Came across this really interesting interview with Trent Reznor, the mastermind of Nine Inch Nails. It’s chock full of goodies. First, in a refreshing bout of honesty he calls file sharing stealing, but then admits that he does it too:

But on this record, I know people have it and I know it’s on everybody’s iPods, but the climate is such that people don’t buy it because it’s easier to steal it…. I understand that — I steal music too, I’m not gonna say I don’t. But it’s tough not to resent people for doing it when you’re the guy making the music, that would like to reap a benefit from that. On the other hand, you got record labels that are doing everything they can to piss people off and rip them off.

Next, he blasts his label because they were pricing his latest release, ‘Year Zero’, considerably higher than other releases:

[They said], basically it’s because we know you’ve got a core audience that’s gonna buy whatever we put out, so we can charge more for that. It’s the pop stuff we have to discount to get people to buy it. True fans will pay whatever”. And I just said “That’s the most insulting thing I’ve heard. I’ve garnered a core audience that you feel it’s OK to rip off? F— you’… They’re thieves. I don’t blame people for stealing music if this is the kind of s— that they pull off.

He also goes on to say that he came up with and funded out his own pocket, the online promotion for ‘Year Zero’, and now the record labels are playing it off as though it was their own idea.

He even mentions that this is his last album on his current contract with the label and that he’d like to release his own material through his website, which, by the way, I think would be a great idea. All it would take is one major artist like Reznor to do this, sell 200-300 thousand copies and the whole market would blow wide open when other artists realize that at those (relatively) smaller numbers they make 3-4 times as much as they currently do and they have total control.

Very interesting indeed! Check it out.

Full article here.

I’m addicted to this video. It’s just too damn funny. It’s an uncensored version of a skit from Saturday Night Live, featuring Justin Timberlake doing a parody of the 90’s ‘New Jack Swing’-style R&B. Think Color Me Badd. I swear I’ve watched this thing at least once a day for about a week now.

Also, be sure and listen for the tip of the hat to R. Kelly’s ‘Your Body’s Callling’.

Andy McKee makes my head asplode with this off-the-hook vid of him doing a little percussive fingerstyle git-fiddle playing. He manages to do what many a great guitarist has failed to do by balancing technical ability with melodic and gorgeous compositions (you listening, Yngwie? You could learn a thing or two here).

Check it out. And if you’ve ever played guitar, no matter how good you are, be prepared to feel the need to go practice.

I’ve long considered Victor Wooten to be one of, if not THE, greatest bass players to ever pick up the instrument (Sorry Jaco). For any doubters that may be left out there. Check out this video of Vic doin’ his thang.

You may be beginning to hear this term bandied about. Or perhaps you’ve seen this image around your favorite music sites and you’re wondering what the heck it is. We aim to help you out with a little primer on exactly what it is and what it means for you.

Creative Commons is a term used for a new type of copyright license that allows the artist more control over what happens with their works. It basically lets an artist say “Yes I want my music to be able to be shared freely and I allow my music to be remixed by anyone that wants to. All I ask in return is that you give me credit for writing my portion.” It frees you, as the music listener, from any worries about what you can and can’t do with the song. And it always allows more usage than just plain copyright. Think of it as a layer on top of the regular copyright that relaxes many of the restrictions. Read the rest of this entry »