The new Lady Gaga video with Beyonce came out last week, and I was just now able to sit down and watch the whole thing – the explicit version, which I didn’t know exactly what I was getting myself into by clicking the little play arrow.

I’m still not sure what I think of the whole thing. Shocked, that’s the first feeling that comes to mind. I know MTV no longer plays music videos, and the whole music video idea seems to have faded out to some extent. But what Lady Gaga and Beyonce have done is much more than simply a music video; It’s a short film. It’s nearly ten minutes long to start, and I’m kind of left thinking about their motivation for the project.

Billboard had the following to say about it: “Lady Gaga and Beyoncé unveiled the video for their “Telephone” collaboration on Thursday night (Mar. 11), and it more than measures up to the hype. Directed by Gaga’s “Paparazzi” video helmer Jonas Akerlund, the “Telephone” clip is chock full of intrigue, prison fights, makeout scenes, mass poisoning and plenty of skin-baring versions of what you might call “outfits” (if strategically placed caution tape counts as such).”

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Time Out Chicago have just claimed that a ‘trustworthy industry source’ has given them the lowdown on the Lollapalooza headliners for this upcoming summer’s show. Apparently the main acts will include: Strokes, Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, Green Day, Soundgarden… and Phoenix.

“Aside from Phoenix, all acts had been previously named by Greg Kot on his blog back in February. The French band would take a major leap to the big leagues if this shakes out. Having seem Thomas Mars and co. thrill a packed Aragon, I can see it happening, despite the knee-jerk take that it is not popular enough.

I’m a fan of Phoenix, and their show at Chicago’s Aragon Theatre was very good. It’s thanks to events such as Lollapalooza that the ‘maybe’ headliners get their time at the top of the bill, let alone how many new bands get their first taste of a US festival. Phoenix, made up of four guys from Paris, have enjoyed huge success with their ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ album; it has been hugely popular here with a wide range of fans, and several of the tracks have been deservedly huge hits. Check out some video here…

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John Mayer: what can you say. Personally he drives me nuts and I would rather do almost anything else than have to listen to him. However, in addition to the sound of his voice making me cringe, Mr. Mayer has made a few very public missteps as of late.

“John Mayer did some damage control on his Twitter [recently], apologizing for controversial statements he made in a “raw” interview with Playboy.” (Rolling Stone)

He got explicit with Playboy magazine, using some choice metaphors when speaking about his sex life with Jessica Simpson, as well as some dirty details regarding his preference for white women. He also described a “make out” session with Perez Hilton that he initiated. Enough said about that, though the two kinda seem made for each other…

However, the worst was still yet to come. In the interview that John gave with Playboy he continued on to reference a “hood pass” and renamed it using the ‘N’ word, which did not go over well at all.

It was that last statement and its fallout that had Mayer backpedaling. “I am sorry that I used the word. And it’s such a shame that I did because the point I was trying to make was in the exact opposite spirit of the word itself. It was arrogant of me to think I could intellectualize using it, because I realize that there’s no intellectualizing a word that is so emotionally charged,” Mayer tweeted. He added, “I think it’s time to stop trying to be so raw in interviews… It started as an attempt to not let the waves of criticism get to me, but it’s gotten out of hand and I’ve created somewhat of a monster. I wanted to be a blues guitar player. And a singer. And a songwriter. Not a shock jock. I don’t have the stomach for it.” Mayer also apologized during his concert last week in Nashville, which is available on Ustream.

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It has recently been announced that the wonderful Sia will be stopping by North America and Europe to sprinkle some of her musical magic dust as part of The We Meaning You Tour. Tickets are on sale now, and I am definitely heading along to the Chicago show on April 25th.

Tickets are selling out fast, with only a very limited number of VIP tickets left, so check out the list of US tour dates below and then hurry on over to SiaMusic.net to buy your tickets (EU dates also available via that link).

NORTH AMERICA

Check out the video below for Sia’s fantastic version of You’ve Changed, with her own unique quirky character shining though as strong as her epic voice. If you like what you hear you can also get a free download after the jump…

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Chicago-based indie rockers OK Go caused a sensation with the video for their 2006 song “Here It Goes Again”. The video featured a choreographed treadmill dance routine, and reached nearly 50 million views on Youtube, and inspired scores of remakes. The band became the perfect example of viral marketing in the new music industry.

So, any follow-up would be a tough task, and would need to be a pretty impressive video. “This Too Shall Pass” premiered yesterday, and has received some great reviews so far. The latest project collaborated with Syyn Labs on a two-story Rube Goldberg machine. The machine, constructed in a warehouse in Echo Park, keeps perfect time with the band’s latest single “This Too Shall Pass,” thrashing TV sets, dropping pianos, launching paper airplanes, blasting paint, and much more in spectacular synchronicity with the song. Check it out here at US Music Jobs.

