs, no Black Oyster Pearl Ludwig drum kit, and no phony accents. The Faux sing in their own voices — straight-ahead interpretations of the lead vocals with perfect harmonies.

Except for Paul McCartney’s band, you have never heard (and never will hear) a group that can play the music of the Beatles like the Fab Faux can. Unless you heard The Beatles, and if you did — you didn’t hear them play most of these songs.

The Faux repertoire leans heavily towards the Beatles later material, recorded after they stopped touring in 1966. This period starts with Sgt. Pepper’s and ends with Abbey Road, and naturally contains their most ambitious works. Had the fans stopped screaming and the Beatles kept playing, I’m not sure even they could pull off the instrumental portion of this catalog as well as the Fab Faux.

Members include Will Lee from the Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Vivino, guitarist and bandleader for Conan, and Rich Pagano of Rich Pagano + the sugarCane cups.

When: Friday, April 15, 2011
Starts: 8:00 PM
Where: Lisner Auditorium – 730 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC
Tickets: on sale here Tuesday, Feburary 1, 2011 at 11:00 AM

The Fab Faux – Abbey Road Side 2 (mostly) from The Fab Faux on Vimeo.

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Cover my World #5: The Beatles Complete on Ukelele

by David D. on February 5, 2011

We last looked at the Best Covers of 2010.  Before that was a list of covers that eclipse the originals.  We started with artists covering themselves and Amanda Palmer’s ukulele take on Radiohead.  Now we begin 2011 with the most ambitious cover project we have yet discovered (via Interstate Live).

The Beatles Complete on Ukulele is more than a project, it’s a mission.  And here’s the complete mission statement:

The Beatles Complete On Ukulele hold this truth to be self-evident — if every citizen spent a little bit of time playing the ukulele, the world would be a nicer place.

At www.thebeatlescompleteonukulele.com we will release a new recording of a Beatles song* featuring a different artist every Tuesday. A short essay will coincide with every recording and each performance will include a ukulele.

The project began on January 20, 2009 (Inauguration Day) and will conclude on July 31, 2012. (The eve of the London Olympics).

*we consider a Beatles song to be one of the 185 original compositions released by The Beatles between 1962 and 1970.

While the Fab Faux specialize in painstaking re-creations of the Beatle’s recordings, these performances are (sometimes radical) reinterpretations of the original works. And although there is a ukulele in every song, it may be overshadowed in the mix by a hip-hop beat, throbbing synth, or full choir.

Artist, producer, composer, and DJ (as “Yellow Note“) David Barratt is the force behind this endeavor, and he has done a masterful job thus far.  While the diversity of styles may mean that you won’t love everything, the songs are well-sung, the music well-played, the recordings well-produced, and the essays well-written. And it’s all available for free download here.  Enjoy!

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2010 Music Sales: CDs Cave and Digital Drags as Vinyl gains Velocity

by David D. on January 12, 2011

Billboard reported that US Album sales dropped 12.8% to 326.2 million units for the 52 weeks ending January 2nd.  That compares to 373.9 million units sold in 2009.  Digging into the numbers:

CD Sales > Down nearly 20% for the fourth year in a row

Digital Tracks > 1% increase to 1.17 billion units

Digital Album Downloads > 13% increase to 86.3 million units, or about 26.5% of all album sales

Taken together, the combined sales of albums and track equivalent albums (TEA: 10 tracks = 1 album) fell 9.5% to 443.4 million units, down from 489.8 million units in 2009.  Soundscan reported that only 13 albums scanned more than one million units: a new low, and down from 22 in 2009.

Viva la Vinyl!

Although it is a drop in the bit bucket when looking at unit sales, Rolling Stone reports that vinyl sales increased by 14% in 2010, with 2.8 million units sold.  Although that’s just over one-half of 1% of TEA sales, it represents the best year for vinyl since 1991.

The best-selling vinyl album of 2010 was the Beatles’ Abbey Road, and new albums with the best sales were Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs, the Black Keys’ Brothers, Vampire Weekend’s Contra, and the National’s High Violet.

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Holiday Gift Guide for Musicians and Music Lovers #3

by David D. on November 30, 2010

Check the How-to-Buy guides if you’re interested in gifting drums, keyboards, a guitar or bass.

#3: Gifts Under $100,000

Olive 06HD Music Server for Audiophiles – $4,999

What is “HD Music?”  Well, it depends on who you ask, but most music advertised as HD is distributed in a lossless format at a minimum of 24-bit/96 kHz resolution. Translation: there is no compression, and the signal is sampled 96,000 times per second, with each sample coded as 24 bits.  [MMT will devote a series of upcoming articles to exploring the HD Audio scene in-depth.]

