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In music, there continues to be a healthy interest in live performances by the singers and groups that continue to bubble up at the grassroots. That’s where the music scene remains authentic and relatively healthy.

I don’t follow that scene, but I gather that some of these groups develop substantial followings. The problem is how to scale up and break out without being swallowed by the Borg. The same is true in cinema. The indies are still out there. They make films on often tiny budgets. A fraction of these might appeal to me, often more because they’re original, thoughtful and interesting even if they’re lacking the glitz and polish of big budget studio movies, which are often bland and soulless despite $50, 80, or 100 million budgets. I’m willing to give credit for concept, originality, and prioitizing a story with integrity and good acting as opposed to dazzling special effects.

And some of the indies are good enough to break out. But they need screens, film festivals and theatrical exhibition to find an audience. The streamers are rarely interested. And even if they do occasionally greenlight something from an indie producer with a good pitch, the contract will come with the 300 page corporate responsibility rulebook and 16 Executive Producers from corporate to interfere.

I’ve got my eye on a couple of early 2026 releases, which I picked up from festival selection lists. One is an indie that every major studio passed on, for reasons that (I think and hope) reflect well on the movie and badly on the biggies. The other was microbudgeted and shot in complete secrecy; it only surfaced as a Sundance selection a couple of weeks ago. No one had any idea that it existed until then. I’ll report to the movie ping list if they’re any good. And I’ll urge people to move quickly to see them in the theater, because that’s the only way to cut out the Borg.

The music companies did it to themselves long before streaming got big.

Acts used to issue an album a year, and then tour to support it. We had many bands to choose from and autotune was not a thing.

Now, they release an album every 3-4 years and it kills off any buzz new acts have to establish themselves. By the time the next album is released, they are forgotten.

Also, there are no more bands being pushed anymore. The big studios don’t sign them as it is easier to deal with just one person with streaming.

All music seems to be female centric now also, so music for males is almost non-existent. Basically, most music now is utter trash which is why 70’s groups are able to sell their catalogue of music for hundreds of millions.