Hello, and welcome to the inaugural edition of The Terrordome, in which yours truly will give you the rundown on the latest music business developments (and a little color commentary).

Paying attention to this stuff is actually part of my job, but if the CIA is letting their guys moonlight, why can’t I?

So here are some hot off-the-tubes headlines with a brief explanation about why you should care (or not).

• Is Streaming the Future of Music?
  I say yes. Then again, I live in a Jetsons-style home with all of my media served digitally through specially-equipped speakers that also allow me to listen to massive catalogs of music, streamed in high-quality, on-demand – all for a nominal fee. (Like 12 bucks a month for basically all the records in the world). The only problems with schemes like this is that the payout to artists is still pretty damn low (I know because my music is on these services and there’s not even a major label taking a cut) and the licensing costs to the services themselves are prohibitive to sustainable business models. The entire concept would benefit tremendously from economics of scale — meaning, if more customers used streaming subscription sites, monthly fees would drop and artist payouts could conceivably increase. I got to live interview Dan Ek from Spotify (an incredibly popular “freemium” streaming service so far only available in Europe) at a major music conference last fall. He says there’s plenty of reason to think streaming is the future. Then again, he’s got a product to sell. All I know is that if Apple gets into this game, all the other companies might as well put up “closed for business” signs.

• Buzzword of the New Decade: Monetize
  Back when I worked at Ye Olde Record Shop, I plenty got tired of hearing the words “where’s your jam section?” Well, now I’m tired of hearing “how can we monetize this?” This article is an inside-baseball account of Midem — an international music biz conference that seems to always include a lot of griping and crystal ball-gazing from industry heavyweights. Apparently, the theme this year was monetization. Some people think this means locking down the internet for the sole benefit of the major content providers and ISPs. Others (like me) believe in the idea that if you made licensing easier and kept the lanes open, we’d see a natural expansion of the legitimate digital music marketplace. None of this helps traditional retailers though. (Sorry, Crandall.)

• Ticketmaster and Live Nation Get Married
  I’m not gonna get into what it means. The link above should help sort out all the Department of Justice hullaboo, though.

• Grandma Endures Wrongful ISP Piracy Suspension
  Here we go again. The latest approach to unlawful filesharing by some in the content industry is to push ISPs (through Government mandates, if necessary) to adopt graduated response, or “three strikes” protocols. This means that if you’re suspected of infringing, your interwebs provider could cut your service after a few warnings (or none at all, in the above case). Currently, several European governments are in various stages of adoption, and there’s some rumbling about a US-led international copyright treaty that would make this a planetary remedy. Of course, there are a zillion questions that come up, from consumer recourse (what if you’re wrongly accused?) to the competitiveness of the broadband marketplace (like, is there even another ISP that you can go to?). Piracy is horrible and wrong, but I’m not sure our legal system is equipped to handle this. Stay tuned.

• Did You Watch the Grammys? Apparently, a Lot of People Did
  A 35 percent spike in viewership is nothing to sneeze at for both the struggling networks and the struggling recording biz. Now we can sit back and watch as the entire industry touts Lady Gaga as the first superstar of the digital era. (Think about it: all the other massive acts snuck in either before or at the start of the Great Disruption.) So expect 360 degree deals to become the major label norm (if they aren’t already) and for the smaller and smaller number of new artists signed to sound like Cher singing over Ace of Base. Look, I’ve got nothing against Gaga — she’s got a cool art school/fashion project going on. Still, when the mainstream biz bets the farm on Taylor Swift’s pitchy live performances and Gaga’s costume changes, I get annoyed. But hey, you can’t argue with ratings. Unless your name is Jay Leno.

I could probably post more, but all of our heads would explode. See you next time inside The Terrordome!

Casey Rae-Hunter is a musician, producer, writer and music/media/tech/policy wonk in Washington, DC. This post does not necessarily reflect the views of his employer. You can harass Casey at his site, The Contrarian.

First off, let me introduce myself.  My name is Jay Blanchard, but some of you probably know me better as Spitting Out Teeth, the moniker I’ve used for my now-defunct music blog and radio show on 105.9 The Radiator.  It’s also my nom de plume on the comments fields of various local music and culture blogs, including Aether Everywhere, The Contrarian and the very Pure Pop blog you’re reading right now.  I’m also an experimental musician, recording and/or playing live with Solah, Yellowknife, the le duo and my solo project, VIKOMT.

But who cares about me….you’re here for music.  Specifically, lists about music.  Even more specifically, lists about good music that came out in 2009, which is what I promise to deliver.  While I could easily write a top ten (or twenty….or fifty) list of my favorite CD, vinyl, cassette, reel-to-reel, wax cylinder, etc. releases from this glorious annus horribilis (didn’t this year suck?  and doesn’t that phrase look like “horrible anus”?  didn’t he steal that joke from “Saxondale“?), I’ve decided instead to focus on some of the amazing reissues that came out in 2009.

