David Katznelson

1 week ago | oakiedog.substack.com | David Katznelson

***I found out yesterday that my dear friend James Lowe passed away at 82, the lead singer of one of the greatest bands of the psychedelic era, The Electric Prunes. James and I have been friends since the late-90s when we met to work on a Prunes compilation that spawned a whole new era for the band. Working with him, being friends with him, was a true gift. Such an incredible, innovative, imaginative force of life.

3 weeks ago | oakiedog.substack.com | David Katznelson

Is it an action in idiocy to maintain a record label these days…or even worse to be a part of three separate labels? Or is it four? Every label owner I speak to talks about how hard the work is…how small the revenue margins have become as there are fewer places to sell records…vinyl (yes!) or whatnot.

1 month ago | oakiedog.substack.com | David Katznelson

Happy Duke Ellington Day, a day that should be a national holiday, celebrating the greatest American composer of the 20th century. From the 1920s to the 1970s, Duke Ellington consistently wrote, recorded and performed an ever evolutionary style of Jazz, a constantly defining style, leaving behind a musical legacy that is almost impossible to fully conceive.

1 month ago | oakiedog.substack.com | David Katznelson

(to be read following the previous 2 Signals, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2)There are two ways to have longevity as an A&R person at a major label: don’t sign anything, or sign a band that bears a hit. During my A&R tenure in the ‘90s, I knew a lot of folks who opted for the former, hiding out at a label for a good amount of years, grooving on the lifestyle of seeing bands, taking meetings, eating well, buying records. The Signal From David Katznelson is a reader-supported publication.

1 month ago | oakiedog.substack.com | Tomas Tranströmer |David Katznelson

(to be read following the previous Signal)Most great bands have a record or two in their catalog that are underrated, that for one reason or another never achieved the status of their more well-known releases, may it be from the changing of public taste, poor distribution/marketing, untimely release date…many reasons. These records are gifts to the fan, discoveries they make while record shopping or talking to a someone in-the-know.