Here’s how Olive describes the 06HD:

The new Olive O6HD is the world’s first music server to combine the convenience of digital music with an audiophile sonic performance. It starts with a state-of-the art differential DAC along with a dedicated linear power supply for the analog output stage. Add to that our patent-pending design methodologies and enjoy a warm, full-bodied, and spacious sound with an exceptionally realistic soundstage.

Translation:  it won’t suck, like the sound you get when plugging an iPod into your stereo system.  You can feed it CDs, or send them to Olive for loading.  They are taking pre-orders now, with a planned ship date of mid-December.

OPPO BDP-83SE – Blu-ray disc player with SACD and DVD-Audio – $899 to $2,500

Sadly, the Olive is a stereo-only device, and cannot play the surround tracks available on SACD and DVD-Audio discs.  For that, you’ll need to add a universal disc player.  Sure you could spend more, but why would you when the $899 list BDP-83SE can be had for as little as $1,499?

The OPPO BDP-83 Special Edition Blu-ray Disc Player is an exciting upgrade based on the highly acclaimed BDP-83. Already well known for its exceptional audio and video performance, the BDP-83 is upgraded with an all new analog audio stage and improved power supply to become the Special Edition. Designed for the discerning audio enthusiast, the OPPO BDP-83 Special Edition Blu-ray Disc Player delivers an exceptionally wide dynamic range, ultra low distortion, accurate sound stage and jitter-free music clarity via its dedicated stereo and 7.1ch analog audio output.

~ oppodigital.com

Since it has been discontinued, you can either pay a premium price now, or wait until the successor model with 3D Blu-ray is released at a list price of $499.  But hey, it’s Christmas!

Rock ‘n’Roll Fantasy Camp – $2,999 – $9,999

The next scheduled camp is being held in New York from January 12 – 17, 2011, and features Roger Daltrey.  If you’d rather play rock star in the Bahamas, Tommy Lee headlines the President’s Day weekend camp at Atlantis February 17 – 20, 2011.

Prices do not include travel, accommodations, or groupies, but you can bring your own for an extra $499 – $699.  The Atlantis camp includes a special package for young rockers, ages 12 – 16.  And you are welcome even if you have never played an instrument before.  Here are the highlights:

  • Small group instruction from celebrity musicians
  • Campers are placed in a band with a rock star counselor for the entire duration of camp
  • Write and record an original song with your band!
  • Perform live on stage to a sold out audience at a major rock venue
  • Special guest and counselor-led master class sessions in drums, bass, guitar, songwriting, etc.
  • A souvenir DVD of your performance at the grand finale concert

Steinway Limited Edition Imagine Series Piano – $89,000 to $180,000

Modeled after the white Steinway grand piano that John Lennon presented to Yoko on her birthday in 1971, each Imagine Series piano incorporates John’s signature, medallion, and a portion of the Imagine lyrics and sheet music.  The music desk of each piano includes one of four original drawings by John.  There is a model to fit any home and every budget, assuming your piano budget starts at $89,000.  That will buy you the 5’7″ Model M.

The Steinway rep that MMT spoke with said there will be only 100 pianos made, and the first one (a Model D 9′ concert grand) had just sold at a premium price of $230,000.  If you have room for the Model D at home, it can be yours for around $180,000.

Happy Holidays!

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Holiday Gift Guide for Musicians and Music Lovers #1

November 20, 2010

Check the How-to-Buy guides if you’re interested in gifting drums, keyboards, a guitar or bass. #1: Gifts Under $100 What can you get for less than $30?  How about a professional musical instrument that is played by the likes of Bob Dylan and John Popper? There are thousands of harmonicas out there, some cheap, some [...]

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Beatles Update: Lost Photos Now on Display; Fab Faux Prepare Lennon 70th Birthday Tribute

August 24, 2010

If you like your Beatles rare, this is your week.  A collection of photos taken by a 16-year old Paul Berriff for the Yorkshire Evening Post are now on display at the Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool.  The negatives sat in his attic for nearly half a century before being discovered earlier this year. The [...]

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Perform > Fab Faux: Live at Lisner

May 23, 2010

Review of the Fab Faux concert at Lisner Auditorium in Washington DC on Saturday, May 22, 2010. Includes a look at the double drum kit setup of Rich Pagano, and video of the band playing Side 2 (mostly) of the Beatles Abbey Road.

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