HOT: New York Mayor Loves Ska
By most accounts (including from residents in the city he runs and reps in the party he’s running for), New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has absolutely no chance of securing the Democratic nomination to run against Donald Trump in 2020. But now he’s made some comments that, depending on where your musical tastes stand, will either secure or completely eliminate base support for his primary run. The Dukakis-on-a-tank or Clinton-on-Arsenio moment came during a CNN interview where he confessed, “I love Ska.” De Blasio also weaseled his way in on territory previously owned by Beto O’Rourke, who dropped a Clash reference in a debate with Ted Cruz. De Blasio said The Clash was his favorite band then added clumsily that London Calling has “many good hits,” instantly ceding the Clash fan edge back to O’Rourke.
WARM: Rolling Stones Make Things Right
As we get older and more reflective, it’s natural to look back at regrets and wonder if there’s anything you can do to make up for past misdeeds. That seems to be the case with The Rolling Stones, who recently gave full songwriting credit back to singer/songwriter Richard Ashcroft for his band The Verve’s biggest hit (and a quintessential ’90s classic), “Bittersweet Symphony.” The song samples strings from an orchestral version of the Stones’ “The Last Time,” leading to lawsuits that ultimately gave Mick Jagger and Keith Richards writing credit and all royalties and publishing rights to their manager’s company. Stereogum reported that Ashcroft announced he’d recently reached out the Jagger and Richards, who happily agreed to give back the credit and rights, as well as “all their royalties derived from the song,” which would conceivably be millions of dollars.
COLD: Sofar Called Out
House concerts —intimate shows in living rooms and other small spaces that focus on listening and audience connection over the raucousness of most live music experiences — have become a welcome option for musicians wanting reach fans and make new ones without the drudgery of bar shows. Some have even been able to make a nice living doing them. But a recent story from TechCrunch suggests that Sofar Sounds —the biggest booking middleman of the new industry, who help facilitate “secret shows” — is hindering that aspect while reaping large profits for the company. According to TechCrunch, Sofar takes the admission charge attendees pay — $15-$30 — and gives the performers $100 and “exposure,” with the company pocketing over $1,000 per gig. The hosts and people putting on the shows reportedly aren’t paid anything. The 10-year-old company — already a multi-million-dollar venture — recently announced it raised $25 million from investors. “The company has a chance to increase live music listening worldwide,” TechCrunch writes. “But it must treat artists as partners, not just some raw material they can burn through even if there’s always another act desperate for attention.”
UPDATE: Billboard has an interview with the founder and other key figures behind Sofar. While it doesn’t appear they’re eager to actually pay more to artists, the article gives a better sense of the overhead costs, which include insurance and performance rights costs.
This article appears in May 22-29, 2019.
