Let me beging right away by stating that I did enjoy this album. +Justin Timberlake 's new LP is by any objective standard a solid album, and probably the best released in 2013 so far.
That said, the title is deceptive, and not indicitive of the feel of the album. Knowing that this is in fact an album from the veteran Mr. Timberlake, it feels highly calculated and carefully produced; a more apt name would be "Under the Microscope," or "Up Close Blues," something that captured the blusey Memphis feel of the album, yet notes the careful crafting of the music and lyrics.
The JT that we have all become familiar with, the upbeat dance/club hits, the "Winner," "Carryout," "Sexyback," "Summer Love," "Seniorita," "Rock Your Body," +Justin Timberlake is nowhere to be found on this album. This can be viewed as growth, artistic liberty in creating a time piece (my personal theory), or too much worry over perfection, which I believe is the conclusion many will come to.
It seems that Justin was looking to do something new and different with this album; a buttoned-up ode to his roots. The music clearly follows this theme with the Memphis blues undertones, and the lengthy, cinematic movement to each track. My only complaint to this formula comes in the form of a "Futuresex/Lovesounds" Flashback. Someone in the studio got nostalgic with "Mirrors," and borrowed the split-track theme; something I feel should have been left with the previous LP.
Overall, my 20/20 experience was a great one, but given that we waited 6 1/2 years for it, I can't help but wonder what Mr. Timberlake is holding back. I'm sorry, but after that long of a hiatus, you can't tell me that the upbeat, funloving, grown-up kid that has continually taken us on a dancefloor tour with his pop-prowess doesn't have a set of tracks for the club packed away. No way. I'm calling it now; we've got a Nelly Suit/Sweat situation going on right here. I'll let you infer which album this one is.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Monday, March 18, 2013
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
The Death of Media Ownership
Perhaps the consumer in me still feels the sting of having invested in MiniDisc. I still have unwrapped blanks packed away, somewhere. But I never bought into the whole BlueRay phase. I was as convinced as I am now that this phase was a sandbag by the movie studios to attempt one last gasp at yet another media format before everything went digital. Last week I saw a commercial for a movie that was being released to the small screens, touting that it was avaialble for "Direct Digital Download in HD." You could hear the manufacturing press at the BlueRay plant come to a grinding halt. But the shift in media to an all-digital format brings with it a complementary change in consumer habit; a change in which the way they consume and pay for media.
I bought my last DVD in 2004. Sure, I have The Hangover (which was a gift) and a few others that may have crept in, but in 2004 I picked up one of those Blockbuster monthly passes and began burning everything I rented, effectively keeping my rental library in-house. I was paying a monthly amount that the studios were getting, so what should they care if I have access to a huge library of my favorites at a moment's notice? Then came Netflix and in 2005 I bid Blockbuster adieu, as Netflix was cheaper and offered me more rentals at once.
I was introduced to the Netflix streaming service in 2007, as I attempted to catch-up on the series, Heroes. I would watch episode upon episode at my desk at home on my laptop. After some clicking around, then I just had to catch up on The Office, and I was hooked.
Fast Forward to 2013. Sure, the streaming services are not yet perfect across the major competitors, and not all titles are available yet, but by and large, monthly subscription services are obliterating DVD sales. And when I can't yet access a title at Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, or another subscription service, there's always Video on Demand to pick up the remaining slack for something I may want to see. Ownership of Video media, physical or digital, is quickly losing its utility with popularity not far behind.
But music had been different. Napster started the digital media revolution and helped me get my initial taste for mp3s and all they could be for an audiofile. I could even load them onto my MiniDisc. My massive CD library could now be digital and turn into any number of mixes. And I've subsequently doubled my library with digital purchases, as well. The last physical album I bought was The Documentary. But even with a library of 10,000+, I've finally found myself wondering if I should begin relying on subscription music services.
