Ramblings on Music, Texas, Etc.

Really? REALLY??

This story has been splashed all over the music press today, and I'm assuming that there's either more or less to it.  But Apple is not clueless enough to pursue it as reported.

Basically, the story is that the labels and Apple are concocting a "cocktail" to entice iTunes customers back into full album purchases by creating a digital experience that recreates or adds to the traditional experience of pouring over an album's liner notes.  Somehow this story has been lumped together with reports of Apple's upcoming tablet PC, which is reported to be a larger scale iPhone-style tablet computer.

So let's see if I have this straight: the labels have pinned their hopes on reviving album sales by electronically "enhancing" liner notes?  So the reason all those kids only download singles is they just miss the "interative" experience they have with physical CD's and albums?  Really?

Now, I'm a big nerd, and I guess the possibilities these digital "enhancements" sounds pretty cool.  But I doubt most of the music I listen to will really get very enhanced, and since I'm still reasonably attached to the physical format, I just instead buy, ya know, the actual CD (vinyl sometimes).  Often for the same price as digital.  But again - I AM A BIG NERD.

See, the problem is that most consumers just don't want the whole album.  Nor do they want to spend more time with the ones they have.  Taking an hour out of your day to listen to an entire album is a time commitment, time the listener might otherwise spend watching TV, playing video games, watching movies or surfing the web (or spending time with their family, or whatever).  I grew up getting ripped off by shitty albums with one good single, and iTunes finally killed that cash cow.  Finally, the distribution mechanism fulfills the needs of many listeners.  It's not that they're not getting what they want -- they are getting exactly what they want.

There are more music choices out there than ever before, available in a variety of formats.  It seems to me that, thanks to the internet, the listening experience is more multi-dimensional than ever before.  I suppose packaging that experience into a slick interface might be cool, but it won't save the major labels.

New fall Wilco dates

A new round of fall tour dates have been added to Wilco's schedule, including two stops in Texas (Austin Oct. 8, Dallas Oct. 9).

For all of you offended Houstonians, recall that the Bayou City has been the second-round stop for their two most recent tours, which means probably to expect a stop here in early 2010.

UPDATE:  The dates have disappeared from Wilco's tour page.  With Oct. 6 in KC and Oct. 10 in Memphis, I'd say it doesn't look good.  Weird.

UPDATE II:  Back on!

Allen Toussaint on WFUV/NPR

Allen Toussaint discusses his latest album The Bright Mississippi (produced by Joe Henry).

Also make sure to check out this recent Toussaint concert (featuring the musicians who played on The Bright Mississippi).

Jeffrey Overstreet gushes over Joe Henry

J.O. brings us early word that Joe Henry's Blood With Stars is, indeed, fantastic.  No surprise there.

I guess this is as good a time as any to let you in a little project I've dreamed up.  It's a blog dedicated to Joe Henry (or, more accurately, the "world" of Joe Henry).  It will have the usual links and news, but I hope also to spend more time posting original thoughts and revisiting Henry's work.  I'll have a bit more to say in my first post, but you can preview it at this link:

http://houstonramblings.typepad.com/joehenry/

And I might also mention that I received a copy of Blood From Stars earlier in the week, and I completely agree with Overstreet's assessment.  The record will be out August 18 on Anti- Records.

Joe Henry to produce Mose Allison

According to the Detroit Metro Times.  Gosh, Henry's new record isn't even on shelves (due Aug. 18), and he's back in the producing chair.

Greg Koons in-studio performance; CD giveaway LAST CALL!

You can hear a performance by Greg Koons at the studios of KDHX in St. Louis.

And a friendly, FINAL reminder -- we're giving away two copies of Greg Koons' brand new CD Welcome to the Nowhere Motel.  Details here, and the deadline to enter is tomorrow!

 

UPDATE:  The contest is closed.  Congratulations to Cathy and Patrick, who will each receive a CD copy of the album.  Thanks to everyone who entered.

Ronnie Fauss - 'New Songs from the Old Frontier - Vol. One'

I recently got a chance to hear the new EP from Dallas-based artist Ronnie Fauss.  New Songs for the Old Frontier - Volume One was produced by Slobberbone/Drams frontman Brent Best and has a hefty dose of the hangdog charm of Slobberbone's best work (especially Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today).  Some of North Texas' best musicians contribute to the EP, which can be heard in its entirety over at Fauss's website.  You can also download the EP and check out his other albums on iTunes.

Ronnie will be playing an instore at Cactus Music here in Houston on July 31 at 5:30pm.  Definitely worth checking out.

Ana Popovic - 'Blind For Love' (due Tuesday)

This one kinda hit me out of left field.  A guitar-slinging blueswoman born in Yugoslavia, Ana Popovichas been making big inroads into the blues scene for a while.  Her new album Blind For Love (due this Tuesday) works hard to transcend the dull conventions that often define modern blues.  Popovic isn't content merely to play a wicked guitar - which she most definitely does - and Blind For Love covers a lot of territory, from scathing rockers to soulful R&B tracks to funky thowdowns to even a gospel rave-up.  For the most part, she pulls it off very nicely, though when Popovic whips her guitar out for a lead break, it's easy to define this album as a guitar showcase.

In that department, Ana Popovic is a unique and formidable talent, probably one of the best soloists I've heard in some time.  If the material on Blind For Love doesn't quite match the heights of her guitar virtuosity, it's a forgivable shortcoming.  She earns a lot of points for stylistic diversity, and with one helluva backing band (most of whom appear on the record), it sounds like Popovic is poised for great things.  She may not quite be in league with peers like Susan Tedeschi, but it's easy to imagine her getting there in another album or two.

Very cool, and highly recommended for guitar fans and blues fans alike.

You can download the new single "Nothing Personal" and other info by checking out this eCard for Blind For Love.

Joe Henry's 'Blood From Stars' due one month from today

Just a reminder that Joe Henry's new album Blood From Stars will be in stores exactly one month from today, on August 18.  Henry's website is pointing fans to a pre-order from Bull Moose, which is offering signed copies for $9.97 (plus $2.50 shipping).  The pre-order page does not appear to work just yet, BUT you can download an MP3 of "The Man I Keep Hid" from the page.

UPDATE:  The Bull Moose order link appears to be working now.  I have no idea what their customer service is like, but that price will be hard to beat (plus a signed booklet!).

A few changes...

Well, really just one change, for the moment.  I've got something cooking, and I accidentally changed up the look of the Ramblings blog in the process.  A few of you savvy web-surfers might have some idea what's coming if you happened to see my blog earlier today.

Anyway, though it wasn't my intent to modify the color scheme, I'll probably leave it for the moment.  The old Ramblings color scheme was a bit dated anyway.

Stay tuned!