from startribune.com

“I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies.”
— Kurt Cobain on “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Rolling Stone interview, 1994

Thanks to Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” the first Lollapalooza and other bastions of the so-called alternative-rock movement, 1991 will go down as Generation X’s most pivotal year in music. Those of us who know better, though, point to 1989 instead.

It was the final year of the cheesiest, most manufactured decade in pop music (the current 10-year span not yet being eligible). Rock was between hair bands and the impending grunge boom. There were no trends or marquee bands to speak of, so the music industry was open to anything that sounded promising. Even groups like Sonic Youth, Happy Mondays and the Replacements — all brilliant but hopelessly unmarketable — were getting major-label record deals.

The PixiesThe best rock albums of 1989 demonstrate just how wide-open things were, and how forgotten that magical pre-grunge heyday is now. The Stone Roses’ self-titled debut. Nine Inch Nails’ “Pretty Hate Machine.” Bob Mould’s “Workbook.” World Party’s “Goodbye Jumbo.” Mudhoney’s “Superfuzz Bigmuff.” Camper Van Beethoven’s “Key Lime Pie.” Neil Young’s “Freedom.”

The best, though, was and is the Pixies’ “Doolittle.” A scorching, exhilarating, frightening album that opens with a song about slicing up eyeballs (oh-ho-ho-ho), “Doolittle” stood for nothing, really. And that meant everything. It was simple, loud, catchy, bombastic rock ‘n’ roll from a scruffy-looking Boston band.

In songs like “Monkey Gone to Heaven” and “Tame,” we heard soft breaths and mumbled lyrics give way to wicked, gut-wrenching screams. This was the trademark work of the quartet’s nefarious frontman Black Francis (who later became Frank Black, otherwise known as Charles Thompson).

Francis was a time bomb certain to blow, and his ticking was perfectly in tune with Joey Santiago’s style-less guitar playing. Santiago could pluck out the tender, twangy riff of “Here Comes Your Man” and then crank out the bleeding drone of “Dead” without batting an eye. Actually, he rarely looked up so you could see his eyes. As for the other two members, effortlessly cool bassist Kim Deal — who was about to form her own band, the Breeders — always seemed to be in laid-back mode, somewhat unimpressed by Frankie’s outbursts. Drummer David Lovering was higher-strung and constantly pounding out his every frustration.

Those soft-loud, happy-mad transitions were the cornerstone of the Pixies, and later Nirvana, and later Weezer, and later a lot of bands that didn’t matter. At the end of “Doolittle,” as Francis urges us to, “Gouge away, stay all day,” it’s like coming to the end of a roller-coaster ride. The album whirs by in a rapid blur, but the adrenaline rush it leaves you is proof it’s worth riding again.

“Doolittle” wasn’t the Pixies’ first great disc. “Surfer Rosa” got them a minor buzz one year earlier. There were two albums after it, too, which actually featured their best songs: “Planet of Sound,” “U Mass” and “Velouria,” in particular. (“Velouria,” by the way, was just recorded by locally reared jazz trio the Bad Plus, which also reinvented “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on its last CD. Coincidence?)

But “Doolittle” was the Pixies’ best album start to finish. It has been 15 years since its release, and 11 years since Black Francis sent a fax to the other three members announcing the band’s breakup.

It’s a good year for the Pixies to reunite. They’re doing so for the very first time ever on stage Tuesday at the Fine Line in Minneapolis. The band will rehearse here a few days before their tour kickoff, which will culminate with a May 1 performance at the prestigious Coachella Music Festival in California. Coachella is the perfect place for the band, where none-of-the-above acts such as Radiohead (this year) and the White Stripes (last year) are in their element.

Today, underground rock music is in a similarly fragmented, flustered and thus creative state as in 1989. The emo craze is over. The whole garage-band thing didn’t really take off, and neither did electroclash or the latest wave of Brit-pop. There are a lot of great bands, but there’s no overall marketing trend taking hold in rock ‘n’ roll — no musical catch term for Time magazine to herald. Thank God. I’m ready for another “Doolittle.”

Man, I had to put this up: Khaaan!

