SbS4: What can (should) we music lovers do to support artists in the age of streaming? + more - a lot more! SbS#4

Question of the Week, Christmas/Holiday playlist, Yacht Dock, Led Zep Doc, 2 very cool music themed YT videos and more

In this post:

• This week’s question: What can (should) we music lovers do to support artists in the age of streaming?

• Next: Re-listen to Week 794 of the “Next” music show and this week starts our 6-week 2024 Year in Review (MUST LISTEN!)

• Music Thoughts, etc

  • Led Zep Doc coming soon

  • Yacht Rock Dock (surprisingly, a must see!) - We also add our playlists

  • As promised, Dave’s Christmas/Holiday season playlist (he’s a professional DJ - this is a good one)

• Two YouTube music themed videos

Please leave a comment. We are always open to feedback, in the Substack chat, in socials, in email - let’s hear from YOU!

Spotify just released their “Wrap” for 2024 and there were a lot of bad things said/written about Spotify - which is completely justified (great show by the way - which is my way of saying you should watch the show “Justified”). I’d like to swing into the positive. It’s tough out there for a lot of bands, because they’re not making as much as they used to on recorded music. People will still stream. Too easy. Too cheap. And as a big fan of music, I love anybody who listens to anything. Some people will stream, while I still listen to CDs, vinyl, mp3s, tapes, and even minidiscs (yes - I’m the one and only - and still a bit bummed they never took off). Some don’t listen to much at all. It’s all good. Thank you for listening. Thank you for being a fan of music. Music is Life!

This week’s question: What can (should) we music lovers do to support artists in the age of streaming?

Dave: Merch, for one. Get the shirt, buy the poster. Buy their physical media! Band Camp (artist run, for the most part), when possible. Attend SHOWS! I do all those things whenever I’m able. I’ve been rebuying a lot of my favorite smaller independent bands’ vinyl, if that comes out. Big fan of surf guitar and they have been coming out on vinyl a lot lately. A few favorites, Like ‘Love and Rockets’ never even came out on Vinyl in the cassette/CD era! Well, they have now and I’m all over that!

Chris: Brilliant. Thank you Dave. Those are all things we should/could do as music lovers. I’d put attend shows close to the top. Actually, at the top. As I am wont to say: Live music is good for your soul. Added bonus - anytime you can buy directly from the artist they get more. Win-Win. Can we get more creative for them? Do you know of any musicians that did something way cool and different?

Which brings me to something I say often: Every band started as a local band. EVERYONE played in front of 10’s of people before playing arenas. Case in point. “Kids” by MGMT. No one in this video knew what this song would become. 

They have almost 900,000,000 (yes, almost 1 Billion) streams on Spotify! Wouldn’t you love it to see yourself in that crowd? So let’s get ourselves to small venues and support the artists. 

Another way to support bands - I know Pam has musicians stay at her house (a lot more from Pam about this soon!).

Megan: I still buy physical copies of music. CDs are something I will die on. I even buy cassettes. I love that they’re coming back into vogue. I have way more concert t-shirts than most mortals should. If you have friends in bands, you promote their shows and projects like crazy. Speaking of which, my friend is in a DC based band called Clear Channel, and was just featured in The Washington Post https://wapo.st/3ZJ3Ti0. When I was a college radio DJ at WMUC, I played the new bands I loved and believed in. I still talk up those same projects too. I’m going to plug a few things right now… Zola Jesus is somebody I haven’t shut up about since discovering her music in Fall 2010. For those who aren’t familiar, she’s from Wisconsin and is a trained opera singer. It’s like Siouxsie Sioux and Kate Bush blessed her with shoegaze and noise and told her to carry on the faith. I’ve seen her several times in concert. Never been disappointed. In fact, go look up her performance from 2018’s Pitchfork Festival you’ll be freaked out. Unfortunately, the last time I caught her was in 2017. (That’s a topic we can discuss sometime how the industry has made it so difficult for indie artists to tour on their own) She has a patreon site that is worthy of everyone’s time. If I wasn’t a broke writer, I’d throw a lot of money at her: https://www.patreon.com/zolajesus

Another band that is worthy of your cash is Julien K. Dark, heavy danceable industrial electro. I don’t know how else to explain them. It’s catchy. They make me happy. They’re very kind to their fans. I’ve seen them twice and both times I’ve hung out with them they’ve been nothing but gracious. https://www.patreon.com/julienk My point is - A lot of bands that are independent are turning to crowdfunding and fans do get a lot of love back in return. It isn’t that some labels aren’t good, but the current way things are - between LiveNation destroying the industry and streaming, a lot of great artists have to figure out ways to support themselves and their families. The fact that a great artist like Matthew Sweet needs a fundraiser after having a stroke should tell everyone that there is a skunk in Denmark. 

