| Hey! We made up awards too!! Introducing: The Quiet Revolutionaries |
The Quiet Revolutionary Awards aim to address two things. The first is, when related to music, great music. Simple [and subjective] as that.
The second is change – or more specifically, innovation. I am a believer in the theory of creative destruction as popularized by Joseph Schumpeter [I plan to do a post sometime on creative destruction itself as related to the music industry].
In short as summarized on Wikipedia, creative destruction is
the process of transformation that accompanies radical innovation
If the music industry wasn’t ripe for some creative destruction no industry is.
Categories for this first year’s awards include:
- Artist [Local, Canadian, International]
- Magazine
- Label
- Individual [Canadian, International]
- Blog/Website [Canadian, International]
- Double.Zero = The Worst of the Worst
INDIVIDUAL
Canadian – Michael Geist
If a movement stops the Canadian version of DMCA being passed in Canada this year, you can be certain he will have had something to do with it.
THE source for Canadian matters related to copyright [thus covering much in music news of late ranging from lawsuits to existing laws impact on slowing innovation] Mr. Geist is spearheading a charge against any Canadian DMCA legislation. Legislation which a Moncton Times and Transcript editorial characterized as “one of the most regressive pieces of legislation ever enacted by the U.S. government” and urges Canadians to speak out against a Canadian DMCA.
For that alone you should thank him.
See:
Anti-Canadian DMCA Momentum Begins to Build
The Canadian DMCA: What You Can Do
Mainstream Media Picks Up Where It Left Off on Copyright
Fair Copyright Facebook Group
Coverage via Boing Boing:
Challenge Canadian MPs: “I will not break fair dealing” pledge
Canadian MPs who are vulnerable on copyright — how we’ll win the war on the Canadian DMCA
International – Ian Rogers
Before the holidays I stumbled upon Ian Rogers blog. I had heard and read numerous mentions of a talk he had given earlier in the year which you can find on his blog at Convenience Wins, Hubris Loses and Content vs. Context, a Presentation for Some Music Industry Friends.
Most recently he posted anther talk he gave, Talking To The Music Industry Again, The Aspen Live Conference.
Ian Rogers must be one of the most forward thinking minds in music right now (explaining why he is not employed at a major label). Go Read the Convenience Wins post. There’s an open mind.
His endorsing of open media standards [second link posted] is itself very important. There’s simply too many worthwhile points between both posts to mention. Just read them, and keep an eye on his blog this year.
TechCrunch thinks Yahoo! is up to something big in music and others are already asking if Ian Rogers is the one who can help save music.
He is also a serious music fan [which is probably part of why he is indirectly on this list], for a sample of his tastes see Music Is The Best, 2007 Edition
Yahoo! coverage via TechCrunch:
Yahoo May Offer DRM Free Music For Free
Yahoo Releases Browser Based MP3 Player – and it’s now part of A Quiet Revolution
MUSIC BLOG/SITE
Canadian – i (heart) music
The gentleman behind the site clearly does (heart) music – focusing almost exclusively on profiling Canadian acts, and getting bonus points for digging through Radio3 archives to share sessions with us, and running the annual Hottest Canadian Artist poll – he does good.
He has also covered a good number of east coast acts as of late including:
Sleeping on Wintersleep
Nathan Wiley – A Wiley one
Anything for a Buck 65
Jesse Dangerously – Living Dangerously
Laura Peek – Take a Peek
Holy Holy Fuck
The Got To Get Got got it good
International – The Daily Swarm
Daily Swarm gets the nod for seeing an opportunity and seizing it. Not even a year old [!!], the Daily Swarm has already cemented a place for itself in the online music community. They break real stories and cover a wide range of industry news from all perspectives. Recommended daily reading.
Blog I miss the most: IndieHQ
It is still there but the folks are busy. Hopefully sometime this year they can get back at it.
BAND
Local – Risky Business
Mainly due to their ability to find ways to tour the US, Canada and Europe multiple times in the past two years with almost no local support/assistance that would accompany most bands from this region achieving similar goals. A call to bands that the opportunities are there if you are willing to make the necessary sacrifices, work hard and do what YOU need to do to achieve your goals.
