A Tale Of Two Streaming Services

Plus, new music from The Mavericks and Mariah Carey.

by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Grady Coppell/Getty Images With live shows mostly off the table for the foreseeable future, music lovers have been left to buy or stream new music to fill the concert-less void. And at a time of economic hardship for many consumers, conscientious listeners are right to wonder: Does the platform you use for music streaming have an impact on the ability of artists to make a living? Last year, we looked at how streaming is – for better and for worse – our new reality when it comes to listening. But the truth is, payouts amount to a pittance for artists, even as those at the top of the recording industry disproportionately reap the financial rewards of the streaming revolution. And though its reputation has struggled among artists, Spotify remains widely used by fans of those same artists.   As an artist, author and podcaster himself, Galaxie 500’s Damon Krukowski spends a lot of time thinking about these complexities; to that end, he spoke to Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond to try and answer some of his own questions and to compare the models of streaming presented by two key players, Spotify and Bandcamp. His editorial made waves with artists and fans alike, some of whom shared their own criticisms; others indicated that they’re rethinking their own patterns of music consumption. No matter which platform you use, Krukowski’s argument serves as a timely reminder that so much energy and effort – not to mention money – goes into making the music that’s carrying us through a tough year. Sign o' the times, Lyndsey McKenna and Cyrena Touros Newsletter continues after sponsor message New Music 163 days. If you’re reading this on Saturday, that’s how long it’s been since All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen last saw a show. First Aid Kit’s new cover of Willie Nelson’s “On The Road Again” made him painfully aware of that fact. Hear that ode to the road, plus picks from Pillow Queens and Anjimile on the All Songs Tuesday mix. Mariah Carey is here to “Save The Day.” That’s the name of the elusive chanteuse’s new single – featuring a Ms. Lauryn Hill sample – from her upcoming The Rarities reissue compilation, due out Oct. 2. This week’s All Songs Considered New Music Friday episode kicks off with The Killers’ anthemic arena rock and includes a look at the art and activism of rapper Lacrae, whose uplifting new album comes ahead of his second book, out next month. Also: Hear selections from the first Bright Eyes album in nearly a decade, plus swamp rock from L.A. Witch and the sounds of U.K. jazz wonder Nubya Garcia. Despite the Latin American heritage of bandlander Raúl Malo and guitarist Eddie Perez, The Mavericks had never crafted an entirely Spanish-language album – until now. On En Español, the long-running roots-inspired band takes cues from the past to create a new future for the group. Featuring All Things Considered’s Play It Forward series continues this week with the British spoken word poet and rapper Kae Tempest, who emphasizes the practice of deep listening and studied attention as crucial to both making great art and being a good human. Despite its relatively small output, the British underground rock trio This Heat helped facilitate the ever-widening scope of indie rock and predicted some of the thornier paths electronic music would pursue. More than four decades later, This Heat's music still feels radically free, unlimited in the shapes it can take. With its catalogue on streaming services for the first time, check out our Starter Kit to the music of This Heat. This week, federal prosecutors announced charges in the long-unsolved killing of Jason Mizell, better known as Jam Master Jay, the DJ for the seminal rap group Run-DMC who was shot inside a recording studio in New York City in 2002. Saxophonist Steve Grossman, who rose to fame in the ’70s in bands led by Miles Davis and Elvin Jones, died this week at the age of 69. Grossman was a key figure in what would come to be known as the post-Coltrane school, but had a frame of reference broader than that reputation would suggest. Tiny Desk NPR The Puerto Rican duo Buscabulla is one of our favorite new artists of 2020. The members set up shop in New York years ago, but returned home to the island to support its development after Hurricane Maria. So it’s only fitting that in their Tiny Desk (home) concert, Raquel Berrios and Luis Alfredo del Valle create a studio in their car at the beach in Aguadilla to perform songs from Buscabulla’s album Regresa (with some help from friends making remote appearances). Plus: Over the years, the Tiny Desk has hosted more than a few distinctive instruments and their virtuosic performers. From an original Mellotron to an improvised use of our wastebasket, these are the most amazing instruments to have graced a Tiny Desk concert. Incoming Our Tiny Desk (home) concert series reaches new heights next week as we premiere performances from Tame Impala and Billie Eilish. One More Thing Catch us in our house dresses for the remainder of 2020. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. 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