It's only a matter of time before we're able to access our entire music library through our mobile devices. Already we see sites such as Pandora, that are built for the purpose of helping users find other music they may be interested in. Whether the RIAA or artists want it to happen, it will.
What we need to do, in order to make everyone happy is try to come up with a way that musicians and artists can still be compensated for their work while users get complete access to what they want. Some sort of blanket fee should be charged to anyone who chooses to access an all encompassing music library. If the RIAA or those involved with the copyright issue don't act fast then they will be facing serious issues.
We are ready to move onto this idea of an all-in-one music world, and regardless of if the RIAA wants to move forward we will. If they take the first shots, they will have a much easier time making everyone pay the blanket fee. However, if they wait for the users to make the first move, it will be much harder for them to gain any income at all.
It's interesting that in such a short period of time we've moved from hand-held walkmans to ipods and now an all encompassing piece of technology that will once again drastically change how we find and listen to music.
Gregg Gillis aka Girl Talk really hit it big with his latest album, "Feed The Animals" released in the fall of 2008. His work consists of mashup style remixes featuring incredible amounts of samples. Gillis' work has been cited as "a lawsuit waiting to happen," by New York Times Magazine.
While I'm sure there are a ton of artists who are just dying to sue him for "stealing" their work, I don't think any of them will go through with it. None of them want to tarnish their names for suing the guy who was just trying to promote their work and make everybody dance. As an avid Girl Talk fan, I know I'd be disappointed to see someone take him to court. As far as I'm concerned his album only helps promote other musics. I think Gillis' style and mashup technique is fair use and he shouldn't be brought to court for it. If listeners hear the album and notice a particularly interesting sample they are likely to figure out who it is and then download the music. How does that hurt the artist?
I think the inudstry and certain artists need to take a step back and look at where we are today with music. You can go on about Girl Talk breaking copyright regulations, but I think it's foolish. While Gillis isn't completely creating his "own" music he still has to be creative and expressive in the way he mixes up the samples and finds different ways for the music to work with each other. He is a talented individual and I don't see him fading out anytime soon.
Beat-by-beat breakdown of "What It's All About" off "Feed The Animals".....
Interesting post about the merging of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Personally, while I think it's great to have smaller companies start to appear in the ticketing industry it will be interesting to see if the convenience fees will be done away with. Most of the shows I go to run about 20-30 dollars, so with the extra fee added I don't mind that much. However there are some bands, Dave Matthews Band especially, that I'm already paying approx. $65 for the ticket, plus the convenience fee knocks it up to around $75....and that's not including all the money I have to spend to get to the show and whatever else. I know I won't stop going to live performances, but it would be great if fans didn't have to spend such extraordinary amounts of money to see their favorite bands. I'm a little weary of the merging however, just because the Live Nation / Ticketmaster duo will be in charge of so many aspects of the industry.
Let me just be completely honest here....I despise picking top albums/songs/bands/etc. It's far too tolling.... Nothing can ever TRULY be my number one album... I just can't commit, it's that simple...
That said, here are some wonderfully constructed musical works from 2008 provided by artists and bands who I happen to find enthralling...
(in no particular order)
TV On The Radio 'Dear Science'
Fleet Foxes 'Fleet Foxes'
Man Man 'Rabbit Habits'
Pace Won & Mr. Green 'The Only Color That Matters Is Green'
MGMT 'Oracular Spectacular'
I guess.......for the sake of the class...I could.....pick a favorite album of 2008....
Why? 'Alopecia' I was introduced to this band through my friend's MySpace blog. He made a post where he created a mixtape based on his friends....here, just check it out....
In the blog Shawn describes it as "rappy," "whiny," and "badass," and I must say that I absolutely agree. I love the fact that the lyrics are sort of spoken and sung at the same time. The vocals are similar to that of a rapper or freestyle artist. It doesn't sound as though they are planned to be sung over the music. The percussion is driving and droning at the same time. The percussion adds this slight tension throughout the album. Sometimes it feels as though the music is eager to reach the end and other times it feels as though it's lagging. Ok, I think I'm just going on and not really explaining it that well, so just listen...
Video 1: "Song of the Sad Assassin" Video 2: "Good Friday" Video 3: "The Hollows" ("Video 1" is the only official music video)
I think the lyrical content as well as the lyrical style are more than enough for this to be a top album of 2008. 'Alopecia' has a hybrid musical sound and is rhythmically driven. 'Alopecia' is similar to Fleet Foxes album in that it also has elements of simplicity. It isn't an album that is completely ground breaking or innovative but it's raw and realistic. Why?'s, 'Alopecia' is most definitely a captivating album of 2008 that was overlooked.
