Mike Cohen: Music

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 15:56:20 GMT

I will no longer update this site at radio.weblogs.com. I will now be publishing my weblog at http://www.mc-development.com/~mike.

Wed, 30 Oct 2002 03:39:55 GMT

82% believe they should be able to copy CDs

Music companies thinking of distributing copy-protected CDs to protect their content from piracy will likely raise the ire of consumers while lowering their revenue, a new study warns. According to a survey recently released by GartnerG2, the research service of Gartner, 77 per cent of respondents thought they should be able to copy CDs for personal use in another device, while 60 per cent said they should be able to give copies of CDs to members of their families. Meanwhile, 82 per cent of respondents said that they should be able to copy CDs for personal backup purposes. The results fly in the face of efforts by the music industry to gain tighter control over their content as they face the perilous, infinite possibilities for copying in the digital age. But while the ghosts of such free file-sharing services as Napster still haunt the halls of Hollywood, Gartner discovered that consumers do not think that copy-protected CDs are the answer.

When I buy a CD, the first thing I usually do is import it into my iTunes library. I then put the CD away and listen to the MP3 tracks on my computer. I'm also planning to buy an iPod with a car stereo adapter, so I can travel with my entire music collection. Right now, I usually burn music mix CDs to listen to before a trip, but if I'm driving for more than an hour or so, I have to change CDs a few times. With the iPod, I can have hours or even days of non-stop music without changing CDs. Here are the CDs I bought in the last 2 weeks, all of which are now in my iTunes library:

Blondie Live
Johnny Clegg - New World Survivor
Youssou N'dour - Nothing's In Vain
Orchestra Baobab - Specialist in all styles
Red, Hot + Riot - Tribute to Fela

Tue, 29 Oct 2002 03:53:40 GMT

Yet more interesting music from Iceland. First Bjork, then Sigur Ros. Now I discovered Mum while browsing at Amazon. They sound a bit like Sigur Ros, with similar lush instrumental soundscapes.

Tue, 15 Oct 2002 20:56:38 GMT

I have a new favorite CD: "Specialist in all styles" by Orchestra Baobab. It just arrived from Amazon today & I've been listening to it continuously. They're a classic Senegalese group from 1970-1987 known for smooth laid-back Latin-tinged dance music. They just reunited with almost all of their original members, with the notable exception of Laye Mboup who died in a car accident, and Thione Seck, who now has a successful solo career. The new CD is produced by Youssou N'dour and features updates of several classic tracks. It also features N'dour & Cuban singer Ibrahim Ferrer on one track.

Tue, 15 Oct 2002 02:04:15 GMT

BounceWeb has been down since about 3PM this afternoon, which affects macmegasite & worldbeatplanet. I'm moving both sites to my reseller account, which is still up. I'm using backups of the database from last night, so all statistics & anything posted since then has been lost. I've changed the DNS servers for WorldBeatPlanet, but I haven't changed macmegasite yet. If it comes back up, I can simply point it to the database on the new server. I'm reluctant to switch to the new server because I'll lose shell access, subdomains don't work, and the SMTP server doesn't seem to be able to send mail. I'm thinking of switching to http://www.netsourcehosting.com, although I'm paid a year in advance at BounceWeb. If I switch, I risk losing my reseller account (which I'm using to host mymacmail.com). I'll most likely make the switch when my year is up, since it costs about the same & they seem pretty reliable - the administrator of that site is also the administrator of www.derekandalexking.org.

Mon, 14 Oct 2002 17:52:37 GMT

New Youssou N'dour album streamed live. From now (monday 14th October) until Monday 21st October at 12 noon the whole of Youssou N'Dour's new album "Nothing's in vain" can be heard streamed live on the internet. Check out BBC Music Online for more details, by clicking here or vist BBC World Music. [WorldBeatPlanet]

Thu, 10 Oct 2002 15:47:26 GMT

Interesting interview with Malian singer Salif Keita, in which he talks about the rise of political Islam & music piracy.

Banning Eyre: I've read that political Islam is on the rise in Mali? Are you saying this is getting worse? Or is it something that was always there? Salif Keita: It's there. It's there, and it's getting stronger and stronger. I will tell you why. The ones who control music piracy in Mali are religious leaders. The biggest mafia of pirates are the religious ones. Sean Barlow: The marabouts? S.K.: The followers of the marabouts, the friends of marabouts. So that the population will not hear those who struggle against piracy, what do they do? The make counter-propaganda. "You mustn't listen [to the musicians who complain]. These are Kaffirs!" You understand the game? That's it. And as they know that Mali is 90% Muslim, they know people will listen to the marabouts, and then they profit from the musicians. They pirate their records. They've brought in the customs service. They've brought in the army. They've brought in the police. It's a big game, and it's killing us. Often I feel like finding a new profession. SB.: But people still hear music on the radio. They still go to concerts. No one can stop that. S.K.: No, they can't prevent the average Malian musician. But I will tell you this: Mali is run from the mosques. I am sorry to tell you this. In fact, the president we have now, we are counting him, but this is someone who does not listen to the people. He would like to change things. But when? You have to have a free hand to make changes. It's religious politics that dominate there. It's a catastrophe. It's very dangerous. Me, I talk, but others are afraid to talk about this. I'm not afraid. I don't care. I've done nothing wrong. I don't earn my living there; I earn my living abroad. I'm not a griot tapping on the door of a marabout when I need to eat. No. I eat elsewhere. And so I speak out. But others are afraid to speak, because it's a real mafia. It's true. B.E.: That's serious. S.K.: It's very serious, and this is the only real problem in Mali. That's it. B.E.: And you think this is worse than when I was living there in 1996. S.K.: It's worse now. There are radicals now. They want to make Mali an Islamic country, like Nigeria. With Sharia, everything. It's dangerous. For me, I'm not worried. My god is everywhere for me. But poor Mali! If that happens, we are ruined. The whole region is ruined. B.E.: So how can you fight against that? S.K.: Ah, me? I can't fight it alone. But in general, you have to come up with a strategy. Salif Keita cannot do that. B.E.: Even if he is God. S.K.: Even if he is God. You know, God never speaks in the end. [LAUGHS] He never speaks. SB.: This is interesting, Salif. You were just talking about the tolerance in Mali, the (cousinage). S.K.: Mali is an ancient civilization, dressed up by religion. When you speak about God there[sigma] Hey wait, you must know what I have said before, about misery. You mustn't forget that spirituality says that God is there. God is a remedy against misery. This is a philosophy that keeps the poor in line, that maintains poverty. It's not that religion is bad. It's the interpretation, the way it is used. That closes the door. Me, I'm a Muslim. I don't hide that. I know that God gave me a good head, to serve me, to allow me to reflect, and to allow me to go and find food to eat[sigma] But this is our biggest problem in Mali. I even heard this talk from Samassa. You know Samassa, the producer? B.E.: The cassette producer. Yes. S.K.: He's the biggest pirate of all, along with Sylla productions. Samassa came to my house. He said, "Salif, we want Mali to become an Islamic country." Ah, no! B.E.: Really? And this was recently. S.K.: Six months ago. That's dangerous. Thieves like him! No, that is dangerous. I am afraid of that. It's when I think of that, I say, "Poor Mali." We had a chance. We became a democratic country. If we could have continued like that, we would have a real chance, more even than the countries on the coast. Because what is a country? A country is a way of thinking. But if that escapes us--and there is a risk that that will escape us...

I was hoping to see him tonight at the Broward Center, but it looks like I probably won't be able to make it.

Thu, 10 Oct 2002 02:05:48 GMT

Youssou N'dour's new release Due Oct. 22. The release of Youssou N'Dour's Nothing's In Vain (Coono du réér) not only marks the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Nonesuch debut Joko (The Link), it also inaugurates a recently signed worldwide deal with Nonesuch. [WorldBeatPlanet] I always look forward to any new release from him, but I wish he'd leave out the pop duet he always has to include on every album.

Thu, 03 Oct 2002 02:19:29 GMT

Lofgren vows to protect consumers in the fight over digital rights management. [Hack the Planet] Bravo! At least we have someone on our side.

Wed, 02 Oct 2002 04:17:51 GMT

First Blood is Spilled at Record Industry Hearings - The War is On!!!. Music Dish: First Blood is Spilled at Record Industry Hearings - The War is On!!! "By contract, artists are prohibited from showing royalty statements to third parties." What!? [Hack the Planet]

Sat, 28 Sep 2002 05:02:47 GMT

I just upgraded WorldBeatPlanet to PHP-Nuke 6.0. The upgrade went flawlessly.

I've got it down to a quick & simple routine. Upload all of the files to a temporary directory, since uploading can take a while. When everything's up, run the upgrade script, and then move the uploaded files into the live directory.

Since copying the files to another directory takes a lot less time than uploading, only a few seconds pass from the time I run the upgrade script until the upgrade is complete with all of the files in place, and there's little or no downtime. It did take me a few minutes to activate some new modules & rearrange blocks, but the site remains usable during that time.

