deepseacatfish

Some of you may remember when I posted about a student, Paul Shuman-Moore going missing from Grinnell in September. Yesterday a body was found in the Grinnell country club pool and today police officially identified it as Paul's.

I was not one of Paul's closest friends, but I did play music with him a few times, and had some very interesting and good discussions about left-field music, free jazz, and sound experimentation. He was someone with a very open and interesting mind for music, and I only wish he had the chance to pursue that farther.

I'd just like to request your vibes and thoughts for Grinnell--which is a small school and certainly been strongly effected by this whole event, for those especially close to Paul when he was here, and for his friends and family back in Chicago who tirelessly worked to try and search and reach out to him.

Thanks,

Eric

1. the record company makes more money off the cd's than the artists themselves do. therefore, you do the artist justice by going to see them in concert.

2. if you aren't buying the music illegally then i don't see what the problem is, because you aren't paying somebody else for something that is not theirs. and most people, i would hope, if they liked the album enough would go buy it at the store or go see the band's show.

3. i don't agree with the way the RIAA is handling the situation. instead of trying to find better ways to prevent the sale of the bootlegs, they persecute people for it.

 

i dunno, from an artistic standpoint i would think that the artist should be more like how wilco is, just being content with people bothering to give a shit at all to even listen... that's the important part of the whole thing.

I'll take this on.

1. Like Cryptique said, basically album sales are meant to cover label costs like producers/studio time/equipment/promotion/etc. That money is just basically forward to the artist and then they are expected to earn it back. I do think most labels take advantage of artists, but obviously they offer something otherwise no one would sign contracts anymore. Going to see a band live is good for the band and certainly they make money off of it, but it is not analogous or a substitution to buying a record (nor does it in my mind justify downloading music illegally). Even at concerts ticket brokers, venues etc. still cut into artistic profit so you inevitably end up paying an intermediary either way. That's just kind of the nature of a capitalist distribution system.

2. I hope that people would buy albums they liked when they heard them (and I certainly do this) but plenty of people don't or are perfectly content with illegal copies. The paradox of the whole situation is that while the profit loss hurts labels and execs, it also does really hurt small labels which just no longer pull in even the modest amounts of cd sales that they rely on. Certainly artists and labels are taking a hit if illegal downloading/copying is fully acceptable.

3. The RIAA is obviously protecting their own interests (ie. big labels). I don't agree with their direction in the whole thing.

While I agree with you about artists being happy just with people listening, its nice, and for a band like Wilco they can afford to talk like that, but they know they will still make something on sales, and will still live well off of touring. For a band with no recognition nationally or even locally yet there is no way they can expect to feel content with that situation when they know they will never be able to be full-time artists if they can't make enough to live like that. It's just hard to justify.

My take on the whole copyright/illegal downloading issue: Illegal downloading is illegal, same with music sharing/copying etc. There is no legal argument around that. Ethically I think it is very reasonable to make mix tapes for your friends/family members, it's not much of an extension of personal use (though it still does violate the word of the law). I would hope that bands and labels (like Wilco have) would realize that the internet and downloading is something that can be harnessed to your advantage to drill up excitement. Artists should continue to try and slow down the early leakage of albums, but by the same token it makes good sense for them to have previews of things like this, make video and extra audio bonuses to their fans and loyal consumers...it rewards the market cycle. Labels should similarly find ways to work with the new distribution system and encourage people to buy their product (either through the same means as the artist, or by reducing prices, or increasing other profitable media for sale like artist DVD's etc.). The RIAA certainly has a right to defend their interest, but I feel like lots of lawsuits aren't going to win them friends or really change the nature of people's habits. Obviously there is no easy solution for the labels, but I feel like they have to streamline somewhat, learn that they will not have the CD sale profits that they used to, and find new means of advertising promotion and distribution to make their system work. Inevitably quality music will find a market however small, but like it or not illegal downloads hurt everyone.

What if labels and artists streamed their entire catalogs online at all times allowing people to listen and find what they wanted to buy? Those who purchased albums in any format could also receive access to b-sides/demos/live work.

00's

Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Califone-Quicksand/Cradlesnakes

90's

Yo La Tengo-I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One

Radiohead-OK Computer

80's

Sonic Youth-Daydream Nation

REM-Murmur

70's

David Bowie-The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust

Roxy Music-For Your Pleasure

60's

The Beatles-The White Album

John Coltrane-A Love Supreme

Well I'll keep it brief for now since I need some sleep and all that.

Anyways. Overall a very good concert. A friend of mine's band from Minneapolis opened (Mouthful of Bees) and did a great job, definitely had the crowd on their side (helps when you're playing the college you're going to I guess...), Driver of the Year played after that, a much tighter set then when they were here before.

