Jayme Catsouphes' Amazing Podcast

Music, as an industry, has found a consistent audience in young people for decades. But what music means to them is changing. Popular songs today often have less to do with singers than they do with the artistry of sound engineers (consider the production work on the new number one song in America: “I Wanna Go” by Britney Spears). With sound editing programs, digital suites, and auto-tune at their disposal, the concept of live performances can seem like an afterthought. But a few artists, like Bay Area rapper Lyrics Born, are working hard to keep live music, well, alive. KALW’s Jayme Catsouphes has the story. -- JAYME CATSOUPHES: When you think about it, the whole notion of going to see live music is a bit twisted. I mean, you don’t go to the Louvre and listen to the “Mona Lisa.” But traditionally speaking, music is performance art. It lives. It breathes. And recordings are just archives, snap shots, the postcard you pick up as you exit through the gift shop. Music is supposed to be perceived through all