Free Christmas Music 2011: Part 2
I promised one more entry for Free Christmas music, so Merry Christmas to my darling readers. I’d tell you I promise to write more next year, but I’m not going to lie to you. I’ll try, how’s that…?
First up, I have to repost Mr Denny White’s beautiful rendition of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. It is the one he posted last year and only reposted this year upon much harassment from me, so do me a favor and download it!!! It is my favourite Christmas song, but a true class act and one of my favourite performers. Do it for me!
My first installment gave you a refresher of Said The Whale’s 2010 Christmas songs. But since then, they are offering their 2011 Christmas EP as a pay as you wish. Get these three new songs from them to go with the first two.
Cold War Kids gives us Where Would We Be Without Christmas.
Country superstar Tim McGraw is giving away, Christmas All Over The World. The only thing I have to say about that is, “Thanks, Chuck!”
Katie Cole has given fans this download of Silent Night.
For something a little different check out Jason Singh’s Christmas Thanks.
Another Christmas video comes to us as a suggestion from Denny White. His friends Act As If caught my attention with this cute little number, Sleigh Bells & Reindeer.
Next the beautiful and immensely talented Phoenix Hart has given us a video of her singing Silent Night. Phoenix played at the very first Sofar Sounds show that Polly and I hosted in Dallas. She drove in all the way from Louisiana just for us. I think her personally for trusting in me and for spreading the “gospel” of Sofar. I look forward to having her come back to play for us soon. Please give her a few more plays on her video to thank her for her Merry Christmas wish to fans and friends. It truly is simple and gorgeous just as Silent Night should be.
Another version of Silent Night especially as a thank you to fans comes to us from Australian Matt Corby. Join his mailing list for more news and treats like this!
Finally, another band that played our first Dallas Sofar event (and played the second too) is offering their full length album on a pay-as-you-wish basis, available for free until Christmas Day. Ok, so it isn’t Christmas music, but what’s the point of having your own blog if you can’t bend the rule for people you really like. And I really like these guys! Go get Soviet’s new release Heaven, Texas. Give their Facebook page a “Like” too. All they want for Christmas is you 
With that I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and good day in general.
My Top 5 Albums of 2011
So I could easily pretend I am cool and hip and list 5 of the most buzzed about albums – even ones that I bought and like a lot. Bon Iver, Adele, The National, Yuck, Tom Waits, even Foster The People all had excellent albums out this year, albums that are all floating around in different favourites lists of those in-the-know. But you know me, I have to go with what I consider to be my top albums despite what anyone else says. A lot of people send me their song suggestions and artist suggestions. Quite often I do indeed like what I hear. But I don’t consciously make the decision of what I consider to be my favourites. I have one very tried and true litmus test for what I consider to be my personal top albums. If I like it on first listen, I put it on repeat. Only that album…. all day, sometimes days at a time. If you don’t believe me just ask my husband and kids, they will vouch for me. This is true even for EPs… so yeah sometimes they get the same 4 songs on a loop. Aren’t you glad you don’t live with me? So the albums I love are easy to pick…. ones I never got sick of. Quite often it isn’t the ones that I even want to be my favourite that pass the test. So without further delay, in no particular order, I give you the Top 5 albums that have driven my husband insane this year:
1. Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Marcus Foster, Nameless Path. And to be totally honest I should probably make Marcus’s EP Tumble Down an equal entry, but I’m going to combine them here. It’s no secret I adore Marcus and just about every note out his mouth. The man has such a dynamic rage, a unique sound, and humble attitude. It is impossible not to love him. One thing I cannot do for you here is pick a favourite song of Marcus’s. It truly changes daily. Sometimes I’ll tell you ‘Demons’, ‘Movement’ is the ringtone on my phone, sometimes ‘Faint Stir of Madness’ makes me hit repeat, ‘The Old Birch Tree’ is sometimes on repeat by itself, and sometimes ‘I Was Broken’. The latter has taken on quite a personal meaning after the (second) video came out. It’s hard to watch it without shedding tears for my own long-lost family that I just discovered this year. The video tells a similar story.
2. Wolf Gang Suego Faults. Sad to say I discovered Wolf Gang literally a few days too late. He wasn’t really on my radar during SXSW this past year, but I happened to catch the end of set while I was waiting for another act. I really enjoyed what little I did hear of him, so as soon as I got home from SXSW I looked into it. The album wasn’t even out yet, but I got it the day it was available in the UK… put it to the test… and it earned its place in my heart. It was only just released here in the USA this week, and I hear there will be US tour dates early next year! So get on it everyone! The song that pulled me in was ‘The King & All Of His Men’, but ‘Planets’ would be my pick as favourite track.
3. Speaking of SXSW this past year, we can thank them for my love of Frankie And The Heartstrings. I can hardly leave them out as they hold the record for band I have blogged about most here this year. There is a sad story in a March entry of how they did not end up coming to the Austin festival. Nevertheless, in researching bands that were supposed to attend, I found a gem in them. They are one of the few bands that I can admit I purchased the album, Hunger, in all three formats, digital download, CD, and vinyl, along with all the singles on 7″. Couldn’t possibly pick a fav track, but I cannot get enough of these guys. Absolutely cannot wait for them to finally make it over!
4. Coincidentally, another favourite band of mine ended up touring the UK with the above mentioned Frankie crew. What I wouldn’t have given to see them play with The Vaccines. Lucky for me I did at least get to see The Vaccines twice at SXSW (though they sadly had to cancel their ACL show I had tickets for). Lead singer Justin Young, was already a top performer in my eyes as he was previously known as folkie Jay Jay Pistolet. Jay Jay’s ’25 Songs’ is still one of my most listened to albums. The Vaccines certainly have a different sound and image from Jay Jay, but I love them just as much. What Did You Expect From The Vaccines is my pick when I want something loud, lively, and motivational. It is the perfect work-out record. Not entirely appropriate for listening to with the kids around, I still admit to putting it to the test back in March. It is now my go-to choice when I get those free moments kid-free.
5. If you have been paying any attention to me this last week, you have no doubt seen my multiple references to my most recent discovery, Sam Gray. Sam’s album Brighter Day is the final album of the year to withstand my repeat test. And it is still going strong… It got me off my Christmas playlist, practically a sin for Christmas week; but as I said before, I don’t consciously choose what I listen to. It kind of just happens… I was first captivated by the single ‘Brighter Day.’ That was enough to make me buy the album. The album sealed the deal. It reminded me somewhat of Alan Pownall’s album from last year (#1 on my favs list of 2010) in that it was really a showcase of different styles for a singer-songwriter debuting his first finished product. Every song has a different sound. There is certainly no accusing Gray of everything sounding the same as I find is a drawback of the majority of singer/songwriters. All too often I hear a stunning song and buy the album only to discover that rather than 10 more stunning songs, I hear ten different versions of what is practically the same song. Brighter Day has tracks with a definite blues influence in ‘Two Hearts’, some reggae in ‘Aeroplanes and ‘Possibilites’, country in ‘Senorita,’ and so much more hinting at influences from the 60′s and even the ultra fun 80′s and of course pop music of today. Be sure to have a listen to ‘All Of My Life.” If there was ever a song I could compare to one of AP’s it would be this. Haven’t found a way to get bored with it yet. Not sure I ever will.
Finally, I want to make a prediction of what will be my favourite albums of next year. In many ways I hope I am wrong, because I would love to discover even more great new music that I don’t even know exists right now. But as it stands, albums I expect to be among my favs this time next year will be.
1. Whatever Alan Pownall puts out when he finally reemerges from his cocoon in London.
2. Mumford & Sons sophomore release.
3. King Charles’s first full length album.
4. Spector’s highly anticipated debut album.
5. I know the above 4 are coming, for my 5th choice I’m going to throw a curve ball and look for a come back album from the GREAT (I am not kidding) Rick Astley! No idea if he has plans to do it or not, but the man has put out a couple of great songs somewhat recently. Check it: Goodbye, But Not The End
And with this I wish you Goodbye…. but not the end
Christmas 2012 Free Music
It’s that time again. OK, admittedly I don’t keep up with this blog as much as I would like. But there ya’ go, I’m too busy living life to stop and write about it. However, I had such a good response from last year’s Free Holiday Music blog series that I had to do it again. I started it last year as a way of highlighting artists that were giving away a little Holiday cheer to thank their fans, but honestly it is also great marketing for them. Quite often those of us who wouldn’t bother to sample any old free download are more willing to give someone a shot on our Christmas playlist. So here I go again… there will be a few installments, depending on how many good songs I find. Here is the first including a round-up of last year’s that are still around:
The Walla Recovery have started a tradition of offering not one but TWO free songs every year since 2009. This year you can pick up all 6 for free. Good band too, I do have some of their regular work on my playlist!
Local DFW favourite, Seryn, has a new Christmas CD out. (It’s on sale for 25% off through this weekend), but you can sample them with a FREE download of Go Tell It On The Mountain.
Caitlin Rose and Keegan DeWitt have combined forces to give us this tear jerker: You Never Come Home For Christmas
One of my personal favourite Christmas albums came out last year. I highly recommend you buy the entire album, but for a sample you can DL a Holiday track from The Boy Least Likely To. The album is available on Amazon MP3 for the Americans. In fact, just do yourself a favour and buy everything these boys have put out! Word on the street is that they are currently in studio working on a new album. Can’t wait for that! Thank them for the best Christmas video ever. It makes me giggle, ok
Matthew Mayfield is offering two downloads, one original Christmas song and one special bonus cover.
Here is one hell of a combination, a Texas native releasing via Rough Trade in England. Josh T. Pearson is giving us his rendition of O Holy Night. Gotta tell you that not much annoys me more than someone over-singing this classic carol. His is a nice and simple version, just as it was meant to be. Be aware it is a particularly long version coming in at over 7 minutes in length.
The Aussie’s can’t be outdone. Achoo! Bless You may have my favourite new one this year with Coming Home (To You This Christmas)
Jack Carty is offering a three song EP for free, “B-Sides for Christmas.” This one screams out for a Hot Toddy by the fire place.
Half-Handed Cloud has up Oh, It’s Christmastime Again
Last year we had Mayer Hawthorne’s cover of the Vince Guaraldi classic Christmastime is Here. This year we also have a version from Woods. Be sure you have them both. Which do you like more?
Took a quick peek at some others I posted last year. Not sure if the bands are planning on pushing these or not, but for now, the links are still good.
Said The Whale has two for you.
Beach House I Do Not Care For The Winter Sun
Matt Moss Snow Blind
Oh, Starling Hark
Finally, although it technically isn’t a download, I know my Sammy friends would kill me if I neglected to include Sam Bradley’s video of Christmas Lights. ”Don’t need socks I want some toys from you….”
And a “classic” from Funny Or Die. Peace On Earth
And as usual, Amazon is again offering 25 Free songs from various artists. The catch is that it is one song a day in December till Christmas. Gotta go back every day to grab those.
So there you have at least a couple dozen free Christmas songs to get you started. Be sure you send me links when your favourite artists put up Christmas Songs and I’ll post again later in the month.
Merry Christmas to all… Enjoy.
Top 5 Songs Used as TV Themes
Be sure to check out my guest spot on the awesome music blog The Ruckus. Top 5 Songs Used as TV Themes… in this century. I just couldn’t narrow it down if I included older ones!
And don’t forget, I am always happy to have guest writers here… anything even loosely fan/media related goes.
So this is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. What’s with all the blogs, tweets, articles, what-have-you, questioning FOX’s American Idol? ”Did the right person get sent packing this week,” a common topic just about every week leading up to the finale no matter what the year, but an especially popular point of discussion when a front-runner goes home. Last night indeed, it was popular favourite James Durbin singing his swan song. Comparisons abound to past popular non-winners Chris Daughtry and Adam Lambert are floating around just about every TV blogger and Idol fan page. Was it James’ time to go? Was he the right choice?
YES, for goodness’ sake, yes! Now before the Durbin Die-hards start sending me hate mail, let me explain. For the record, my favourite Idol contestant of all time was recently booted Casey Abrams. I was disappointed at Casey’s departure and disheartened by the popular vote; but that doesn’t mean the right person didn’t go home that night. The whole point to American Idol is for the general public to vote. By definition, whomever gets the lowest vote tally exits the competition. It is as simple as that. You get the lowest number of votes, you ARE the right person to go. If Elvis himself came back from the dead and was an Idol contestant, he’s still the right one to go home if he gets the lowest number of votes! Guess what, it’s not about talent. It’s not about who is most likely to have a successful recording career. It’s not about finding the best singer or performer. It’s not even about who has the most fans voting for them. It’s about whatever the voters and viewers want it to be about. Furthermore, it may well just be about what the serial voters want it to be about. I wish I did, but I don’t have any stats about how often people vote and what percentage of votes are made up of “serial voters.” I think the most I have ever voted for any one person was three times. But let’s face it there are people out there that are willing to spend all 50 possible Facebook votes, not to mention calling/texting additional votes. I’ll admit it, if one of my true favourite newbie recording artists were on there, you can bet your boots I would easily be responsible for a good 500 + votes per performance and my friends good for similar numbers. If you know me, you know I am not kidding about this. The point is that one dedicated fan can easily represent a significant portion of votes. The simple number of supporters has little to do with the eventual winner, rather the rabidity of those voters has a great deal to do with it.
I think where a lot of people go wrong is expecting Idol to be a microcosm of the pop music industry as a whole. Wake up and smell the coffee, American Idol isn’t about the music industry, it’s about television! Just like Biggest Loser isn’t about losing weight… it’s about making money for a television network! The contestants are simply that – contestants. They are the vehicle for the program to do its job. It doesn’t matter who goes home on American Idol so long as people keep watching. Yes I know, google James’ name and you’ll find a slew of, “I’m boycotting Idol” comments. Uh huh… see ya’ next year suckers! Or is that… “next week”?
I’d be remiss to claim the two aren’t closely related. True music stars have been born from the Idol womb. The thing is though, AI itself does not make a star, it provides an opportunity. Plenty of people watch without voting. Many have watched since season 1 and never purchased anything put out by any of the AI stable. My point is that the groups of people watching the program and the people buying records put out by the winner are not necessarily the same people. They don’t need to be. It doesn’t matter who goes home. It doesn’t matter who wins.
An Open Letter to Ticket Scalpers
An Open Letter to Ticket Scalpers.
A friend of mine wrote this and I wanted to share. I couldn’t agree more.
Music Piracy: Why we steal
As a blog about fans and entertainment, it was only a matter time before the subject of piracy came up. For the sake of brevity, while recognising this is a major issue in all forms of electronic media, I am only going to address music piracy today. Like just about everything I write about, I don’t have an exact stance, but rather a series of thoughts and questions, many of which are open for debate.
THE FACT IS: Piracy of any type on any scale for any reason is criminal theft. It is 100% wrong, and there is NEVER a good reason to make, distribute or listen to illegally obtained copies.
Hmm… true enough. Yet if I take that angle, I would hope just about all of you would call me out and tell me I’m full of crap. Chances are that almost everyone reading this has either received a copied file from me and/or sent one to me. I admit it. I do it only on an extremely limited basis, and only when I feel it is justified, though perhaps a more appropriate word is “rationalised.” Back to the point, I know it’s wrong, no matter how good my intentions are. So what is my excuse? What are other people’s excuses? Let’s examine some:
1. It was purchased through proper channels, but the disk got lost or damaged and is no longer playable.
To me, this is a fairly legitimate reason. After all, if you purchase an album and rip it to your hard drive for playing on your mobile device, that is perfectly appropriate. If something happens to damage that CD, you still have every right to play your MP3s, right? You’ve done nothing wrong. So does it make a difference if one damages that CD before you rip it. Legally, yes. Morally, a matter of opinion.
What if the unthinkable happens and your home is devastated by fire? People will often come to your aid and provide you with necessities and a few luxuries to help you get back on track. I have given people music in that situation when they already owned it. Technically, I suppose I could be prosecuted for that, but anyone who tried to go after me for that would have a major PR battle on their hands. The record industry could properly argue that distribution of ripped copies is illegal, no matter what. They’d win in a court of law, but likely not in the court of public opinion. They could reasonably argue that is what insurance is for, but when I see someone in need I want to help not question how they will spend their insurance money.
2. Here’s another I am guilty of myself. In this example, I know someone who truly loves a band or musician. We have been eagerly awaiting a new release we have preordered and paid for. Mine arrives, but theirs hasn’t. I email them a digital copy to tide them over. I don’t give it to those who haven’t paid for it, so morally I feel I am justified and just being a friend. Legally, still wrong!
3. The band or artist themselves says they don’t care if fans download it illegally. They just want people to “enjoy their art,” etc. Here I am not talking about independent “pay-as- you-can” downloads, but true file sharing.
Guess what – still 100% illegal! If they have a label at all for that period, they have probably signed away their right to give you their own music. Perhaps it is somewhat justified in that the original creator says it’s ok, but legally, not at all.
4. And another I am guilty of myself, with an associated anecdote. A couple of years ago I developed a strong adoration for one particular independent artist’s music. I bought the only EP he had available, but knew of another CD he was selling only at live gigs, none of which were anywhere near me. I tried very hard to find someone in one of the cities in which he was going to play that could get me one and allow me to reimburse them, but couldn’t find anyone. I’d have paid pretty much anything for this CD, and eventually through one of my many public begging sessions to find someone going to his show, I met someone who had previously seen him and had a copy. She emailed me the files. Was I wrong to take them? Yes. Was she wrong to give them to me? Yes, again. But as much as I’d like to be an angel I am not, and to this day those songs are among my most played overall list in my iTunes. Now, I hate to feel guilty so I vowed to myself that one day when I could I would buy it properly. I don’t know why, probably my massive guilt, but many months later he came through town. I told him what had happened. I also told him I was buying a copy right then. You know what he did, “Oh, no you should just have one for free!” He gave me one. You know what I did… I bought one anyway – along with two t-shirts and a poster.
5. How about the old classic… the “mix tape” or sampler put together by/for friends. This is the most shady of what I might consider “legitimate excuses.” There are various degrees in play here depending on how often one does it, how widely it is distributed, and for what reasons. Any degree is wrong, but some more justifiable than others. The other day I sent one particular song to someone because it was about something that I knew would strike a chord with them. The person wasn’t previously aware of the band, so I thought I would get their attention with the song and hopefully introduce them to the band and perhaps encourage them to buy the whole album. Furthermore, the song in question was in fact available on their website for FREE. Yes, by the way, just because you downloaded a free legal copy of a song/album/etc, legally that DOES NOT give you the right to give that to anyone else for free. You have been given a right to own the file for personal use, but not to distribute it. It’s pretty common for people to do things like that, especially with music they are truly passionate about and/or feel the receiver would truly enjoy. We rationalise it by reminding ourselves this is music lover to music lover… this person is going to love this and become a fan… buy the album, go to shows, buy the merchandise, etc. We rationalise it by saying there’s a very good chance the band will make some money due to this one little bending of the rules. Again, I admit it is technically wrong, but I can also truthfully say that in most cases where I have been on the receiving or sending end, that has indeed been the case. I have indeed bought albums and attended shows simply because someone knew me well enough to know I’d enjoy something and they put it in my inbox. And without a doubt, I know of many people who have purchased albums and gone to shows because I mercilessly harassed them into it. We as fans do not have the right to take on this PR/Marketing role in giving away what we do not own, no matter how good we think we may be at it. Yet, so long as we remain careful and particular I feel the industry quietly is grateful. I know I have spoken with quite a few artists who are.
I have been trying to keep these issues in a somewhat arguable order. I realise my own moral compass is just that, my own. I draw my own line approximately here, but do not presume to be a better person than anyone else. I do not mean to offend anyone, and do realise my hypocrisy in condemning anyone going forward.
6a. “I’d pay for it if I could, but it isn’t available to buy in this country…” A common excuse for illegal downloads from international music fans that I have heard a bit too often. Yes, it is true that you can only have an iTunes account for the country in which you live. You can, however, have an Amazon account for multiple countries and you can indeed use your credit card internationally. Personally, I have an Amazon account in the US, the UK, and Germany! Most online retailers will ship internationally too. So, in my opinion, if you want it, you can still buy it. And if you want it that badly, shouldn’t you be doing all you can to support that band?
6b. “But it costs twice as much to have it shipped internationally…” Yep, it does cost a lot, which does annoy me, especially with the exchange rate like it is right now. However, if you want something from another country that’s simply how it is. I saw this happening with a few of my personal favourite artists/bands that I like to support. I started to feel like I was in some ways encouraging it by introducing people to music they couldn’t easily purchase, so now when I know a big new release is coming up that I know a lot of my friends will want, I simply ask who wants one. I negate the shipping issue when I can order in bulk and have my friends pay me back. I also do my best to make sure the artist and/or their management know about it, not for any personal gain, but to help them be more aware of potential international fans. It’s a small thing, but I feel like I am doing my part to invalidate this excuse as well as promote the artist.
7. “I’m just trying it to see if I want to buy it.” OK, so if that is legitimate I’m heading off to the department store to bring home a few things to see if I want to go back later and purchase them… how far do you think I’ll get before I am detained by store security? In the age of streaming audio and embedded players, it is generally pretty easy to listen to at least a track or two from any album legally. There is no need to steal the whole thing.
8. I think this one is my overall favourite excuse of idiots: “The P2P site I use states very clearly that it is all legal!” Let’s make something crystal clear. It is perfectly legal to operate and participate in a peer-to-peer file sharing site. It is perfectly legal for an independent artist who controls their own copyright to put up their own work for anyone and everyone to download. It is perfectly legal to download said material from the site. You will, however, find a disclaimer on every one of those sites warning you that you are responsible for what you upload and download. Facilitating file sharing is a legitimate business; encouraging copyrighted music sharing is not. Softpedia.com has an interesting article stating, ”Many who operate P2P sites say that placing something online makes it free for all, and that, in digital times, posted materials are shared. They say that the copyright laws are obsolete, and that trying to stop downloads online is impossible, even if the ISPs were to collaborate with companies in pursuing those guilty of copyright infringements.” In other words, “Everyone’s doing it. Therefore the law needs to change.” Really!?!? Exactly who do you think will continue to make music if it all is suddenly free?
