I know that I'm not the only one noticing this but isn't music just getting better?  The days of everything 3 chords and simple punk is diminishing.  We're now starting to get some sophisticated music from some very good bands.  So much so, that I'm starting to feel a surge of interest in paying closer attention to emerging bands.  In short, I'm getting the kind of excitement that I used to have full-tilt back in the glory days.

Talent is increasing.  More and more music is coming out with a layering of quality that we haven't seen in years, decades even.  To become something different, new bands have listened to older music and have drawn influence from them.  Punk is becoming passe.  To be someone now, you have to have a little better grasp of music than the three chords we were inundated with years earlier.  It's easy to learn those and, with a little talent, create an album's worth of largely throw-away tracks with maybe one 'hit' attached.  Not anymore.  It pays to be something musically better with a farther reach than current punk has.

I'm heartened by what I've been hearing these last 12 months.  And it's getting better.  I am finding myself actually drawing close to bands and following their developing careers.  I get the albums but I don't really need them.  Songs do the job easily enough.  If the band is REALLY good, all of those songs will be solid. 

Last post, we wrote up a little piece on how the large labels could begin to restructure away from albums and concentrate on songs, using them to develop a band and finding an audience for them.  It could be a very lucrative shift for labels once they figure that we're leaving a once predominate album culture behind for the quick thrill of a song.  Hell, songs don't even have the shelf life that they used to.  Many are 'of the moment,' here today-gone tomorrow variety.  But that doesn't really matter anymore.  Songs are the currency of the industry now, not albums. 

I received several email from readers commenting on my post. Both put a tighter perspectives on it.*  The realities are here.  Sell the song, use the album to collect those songs, call them period pieces of a band.  An example?  Let's say The ExampleBand puts out a song and it does decent business.  The label could enter into an agreement with them to 'lease' the song digitally, and push it like the days of the 45s.  If it sells well, get more from this band and release them over a year period.  If someone wants the collection of tracks, give the collection a name, and resell the period comp.  Do this with thousands of bands.  Hire a ton of “scouts,” put them into the field to not only scan the internet exhaustively, but catch those acts live and in their regional environment.  If they're good, work out the agreements, use the marketing muscle labels have, and begin to sell, sell, sell.  If  a band does great with say, 9 songs, you've got something to monetize.  The concerts become greatest hits shows because songs have been marketed that way.  This could be the labels' vaccine to a slumping market.  Who knows.

This is a new era.  Time to step away and become the next locator and distributor of music because otherwise its a hard business to find all that is good out there.  Anyone who thinks that labels are dinosaurs doesn't understand the massive digital logjam that is out there.  We cannot possibly find and enjoy the great music that is being produced.  It's a mountain of music unlike the early years of Rock.  We need something to weed it out and find the best.  Labels can get back to this kind of usefulness.  Get back in touch with the music and they make themselves essential once again.  Which of the Big 5 are going to adapt first?

I love music.  It deserves better than this.  And I want to resume building a collection even if I do this differently than I used to. Shedding the skin, I'm stepping into the new era of music completely.

* "Sadly, it does look like we're in the era of the "single" again instead of the "long play" format but your suggestion is great. The major labels need to get their development teams to start digging through submitted demos and hanging out in bars and clubs to find talent.  Then they need to start making deals with the artists on small batches of music with the intention of selling the songs as singles as oppsed to a multi-album deal over multiple years. 

They can spend very little to do this because in these days of very sophisticated home recording capability alot of bands are sitting on near "release quality" demos but don't have the channels to get them on the radio or large download sites.  Almost every unsigned band I see has a CD-r for sale.  The labels could step up and buy or lease the rights to these existing recording (or make a profit sharing agreement that allows the band to retain the ownership of the publishing).  That way they don't have to pay out a bunch of money up front and they can market it through their existing relationships with iTunes, Amazon etc.  If they strike gold with an artist and sell a respectable amount of multiple songs then they could market EPs or LPs on CD as a more "durable" format for people who want to own a physical product."

and

"Very interesting article today.  I tend to agree with a lot of what you said.  I think, though, that the problem isn't so much the record labels as it is that artists conceive of their work in terms of bodies of work.  You mention that when you talk about ambient music and not being able to excerpt a single song out of an album.  But it is more a matter of economics, in that in the past record labelswouldn't put their financial resources behind an artist or a group based on just a song or two, that they  had to have a ten or twelve song album to market, to milk, that could be performed on tour, etc.  Of course now everything is turned around.  Artists make CDs so they can go on tour to support them, they tour to sell CDs.  But the labels can't seem to get their collective heads around the fact that it MIGHT make sense to do things differently.  What you suggest is only one of the different approaches that might make sense!"

Tori Amos has graciously provided a free download of a song from her new album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin (out May 19th). The song is "Maybe California" and can be had by clicking on the song link, which takes you to Tori Amos' site. We hope you enjoy the gift. There are also a free ringtone of the song as well as a video.

We have a few pics of Britney Spears from her Circus tour. All shots are by Sarah Hunt. They are great shots to look at.

We'll catch you on Monday, perhaps with a new Poll.

Hip-O Select, in conjunction with Motown, will release a 2CD Expanded edition of then popular Cooleyhighharmoney album by Boyz II Men on May 26.  This set features re-sequencing that returns the album to the original sequence order, putting the '93 bonus cuts at the END of the original album.  In addition, a second disc gathers remixes, most not found on their The Remix Collection (1995), and two remixes not released in the US of “Under Pressure.”  Plus, there are two newly discovered tracks from those sessions that are included as well.  For fans of Cooleyhighharmony (1991), this is a thrill acquisition.

Hip-O Select with Polydor will release The Singles, Volume Seven (1970-1972) for James Brown.  This 2CD/39-track set is slated for release on May 26.

Universal Motown and Custard Records will release the S/T debut album for Crash Kings on May 26.  You can listen to the band at their MySpace page.

As noted in our pages before, Fantasy Records will release two Creedence Clearwater Revival albums on May 26.  One is a collection of their cover tunes recorded throughout their stabilized original lineup career.  That album collection is called Creedence Clearwater Revival Covers the Classics, and will include songs like “The Midnight Special,” “Suzie Q,” “I Put a Spell on You,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” and others.  The second is a re-mastered reissue of their 1970 Live album, The Concert. 

Verve Forecast will release the debut album of Elizabeth and The Catapult called Taller Children on LP format with a coupon for a DD of the tracks.  One of the songs is a re-recording of Leonard Cohen's “Everybody Know.”  Hear the band at their MySpace page.  The LP is scheduled for May 26.

Trini Lopez will be featured in an upcoming PBS special called Trini Lopez Presents The Latin Legends.  To honour this event, Fuel Records will release a 15-track collection called El Immortal, which will feature 11 new songs and 4 bonus 'best of' tracks including a new version of “Sugar Sugar” in Spanish.  This is released on May 26.

Universal will release the new Marilyn Manson album (reuniting with Twiggy Ramirez) on May 26.  The new album is called The High End of Low and will be released in standard CD (with 15 tracks), and a 2CD Special Edition with six bonus tracks that include a Teddy Bears remix of “Arma...Geddon.”

Fania Records is reissuing a re-mastered Puente in Percussion (1956) by Latin master, Tito Puente.  The album is slated for May 26. Remember that on May 12, Fania will also release the 2CD Volume 4 of The Complete '78s (1949-1955) for Tito Puente. Lots of Puente coming your way this month.

A reasonably priced 'best of' is being issued for The Rembrandts on Fuel Records, planned for May 26.  This 14-track album is being called Choice Picks.

If you're a Primal Scream (UK) fan, then know that Rhino will be releasing the band's 2008 UK release, Beautiful Future, in DD format ONLY. You can download your copy on iTunes now with a bonus song.

Eagle Rock is releasing a 2CD collection of assorted Rory Gallagher tracks, live and studio. The album is called Crest of a Wave: The Best of Rory Gallagher and is planned for July 7.

Eagle Rock will also release a Live title from Ted Nugent called Motor City Mayhem in CD/DVD/BD (Blu-ray) formats, all on June 30.

We understand that Universal will make a Box available for ALL 14 of the upcoming Rolling Stones Remasters. Watch for that.

Roadrunner Records plan to release Love is Gone by Dommin, scheduled for July 14.

Sweet is a bot of a unique band having worked within the boundaries of so many styles, and finding success in several of them. Hard Rock, Pop, Glam, they did it all. This 2CD Anthology collects all of the great Sweet tunes with some bonus stuff thrown in to make this set one to have. Action: The Sweet Anthology is classic Rock in its most interesting form.

Mick Fleetwood is no stranger to anyone, having helmed the popular band that generated many hits and still holds a sway over fans of that iteration of the band. what many do NOT know is that Fleetwood Mac was a band that enjoyed several lineups that produced music different from each other. Before that, Mick Fleetwood was involved within the Blues/Rock community - heavily. This Live album is a step back into that wondrous period with some surprises. Blue Again, the title of this album reflects this journey.

The female-fronted Orchid Thieves hails from the UK (don't confuse them with the Canadian and NYC bands of the same name variations), where it currently delivers it's brand of Rock not unlike The Pretenders except with stronger vocals. The music is reminiscent of an earlier time and yet they remain very relevant to the kind of emerging musical style that it coming from the always fertile musical climate of the UK. I highly recommend them to you. I am providing links to their Facebook page and their MySpace page, where you should find plenty of music to enjoy from this new band. Soon, they will release their debut album. We hope that they will do well. You can also follow their Twitter feeds.

Check out their posted songs, especially "After Tomorrow." They will be releasing an EP in a few months.