my take on "music piracy" (briefly and angrily)

I personally would never download music illegally off the internet, because a) it's illegal and you can get caught and fined, and b) I feel it's a little conniving. However, I am a musician and I burn cds for my friends. I have friends who are musicians who burn cds for me and their other friends. None of us has a business doing it, burns an excessive amount of them, or makes any money off of it. And yet I have recently been attacked by two people for thinking that burning cds is not the same as illegal downloading, and that by doing it I am stealing music from artists, and helping bring down the music industry. And in return, I say...bullshit.

As a representative of the group who is supposedly hurt the most by burning a cd for someone, (both as an artist and an industry worker), I'd like to announce that there ain't nothing wrong with it. And I'm certainly not alone in that philosophy. Real artists would rather have a new fan hear their songs than not at all, and would appreciate you passing a couple copies off to friends who will probably go to their show with you the next time they're in town. If you're an unknown artist, then you really need the promotion more than anything, and if you're a known artist, then you most likely have enough money as it is. (In the case of the original biggest loud-mouths, Metallica, they obviously do.) So what is the problem exactly? As a former employee of an indie rock label where we all burned cds for each other, I'd like to reiterate (because it's certainly been said before) that digging your feet into the sand and fighting against the digital revolution is what has been bringing the major labels so much trouble. Working within it is helping independents such as Dangerbird Records get a leg up. Is that really so hard to understand? Understanding the fact that kids can and will download your releases for free online, and therefore spending more time and thought on the packaging, artwork, etc to get them to want the actual cd as well, is not really rocket science.

And the ideas we come up with in that regard are only keeping us on our toes, and further away from the stagnation that tends to take over this industry. Fresh ideas, "special edition" concepts, limited vinyl, bonus tracks and cover tunes as incentives... It's just making all those publicists work harder. And well they should. They get paid a lot, just to google their clients' names and send in reports of blog posts. (Not saying none of them work hard. I'm just saying.)

on tastes and snobbery

I've discovered a new blog I really like, and for once remembered what it was for more than 24 hours. (There is a fog, remember? Sometimes it's hard.) This is Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney's blog on the new NPR Music site, which I thought was pretty cool on its own, before I even noticed her pic under "Monitor Mix". (Pardon me while I fill out my answers to the Thursday Treasure Hunt...) Anyway, her post called "Eight Heads in a Duffel Bag" yesterday was about how she is really particular and critical of music, but can willingly go and watch absolute fluff when it comes to movies, and eat it up shamelessly. She was pointing out how odd it is that there are some things we take definite stands on and other things we're willing to be force-fed. This reminded me of a conversation I had with my boyfriend the other day. (I hope I can call him that. We haven't discussed it, but "the guy I'm dating" is getting old.)

We were eating in a restaurant that was playing mainstream pop kind of stuff in the background, and he asked me if I'd heard the new songs by Britney Spears, which I had. Then he commented that he made an effort to avoid that kind of stuff like the plague, and I said that I used to do that for sure, but then I relaxed about it and now I don't care so much. It's true - music is what I am probably the most snobbish about or critical of, even now, but I've realized the futility of letting the bad stuff get to you. I have my preference and everyone can have theirs, and that's okay with me. I'm not going to go around saying, "How can you listen to this crap??" Because I'm tired of the snobs, the contemptible snobs. (He's not a snob, by the way, I'm just taking this one step further.) I'm referring to the music lovers who wouldn't set foot in a nightclub that played cheesy music, even if it were a good friend's birthday request. That's just shameful.

Besides, I prefer to try and not let the hype, either negative or positive, or the genre, form my opinion for me. There have been a couple Britney Spears songs that I've liked. I occasionally like something by Kanye West or Nelly even though I really don't like rap music. And this is fine. I'm not going to fight this or be ashamed of this, because then I'm only shortening my list of things to enjoy. I don't have to get up on a cross and spout tirades on the trashiness of most TV shows either, even though there is very little I watch anymore. (I have found a couple I like recently - The Office and Chuck, just so you know.) I watched 27 Dresses and I freely admit it is an absolute chick-flick, but I still enjoyed it. Same with PS. I Love You.

Did I enjoy Charlie Wilson's War and The Kite Runner a lot more? Hell yes, but is it really necessary to point that out? Doesn't that go without saying at this point? Wouldn't it be beating a dead horse to announce that the award-winning type of movies are better than the romantic comedies?? I'm not arrogant enough to think I'm saving the world, or offering it anything revolutionary, when I offer my opinions. I'm only 28 and QUITE A LOT has come and gone before me. That's all.

And that's all, really.