So I decided to take some time out of my absolutely insane life to post briefly about the recent phenomena known as MUXTAPES.
The hipsters of New York have once again found a way to make the internet ultra stylish. A new way for scenesters and hippies to brag about thier music playlists for all teh internets to see.
So I decided to throw one together!
so here you go!
This is how you know things are right… When the girl you marry, decides to go out and secure tickets to a show that she wants you to write about on your blog. What makes it even better / impressive, is when the band is actually really really good!
This was in fact the case, with Low Vs.Diamond @ The Viper Room last month. The only problem was… we didn’t snag a photo pass. so we had to take shots on the sly… and well… that didn’t turn out very well. They almost kicked us out for taking pictures. even though I tried to explain that it was for an article 
but thats ok. we made do!
This was Low Vs. Diamonds first show of 2008. They played for just under an hour, and debuted several new songs from their forthcoming full length album. The only ones I recognized were the ones from their Life After Love EP
The performance itself was stunning. My wife said (And I’m paraphrasing from memory here) that Lucas (The singer) reminds her of a scrawny kid that was bullied and denied by his love in his school years. Now he is all grown up and is taking his revenge on the world with his lyrics and music. Now I don’t claim to know this mans history. But that made the songs make a bit more sense to me, thinking of his performance and lyrics from that perspective.
Whether that is the actual history or not… There was an intensity at this performance, that made me feel that this wasn’t a run of the mill band, going through the motions. The performance was passionate and real. All eyes were on stage during the entire 55 minute set.
Low Vs. Diamond is certainly a band that I will be keeping my ear open and placed firmly on teh internets impatiently awaiting breaking news and more local shows.
Their ever glorious Myspace page says that they have a show lined up at the Troubadour on March 20th after they get back from SXSW. If you are reading this on the day that I wrote it, and live near San Diego, you can in fact catch them at the Casbah tomorrow night.
They’ve posted a free song for download here. Apparently its a bonus track that didnt make it to the Life After Love EP.
Two complaints about the show…
17 bucks for a beer and a rum and coke (or was it coke and a little tiny bit of rum¿). Are you freaking kidding me? I guess this is Hollywood.
Also… chick in the front with the obnoxious zebra print hipster skirt…who nearly knocked that 10 dollar rum and coke out of my wifes hands with her insane jumping up and down and overly fan girl waving of the arms… You’re right there in the front… the band sees you… and yes I know you are probably friends with them or something… but please for the love of God, have some respect for the people around you trying to enjoy the show.
we managed to get a little video for you all…
Oh my goodness…
Trent has done it again… I cant really write about it, because I cant freaking get into the website, because all the legions of NIN fans managed to break the NINTERNET.
But basically… out of the blue TR has released 36 new instrumental NIN tracks. In a variety of formats… just go to NIN.com to check on all the fuss…
The cool thing about it is… its released under creative commons. so that pretty much means you can do whatever you want with it.
Trent Reznor explains, “I’ve been considering and wanting to make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn’t have made sense until this point. This collection of music is the result of working from a very visual perspective – dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack for daydreams. I’m very pleased with the result and the ability to present it directly to you without interference. I hope you enjoy the first four volumes of Ghosts.”
I was going to load a preview player here… but apparently everything about this releases distribution is… should we say… JACKED.
So um… no one will probably read this tonight that doesnt already know about this… so download it tommorow… monday…
PS. … I have some great show reviews coming up here this week… just havent had much time… what with getting married and all… thats right! I said I got married!!!
OK. So I didn’t go to THE TEENAGERS show last week at Spaceland. My girlfriend was sick and she forgot her wallet with her ID in it back in Thousand Oaks. So I wasn’t about to leave her sleeping in the car in Silverlake. Even though she tried to get me to. She knew I was upset about it. But I would have been even more upset if someone broke into the car and tried to rape her while she was passed out on NyQuil. (plus thats my job. OMG Kidding) So I felt bad. The Teenagers lovely managers went through the trouble of getting me a photo and press pass. And I didn’t even get to use it.
