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Ghost of Electricity

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Posts posted by Ghost of Electricity

    Frank's Hard Drive

    in Someone Else's Song

    Posted

    I was going to spare my fellow VCers from self-promotional spam, but when the day after a show you see they've written a review and then you head off to do a radio interview there comes a certain degree of self-affirmation which makes you believe for a brief moment that the spamming is ok.

     

    The review: http://www.therakeandherald.tv/culture/culturestory.php?id=159

     

    The record label page: http://www.halfeaten.com/

     

    The bandcamp page where you can download it: http://franksharddrive.bandcamp.com/

     

    If you're interested in a physical copy, PM me.

    An Important Read for Music Fans

    in Someone Else's Song

    Posted

    As a listener, I have certainly downloaded material from the usual sights, Sometimes those downloads have lwed to a physical sale, sometimes not. understaanding of the law in the country where I live is that it's illegal to upload material, but not to download. So whether or not I've broken the law is unclear- local law? I don't think so. International law? well, not sure what the reciprocal agreements between the countries are. American law? How can I break American law when I'm not on American soil? Not sure about that.

     

    Regarding Sec. 107 "criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research" that's an awfully broad definition open to interpretation. (As the law tends to be) Sometimes I seek out music to "fill a gap" in my knowledge, as I did with the Kinks a year or so ago. That's a type of research, granted probably not the type of research intended but a type of research nonetheless.

     

    I've stopped downloading and usually do that kind of research on places like Youtube now. Mostly I can find what I'm looking for, sometimes I can't because of copywright infringement. Just yesterday I had a Badfinger song going through my head so I found it on Youtube, opened the Wikipedia article on them and played a few tracks while I read. A tragic story of a band being screwed by the record business, which ended in suicides of two of the band members. If I were to seek out and buy a Badfinger record today, it would not benefit the band members or the family of the deceased, but it might benefit the people who screwed them. I'll just listen on you tube.

     

    As an active musician, the whole download culture is a bit of a head scratcher. We just released an ep on a local independent label, there was no exchange of money involved, basically we just put their logo on the disc to give it legitimacy, they put us on the website to raise their profile, and the thing was done. When it came time for the digital release (today incidentally) the label suggested a freebie download, which we agreed to, the other six being sold at the usual rate. We'll see if this "standard" model produces results.

     

    I have tried other models- my previous band released the entire catalogue on a Radiohead-style "take what you want pay what you want" basis. Several hundred people downloaded and to this date a sum total of zero people have paid.

     

    Either way though, the musician in me wants people to listen, and if someone does that then I'm satisfied. I have a day job and harbor no illusions, but if I depended on it for my livelihood it would be another story.

     

    Which brings me to my point about digital download culture: that as music has become easier and more affordable to make/produce, more people are doing it. It's a double edged sword for musicians because it empowers you but at the same time there is such a glut of material out there that it's more difficult to get people to listen with attentive ears. Law of supply and demand--the music is devalued, often to zero.

     

    This is what the industry is struggling to deal with and adapt to.

    Euro 2012

    in Tongue-Tied Lightning

    Posted

    Croatia's 2nd goal was offsides. Not sure what happened with the non-call there.

     

    certainly looked that way but i heard it explained thus: it wasn't offsides because the ball came off an Irish player, not as a pass from a teammate.

    New album in 2013?

    in Just A Fan

    Posted

    That seems like a long time away, but with the way time seems to be speeding up as i get older, I guess it will be here soon enough. Anyway, I hope it continues the upward trend set by TWL.

    Euro 2012

    in Tongue-Tied Lightning

    Posted

    I actually thought NL played pretty well, dominated the Danes, created tons of chances for themselves, but were unfortunately able to capitalize on any of them. Interesting beginning to a tough group.

    Euro 2012

    in Tongue-Tied Lightning

    Posted

    disappointing results on the opening day. Poland played a great first half, and a lousy second half, dodging a couple of bullets and squeaking past with a draw. The Czech's got trounced, it looked like they left their defence in Usti Nad Labem.

     

    Kind of exciting to be on the ground here even though we're not one of the host cities. England, Italy and the Netherlands are all based here though, and word on the street is about getting into to see practice sessions, which my son was lucky enough to do.

    Lady Gaga is the greatest artist of the 21st Century (so far)

    in Tongue-Tied Lightning

    Posted

    Your view of the world is skewed. noone outside the states or maybe other English speaking countries knows/ gives a rat's ass about who Charlie Sheen is. Radiohead and U2 reach a decidedly broader base than Charlie Sheen, and mave have people's attention and may have clear views on the world, but largely preach to the choir, so to speak, which provokes no debate whatsoever.

     

    Nine inch Nails did the whole shock rock thing, but played to crowds of people who wanted and/or expected to be shocked. Again, not the same thing.

     

    It's funny that in these days of Christian/Muslim animosity the fundamentalists from both groups can find a common ground in their derision of Lady Gaga, which provokes further thought.

     

    Also, I don't consider Lady Gaga's medium to be music, but the media itself, whereas with U2 and Radiohead (or Bob Geldof or whoever) the medium is undoubtedly music. U2 has played with the media thing, but it was before the whole digital revolution (if i remember correctly) and was a theme of an album/tour, not the medium itself.

     

    As for the vagueness thing, I started this thread after hearing a BBC radio discussion about the Lady Gaga's banned show in Indonesia. The issues I have mentioned (such as an individuals right to freedom of expression conflicting with another individual's or group's right to religious beliefs) were issues discussed by participants coming from all walks of life and all corners of the globe, including third world countries. The discussion moved away from Lady Gaga the person/musician/celebrity/ provacateuse into the social-political realm of where to draw the line between these two freedoms. This is less of an issue in the states than it is in places like Saudia Arabia and Iran, and more of an issue for women and homo/bisexuals than it is for straight men in those (and most) countries. Specific enough?

     

    And if i am trying to bait a little, it is only because this idea occured to me, i fear there's something in it, and I want someone to talk some sense into me. I'd listen to Radiohead before Lady Gaga any day of the week.

     

    All do respect, but I still she's playing a different ballgame than any of the folk you've mentioned.

    Lady Gaga is the greatest artist of the 21st Century (so far)

    in Tongue-Tied Lightning

    Posted

    To get back to the subject of whether LG is the 21st century's "greatest artist"....two thoughts:

     

    1.) We have very different ideas about what that expression, "greatest artist", means. I believe great art should be involved.

     

     

    Let me say that I'm not a great fan of hers. Again, I don't even know a single Lady Gaga song. But (also again) I don't think that's the point. Her art isn't music or even fashion. The 21st century is the era of zeros and ones, when visual art has become no longer tangible, and audio art (which never was) has been, through the power or the download, devalued like a third-world currency. It's also the viral age, where a single tweet can reach millioms or peolpe in a matter of minutes. Her "art" isn't art in the traditional sense, but is redefining it based on the unique circumstances of the 21st century.

     

    even within the confines of this thread she's managed to provoke debate, in this case on the nature of sexuality. A couple of days ago I was listening to a discussion on BBC radio about legal/philosophical issues being discussed as a result of her Asian tour. Granted these issues were well hashed out in the 80's in the US with Madonna and others who have been previously mentioned, but, in 21st centiry fashion she's upping it to a global scale and taking the same debate to corners of the world it hasn't yet touched, but arguably should touch.

     

    To me, this is somewhat analagous to something like Picasso's "Guernica."

     

    Man, I could say the same about Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Billy Corgan, Piers Morgan, and many more.

     

     

     

    I can't.

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