This
week you will read about the the continuing excitement, wonder and disappointment
of music, and resolutions..
LAST
WEEK WE POSTED a collection of randomly collected Year End Top 10 lists. You might
recall looking at some the lists and feeling good about your choices. Or, you
looked at the lists and wonder how you could have forgotten a particular record.
Finally, you looked at the some of the entries and wondered who it was. Wasn't
it a wonderful year for music, despite the complete turmoil of the business of
music.
Whatever
the business morphs in to, I think the case can be made that there are loads of
creative people out there who have something interesting to say. Growing up we
had the triple header of radio, records and concerts. None of them resemble the
late 1970s and early 80s. In thirty years they will have changed into something
entirely different once again.
The
Top 10s were useful for Your Jester as, I suppose, Myspace is for others... as
long as you can trust the person in your social circle. We're all being bombarded
by commercials, ads, and marketing. This missive is, admittedly, any or all of
those. The difference, I hope, is the sense of community, the sense of knowing
there are others out there like you.
Contemporary
opinion is to have a Myspace, or Facebook page or listen to last.fm or Pandora.
Honestly, I'd rather talk to my friends and family. I'd rather be turned on by
someones personal enthusiasm for an artist or song, not played something because
it mathematically equates to other songs I've listened to. But, that's Your Jester,
an old-school guy in his mid forties who still gets annoyed when classic songs
are used to sell cars.
2007
was a wild year. Those that have been with us know we made some choices early
in the year that didn't work out. We extricated ourselves from that situation
and have gone back to the small, hands-on approach that worked so well for us
in years past.
On
the real plus side The Queen and Your Jester added Satchel to the pack of dogs.
Miles is still with us, stubborn and rickety. Merle is the cooperative middle
child who respects Miles and wrestles with Satchel. Watching those two rampage
through the house, the office, the yard or wherever will quickly take away whatever
ails you.
Most
music will eventually be sold only in a digital format. Eventually. That will
be a few years. Given the immolation of the major label business it might come
sooner. Until then, we're flying our 40 year old freak flag, finding the interesting
music that fits the lifestyle, putting the discs into your hands (as quickly as
possible even if that has never been our strongest suit) and making every one's
life a little brighter in what are grim times.
2008
is already stacking up to be a good musical year. On the near horizon are new
releases from Gary Louris and The Drive-By Truckers. Patty Hurst Shifter continues
their EP experiment. The Whipsaws have a new disc on its way now. Quite a way
to kick out the jams of '08.
We're
back next week with a full slate of the finest self-released independent music,
top notch label stuff, and the plain old weird.
This
week gander at the Top Sellers for 2007 (because I guarantee you missed a few)
and December's Top Sellers.
Until
next week,
The
Queen, Your Jester, and The Mangler | 