AN HORSE’S NEW VIDEO
An Horse has released a new video for their song, “Postcards.” It’s a nifty stop motion animation of Kate Cooper and Damon Cox crafting the anatomy of an emo businessman (or at least, that was my interpretation of the final product.) Watch carefully for the tiny paper poop making its way through the intestines. Watch the vid below and if you haven’t already, check out our interview with Kate Cooper here.
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NICKI MINAJ CONFIRMS BISEXUALITY (DUH)
Silencing claims that Nicki Minaj has never actually come out as bisexual is this interview with blackgaygossip.com (yes, that’s a website). Here’s an excerpt.
Q: As an openly bisexual rapper, do you think hip-hop is getting more gay-friendly?
A: I think the world is getting more gay-friendly, so hip-hop is too. But it’s harder to imagine an openly gay male rapper being embraced. People view gay men as having no street credibility. But I think we’ll see one in my lifetime.
QED, friends. QED. Read the full interview.
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JENNIFER KNAPP COMES OUT
We mentioned it already, but we’re going to mention it again. Christian musician Jennifer Knapp has come out as lesbian! She’s the Kelly Clarkson of the Christian music world, so this is big news. Read the full story.
TEGAN & SARA ARE COMING DOWN UNDER
Crystal wants to remind our Australian readers that the biggest event on the lesbian calendar is rapidly approaching – Tegan & Sara are touring in May and concerts are selling out fast! Extra dates have been announced for Brisbane and Melbourne, so get in quick. Crystal and Stef Mitchell will be there armed with press passes to capture all the action for Autostraddle, so we hope to see some of you there!
Note: Crystal wrote that headline, interpret it how you will.
HOW MUCH DO MUSICIANS MAKE?
Infographics are so hot right now. Check out this one that reflects how much musicians earn from digital sales compared to physical cd sales. The graphics speak for themselves, so start feeling bad about your iTunes store purchases now.
CRYSTAL CASTLES TOUR NORTH AMERICA
Electronic duo Crystal Castles have announced plans to play 12 North American tour dates in support of their upcoming sophomore album. They’re still playing a lot of European dates before crossing the pond, so be sure to check out the full tour schedule at their official MySpace. If you’re unfamiliar with Crystal Castles, check out “Untrust Us” below and ready yourself for full-on addiction.
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GLASTONBURY 2010
Organizers have announced the lineup for Glastonbury, to be held at Worthy Farm on June 25-27. Among those performing are: U2, Snoop Dogg, MGMT, Stevie Wonder, Florence and the Machine, Tegan & Sara, and so many more. Check out the full lineup here, with special guests to be announced in coming weeks
NEW SINGLE FROM ROBYN
Swedish pop singer Robyn posted a brand new song (featuring Röyksopp) from one of her upcoming albums (she’s releasing three of them). It’s called “None of Dem,” and Pitchfork describes it perfectly: “[I]t’s somewhere between Missy Elliott, Fever Ray, and the planet Neptune.” Listen to it at her official site.
NEW ALBUMS
Kaki King: Oops, we didn’t mention last week that Kaki released her fifth album, Junior. We have feelings about it and will be sharing them soon.
Broken Social Scene: It’s not out yet, but you can get a sneak preview of Forgiveness Rock Record at NPR Music.
The Hold Steady: Any Hold Steady fans out in Autostraddle-land? Check out a preview of their latest here.
LCD Soundsystem: No surprise, but their upcoming album This Is Happening has leaked. Listen to it now at the band’s website.
That infographic about digital earnings is fascinating. I’d really love for someone to do a study that looks at artist incomes with and without digital sales. Like I sometimes wonder if the convenience and immediacy of purchasing music via digital stores like itunes actually makes up for the gap between digital and physical sales. … although I’m sure that would be incredibly hard, if not impossible, to measure.
CONCUR
The last couple of CDs I’ve bought (1 physical CD, 1 Digital D/L) have been from cdbaby. I don’t buy from iTunes because our New Zealand store is bollocks (not helped by local legislation around downloading music) and from looking at that infographic I’ve made the best choice I can to ensure that the artists get the most $ they can. I hope I’m right!
The graph says you are right! I’ve never purchased through CDBaby before and now I feel quite bad about that, I never remember it’s there.
I love physical records and stores, however I probably purchase 80% of my music via iTunes. Because I’m a serious impulse buyer I now spend triple the amount of money on music than I did back in the olden days when I was forced to walk places to buy things. iTunes doesn’t allow time for the impulse to leave me, or for my brain to forget the name of that record I wanted to buy. So I spend more.
Win! Haha. I hope I didn’t guilt trip you :) I am really stoked though that they come off as being a good bet so artists get the most money from me. As you said though, iTunes is just easy. You search, click some buttons et voila! Music in your iTunes and on your ipod/mp3 player of choice not long later.