Why focus on reissues?  Well, partly because in this post-modern age with ever-advancing technology, I believe in a work of art as a living document, and I’m amazed by how a great technician can improve on an already great album and introduce it anew to a modern generation.  Or I’m just an old fogey who’s locked in the past.  Tomayto, Tomahto.

Ok, less talky, more listy.  Here ’tis.

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10) Warp20 box set

Like many of you, I came of age musically in the early-to-mid 1990′s, a epic time of musical innovation, especially in electronic music.  While genres such as House and Jungle were finally starting to reach much broader audiences (did anyone over the age of 15 in 1995 not know at least one person with a set of turntables & a mixer?), more esoteric forms of electronica were starting to show up in the underground.

While most of the electronic music showing up in clubs had steady beats and easy ambient trance synthlines, more avant-garde explorers of the format were creating harsh digital glitches and cut-and-paste rhythms that were anything but danceable.  While the music went under many different names, it was most commonly known as “IDM”, or Intelligent Dance Music.  At the forefront were artists such as Autechre, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Plaid, Prefuse 73, Richard Devine and Jamie Lidell.  While there music varied greatly, they all shared one thing in common—Warp.

“From MTV intros to movie soundtracks to television commercials, the sounds of Warp became a pervading part of the cultural landscape, almost subversively gaining mass appeal through its rapid appropriation.”

Warp Records (founded in 1989) was one of the first, and most definitely the most prominent, of IDM record labels.  Starting in 1989, Warp blended cutting-edge album artwork with music that challenged both the mind and emotions.  In many ways, Warp releases became the soundtrack of the mid-90s, a fractured timespace of pre-millennial chaos and exploding technological change.  From MTV intros to movie soundtracks to television commercials, the sounds of Warp became a pervading part of the cultural landscape, almost subversively gaining mass appeal through its rapid appropriation.  I certainly can’t think of another example where avant-garde music so quickly and completely became embraced by the mainstream media.

However, the hottest fires burn out the fastest, and as the confusion of the late 1990s led to post-millenial malaise, IDM quickly lost its fanbase.   Taken out of its cultural context, the music failed to have the same appeal, and experimental audiences turned in droves to  the sedate post-rock, ambient and drone sounds coming from labels such as Kompakt, Kranky and Constellation.  However, Warp somehow soldiered on as a label, continuing their excellent taste in artists with releases by Boards of Canada, Grizzly Bear, Broadcast, Bibio and many others.

To celebrate its 20th birthday, Warp released the Warp20 box set this year, a massive 4xCD, 3xLP collection of some of the best tracks they ever released.  This is one set that truly looks as good as it sounds as well, featuring Warp’s famous minimalist white-and-purple design style and abstract 3D imagery.  My only complaint about the set would be the lack of a DVD of Warp’s highly influential music videos, but a great collection of Warp videos already exists and can be purchased separately.  For anyone who wasn’t old enough to have heard this music at the time of its creation, or for those of you who want to relive your halcyon days, this is your time to get a true Warp experience.

9) King Crimson “In the Court of the Crimson King”/ “Red”

Ok, I’ll admit it—I’m not a big prog rock fan.  As much as I appreciate the complex time signatures and love the analog synth riffage, it’s just a genre that appeals more to me in theory than in practice.  That said, I was still pretty blown away by listening to these two reissues by the legendary King Crimson.

First off, I’ve been doing a lot of production lately so I’m becoming more and more of a tech geek by the day.  As a result, I’m always in awe of a really good remix or remastering of an album.  It’s amazing how some fader tweaks & a bit of EQ and compression in the right hands can make a dull album shine like a diamond (or vice versa in the wrong hands–think Metallica’s latest).  For “In the Court of the Crimson King” and “Red”, the great Robert Fripp teamed up with Steven Wilson to create a new (and MUCH better) stereo mix of each album, as well as a 5.1 surround sound version.  Each album also features a bonus disc of alternate takes or mixes of album tracks.

Another reason to love these albums—King Crimson isn’t your standard sterile virtuoso prog band.  There are some absolutely beautiful moments on these albums, full of true emotion.  And did I mention these guys can rock a metal riff?  Some very Sabbath-like moments on here. So whether you’re a prog fan or not, these albums are worth picking up.

8 ) The Rolling Stones – “Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out” (40th Anniversary box set)

Ah, The Rolling Stones.  Say what you will about their laughable entries into psychedelia in the mid-60s….or their even more laughable forays into reggae in the 70s….or their just plain piss-poor attempts at a return to blues-rock form in the 80s.  One thing you can’t deny however is that from 1968′s “Beggar’s Banquet” until 1972′s “Exile on Main Street”, these guys were untouchable.  And while their albums from this period are masterpieces of down-and-dirty rock and roll, many who lived through the period would argue that the studio tapes just didn’t capture their best work, which was happening on stage during their raunchy and drug-fueled live performances.

“Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out” is the Stones’ sole official live release from this era, capturing what is arguably their greatest performance ever, a November 1969 show at NYC’s Madison Square Garden (along with a few songs from a Maryland show on the same tour).  Some of you may know this show from the Maysles’ brothers’ documentary “Gimme Shelter”.  While the film helps give the performance context, you don’t need images to release that this show was pure electric magic.  With Mick’s vocals ranging from seductive purr to brutal lion howl and Keith’s guitar licks cutting like a razorblade, it’s no surprise that the great Lester Bangs said ” I have no doubt that it’s the best rock concert ever put on record.”

This year, to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the performances, the album was reissued in box set form to include previously unreleased bonus tracks from the concerts, as well as tracks by show openers B.B. King and Ike & Tina Turner.  Long live rock and roll.

7) The Stone Roses, “The Stone Roses”

I will always remember the first time I heard The Stone Roses.  It was 1997 and I just couldn’t shut up about Radiohead.  My friend Mike, who was a few years older than me, was getting pretty sick of it & decided it was a good time to try to turn me onto something else.  He asked me “Have you ever listened to The Stone Roses? No? Then borrow this.  But it’s my favorite album, so I want it back.”

Skeptical that I could appreciate anything other than OK Computer entering my earholes at that moment in time, I reluctantly took the album.  Half just to humor Mike, and the other half because I was intrigued by the Jackson Pollock-esque cover art (which I later discovered was created by the band’s guitarist, John Squire).  I went back to my apartment and popped the CD into my stereo.  About 30 seconds into “I Wanna Be Adored” I was completely sold.

While the Ian Brown‘s ethereal siren song vocals and the lush production is enough to make this album a classic, it’s really the tremendous variety of sounds encompassed during its 11 tracks.  From the post-punk overtones of “I Wanna Be Adored” to the jangle-pop of “She Bangs the Drums” to the abstract looping beauty of “Don’t Stop” to Irish folk song on “Elizabeth My Dear”.  I can hear echoes of everyone from The Beatles to The Kinks to Syd Barrett to Joy Division to Happy Mondays to…..you name it.  This is truly a postmodern pop album, completely unafraid of genre-hopping and paying homage to influences.  NME’s claim that this is “the greatest debut album ever” is more than arguable, but it’s definitely a contender.

This year, on the 20th anniversary of the album’s release, “The Stone Roses” was reissued as either a single CD, a single LP, a 2xCD & 1xDVD deluxe set, and a massive “collector’s edition” 3xCD, 3xLP, 1xDVD set for the true obsessives.  No matter what version you pick up, you’re in for a treat.

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That’s all for now folks.  Look for part two of this saga, selections #6-4, next week!

Ah, Pure Pop… hard to believe it’s been nearly three years since I’ve been inside you.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t think of you nearly every day. As you may have heard, Brooke and I live in DC now, which is a goddamn thrill-a-minute. I work as the Communications Director at a think tank called Future of Music Coalition. But what does that mean in the day-to-day? Well, I examine and translate issues at the intersection of music, technology, policy and law, while keeping the message on point. In Washington, there’s a lot of stuff that happens behind closed doors that actually impacts musicians. For a decade, FMC has given artists a voice on the issues that affect their livelihood. We fight for better media like radio, research and evaluate emerging business models, advocate for smart internet policy, ponder copyright in the digital age and so on and so forth. It’s all rather fascinating and has resulted in cool opportunities I could’ve never envisioned as a self-educated nutter. In my “spare time,” I operate The Contrarian Media, where my indentured servants and I write about all manner of things. Oh, and I still record music. Actually, I’m about halfway through a new record. I’d tell you more, but this is about you, not me. Besides, the feral cats who raised me told me that it’s impolite to boast. (By the way, and Brooke says hi. She’s a fundraiser for another public interest group that deals with telecom policy and copyright reform, so we get to go to the same cocktail parties!)

I’ve been tasked with compiling a list of some kind, so I figured I’d make mine about what I miss about ye olde record store. It’s by no means complete, but cut me some slack — I’m writing this at 1 AM, having spent the earlier part of the evening publicly shaming conservatives on Twitter. So this is what you get.

Things I miss about Pure Pop (in no particular order):

1. My co-workers. It might seem kind of weird, but the majority of my lasting adult (ha!) friendships were forged in the crucible of this little shop. So many great conversations, so many bizarre shared experiences. I love all you weirdos.

2. Turning people on to music. I’ll be honest, I’m not one for customers. (I hear Crandall’s voice in my head: “Shocker!”) Still, I got a special thrill helping to break a new band, or knowing what a particular regular was into and pointing them towards stuff I knew would blow their minds. It’s an feeling I’ve yet to replicate in my post-Pure Pop gigs.

3. Getting drunk after work, usually with the folks from the shop; sometimes with customers! It’s not like there’s much else to do in the frigid embrace of a Burlington winter.

4. Making fun of hippies. It simply never gets old. I hope someone at Pure Pop is carrying on that noble tradition.

5. Ordering records for the store. I’ve also made lasting friendships with some of the cool people who provide Pure Pop with such a unique selection of music. It saddens me to think that the indie distributor/indie retailer ecosystem is threatened. I’d say fuck progress, but you’ll have to pry my iPhone from my cold, dead hands.