Check out Lux Eterna Records for more sonic goodness…

As far as hoary, oft-repeated sayings go, it’s hard to beat “rock is dead.” The origin of the phrase is shrouded in mystery — like the etymology of “heavy metal” — but it’s not hard to picture Lester Bangs coining it while reviewing the latest Lou Reed long-player in his underwear, specks of Robitussin drying on his mustachioed upper lip.

In reality, people have been claiming “rock is dead” since the genre wriggled its way into the repressed loins of America’s bobbysockers. Every so often, a new pack of scruffy young kids with guitars are labeled as its saviors, but it never lasts. ROCK IS DEAD. Long live paper and scissors!

But what if we had empirical evidence that rock really was dead? Or at least in a state of such dissolution that its resurgence was a probabilistic impossibility? To know for sure, we’d need data.

Now we’ve got some.

This article in The Hollywood Reporter indicates that rock is a spent force in the marketplace, squeezed out by more persistent pop forms. Based on a recent study highlighting the ubiquity of synth-pop, the news may be the final nail in rock’s coffin. (I’m just shocked that there was room for one more.)

According to Hit Songs Deconstructed, 79 percent of top 10 pop hits used a synthesizer as the song’s primary instrument. That’s up from 62 percent a year ago and seems to signal that the current electro-pop fad is here to stay — at least a little while longer. Further boosting that theory: the fact that 88 percent of Top 10 songs used electric-based instrumentation. As for the least popular instrument? The guitar, which hit a low of 4 percent during the second quarter of 2011….

…as for lyrical themes in pop music, “hooking up” is the most popular so far in 2011, prevalent in 38 percent of hit songs, followed by “inspirational” songs, which have steadily increased to account for 25 percent of the Top 10 in the second quarter of 2011, “partying/clubbing” (21 percent) and “love/relationships” at 17 percent. Curiously, any “other” categories of lyrical themes have failed to register at all, coming in at zero percent so far in 2011. Last year, when music listeners were seemingly interested in a little more than sex, it was at 9 percent.

Now, it’s easy to come right back and say that the vast majority of rock songs have been about fucking. That may be true, but the flexibility and durability of the form was such that it could include both “Wango Tango” and “Roundabout” in the same canon. I’m not sure that today’s pop will evolve to the same extent.

For those of us who still traffic in this antiquated form, there are more troubling indicators:

Other curious trends pointed to a steep drop in solos, down from 17 percent to 5 percent of hits, and the once popular bridge portion of a song now only exists in 42 percent of songs, down from 54 percent last quarter and 55 percent a year ago.

You may think that it’s perfectly fine to eliminate the guitar solo. Years of co-existing with jam bands elicits a certain sympathy for that worldview. I still enjoy them (if they’re well-placed and say something), but they aren’t a musical necessity. I have more of a problem with the idea that nobody employs bridges anymore. Sure, some of them are useless, but they are a time-honored construct that helps to give songcraft a form. I’m all for experimental art, but eliminating the bridge is kind of like saying we’re no longer going to bother with paragraph breaks. Can you get away with it? Probably. But it says something about our society if we abandon such formalities. It’s a short hop from here to anarchy. Anarchy, I tell you!

One thing that I like about having quantitative data on the death of rock is that it liberates me to keep making it. I am The Contrarian, after all. It would hardly befit my status to toil in a popular genre.

As always, we’re interested in your reactions. What do you think of this data? Was rock dead all along, and we’re just now noticing? What if it turns into a zombie? Are we prepared for that?

Our audio division, Lux Eterna Records, is giving away a FREE EP from The Contrarian. In case you didn’t know, that’s me. Here’s what I have to say about the release:

I’m currently in that uncomfortable period between albums, but I’m still recording as often as possible. The four songs on the Margins EP are, to some degree, a continuation of Farewell Plutonia. Which is why I’m not considering them for the next record. But rather than abandon them, I figured I’d release them to the world just to clear the slate. Hopefully, these tracks will tide people over until the next record makes its presence known.

Download the Margins EP below. (Existing LUX ETERNA customers may have to provide their e-mail again.)

Hi there. My name is Casey, and I’m the proprietor of this here den of iniquity.

And I’ve got a problem.

I’m in the midst of a fallow period, creatively. Well, that’s not entirely true — the music-making continues apace, as do the dumb ideas for movies and TV shows. I’ve just not been able to write. OK, fine, that’s not true either. I write all the time. In fact, I’m in the middle of a law journal article that should serve as a grand unifying theory for music-tech-policy issues. (How cool is it that I get to write for law journals? I mean, I’m not even a lawyer.)

That’s the kind of stuff I find myself writing these days. Federal comments, legal briefs, position papers, testimony, market and policy analysis, talking points… all very wonky product, and all stuff I enjoy composing. I suppose that’s why I’m having such a hard time finding things worthy of posting here: my intellectual capacity is nearly expended. If only I was smarter and required less sleep!