Honorable mention: Video blogging their tours, recording and firing off videos left and right budgets be damned – they released some vinyl, set up their own free download system to pair with vinyl sales and received some industry recognition along the way. They, of course, are the Superfantastics
Canadian – Jane Siberry now Issa
More a historical observance than for recent [2007] activities, except for the point that others recent note-worthy activities are repeats in part of what she was doing years ago. Having been getting attention for pay what you want set-up back in 2005 [and again in 2006], here is to the former Ms.Siberry, a true innovator with her music and the selling of it.
A letter she wrote on why she was pursuing the donation based model. She also shares stats on sales.
International – Radiohead/NIN
Enough has been said about both acts in the press, on blogs and anywhere comments can be shared.
Both artists tried new ideas, Radiohead’s biggest was the donation based release of In Rainbows initially. While NIN launched an impressive ARG based campaign for Year Zero [see Wired below] – receiving praise such as it being “the way a viral campaign should be run”
While it may be difficult for indie acts to follow those two examples, there are plenty more between those two artists alone, and the idea of embracing experiments and trying new things can be applied to artists at any level and perhaps that is most important to remember.
LABEL
We’re throwing this one out to any and all indies that in these crazy times still start up, try new ideas, embrace new technology, and support true artists. The majors with all their cash and resources have never looked more helpless or lost.
MAGAZINE
Wired
The best music magazine you ask? Well for all out music coverage, maybe not – but in a time of great change in the industry Wired has been one of the best sources of stories and general coverage of issues related to the music industry today. It should come as no shock [if you have been playing attention to what's happening in the real world as related to music] that the best music coverage came from a tech focused magazine.
In recent issues they have interviewed Beck, NIN, Thom Yorke and featured David Byrne’s Survival Strategies for Emerging Artists — and Megastars. All artists with decade plus careers still experimenting, pushing boundaries, remaining relevant and aware of the times.
With coverage also mentioning: Sellaband, Terry McBride, Pitchfork and plenty more.
Honorable Mention: Paste
Not only having a CD sampler with each issue, but covering a wide range of music, they tried a pay what you want experiment of their own last year [sadly for US customers only], and then offered free gift subscriptions as well.
Double.Zero (0.0)
The Worst of the Worst in 2007:
This year gave us so many options it was really one of the toughest calls to make, so instead of leaving it to anyone company or individual, all the following people and/or organizations have plenty to learn in 2008:
SoundExchange – these are the people couldn’t find Public Enemy to pay them. But they did much worse last year than offer pathetic excuses regarding their inability on that point.
Doug Morris [representing all major label CEOs]–
“But I am not going to allow any of the people to infringe upon the rights of these artists and songwriters. That’s my job”. Doug Morris
That was cut and pasted from an interview with Mr. Morris on Reuters, and came be found in his response to the last question. Typo, misplaced punctuation, young music downloading intern transcribing, who knows. I don’t care really as I think it aptly fits.
“These devices [mp3 players] are just repositories for stolen music, and they all know it,” UMG chairman/CEO Doug Morris says. “So it’s time to get paid for it.”
“Its interesting that the record business doesn’t get any sympathy” – Doug Morris
Then there is also this embarrassing interview conducted with Wired. A must read if you have not seen it yet.
RIAA – where would we start really?
All the major labels – due to their ties to the RIAA alone, but the lack of innovation, waste and excess, and general cluelessness amounts to more than enough reason to wish them a quick demise to be replaced by rising indies.
Thanks for reading over the past year, I am already looking forward to doing this post next year now and seeing who stands out as an innovator – will Guy Hands shine or sink – what new companies are about to rise out of obscurity and change the way the industry works – if any -and what will artists do this year? Paul McGuinness has kicked off the year in fine style with his attempt to earn a Double.Zero placing for this year.
Should Will be an interesting year.
These are amazing times!!
Related posts:
< ![CDATA[Awww shucks...I'd like to thank God, the Academy, and CBC for not sending me any C&D e-mails!]]>
< ![CDATA[hahaha - I don't think I would have thought this years ago, but today the Ceeb may actually be "cool" (or at least some aspects of the corporation are). May wonders never cease.]]>
< ![CDATA[[...] Hell no - I am looking forward to seeing what comes of this. Even with the above description I am not certain what this will entail or result in but in case you missed it, in my inaugural Quiet Revolutionary awards I noted Wired as the Music Magazine of the Year for their focus on innovation in the music industry. The chance to be part of any project connected to Wired is thus pretty exciting for me. Will keep you posted as I can. [...] ]]>