Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Friday Music: Outwards and Upwards

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  • "chris", in reply to "chris",

    if she can get the money from those videos on Youku, then I think she’ll be alright for taxi rides.

    Sounds like a bit of an if there Chris, Post number 1 New Zealand record and yet, from the Huffington Post interview published just a couple of days back:

    "My card got declined the other day when I was buying [food from] Subway. And I thought, I totally have to Instagram this

    as you do

    because I think people I have lots of money now or have this super cool life,"

    I think the bit I liked best was:

    It’s never really been my intention to “break a market” or whatever. My focus has been to make art –

    …indeed, in a very authentic American accent. killing it.

    it’s a new art form showing…and talk it up like yeah

    Yeah! Majestic stuff. I can’t work out if it’s the ‘beauty queen’ americanisms or the fact that here we have 50 year olds tripping over themselves to laud Lorde but either way it smells of pizza. 26 RMB mini pizza, which isn’t a bad deal come to think of it.

    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to "chris",

    Of course it's a big if. Of the multitudes who try, how many actually do make it big in music, or any other artform?

    I like the two songs of hers I've heard, in what I've read about her she comes across as far more mature, intelligent, learned and generally "with it" than I lot of adults I've met, let alone 16-year olds, and now there's a way she can get at least some money out of the China market, including from China's rampant IPR violations. So good luck to her.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • "chris", in reply to Chris Waugh,

    how many actually do make it big in music, or any other artform?

    Hard to know, quite difficult to care too, Milli Vanilli made it big in music. My feeling here is that less rather than more press would possibly help with the authenticity drum she's banging. Whether someone comes across well or not in a newspaper, I don't know, John Key, absolute cockroach that he is, has come across marvellously at times, conversely this site's only Booker prize winner grabbed my attention with one response to another poster, namely:

    "You are fucking stupid"

    so it's neither here nor there for me. But it would be nice to know she was being fairly remunerated for her shillery, and that accent.

    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • "chris",



    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • "chris",

    And if I have one at all, my point, I guess; our society highly esteems those masters of American vernacular pandering to the US, the well trained conducting magnificent press while selling God knows what to the Chinese, all in the name of authenticity. Our country, arguably has exactly the leaders it deserves.

    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to "chris",

    I think you may be over-analysing this. I saw Lorde's videos on Youku, thought she's probably not getting any money out of them when Youku's clearly raking in the cash from Pizza Hutt, which seems a bit rude, then learnt that actually, there is a way she could be getting at least a bit of money from Youku.

    And yeah, I quite liked the songs I heard. Just for comparison's sake, I did a Baidu Music search for Justin Bieber, the only other teen pop star whose name I could remember, and very quickly closed that tab.

    I don't know the current state of NZ music at all, but I do remember when NZ music sounded and just felt different from it's US, Aus, Canadian and UK cousins, and that was nice.

    As for selling stuff to the Chinese, we certainly do need to diversify beyond milk powder, university degrees and the occasional bit of meat that keeps getting held up in port - especially considering Fonterra's inability to handle food safety issues properly.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • John Armstrong,

    Very sad to hear about Chris Sheehan. Too Many Dogs still sits as a dark little diamond in my music collection.

    Hamilton • Since Nov 2007 • 136 posts Report Reply

  • "chris", in reply to Chris Waugh,

    I think you may be over-analysing this.

    That'd be about right ;)

    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg, in reply to "chris",

    Sounds like a bit of an if there Chris, Post number 1 New Zealand record and yet, from the Huffington Post interview published just a couple of days back:

    Not sure anything of any substance would’ve flowed through from that NZ hit. Firstly you make bugger all from a hit single in NZ. We simply don’t have the market volumes to make someone happy just from that. It probably cost way more to make than it would generate.

    Which takes us to the next part of the equation – how much has been spent getting her to this place? Recordings, video, grooming and a thousand other things all cost lots of money, and it all comes out before she sees cash from her performance. That cost is probably growing daily at the moment as she tries to break the US, and the volumes of sales in the US market are back in freefall again so….