So to make up for things… I did manage to get my hands on a copy of the forthcoming debut record. Reality Check. Since I cant review the show, which was apparently pretty much awesome, especially since Run Run Run played with David J of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets apparently joining them for a rendition of No New Tale To Tell… Ok… I’m gonna stop being irritated now.
Ok So The Teenagers. This is a strapping young band fresh out of Paris and London, respectivley… These guys just got listed as performing at Coachella this year. and they just played 4 or 5 shows here in the US. Expect to hear a lot about these kids.
The songs deal with dating and… well teenager things. Most of the time It feels like one of the two vocalist is reciting entries directly from his diary, of his frustration with his girlfriends as well as his conquest of some fresh young tan San Diego piece of a… err his conquest of a nice young girl from california, who apparently sees things very differently than he does. In the track Homecoming.
All in all this band is very enjoyable. I smile every time I listen to the album. The music is excellent post brit/french pop. Excellent Bass Lines. Great Synth Lines. Great guitar riffs. and Vocals that feel like they were recorded by a drunk french dude… who sounds more like he’s in his 40′s than in his teens… which adds a creepy and funny factor all at the same time. If you listen to the tracks I post here, I guarantee you will picture some french dude trying to seduce you. I can say that sort of thing, because I’m french. And thats exactly how I think I would sound if i had a french accent and I were trying to seduce you. It’s been known to happen… when I’ve had a lot to drink.
It’s hard for me to decide which track to post, since there are so many on the album that I just absolutely adore. So this is one of those rare and special occasions where you get to have 2 Tracks. These aren’t necessarily my favorite tracks. Because I cant pinpoint which track are my favorites. they are just a couple tracks that I figure sums up the bands style pretty well.
So if you guys make it back out to the US any time soon… I would love to write a review of your live show. If the album is this fun, I can imagine the live rendition being an absolute blast.
Everyone else. Go grab this album when it gets released. Or buy the digital version of it now. Listen to it. Get drunk. and Make out with your girlfriend or boyfriend. and then blog about it. Buy their T-Shirts and talk about them to everyone.
MP3: The Teenagers – Feeling Better
MP3: The Teenagers – Homecoming
Oh yea PS. I turned 28 today. so if you wanna send me free music or tickets to shows anyone, feel free to do that.
Last month I had the opportunity to sit down with the beautiful and sweet Ashley and always dapper Davey from Great Northern, right before they opened up for Ladytron in San Francisco. It was a cool little chat. we covered a few topics. Some lighthearted, and some a bit more in depth. We’ll get to all that.
But first of all I would like to say… I feel really really honored to know these people. I meet a lot of bands that have no where near the recognition that Great Northern is getting these days. And not many of them have the humility that each member of Great Northern has. Which makes it hard to differentiate between bands that I consider friends, and bands that I’ve just worked along side a few times.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I consider Great Northern friends. Because every time I meet them, we genuinely have a good time. And they are always genuinely happy to see me. I had about a 30 minute conversation on tape with Davey and Ashley, and there was nothing pretentious about these two. I had some very casual and candid conversation before hand with Davey while we watched Ladytron set up their gear and do a sound test. These people aren’t hiding anything. What you see is what you get. I had talked to Solon and Rachel earlier that evening as well. And you get the same exact vibe from them as you do from thier music. Warm, Friendly and Accommodating.
After the interview, I watched Great Northern put on the best show that I’ve seen them put on. I’ve gone from being impressed with their music and stage presence, to at this show… being absolutely blown away. These guys have grown so much. They now put out a wall of sound that will just absolutely blow your mind, if you ever get the chance to see them. Solon’s guitar playing has become more precise and noisy (which is a good thing) It adds a lot of ambiance to the bands music. Rachel’s voice has gotten even stronger, Ashley is completely in control of her bottom end, and Davey seems to be hitting those skins harder than ever. All of these things combined make for a very very enjoyable performance, from a band that I know is just on the brink of something big. In the interview, they talk about touring, writing the new record and their future careers in the music industry.
