Musicology

Katy Perry’s Dark Horse case appears to be going to court. In 2015 an artist named Flame, claimed that Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” was essentially the same as and infringed upon his track “Joyful Noise.” And unlike most infringement cases from 2015 this one wasn’t since settled, did not otherwise go away, and according to latest reports is indeed …

Sheehan sued, again. Gaye, again. $100 million this time. But of course we reach the same conclusion as last time. According to TMZ Ed Sheeran is getting sued, again, for ripping off Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” This time the plaintiff is “Structured Asset Sales” which evidently owns a third of the rights to …

I doubt it. Today I read an interesting article by Christopher J. Buccafusco, Professor of Law at Yeshiva University, entitled The Blurred Lines of Copyright Law Are Limiting Musical Creativity. Buccafusco argues or perhaps thinks manifest that the “innovation space” of music is dwindling naturally because, first, the field is increasingly full of the protected intellectual …

Poor guy needs a musicologize scoreboard all to himself. And there’s no way he’s excited to see Richard Busch coming at him again. Nobody would be, dude’s a beast. And perhaps Ed’s preternaturally easy going demeanor has reached its limit, because Sheeran has countersued and wants this thing tossed out. Good luck. There’s no way …

And by “man” I mean any “news” service that bothers to tell this tale and wastes your time and mine. Oh, it could’ve been reasonable. It isn’t, but it coulda been. Coulda been that some guy in Texas wrote a tune. And then someone somehow heard Texas guy’s track and then, perhaps quite by accident, …

Only a few weeks ago, I was dismantling the well trodden idea that Radiohead oughta be suing Sam Smith over “Midnight Train.” This month all the chatter is about Radiohead suing Lana Del Rey over her personal manifesto, “Get Free.” It’s true about the lawsuit. Although I know my song wasn’t inspired by Creep, Radiohead …

Disney Just Got Hit With Lawsuit For Allegedly Ripping Off ‘Let It Go’ From ‘Frozen.’ Jamie Ciero is complaining that “Let It Go,” (written by the very competent Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez) and his track, “Volar,” include note combinations and structures, hooks, melodies, lyrics, themes, production, and textures that are at least substantially similar. And …

Don’t hold your breath waiting for Radiohead to sue Sam Smith over “Midnight Train.” Back in 2014, when Sam Smith’s had his mega-hit with “Stay With Me” (which won him four Grammy’s including the two biggies, SOTY and ROTY, and made Smith a star) it was widely observed that “Stay With Me” sounded a helluva …

This will be the most essential music theory lesson you will ever read in under ten minutes. Victor Hugo said, “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent,” which is just great, but it doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t put music into words. Theory and musical terminology are what …

Oct 6, 2017 Oral arguments begin today in the appeal of the “Blurred Lines” case. And any forensic musicologist worth their salt has to care. Any modern day composer or songwriter has to care. One needn’t necessarily root, but you gotta care, because it matters a great deal, not whether Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke …