big fan! Did you watch this year’s Grammys? I
didn’t. They are far too contrived and the vot- ing is reported to be rigged. I did happen upon what I think was the most important highlight. Demi Lovato’s performance of her song “Anyone” was riveting. I had not heard her before. The song was written days before she suffered an overdose in 2018. The words are of being lost and alone in the world and seeking approval and attention, even in the midst of her fame. That baring of her soul took incredible courage. Her voice is beautiful and extremely powerful. She is a social and environmental activist and is open about her addiction and mental health issues. I expect she’ll continue to use that voice to say what needs to be said to those who are listening. If the rich get richer while she uses her magic to help others and refuses to sell out, I can try to look the other way. I just hope she finds peace in her soul. We need her voice and others like her. Amy Winehouse showed us what hap- pens when that hole gets too big and no one is really on your side. The Superbowl repels me in many
ways. All that money and spectacle. Why can’t we get that excited about things like the envi- ronment, for example, which is something everyone on the planet depends on?! I won’t be putting on Shakira or Jennifer Lopez music. The fact that they took the opportunity to use their iconic and Latina voices to point out the atrocity of Hispanic children being kept in cages at the border wins me as a fan forever. They also highlighted the fact that Puerto Rico is part of the United States, which they shouldn’t even have to do. It is suffering unbelievable devastation and is not getting help from us. I have to wonder what the big money behind the Superbowl thinks about their message, but just like me, Shakira and Lopez apparently don’t give a shit what they think! Good for them. Another way “in” is to get enough
“plays” on some soulless music-streaming
service. When you submit a piece of work that you hopefully created out of your heart and soul, is there a real person who takes time to listen and tell you how great it is and how happy they are to have it? Hell, no! Spotify has around 20,000 submissions a day! You can kiss that tune goodbye. If you pay to have that tune surfed in front of listeners, you stand a chance of getting some notice. There are rare cases of a band or musi-
cian getting major attention. One of the Elec- traLand Radio bands recently got over a million plays of one of their singles. The amount of plays equaled about $9,000 shared between four or five guys. That’s not chump change by any means, but compared to back in the day, it’s pathetic. And they are still just four or five local guys pounding the pave- ment. It used to be that if a musician sold over a million copies of a single, they were in- stantly famous! A record deal would soon fol- low, including a major tour, and you were on your way. Did you come away with royalty and riches? Some did, despite the relentless hounding to sell, sell, sell, including your soul. Countless others ended up owing more than they made, some by their own inability to manage themselves and their money, and some were just blatantly ripped off. Just like greed and big business ruined
the relationships between artists, producers and fans, they ruined radio. When was the last time you heard a really good radio station with a real DJ expressing himself and choos- ing the tunes to spin? Probably a few decades, if you’re old enough. Younger folks have never enjoyed the magic that was real radio. That pisses us off, and we’re doing something about it. We don’t own the ElectraLand Radio artists or their art. We are a vehicle entrusted to share their magic with the world. Our moral compass is spot-on. Neil and Frank would be proud. We hope they’re cheering us on from the beyond. •
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