The cloud has completely changed the game in this arena, and given the amount of segmentation from music software producers, consumers have been left at a technological disadvantage. By that, I mean that the technology exists to integrate cloud software across IP addresses that all access a single music library, but we consumers aren't granted this access due to corporate rivalries. Case-in-Point: I like to listen to my library in a rather "even" fashion-- no song is listened to too often. Therefore, I like to make playlists based on a "Last Played" basis. However, syncing this information to my library from my phone, iPad, iPod, and computer (and potentially car?) is all but impossible. To make matters worse, I regularly have issues with the "Last Played" syncing just from mu iPod to my PC, and even gaining access to a library that is supposedly shared accross my home network via the iPad is impossble. So the verdict, other than that Apple is Fired, is that a cloud-based subscription streaming service may provide the missing link. Sure, it costs some cash, but if I stop purchasing my music for ownership and instead purchase it for listenership, then everything should be a wash, just as it has with DVDs.
By the end of 2013, we may see the end of media ownership as we know it. Will they even be making DVD/BlueRay players this time next year? Will they even have a CD section in the electronics department, anymore?
I bought my last DVD in 2004. Sure, I have The Hangover (which was a gift) and a few others that may have crept in, but in 2004 I picked up one of those Blockbuster monthly passes and began burning everything I rented, effectively keeping my rental library in-house. I was paying a monthly amount that the studios were getting, so what should they care if I have access to a huge library of my favorites at a moment's notice? Then came Netflix and in 2005 I bid Blockbuster adieu, as Netflix was cheaper and offered me more rentals at once.
I was introduced to the Netflix streaming service in 2007, as I attempted to catch-up on the series, Heroes. I would watch episode upon episode at my desk at home on my laptop. After some clicking around, then I just had to catch up on The Office, and I was hooked.
Fast Forward to 2013. Sure, the streaming services are not yet perfect across the major competitors, and not all titles are available yet, but by and large, monthly subscription services are obliterating DVD sales. And when I can't yet access a title at Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, or another subscription service, there's always Video on Demand to pick up the remaining slack for something I may want to see. Ownership of Video media, physical or digital, is quickly losing its utility with popularity not far behind.
But music had been different. Napster started the digital media revolution and helped me get my initial taste for mp3s and all they could be for an audiofile. I could even load them onto my MiniDisc. My massive CD library could now be digital and turn into any number of mixes. And I've subsequently doubled my library with digital purchases, as well. The last physical album I bought was The Documentary. But even with a library of 10,000+, I've finally found myself wondering if I should begin relying on subscription music services.
The cloud has completely changed the game in this arena, and given the amount of segmentation from music software producers, consumers have been left at a technological disadvantage. By that, I mean that the technology exists to integrate cloud software across IP addresses that all access a single music library, but we consumers aren't granted this access due to corporate rivalries. Case-in-Point: I like to listen to my library in a rather "even" fashion-- no song is listened to too often. Therefore, I like to make playlists based on a "Last Played" basis. However, syncing this information to my library from my phone, iPad, iPod, and computer (and potentially car?) is all but impossible. To make matters worse, I regularly have issues with the "Last Played" syncing just from mu iPod to my PC, and even gaining access to a library that is supposedly shared accross my home network via the iPad is impossble. So the verdict, other than that Apple is Fired, is that a cloud-based subscription streaming service may provide the missing link. Sure, it costs some cash, but if I stop purchasing my music for ownership and instead purchase it for listenership, then everything should be a wash, just as it has with DVDs.
By the end of 2013, we may see the end of media ownership as we know it. Will they even be making DVD/BlueRay players this time next year? Will they even have a CD section in the electronics department, anymore?
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Calling the Music Industry to Task
It's midway through April, and I'm sure you've noticed. There is a distinct lack of decent new music right now. I should clarify what I mean by new-- an album released in 2012. This means that the Rihanna, the T-Pain, the Weezy, the Yeezy, Drake, Taylor Swift, and even the Gotye that are currently getting spins were all released for our ears during the year 2011. All the great talent in the music industry, and nobody wants to release an album during a time when there has literally been no competition for new content. It came as quite a shock as I downloaded Roman Reloaded, pulled up the iTunes playlist, and noticed that this was the first album with a 2012 tag.
Needless to say, it caused me a moment of disappointment in the music industry when I thought of all of the talent that's due for something new, but all there has been is silence. The foremost of which had better get his friggin' arse into the booth as soon as his honeymoon is over, because even when I checked over with my friends at Metacritic, Justin Timberlake is still nowhere on the upcoming releases list.
That disappointing news aside, I was pleasantly surprised to see the lineup of new releases for the rest of 2012 from names of familiar artists, and I'm sure that the following list will be further enhanced by some new talent that comes onto the scene as the year unfolds. As of now, information available on Metacritic suggests the following probable release dates....
Needless to say, it caused me a moment of disappointment in the music industry when I thought of all of the talent that's due for something new, but all there has been is silence. The foremost of which had better get his friggin' arse into the booth as soon as his honeymoon is over, because even when I checked over with my friends at Metacritic, Justin Timberlake is still nowhere on the upcoming releases list.
That disappointing news aside, I was pleasantly surprised to see the lineup of new releases for the rest of 2012 from names of familiar artists, and I'm sure that the following list will be further enhanced by some new talent that comes onto the scene as the year unfolds. As of now, information available on Metacritic suggests the following probable release dates....
Upcoming Album Release Calendar
All dates are for U.S. releases unless otherwise noted. Release dates are subject to change, and often do.
| Jason Mraz | Love Is A four Letter Word | |
| SWV | I Miss Us | |
| Train | California 37 | |
| B.o.B | Strange Clouds | |
| Carrie Underwood | Blown Away | |
| Marilyn Manson | Born Villain | |
| Norah Jones | Little Broken Hearts | |
| Pennywise | All Or Nothing | |
| Chris Brown | Fortune | |
| Santana | Shape Shifter | |
| Tenacious D | Rize of the Fenix | |
| Joey Ramone | ...Ya Know? | [Posthumous release] |
| John Mayer | Born and Raised | |
| Slash | Apocalyptic Love | [Former Guns N' Roses guitarist] |
| Usher | Looking For Myself | |
| Kenny Chesney | [Title TBA] | |
| Smashing Pumpkins | Oceania | |
| Maroon 5 | Overexposed | |
| Ludacris | Ludaversal | |
| Green Day | Uno! | {Part of a trilogy of albums] |
| Green Day | Dos! | {Part of a trilogy of albums] |
| Green Day | Tre! | {Part of a trilogy of albums] |
Anticipated Future Releases
These albums do not yet have a firm release date, but are in various stages of development. If an artist appears multiple times, that means multiple albums by that artist are forthcoming.
| Aerosmith | [Title TBA] | Summer 2012 |
| Birdman and Lil Wayne | Like Father, Like Son 2 | Winter 2012 |
| Brandy | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Busta Rhymes | E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event) 2: End of the World | 2012 |
| Dr. Dre | Detox | 2012 |
| D'Angelo | James River | 2012 |
| Elton John | The Diving Board | Fall 2012 |
| Eve | Lip Lock | 2012 |
| Fabolous | Loso’s Way 2 | 2012 |
| Far*East Movement | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Janet Jackson | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Justin Bieber | Believe | 2012 |
| Lil Wayne | I Am Not A Human Being 2 | 2012 |
| Linkin Park | [Title TBA] | Summer 2012 |
| Lupe Fiasco | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Matchbox Twenty | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Missy Elliott | [Title TBA] | Jun 2012 |
| Mumford & Sons | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Muse | [Title TBA] | Fall 2012 |
| Nelly Furtado | Lifestyle | Summer 2012 |
| No Doubt | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Pearl Jam | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| Phoenix | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| The Killers | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| The Offspring | [Title TBA] | 2012 |
| The-Dream | Love IV MMXII | May 2012 |
| Timbaland | [Title TBA] | Jun 2012 |
After seeing this list, I decided a couple of months with nothing new will definitely be more than offset by what's to come for the rest of the year. Should be a great year for music!
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