Yellow Brit Road, 9 August 2020: Streaming, Chart Battles, Live Performances

This week, the Yellow Brit Road trekked down the paths of the current and happening in the world of music, both in the UK and globally. We listened to some classic bands and music, discussed the trends and workings of music streaming, cheered on an emerging charts battle with a front view, and sipped some masala chai from Montreal. We heard some classic Led Zeppelin and the last EP from Gang of Four, Anti Hero. We listened to some studio and live performances by singer-songwriter L.A. Salami from London. His full performance at NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert can be watched here (bless visual media!), and his music can be purchased on his Bandcamp here. We discussed the inner workings of music streaming platforms to the best of public knowledge about them, and why in a gig-less world of quarantine, social distancing and livestreaming, the meagre amount musicians are able to make from their music itself has to increase and why Spotify CEO Daniel Ek's comments to MusicAlly in interview this week are especially tone deaf and unrealistic. Find out more about Tom Gray and the #BrokenRecord movement on Twitter here. A few others advocating for change include #FixStreaming and more generally, #KeepMusicAlive. The UK and Irish music charts had a flurry of artists up for top spot by mid-week, and both ended in close finishes. We sampled the indie ware off the Irish charts with music from No. 1 and 2 spots, The Coronas and Fontaines D.C., who finished second. Fontaines D.C.'s MTV performance, featuring Grian Chatten singing in a field, can be found here. This week's Masala Chai features Montreal-based indie/folkpop artist Thanya Iyer. Find some of today's playlist here. Consider supporting artists by purchasing their music on Bandcamp or directly from their websites. Listen live Sundays from 8 to 9 PM on CFRC 101.9 FM or on cfrc.ca.