There Are Choices

Many artists are angry about how a 148-billion-dollar company can pay so little to those who created that value. The reason lies in the business model, but it certainly looks like the money is flowing into the wrong hands. When Spotify CEO Daniel Ek then uses his wealth to invest in a military AI startup, it is for some artists too much to take.

A private investment has only a loose connection to Spotify's operation, but it strikingly shows that Daniel Ek does neither care about music nor the culture around it. For him, it was just the first building block for his money-making empire. Like many other tech companies, it turns out that the incentives for the management are aligned only for the benefit of a few investors.

The technology and infrastructure that Spotify uses are commodities today, hence there is plenty of competition. Their only special asset is that apparently, everybody considers them first when thinking of consuming music, which leads to a steady rise in paid subscriptions.

Everybody does their best to promote Spotify. glamglare puts Spotify playlist and links front and center. Many artists or their representatives presume that we have a Spotify subscription (we do) when they are reaching out to us with new music. At shows, you often hear phrases like "Find us on Spotify and all that stuff.” And, on a related note, why do many artists use Instagram as their primary or even only communication channel, which is controlled by another billionaire who always puts money first?

The Canadian Band Godspeed You! Black Emperor is even more consequential and wants to have nothing to do with any of the streaming services. They don’t comment on why exactly they do this (they are not on Instagram either!), but maybe they make so little money from streaming that they believe they can do without. These are tough decisions – after all, we need to connect with the largest possible audience. But it is good to remember that we have choices, and don‘t always have to follow the most convenient path.

News From New York Harbour

Last Saturday, we boarded the other ship of the Seaport Museum, the 1930 tug boat W.O. Decker. The vessel is tiny and can take maybe ten passengers and a crew of four, including a docent, who can provide information about New York and its harbour.

The trip is $30 per person, roughly the same as what you pay at the Circle Line to sit with a few hundred fellow passengers on deck and listen to a funny tour guide over the PA. Unfortunately, on the W.O. Decker there are only two rides per day on the weekend. Book here for a fantastic NYC experience!

Most boats in the New York Harbor have diesel engines, and some cloud themselves in thick brown smoke when they leave the dock. Finally, we have the first hybrid electric ferry Habour Charger in the Governors Island fleet, which will reduce emissions by up to 1400 tons of carbon dioxide annually, once the charging station is available.

Five Songs

Listen to glamglare favorites on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube.

When you go alphabetically through your music library, or your record collection for that matter, you will make interesting discoveries. For one thing, your music taste might have changed or is always changing anyway: some albums simply don‘t connect anymore. But others are still great, yet I have lost track of the artist. Today‘s five songs belong to the latter category for the letters B and C.

• Birch, the project of singer, songwriter, and producer Michelle Birsky, culminated with the release of the stellar album femme.one 2019. Then she moved to the West Coast, and we lost contact.
• UK artist Boe Huntress is a musician and visual artist. “Day Becomes Night” is an enchanting track that grabs me every time I listen.
• “To Be Brave” is the opener of the debut album Like an Island by London artist Bryde. The slow-burning song drags you into a fantastic album.
• Originally from Australia, Bryony Parker moved to London to pursue her music career. She released one very promising EP, The Life Illusion in 2018, but not much more after that.
• The sister duo Chaos Chaos played our very first showcase in 2016. Two years later, they released their self-titled debut album and then changed their priorities.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

• With “NEVERENDING” NYC singer-songwriter dalloway brings some hope into dark thoughts.
• "The song is a surrender just as much as it is a battle cry," says Sarina about her new single "If you need me to be the villain (Then maybe I am)."
• Silver Gore, a new duo from London, pushes boundaries of pop music. "All The Good Men" is our Song Pick of the Day, but listen to all three released songs to get an idea.
• London band The Wild Things released "I Can't Wait," a joyful rock banger full of energy.
• “My Bad” by London-based artist Paris Iliffe is a bright pop song that brings sparkle to your day.
• "Veruca" is a quiet, meditative song about a past friendship. The track will be on Small Shake's debut EP Platonics, out this Friday.
• “stay close by” opens the new album ocd by indie rocker Tamar Berk. She wanted to make “something that sounds familiar but also surprises you and makes you curious about what’s coming next,” and she certainly succeeds.

Nine Photos of a delightful outing on the W. O. Decker

Oliver already whet your appetite for a trip on the W. O. Decker—didn’t he? If not, then it’s my turn to bring the whole story home! If you’re in New York, don’t wait, but book your spot on this charming little all-wooden tugboat, ready to take you to places you didn’t even know you wanted to see. Here are some impressions from our almost two-hour ride.