At this point in my life I've been to somewhere around 100 or so live performances of different bands. I've spent an infinite amount of money on concert tickets. I have an entire dresser in my room that is home to 50 or more band t-shirts. And I don't even want to know the amount of money I've spent on gas over the past years to get to all these shows. I can't say I've been to a bad concert though. Every time I go it's exciting in it's own way. Recently my good friend Shawn and I were discussing some of our favorite shows (I usually attend all concerts with him.) Shawn is a graduate from Ramapo College. We went to high school together and share the love of music together. Needless to say, after we were talking about all the shows we'd been to, I really wanted to pick my top 3...so here they are...
Coming in at a solid 3rd place
Dave Matthews Band Live @ Madison Square Garden Saturday December 10, 2005
Now...it was hard enough just to pick a favorite DMB show as I've seen them over 20 times. But this show has always stood out for me. It is the only Dave Matthews Band show that I've seen in the winter. All other DMB shows I've gone to have been during the summer. Aside from that the band played a song I had been wanting to hear live for years..."Halloween!" They usually don't play the song live because Dave has to scream most of the lyrics and his voice just isn't what it used to be...but they pulled it out! The rest of the setlist was just outrageous too...
Pantala Naga Pampa Rapunzel * What Would You Say #41 * One Sweet World * So Much To Say * Seek Up Hunger For The Great Light * Minarets Dream Girl Linus And Lucy * Stand Up * Jimi Thing *+ Smooth Rider *~ Louisiana Bayou ~* __________________ Christmas Song Halloween Ants Marching
Show Notes: * Rashawn Ross + Mike Doughty ~ Robert Randolph
indicates a segue into next song
Rapunzel, #41 and Minarets were all strong points of the show! It was overall something I'm truly glad I got to experience.
Taking the number 2 spot and receiving the silver medal is....
Arcade Fire
Live @ Irving Plaza
February 2, 2005
I know I've referrenced this show in a previous post, but my past blog entry really sums it up the best...
From the small cramped venue, to Win jumping into the audience, to members smashing rusty, ripped up cymbals on everything in the room...It was just the best. It was such an intimate and personal show. While I love going to see big bands perform, there is something to be said for being smashed up against all the other fans in a
hot, tiny auditorium!
AND THE WINNER.....
Radiohead
Live @ All Points West - Liberty State Park
August 9, 2008
01. Reckoner 02. 15 Step 03. The National Anthem 04. Kid A 05. All I Need 06. Nude 07. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi 08. Where I End And You Begin 09. The Gloaming 10. Faust Arp 11. No Surprises 12. Jigsaw Falling Into Place 13. The Bends 14. Bangers and Mash 15. Everything In Its Right Place 16. Exit Music (For A Film) 17. Bodysnatchers
Encore 1 18. Pyramid Song 19. Videotape 20. Airbag 21. Fake Plastic Trees 22. There There
Encore 2 23. House of Cards 24. Planet Telex 25. Idioteque
Maybe it's my absolute favorite show because they played 25 songs, maybe it's my absolute favorite because the closed with Idioteque, maybe it's my absolute favorite because the lighting was the most beautiful thing i've ever witnessed, maybe it's my absolute favorite because I sat around in the blazing sun for 8 hours waiting to see them, maybe it's my absolute favorite because no band could ever come close to putting on such an elaborate and intimate show, or maybeeee I just love Thom Yorke more than any human being in the entire world.....I haven't decided just yet.
Shawn and I arrived on the festival site around 11am. As the day went on more and more people began to pack the main stage and mark their territory. I watched both Kings of Leon and Chromeo perform from that stage. Once the Kings of Leon's set was over I began to get very tired and couldn't stand being smashed up against everyone else. It was disgustingly hot and humid. My feet were aching and my spine felt as though it would surely snap in half at any given moment. I was tired, hungry, aggrivated...the list could go on. I told Shawn I couldn't wait anymore. I had to go to the back of the lawn and sit down. "I don't even care if I'm close to the stage...I'm fucking tired man, I'm leaving. I'll watch it from the back!" Shawn was persistant though, he wouldn't let me leave. "Jen, you'll regret it. Just stay up here!"
He was absolutely right. I'm so glad I stayed up at the front of the stage. As soon as the band walked out, all bad feelings from my body slipped away. Nothing even mattered anymore. I felt like I just ate a 5 course meal, someone could have very well just given me a foot massage....everything was perfect. Being that close to the band brought me complete and utter joy. I had goosebumps for the entire time they were on stage. I had never felt so fufilled in my entire life. Everything about this performance was right!
Terrible sound quality and visual quality in both...but just to give an idea how AMAZING the lights were....
They're coming back to Jersey! After doing a lot of shows in the D.C. area, Mic Brown and A-Class will be back in New Jersey to do a show sponsored by Red Bull. The show is on January 10th 2009 at 8pm. It will take place at Mt. Creek in Vernon, New Jersey.
This is definitely something you can't miss! It's been over 2 years since Mic Brown has played in Jersey!
Sifting through some flicks on YouTube...came across this Animal Bikes promo featuring an olddddd Pace Won joint! The first song on the video is by Cymarshall Law and Pace is right after that (The Eye Of A Needle).
