Napster, Napster, Napster. You'd hope that a world with problems as serious
as global warming, unbalanced prosperity and the designated hitter rule
would focus on something more important than a software program that
enables file swapping. But it might be the catalyst that changes the
industry as we know it once and for all.
Maybe just as many people taped albums onto cassettes thirty years ago; who
knows? I remember how home taping was going to ruin the record industry,
but it never happened, even though anyone with more than one functional
ear could make a better sounding cassette on a Memorex tape than the
record companies could issue themselves. There was something about holding
that album cover in your hands, or flipping the record over, or that
careful pop as you set the needle down oh, so gently.
But those days are gone, as vinyl almost is, and now we're in a new
stratosphere, where some suits think all music must have a video to
succeed and our news comes in McNugget form. There are millions and
millions of people hot-wired to each other through a box, and finding and
sharing music is light years beyond what it used to be. All of a sudden
these large conglomerates are being exposed for what they are - big
advertising driven money machines who answer to stockholders, not art - so
the revolution starts again in the form of digital file exchange. But this
revolution borders on piracy, and like any war, casualties most certainly
include the innocent bystander.
The problem isn't that MP3s are available, they are and they sound
wonderful, and when an artist chooses to release music in this fashion it
can be a masterful promotional stroke. But the key word here is choice.
When someone takes a CD of someone else's music, creates a digital file,
and gives it away to the world, that's theft. What is so hard to
understand?
I've made compilation tapes for as long as I can remember. Technically, I
guess I'm a thief, since I tape a group of songs and give them to a friend
without compensating anybody in the process. I don't ask the artists if
it's okay, nor do I call the record company lawyers. But I do it in the
hope that I will turn someone on to artists that I like, and maybe that
recipient will go out and buy some records or go to some concerts. If they
do, I'm happy, but the lawyers and artists don't pay me. I won't just tape
an entire record for someone so they can avoid buying their own copy. I
won't sell my promotional CDs on Ebay. I won't misuse the tool technology
has given me.
Every tool is only as good as its user. My car is a wonderful convenience,
but not if I drive it like a fool or let it rot from inattention.
Likewise, MP3s provide a wonderful method for sharing music, but also can
be devastating to the income of artists. Let's forget Metallica here, who
- while absolutely within their rights to do so - look a little foolish
complaining about money. How about the Jason Falkners and Jen Trynins of
the world, the ones without the major label deals and the clout to tour
for cash whenever they need to? Or the small labels like Not Lame and
Checkered Past who bring us music that few others want to bother with,
because they believe that art done well needs artful guidance too? Or the
mom and pop record shop that relies on our business, and in return stocks
more than just Celine Dion and Britney Spears product? When they start
dropping like flies - and they already are - what will we be left with?
There will always be people who abuse the system, who misuse the tool,
whether it's Napster or analog cassettes. But until now, the effort and
costs of duping sounds weeded out the volume necessary to make a
significant impact. Not anymore, when millions of people can swap entire
catalogues in a few hours, and on auto-pilot to boot. They'll never know
that joy of holding that album cover or CD booklet in their hands, nor
will they likely see the faces of their victims.
The bottom line is this - no law, no edict, no threat will stop people
bootlegging recorded product. Maybe we all have to take a piece of this
action plan. Users, think about what you're doing when you reproduce
someone's hard earned work. You may think you're slaying Goliath, but
when he falls he's going to take some people with him. Record companies,
stop gouging us at the register just so you can advertise enough to
squeeze another fifty thousand copies of Kid Rock this week. CDs are still
a few dollars more than cassettes, yet they've been cheaper to manufacture
for years, and the cost of both has gone way down. Plop some of that money
into the hands of artists who need to quit that day job and focus on their
art.
And artists, protect yourselves and have someone watch your back for you
if you can't do it yourself. Get together and work towards a reasonable
solution to issues like this (not to mention the "work-for-hire" laws
which will hurt you deeper than Napster ever could). But most of all, have
faith and keep at it - life wouldn't be the same without the magic of a
great song.
There are a lot of great bands out there floating under the vox populi
radar, and they're not getting airplay, and they're not getting a major
deal, and they're not getting on the soundtrack to Scream 16. But dammit,
they are making great music, and they deserve to be heard. But how do you
find them, when there are thousands and thousands of bands all over that
fifth dimension we call cyberspace?
Welcome to The MP3 Files.
Our agent will comb through the nooks and crannies of the Internet, turn
over rocks, wade through bombastic "sounds like" claims and bring you back
dossiers on some truly worthwhile artists who deserve your attention. If
you like what you read, you'll be able to follow the link to the band's
site (or at the very least, an established site like MP3.com) where you
can use your ears as well as your eyes. Most of the bands will have
product available at reasonable prices, and you just might find some
artists who worm their way into your "favorites" pile. When possible,
we'll attach a direct link to an artist website, but when in doubt, travel
to MP3.com and search by the artist's name. Artists profiled in The MP3
Files have willingly made their product available for download in the hope
that you'll like what you hear, and if so, you'll act accordingly.
Case 006: The Spreaders
(
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/41/the_spreaders.html)
Based in Illinois, The Spreaders are a wildly diverse quartet that can
nail an acoustic alternative song as easily as an AC/DC piledriver rock,
but it's the strong guitar interplay that makes several of the songs
memorable. I jumped in after hearing "Misery Index" from their 1998
release Boom Boom Is Good and expected plenty of ass-kicking rock and
roll, which I got in spades with tracks like "(Don't) Shake Your Baby" and
"So Unfortunate". What I liked even more were the several songs that
called The Replacements to mind; "Pages" and "Sandcrabs" are all early
Mats energy (think Stink era) blended with fellow locals Husker Du, while
"Fool Around" sounds like the boys grew up in Athens instead of
Minneapolis and cut a version of Murmur. There's even an ambitious track
called "OOOO", and yes, that's the only lyric; imagine the Replacements
getting a track on the original version of Tommy. Other tracks recall
classic pop ("Up Til 8" features castanets ripped from "Be My Baby"
combined with a Kinks-ian vocal) or, like "As You Are", the wellspring of
insurgent country that's only a highway away. Their 1999 EP, That'll Teach
You To Play Hard To Get, also features wild diversity. The leadoff track
"Hard To Get" beats the Offspring at their own game; "A.C.O.A. " and the
best song "Amanda" begin as acoustic pop tunes until the guitars join in.
Hard to pin the band down into a category, so unless your tastes in music
are monochromatic, there is a lot here worth finding.
Case 007: The Ditchdiggers
(
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/57/the_ditchdiggers.html)
Have to admit that the name attracted me immediately, plus record titles
like Cow Patty Bingo and Light And Salvation always gets my attention,
too. This is absolute kick-ass yee-hah music that lives down the block
from the Beat Farmers and Jason And The Scorchers. Bingo is a little more
countrified, with guest Debbie Gitlins' fiddle lighting up tracks like
"Grandpa" and the band amping up the Hank Williams classic "You Win Again"
(they perform a similar amphetamine cover of "Amazing Grace" on
Salvation). "Belle Air" rocks like an old Outlaws record, if the Outlaws
were cool and sang about cows instead of green grass and high tides
forever (which, of course, was a cap tip to the Stones, but I digress.).
"I Don't Want To Know" is a killer track, and "The Bottle" satisfies my
craving for a BBB (Bad Behavior Ballad) on every record with a twang.
"Daddy Made A Farmer", from Salvation, was the track I first heard; I
loved it because it truly is the perfect Green Acres theme song ("Daddy
made a farmer/out of that city girl"). This more recent record is fuller
sounding and has great guitar playing that will melt the dance floor.
Favorites include motor-biking psychobilly like "Big Bad Baby", the
Stonesy "One More Town" and the bent note country blues of "Backyard
Girl". How can you not like a band that has songs like "Mudflap Cutie" and
"Flatbed Love"? This ain't yo' mamma's hoedown - The Ditchdiggers put the
"punk" back in "cowpunk"!
