[contextly_auto_sidebar id="xsRN9Irj889DZIdZgx4NQ6tyZZUOY1S9"] THE answer to this question, I must admit, eludes me. But the era of deep and complex narrative television born with The Sopranos (and carried through Deadwood, Mad Men, etc) seems to have moved into another chapter as HBO and CBS announce streaming services. Here's the beginning of my new piece on Salon: The most prestigious of … [Read more...]
Will Indie Film Survive?
[contextly_auto_sidebar id="u8nyNEUGiw9T3t2MS4otkepc3HaoApPt"] ONE of the casualties of our current cultural situation is the erosion of the middle -- the middle class, the midlist author, the middlebrow, and the mid-budget film. Independent film, with its interest in boundary pushing and risk-taking, may not seem to belong in that company, but it's vulnerable to all the same forces. The New … [Read more...]
Can We Fix Music Streaming?
[contextly_auto_sidebar id="gqUq5BWr0TyCF2J8po7C3NUJDqWArzLu"] MOST of the complaints about music streaming so far have been about the way the new system leaves musicians out in the cold. But a new story looks at the way they frustrate listeners. as well. Ted Gioia -- jazz pianist, music historian, and avid listener of a wide range of music -- recently signed up for the Beats streaming service, … [Read more...]
Is Cable TV’s Heyday Over? And, Guitarists’ Brains
[contextly_auto_sidebar id="3RwcvvUk1AC4BkVM7TnYA96GH4qbLhTJ"] SOMEWHERE between consensus and cliche is the idea that television is better than ever and has reached a new depth and intelligence. To optimists, The Wire, Homeland, Mad Men and so on show what's possible even in these difficult times for culture. My sense, as I looked into various economic models for Salon, here, is that the … [Read more...]