"Letter" in the Post

Here’s a fun one: Today’s Washington Post features a profile of music business renegade Bob Lefsetz, whose ongoing screed (or tirade, depending on your opinion), The Lefsetz Letter, is read by both working-class musicians and high-level industry types.

Lefsetz, who is fond of using ALL CAPS when making a point, often comes across a curmudgeonly uncle, but his no-holds-barred take on the music business can be a refreshing alternative to drier trade rag reporting.

But it’s not all bluster. Lefsetz has seen some of the industry from the inside, and usually sides with the art, not the business. And it’s amusing to know that a younger generation is learning about the machinations of the major labels from a guy whose idea of hot new music is the latest disc by the Eagles.

The Post does a pretty good job at capturing the essence of Lefsetz:

A writer notorious for abusing his CAPS LOCK key, Lefsetz, 54, comments daily -- and sometimes, it seems, hourly -- on whatever topics pique his interest: diminishing album sales, Steve Jobs, the meltdown of the major-label system, skiing, the monetary value of music, favorite songs of 1971, overeating, Wal-Mart, the greatness of Regina Spektor, seventh-grade crushes, the overrated legacy of Patti Smith, the unremarkable wardrobe of Kenny Chesney.

We at FMC read a lot of blogs on a daily basis, including Coolfer, Digital Music News, Digital Audio Insider, BitPlayer, Ars Technica, CNET, Arts Journal, Idolator and Listening Post. What do you read?