The catch: the software that pays out those tiny sums doesn’t pay if a video is embedded. This means our label doesn’t get their hard-won share of the pie if our video is played on your blog, so (surprise, surprise) they won’t let us be on your blog. And, voilá: four years after we posted our first homemade videos to YouTube and they spread across the globe faster than swine flu, making our bassist’s glasses recognizable to 70-year-olds in Wichita and 5-year-olds in Seoul and eventually turning a tidy little profit for EMI, we’re - unbelievably - stuck in the position of arguing with our own label about the merits of having our videos be easily shared. It’s like the world has gone backwards.
Let’s take a wider view for a second. What we’re really talking about here is the shift in the way we think about music. We’re stuck between two worlds: the world of ten years ago, where music was privately owned in discreet little chunks (CDs), and a new one that seems to be emerging, where music is universally publicly accessible. The thing is, only one of these worlds has a (somewhat) stable system in place for funding music and all of its associated nuts-and-bolts logistics, and, even if it were possible, none of us would willingly return to that world. Aside from the smug assholes who ran labels, who’d want a system where a handful of corporate overlords shove crap down our throats? All the same, if music is going to be more than a hobby, someone, literally, has to pay the piper. So we’ve got this ridiculous situation where the machinery of the old system is frantically trying to contort and reshape and rewire itself to run without actually selling music. It’s like a car trying to figure out how to run without gas, or a fish trying to learn to breath air.
- found and shared from: Chenzotumblr
I've always gotten a kick out of Biz Markie. He reminds me of a cartoon character. That's why he's such a great fit on Yo Gabba Gabba! where he does the "Biz's Beat Of The Day" segments! I was delighted when my pal Gabe Adiv got Biz to star in a commercial for his start-up TuneUp Media, the service I've posted about before that cleans up digital music libraries. Apparently, Biz is a big fan of TuneUp and DJ'd at their launch party, so he was game to act endearingly ridiculous in the commercial. Co-starring is Andy Milonakis who used to have a show on MTV. Gabe said he met Andy at a card table in Vegas a couple years ago and they hit it off, so Gabe called him last minute to see if he would be in the commercial too. I love the way it came out.
- found and shared from: Boing Boing
Shared by VinceTHURSDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 2009
L4D2 is about to get better.
Green Flu Don’t Stop the F’n Riders
You might’ve heard about a lot of bands cancelling their tours this week because of all the airports shutting down and the government telling people to stay indoors. To that the Riders say: We’ll stop touring when we stop breathing. What America needs most right now in its time of trial is MUSIC, and that is one thing the Riders are proud to provide.
The airports shutting down don’t confront us none. We don’t tour in a fancy plane (just the ol’ dependable Riders tour bus, and I could tell y’all some stories of what we’ve gotten up to there over the years). And with the No Salvation Tour only halfway done, we’re not about to let all our fans down who laid down their hard-earned dollars for tickets (and who might wanna buy our new album besides).
Next tour stop’s Griffin, Georgia, at the good old Peach Pit Arena at Whispering Oaks Fairgrounds. We’ve played there before and it’s one of our favorite all-time tour stops. You Georgians know how to rock! We’ll see you there, Green Flu or no Green Flu. You just bring your own badass self and your old lady, and let the Riders take care of the rest.
Much Love,
Jake
- found and shared from: www.midnight-riders.com
Too awesome.