What do you think of the video? Do you see it being another hit for the band? How relevant are music videos in the internet age? This will definitely inspire a further music video post from me, and I would like to hear your views.

Lee Jarvis.

To celebrate the video release, OK Go will be taking part in a concert fundraiser for LACMA Muse. Friday, March 5, 2010, LACMA West Penthouse, 8 pm–12 am. More info here.

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So they’ve re-done the massive hit “We are the world.” However, this new version has been met with much acclaim as well as criticism.

2010

1985

25 years after the original, the new version has attracted millions upon millions of views online, and 121,000 comments and counting. The song premiered during the opening ceremony for the Vancouver Olympics.

Beyonce and Jay-Z were invited to take part in the new version of the song, but declined. Jay-Z told MTV that the original version was too sacred to him. “I think ‘We Are the World’ is like [Michael Jackson's] ‘Thriller’ to me. I don’t ever wanna see it touched.” He added, “Some things are just untouchable. It was a valiant effort, but for me, it’s gonna be untouchable.”

Jay-Z’s point of view is easily understandable, and I’m sure many of the critics of the new version feel something similar. Others have also pointed out that there aren’t enough high-profile or A-list singers involved. And that the original was distinct while blending the voices involved. You knew exactly what artist was singing when.

Lionel Richie responded to the idea that this classic song should never have been messed with by saying: “What’s a classic? To the next generation, it’s just an old song,” he told USA Today. “Why not bring in Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers and let them address the issues? We can pass the baton and empower the next generation to take up arms and have a legacy with this.”

I understand and yet wholly disagree with Lionel on this point. I realize that with time things are often developed and improved upon. However, this song is truly a classic, associated with a particular place in time and history. It transcends generations and is truly a part of America’s music history. Lionel has taken the seemingly capitalist standpoint, and it seems greedy and a bit tawdry for such a poignant song to be highlighted by the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, and the auto tuning of Lil Wayne, and other rappers. Not to mention Lil Wayne is now in jail…

All in all, I think they should have left well enough alone, but that’s just my opinion. Check out both versions and let us know which you like better.

T. Lynn

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Last year I attended the University of Chicago MET Summit, and enjoyed not only the music panels, but all the technology discussions. Learning about other industries fuels your ideas for the music business, and crossover opportunities are everywhere in modern media. Technology has ignited, developed, bombarded and slaughtered the music industry several times over, and the current state is an exciting time to be involved in. You only have to look at the discussions happening at MIDEM to know that mobile device apps and video games are as much a part of the business as record sales and drainpipe jeans.

And so, this year I’m heading to Techvision 2010 at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business in Hyde Park, Chicago. Friday 26th February seeks to “drive home the game changing impact of technology to business minds across the industry and functional focus areas”. With panels such as Cloud Computing and Mobile Technology, not to mention a keynote from Senior VP at Warner Bros. Janet Pucino, appealing most to a music tech / music industry bod, I expect to hear and share ideas expecting to impact our work and passions over the next year. I know that UofC will provide a great forward-thinking entrepreneur aspect on top of the usual techy geekdom, and networking with some bright minds is always appealing.

If you are interested in attending also, registration details can be found here.

Lee Jarvis.

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Oh those Superbowl Ads…

There was quite an eclectic group of musicians and songs appearing throughout the Superbowl ads this past Sunday.  Looking back on it I was really shocked to find out just how many high profile artists and their songs were featured. In this BillBoard article you can see all of the commercials again that we’re about to talk about, as well as the full article.

“In between the New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl and the Who rocking the big halftime show, a few good commercials featured quality music or cameos by our favorite artists. Check out some of the best ads below, and visit Adweek for the full Super Bowl commercial lineup, quarter by quarter.”

I had a few personal favorites of course… Being a Chicagoan and remembering as a child (barely), the Chicago Bears winning the Superbowl in 1986 – the Boostmobile ad featuring some of the original members of that winning Bears crew, and a new twist on the original Superbowl Shuffle was quite funny.  Hey – I’ve still got the original on VHS…

Back to the major artists featured: There was Kiss featuring Mini-Kiss.  It was awesome to see Mini-Kiss with their counterparts while singing “Calling Dr. Love” was pretty ingenious.  How many tribute bands get to rock with the originals, and in such a high profile manner.  Mini-Kiss just got some serious exposure. The VW commercial was quite catchy too, and at the end when Stevie Wonder also spots a red VW as it drives by and gives Tracy Morgan a punch is priceless.  Go VW – I kinda wanna drive one now.

