More from 2008
Well friends, one best of 2008 show is just not enough. The Good Dr. of Music and Mrs. Dr. J have quite a list of stuff from 2008 to play tomorrow (4-6pm Tuesday flyer-radio.udayton.edu)!
We will be playing so many great tunes: Kings of Leon, Cut Off Your Hands, Tracy Shedd, Rosebuds, The Vivian Girls, Matt Mays and El Torpedo, The Sammies, Kink Ador, The New Year, Longwave, Chris Mills, Spinning Jennies (well that was a best of… but hey we got it in 2008!), Robert Pollard playing live, and more…
And hey! We can’t ignore 2009! We will be putting in some new music from The Fiction Family, AC Newman, and Andrew Bird! And don’t forget the past — a classic tune from the reissue Girls Against Boys!
So, dear music lovers… tune into the streaming fun with Dr. J!
What did you like in 2008?
We are still in the midst of an all night throw down except that it has lasted two weeks… what are some of our favorites for 2008:
Kings of Leon – Only By the Night
Lucinda Williams – Little Honey
Old Crow Medicine Show – Tennessee Pusher
Little Joy – Little Joy
The Hold Steady – Constructive Summer
My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
R.E.M – Accelerate
Long Gone and Nearly There – Julie Ocean
Sakes Alive – Thrasher Cadillac
Modern Guilt – Beck
Just Missed The List — so far, like we said… its still an argument…
Brian Wilson – That Lucky Old Sun
Don Dixon & the Jump Rabbits – The Nu-Look
Yo Gabba Gabba Soundtrack
Rick Springfield – Venus in Overdive
Rob Dickinson – Fresh Wine for the Horses
Marty Willson-Piper, “Nightjar”
What do you consider great from 2008?
New Show: Our Best of 2008
WUDR Radio show today 4-6pm – Best of 2008: Kings of Leon, Gaslight Anthem, Rhinos, Hold Steady, Vampire Weekend, My Morning Jacket and more!
Listen to the Best of 2008 as determined by the enthusiastic good Dr. and Mrs. Dr. J.
Get ready for Indie radio show — http://flyer-radio.udayton…. then click on the ‘Click here to Listen Now’ link on the right
CD Sales and the Dominance of ‘The Tune’
The voices of execs in the music industry have been complaining mightily lately about the state of “the industry” because of decreasing CD sales — down for the 7th straight year. The sonic boom of complaint we hear today is because ‘album sales’ are down. In other words, execs in the industry are worried that people are buying singles rather than entire albums. Just take a peek at some of the figures:
According to the Nielsen Co.’s year-end figures, music purchases — CD, vinyl, cassette and digital purchases of entire albums (grouped together as total albums), plus digital track downloads, singles and music videos — attained a new high of 1.5 billion, up 10.5% over 2007.
More than 70% of those transactions were digital track downloads, a record total of 1.07 billion that swamped 2007’s previous high of 844.2 million by 27%. Last week’s track downloads set a record of 47.7 million, and 71 songs exceeded 1 million downloads this year, compared with 41 last year (and just two in 2005). Track downloads outsold albums by a ratio of 2.5 to 1.
Total album sales dropped to 428.4 million, 14% fewer than in 2007, and have fallen 45% since 2000. Even combining album and track sales (by a formula that counts 10 track downloads as one album sale), the 535.4 million total is still down 8.5% from 2007 and more than 30% below 2000’s physical album sales of 785.1 million. (from USA Today)
So, people want the songs that they enjoy and not 7 to 10 tracks of what they — the audience — consider filler. Now, this problem is as old as the music industry, as old as Rock and Roll itself… How many of us out there can name more than two or three Bill Haley songs? While Bill and the Comets (the most popular incarnation of the band) made dozens of albums over their entire career — we only remember the songs that we liked. Whether that is a measure of quality, radio saturation, or Payola is a subject for another day. Personally, I like the country swing stuff as much as the rockabilly swing that would make the band a sensation.
But the point is that since the inception of Rock and Roll in the 1950s to today in the fresh car smell of 2009, people have always gravitated toward a song, a hit, a tune rather than the entire album. Sure, there are notable exceptions: Sgt. Peppers, The Wall, Hotel California, American Idiot, to name a very select few… but unless one is a hardcore fan of the band, artists, sound… then one is likely to want THE song that we cannot get out of our heads.
We understand that as music fans, the industry needs to wake up and smell the humus and realize that digital downloading only makes it easier for fans to snatch that song they want to hear. And why are the over-paid suits not capitalizing on that more? (let’s not even get into DRM!) If we think about it, only the music industry wants to force us to buy content in the manner, quantity, price, experience, and quality of their choosing. Its like having an argument about being forced to listen to what we don’t want. Now whether this is good or bad for music and artists is a better issue to consider as there are fair arguments to either interpretation.
Alas, it is the state of “the Industry” that is in decline. With digital downloading and a focus on ‘the tune,’ more people will be able to take a chance on music that they would not have if they were forced to buy an album. And if that means people will hear lots of different music, then its a good thing.
First Show of the New Year
This coming Tuesday, the School of Rock will be back on the air and streaming at WUDR Flyer Radio. What has to be our 2008 in review show will feature great music released last year (wow that is weird to write!).
Tell us what you think is the best of 2008 or suggestions for the show!
As always you can reach us at drjwudr@gmail.com
Welcome 2009!
We are back and active for 2009! More new and old music will be played on upcoming shows for the School of Rock with Dr. J! The good doctor has recovered from hand surgery and is ready for more music.