MMM: Hey Guys! Hows the tour coming along?
Davey: Its been fantastic. This is a new tour though. The last tour we did was with the Comas. For a month. we’ve been all around the states. They were super super sweet. We had a really really good time!
MMM: Awesome! How did you guys get hooked up with them?
Ashley: You know I think it was through Tim… Our manager was the one that recommended them to us.
Davey: we played with them at SXSW. It was just one of those… “Party Type Shows” … They played right before us… and Thats a really good question. (Chuckles)
Ashley: Yea we should really know the answer to that. But we don’t…. It was fate that brought us together.
Davey: It was really really good though.
MMM: It tends to work that way in this industry doesnt it.
Ashley: Yep.
MMM: Do you guys have any favorite cities that youve played in so far?
Davey: New York. LA. Montreal.
MMM: Montreal is a very cool town.
Davey: It was fantastic. Always San Francisco.
Ashley: SEATTLE!!!
Davey: Yea Seattle was great! Portland was really…. No… Portland was ok.
Ashley: *Laughs* Portland was OK! We Love you Portland!
MMM: Care to elaborate on that?
Ashley: Umm… *laughs* No.
MMM: Ok. Well What I’m always curious about is how bands go about writing their tracks. Do you guys start out with… Bass, Drums, Vocal Melody, Lyrics… Etc?
Davey: Well this record is gonna be different than the first record. The whole first record… Solon and Rachel had wrote that for 7 or 8 months, together on 4 tracks. His and Hers. Combining ideas. They pretty much had everything written. We came in with some drums and bass parts. But this ones gonna be different. We’ve been playing some ideas at sound checks. Mostly coming from Solon, guitar ideas. We all kinda hook onto it. We havent really had a lot of time to jam them out though, because the sound checks are really short. You cant really bash away. But there’s a lot of ideas flying around. So this record is going to be all four. With our own ideas. Our own parts. So… It usually starts with a guitar.
Ashley: The guitar and the piano together. And then we add the vocals, and then everything sort of trickles down from there.
Davey: I’m gonna try and change that. I’m gonna try and write a bunch of drum parts. and see if we can work it the other way around. I’m really interested in that. Writing really cool drum parts, and having these guys write to that. Thats what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna start recording a bunch of drum parts.
MMM: So its going to be a real collaborative effort.
Both: Yes Definitely. Definitely.
MMM: Very cool. When you guys do actually sit down and get to writing a record… Are there other artists that influence you? I know some artists shut the outside world off when it comes to music. Do you guys, kinda take in everything that you might be into at the time?
Davey: I think thats the case.
Ashley: Yep.
Davey: Right now, theres a lot of traveling in the van. We’ve got a lot of different music going on in there. We all like what we like. We take little tidbits.
Ashley: I can hear different influences in everyones playing. and we all have different influences. We’re all inspired by different things. And yet we all kinda like the same music. So we get along, and it’s a really nice chemistry to have. And it shows in all our playing. And were inspired by like a totally eclectic range of music. Everything from Depeche Mode to Nine Inch Nails to The National.
Davey: We’re all kinda hot on Interpol right now. Bright Eyes. So were all over the place. Maybe some of those things will come out on the record.
Ashley: I definitely get the sense that the next record is going to be a different vibe than this one.
MMM: More upbeat?
Davey: I think so. Yea.
Ashely: More upbeat? You think so? The music I keep hearing has more of a darker edge.
Davey: Well more upbeat… Not personally wise. But faster…
Ashley: Ok yea. Faster and darker music.
MMM: Well yea, when you say Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails…
Ashley: *laughs* There you go! Yea I think its gonna come out. Maybe in little subtle ways. But I think its definitely gonna be there.
MMM: It will be interesting to hear. Thats for sure. I know you guys are totally interested in those two bands, but I never quite put you guys into the same category. Thats really interesting to hear. But thats awesome. I love both those bands… Everybody at some point has something click inside thier head and they decide “I want to do this for the rest of my life. I want to make music and be a musician.” When did that happen for you guys?
