The
Beginning:
Written by TheMFE
The creation of knottwire’s blog is a result of motivation;
its purpose will present itself in due time. The Editors know
that a greater good is out there – somewhere –
but, right now, we’re in it for the journey. We can’t
say what our ultimate influence will be, if any, on the industry,
but we do know that we are compelled to profile artists and
professionals in the biz that matter. Or will matter. Or should
matter.
Of course, why should you care what we think? You don’t
have to – but we hope you recognize that our perspective
is atypical for multi-genre music Web sites, and that we approach
our subjects with no agenda other than letting you know what’s
out there.
Our childhoods were very urban, but we knew to look beyond
the music and sociologies presented to us by our parents,
teachers – and the mainstream media.
So, that’s our motivation: Motivation, itself.
If you wonder what motivates us:
We think, for example, that it is a red-alert that there are
still consumers who actually think FM-radio DJs determine
playlists – that they individually play whatever songs
they autonomously choose.
Do you think we really would’ve heard Justin Timberlake’s
“Sexyback” in unrelenting rotation if it were
up to a radio-jock working a four- to six-hour shift? Timberlake
is certainly poised to be a long-timer, an artist whose best
music, we project, is still ahead of him. And – OK,
we’ll admit: “Sexyback” was a hot lil’
cut, but being reminded of it twice, sometimes three times
within an hour is obnoxious.
Knottwire recently posted a well-regarded Q&A with Alicia
Keys producer, Krucial.
We were glad to do it; however, the flip-side is that he just
happens to be the guy who produced what just happens to be
the hit record that irrefutably eclipses “Sexyback”
in the too-damn-overplayed department: The gem, “No
One.” Too much of a very good thing, unfortunately.
Our pride in the Krucial interview is in the merits of his
work. Much love for him.
Our beef is with the suits who muzzle other gems.
As music-downloading continues to cement its inevitable rank
as the sole, preferred avenue for music consumers to get their
tunes, it puzzles us that radio-programmers continue to offer
narrow playlists. In the era of booming ‘net stations,
they still aren’t getting on board.
Maybe they have no reason to.
Who’s listening to FM-radio these days, anyway? It’s
not every high-schooler, as it was back in the day –
“the day,” relatively speaking, meaning pre-Internet
time.
It’s the American day-jobber, which conceivably comprises
the core-audience that could keep radio afloat.
Not that they have a choice:
More workplaces are blocking streaming content; many disallow
media-downloads. This trend is due largely to preventing security
risks to network-servers – or that somebody got busted
wankin’ to inappropriate material on a company PC.
Well, wankers: FM radio thanks you.
For the day-jobber who prefers a non-predictable, expansive
playlist – he or she can either bring in their own CD-mixes,
or they just cave and listen-while-they-work.
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