    Where she will get money is a publishing deal (the songwriting) but she has a smart manager so I’m betting that’s on the auction block right now and bids are coming in.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to "chris",

    tripping over themselves to laud Lorde

    Dude, she's the first musician to ever have 4 songs charting in our NZ top 20 at the same time. Ever.

    And first solo woman since 1997 in the top 10 of the US Billboard Alt chart.

    Recognising her talent and success is hardly a unique sport. It's fine to celebrate a creative young Kiwi. It's OK to sell music to Americans as part of getting it to more people's ears. She has probably influenced more people already than you or I ever will. That deserves respect, not sneering.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • "chris",

    With all that to account for I hope the winds blow in the right direction Simon, that's one hell of a burden for a 16 year old to carry.

    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • "chris", in reply to Sacha,

    It’s fine to celebrate a creative young Kiwi.

    And it’s fine not to Sacha. I’m far more partial to Lorde’s own appraisal of her work as her Art than to this sport; first whatever in whatever competition since whenever. That is far more reductive of her creative virtuosity, than critiquing her accent and elements of her content. From that post It’s almost as if she’s little more than a female dart to you Sacha, accruing bonuses and clocking up medallions. While her card is declined at Subway, and she's used to sell us chicken. Sure I sneer at that system, at her handlers, at that marketing team. I sneer as I eat the chicken she is being exploited to sell me. My respect for that is absolutely zero.

    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to "chris",

    don't be a dick.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • "chris",

    OK!

    location, location, locat… • Since Dec 2010 • 250 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    Russell, you might like this version of 'grapevine' if you've not already heard it:

    http://soundcloud.com/russky6987/heard-it-through-the-grapevine

    Will be spinning this in a weeks time at my gathering of the clans. If that doesn't light up the dancefloor, they're all dead to me.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Caleb D'Anvers,

    I guess I'm too old -- or too young -- to be Lorde's target audience. It just sounds like shoe-store music to me. That it's already being used to mass-market fast food seems entirely appropriate.

    This week, on the other hand, has been all about the new True Widow release. As someone put it over at Metafilter, "such good fuzzy sludgery":

    London SE16 • Since Mar 2008 • 482 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Rich Lock,

    Will be spinning this in a weeks time at my gathering of the clans. If that doesn’t light up the dancefloor, they’re all dead to me.

    Excellent. Enjoy yourself, as I am sure you will.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Hey, last night I listened to and purchased a copy of Evolver, Matthew Bannister’s cover album of the Beatles’ Revolver.

    It was recorded by Ed Cake in Auckland and Hamilton, and it’s remarkable. I’ll have something about it in next week’s music post.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP,

    Speaking of local talent going international, any love for The Veils round here?

    I for one am looking forward to hearing these tracks, and others, live tonight, if not the crush of the Studio, which yet again seems a strange choice of venue. They sold out tonight, and have put another on tomorrow, which I believe still has tickets.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Brown, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    My understanding is it something the majors do for their own pockets and only applies to the recording, ie. the songwriters don't get paid.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2013 • 137 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    John Key, absolute cockroach that he is, has come across marvellously at times,

    If you like being lied to while being smiled at

    conversely this site’s only Booker prize winner grabbed my attention with one response to another poster, namely:

    “You are fucking stupid”

    Knows 'er words and their usage then

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Caleb D'Anvers,

    That it's already being used to mass-market fast food seems entirely appropriate

    An unrelated mass-channel Tube site slapped a fried chicken advert in front of her clip. Oooh.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Well, it was beautiful music to me--the final hooter as the Chiefs beat the Crusaders 20 to 19 tonight, One of the best games I have seen at the Waikato Stadium,

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Geoff Lealand,

    you free-to-air spoiler, you

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand, in reply to Sacha,

    Sorry!

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

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