More Than Meets the Ear

It was bound to happen: we received a pitch for AI-generated music. The press release didn’t mention it, but it was easy to find out on Spotify. The artist and vocals are real, so there is nothing wrong or unethical about it. It was a valid artistic choice to use AI in the production.

However, while I liked the song, I decided against posting it on glamglare. At least, I needed more time to think about it. I also lost a bit of interest: it was a good song, but the idea that it might have been created with a simple prompt was a downer.

I’ve often made the point here that technology has always changed music. What once required an orchestra only a few decades ago can now be done by one person at a computer. Still, there is a lot of music you would expect to be created by a live orchestra or a band.

If someone composed and recorded a symphony or an indie rock song on a computer, it would not feel right. It is not only about the audible result, but also about the culture around it. You expect musicians to study their genre’s history and practice their instrument. You expect rehearsals, concert halls, or gritty studios as part of how a piece of music comes to life.

On the other hand, much pop music is made on a computer¹. For most of the top 40 songs, it is clear that they were not recorded by a live band, and real instruments were maybe used only for a sampled loop.

Making natural-sounding classical music or indie rock solely on a computer with traditional software would be an extraordinary effort, but AI-based tools blur the line. You hear a jazzy big-band song, but in the end it is only somebody toplining over an AI track. Is this disappointing, or just the next advance in music technology?

Time will tell how culture integrates AI music. I would draw a hard line only when it comes to AI-generated vocals: these are, by definition, fake, no matter how transparent you are about it².

Discovery of the Week: New Colossus Watch

The Spotify playlist for New York’s New Colossus Festival is a great place for music discovery, especially if you plan to attend the festival next March. We like to listen in the kitchen while cooking. Here are three US indie bands we earmarked:

• sana sana: Shoegaze from NYC
• Clawfoot: dark synthpop from Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Sophie’s Body: Grungy indie rock from Boston.

Cover Song of the Week: Cutouts - Strict Machine

Alex MacKay of Nation of Language recorded a cover of one of the biggest Goldfrapp hits, “Strict Machine,” for his solo project Cutouts. One of the KEXP podcast had an interesting discussion about the song, where they generally favored the new version. It is indeed richer and more sophisticated, but in all fairness, there are also 23 years of progress in electronic music technology between the versions. Alex also toned down the original’s optimistic vibe, which accurately reflects our more skeptical stance toward technology today.

This Week in glamglare history

1 Year Ago: Aubrie Sellers - Villain of the Week

Aubrie Sellers’ dating life feels like a cookie-cutter TV show. Maybe it is time to change something.

5 Years Ago: Abby Sage - Fever Dream

Looks like we were pretty obsessed with Abby Sage, picking five of her songs between 2020 and 2024. Since then, the Californian singer-songwriter has released only a collaboration with the production duo C.Y.M.

10 Years Ago: Mainland - Empty Promises

Mainland is an NYC band that came close to fame from 2016 to 2018, when they released their last EP. Frontman Jordan Topf continued to release music as Windser. “Empty Promises” was about the 2016 US election – an interesting snapshot ten years in hindsight.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to all seven songs on YouTube, or follow our daily updated Song Pick playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify.

• Sirintip - White Lilies
• Holly Munro - What’s For Us Won’t Pass Us
• Spencer Peppet - Power
• School Of X - Exist
• smush - john dearly
• NZCA LINES - Worth It
• Mel Denisse - underneath the world

We publish one Song Pick of the Day every day. You can subscribe to receive them by email.

Nine Photos: Back for Abby and Tessa (2021 & 2022)

Our first alpaca walk at Lilymoore Farm in October 2021 was such a hit that, when we returned in October 2022, we asked for the same alpacas. Oliver had fallen for calm, gentle Tessa, and I loved Abby, younger and full of pep. We got our wish.

On our all-female tour, Abby and Tessa set off through the forest with six other alpacas and their people. Treats dotted the trail, with plenty of stops to sniff out a special flower or a particularly good patch of grass—and lots of time to admire those sweet, fluffy faces and take lots of photos. Walking with them was such a joy; I’d do it again in a heartbeat if Lilymoore weren’t so far upstate.

The farm’s tagline says it perfectly: “You may not remember last night’s dinner but you’ll always remember the time you hugged an ALPACA!” Absolutely true! That hug stays with you.

1. Watch the brilliant Timbaland Masterclass for an insight. ↩︎
2. There is a gray zone, too. For example, Grimes allows the use of her vocal model for new songs. Is having her sing a song without her actually singing it okay? ↩︎