The Progression of Online Music

It's amazing when you take a step back and look at the progression of technology. We are living through an incredibly fast-changing and innovative digital era where new technology comes out all the time. With the rise of technology, everything has become interactive. With the rise of the internet and online social networks, people have changed how they build relationships and receive content. It's important though, for every industry to stay modern and keep up with the times. Music is no exception. In order to understand how to innovate in the future it is important that we understand progression in the past. 

The three big events in interactive music technology that stand out to me are: Napster, Myspace and Spotify. Napster was the first interactive music community ever....and it was huge. Vanity Fair defines Napster as "that free song-sharing service upended the music industry." That's quite accurate. Napster was the first to utilize interactive media to change the music industry. Now, people were building relationships with each other to listen to music, as opposed to going through the record companies. This was at the beginning of a time were people stop relying on larger industries for services and use the internet instead. 

Myspace created an entire social-network based around discovering music, and it was incredibly successful. It was founded in 2003 and according to Bloomberg Businessweek, it attracted 75.9 million monthly unique visitors in the U.S. This was the first step in creating a more social community around music and it changed the technological world. Many of the social networks we use today followed in Myspace's footsteps in many ways. 


And then came Spotify, founded in 2006, that is almost a hybrid of the two. Spotify understands internet user's expectations and that is why they are so successful. They knew 2 things: people expect music to be at their fingertips and did not want to own it anymore. And now, as PCMag puts it, Spotify has "killed my need to own music." You get unlimited streaming for $9.99 anytime, anywhere. This is a phenomenal example of understanding current users today and creating products for the needs and want of technology users. 

And that is the key to developing innovative interactive media products, for the music industry and outside of it. After gaining a degree in Interactive Media, I see the music industry becoming more and more interactive. I think there is real potential for utilizing interactive media for live shows and enhancing those experiences. In order to create successful products, the music industry must be able to act on the changes in the technological world and how people are using that technology. 

Hopscotch

So we all have had a couple weeks to digest the big news--that is, the Hopscotch lineup being announced and we are ready to talk about what we are thrilled to see. Here at For The Record, we are dedicated to promoting  local music venues, artist and fans. It is so exciting for us to watch the Triangle become a music destination.

This year Hopscotch celebrates its 5^th anniversary with a bang. According to their website, the three day festival will feature more than 160 diverse bands (40% of which are local).  We are going to spend the three fall days exploring the city and seeing as many artists as we can. We cannot wait to check out:

#1 St. Vincent-I know we have mentioned it before…but we love everything that Annie Clark does and the fact that this Brooklyn talent is bringing her show back to the Triangle is beyond exciting. DO NOT MISS IT.

#2 Death- Not going to lie, like a lot of you we had not heard of Death until the release of Mark Christopher Covino and Jeff Howlett’s documentary, A Band Called Death, about the 1970s punk band. There is something so sensational about their story and comeback (almost three decades later). Death makes the power of music and history exciting again and we cannot wait to see these legends live. I would definitely suggest checking out the documentary too.

#3 No Eyes- No Eyes is local to the Oak City and we are so excited that they will be a part of Hopscotch this year. We had a chance to check them out last month at Local Band Local Beer and there sound is refreshingly unique.

As I mentioned before there are hundreds more artists who will be featured throughout the three-day festival so make sure you get your tickets ASAP. See you out there.

Show Review: THE ZOMBIES

Since I expressed a great deal excitement in a recent blog post about The Zombies coming to town, I feel as though the last I can do it tell you all about the show. These guys were apart of the infamous British invasion in the mid-sixties, and in my opinion, we're right behind The Beatles when it came to writing beautiful melodies and lyrics. As stated in an article from NPR, the band broke up right before the release of their second album in 1968. You can hear about how the two main guys in the band, Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone, reunited after 30 years of being broken up in this video.

I went to the show at Cat's Cradle on April 18th with my dad (he introduced me to The Zombies as a kid), and both of our expectations were exceeded. A large part of what made the show so special was the appreciative audience. It was so clear that everyone there had such an enormous amount of respect for Argent and Blunstone, and the energy resonated extremely well with the band members. They delivered a beautiful performance, accompanied by stories from the band's glory years in the 60's and their lives afterwords. They really connected with the audience and made it a special experience.

They played a fabulous mixture of their big hits, as well as solo music they had been doing over the years. They played a couple songs from Rod Argent's post-Zombie band, Argent. And let me tell you...they sounded amazing. I was blown away by Blunstone's voice - it sounded just as crisp as it ever has. It was unbelievably impressive. Argent absolutely killed it on the keyboard, which helps define the band's signature sound. It was also incredible because of how excited they were to perform. After all these years, you can tell how passionate these guys are about their music and performing.

Pitchfork acknowledges the group's "unique brand of lyric and wit and daring arrangement" and notes that The Zombies "expanded the limits of pop." If you haven't acquainted yourself with this iconic group, I suggest you start with their biggest US hits: "She's Not There," "Tell Her No," and "Time of the Season." I don't know how much longer these guys will be touring, but if you have the opportunity to see them, I strongly suggest you jump at the chance.

Show Review: Mac DeMarco

In case you missed it, the charming yet sleazy rocker, Mac DeMarco, graced the Triangle with his presence earlier this month on April 11th. He's a favorite of mine, as you may have read from the spotlight post I did about him a couple months ago. So obviously I was anticipating this show for quite some time, but to my surprise...hundreds and hundreds of other fans in the Triangle area were too. The show was at Duke Coffeehouse, which only holds 200 people, and these were the lucky ones that got there earlier enough to reserve their spot (the Duke Coffeehouse doesn't do a pre-sale for tickets)...

