Late Night Ramblings

I've been thinking recently, as always, about file sharing.

What I've been pondering is what the next step should be for the record industry. What, in my opinion, should happen so that they will make money and keep the consumers happy at the same time, neither of which seems to be happening recently.

Obviously one of the main factors in this debate is the money. Recording artists require inflated coke addict inducing salaries, and bands are wondering why their albums aren't selling. Some of them are even choosing to independently distribute their albums. Record sales are going down, and they can't support themselves, so they blame it on the pirates and start a crusade. This is the largest mistake they could have made.

The people who used OiNK were the people who had such an extreme addiction to music that they could never get enough of it. We're the people who hear songs we like and spin them on a dance floor for hundreds of people to hear, and possibly go home and buy from iTunes. More importantly, quite a few of us are the people who also buy music in addition to pirating it. Every month I spend large amounts of money on used CDs. I love collecting them, having the linear notes and the pretty artwork. To me that is worth the money - I may have pirated the album before, but having that CD makes it feel more real to me. Having lots of them on a shelf just looks GREAT.

Since this is the case for many other music addicts that I know, they are doing the wrong thing by pissing us off. We're the people with the 200+ CD collections, not the ones who listen to the same 100 $.99 iTunes songs over and over (Grace Carosio). Because we're angry at our peers and fellow file-sharers being sued and tired of DRM, we're all off buying only used CDs and directly supporting the artist, and then pirating the new releases so they see none of our money.

Here's what I think a solution could be that logically follows from all these things. I know I'm living in a dream world, but this could really work.

Firstly, they need to accept that piracy is never going to stop. They need to compete with the pirates by doing one thing: meeting their price, creating a free online database containing large quantities of music. A place where all of the music you'd ever want is available in a bare bones form: as a V2 VBR mp3 download. Ads would be fine, p2p would be fine. They could still make money on this. A monthly fee could be charged for a subscription which removed the ads and allowed you to download in better qualities. The site would be highly used, and advertising could provide large amounts of money.

In addition to that, they need to boost album sales in the physical realm by emphasizing what makes it different from the digital version."Alive 2007" was packaged as a book, and contained a 50 pages of photos from the concert it was recorded at, as well as a bonus disc with music videos. This kind of stuff can easily happen more with some effort. Innovative packaging, and sweet incentives to buy physical copies. Vinyl is coming back in a big way, another thing that can be capitalized on because vinyl offers a completely different experience. Mass producing it means that prices could go down and audiophiles like myself would squeal with joy. People pirate because there isn't much of a unique experience when an album contains 3 pages of linear notes and 40% filler songs. Ringtone rappers record a whole album based off of one 30 second ringtone. Why do they expect it to sell?

“The main problem is that the artists are not getting as much help developing as before file-sharing. They are now learning to peddle ringtones, not records. They don’t understand the value of a perfect piece of art.” - 50 Cent.

When the internet came and people could get their news for free, traditional newspapers didn't attack the new technology, they embraced it. They understood that people would still buy their product even if it was available for free online. Today, up to 20% of the profit of a paper usually comes from its website, and they still have just as many, if not more subscribers than before the internet. The digital age is here, and it's not going away. The only solution is to embrace it.

The 10 Best Albums of 2007

As 2007 is winding to a quick close, I figured it was time to round up the best music that I’ve heard this year. Lists like these are fairly hard to make when they get long (I still don’t understand how Rolling Stone can pick the best 200 albums of all time), but I think I can fairly accurately pick my 10 favorite albums of 2007. These are the albums that changed the way I think about music, that tried to do something out of the cookie-cutter mold that is becoming so easy to follow when making music. The albums that made me want to get up and dance, or just sit down, listen, and think. The albums that are so good that I will be listening to them long past the time that ball drops and brings us in to 2008.

10. Wincing the Night Away - The Shins

I technically had this album in 2006 because it leaked on to the internet very early (R.I.P OiNK). Since the street release date was January, it belongs in the tenth spot on this 2007 list. The Shins have consistently released good music, but something about this album made me like it much more than their other efforts. Obviously produced and perfected much more than the others due to them being signed to a major label during the album’s production, the sound they are going for here is significantly more poppy than their other releases. This is definitely not a problem for me, though, and reminds me of the golden age of pop-rock that happened in the late 90’s. Catchy pop melodies, infectious drumming, and fairly silly lyrics put this album in my best of the year. Best tracks: “Australia”, “Sealegs.”

9. American Gangster - Jay-Z

Jay-Z has been around the block a few times. This is his tenth studio album, and minus a few missteps like 2006’s “Kingdom Come,” they’ve all been very good. This time, he decided to do an album based off of the crime epic movie of the same name. This makes for a great marketing scheme, and I’m sure it has resulted in Jay making even more money. Throughout the album’s first 13 tracks Jay details the criminal rise-and-fall that we’ve seen in so many movies. Bangin’ beats and his trademark smooth flow are abundant, and I always really like it when an album tries to tell a unified story. Jay knows what he’s doing, and this album has made me realize that he definitely isn't starting to fade away. Jay is here to stay. Best tracks: “Blue Magic,” “No Hook.”

8. Common - Finding Forever (Produced by Kanye West)

While some people have problems with Kanye West as a rapper, I don’t think many people have a problem with his amazing skill as a producer. This album is a great example of how great of a producer Kanye is, and also an example of how great of an M.C. Common is. A perfect album to chill out to, or to put in the background at a house party. Common’s lyrics are powerful, and the beats are a great mix of chill smoke-up-to-this grooves and more exciting “I want to hit the dance floor” thumps. Kanye West and Common make an amazing team. Best tracks: “I Want You”, “Driving Me Wild.”

7. Gorillaz - D-Sides

I was debating whether this album really counts on this list, as it isn’t technically a Gorillaz “studio album,” but actually a compilation of B-sides and outtakes left over from the production of 2005’s “Demon Days.” I realized then that it was much better than most other albums released this year despite it being a compilation, so I put it on the list. All over the place stylistically, it’s a fun listen and contains some great tracks. While I can’t talk about it like a whole piece since there’s not much of a unified theme, “People” is a great look at how songs can change (it is an early, very different, version of “Dare”), and “We Are Happy Ladfill” is a catchjy dance track with hilarious lyrics. “Hong Kong” doesn’t even sound like traditional Gorillaz, but still makes for a great listen. Fans of “Demon Days” should definitely check out this album. Best tracks: “We Are Happy Landfill,” “Rockit.”

6. M.I.A - Kala

What can I even say about M.I.A? Her music sometimes doesn’t even warrant accurate description without actually being able to listen to it. “Kala” is her sophomore album, and it is every bit as good as her previous effort "Arular". In “Kala,” this Sri Lankan woman embraces world-music sounds such as tribal chanting and hand drums and mixes them with loud electronic bass and hip-hop beats. The combination of those two very different sounds serve to create a sound that I’ve never heard before, and one that makes me want to listen to this disc over and over again. Dance club material for sure, the majority of the tracks are produced by electronic artist Switch, with a pair of them produced by the everywhere-right-now Timbaland. Definitely an album for anyone to pick up and give a listen to. Best tracks: “Paper Planes,” “Bird Flu.”

5. The Flaming Lips - UFO’s at the Zoo

This album is full of memories for me, rocketing it to the #5 spot on this list. “UFO’s at the Zoo” is a live album recorded by the Flaming Lips during their fall tour in Oklahoma City. I saw them later on here in Seattle. As most tours go, the set list is very similar throughout the dates, so listening to this disc reminds me of one of the greatest shows I’ve ever been to, complete with aliens, santa claus, and giant bubbles (you had to have been there). A great overview of the Flaming Lips’ very large catalog, I’d recommend this album in a second to any Lips’ fan, or anybody who wants to try to get into their music and doesn't know where to start giving their intimidating catalog. Best tracks: “Race for the Prize,” “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song.”

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4. Graduation - Kanye West

I don’t think I’ve ever seen an album as hyped everywhere as this one was. Between his media frenzy record-sales battle with 50 Cent and the fact that nobody could stop talking about it, when it finally dropped my excitement was immense. The hype was justified though, as this is definitely the best hip-hop album of the year. Kanye West shows in this album that his production skills have only gotten better with time, utilizing sick synths in almost every song and picking only the best guest stars (Lil’ Wayne, Daft Punk, T-Pain) to accompany him with a verse. A great listen all the way from beginning to end, this album (and the fact that he won said album sales battle) will only give Kanye more reason to be full of himself. Best tracks: “Good Life (Feat. T-Pain), “I Wonder.”

3. Radiohead - In Rainbows

Originally scheduled for a 2008 release, Radiohead pulled a quick one on their fans and randomly posted on their website in October that the album would be released in 10 days. The “catch,” if you will, was that it would be only available online, and you could pay however much money you wanted for it, including $0.00. Already a great album, the fact that with it Radiohead is trying to change the way music is distributed is what makes the album and the whole idea surrounding it awesome, and what puts it so high on this list. Record companies, listen up: this is the future. You can’t stop it. Best tracks: “Weird Fishes / Arpeggi,” “Bodysnatchers.”

2. Daft Punk - Alive 2007

Another live album, the only difference being that this one would still occupy this spot even if I hadn’t gone to the show. Daft Punk, the electronic music gods, have put together what’s essentially a greatest hits album with a twist - all of their back catalog has been mashed up with itself, distorted, scratched, and combined with a good bit of new material into a show (and an album) that won’t be forgotten. Tracks from 2005’s disappointment “Human After All” gain new life in the mix with other tracks of theirs, and even Thomas Bangalter’s solo work gets the spotlight in the 10 minute long encore. Going to the show would be the best way to experience this set, complete with a mind-melting light show, but since that tour is now over, this album is the best way to experience the magic that was the “Alive 2007” tour. Best tracks: The whole thing.

1. Justice - †

If OiNK hadn’t have existed, I never would have found this album. After seeing it in the top 10 most downloaded albums, I checked it out, loved it, and immediately went out and purchased it. I would have never bought it if it wasn’t for me “stealing” it first. This is, hands down, the best electronic music album that I’ve heard since Daft Punk’s “Discovery.” From beginning to end, Justice employ distorted synths, the same drum beat in almost every song (but boy is it a good one), and stadium-rock style production that crams the frequency spectrum into a mid-range band so loud that it feels like it’s slapping you in the face. The bass thumps, the highs hiss, and the whole album changed the way I thought about electronic music. I dare anyone to listen to this album and not want to immediately get up and dance. Amazing. Best tracks: “Genesis,” “DVNO.”

I really had no idea what to expecct. All I knew is that this concert was one that I couldn't miss.

$85 later ($35 concert and $50 bus), I was on my way to Portland early Sunday morning. I listened to the entirety of Gunther's first album, "Pleasureman," on the bus ride, complete with such mega-hits as The Ding Dong Song, and Tutti Fruitti Summer Love. It still hadn't sunk in that later that night I was going to meet this man. What was I going to say? Does this man take himself seriously or is this just some brilliant stage persona that he fools all of us dumbass Americans with all the way to the bank?

The show was at the Hawthorne Theater, a small club venue in east Portland. After waiting in line for more than an hour, we filled the small room along with about 200 other people. Everyone was just as excited as we were about this show, and it was very evident. The DJ spinning hip hop wasn't going to cut it: few were dancing, most were standing around talking about Gunther and when he was going to come out. "GUNTHER. GUNTHER. GUNTHER!" The crowd chanted with no avail. An hour plus later, at 10:45, he finally came out.

The entirety of the show would have been underwhelming if it was any other man besides Gunther. He had no set, a bare club stage with some cords and things running around, and a table at the back where his dj "spun" backing tracks for all of the songs. As he weaved through the hits from his album, his behavior on stage didn't change much. He would go from singing to dancing with his "sunshine girls" pretty sexually, to sticking his hands out on the crowd so people could touch him.

He hardly talked, aside from saying what song was next and such memorable lines as "I LOVE AMERICA!," and "Where are my pleasure men in the crowd?" "What about my party ladies?" which caused some intense audience screaming. His "Sunshine Girls" were obviously lipsynching, and one was a whole lot hotter than the other one.

The ugly one


The hotter one

Regardless of how underwhelming the entire stage performance was, the audience made up for it. Everyone was just as into the rediculousness as I was, and was dancing, jumping, and singing their hearts out for the man on stage. Everyone knew the words to every song (not a hard feat), and Gunther would regularly stick his mic out into the crowd and let us sing over the fake Sunshine Girls vocals. Everyone (including myself) was loving every second. I didn't understand how this was possible.

He seriously must have had us all under some kind of spell. I don't think anyone else could have gotten away with putting on such a show and charging $35. I mean, come on, Daft Punk was $40.

After his set was over, since we had backstage passes, we got to meet him. That basicially entailed about a minute on stage for a photo and a couple words.

A: "Great show man. When's the new album coming out?"
G: "Thank you. The new album should be out next summer. It's a summer album."

$85 well spent? Hell yes.

The RIAA

So recently, one of the first RIAA Filesharing Lawsuits actually made it to court. Since the majority of people just pay the $3000 and settle, I really thought that if someone actually took them to court, they would have a fighting chance. Unfortunatley, the woman had a terrible defense, and The RIAA won $9,250 per song, for a total of $222,000.

This crusade of theirs is growing to the point of insanity. $9,250 per song for 24 songs she was sharing on Kazaa? Once again the RIAA fails to realize where the industry is heading, and succeeds in nothing more than digging themselves deeper and deeper into their own grave. All this and all of their other bullshit does is make people want to support them less, and make piracy look like more and more of a better option.

DRM isn't working to solve the piracy problem? This is obviously because it isn't good enough, and needs to be made MORE restrictive. Album sales are down? This must be just because of piracy and lack of restrictive DRM, and not because our customers are growing tired of the way they're being treated, or the fact that we're willing to make an album for any black person willing to sign their life away, and expect it to sell. (1, 2).

So here's my message to you, RIAA. Sign artists who actually have potential for artistic development, not artists who can make one single last the length of an entire album. Let me do what I want with my music (including make it into a ring tone). Stop using your settlements to pad your pockets, and actually give the money you make from lawsuits to the artists who MADE the music these people are "stealing" (for the record, not one penny of the countless $3000 settlements has made it back to the musicians).

Until then, I'm only buying used music, and more and more of your precious remaining real artists will show you that they don't need you.

Kanye West - Graduation

It must be hard to be someone like Kanye West. With the amount of fantastic material he's released in the last 5 years, following up his first two albums seems like a pretty daunting task, in addition to the fact that his previous albums aren't "Graduation"'s only competition. 50 Cent's trash talking has put West in a space where he probably wants to be, in direct competition with someone he (and most of the general public) knows he is better than.


Beating 50 in an album quality battle should be no problem for West, comparing his last 2 offerings with 50's last two. My question when I started listening to this album was not if it was better than "Curtis," because I had no doubt that it would be, but if it was better than "The College Dropout," and "Late Registration." In my mind, being better than those albums is no easy feat.

One of the first things I noticed was a lack of skits. The music starts with track 1, and doesn't stop. This is excellent. Small things between songs to make the album flow are one thing, but a good number of rappers take it overboard. With "Graduation," however, West has managed to make an album that flows very well throughout the whole disc, and also one that doesn't seem to drag at any point like parts of "Late Registration" do. Another common problem with hip-hop albums is that they are too long. "2001" by Dr. Dre, for example, is an hour and 15 minute long album, too long to be able to get through in one sitting for most people. Graduation's 13 tracks and 56 minute playtime make it a much more listenable whole album compared to his other two much longer discs, and most other rap.

Obviously, however, length isn't the only factor. A 56 minute album can still be awful if most of it is crap. Like the iPhone release a couple months ago, this album has suffered from over hype. There has been more talk about this release than almost any other that I can remember, and the "battle" with 50 doesn't help that. Many people, including myself, had such high expectations for this album that it was quite possible that even a perfect release wouldn't fulfill them. It also doesn't help that West has two excellent albums already under his belt. To tell you the truth, I was surprised when I didn't hear the trademark old guy talking to West at the beginning of the album, but "Good Morning" provides a fantastic introduction. It is, essentially, an intro track made into a full song, with West saying lines such as "welcome to graduation," and the obvious introductory aspect to the title. "Champion" is one of my favorite songs, riding off of a great Steely Dan sample. The one two punch of "Champion" followed by the lead single is a great way to start off the album. I have my gripes about "Stronger," like any good Daft Punk fan, but the song is a great single, successfully re-imagining Daft Punk's original from 5 years ago, and migrating it to a hip hop environment very well. If Daft Punk likes the track, it's definitely fine with me.

Several other high points of the album include "Good Life," the next single off the album, where T-Pain provides his trademark vocoder-infused singing voice to the chorus (and does a wonderful job of it), and "Flashing Lights," a definite club-banger that makes wonderful use of synths. The album does have a few weak spots ("Drunk and Hot Girls" comes to mind), but overall they are few and far between, and the highs definitely outweigh the lows. All of the tracks come together to create a great whole piece.

Because this album doesn't contain any hard hitting pleasure center overload songs like "Jesus Walks" or "Gold Digger," it seems like West is trying to change his sound a bit, which is definitely a good thing. Synthesizers are used much more frequently in this disc, as well as a lot of other sounds that seem to grab their influence from electronic music. I really appreciate him trying different things, because "Late Registration" felt more like a pathetic attempt at making another "College Dropout," without much success. This album is not trying to be a follow-up, it has it's own identity completely.

So how does it compare to the others? "College Dropout" is hard to beat, and I don't think this album did. In my opinion however, it is a worthy, and better, follow-up to "Late Registration."

8.8/10