Some Amusing (and Not-So Amusing) RIAA Updates

I recently ran across these few links regarding the RIAA that I found funny and/or disturbing:

1. Here's a story on Techdirt about a few universities finally getting a little backbone and standing up to the RIAA's scare tactics. The RIAA has been putting pressure on colleges to 'rat out' it's students by way of handing over IP addresses from university networks and the like. It's nice to see that at least some of the houses of higher education have decided not to cave under the unscrupulous extortions of the RIAA.
2. On a more pathetic note, the kind-hearted souls at the RIAA recently attempted to sink their talons into a 10 year old girl (who was actually 7 at the time of the alleged illicit downloading activity) in Oregon. The girl's mother, 42 and living on Social Security Disability Assistance, insists on the girl's innocence.
   
3. Here's a funny little diagram of the RIAA's lawsuit decision making process called the RIAA Lawsuit Decision Matrix, posted on BBspot. The author gives a link to larger jpeg and pdf versions of the image that can be printed out and circulated at your office or where ever.
   
4. Finally, here's a nice blog run by two NYC lawyers called "Recording Industry vs The People," which is 'devoted to the RIAA's lawsuits of intimidation brought against ordinary working people' and is ripe with stories like the ones above. A good resource for tracking the madness....
   

Mac on the record industry

Continuing the theme of music industry pondering. Here is Mac from Merge interviewed about the state of the plastic disc manufacturing and distribution industry. They Play a little arcade fire, and a little Spoon, Lambchop and such.

It's fun.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/soundcheck/episodes/2007/03/27

Clemens Kogler Creates Crazy Video Collage for Clark

Illustrator/digital animator Clemens Kogler has come up with an absolutely gorgeous music video for UK musician Clark's song "Herr Bar". The vid, which is an animation created from photos of the human body arranged to form animals, landscapes and plants, is really quite beyond description. Clark's music is very nice as well, although a bit reminiscent of some of Richard D. James' more ambient, less drill-n-bass, stuff. Regardless, the music and images are married perfectly, and it is a lovely way to spend a few minutes.

Enjoy....

Snoop, Not Britian's Cup of Tea

According to an article over ta CNN, Calvin Broadus, AKA Snoop Dogg, Mr. Shizzolator himself, has been refused a visa to perform a series of concerts in the UK. Mr. Dogg, who is co-headlining a European tour with Sean P. Diddy Combs will now, apparently, be unable to perform at the tour's five dates in Britain.

Snoop is not entirely innocent in Britain's decision, however. The bad-ass rapper was involved in a ruckus back in April of 2006, when he and five other men were arrested for violent disorder and starting a brawl.... at London's Heathrow International Airport??!!

Big up yourself, Snoop; few people can boast that.

Anyway, Snoop's people are hoping that the situation can be rectified (as the show must go on), but no news yet on that one. Good luck, Mr. Dogg....

-Check out Snoop Dogg's Official Web Site.

Deerhoof @ Rolling Stone

Deerhoof is so much fun. They were recently here in tha "C," but I was unable to attend.

*Sadness floods my drab southern room; the flowers wilt; goldfish hold their breath in sorrow; somewhere in the distance, a clown is crying.*

Oh well, I'll just have to console myself with the new video for "The Perfect Me" available at Rolling Stone's site. There's also a vid for "Dog on the Sidewalk" on the same page.... Off the chizzain.

Also, for more of Rolling Stone's Deerhoof coverage/support check out their Deerhoof Page, ripe with articles, album reviews, photos, videos, and a little audio player that lets you tune in to 'Deerhoof Radio' and/or listen to the 5 most popular Deerhoof tracks on Rhapsody.com.

Love ya, Deerhoof. Catch you next time around....

McCartney Due to Release Album on New Starbucks Label

Damn!

Well, Paul McCartney has just been the first major artist to sign with the newly formed Starbucks music label Hear Music. Apparently, big Paul, one of the most important musicians in the history of modern popular music, has been enticed by the coffee chain's new music venture because of its "commitment and passion" and "love of music."

