Spotify’s Royalty Changes Revisited
Remember when Spotify announced all those changes to their royalty systems? I’m guessing you do, because it was only a few months ago and because a lot of people (including the folks on this reddit thread, the guy in this video, and maybe, dare I say it, you) were very upset. It was a hot topic. So, naturally, […]
Jon Foreman’s “In Bloom” is a Song for Spring
In Nashville, spring always surprises us. I think it’s because winters here are especially bleak. We get all the bad parts of winter – freezing temperatures, harsh winds, and a sun setting early in a sky that’s been gray for weeks. We rarely get snow, and when we do, it cripples the city for a […]
An Indie Artist’s Feedback Loop
I am addicted to checking my email. I am definitely not addicted to responding to my email, as you know if you’ve ever tried to communicate with me. I live clean there, thank goodness. But I don’t think I’ve gone a day without checking my email in like five years. I get a dopamine hit […]
Lessons from Super Bowl LVIII Commercials
I was struck by a trend in this year’s Super Bowl commercials: A ton of them featured celebrities. If you watched the game (hello, 37% of my fellow Americans), I bet you noticed this, too. It felt like you couldn’t go a couple of seconds without seeing some famous person – and no, I’m not just […]
Donovan Woods is Back with “Rosemary”
“Well then, RosemaryIn your pretty eyes, darlin’I am always in the way of what you’re wanting” Donovan Woods self-deprecates like it’s an Olympic sport. Not one of the main ones, like swimming or track and field. I’m talking about one of those weirdly gravitating ones that you didn’t know someone could be so good at, […]
Stephanie Michelle Mesmerizes on “Waves”
There used to be a radio station in L.A. that dubbed itself “The Quiet Storm”, playing hypnotic-and-melodic songs by artists like Brenda Russell and Regina Belle. If that format still exists, Stephanie Michelle’s song “Waves” would fit right in. It’s elegant and unforgettable. Michelle is a Detroit songwriter who sings her own compositions, but isn’t […]
A Spotify Scam in 2024
Here are some words I wrote about a year ago: “I’m tired of artists calling things ‘scams.’ Most things just are not scams. Most people in this industry are trying really hard to do good work. I think our tendency to call things scams is symptomatic of an underlying cultural issue: We’re a grace-impoverished people.” […]
I might finally try TikTok this year.
I said “might,” okay? I’m still waffling, so don’t hold me to it. Truth be told, I still don’t like short-form video content in general, and I like TikTok in particular even less. I’m old, I’m grumpy, and I’m set in my ways, kind of like Tom Cruise in Maverick except with less charisma and aerial combat […]
Carey Latham Weathers the Storm on “I Don’t Drink Like I Used To”
Carey Latham is a songwriter who splits time between Nashville and the Gulf Coast. Her song “I Don’t Drink Like I Used To” is an emotional grabber that reminds me of Morgan Wallen’s best work. The song is about a person who “doubles down” on drinking after a series of personal tragedies. And the accompanying […]
“So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright” is Simon and Garfunkel’s Break-up Song
On what turned out to be their last album together, Simon and Garfunkel created what some regard as a masterpiece. The album contains some iconic songs, not least the title track, “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Some of these are lodged in my marrow, songs that feel like I’ve known them forever that recall distant times, […]