Case 008: Dion Watts
(
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/9/dion_watts.html)
Dion's record is the first one I received that is printed on the MP3.COM
"label", the concept itself gets mixed reviews from me. The Digital
Automatic Music (DAM) CDs are predominantly low-priced and contain two
sets of tracks - one for your CD player and a set of digital files for
your computer - along with artwork, video, lyrics and other goodies (the
contents differs from artist to artist; this CD seems to only have a
songlist and a photo). So you're in good shape if you're at the computer
(unless you don't have your WINAMP or other program set as your default CD
player, in which case your computer wrestles with itself for a while). The
actual CD booklet, however, has a cover shot and very plain track listing
on the back plate; everything else is generic information about MP3.com or
a blank page. Bummer for those non-computer listens. But what counts is
inside, and Something Always Happens is loaded with great pop tunes. I
first heard "I Wanna Be With You", which is an irresistible sing-along pop
track with jangly guitars and a great chorus. Watts' vocal style is old
school AM radio stuff, sometimes light and airy ("The Bluest Eyes", a prom
song if there ever was one), sometimes more pronounced like a John Wesley
Harding on tracks like "God's Cruel Joke On Me" (which almost sounds like
a JWH title, doesn't it?). "She Used To Love Me" is another solid hook
backed by a great vocal, while the layered vocals on "Ashlee" and
Overnight" are a nice touch. Watts plays and sings just about everything
here, and pop fans should have a field day.
Case 009: The Ex-Husbands
(
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/6/the_exhusbands.html)
Another dip into the roadhouse for our agent this month finds us loving
The Ex-Husbands, whose All Gussied Up CD is out on Tar Hut Records
(http://www.tarhut.com). With two vocalists who vary in style, their songs
can sound like classic George Jones era country or last call roadhouse
honky tonk. Gotta love the self-depreciating lyrics in "Line Forms On The
Right" and "She Started Comin' Round Again", while the bluesy twang of
"Flat Broke In Hoboken" and "I'm Just A Honky" is a treat to the ears.
Anders Thomsen is the axeman of the trio, and his playing is never
overstated or showy, although a song like "All Is Fair" gets the
double-time kick in the ass that it needs. They've got the duds, they've
got the hats, and they've even got the lonesome cowboy cuts like "Gear
Jammin' Daddy" and "Memories Ain't Allowed". But more importantly, they're
airtight and look like an excellent choice to take along next time you
bite off a slice of highway, truck or no truck. Country music is in good
hands with bands like The Ex-Husbands leading the way. Smoke 'em if you
got 'em.
Case 010: Pseudonym
(
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/11/pseudonym.html)
Maybe Paul Desjarlais got tired of people butchering his last name, or
maybe he's a closet PIL fan. Regardless, Pseudonym's Pig Tail World is an
intriguing record full of certified indie pop and obtuse lyrics. "Accident
Prone" won me over immediately with layers of great vocals and a huge
hook; it wasn't until I paid closer attention to the lyrics that I
realized what a dark song it really is. Ditto "Kill Me In The Rain"
(although John Gage wrote the words here, you'd be hard pressed to tell
them apart from Paul's lyrics). Although he sometimes gets close to what
one might consider a mainstream pop song, the lyrics usually give it away.
Consider "Ray Gun", which could fit easily on any Lets Active record, and
even features one of the few guitar solos on the album. "Ice And Snow" is
presented as sparse but bouncy pop, and later, as the hidden track, in a
fuller, more Brian Wilson-ish version. "Crashing" is one of my favorites;
I enjoy the way he slaps the words against the grain of the melody to
challenge the song's pulse, yet effortlessly draws it all together in the
chorus before unfurling it again. And he does play with you a little;
"Half Eyes" is a seventy-nine second track recorded backwards, and
"Broccoli Blues" cannot be taken seriously when "tennis shoes" and the
song's title anchor the rhyme of a verse. Recorded "in a living room, an
attic and a basement", Pig Tail World may not be for every casual listener
but will bring great pleasure with those for a taste for something a
little different.
Next month's MP3 Files will bring more exciting, deserving artists to your
desktop! If you have some suggestions for overlooked artists who deserve
some attention, drop a note to our MP3 agent at bholmes_fm@msn.com. Even a
good detective appreciates a solid lead now and then!
