Blind I | The Boutique Music Blog | Quality Over Quantity.

FOR THOSE THAT MISSED SXSW…

Many of the people that come to Blind I are not only just  fans of music, but artists and producers themselves. I have friends that attended the SXSW Music and Media Conference in Austin this past weekend, and I hear it was amazing! I thought this article was an interesting recap on some of the topics touched upon with facts and figures, and an insightful look at the rapidly changing climate of the music business. It’s a little lengthy, but folks don’t read enough nowadays!

Read the story after the jump.

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Tags: MUSIC AND MEDIA CONFERENCE, Music Industry, SXSW

I Know Who Killed R&B

As much as people love to quote Nas on the “Hip-Hop is dead” tip, I would argue that R&B is, well, deader. And while New Jack Swing may be the best sub-genre in the history of musical sub-genres, I do have to say that the marriage of Hip-Hop and R&B certainly helped to cause the latter’s demise.

However, I think there is a powerful force of evil in the music industry today who has made it his cause to ensure that R&B music is completely obliterated as we know it. This man, simply by existing, has insulted all that is talent, songwriting and soul. This man is the equivalent of an “anti-drug” for sex. He may also be the first succesful cross between man and wilderbeast.

I think you all know who I am talking about:

T-Pain: human kryptonite to quality music and female arousal.

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Tags: Music Industry, R&B is dead, T-Pain

VIDEO: BEAT KINGS (the beginning)

Tags: History Lesson, Instrumental, Instrumentals, MUSIC, Music Industry, Video

So, I Could’ve Been Wrong. Whatever.

See, I have the unfortunate burden of being one of the smartest people in the world (it’s true!!!!) and I would have to say that about 98% of the time, I am right about everything (except for when it comes to my personal life). However, even the world’s second smartest woman (Michele Obama got me beat) can a) be wrong and b) have a change of heart.

Sooooo, I gave $uli’s arguement for the digital music revolution a LOT of thought. And while I am still in favor of saving the national treasure that are our mom and pop CD and vinyl shops, I do realize that the buisness of music has changed in a potentially good way. Musicans need to get down or lay down for real.

Building off what $ said, a lot of musicians are lazy these days, or so fucked up on drugs they can’t squeeze out more than one record every 7 years (hey D’Angelo, Maxwell). If regular folks can get up and do the 45 hour work week, why in the hell should you be jet setting and snorting coke off a hooker’s thigh when you should be touring your butt off and consistently rolling with new material? It’s not that we want the quality of the music to change- shit, Rihanna put out three albulms in the past three years and they were trash (well, I never heard them, but I doubt I’m wrong about that). But we can’t give up our dough to these people if they aren’t gonna grind for it.

One big issue is that a lot of these cats (especially the mainstream ones) are not musicians, they’re entertainers. They don’t have the artistry to record constantly because they can’t even do shit on their own. They need the producer, the vocal arrainger, the vocal coach, the ghostwriter. Cats like Miles and Trane lived in the studio because they lived and breathed music. If you are just recording to get rich, you better do it fast because your days are numbered. People will download your record for free and use the $15 they saved to go buy some product you name checked or an I-Phone to listen to your words for free!

Hopefully the folks who deserve to be in this bidness will get it and maintain long, fruitful careers. And the garbage will take itself out. And as for me- yes, treated I was. But I learned something and I hope you did too.

Tags: Music Industry, Social Discourse

BLIND I IS FOR THE KIDS. LISTEN UP.

IN RESPONSE TO SISTAH TOLDJAH’S POST, “TOO DIGITAL/SAVE DR. WAX!”

I dunno J….

Being an “educated” artist myself, I’ve gone to school with artists, learned from artists, and even got a degree in music marketing. My whole approach to the new era of music is similar to what RemainAnonymous said in his/her post. I don’t quite react as harsh as “Maybe if we download enough free songs and abstain…..”, but I do understand the principle. In the years after the CD was made, the music industry got fat from older generations re-purchasing their vinyl collections into a more efficient, remastered format. The music industry was living good. We’re talking early 80′s here. I truly believe it is the fault of the RECORD COMPANIES converting to an ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. All of the big four (Universal, Song BMG, Warner Music Group, and EMI) are owned by conglamerates! That means these same companies sell cereal, toys, TV, radio, ETC. The music is just a product. This also makes the music industry an OLIGOPOLY (a system controlled by a few major players). In an oligolopy, they can do things like price fixing, which basically takes power FROM the consumer and allows the companies to place value on products. This is MAD clear in radio nowadays. Look at ClearChannel. ClearChannel runs every radio station. They control what is played, and those playlists are dictated by ADVERTISING DOLLARS.

Once I learned this I clearly said FUCK the system they have in place. There’s a RECORDING INDUSTRY and there’s an ENTERTAINMENT industry, and you must discern between them both. Why do you think NYC isn’t the one and only place to be anymore? Because money rules all. The minute Lil’ Jon started making songs that were making more money than any NY rapper/singer/producer, the music industry set up shop in ATL. They chase money, that’s all they do.

The smartest artists will abandon this typical, ancient, archaic business model and not rely on there album sales as directed by a major corporation. Peep this:

In 2006 The Rolling Stones grossed $147.3 MILLION dollars from their A Bigger Bang Tour.

$147.3 MILLION?? Crazy! But you know why? Because of the MUSIC. They’ve built their fanbase based upon the consistent fervor of the MUSIC so that when they tour there’s no doubt that they’ll get paid!! Artists like Prince, Radiohead, and even the rock group TOOL get DUMB paper, have the most devoted fans, and get the most money, WITHOUT radio airplay, music videos, etc. Isn’t that dope? So you’re telling me that the internet gives you a way to distribute your music at damn near NO cost whatsoever, solves the problem of paying for DISTRIBUTION, and you’re scared of it as an artist? YOU’RE BITCHMADE, artist. BITCHMADE. Embrace it!

Wanna know what the TOP SELLING ALBUM IN 2006 Was?? A fucking Disney Movie Soundtrack!! HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL went 4x platinum. I bet you Jay-Z wrote a couple kids songs after he found out about that! Why do you think Andre 3000 came out with a soundtrack to Class Of 3000? Cause the nigga is SMART!!. But that doesn’t even COMPARE to the money you can make with GREAT music and an independence, meaning not depending on record sales. Eventhough the High School Musical schitt went 4x, keep in mind that it was all in house and probably went straight back into the company. Disney owns ESPN, ABC, and a shitolad of other jawns. Fuck they gotta care about Hip-Hop sales for?

So for an artist in this day and age to be so caught up in album sales is BULLSHIT to me. Music SHOULD be free, the experience SHOULD be paid for, and in turn it trims the wack shit out of the industry.

This is what I started Blind I for. The old people don’t get it, but the KIDS should.

As far as Dr. Wax goes, I agree. It had ALOT to do with my upbringing. But unfortunately it’s now become an archaic institution, and if there’s no way to convince people to keep it alive besides HISTORICAL value, then it has ridden itself out of existence. It’s sad to say, but sometimes you just have to let shit go.

$aid my peace.
$

Tags: Blind I Mission, Music Industry