I really like that I can buy a single, rather than a whole album of random artists where I literally just like that one song. Usually yucky, shameful pop :) Like you, I enjoy record stores but even when I do buy CDs, it goes on my iPod and the CD goes on the shelf and I don’t care as much anymore as I used to about my friends seeing how cool my music collection is (thats what Last.fm is for! :)).
Kudos to you. I’ve only purhcased one cd from CDBaby before. As for iTunes, I’m still holding a grudge for that DRM (digital rights management) bullsh*t that finally got removed in the last 2 years.
Authorizing computers? That just ain’t right. I typically buy a physical cd from an independent record store, rip it, and set it in a pile.
Does anyone else still enjoy flipping through the cd booklet? Because I do!
Yeah the booklets. I’m a recovering cdaholic. I don’t want to part with my cd collection because of all the art.
I’m sure the artists got more before Diskmakers took over CDBaby.
Don’t feel too bad about buying iTunes versus a physical cd. It works out to almost the same penny rate. Historically artists have made around that much in album sales anyway. Interesting how record labels got more and more money yet artists got the same bum deal. Artists make practically nothing in sales unless they sell millions because there’s also that pesky recoupment labels require to repay advances and random fees. The real money has always been appearance fees, touring, and merchandising. Also songwriters often have more income because of publishing. Songwriters get royalties per cd printed and when the songs ate played in stores on the radio, on tv, etc.
That’s why radiohead was super smart when they did the in rainbows thing. Even if people only paid a few bucks, they essentially received 100% less the processing fees of their online system.
Sorry for such a long comment. I wrote a 25 page legal paper on why artists should get a performance royalty for songs being played on radio similar to how artists get at least a little bit of money for digital broad asts of their performance. Idk if you’ve heard ads on radio stations from the radio coalitions asking listeners to support them, but they’re super annoying. Radio stations complain if an artist gets a royalty that means the radio industry will die off.
I’ve read ‘All About The Music Business’ by Donald S. Passman (a quick guide to the business for anyone interested), and agree with you on the whole, though I’m very anti-iTunes store. Recoupment deals are terrible. And the whole “promotion” argument from FM-radio is old — they need to start paying up like streaming radio.
Thanks for the comment!
I love the Passman book! Easy to understand and well-written. I second your recommendation! (I’m a nerd and got mine signed when he came to speak in my class)
I’m anti-iTunes too. I’m actually quite anti-apple (shh, don’t tell my iPhone). If I buy an mp3, it’s from amazon. But usually I will opt for the physical disc.
And yes, the promo aspect is tired and not necessarily true anymore.
I am flying from NZ to Adelaide to see Tegan and Sara in three weeks from today. I’m so excited I could spew. I also get to see Giant Panda’s at the Zoo, and drink wine with friends and stuff. Yay life!
I too am crossing the ditch to see T+S. If they won’t come to NZ then it’s a damned fine excuse for a vacay! Going to the Sydney show. Practicing my aussie accent with a little catch up of Home & Away – might get stoned with some crows while I’m there.
I really do hope that Tegan & Sara appreciate the fact that you’re both so dedicated that you’ll CROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN just to see them play.
THEY BETTER. I want some real good appreciation from them.
Fuck yeah! I love that I’m not the only one heading over! I’m almost as excited about the holiday as seeing them as I’m going for a week (and got some pretty cheap flights considering I’m flying to Adelaide which seems to be expensive a lot of the time).
The friend I’m staying with sent me this link as ‘research’ material -http://www.aussieslang.com/slang/australian-slang-a.asp. I’m too far behind on H&A now (like, a year ’cause I didn’t have 3 for ages then got out of the habit).
Wish I could afford the money/time to do this. I’ve been to 3 gigs recently where the topic of the lack of Tegan and Sara in NZ has come up, pretty much involving the artist mentioning them and the audience suddenly bursting into tears and hugging it out.
I wonder if the shunning would end if we were a state of Australia? ‘Cause I’d support that crazy idea tomorrow if it would.
Hope you Tasman-crossers have a wonderful time of it anyhow.
THE HOLD STEADY!!!!
LOVE The Hold Steady
hell yah! listening to th new one now!
I <3 Mashable and that infographic is freaking awesome. Mixing music and technology in this fix makes me too happy. It makes my music technology geekery worth it.
In all seriousness though it is a serious issue with the music industry now. I always hear people say music 3.0 is upon us and they have no fucking clue what they are talking about. Fixed streaming on sites like Spotify are a joke. I do not understand the business model behind that but it has been successful so far in the UK. As for album purchases, CDs are obsolete and digital music while cheaper, provides much more in the world of the indie artist than CDs do. The immediacy of digital music will always be more appealing than CDS.
I only buy music on Vinyl. I like having something in my hand to show for my money. Also the sound is better and they last far longer.
Yes, after I got over the initial delight of how pretty the infographic was, the actual figures were rather shocking.