Great news for Starbucks too, who are (obviously) hoping that other big-name artists will follow in Mr. McCartney's footsteps. Bad news, however, for me who emphatically expounded my rather un-optimistic opinion of the new Starbucks Hear Music label. *Searches for spatula, removes egg from face.*

It will be interesting to see who else climbs on board the new label that I previously likened to a "sinking ship." This doesn't change my view of the record industry in the least (and why would it?), but it is an interesting development in this story. And to Mr. Dr. Confusion, *tips hat* nice call- hindsight is 20/20, foresight rarely is.

Funky Robot,

Y'allz:

Check this squishy robot that dances (interactivly, not-preprogrammed) to Eric Bachmann and Spoon.

Make sure you choose the video link "keepon dancing to spoon".

Nerdcore show write-up @ hipster, please

What up!

My write-up, with video, of the Nerdcore show featuringThe Mediocre Tour is up now at Hipster, Please! Check it out if you wanna see me lose my metaphorical mind.

Word.

---A little "P.S." by Myku----

Wow! This is really first rate! I think anyone who hasn't really had any exposure to Nerdcore (like yours truly) can get some straight-schoolin' from Doc C's excellent write-up and video coverage. And, don't forget to hang around 'Hipster, Please!' for a few afterwards and dig deeper into the scene.

Thanks, Dr. Confusion!

OMG! OMG! the synergy!

I don't want to spill the beans but: I just completed my latest Ugata submissions and I opened with two different variants of the Dr. Who them on each disc.

I've been going through a bit of a Dr. Who renaissance lately and it just seemed fitting, do put them on and now look what i found posted today at the mostly entertaining and fun website Create Digital Music: a post with video on the re-recording of the Dr. Who them for the 1980 season. ROCK!

THEN! The next post is all about how Delia Derbyshire could beat match on MULTIPLE reel to reel systems. If I weren't already SO happily married I'd be on the next ferry cross the mersey to co-habitate with the genius that is Ms. Derbyshire.

Ah! the brilliant synergy of the internets! my neurons are singing a song of hope and recognition!

Byrne Speaks on the Future

Mr. Doctor Confusion sent me a LINK to this little snippet in Boing Boing about a presentation by David Byrne where the music icon muses that record labels will soon be obsolete and that he currently gets all of his music from eMusic or via illegal download. Mr. Byrne quotes issues with DRM for his not purchasing music online from distributors like iTunes. Very interesting indeed. I might try to dig up more on this, but thanks for now to Dr. C for catching this cool piece of info!

Starbucks Records?

So just gliding in on the tail-feathers of my last post about how the music industry is a 'declining empire,' is a story I found in USA Today reporting that Starbucks is on the cusp of launching its own record label. Um, ok.....

It is debatable whether this is a sound move for the monster coffee corporation or not, but I believe they're jumping onto a sinking ship while everyone else is scrambling for the life-boats....

*Open slot; insert 2 cents.*

************2007-03-15***********

A Dr. Confusion rebuttal:

Ah, but see. I think this the smart move and shows the necessity of working around the fractured system that's currently in place. I'm pretty sure that Starbucks records are ONLY going to be sold inside a starbucks - right there that eliminates the need for paying for end caps at a record store like EMI or sony do now, or working out deals with wal-mart AND ever independent record store in medium and large towns. Plus, they can distribute the new CDs on the same palates that they deliver the coffee and cups and junk - removing/absorbing lots of shipping costs.

And who cares about radio/payola to get radio airplay - if you play the record instore - you're probably targeting and HITTING more people than radio in some markets AND (watch me now) they've got disposable income a-plenty (they're already in the starbuck for their luxury item {coffee}) AND the unit to move is RIGHT THERE next to the register for the impulse buy. Game, Set and Match capitol records! And it is now in your face.

Plus, they just need to work up some TV spots to say "HEY! new Norah Jones starbucks special snoozy live performance, only at starbucks" to get folks jonesing for their coffee AND to pick up the cream of the lifestyle-music crop. It's all is the synergy of the coffee, the starbucks cafe "experience" (seriously - the Pottery Barn's inventory is just cribbed from any starbucks interior design) and now they're just providing the convenient at-home soundtrack to that "experience".