Davey: Oh S**t… um…
Ashley: When I discovered I wasn’t good at anything else. *Laughs*
Davey: A long time ago for me. I was 25. I’m growing old, so I’ve been on this quest for quite a long time. I don’t wanna do anything else. I know how to do a bunch of other stuff. But I dont wanna do some other S**tty job. We’ve all been talking about that lately. We’ve all been saying how were gonna try really really hard to do this.
MMM: Its certainly a struggle.
Davey: Big Time. Its a f**cking struggle. But I’m not complaining. There have been some really good times. A lot of free traveling. Some free trips. Tons of friends.
MMM: Ashley, How old were you when you knew?
Ashley: Um, I always loved the idea of growing up to be a rock star. As soon as I picked up the bass, I knew that this was the coolest thing to do. And I think then it was the moment that I decided that I was going to go to college for music. It was like… Ok I’m gonna spend tons of money on my tuition. This is it! So yea… at that point it was really set in stone. From there on out it was just really serious.
MMM: You guys talk about how its a really hard thing to pursue. Its a struggle. Do you guys have any advice for young artists that have decided that this is what they want to do with their life, and there’s no question about it? Any words of wisdom?
Davey: I think that…You said it… when they make that decision… they have to stick to it. They cant falter, or be hesitant about it. In my opinion they have to F**king totally totally go for it. Its like starting a business. You cant go about it half assed. But you do have to make an income. You do have to pay the bills… but don’t get serious jobs. just get piddly jobs, where you can come and go. Find cool bosses… this is just my advice, but if you get a really serious career type job, you’re not going to have the time to pull it off.
MMM: Its one or the other.
Davey: Totally
MMM: Its kinda like… being a musician… thats your serious job. And the other stuff is…
Davey: Filler.
MMM: Filler. Exactly. And hopefully when it all pays off… It really…
Davey: You wont have to do those little jobs anymore…
MMM: Heres a big question… I had the opportunity to DJ Great Northerns album release show. That was a big honor for me, I had an absolute blast… How did it feel to just totally pack that place out! How did you guys feel when you saw those lines going out both doors, Down both sides of the street. The VIP’s werent even able to get in!
Ashley: *Giggles* IT WAS SO SURREAL! We had good friends of ours, and we were freaked out that they weren’t even gonna be able to get in! I was like… “What is happening here!! This is CRAZY!!”
Davey: It was great! Thats exactly how it should be. The anticipation. It put us in a great mood to see those lines and see how crowded it was. When we play LA now… The last time we played LA, it was the same way…. Where did we play?
Ashley: Hollywood and Highland.
Davey: Yea… I mean a while ago where there was big lines
Ashley: Spaceland!
Davey: Yea! Lines. Just totally awesome. Selling out entire places.
Ashely: Yea We’ve gotten lucky. We’ve made alot of nice friends in LA. Its definitely paid off.
Davey: This is the best band I’ve ever been in.
Ashley: Me Too Davey!! *Laughs*
Davey: This is the ONLY band you’ve ever been in! *Laughs*
MMM: Is this the first band you’ve ever been in?!
Ashley: This is my first serious rock band. I’ve been in lots of little freelance things. That was always my thing. Little one offs where I would show up. read the music. And walk away with cash in my pocket.
MMM: Kinda like a session player.
Davey: Now shes in a real band and she’s broke! *Laughs*
Ashley: *Laughs* Now I’m not walking away with cash. But I’m having the time of my life.
MMM: Well you know… Passion is worth more than money… some people say anyway. Bill collectors don’t feel the same way. but yea.
Both: *laughing*
MMM: The first time I saw Great Northern, was a couple years ago, when you guys opened up for Ladytron in Pomona. The bands format has been changed a bit. Ashley wasn’t in the band then. Davey, you were on bass then, now you’re on drums…
Davey: This is THE line up now. Now its solid. We went through some drummers… and some situations back in the day… it was kinda all over the place. But now, things are really solid.
MMM: Yea I was impressed with you guys way back then, and I’ve seen you probably 3 or 4 times since, I think with the new line up, and I’m really impressed with you guys now.