I use Spotify quite a lot, although bizarrely often to listen to music I already have, but just not with me at the time, and I think I will still use it to give things a first listen.
I will definitely think more now about buying something from an artist I’ve listened to several times only on Spotify. Since I’ve had a real job and spare cash, I’ve actually enjoyed being able to buy music rather than acquire it through dodgy means, because it (feels like it) affords me some miniscule influence on the direction of music.
Also, $1160 is the monthly minimum wage in US?! That doesn’t sound like enough money to live on.
WHAT? I had no idea that’s what the monthly wage is. When you typed that I was misreading as that was a lot of money. I make less than that a month, far less. :(
Sounds like it is what you would make in a month at the hourly minimum wage ($7.25) if you worked 40hr/week.
Ouch, if that’s before taxes it wouldn’t even cover my rent!
Wow. I feel bad now for purchasing albums on iTunes. In an interview, Sia said she doesn’t really make money from her album, but rather her tour. So I at least try to see them live.
I think the fact that you buy music is a good thing, so don’t feel too bad. Remember that there are people who never buy music anymore! Artists do make most of their money from touring and even sales or merch at the show, though! Also, licensing music to TV/movies (i.e. Sia’s “Breathe Me” during every meaningful moment in the 2008 TV season) is incredibly lucrative.
You all need to go to http://www.jenniferknapp.com/ RIGHT NOW and get the free downloads of 2 songs off her upcoming CD (which isn’t particularly Jesus music so if you’ve never heard of her for that reason, NOW IS THE TIME).
Seriously, GO.
Inside is especially lovely.
Are you sure it’s not Jesus music? I don’t want to get smote through my earphones.
I hear his people are in talks for a guest spot at an upcoming show, but don’t worry just go listen or preview here before you risk the commitment of a download:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkpSL23uHkk
Anyone that sings in a winery automatically gets my vote.
Whattt???!!! Tegan & Sara are playin Glastonbury, Noooo, God damn it!! Tickets sold out again this year in a blink of an eye, before any acts were even properly announced. So that pee’ed me off and now I’m gonna miss them..arggh/wtf/fml and any other abbreviation…and breath..
Thats it!! I’m gonna go and disguise myself as a sheep or a cow or a tree and go and camp out in the fields RIGHT NOW.
Yeah, I had no luck with Glasto tickets either, so opting for IOW instead.
You could always go see T+S in London instead.
Don’t let that stop your planned sheep dress-up though, because that could be fun, but obv don’t stray into Wales.
Lol, I guess that would be a case of ‘what happens in the valleys, stays in the valleys?!”…hmmm, I think I need to rethink my plan!
Thanks for that link, saw they were playing the Roundhouse a couple of wks ago, but I’d be own my own and the thought of venturing to London for the first time and at night kinda freaks me out!
IoW has a great lineup, and yeah that efestivals site is rather comprehensive/depressing at same time, v-fest is all sold out too.
Note to self…must get my festival game on early nx yr or start a new one in my backyard!
p.s, Enjoy IOW!! :)
omg was alex drunk when she formatted this, did i sign off on this gigantic title
Autostraddle really is just like us!
That Postcards video was fucking incredible. In other news, I wish I had that kind of time on my hands.
Fucking hell, Florence, Mumford, Muse, Editors, Marina, Fionn Regan, Broken Social Scene, Local Natives, Vampire Weekend…the Glasto line up is epic! How do tickets sell out so fast?!
Our equivilant to this is so full of underage drunken and off their faces on drugs types that there’s no point in going. Is there any other UK festival where the line up would be relatively similar, help me out British people?!
Glasto’s definitely the biggest and best (and I will get there one day!), but there seem to be more and more every year.
The other main ones are:
T in the Park in Scotland
Reading & Leeds same line-ups on diff nights at each place
V Festival which also has two locations, in Staffordshire and Essex. Looks like it’s sold out too though.
Isle of Wight (which I’m going to) this is also super exciting because you have to take a ferry to get there! Plus IOW also hosts Bestival later in the year, which is more electro-y, and I really want to go to some time.
Download which looks full of scary rocker types
Wireless in London at O2 arena, not sure how much festival feel there’d be there!
Plus there’s just shitloads of smaller ones, eFestivals seems to have a comprehensive list of everything.
Fantastic, thanks a million for the info. Reading looks great, plus they have Yeasayer and Arcade Fire too, and it works out £50 cheaper than a ticket to the one here, yes! And it’s the weekend before Brighton pride, I think a trip to the UK is in order….how could I say no to cheap booze and lesbians with English accents, roll on the summer! :-D
sophie hunger, a great swiss musician will also be playing at the glastonbury. you really should check her out. she’s amazing.
ah i love stop motion and i love an horse! did you notice they finished the rubik’s cube too? i’ve always wanted to finish one of those.