UP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fri, 27 Sep 2002 23:03:08 GMT

Peter Gabriel's new CD, "UP" arrived today. The first track, "Darkness" scared "Cody". It starts out very soft, and then there's a sudden burst of noise. I have very mixed feelings about this album, but I need to listen to it a few more times. This isn't an accessible pop album like "So". It's very dark & brooding. "Barry Williams Show" is the only upbeat song. I've heard at least two of the songs, "Signal to Noise" & "I Grieve" before. One pleasant surprise was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's vocals on "Signal to Noise". Was it worth waiting 10 years? I'm not sure yet. It will be playing on my stereo for a while, though.

Thu, 26 Sep 2002 16:11:21 GMT

WSJ. Wired. The music industry is set to launch an ad campaign against P2P file sharing. "People going into computers"??

Ms. Spears, for example, is quoted in the ad saying: "Would you go into a CD store and steal a CD? It's the same thing: People going into the computers and logging on and stealing our music."

[John Robb's Radio Weblog] She proves again what an airhead she is. If file sharing means an end to manufactured pop, maybe it's a good thing. The recording industry is producing crap and trying to sell it at inflated prices. I think the audience is smart enough to reject it. If quality music was available at a reasonable price, people would buy it. They're just tired of the junk they're being sold and they've stopped buying it.

Thu, 26 Sep 2002 14:42:02 GMT

BounceWeb is currently upgrading their servers, so MacMegasite & WorldBeatPlanet are both down right now. The upgrades should be finished this weekend. I'm also unable to receive email at both domains (and all of my email addresses except my domain mc-development.com are forwarded to my macmegasite IMAP account).

Mon, 23 Sep 2002 01:40:23 GMT

This is an amazing CD: Dead Man Walking, the soundtrack from that excellent movie. It includes music from Bruce (who sings the title track), Johnny Cash, Suzanne Vega, Lyle Lovett, Eddie Vedder with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (two great tunes by them), Tom Waits, Michelle Shocked, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Steve Earle, and Patti Smith. MIchelle Shocked sings a powerful Quality of Mercy -- fitting and poignant. This CD should be in your collection. [Doug's Austin Radio Weblog] I really have to get that CD. I love the song by Eddie Vedder & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. I didn't think too much of Eddie before I heard that, but it changed my opinion of him and I'm amazed at how well they sound together.

Sun, 22 Sep 2002 06:36:12 GMT

Antibalas News. Here's the latest news from Antibalas, which is becoming one of my favorite groups. Although they're based in New York, they play authentic Afrobeat music that Fela would be proud of. [WorldBeatPlanet]

Fri, 20 Sep 2002 19:41:12 GMT

OT: A Miscarriage of Justice. I usually avoid posting non-music related items here, but I'm outraged by the total breakdown of our legal system that occurred in this case, and the blatant human rights violations. [WorldBeatPlanet]

Thu, 19 Sep 2002 04:24:39 GMT

Philips Marketing: You Had Me At Hello.

Today I came across the web site for The Streamium, a boombox for listening to internet radio, CDs, and MP3s from your PC. Here's the description from the press release:

"...the world[base ']s first micro hi-fi system capable of connecting to multiple online music services at the touch of a button."

But that doesn't come close to doing it justice. I'm thoroughly intrigued by it, which means the marketing folks did their job well. Some choice quotes from the site's home page:

You only have two ears: don't waste them on dumbed down music chosen by focus groups.
Plug into your DSL or cable modem and unplug from mass music.
Plays CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs or MP3 & mp3PRO CDs. And AM/FM radio if you must.
100 Watts total power. Share it with your neighbors.
wOOx technology = bass that doesn't bother knocking before it beats the door down.
Song title and artist displayed before you can say "Who is this?"

Now that's market research! Every one of these hits a home run with me. Over at the full Streamium page on the Philips site, we get new slogans such as "Don't dream it. Stream it!" and new nouns such as "streamies" (folks that own the Streamium). It should be available nationally any day now, and it looks like this sweet little puppy will retail for $399, which is very tempting. Tempting, indeed. Make it $299 and Streamium, I'm yours.

[The Shifted Librarian]

Cooool!

Sun, 15 Sep 2002 00:18:26 GMT

I just received the 2 Antibalas CDs I ordered.

ANTIBALAS IS... A diverse cooperative of music makers in Brooklyn, USA dedicated to making original revolutionary Afrobeat music inspired by the chief priest Fela Anikulapo-Kuti as well as other visionary artists, musicians and thinkers. Antibalas is more than just a band. It aims to be a movement in an era where the pursuit of money and fame has ruined the souls and work of our fellow humans. Antibalas is trying to lead by example as a functioning co-operative entity. We encourage you to try to do the same, be it as a musical group, food co-op, intentional community, credit union, etc.