The line could have wrapped around the venue at least five times, and I waited for about 2 hours to get my ticket and get inside. The venue is located on Duke's campus and it's a very strange little place. As soon as you walk in you're surrounded by ton of eclectic artwork, from sculptures to paintings. There was a large, run-down La-Z-Boy sofa next to the toilet in the women's bathroom to say the least. They have a BYOB policy but serve black coffee, $1 a cup. To say the least, the atmosphere went hand-in-hand with Mac's style. 

Two opening acts performed before Mac DeMarco and his band took the stage. The See Gulls came out first, followed by the unique Latino singer, Juan Waters. Juan Waters was my personal favorite, singing lyrics so simple that they were almost comical, but at the same time carried a deep meaning behind them. When Mac DeMarco stepped on stage, the energy in the room spiked. His fans have a reputation for being a bit obsessive and aggressive, which I got to experience first hand at the show. People were running on stage and taking selfies with him, girls were kissing him on the cheek and a bunch of guys were screaming things at them while they set up. It was a bit uncomfortable to say the least. 

Unfortunately, the uncomfortable vibe I felt resonated within the performance. You could tell Mac and his band members were trying hard to entertain with smiles on their faces, which was a little bit disheartening. And the show was a bit disappointing for a couple more reasons. The band only played for about 30 minutes. The fans continued to be obnoxious. Despite that, these guys are truly talented and I enjoyed their performance. I can't say I blame them too much for being overwhelmed - I haven't seen fans act quite like that. I'd definitely like to see them again, perhaps in a slightly larger venue. Check out the bands new album and see if you turn into an obsessive, crazy DeMarco fan. 

Artist Flashback: Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts

Today, I'm going to take you back to the 1960's, where the music scene all over the world was at one of its greatest peaks in history. These were the years of soul and rock & roll, not to mention the British Invasion. Although they didn't get as much attention as The Stones, there was a little Carborro R&B/rock group that did pretty well for themselves. They were called Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts.

These guys were known for being the life of the party and at times...a little raunchy. The group actually formulated under the name of "The Tops" in 1955, according to Southern Garage Bands. Known for their humorous songs, they actually made a name for themselves at local Chapel Hill fraternity parties. According to Endless Groove, these guys developed into a pretty hot commodity and reached a point where they were touring the east coast and getting praised for their performances at all the black clubs in Durham, NC. This was in addition to their popularity with the Greek organizations at UNC (which were all primarily white at the time). Take a listen to see why the group was such a huge hit with all the local party-goers:

It seems that the band provided their fans with many, many great memories. The writer from Southern Garage Bands shares a funny memory of his own from his college days. When a fraternity Social Chair hired the group for a party, they had to fill out a questionnaire and answer how "gross" they wanted the party to be. The Social Chair conservatively chose "mixed gross" as his option since dates would be present, but the Hot Nuts showed up in nothing but green jock straps.

Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts certainly did make their mark on the NC music scene, and established themselves as a mini-legend in out music history. The front man, Doug Clark, passed away in 2002. Endless Groove accounts an interview with Doug Clark shortly before his death where he remembers, "we didn't make any money, but we had a million dollars worth of fun."

Big Daddy Something

I had the opportunity to check out a really cool show at Lincoln Theater on Saturday. Big Daddy Love and Big Something came together and shared the stage to create a "Big" jam group.

This show was the quintessential Carolina dream for fans of both bands. Big Daddy Love came on around 10 p.m. and Big Something hit the stage around 11 p.m. Big Daddy Love and Big Something are both North Carolina native bands and they frequently rock the most famous Carolina venues.

I was so pumped to hear Big Something play my favorite song, the haunting but catchy, "Love Generator." I would suggest checking out some of their music...you can get free downloads here.

After each group gave the audience a taste of their classics, they came together on stage and rocked the house down as an 11 person super group.

I know, I know...your probably really pissed you missed out, but don't fret hop in the car with some friends and check out this special collaboration at the beach this weekend. Big Daddy Something will be playing a FREE show at Ziggy's by the sea on Saturday.

According to their website, Big Daddy Love has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funding for their new studio album. I think this group will do big things if they keep alining themselves with the right people--so check them out!

3 Upcoming Shows to See & Why

1. Patti LuPone at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts - April 11 & 12

It may be my humble opinion but this would be a totally phenomenal show to see. I mean, if you're a Les Misérables fan, how could you resist? Patti LuPone played the beloved Fantine in Les Miz and was a part of the original London cast. She was one of the most successful musical theatre artists of her time and her vibrant personality would definitely make for an entertaining show. Check out one of her performances as Fantine here:

2.  CHVRCHES at Lincoln Theatre (Previously at Cat's Cradle) - April 28

I would tell you that this would be one of those typical Cat's Cradle events where it'd be the last time you saw CHVRCHES outside of a massive arena, but the show already had to get moved to a bigger venue because it sold out so fast. If you're in the mood for an upbeat, electronic show, you'd regret missing this. Here's a sneak preview of what to expect:

3. Third Eye Blind at Lincoln Theatre - May 10

What better way to reminisce on your late 90's/early 2000 memories than see Third Eye Blind live? I know you may be reluctant to admit it, but there's a Third Eye Bling song that'll take you back. And as far as the show, I can tell you it'll be a good time because I've gone. They know how to work a crowd and their music is upbeat and catchy. Have a listen and see if you can resist buying a ticket: