Music

John Mayer Makes Eighties Slickness Seem Weirdly Heartfelt on ‘Sob Rock’

Published

3 years ago

July 15, 2021

No one is more aware of what people think about John Mayer than John Mayer himself. The title of his eighth studio album acknowledges past accusations of sad-boy mopery. The muted pastels of the throwback cover art, complete with a simulation of the “Nice Price” sticker that Columbia Records used to slap on its bargain LPs, dares you to call him a purveyor of slick, dated studio-rock.

Is this self-deprecating? A jab at critics? Either way, the self-consciousness of the packaging is notably absent from Mayer’s music itself. He may come off glib in interviews, but he’s either blessed or cursed with an inability to preserve any ironic distance from his material, so what might seem like genre exercises from a flashier performer sound as heartfelt as diary entries. The guy can’t even sing a cliché like “the road keeps rolling on forever” insincerely.

Mayer is a sly craftsman and a virtuoso chameleon on guitar, adept at mimicking disparate styles. A booming drum intro announces the lead track, “Last Train Home,” which sounds like a historical recreation of a forgotten Eighties soundtrack cut, complete with a few economical period-appropriate Eric Clapton guitar bursts. The veteran Chicago hip-hop producer No I.D. collaborates with him on the sleek pop-funk of “New Light.” And on the disillusioned “I Guess I Just Feel Like,” Mayer solos with the Jerry Garcia-like tone that earned him his job touring with the Grateful Dead.

Mayer has assembled some classy accomplices for Sob Rock. Producer Don Was made his name in the ’Eighties and Nineties helping middle-aged rockers like Bonnie Raitt and the Stones adapt to contemporary styles without going overboard. Smart country-pop groundbreaker Maren Morris contributes fitting harmonies. And as session men go, both his core touring band, bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Aaron Sterling, and Greg Phillinganes, the keyboardist who appeared on both Thriller and Songs in the Key of Life, are the cream of the crop.

Lyrically, Mayer can be bitter, complaining “You shoulda been sad instead of being so fuckin’ mean” on “It Shouldn’t Matter But It Does,” or philosophical, quipping “Hurt me once I let it be/Hurt me twice you’re dead to Me/Three times makes you family” on the unfortunately titled “Why You No Love Me,” or even hopeful on “Til the Right One Comes.” But uniting these different moods, and the different styles in which Mayer dabbles, is the effortless warmth in his voice, which never puts too much weight behind his heartbreak or his happiness. He sings like a man who knows his place in the world.

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Music

RIAA Addresses IP Protections in USTR’S 2024 Unique 301 Report

Published

19 hours ago

April 25, 2024

[[{“value”:”“The 2024 Special 301 Report provides a vital snapshot of the environment for music creators globally as well as a critical blueprint for US engagement with countries around the world to support them,” commented RIAA Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier.
The post RIAA Addresses IP Protections in USTR’S 2024 Special 301 Report appeared first on RIAA.”}]]

WASHINGTON, DC ( April 25, 2024) — Today, the United States Trade Agent (USTR) provided its yearly Unique 301 Report relating to deficiencies of copyright and other kinds of copyright (IP) securities in specific nations. The Report examines the existing legal, regulative, judicial, and enforcement actions on IP in those nations and recognizes the effect on United States music developers while likewise highlighting systemic concerns for United States federal government engagement to advance imagination worldwide. Amongst the cross-cutting concerns that show the music neighborhood’s input into the Unique 301 procedure, USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai acknowledged the important value of American developers’ contributions to United States tasks and financial development, keeping in mind “ Stakeholders from both unions and business in the imaginative sectors have actually highlighted the value of copyright defense and enforcement to their incomes and companies.”

” The 2024 Unique 301 Report offers an essential photo of the environment for music developers worldwide in addition to a vital plan for United States engagement with nations around the globe to support them,“ commented RIAA Chairman && CEO Mitch Glazier ” We value acknowledgment of uncomfortable patterns in many areas that would hurt the American music neighborhood, consisting of constraints on streaming rights, inadequate enforcement, and stream-ripping piracy, and the recognition of favorable advancements relating to copyright defense and enforcement. We motivate the United States Federal government in future Reports to resolve appropriate copyright defense in the context of AI as dedicated to by President Biden in the G7, and to oppose broad exceptions consisting of text and information mining. We likewise advise the United States Federal government to engage with nations based on continuous trade examinations, and to resolve deeply bothersome propositions on copyright and agreement matters, especially in South Africa.”

” We thank Ambassador Tai and the whole interagency group for their vigorous deal with this essential procedure. RIAA highly supports the United States Federal government’s extensive technique to promoting American developers globally, consisting of through existing and future IP discussions with the European Union, India and the UK.”

The post RIAA Addresses IP Protections in USTR’S 2024 Unique 301 Report appeared initially on RIAA

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Music

Year-End 2023 RIAA U.S. Latin Music Income Report/ Informe de Fin del Año 2023 de RIAA Sobre Ingresos de Música Latina en Estados Unidos

Published

3 days ago

April 23, 2024

[[{“value”:”Latin music in the U.S. has increased in popularity and value over the last eight years, outpacing overall recorded music… Read More »
The post Year-End 2023 RIAA U.S. Latin Music Revenue Report / Informe de Fin del Año 2023 de RIAA Sobre Ingresos de Música Latina en Estados Unidos appeared first on RIAA.”}]]

Latin music in the U.S. has actually increased in appeal and worth over the last 8 years, outmatching general documented music each year throughout this duration of strong development. In 2023, the category struck its greatest mark yet at $1.4 billion, representing 16% development over 2022. Changed for inflation, Latin music market profits in 2023 are now 14% above the previous peak in 2005.

LINK TO FULL ENGLISH REPORT HERE

INFORME DE FIN DE AÑO 2023 DE RIAA SOBRE INGRESOS DE MÚSICA LATINA EN ESTADOS UNIDOS

La música latina en los EE. UU. creció en cuanto a su popularidad y valor durante los últimos ocho años, superando a la música grabada en basic cada año durante este período de fuerte crecimiento. En 2023, el género alcanzó su marca más alta con $1400 millones, que representa un crecimiento del 16 % con respecto a 2022. Ajustados por la inflación, los ingresos del mercado de la música latina en 2023 ahora están un 14 % por encima del pico previo en 2005.

ENLACE AL INFORME COMPLETO EN ESPAÑOL AQUÍ

The post Year-End 2023 RIAA U.S. Latin Music Income Report/ Informe de Fin del Año 2023 de RIAA Sobre Ingresos de Música Latina en Estados Unidos appeared initially on RIAA

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Music

Live Music On I-Drive Orlando

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Live Music on I-Drive Orlando; Supper & & Dancing at Cuba Libra. Friday’s & & Saturday’s; DJ Night. Friday and Saturday; Live Acoustic Music. Fridays and Saturdays.

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The post Live Music On I-Drive Orlando appeared initially on Weekly Calendar

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