Fri, 06 Sep 2002 04:36:53 GMT

I did some searching with LimeWire tonight, and it looks like almost every search is "poisoned" with bogus results, in the form of URLs, MPEGs, MP3s, and other files matching the search request exactly. I did find an absolutely gorgeous live acoustic version of "In your eyes" by Peter Gabriel accompanied only by an acoustic guitar. If anyone knows what album it's from, I'd like to buy it.

20 MORE DAYS!!!!

Thu, 05 Sep 2002 00:49:10 GMT

I just pre-ordered Up, Peter Gabriel's first album in 10 years. It ships on Sept. 24.

Major Music Labels Promote New CD Format

Tue, 03 Sep 2002 04:07:44 GMT

From Yahoo News:

Consumers will soon see a new digital music format in their local stores. Called DataPlay digital media, these news discs are smaller than CDs and represent the music industry's latest attempt to distribute music in a copy-protected format. While this new media is physically small, it is supported by large industry forces. Three of the top five record companies -- Universal Music, EMI Group and BMG -- have already signed on. The list of artists expected to re-release successful albums in the DataPlay format includes Carlos Santana, 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Sarah McLachlan and Pink. The discs themselves are contained in a transparent plastic shell, and are small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. Consumers will be able to buy blank, recordable DataPlay discs as well as prerecorded, copy-protected discs. Competing against CDs is a formidable challenge -- recent reports estimate that there are 1.5 billion CD players. But DataPlay has features that might allow it to gain a toehold. These include games and extensive photo galleries, music videos (for which the player must be connected to a PC) and artist interviews. Next generation DataPlay players might be equipped with video screens. Additionally, both the media and its player are so small -- though still offering CD-quality sound -- that they can be easily transported. And users can download music from the Internet and burn it onto DataPlay discs. The cost of DataPlay media is causing skepticism among music industry observers. Blank media costs US$5 per disc when purchased as part of a 10-pack. In contrast, traditional CD media costs less then 50 cents per disc and has 150 megabytes more storage capacity. An album released on DataPlay will retail in the $18 to $22 range. The DataPlay player-burner units are also more expensive than traditional CD recorders. The only player-burner currently available, the iDP-100 by iRiver America, costs $350. Yankee Group media and entertainment analyst Ryan Jones told NewsFactor that the DataPlay format "is going to meet considerable struggle in the marketplace." He said the music industry thought that DataPlay's major label support would give it a decisive edge, but support of this kind is not enough. Equally important is support from major electronics manufacturers, which DataPlay does not yet have. "Every major media transition in the past 20 years -- it's been Sony and Philips that have done it every time," Jones said, noting that start-ups like DataPlay cannot achieve the momentum of those two giants. But, he pointed out, "consumer electronics manufacturers will be under increasing pressure to integrate some kind of copy protection into their devices." And DataPlay might be the solution they adopt -- unless Sony and Philips choose one of their own proprietary solutions.

*SIGH* They would like to force us to switch to a new media format and buy new devices just so they can add copy protection. Consumers aren't going to stand for it. Also, look at the list of artists - N'sync & Britney Spears. I've never bought one of their CDs and I never will. They're going to squeeze out independent artists who can't afford new recording equipment, and who will probably continue recording on standard CDs. The last CDs I bought - by Sigur Ros, Antibalas, Youssou N'dour,1Giant Leap - were all from independent artists & small labels.

Sat, 24 Aug 2002 04:09:16 GMT

BounceWeb was having more MySQL problems today, which affected both MacMegasite & WorldBeatPlanet, as well as their own forums and all other sites hosted there. When I emailed them about it the last time, they assured me that the problem is fixed and won't happen again. I added error_reporting(0); to mainfile.php in both sites, so the next time it happens you'll only see a message saying there's a problem with the home page instead of a page full of PHP & MySQL errors. Hopefully BounceWeb will get their act together pretty soon. Unfortunately I'm paid a year ahead for both sites, so I'd lose money if I move someplace else.

Thu, 22 Aug 2002 19:18:21 GMT

SJ Merc interviews Janis Ian. "She credits Napster and its progeny with sparking renewed interest in her music, at a time when she can't be heard on contemporary-hit-obsessed radio stations. And she says her decision to offer free music downloads had done the opposite of what the industry predicts it would do: It caused a 300 percent spike in merchandise sales." [Scripting News]

Thu, 22 Aug 2002 02:38:51 GMT

Branford Marsalis starts a new record label. "We guarantee that we will give artists the freedom to make great music." [Scripting News] A few years ago, Youssou N'dour started his own record label, based in Dakar to support local talent. This is a good sign. Musicians are taking control back from the big record companies. I hope this trend continues.