Davey: Cool
Ashley: YAY! You know whats really cool is.. .before I was in the band, I saw them play, and I was super impressed and said “wow this band is really good” And 2 weeks later I was in the band! *Laughs* But… as an outsider as well as an insider, It’s been really nice to be a part of that progression.
Davey: Thats gotta be pretty cool. To be a fan of a band, and then be IN the band.
Ashley: I know I tell people that! I got the EP. I spent my 5 bucks. And you know that 5 bucks… is MAKING ME A ROCK STAR!!!!! *Laughs*
Davey: *laughs* Thats a pretty cool story
Both: Laughing
MMM: Its a very cool story.
Both: Still laughing.
MMM: I go to a lot of shows. I cant even begin to count how many shows I’ve been to. and most of the time, the opening band… is like… alright. filler. you could be there or you could not be there. it doesn’t really matter. I’m waiting for the band that I came to see. Those were my expectations for that first show.
Davey: That was at the Glass House? The Pomona Glass House?
MMM: Yea The Pomona Glass House.
Davey: That was a good show
MMM: It was a great show! I was just kinda goofing around. walking around the venue, and then you guys started and I was like… who’s that?! And you guys had my attention for the remainder of the set.
Davey: Thats how it should be. That’s what we’re trying to do to everybody!
MMM: Yea it was a great memory. I think I’ve probably turned 20-30 people onto your music since then.
Ashley: Aww thanks!
Davey: That 20 dollars I gave you really paid off.
MMM: I would have done it for free. *laughs* How did you guys get picked up by Eenie Meenie records?
Both: Silence.
Davey: There’s your answer right there. Blank silence. *Laughs*
Ashley: we don’t even know. we cant even lie about it. we don’t know that answer *Laughs*
Davey: Alright uh… just go past that part. Edit that out.
Ashley: Yea! Take that part out! *Laughs*
Davey: Tim Husom. Tim has been our manager. And he got a lot of people to our shows. And calling up small labels. He started with big labels. And then went down to the smaller labels. Thats how I think it happened. Tim got a hold of Eeenie Meenie’s owner and invited her to a show… and she loved it!
MMM: That leads me into my next question. Regarding being on a record label. In these days, when we have iTunes, CD Baby and Myspace. A lot of bands have opted to go it alone. without the help of a record label. They figure they can do it on thier own. What attracted you guys to the idea of shopping for and signing with a record label, and saying… “you know, were going to give up some responsibility and a little bit of the control for help with getting this out there.
Ashley: Well first of all, I’ve got to hand it to the bands that can do it on their own. Because there are more and more bands that are doing that and its amazing. They work their BUTTS off. And we’re working out butts off too ya know? But its just…
Davey: It has a lot to do with finances. You can only go so far with so much dough, ya know? It takes a lot of money to make a really good record. And distribution… how are those bands going to distribute their music? So you know… that whole thing about selling out and staying “Indie” is… We want to be global. We want the whole thing.
Ashley: It feels like we’re still doing everything on our own. And we have a team that makes it possible for us to do things on our own. Its really expensive to tour. With Gas and Hotels… Thats the stuff that keeps a lot of people from doing it! Its not any of the other stuff. Its just that alot cant afford to travel. And they (Record Labels) make it possible to do that. And there’s a lot of other things too! Like Distribution.. its things that…
Davey: Any band can do that on a certain level. You know.. Myspace. But thats as far as its gonna go. Reiko (Eenie Meenies owner) hired subcontractors. A publicist, Management, A Booking Agent.. We have this total team, and she fronts the bill. And we cant afford that. So in my opinion thats that. I mean we talked downstairs about the whole Universal thing hopefully happening… [Earlier I had spoken with Davey about the possibility of Great Northern being bought out by Universal Recordings after a show they were set to play for them a few days later.] … Taking it to the next level. Which… F**k. I don’t wanna stay down here.
MMM: Nobody wants to play in their garage for the rest of thier life.