Spoon was very solid, like I expected they stuck mostly to their songs the way they appear on the albums, but without feeling dead/devoid of energy. Quite the contrary they seemed to be having a lot of fun. A good range of stuff, I think a couple new tunes (Stardog/Explodo can probably confirm this), the crowd mostly seemed to go for offerings from "Gimme Fiction," but they definitely kicked out a number of older stuff, especially some nice highlights from "Girls Can Tell," I was glad to hear Fitted Shirt and Everything Hits at Once.

Overall, solid. I wish there had been some more just rocking out, but they played well and definitely were better up close than when I saw them at the Pitchfork fest.

Also, nice to see another VCer if only briefly.

Enchiladas in mole sauce.

Plus margarita.

After I returned here: Gin and tonic w/lime juice, gin and tonic w/grenadine.

Spoon concert in an hour

my guilty pleasure just took, oh, about 30 seconds on another part of the int3rw3b

"teh porn"

Ps. ABBA's "SOS" is teh greatest, no joke.

If you changed compulsory military service to compulsory national service, I'd agree 100%.

 

Compulsory military service works a lot better in countries where the leadership doesn't think they have a moral obligation to act as the world's police force.

Exactly.

And I agree with Cryptique. The US just needs to get over individualism. There's a lot of benefits to having everyone serve their country. But they just shouldn't be forced to be in the military (even if it is only in a support position).

Aw man, this is a real drag. One of my favorite authors period.

Always brilliant and funny simultaneously. I'll have to do some re-reading I think.

The first album I bought was a Beatles Greatest Hits compilation of some sort (I think spanning their career) and it was on cassette tape. I got it at K-Mart.

The first concert I remember going to was Three Dog Night, they played in a park in Springfield, OH when I lived there.

Down With Wilco is amazing, I can't recommend it highly enough to anyone.

Happy birthday dude, have a good one.

Happy birthday!

I've heard rumor that the Japanese Reissues are actually quite high quality, but if you want the warm/muddy classic tone you'll have to switch out the pickups on it...otherwise you get single coils in disguise. But it's an easy fix and its a much cheaper guitar...albeit a bit harder to find. I haven't played one...so couldn't tell you.

Jazzmaster has been on my wishlist for a while. Just can't afford it....though I've been seriously contemplating the mij reissue.

I do want to get one of the those Ibanez Jet Kings to refurbish, I've actually been looking for a while...used ones don't seem to be to available.

When I was back home (Minnesota) I heard it a handful of times on 89.3 the Current.

Have a very happy birthday!

Davenport would indeed be the Quad Cities area.

I think I will likely be going to that date

Happy Birthday

Well, I'm there. I was hoping for this.

Cleaning out my stock of summit EPA and IPA in anticipation for Spring Break

It's a list that a couple major labels slipped some money under the table for to boost record sales on a number of sub-par albums and a couple strong selling albums that they wanted to move to multi-platinum status. Also they included a few legitimately good works of art, because otherwise they would've seemed like complete frauds

 

Written by, you know ... morons, for...you know, morons.

Fixed it.

London Calling is # 96. I'm gonna have to kill somebody.

edit: Blood on the Tracks is # 157. 157! I'm headed out to buy a gun now.

Did you notice how Creed's fantastically innovative and definitive "Human Clay" is ranked #95, right above the Clash's "London Calling," I think that finally proves who is the superior group of musicians you elitist jerk

santana - supernatural at #13?...what is THAT?

 

shania twain - come on over is #21??...wow.

 

it just gets worse from there.

Exactly, I'm not exactly sure what this list is trying to be "definitive" about really...

I mean, it's definitely not a definitive list of rock, and it's not even really a definitive list of top album sales.

But really, come on, any list that ranks the Saturday Night Fever and Grease soundtracks higher than John Coltrane's a Love Supreme deserves to be shot a few times, and then thrown in a dumpster.

I have to log on with my username and my password every single time I come on board. I usually pop in quite often. So it's slowly becoming a drag on my typing finger. Am I the only one? Is there anything I can do to stay logged on like in the past? It just started happening lately after the board was down a day or so ago. Any and all help as usual is highly appreciated.

There might be something funky up, but you might just want to check this out first. When you first login there should be a check-box that allows you to always be logged in from whatever computer you are on. If you check that it should work, if it doesn't maybe clear your browser cache and then try checking it. If not, someone else probably has a better solution.

true.

 

yeah, i think it's probably my number 2 favorite wilco song ever. just because it's been there when i have been so upset i couldn't see straight... wilco's music does that.

 

i'm digging your godzilla, dsc.

Glad you're digging it.

Yeah, this song is definitely one that's great for any frustrated/depressed/bad moments, so cathartic. Many a time have I cranked this up and accompanied the Tweedy freakout...wonderful.

yeah, i can do little bits of it, just not the fast thing where he moves his wrist like nuts

Well the dude does have a little more time to practice it

Makes it no more visceral or amazing though, every time.