Other ways we can support artists - Support DIY and independent venues. I’m a massive supporter of NIVA which is the National Independent Venue Association. LiveNation is making touring difficult for indie acts. Independent venues matter. Another thing - From the age of 18 up until my early 30’s, when Frostburg would get really good punk bands, I’d help out by having bands stay in my living room. We don’t get as many bands these days. It all started back in the summer of 2003 because this hardcore band from Seattle, Washington that was playing not far from my house was asking for extra money so they could have somewhere to stay while playing this local gig. Plus, their van had broken down. I called my mom and was like “we’re having a cookout at the house, can they come over? We’re going to have extra food…” For my dad, having been a touring musician, it was a no-brainer. I think the band stayed for 2 days. Even before that, back when I was on my wild ride as a high schooler with Good Charlotte, my mom would bake them cookies when I’d go see them on the road. The feeling was to support starving artists. Granted this was before streaming, but let’s not pretend the music industry was easy before Spotify. It certainly wasn’t. 

Erick: I have a friend who puts on living room shows for up-and-coming artists. They get paid and get to perform that intimate gig in between other shows. He and his friends get good music. I’ve always wanted to do this, too. Anyone here got any experience with that?

Chris: We should definitely do this. My backyard might be the perfect place. Let’s chat.

Megan: I know of somebody who has a venue in their house that does that! Tommy Stenson of The Replacements has done entire tours playing in folks’ houses and backyards too. On an ending note - Let’s not forget, Spotify sacked most of their curators. AI now programs most of their playlists. Spotify wrapped this year was done by AI. Music journalism is trying to make a comeback. (Hey Spin magazine, I see you!) Yet it isn’t enough. I am a struggling journalist. It makes me wonder if it’s enough? We do what we do to help bands get exposure. We exist to help people find their new favorite thing or to remember something they forgot was awesome. As consumers of art which is what music is, we should demand for the music industry to do better. 

Erick: Okay, so, we should start putting links to official band merch in this newsletter!

Chris: Seems like yes. 

Quick list or things we can easily do.

• Attend shows and buy from the artists

• Talk about them - Online. In Person. When online. Tag them. Reshare them. Talk about their show beforehand and share the good times you had after the show.

• Sign up for their emails or substacks or YouTube channels or their Patreon etc (there are a lot of artists writings I’ve found on Substack).

• Let’s normalize giving an artist $20 after a show. Especially if you don't want/need another tee or poster or hoodie.

Chris re-listens to week 794. Hits. Misses. Just 1 song. Aired on the Radio on July 14, 2021.

Hits:

• Goon Sax - In The Stone. What a badass groove. Love the playful duet. And when the guitar hits - Nice and mellow. I need to add this to my After the After Party playlist.

• Kurt Vile - Run Run Run. Another long song that holds up. Chris Bro happy boy. I love a good long song.

• The Beaches - Slow Mo. Big fan of these ladies. They bloody rock. Rawk!

• The Wild Feathers - Ain’t Looking. Throw back to classic 70’s sound. Fun. I have yet to see them live. I hope they are good.

• Faye Webster - I Know I’m Funny Haha. Oh this is a brilliant mellow feel. Just Groove. Might need to add this to After The After Party too.

• Doc Robinson - Take Me By The Hand. Rock with a funky groove. Chris Bro happy boy.

• Daniel Jude - Better Think Twice. Not a hit per se and I noticed he has 24 monthly listeners. This song deserves more love than that. Give it a listen or 2 and help an artist out.

Misses:  Not really. Yay, “old me”!

Just 1 song: 

Doc Robinson is close AND I can't break away from the badass groove/duet of Goon Sax’s In The Stone.

And this week. We start our end of the year review. 95 (or so) songs over 6 weeks. It’s week 971. Our Notable Songs of 2024. Week 1 of 6. This is our way of reminding you all the great new music that was released in 2024. AND when you hear some asshole say there’s no good new music anymore, just send week 971 to them and tell them to take that BS somewhere else. Those people irk me so very much. 

Chris: Led Zep Doc! Becoming Led Zeppelin will be released on Feb. 7 in IMAX across 200 theaters, with one night of early access on Feb. 5. Tickets for both can be found here. I’ve been reading up and it’s a deep dive into the story of Led Zeppelin. Told through the voices of the band members themselves and featuring previously unheard interviews with the late John Bonham. Plus, live footage. It’s being called a “hybrid docu-concert” movie. Since I haven’t seen it, I copied and pasted from the creators:

Led Zeppelin: A Rock 'n' Roll Revolution

Have you ever wondered how a group of young musicians could change the world of rock and roll forever? Becoming Led Zeppelin takes you on an incredible journey back to the early days of one of the greatest bands of all time.

This documentary uses never-before-seen footage to show you the band's beginnings. You'll see their first performances, hear their early music, and get a glimpse into their creative process.