Davey: Naww man. I wanna be comfortable. I haven’t been comfortable for years.
Ashley: The whole “Its not cool to sell out” thing… Thats the 90′s.
Davey: That was a long time ago. *laughs*
Ashley: “YOU SELL OUT!!!” Now its cool to sell out. *laughs*
MMM: I think it might be a case of… the ones who look down on selling out, never had the opportunity to sell out.
Davey: it could be. It could be jealousy. The ones that never got the offers.
Ashley: When I hear a great band in a car commercial or an ipod commercial, I’m like “Thats So Cool!”
Davey: They just made their house payment.
MMM: Thats the thing about artists like… Feist!
Ashley: TOTALLY! I was JUST thinking of her.
Davey: Yea I just saw that the other day.
MMM: Yea Leslie Feist. That girl has been busting her butt for years. And I dont get the opportunity to watch much TV, but I turned on the TV the other day, and there she is on the iPod commercial.
Davey: I love that commercial.
Ashley: It’s a great commercial.
Davey: Its a great song! Great song. Great commercial. Good for her.
MMM: I was at a Starbucks the other day, and I saw her CD for sale at a Starbucks…
Davey: We have NO problem with that.
Ashley: I got Becks new cd from Starbucks!
Davey: Yeah, we’re not a punk rock band. we don’t get pissed off at stuff like that. Bring it on!
MMM: There you go! well thats interesting. Great Northern is not a band that is afraid of selling out. Maybe someday you can upgrade your futon to a king size bed.
Ashley: People that go into a Starbucks are going to be a different audience than those that walk into like… Amoeba. So you’re going to be able to reach out to a different audience, that you wouldn’t normally be able be exposed to.
MMM: In the end it boils down to… Music is music. If it touches your soul, then what do you care about how it got there.
Davey: Thats right. Some of those bands out there right now… It gets confusing for me to see their posters on a pole.. Its like who are all these bands? Its hard to know whats good or not.
MMM: Are there any bands that we should be keeping our eyes on?
Davey: The Band Of Horses. I just love that song. I think they’re gonna be …Huge.
MMM: Anyone else?
Ashley: We’ve got a bunch of friends of ours that are just incredible.
Davey: Yea the locals!
Ashley: They have some incredible bands. Like She Wolf, Pity Party, Earlimart. There’s just alot of really great music coming out of LA right now. Now is the time when its all going to just explode.
Davey: We’re really stoked about the Silversun Pickups blowing up. They’re kinda leading the charge. Opening up a little bit of that LA door. Hopefully we can slide in there behind them.
Ashley: They’re incredible.
MMM: I think you guys are gonna jump ahead of them.
Davey: We’ll be right behind em.
Ashley: We’ll be holding hands. *Laughs*
Davey: We might take over. Its a little friendly competition. *Laughs*
Ashley: Our plan is to hold hands *Laughs*
MMM: There’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition.
Davey: Not at all!
Ashley: It puts a fire under your ass. They’re our friends. Its exciting to watch whats happening to them, ya know?
Davey: I just want it to happen to us.
Ashley: Totally. And they do too! They’re super encouraging. Its never awkward. They’re so humble. And they’re just as excited about what we’re going through as they are about what they’re going through.
MMM: Well I think you guys are gonna make it. I’ve seen your big shows, and I’ve seen your little shows. The energy is always the same with you guys. Regardless of how many people are there. Its obvious that its in your heart. And you guys always manage to drive through it. So I think you’re gonna do really well.
Davey: I hope you’re right. I think you’re right. We’re trying really hard. Thats all we’re doing.
Bob Dylan said that a few years ago. I dont think he was talking about putting his music online… but hey, I’m always up for a good music related catch phrase for my intros…
I’ve yet to comment on the recent events that have been taking place in the music industry. Mostly because I’ve been on the road working my ace off, 7 days a week.
Most of you know im sure, about radiohead releasing thier latest album “In Rainbows” online for an optional donation of whatever you choose.
Analysts estimate that within the first week, the band managed to profit between 8 and 10 million dollars. Last time I checked there was still no official word on the actual number. I’m not entirely convinced that that information will be divulged to the public.
But it still poses an interesting question… Is this it… is this the future. Is this signaling the end of record labels?
According to Trent Reznor it is. A couple weeks ago he posted on NIN.com that he is now a free agent, and Nine Inch Nails is no longer affiliated with any record label.
The Blog world and message boards have been absolutley insane since these recent happenings have occured in the music world. I personally got about 20 text messages within minutes of the announcement. The interesting thng is… most of the messages werent even from NIN fans.
Tonight at midnight Trent Reznor is releasing Saul Williams new record online. and once again, you can either choose to donate 5 bucks through paypal or download it for free. The choice is completely up to you.
They claim that this is an experiment, and the kinks are being worked out as they go. Experiment or not… Its a step in the right direction… no scratch that… Its a LEAP in the right direction. No wait… Its a ludicris speed hyperactive launch in the right direction.
These days I think im more interested in what Trent Reznor does as a business man as much as if not more than what I am in his music.
So what about the small artists? the ones that dont have a ton of recognition already. Well Saul Williams could be considered a small time artist…. but He’s got Nine Inch Nails fan base at his disposal… and we all know NIN fans… whatever Trents says to do… gets done.
What about the artists that dont have a history like radiohead? what about the artists that dont have the help of an extremly popular band with a huge fan base like nine inch nails? What are those bands supposed to do? Do they really still need a label? Can they do it on thier own?
I had the opportunity to interview Davey and Ashley from Great Northern last month when they opened for ladytron in san francisco. I asked them about this subject. This is even before Radiohead made thier album available. And I got some pretty interesting feedback on thier thoughts of artists going it alone… That entire interview will be posted soon (as soon as i get time to finish transcribing it)
But the part that interested me, regarding this subject, was the fact that they were currently looking forward to playing a show for UNIVERSAL, a large worldwide label that was interested in buying out thier contract that they held with EENIE MEENIE RECORDS. A great little indie label in Los Angeles, that is doing everything they can to pioneer the art of putting out records… And while Great Northern have all the respect in the world for a band that can make it entirely on thier own, without the help of a label… I got the feeling that they didnt think it was really possible to do it, and make it big (AKA make a decent living) without some big money behind them to get them the recognition that they had been hoping for.
But then theres the other side of the small indie coin. You have artists like Pete Samples. Who recently posted his entire album on his website via NON-DRM 128 kbps MP3 for free download. He did however state that fans should feel free to purchase the album by regular online methods or by walk in record stores, if they felt so inclined. As well as providing a link to donate via paypal.
Granted 128 Kbps MP3′s are not the most amazing quality you could ask for… at least its not 96 Kbps. But what do you want for free? Not to mention the blessing to download from the artist themselves.
The recurring thought with all these bands is this… Download these decent, listenable quality MP3′s. and If you like it, and feel its worth your time and money, then purchase the high quality files or the actual CD or record from said source, and then you can have whatever quality you like. Not to mention, if you like artwork and an actual tangible product…
I might still be in the dark ages with this one. I hate purchasing a file. I want to own something that I can rip the plastic open on, gush over the artwork and then rip and burn to my hard drive and pop onto my ipod, and then stick back in my crate under my bed. I can then pull it out whenever i decide that I want to utilize my 10,000 watt 8 speaker surround Hi Def optical sound system. Other than that, I’m usually glad to have it pumping through my ipod on my imac or through my JVC deck in my work van. But I still want to own something that I can have in my hands.
I’ve been buying CD’s and records since 1989, when I was 9 years old. I dont forsee that ever stopping. But I also downloaded my first MP3 back in 96 or 97. along with a copy of winamp. Thinking that this was the coolest thing ever. And realizing that this was absolutely about embracing technology.
Then there was napster. Then I discovered Direct Connect from my cousin back around 1999… That was amazing. I filled up my 20 gig hard drive on my laptop within 2 months. and purchased my first external hard drive just for music. I think it was 150 gigs. I paid a few hundred bucks for that one. Since then I’ve accumulated probably over a terrabyte of digital music files. Due to bit torrent sites like demonoid and oink. Mostly oink.