I suppose I could use this site as a platform to continue my exploration of issues in the content and technology space. (Actually, sometimes I do.) But then I just feel like I’m at work, and for someone who already has a tendency to over-identify with career, that’s probably not healthy.

I could also start serving up regular political tirades. In the past, I’ve certainly done my part to keep our cupboards stocked with outrage. But living in Washington, DC and seeing the dysfunction up close has soured me on the whole game, at least temporarily. I’m sure I’ll bounce back before the campaign season begins in earnest.

I used to write about music, professionally and for pleasure. I sometimes still do, but only out of a kind of grim perseverance. It’s tough to shed aspects of yourself that were once key to your identity. What was that I said about over-identification with career?

I could write about personal matters, but that’s not what this rag is all about. This is probably as close as it gets.

Sigh. Maybe it’s time to motivate our contributors. Where did I put that goddamn cattle prod?

The Contrarian is temporarily suspending publication in order for the Editor in Chief to take a much-deserved vacation. Our daily schedule will resume on or around June 12. We apologize for any inconvenience this service interruption may cause, and promise to take lots of pictures of our tour through Paris, Rome, Sicily, Turkey and Greece.

Did you know The Contrarian has an audio division? Well, we do, and it’s awesome.

The label is called LUX ETERNA and we’re getting ready for a couple of exciting releases this summer, with more in the queue.

First up is the new album from The Ten Thousand Things, who you all know as Contrarian Library Scientist Wes Covey.

The record is called Anastam, and we’re releasing it in a few exclusive packages:

Anastam I
1. Immediate download of the album in any file format you want, including high quality lossless
2. Limited edition litho album art suitable for hanging
3 High-quality art photos and zen poems inspired by Anastam (PDF)
4. Antique library card embossed with a unique magickal theorem
5. Liner notes
6. T-shirt

Anastam II
1. Immediate download of the album in any file format you want, including high quality lossless
2. Limited edition litho
3. High-quality art photos and zen poems inspired by Anastam (PDF)
4. Liner notes

Anastam III
1. Immediate download of the album in any file format you want, including high quality lossless
2. High-quality art photos and zen poems inspired by Anastam (PDF)
3. Liner notes

These nifty packages will be available exclusively at the LUX ETERNA shop.

Next up is the debut from Strange Angels — the recording project of composers/producers Arthur Leon Adams III and Casey Rae-Hunter. This baby runs the gamut from art-pop to Beatles bounce to psychedelica, with a little They Might Be Giants thrown in for good measure. Here’s a track called “Hotel Suite,” which is definitely more on the “psych epic” side of things:

As you were.

Damn, a lot of stuff happened this week. A lot of this sounds braggy, but I suppose I don’t care!

1. We passed the Local Community Radio Act after 10 years of effort. Props to all of the folks who worked so tirelessly to expand opportunities for true local broadcasting in more American towns and cities. My thoughts on the matter live here.

2. The Contrarian Media got a Wikipedia entry. Look ma, we’re a real magazine!

3. I made another video for a song from Farewell Plutonia.

4. The FCC did its thing with the Open Internet Order. I was on NPR’s “All things Considered” just before, and in Billboard just after.

5. I was unanimously voted on to the Board of Directors for the National Association of Media Arts and Culture. I am honored.

6. I got my travel booked for CES — the biggest tech trade show in the country on the planet, at which I am speaking. What happens in Vegas. . .

7. I did another cool thing that I can’t tell you about. I’m such a tease.

8. We started a new music project, the hexcore/witch-house/occultdub act SpeLL C▲s†††r.

9. We sent a Contrarian newsletter. You should sign up!

10. Lux Eterna Records started its website build. Soon you’ll be able to buy and listen to all the music on our fledgling roster!

I will now collapse in an exhausted heap. Happy whatever it is you choose to celebrate!

This is the second video from the album, “Tea for None.” It should be pretty easy to suss out its deeper meaning (well, unless you’re a certain breed of conservative):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xOz7FrohcY

There are lots more videos on The Contrarian YouTube channel, which the Power of Christ compels you to subscribe to!

Hey there. Remember me? I’m the guy who used to post here a lot before my job as a Defender of What is Right and Proper took full possession of my mental faculties. Still, here I am: battle-scarred, a bit fatigued but nevertheless prepared to deliver a new screed for your edification and amusement. We call this rant…

In Defense of Recorded Music

You may have heard that the recorded music industry is in dire straits. By “recorded,” I mean physical media, and by “industry,” I mean the record companies. Now, it’s very easy to make this about the majors vs. everyone else, but that’s not entirely accurate. Independent labels sold CDs, too, albeit with a serious barrier to entry in the marketplace due to the major label chokehold on distribution and retail.