The film is told through the band's own words and is the first official documentary authorized by Led Zeppelin. It's like having a front-row seat to rock 'n' roll history!

And a bit of Zeppelin giggle

Chris: Yacht Rock Doc. Holy Balls. Toto is The Wrecking Crew! They were everywhere. Toto played on “Thriller”!!! Yes. THAT Thriller! Them and Micheal McDonald were everywhere. Well, I mean - that voice! No excuse not to have him on every song. Yes, they reference that hilarious Rock Moranis SCTV skit. I was not familiar with this cross-pollination. Very Laurel Canyon mid 70s. This doc shed light on it for me. 

I was also vaguely aware of the comedy series that inspired what this genre would be called and this documentary called "Yacht Rock." It’s called a DOCKumentary. Well played. The web series was created in 2005 by J.D. Ryznar and Steve Huey. I highly recommend watching all 8 of them. They are brilliant. 

The documentary Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary (found on MAX, formerly HBO) is a celebration. It’s a joy to watch. And this isn't just about the music; it's about the musicians, the magic, and the moment in time when pop, rock, and R&B collided to create something truly special. AND maybe more importantly the current musicians they inspired. Hear Thundercat, Questlove, Mac Demarco, and more talk about their deep love of this music. Added bonuses. Keep these fun facts ready for your next dinner party. Like: Cross wrote “Ride Like The Wind” on acid. And that kick started his career.

The Fagen phone call is brilliant on so many levels. Bad word warning. Just in case you’ve never heard the work fuck. I think in these 90 seconds you hear it twice. Fair warning.

Yacht Rock: Think Steely Dan, Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross – names synonymous with an era of effortless cool and undeniably infectious grooves. "Peg," "What a Fool Believes," "Sailing" – these aren't just songs; they're sonic postcards from a bygone era! Should we make our own Shaped By Sound Yacht Rock playlist? Silly question Chris. We are music lovers. Of course we will!!! In comments, tell us the songs you’d add to our playlists…

[Dave: I have a Yacht Rock playlist over on Apple Music that I have been cultivating for years - not a complete list, just my favorites that fall into that category. And I created this Spotify Yacht Rock Playlist as well.]

As Questlove says within the doc: This is perfect chair dancing music. And that is really the only kind of dancing I do so…infer what you must. 

The documentary also explores the origins of the genre and its impact on popular culture. It’s quite something. Incredibly well done. And with love.

Do you like music? Watch. Do you like soft rock? I don't care. You should watch. Also it pains me a bit…watch this before Beatles 64. And The Beatles are my all time favorite band. Again, infer what you must.

Megan: Last week, Brooklyn Vegan featured an excerpt from a book that is about to drop about the band AFI. I helped with the development of this book. I’m really proud of this project. My dear friend Andi deserves all the praise. If you are a fan, check it out. If you want to understand why your kids love this band, ask me or go read this book. https://www.brooklynvegan.com/read-an-excerpt-from-new-afi-book-on-the-bands-signing-to-a-major-label/ 

It comes out this week. A lot of love and hard work went into this. 

Dave: That is amazing, Megan! Congrats!!

As promised in last week’s newsletter, a little holiday gift for you. Here is a Christmas/Holiday season playlist I originally set out to build for the Holiday parties I DJ for…but as I already have a LOT of lists comprised of the typical Mariah and Bing tunes you hear all the time, the approach here was to give you something you may not have heard. Kept it on the rock and roll tip too. Don’t get me wrong, this time of year we crank a LOT of Jazz and Classical too, but this is geared to be a bit more rock & roll and even punk-ish. Snuck in some country via Kasey Musgraves w/Willie Nelson (although, with the slide guitar and ukele, sounds more tropical) and some Richard Cheese “lounge” to boot…

Turn it up to 11 and put an extra splash of rum in your egg nog:

CHRISTMAS ROX Playlist on Spotify

And for you Apple Music subscribers: CHRISTMAS ROX Playlist on Apple Music

Chris: Brilliant list. I’m playing this tonight while we have guests over for a drink. And sometimes I put Bourbon in my egg nog. Cool? [Dave: I’ll allow it!]

YouTube music related videos we think you might enjoy

Chris: creative people rock. How do you watch this scene from Matilda and match it with Rob Zombie? It works. On so many levels. Just brilliant. Ejoy.

Megan: The Mark Lannegan 60 A Celebration Tribute concert happened last week in London. The lineup to that damn thing was stacked as it should be! Don’t worry it was professionally filmed. Picking a video from youtube was a tough call. Greg Dulli did some amazing performances as did Alison Mosshart, Chrissie Hynde, Bobby Gillespie and quite a few others. This one got me though. Josh Homme with Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode. 

Again, we LOVE to hear from YOU! Leave a comment. We really want this to be a music loving community. Share. We really appreciate your support. Thank you!