Which is another closely related subject. That I’m currently debating on diving into…
Oh what the heck. Diver down. If you’ve read this far, then you will probably keep reading.
Last week, Interpol shut down OINK.cd
Depending on who you ask, this was mostly considered to be a major blow to the bit torrent music sharing community. Oink.cd was a website where you could find practically anything you ever wanted to find.
Rob Sheridan wrote an exceptional article about this over at his blog. Demonbaby.com. its probably the most well written and sane viewpoint that I’ve read, regarding this whole mess. Its made its way around the entire interweb. It was posted @ DIGG.com and last time i checked the site, just over 2800 people had dugg the article. thats not to mention slashdot and however many other sites have posted the link… He talks about working within the music industry. and the extreme spending and pimping and hoeing and the general lack of regard for spending. Money wasnt an issue. Because there was so much of it. Mostly because CD prices continued to rise, while they became cheaper to produce. Now I’m all for making a profitable living. I own my own business, and I’m constantly looking for ways to make more money. But I also know that, if I were to take part in shady business practices, then I would be able to make an absolute killing in my field. This is where morals come into play. If you can make more money… while technically remaining legal (which is once again open for debate, because the people that say what is and isnt legal are paid by these companies to make these laws)… would you do it if you felt it was morally wrong. and then chastise and sue the people that refused to play with you on your terms? Once again… your terms that you paid the government to make laws out of?
Its believed that the authorities are trying to figure out how they can go after the users that downloaded from this website.
Now wait a second. last time I checked… most artists that I was interested in, werent interested in suing thier fans for getting excited about thier music. So ok… this must be coming from the labels. The same labels that have the money to elect politicians who pass laws that suit the interests of the labels. The very same laws that allow these sites to be shut down and prosecuted as Criminals. yes the same kind of people that rape babies. These site owners are being demonized as criminals. when really, the sites dont actually host any of the actual files in question.
Hmm, hows that work?
It seems obvious to me, that these massive labels do not have the best interest of the artists that they supposedly support.
So what are these record labels supposed to do? How does a record label protect thier investment, while keeping up with the wants and demands of thier consumer base? Well so far no one has been able to answer that question. Trent Reznor, in all of his infinite wisdom, admits that he doesnt know what labels should be doing. Thats why artists like himself and radiohead have chosen to go it alone.
I heard an excellent illustration not to long ago. it might have been from rob sheridans blog. I’m currently too lazy to go back and reread it for the exact quote. but it was something along these lines…
Water bottle companies have to try and sell a product that people get piped into thier homes every day. The New York Times has to compete with the internet, where you can get any news you want instantly, with just a few keystrokes. But yet both of these industries and companies manage to survive. Hell, I still buy newspapers when I have time to read one. I also buy a few bottles of Aquafina on a daily basis.
So why cant the record labels figure out how to sell thier product to consumers. I think if they put half the effort into marketing and rethinking thier product that they put into suing possible customers, then they might have figured out some kind of answer by now.
But no. They’ve chosen the opposite. Only recently have some labels allowed thier music to be sold online without the restraints of DRM. Thats a step. But its not the entire answer.
In the end… Its my belief that there will always be music around. Artists will always exist. And maybe the labels will figure it out right at that last second, how to work with these artists. But I have a feeling that by that time it may be too late. I am inclined to think that its too late now.
I’m in vegas for my sisters wedding, and I have to go get my tux and then set up all my DJ gear over at the hall. so I’ll make this short and quick. mostly because it certainly deserves notice.
I dont normaly get too excited about films. (although I love music videos and music photography.) But this film has me very excited. Mostly because its the work of my favorite photographer, Anton Corbijn about one of my all time favorite bands, Joy Division.
The film has sparked as much curiosity as it has controversy. And this morning, a lovely little clip that apparently no one has seen, from the film, mixed in with some stock footage of the band appeared on youtube.
The film is out this month.