Indie labels (and by extension, the artists on indie labels) have also struggled to make up for revenue lost from the declining physical goods marketplace. Download sales are on the rise (as is legal streaming), but the profit margins are much lower due in part to the decoupling of the album format and the inability of the industry to attract new customers — many of whom are members of a generation accustomed to getting music for free.

This is a problem for traditional industry players, as well as musicians and songwriters for whom the sales of recorded media provided a significant and mostly stable revenue stream. Not all artists see the “digital disruption” as a net negative, however. Many creators, this one included, have benefited tremendously from the removal of the gatekeepers that once stood between artist and audience. As has always been the case, talent, creativity, dedication and perseverance are important qualities in the new paradigm. Although we may never see the return of the rock star caste, there is now the possibility of a more diverse and dynamic music marketplace.

But we ain’t there yet. Not by a long shot.

There are some who suggest that musical artists will earn a living from live performances as well as the sale of “scarce goods” such as unique or limited edition music packages and road merch. I have a real problem with this theory for a number of reasons.

First, it puts a premium on live performance, an activity that many musicians enjoy but some — including this guy — don’t particularly care for. Neither did the Beatles. Or Steely Dan. Or Andy Partridge of XTC. Or Brian Wilson… I could go on and on, but the point is this: these artists depended on demand for their recorded music to propel their creativity. Even if they were in a shitty deal, that contract was an incentive to make new art. Perhaps the songwriting/publishing royalties paid the bills. Either way, it was the product that produced the return — creative or economic.

Second, the lack of revenue from recorded music affects the live music market, as more “successful” acts demand higher returns from performance — a cost that’s eventually passed on to consumers in the form of 15 dollar beers at the Enormodome. Smaller artists are forced to compete in an glutted marketplace in often less-than-ideal working conditions. Oh, and what if you’re a songwriter? Yes, they still exist. But they aren’t really known for selling t-shirts, are they?

Third, there are limits to how many “scarce goods” a developing or niche act can sell on its own. I do OK, but I also have a day job. Trust me, these goods take time, energy and capital to produce. Without the necessary investment and promotional expertise, it can be difficult to create and market specialty wares. Some artists may be at a disadvantage here, as doing so requires a different skill set than composing, playing an instrument or singing. I wrote a short story for one of my records, and I make videos for a lot of my songs. What if I was just a really amazing tenor saxophonist?

Is the new music marketplace a form of digital Darwinism, in which artists with certain skills thrive while others drop off? It might not be a bad thing if more people quit playing music, but I very much doubt that’s gonna happen anytime soon. What’s more likely is that we’ll see more part-timers and so-called “hobbyists,” a phenomenon that thrills some and annoys others. (I hate the term “hobbyist,” because I’m a seasoned professional, even if I don’t compose or record full-time.)

As I mentioned, many loathe the very idea of “amateur” artists existing on the same platforms as “professionals.” But given the manufacturing of consumer consent that took place at the industry’s peak, I’m not sure the distinction was ever more than arbitrary. Every generation has its Beatles, and every generation has its Milli Vanilli. Some folks need to be told what to buy, and some excel at that making the sale. The rarity is when art and commerce occupy a singular point in space-time. I call that the 1970s.

The real issue with the mainstream biz is that the major labels no longer know how to sell.

In all honesty, the majors’ true customer was never the fan. The customer was the corporate radio PD who determined playlists for entire swaths of the country due to the consolidation in station ownership. That guy required certain “enticements” to even consider spinning your Vertical Horizon track. The customer was the chain record store who could be cajoled into buying quantities of the new Good Charlotte album to keep shareholders happy. The customer was the promoter willing to pay more than 100 percent of gross to the act based on pay-to-play broadcasting and “units moved” (and ultimately returned to the warehouse).

In other words, the game was rigged.

Now the cat’s out of the bag, the genie’s out of the bottle, and you can’t put the toothpaste back into the tube, no matter how hard you try. None of this is to say that recorded music doesn’t have value. It has tremendous value. It still makes people dance, cry, laugh, remember long lost loves, wanna kill, fuck, dream, drive, die, LIVE.

Which is why I refuse to give up on it. We will find a way to make sound captured in a fixed media a meaningful cultural/spiritual artifact. And when we do, the economics will follow. Until we realize that recorded music is ART, there is no hope. If it takes the entire collapse of the current industry, then perhaps it’s simply creative destruction. As a moderate, I don’t believe in the necessity or inevitability of such an outcome. I know too many good people who still work in the business of selling recorded music to wish further uncertainty upon that sector. And I’m heartened that these same good people are the ones who get the basic fact that music is expression first, commerce second.

We’re all in it together, us artists, fans and creative entrepreneurs. And together we will achieve what has eluded the “industry” for more than a decade. We will make recorded music matter again.