The ease at which we can now get music at for free has really had quite a positive effect on the music industry. For one it works as a way of creating new fans by exposing them to something new at no loss to them but at most an hour of their time in which they’re likely to be doing something else as well. If somebody gets something that really amazes them, more often than not they will attempt to seek a hard copy. Personally I wish I could buy more hard copies of music, but as I am a poor college student, my money is required for other things such as alcohol, cigarettes, and occasionally food. Another way it helps the music industry is it gives back to the fans and creates incentive to buy other things related to the artists such as merchandise or concert tickets, which in fact contribute more money to the band than buying a CD does.
Like all things in life there are the negative sides as well and sharing music is no exception. The biggest drawback is also the most obvious in that it is technically illegal. It’s not illegal to the point that several armed officers are going to break down your door as you’re sleeping and drag you away, although that has been the case for a few individuals, who’s incarceration or fining has made them into a type of martyr. The other big drawback is the possibility of downloading something other than your music, like a virus or worm that could potentially destroy parts of your computer. This is a big risk for users of Person-to-Person programs such as Kazaa or Limewire, however downloader’s of torrents are just as susceptible, however more preventative measures have been taken to eliminate potential threats. Regardless, that is one of the major drawbacks that come with downloading of music; however it is a risk that people are willing to take. Lastly the third major drawback of downloading music is the absence of hard copies means that if something you download does erase your hard drive, you are left with nothing. While if you downloaded everything for free you don’t technically lose anything, the task of rebuilding a library is a very daunting one to say the least.
The Pirate Bay has long advocated the sharing of music, amoung other properties. This year, the owners of the popular torrent site were found guilty of "unlawful transfer to the public of copyrighted performances" in a highly controversal trial.
I view music as a gift to be shared and for the past two years I have personally done my best to share the music that was given to me with people who want to hear something new. The only thing I ever asked of them was to pass it onto somebody else who is interested in hearing what else there is. Since I began my campaign of uploading and downloading albums I have been truly moved by what I’ve heard then by everything I found in the more contemporary ways. I have found more talented and underappreciated musicians who more than anything else, desire their music to be heard. Nothing is more agonizing then creating something only to find out that it was all for not because there’s nobody around to listen. With that said I will continue to download and upload my way across the musical spectrum, discovering the new artists or rediscovering previous artists who for some reason or another I failed to listen to. I will continue to promote artists that I believe others would enjoy and I will find alternative ways to support those artists, be it by blogging, sharing, or seeing them live. There is a new age of music amongst us and I for one cannot be more proud to be a part of it.
Stone Birds' Free Stuff
By Jake Hansen (Stone Birds)
Stone Birds' Free Stuff (mostly mp3's), this week's free stuff is circled around Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine
Shepard's Dog Demos
"Naked As We Came" Music Video
"Boy With a Coin" Music Video
"Belated Promise Ring"
"Lion's Mane"
Check out Stone Birds' Member Journal for more free stuff.
It was all a dream - I used to read Word Up Magazine
A short study by Casey W.
It's been nearly fifteen years since
Christopher "Biggie" Wallace rapped those words on his fantastic song, Juicy.
Since his death, hip-hop music has dominated the charts. But ask anyone who was alive in that era and they will tell you that [mainstream] hip-hop has "gone soft." Now what exactly does that mean? Well, just listen to any mainstream rap music from that era. It's full of tales of violence, drugs, hardship, sex and materialism. Now listen to today's chart toppers. What's the difference? With very few exceptions, the main lyrical focus is almost exclusively on sex (with an added touch of materialism).
But so what? It's just as good right? Not according to a great percentage of music fans, most of whom agree that the modern day Top 40 is cluttered with lots of genericy and very few gems. Hip-hop used to seem so real, so in your face and painted pictures of, depending on the person, a very alien word or a very, very real one. Indeed it seems even the surviving hip-hop greats have fallen on the tired cliches of hip-hop glitter.
Who's this clown?
But why is this? It's appears as though there is a new generation of hip-hop musicians. They never grew up on the streets, some of them hardly even know struggle. They live in the age Auto-Tune and ease of use, and their songs more often appeal more to hormonal teenage girls than they do to the struggling African-American neighborhoods from where the music was born.
But as somebody who has always believed that you should be allowed to make music no matter who you are, I believe that the non-violent approach to this music may actually be a good thing. But can't we rap about something other than sex? Take, for example, Eminem. I am not even the biggest fan of his and yet I have to respect the man, who blends parody and disturbing tales into one smoothly flowing package. What we need in the mainstream are more hip-hop artists who treat their music as an art form, not a platform to brag or an easy way to cash in.
What do you think? Leave us your feedback and we may feature your opinion in the next issue.
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