The car theme continues with Kia as they used Heavy’s “How You Like Me Now” showcasing the Sorento with Yo Gabba Gabba characters’ party trip.  Honda featured Kool & the Gang’s “Funky Stuff” while advertising the Honda Accord Crosstour. Audi, not to be outdone, joined the ranks and featured a revised version of Cheap Trick’s “Dream Police” as “Green Police;” to introduce the eco-friendly Audi A3 TDI.

Beyonce even joined in the fun on a commercial for Vizio. I really enjoy seeing all the artists or their music being reinvigorated through these ads.  The ads are a ton of fun themselves, and are primarily why I watch the Superbowl, but seeing so much of the music included in these ads this year, really made me stop and think.  It’s interesting that this idea of placing your music in advertising outlets or on TV shows used to be taboo – you were a sell out.  Now it’s readily acceptable as a means to get your music heard and/or as a way of creating another revenue stream for the business side of your art.  I’d much rather see these originals come back out than cruddy library tracks that don’t really make the connection or keep your attention like these tracks do.

All in all, I thought these were all great. Which ad was your favorite?

T.Lynn

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I’m a fan of Berkleemusic, the online school of the esteemed Berklee College of Music, and often read many of the great blogs from David Kusek, Mike King and co.

Berklee recently launched their Winter 2010 term with two new music marketing courses available; Online Music Marketing with Topspin (co-authored by King and Topspin’s Shamal Ranasinghe), and Online Music Marketing: Campaign Strategies, Social Media, and Digital Distribution.

Having studied several of their courses, I know that the Berkleemusic system is a good one, and these new courses have inspired me to sign up again next term.

In the fast-moving, ever-evolving new music industry, I see digital marketing strategies being of huge importance. Artists need to do as much groundwork as possible themselves, and when they cannot, know the correct people and resources to help. Being efficient at selling your music online, and building your fan base with social networking communities is critical for bands and musicians looking to make a living from their music and music-related activities.

Here, Mike King explains some of the Online Music Marketing course details and how you can use analytics to drive your career decisions.

Also worth mentioning is the course textbook, which is a great read even if you aren’t studying at Berkleemusic. Music Marketing: Press, Promotion, Distribution, and Retail is also written by King, and you can sample a free chapter here…

If anyone is taking the course this term, please let me know how you are getting on. If you are signed up for Spring 2010, I may well see you there!

Lee Jarvis

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Hey everyone,

We at US Music Jobs are excited to reintroduce our blog promotion. If you are an unpaid registered member of Music Jobs and own a blog or website, you can get one month of paid membership for FREE. Don’t have an account yet? Sign up, and get your profile running for free, here!

How does it work?

If you are a registered US Music Jobs member and you have a personal blog or website, this will be quite easy for you. Simply write in your blog about US Music Jobs and include a link to our site. A couple of possible blog post ideas include a short or detailed description of the site, how Music Jobs has helped you in your job hunt, an informative wiki-like profile of our site, or you can write a review about US Music Jobs.

If you don’t have a blog yet, there are plenty of free blog providers that you can join, including Blogger, Wordpress, TypePad, LiveJournal, and many more.

Have a website, but no blog? No problem! Just write about us on one of your pages, refer people back to us, and link back to our site.

You can link to the US Music Jobs Homepage (us.music-jobs.com) , but it may be more useful for your readers if you linked to the jobs board page at http://us.music-jobs.com/jobsboard.php. But, if you feel we have a page on our site more relevant to your readers, feel free to link back to that page instead (ie, the “About Us page“). (Remember, the link has to be clickable. To do this on most blogging platforms, highlight the text you want to make a link, click the icon that looks like a globe with a chain link in front of it, then press OK or DONE).

Once you have your blog post up, send us the following to usmj_promo@music-jobs.com:

1. Your Name and US Music Jobs username (click here to sign up for free)
2. Your website or blog’s URL with the posting about US Music Jobs

Also, if you know any artists or anyone in the music industry that is not with Music Jobs currently, why not tell them about this promotion? It’s a great opportunity for non members to try out our service at no cost. Just have them sign up for a free account at the freelancer registration page to get started!

This promotion will last from today, February 8, 2010 until , March 6, 2010. Members who qualify for the free one month’s subscription will be contacted by email.

Thanks, everyone!
US Music Jobs

Conditions and terms: URLs and links to US Music Jobs must be clickable. Links with the “no-follow” tag in the HTML are not considered eligible for the promotion. Please allow up to three business days for approval. Link and info must be posted outside of US Music Jobs. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other sites that use “no-folow” and framed browsing do not qualify. Only one free month subscription per member. Free month contingent on Music Jobs’s link presence for a minimum of 1 month on members’ blog/website. Please note that a new law requires you to disclose the fact that you are receiving something in return for a review on a blog (just mention that you are receiving a free month for your post).

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