Phil Elverum of Mount Eerie and the Microphones has been an outspoken critic of Spotify and its infamously terrible royalties, and now he's reminding listeners of the importance of supporting "the freakish weirdos who make the music that is the most alive."
In a newsletter sent to subscribers on Friday afternoon (January 17), Elverum recommended the book Mood Machine by Liz Pelly, which examines Spotify and the streaming economy.
He decried "passivity and disengagement," telling fans, "Just know that if you like my music, or anyone else's music (providing you can name who the artist is, not just what playlist might contain them), please please listen intentionally."
He added, "And give them money. You DO NOT want to live in a world without the freakish weirdos who make the music that is the most alive, the art that's the least profitable. The assholes and billionaires want you to live in that world and they can make it happen, so please give your little tithe to the poor punk nerds and fend off the bots."
Well said! If you have any tithe to spare for a poor punk nerd, Mount Eerie's excellent album Night Palace came out back in the fall. He will be touring in the coming months, including Canadian stops in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
Read our recent interview with Elverum here.