How Playing Music Benefits Your Life

Mike Duffy, writing at Fender:

The research found that the guitar players of today are more diverse than ever before. Women continue to define the emerging guitar market, accounting for 50 percent of all beginner and aspirational players – begging the question, is the future of guitar female? The growing diversity of players expands beyond gender, as well. Both African-American and Hispanic consumers now represent a significant and growing share of new players: African-Americans account for 19 percent of aspirational players, while Latin players make up 25 percent of beginners.

An Oral History of the Stone Pony

Bruce Springsteen

Nick Corasaniti, writing at The New York Times:

Since it opened in 1974, the club, the Stone Pony, has been the beating heart of Asbury Park, a beacon for musicians and fans alike. But its survival, much like that of its host city, has been a constant battle, a story of resilience and revival, of sold-out shows and shuttered windows.

Here is the renowned club’s history, as told by the owners, musicians, staff and fans who have called its dark black interior and low-slung stage home.

Stray Cats Working on New Album

Robert Crawford, writing for Rolling Stone:

“Forty years ago, us three teenagers started a little band to play a musical style that had long since passed and most folks had never heard of,” Setzer says in a statement. “Forty years later, we stand together and still get that same thrill and exhilaration from the music. That feeling is what makes the fireworks go off and the sparks fly. It makes the world go around.”

‘A Star is Born’ Tops the Charts

The A Star is Born soundtrack is the number one album in the country:

The set, which was released via Interscope Records on Oct. 5, starts with 231,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Oct. 11, according to Nielsen Music — the biggest week for a soundtrack in more than three-and-a-half years. Of Star’s overall starting sum, 162,000 were in album sales.

Twenty One Pilots came in second:

The set starts with 175,000 units, of which 135,000 are in album sales — the act’s biggest sales week ever (stepping past its previous high, logged when Blurryface sold 134,000 in its first week back in 2015).

Frank Turner Talks Beer as Well

While posting the previous article, I noticed that Frank Turner also talked with October. The beer stuff is cool, but this section stood out to me:

What I feel that the record is chiefly about is that we’ve collectively forgot how to conduct our disagreements in a civil fashion. The whole point of the game of politics is to try to find a way that we can conduct our disagreements in a civil fashion.

I think that’s one of the main reasons I haven’t been able to connect with Frank’s recent album. The disagreements are over putting kids in cages, women’s rights, trans-rights, unchecked police killing, massive corruption and handouts to the richest people and corporations, a grotesque sexual predator man-baby in the White House, and countless other atrocities that occur on a daily basis. I’m angry about it and I don’t find any value in “civil disagreements” with those that want to deny people their human rights.

Manchester Orchestra Talk Beer

Manchester Orchestra talked with October about beer. My kinda article:

As I’m getting older, I’m just starting to like Bud Lights—you know what I mean? I can drink 10 of the damn things and keep my act together. When I’m going for taste and stuff, I do really love Stella. I think it’s a great beer. I’m liking lagers lately, too. That’s what I’ve been searching for. We just had one the other night called 3Sisters or something like that. It was delicious. One of the better-tasting lagers that I’ve had in awhile. We went and got oysters.

Genius Teams Up With Apple Music

Genius will be providing lyrics to Apple Music:

Genius has the world’s best lyrics database and now it’s available on Apple Music. Genius will provide lyrics to thousands of hit songs on the service—bringing world-class accuracy and timeliness powered by Genius’s global community of artists and fans.

New Details in Sexual Assault Allegation Against Ex-Sigur Rós Drummer

Sigur Ros

Pitchfork:

In late September, Los Angeles-based artist Meagan Boyd wrote in a post on Instagram that Sigur Rós drummer Orri Páll Dýrason sexually assaulted her. Specifically, Boyd accused Dýrason of engaging in non-consensual sex with her while she slept, during a night they spent together five and a half years ago. On October 1, days after Boyd’s initial post, Sigur Rós announced that Dýrason had left the band as a result of the allegation. In a statement on Facebook, Dýrason wrote, “I will do anything in my power to get myself out of this nightmare, but out of respect for those actually suffering from sexual violence, I will not take that fight public.”

Pitchfork talked with both Boyd and Dýrason over the course of the past week.

The Women of Nashville’s Music Scene Are Calling Time’s Up

Country Music

Jessica Hopper, writing at Elle:

In the past few years, the number of female artists on country radio has been steadily declining. According to trade publication Country Aircheck, in 2016 female artists made up 13 percent of radio play; by 2017, that figure was down to a meager 10.4 percent. The country radio programmer quota–cum–excuse that fuels this inequity is that “one woman an hour” is plenty. In response, labels have grown reluctant to sign female talent, knowing that radio won’t support them. Festival and tour promoters excuse the dearth of female country acts on lineups by pointing fingers at radio and labels, insisting that there are not enough bankable female artists to draw from—just superstar headliners like Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood.