On The Road With Al and Ivy: Blog

"Please understand that a Homeric song is sung to the lyre, and therefore intended for entertainment, no more and no less." - Robert Graves (Homer's Daughter ) Finding good music used to be a simple matter; you liked who or what the media told you to like (and buy).  The power to make or break an artist or record was jealously guarded by gatekeepers because with payola, the promotion business could be as profitable as a casino. The internet gave a voice to millions of people whose opinions and tastes had been muted by gateways such as letters to the editor sections or radio request lines (which waited till somebody asked for a number on the playlist. The social networks (and Google) have created a situation that's turned many media outlets into clickbait farms or Amazon partners working on commission. To be fair, the media still has some power. These new networks aren't to blame. The labels and movie studios want to reach actual customers, and while getting the o...