9. Another common fallacy is that “Downloading isn’t illegal, only uploading copyrighted material is illegal.”
The fact is that it is a different crime, but still a crime. The uploaders are guilty of infringing on copyright. The downloaders are guilty of receiving stolen materials. And yes it is true that it is typically just the uploaders who get caught. That doesn’t make downloaders innocent. Think of it this way: someone breaks into a store and steals merchandise… obviously a crime. They then distribute this merchandise to other people (whether or not for profit). If you are aware or “should be aware” you are receiving stolen merchandise, it is a crime. For example, if you know someone broke into a jewelry store, can you seriously argue that it is ok to accept and keep a necklace from that person? Much like in music piracy, the authorities are mainly after the thieves (the uploaders), and will generally not bother prosecuting the little guy (the downloaders), but when possible they will confiscate the product (require you delete all stolen material) and they technically COULD prosecute you for receiving stolen property and aiding or enabling the thief.
10. Here’s an exact quote taken from Yahoo Answers, “Why would you pay for something that you can get just as easily for free? And many times people just don’t have the money to pay for every song they want. I have over 1,000 songs on my iPod and I don’t have the money to pay for all of them. I also don’t think you should have to pay for your music, the artist already makes plenty of money. I will only buy music if it’s a band that isn’t famous yet. I assume most people who “steal” music feel the same as I do.” (By the way, I corrected much of his spelling and grammar because it annoyed the shit out of me.)
We’ve probably all heard this one. It drives me insane. Very few of us have the money to pay for everything we want, but it doesn’t mean we have a right to it for free. Do you think someone will come and build a pool in my yard for me, because I really want one and can’t afford it…. I deserve it right? And I’ll share… my friends can come swim in it too…. that makes it ok, right?
As for the old, “the artist already makes plenty of money” excuse. Two answers to that. You get prosecuted for stealing from the rich in the same way as you do stealing from the poor. Stealing is stealing. Moreover though, I don’t think people grasp how little most musicians actually make because we are blinded by the riches of the superstars. In his book, All You Need To Know About The Music Business (Free Press, 2009), entertainment attorney Don Passman lays out a detailed example. A GOLD album (that’s 500,000 copies in the United States) at an average wholesale price, with average royalties, and average recording, tour, and promotional costs will net the artist approximately $151,000 before income taxes. Albums can often take years to make. And tours that are necessary to promote the album often lose money for newer artists. In addition, keep in mind this is for an individual artist, a band will of course make less individually. In addition, depending on the individual contract, even a successful album can theoretically not make a penny for an artist if he is unrecouped from a previous album (i.e. the record company lost money, but gave him a second chance). There are even some cases where artists can end up owing the record company for an album that wasn’t as successful as they had hoped. This can include albums that have even penetrated the charts. If you steal an album, you are directly stealing from the artist you claim to like as well as the record company you may openly despise.
One final thought that I came across in my research, a comment that struck home that I agree with, but flies in the face of what I have been saying. ”Listen, amigo, if the public at large was ever REALLY educated as to what the record companies were up to, they’d never buy another recording. Ever!” (www.mosesavalon.com) This was actually from an artist himself. Clearly he is angry about how he was treated by a record company. I’ve heard all too many horror stories like his. I get it, but being mistreated is a damn good reason to go independent, not to encourage people to steal from your peers. Sure, there’s a good chance all the major labels are total assholes and steal from artists. But let’s fight back not by stealing from them, but by encouraging artists to go Indie and by supporting those artists directly.
What do you think?
Shamelessly Stolen Topic: “Gingers” in Music
All credit for the topic here must go to Melanie and The Ruckus Blog. They posted a top 5 songs featuring gingers in the band, and well, honestly I just felt like doing my own, mostly because I only just realised some of my favourites are gingers or have a ginger in the band. Yes, I only just figured this out! It was only when I tried to narrow it done to only 5 that I ran into issues too. Well, as I’ve said before, my blog, and I can cheat if I want… so listen up. Five entires, but it may kinda include a few more….