It's almost worked on me with that Dylan thing they had a couple years back.

Sounds like a pretty genius move for Starbucks and one more bell toll for the extortion racket that was the plastic disc manufacturing and distribution cartels. Over all, I think it's a good thing but i think that the heterogeneration of music and it's distribution is a good thing on the whole. We could write a book on that subject. Thanks for letting me step on your post!
Dr. Confusion

******* ...and later, the same day... *******

Dear Doc Confusion:

First, I'm so glad you did step on my post because I think you've made some awesome points. I still have some problems with this whole endeavor, however. Let's dive in and take a look....

First, Starbucks will not be selling their label's music exclusively in Starbucks stores. The USA Today article states that Starbucks' "Los Angeles-based Hear Music label will sign its own artists and sell records through Starbucks stores and other retailers." It goes on to quote Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment who said, "We're not setting this up so that Starbucks stores would have any advantage over other retailers." This negates most of the advantages you've listed above I'm afraid, and turns the new Starbucks venture into just another record label.

I would be inclined to say, then, that Starbucks would do well to look at things from the perspective that you've just taken, except.... Well, there's something that bugged me from the start about this whole deal, but I couldn't put my finger on what my problems/concerns were until I read your addendum to my original post:

If, in fact, Starbucks was planning to distribute their label's music exclusively in Starbucks stores (which they aren't), why would any artist want to be on a label that would only sell their records at a Starbucks? The draw of the atmosphere and the loads of potential impulse buys would be great for the Starbucks company, but what artist would want their music delineated to an 'impulse buy?' Would 50-Cent have ever gone multi-platinum if his only venue was next to the register at Starbucks?

Not to mention the fact that the "luxury item," which is the coffee, that is drawing people in is substantially cheaper than a CD (which is the impulse item). Isn't the impulse item usually cheaper than what the customer originally came in to buy? I can understand if you're at a record store and go, "Hey, I was going to spend $15 on a CD, I don't mind dropping another $1 or $2 for this little peace-sign key chain with a skull in the middle." But, if you're at a coffee shop and are only there to spend maybe 3 or 4 bucks, you're not going to very nonchalantly decide to spend 3 to 5 times more (plus the price of the coffee) at the register than what you came in prepared to spend in the first place. And, that's if you only buy one CD. If, for example, you buy 2, you're already spending in the neighborhood of 10 times more than if you'd just bought your cup of coffee.

Plus, I can't see people lining up outside a coffee-shop to buy the new Norah Jones CD. But if they did, Starbucks (and people who like to go there for the coffee/atmosphere) would have a problem on their hands because Starbucks would have to totally rearrange all their stores to make room for the CDs and the CD shoppers, and Starbucks as we know it would become a retail store... bye bye atmosphere. And if, perhaps, you're thinking that it could turn into something as cool as the Starbucks/Barnes & Noble combo, think again. Why? Because at Barnes & Noble you can snatch up a copy of "Naked Lunch" and sit there reading it (for free) over an espresso.... Everybody wins. In contrast, I can walk into my local Starbucks right now, pick up the "John Lennon's Greatest Hits" CD from beside the register, sit down with it and my cup of coffee, but then what? All you can do with a CD (until you get it home, that is) is sit there and hold it, and what's the allure of that? It doesn't add to the experience at all.

Ok, so it seems that if we do write a book on the subject, this might be an entire chapter by itself! I realize I've been a bit long-winded here, but I'm excited by the discourse, to be honest. Holla back and let me know what you think- we've never done this kind of posting before, and I'm interested to see if it takes us anywhere weird.

P.S. After re-reading what you wrote above, I realize that we've both been really hurling rocks at what you termed "the plastic disc manufacturing and distribution cartels" recently. Rock on.

-Myku

Behold, the Declining Empire

If you haven't heard the hoopla regarding the newest bit of battling over musical content on the internet, check THIS out.

