4. The music video experience now sucks
We’re almost to the point where we can call up any music video every made on our computer screens or hand-held devices. I liked it a whole lot better when MTV and MuchMusic had VJs introducing video flows. Then again, that was so long ago we were watching them in mono on CRT TVs. And we’d never get a chance to see videos like the one for Rammstein’s “Pussy.” Never mind.
5. Rickrolling and its progeny
This is a proper use of technology?
6. We don’t value music as much as we used to.
Back in the day, you had to save your allowance, get someone to drive you to the record store where you hoped CD you wanted was in stock. When you found it, you handed over your hard-earned money—gawd, you hated mowing the lawn and doing the dishes, but this was worth it—and took your new possession home.
Physical music collections were cherished artistic assets. But with so much music available for free online and with hard drive space so cheap, do we value music as much as we once did? A few years ago, I declared the Cross Corollary: The cheaper and more accessible music becomes the less value we ascribe to it. I stand by it more than ever today.
7. The death of music magazines
I cannot wait until the next issue of Q, Mojo, Record Collector, NME, Classic Rock, Alternative Press, Rolling Stone, Spin, Revolver, The Big Issue, etc. etc. etc. shows up at my bookstore or in my mailbox. I LOVE reading good writing and analysis about music. But how long before these publications disappear in favour of a lower-cost online version?
8. The death of music books
I’ve written four reference works on alt-rock—and I can’t see me writing any more. Why bother spending nine months on a project that will be outdated the second I email it to my publisher? Sites like the AllMusic Guide and Wikipedia have driven me out of that business. (Not that I mind, really. There was no money in it, anyway.) About the only way to make any kind of money on music books to write a big, splashy biography or invest a lot of time and money into a good coffee table book.
Check back in a few moments for part 3. And click here for part 1.