1. In my world you cannot discuss music or red-heads without bringing up the man who started it all for me… Rick Astley.
Do I even need to say more? Like it or not, the man is a pop-culture icon. I’ve been arguing since his emergence in the mid 80′s that this man has mega staying power and a voice to reckon with. Six full albums and countless special editions and greatest hits compilations later he is still going strong. I dare say his latest songs are the best yet. If anyone dare tell me they do not know who Rick is, be aware you will be my next Rick-Rolling victim. Dude, there’s even an iPhone app for it!
2. There are two major red-head female stars hitting our airwaves right now. The Ruckus named one, the amazing Florence Welch from Florence & The Machine. Granted, Flo needs a spot on any ginger list, but lack of spots forces me to make her share with Adele.
What can I say, Adele is the whole package. Killer voice, beautiful woman, kick-ass songs, haunting voice, and guess what – she gets credit for discovering TAFKAAP.
OK, sorry you know I had to include him here. He may not be a natural ginger, but he’s certainly had his ginger phase. And I may be the only person who has ever referred to him as TAFKAAP, but I’m pretty sure he likes it this way.
<<< This man no longer exists. What a waste!
3. It seems Frankie & The Heartstrings are making it into half my blogs lately, and this one is no exception. Lead singer Frankie Francis and drummer Dave Harper may appear a wee bit ginger in some lights, but that’s nothing compared to the truest of all guitar slinging gingers, Michael McKnight. You will be hearing more from these lads.
4. Next up, a man who for some reason I never include among my favourites, and whom I rarely talk about, yet without exception, anytime I hear a song of his I fall in love. So many songs of his on my random playlists that always give me pause to stop and wonder, “Who is this?” I just need to suck it up and admit I adore Newton Faulkner – the ginger with dreads!
5. Finally, I simply cannot forget to make mention of Sam Bair AND Kai Kennedy from Locksley. That’s right folks, we have a toofer!
Alright, so Sam the drummer is a true ginger and Kai’s hair varies with his mood, but considering they make up one of my favourite bands ever I had to include them. Now to be totally self-indulgent, it would be cruel to not allow my readers of the pleasure of non-ginger brothers Jesse and Jordan Laz. And let’s face it, Jesse is pretty much the spitting image of Marcus Foster, certainly worth a mention no matter what colour his hair is!
Facebook… Who exactly are you “friends” with anyway?
Facebook… so musicians/actors/celebs do you have fan pages as well as personal pages? Fan pages make all the sense in the world, the gathering of a fan list, a collection of those who “Like” your work. A great way to keep the masses informed and promote your particular career. You want as many “Likers” as possible. Personal pages get a little trickier. Scratch that – a lot trickier. Let’s explore a few scenarios.
Option #1 – keep it strictly for personal friends only. Keep privacy settings at the highest possible and use a profile picture that doesn’t give you away. Never accept fans. Herein lies the trouble. It makes sense that some fans can become friends, at least close enough to be considered a “rung above” typical fans. Maybe you genuinely do get to know some of them and want to keep in touch as you would with other friends/acquaintances you have on Facebook. This leads to:
Option #2 – Continue with the “friends only” philosophy, but be a little more flexible. Perhaps begin to include fans who have helped you in a significant way, sold your merch for you, maybe let you crash at their homes on tour, or ones you genuinely become friendly with. Those you know by name and sight, those who buy you a drink at your gigs and you genuinely enjoy talking with. Sounds appropriate until…
Option #3 – The flood gates open. Everyone starts seeing you are “friends” with some of these “Superfans” and bombarding you with requests… people who you have never seen, never met, and don’t know from Adam. Ignoring/Declining is the result, but can that have a negative effect on your brand? Perhaps. Legitimately you could simply remind yourself that you don’t want or need the type of fans that would be offended by this and just do your thing as you wish, but it is certainly something to keep in mind in a world where you are trying your hardest to reach as great a portion of the population as possible.
In reality this issue isn’t just for celebrities, but all of us. Do we as individuals only accept requests from close personal friends, or maybe open that net to friends of friends and people with which we share common interests. Or do you just take anyone out there? This is especially a choice for those who are playing the games in which more friends give up an edge or are even necessary to advance. The difference being of course is that if I decline a friendship request from Joe Blow it’s not going to affect me or my career one iota if he cares. I’m not trying to get him to buy my CD, watch my show, read my book, etc.
My guess is that many of those artists that accept requests from fans probably just “Hide” updates from those people and continue to use Facebook to actually only socialize with close friends. Nobody knows who anyone has hidden and it makes everyone happy. The problem some may run into however, is that they still consider this page their private arena, but they are still under the microscope from those watching.