I am more or less outraged by the RIAA's push to suck internet radio stations dry by imposing ghastly royalty rates on them, but this post is not entirely about that; it is about the fact that I feel that this a pristine example, an uncomplicated omen, another point of light in a constellation spelling ultimate doom for the record industry as it has existed and been known to us in our lifetimes. There is a new direction on the horizon; a cultural revolution involving artists, society, and the corporations that have traditionally linked the two.

What, then, will the new direction be? I will not (and can not) offer speculation- I can only say that it's an exciting time. It is my hope that artists continue to push the envelop, inventing new means of circumventing the powers that be in order to see a more direct flow of revenue straight from the hands of the listeners into the pockets of the creators- middleman be damned. We need to realize as a society of music listeners and music makers that we exist at a point in time that is unique in the fact that we no longer need record companies to act as brokers in what could be an extremely beneficial relationship between artist and public; so, why don't we start dealing directly with the artists whose work we love instead of with the record companies and groups like the RIAA whose work is becoming an increasing intrusion, as well as an assault, on our personal sensibilities and listening liberties? We don't need anyone telling us what music we should or should not be listening to, what we should or should not be buying, and overtly attempting to corral us all into some sort of top-40 vacuum that profits only a few to the detriment of music as a whole.

I believe the problem, however, is that too much of what would be called the 'opposition' to the aforementioned Goliaths is comprised of a largely disjointed populace, yet without singular vision, not united and, therefore, still without the power to invoke necessary change. The internet, for sure, is full of independent music, but a large chunk of it is made by people like me. So? What's the problem? I think a lot of artists like myself are just looking to put their music out there and get heard. We've been making music for years at home, with friends, in private, and at drunken parties; we've been lucky to scrape together enough dough to dip into a studio and cut a demo of blandly produced snippets of our 'best stuff,' or to have a friend with a four-track we could use to record a few extremely questionable, quality challenged opuses that would largely be considered unlistenable to most people. We are the huddled masses finally breathing free via the conduit of affordable home-recording software and the ease of making digital media available on the web, the everyman (and woman) who once stood mute behind an invisible podium now handed an open-ended ticket for a center-spotlight performance and top billing at an online 'open-mic night' that at any given moment might play to one solitary listener or to an audience of thousands. Because we are basically 'weekend warriors' and so have minimal expectations and no power or pull within the 'industry,' the question of the future of music only lies with us as much as we can become united under one flag.

Likewise, a great deal of the responsibility for change rests on the shoulders of professional artists. It is for those intent on making a living in this crazy business to forge new means of contenting all of us who have been so accustomed to the ease of getting new music online (often, ahem, for free) while somehow simultaneously turning a profit. I am not trying to pass the buck here, either. I believe this is a natural progression that will inevitably be felt out anyway as artists seek to rectify the gross inconsistencies plaguing their profession of choice and attempt to take advantage of a changing marketplace that will not continue to play by the archaic rules of an obsolete game. How this will come about is not clear. Maybe it could be from artists using the internet for self-promotion (MySpacers do it all the time) and making the actual scratch from live shows and merchandising. Perhaps, the biggest hit and the scariest prospect to artists who decide to cut out the middle-man 'play ball' with internet users is not the lack of revenue from CD sales (since most of that goes to the record companies anyway), but it's the absence of that old cliche of getting 'discovered' and being offered a 'big record deal' and a gargantuan fistful of cash.

However, as times change, more and more brave souls will just wing it and work the system as best they can. Plus, a new generation of artists are emerging who have known little other than the market that now exists and will no doubt bring about innovations in the way that music is thought of and handled, innovations that for now are just barely beyond visibility out there on the horizon. I, for one, am hanging on the edge of my seat waiting to see who comes out and turns the industry (and the world) on its ear.

Bye bye, Evil Empire. It's only a matter of time.

Seuss Via Zimmerman!?!

God bless the internet for giving us all a voice and a venue.

I just stumbled upon something and had to share. It's a fun spoof album featuring a Bob Dylan impersonator singing entire Dr. Seuss books! If you're looking for something a bit different, spread your little wings over HERE and check out "Dylan Hears a Who!". It's a nice effort and all the tracks (as well as album art) are available free for download. Sweet.