This week National Public Radio's fantastic "On The Media" program broke from its usual format and dedicated its entire hour to the music industry. The whole program is worth a listen if you're the type of person who podcasts NPR shows, and it offers some great insight into the state of the music industry (though the world probably didn't need another story about Girl Talk and the legality of samplingGregg Gillis has earned a fortune in free publicity by breaking a law that clearly nobody intends to enforce).
For those without an hour to spend, though head straight to these segments: An interview with The Dresdon Dolls' Amanda Palmer about how she isn't afraid to hit her fans up for money, and, even better, a history of the pop charts that explains how the advent of SoundScan and accurate sales tracking legitimized rap music.
And, on a more local level, while you're checking out radio segments on music, make sure to hear Radio Milwaukee's "Make Milwaukee" interview with Jon Mueller. Mueller is a testament to the impact that one musician can have on an entire city, having essentially created his own experimental music scene in a city without much of a tradition of one.