It’s no coincidence that I am writing this on Easter Sunday. I consider myself pretty open and tolerant of other people’s views in religion. I am indeed a Christian, but have some dear friends whom I love very much that do not believe as I do. This has never been a problem, and it is generally understood that we just respect each other’s opinions and leave it at that. So how do I feel when I see direct insults aimed at Christians on an artist’s personal Facebook page? I’m not just talking about “Yay – Easter is about Chocolate and bunnies”… but extremely foul language being used directed at “ignorant” Christians and our “imaginary saviour.” In this particular case, it gives me a good topic for a blog. I let it go without personal comment and just accept this person likes to stir things up anyway. He’s known in part for his potty mouth as it is. For the record, he sent me the friendship request and has a moderate to low total friend count despite being somewhat successful so I can assume he sees me as one of those fans in “Option 2″… someone he trusts not to be a loonie, and someone he trusts that won’t let a few words affect my opinions and actions concerning his art. I respect him for that and appreciate the trust he has in me. Honestly if it was someone I knew better, I probably would give them a hard time for crossing the line. But in that delicate no man’s land between friendship and fandom, I try to be particularly careful. I think I probably could get away with telling him my thoughts with no negative repercussions. He likes to act like an immoral ass, but I suspect that is mostly an act. Perhaps he may even read this. I’m not naming names and am not writing this as any kind of insult to him. I like him as much as I aways have. I simply find it to be an interesting dilemma and something worth thinking about.
SXSW: How I Fell In Love With A Band Who Wasn’t Even There
Four bands are commanding 99% of my attention lately. The first three are easy to explain. The Vaccines, Noah & The Whale, and Locksley are all bands I already liked, and was lucky enough to see at SXSW this year. Seeing them live for the first time solidified what I already thought – that they were immense talents full of energy and life! Meeting some of the band members made it even better, especially the adorable Urby Whale who truly made me feel more like a friend than a fan and made an entirely unsolicited effort to introduce me to his fellow band-mates when I approached him at someone else’s showcase.
But it’s the fourth band that makes a more interesting story. Frankie & The Heartstrings have won my musical heart and I have never seen them, met them, or so much as have a single autograph or photo. I just put in an order to purchase everything they had available in every format (CD, LP, 7” singles) despite the fact I already downloaded their only album from iTunes. What makes me want to support this band so much?
If you read my last blog, you know I found Frankie & co purely by luck a couple of months ago when I was checking out bands that were set to play at SXSW. Upon first listen it took me all of ten minutes to buy their EP from iTunes and squeeze in three of their SXSW gigs to my schedule. Their debut album came out soon after and quickly started climbing my most-played list along with the UK charts. I mentioned them a few times here and there, but was reserving true judgment till I would see them in Austin. I figured I’d want a hard copy of their CD in hopes to get them to sign it, so rather than order from the UK and pay a mint in expedited shipping, I decided to ask if they were bringing any with them for sale. Shot off an email, not even sure I’d get a reply but sure enough I did.
Alas, the reply was not one with which I was pleased. The band, along with several others coming from my native UK all failed to be approved for the required work visas by the U.S. government. (Apparently, we have to watch out for national security threats from guitar slingers from Sunderland – or in their case it’s probably Dave the drummer’s big mouth causing trouble.) So not only would I not get my hands on a CD, but also I wouldn’t have the pleasure of seeing them play. I’m no stranger to bands canceling and dropping out, after all the two I was most looking forward to seeing at SXSW had already recently dropped out causing me massive musical heart break. But this time it was different. This time they were devastated themselves. This time they didn’t know me at all, but still were kind enough to tell me personally rather than just ignore my question when they knew I was so excited to see them. This time they made an effort to talk to me here and there on twitter, an effort to show me that they care about me as a fan and a person – to show that they really wanted to be here as much as I wanted them to be. Would they have been wrong to not reply to that email? To never @reply to me on twitter? Of course not. I’ve no reason to expect strangers communicate with me. I’d still like their music. However, it doesn’t take much at all. Treating others how you would want to be treated is such a simple concept. I’m nothing special and I have no reason to expect anything out of anyone, but these guys make me feel like they actually want me to be a fan, to buy their music, to eagerly await their next project. And for that reason I will do anything I possibly can to support them and share this amazing band with my friends. It’s easy to find artists I like as people, and easy to find music I like in itself, but when the two come together, that is what really gets me excited about music. I adore these guys.