Man, they had to split that down the middle. Kill Bill Volume 1 and Volume 2 were as far apart as…well, a grindhouse action movie and a spaghetti western.

scraps 51

1. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Fail Safe
2. Below the Sea – Preface
3. Blue Oyster Cult – Don’t Fear The Reaper
4. Bob Mould – Nailed
5. Calexico – Sunken Waltz
6. Canyon – Play With Fire
7. Dave Gahan – Bottle Living
8. Dears – Expect The Worst Cos’ She’s A Tourist
9. Donnas – It’s On The Rocks
10. Doughboys – Shine
11. Eels – Numbered Days
12. Black Keys – Brooklyn Bound
13. Elastica – Line Up
14. Faux Jean – Drunk and Stoned
15. Flaming Lips – Can’t Get You out of my Head
16. Folksongs For The Afterlife – Death By Melody
17. Goldfrapp – Strict Machine
18. Gord Downie – We’re Hardcore
19. Jane’s Addiction – Strays
20. Low – Fearless
21. Super Furry Animals – Golden Retriever
22. Thorns – Blue
23. Single Frame – $7 Haircut
24. Deerhoof – Our Angel’s Ululu

scraps 52

1. Ocean Colour Scene – Hundred Mile High City
2. Blur – Battery In Your Leg
3. Dears – Lost In The Plot
4. Gord Downie – 12 – Pillform 1
5. Jane’s Addiction – Price I Pay
6. M83 – 0078h
7. Manitoba – I’ve Lived On A Dirt Road All My Life
8. Nada Surf – The Way You Wear Your Head
9. Northern Chorus – Fragile Day
10. Officer May – Smoking a Minor
11. Sianspheric – This All Happened
12. Sidonie – Let It Flow
13. Sigur Ros – Salka (live)
14. Single Frame – Mod Style ’68
15. Super Furry Animals – Golden Retriever
16. Thorns – Runaway Feeling
17. Goldfrapp – Train

scraps 53

1. Camper Van Beethoven – Take The Skinheads Bowling
2. Army of Mars – Run Dog Run
3. At The Drive In – Enfilade
4. Bonnie Prince Billy – Death To Everyone
5. Danger Mouse & Jemini – Bush Boys
6. High Dials – Silas, Please Come Home
7. Jealous Sound – The Gift Horse
8. Kitchens & Bathrooms – First One In, Last One Out
9. Low – Fearless
10. Medicine – Slut
11. Neil Young – For the Turnstiles
12. Northern Chorus – Take Your Canvas Everywhere
13. Sense Field – I Refuse
14. Sleepy Jackson – Vampire Racecourse
15. Soft Canyon – Hope’s Great Divide
16. Stereo Fuse – Superhero
17. Tindersticks – Say Goodbye To The City
18. Weakerthans – Our Retired Explorer
19. Wrens – Still Complaining
20. Remy Zero – Save Me

scraps 54

1. Mike Ness – I Fought The Law
2. Ataris – Boys Of Summer
3. Atmosphere – Cats Van Bags
4. Drive-By Truckers – Sink Hole
5. High Dials – Desiderata
6. Joan Osborne – Spider Web
7. Kinks vs Madonna – Music
8. Medicine – One More
9. Mirah – Don’t Go
10. New Pornographers – When I Was A Baby
11. Northern Chorus – Let The Parrots Speak For Themselves
12. Ramones – Spider Man
13. Singles – He Can Go, You Can’t Stay
14. Snow Patrol – How To Be Dead
15. Tindersticks – 4-48 Psychosis
16. Weakerthans – One Great City!
17. White Stripes – LaFayette Blues
18. Wrens – Surprise, Honeycomb
19. Neil Young – On The Beach

scraps 55

1. And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – Crowning Of A Heart (demo)
2. 31 Knots – Played Out for Punchlines
3. Beatings – Transvestite Bar
4. Crash Test Dummies – Superman Song
5. For Against – Coalesced
6. Grand Champeen – One and Only
7. Joan Osborne – Right Hand Man
8. Little Birdy – Relapse
9. Mars Volta – Inertiatic ESP
10. Neurosis & Jarboe – His Last Words
11. Polyphonic Spree – Soldier Girl
12. Russian Futurists – Precious Metals
13. Sea Ray – Revelry
14. Slipstream – Healing Hands
15. Twin Atlas – Beautiful Surprise
16. UK Surf – Wave Of Mutilation
17. Medicine – Christmas Song

I read The Punisher comic books when I was young, so I liked the movie. My wife? Not so much. I seem to enjoy these Marvel-comics-made-into-movies more than most people I ask…maybe because I was partial to them when I was a kid, maybe because I’m willing to forgive the comic-like plot devices and cheese factor. I thought Travolta was for shit (my kingdom for another villain like Top Dollar in The Crow) and I can barely stand Rebecca Romjin in any movie, but Tom Jane made a good Frank Castle.

Certainly, the movie was nothing spectacular, just a re-telling of a story that I liked long ago. If nothing else, it was a good undercard for today’s main event: Kill Bill: Volume 2, followed by Habs/Bruins game 6.

Read what Canada’s Heritage Minister thinks about file-sharing, and then send her a message about it.

Archive of CD covers, front and back, in JPG format. DVD covers too.

BBC NEWS: US music bounces back from slump.

Guys, whassup? Still crying wolf? I see you have the heritage minister on your side now. Maybe someone should show her this, just to set her straight. If the industry is struggling, maybe the culprit isn’t the filesharing…maybe it’s the shite product you’ve been selling. Or all the money you’re pouring into videos.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Jeff Tweedy for president of the fucking RIAA.

Scraps 46

1. Chemical Brothers – It Began in Afrika
2. And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – Ounce of Prevention
3. Pixies – Stormy Weather
4. Bad Religion – Sorrow
5. Sigur Rós – Von
6. Beta Band – Inner Meet Me
7. Rush – Nocturne
8. Grant Lee Phillips – Don’t Look Down
9. Morcheeba – Tape Loop
10. Set Fire to Flames – Steal Compass
11. Tragically Hip – Use It Up
12. Underworld – Two Months Off
13. Varnaline – Let It All Come Down
14. Bardo Pond – Tommy Gun Angel
15. Tea Party – Mantra

Scraps 47

1. Bad Religion – Materialist
2. Bardo Pond – Green Man
3. And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – Richter Scale Madness
4. Beta Band – Dogs Got a Bone
5. Eminem – Lose Yourself
6. Chemical Brothers – The Test
7. Grant Lee Phillips – Folding
8. Morcheeba – Never an Easy Way
9. Sigur Rós – Hun Joro…
10. Pixies – Rock Music
11. Varnaline – Hear the Birds Cry
12. Rush – One Little Victory
13. Tragically Hip – It’s a Good Life if You Don’t Weaken
14. Underworld – Luetin
15. Tea Party – Requiem
16. Set Fire to Flames – Fading Lights Are Fading

Scraps 48

1. Absinthe Blind – Shields
2. Art of Fighting – Give Me Tonight
3. Catherine Irwin – Cry Our Little Eyes Out
4. Charles Mingus – Better Get Hit in Yo’ Soul
5. Days of the New – L.A. Woman
6. Elbow – Something In The Air
7. Explosions In The Sky – A Song For Our Fathers
8. Flaming Lips – Funeral In My Head
9. Mint Royale – From Rusholme With Love
10. Music – You Might As Well Try To Fuck Me
11. Neko Case – Knock Loud
12. Organ Donor – Winter Song
13. Rainer Maria – Ears Ring
14. Saeta – Haunted By
15. Saint Germain – Rose Rouge
16. Social Distortion – Ring Of Fire
17. Varnaline – Difference

Scraps 49

1. Kinky – Mas
2. Aislers Set – Catherine Says
3. Ani DiFranco – Evolve
4. Beach Boys – Sloop John B
5. Calexico – Black Heart
6. Charlene – Ripoff
7. Dears – Lost In The Plot
8. Forms Icarus – Sunday
9. Massive Attack – Prayer For England
10. Neko Case – Poor Ellen Smith
11. Oleander – Hello I Love You
12. Paper Lions – He Commands Commandments
13. Photon Band – Outerspace
14. Saloon – Girls Are the New Boys
15. Sam Roberts – Dont Walk Away Eileen
16. Tangiers – Keep the Living Bodies Warm
17. Tom Waits – Gun Street Girl
18. Varnaline – Bardust
19. White Stripes – Who’s To Say
20. Zwan – Lyric
21. Gary Jules – Mad World

Scraps 50

1. AC DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
2. Beach Boys – Wouldn’t It Be Nice
3. Calexico – Not Even Stevie Nicks
4. Califone – Your Golden Ass
5. Coldplay – Animals
6. Eagles – Seven Bridges Road
7. Frankenixon – Posers
8. Madonna vs The Sex Pistols – Ray of Gob
9. Massive Attack – Antistar
10. Music – Treat Me Right On
11. Nada Surf – Blonde On Blonde
12. Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves – Drive It Like You Stole It
13. Sigur Ros – Hafssol (live)
14. Smash Mouth – Peace Frog
15. Tangiers – Red Stone Rocks
16. Tom Waits – Anywhere I Lay My Head
17. Walkmen – We’ve Been Had
18. Zwan – Honestly

from p2pnet: Grand Unified Theory of Filesharing

p2pnet carried a story slugged New twist on CD sales at the end of which was a promise from Princeton professor Edward Felten that on Easter Monday – today – he’d unveil his Grand Unified Theory of Filesharing on Freedom to Tinker.

We’ve just heard from him : )

Now read on >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A Grand Unified Theory of Filesharing
By Edward Felten – Freedom to Tinker

Recently we’ve seen several studies of the impact of filesharing on CD sales. We have enough data now to draw some (very) preliminary conclusions, assuming the studies are correct. Despite the apparent contradictions between the various studies, I think there is a plausible theory that can explain them all – a Grand Unified Theory of Filesharing.

First, let’s review the three main results that have to be explained.

Survey-based studies, which ask people whether they use the Internet, whether (and how much) they use filesharing, and how many CDs they buy, find that people who fileshare buy fewer CDs.

The recent econometric study by Oberholzer and Strumpf, based on per-album time-series data on filesharing activity, CD sales, and other factors, found that filesharing has little or no effect on CD sales.

Eric Boorstin’s study found, controlling for differences in personal income, that there is a strong positive correlation between Internet usage and CD purchasing. This held true for all age groups, except the 15-24 group, for whom Internet usage correlates negatively with CD purchasing.

(It’s undisputed that CD sales have dropped sharply in recent years, but there are several plausible causes for that drop. That’s a topic for another day. Here, I’ll assume only that filesharing is not the only cause of the sales drop, so that we don’t need filesharing to explain the drop.)

The Grand Unified Theory explains the study results by breaking down the users of filesharing into two subpopulations, which I will call Free-riders and Samplers.

Free-riders are generally young. They have few if any moral qualms about filesharing, and they tend to assume that others feel the same way. They use filesharing to accumulate libraries of music, as an alternative to buying CDs.

Samplers are generally older and more risk-averse. They are highly engaged with cultural products of all sorts. They are morally conflicted about filesharing, and use it mostly to download songs that either aren’t for sale, or that they don’t value enough to pay for. They buy music that they really like, and filesharing causes them to find more music they like, so it tends to increase their CD purchases.

Now let’s look at how the theory explains the studies’ results.

In survey-based studies, Free-riders admit to filesharing and to buying fewer CDs because of their filesharing. But Samplers are reluctant to confess their filesharing to a stranger, being more risk-averse and more attuned to the dubious moral status of filesharing (not to mention its illegality). The result is that Free-riders are overcounted in survey-based studies, and Samplers are undercounted, so survey-based studies find that filesharing depresses CD sales.

The Oberholzer and Strumpf study measured the actual impact of both Free-riders and Samplers, and found that the lost sales caused by Free-riders are balanced by the increased sales due to Samplers.

The Boorstin study had different results for different age groups. His 15-24 age group was mostly Free-riders, who buy fewer CDs when they have Internet access, because their filesharing substitutes for purchases. His older age groups were mostly Samplers, who buy more CDs because of filesharing, and who are also, because of their high level of cultural engagement, predisposed to both Internet usage and CD purchasing. Therefore he found that young Internet users buy fewer CDs, while older Internet users buy a lot more.

So there you have it: a theory that explains the study results, and that seems plausible (to me, at least). Of course, there are lots of caveats here. One or more of the studies might be wrong; or the studies might be right but the theory wrong. But bear with me for a bit longer as I explore the possible consequences of the theory.

The theory says that the net effect of filesharing on CD sales is roughly zero, because of a balance between the negative impact of the Free-riders and the positive impact of the Samplers. But what happens in the future? It all depends on what happens to today’s Free-riders.

Perhaps today’s Free-riders will mature into Samplers, to be replaced by a new generation of Free-riders, so that the effects of the two groups continue in a rough balance. Or perhaps today’s Free-riders, never having known anything else, will keep Free-riding as they get older, and the balance will tip toward Free-riders.

It’s also worth noting that the theory does not predict whether (illegal, free) filesharing will reduce online sales of music. Probably the answer depends on what the online alternatives look like, and how convenient they are to use.

So the theory can explain the present situation, but it doesn’t make strong predictions about the future; or, if you prefer, the theory comes in several flavors, which differ in their future predictions. If we had a better handle on what makes one person a Free-rider and another a Sampler, we could make better predictions.

[Thanks to Eric Boorstin and Andrew Appel for helping me develop and refine these ideas.]