Music

[hegeland]

Well this is a subject I could write ten pages about!

I'm an avid record collector of Blues music. At the moment I have gathered about 5 500 records and about 75 000 songs. An estimated 80 % of them are from the Internet. It has cost me a lot of time, and some money, but I can truly say it has been worth it.

Among my favourite Blues artists are such diversed performers as Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt, Pinetop Perkins and Marcia Ball. Anyone got a question about blues, I can help you.

[sticky]

i like all sorts of music but ROCK & ROLL just rocks dont it AC/DC, libertines, muse and many many more any thing that is good in its gender really

[rivercard]

I'm an avid record collector of Blues music. At the moment I have gathered about 5 500 records and about 75 000 songs. An estimated 80 % of them are from the Internet. It has cost me a lot of time, and some money, but I can truly say it has been worth it.

Does that mean you DOWNLOADED most of your collection from the internet ILLEGALLY via p2p, etc.? In that case IMO you shouldn't call those ones "records" and they are hardly a collection of music, just a collection of datas. I'm not very familiar with blues, but blues musicians live from records sales as well I guess.. So, please guys/girls don't download illegally music from artists who you like and respect, because your simply stealing money from them every time you download a song/album.

PS: I'm not in a very good mood at the moment, and music is my "weak point", so sorry if this sounds offensive, as that wasn't my aim.

[Maija]

Does that mean you DOWNLOADED most of your collection from the internet ILLEGALLY via p2p, etc.?

It is perfectly possible to buy music via downloading portals... As for other downloading, I have no problem confessing to having downloaded things I would otherwise have had to pay 30-40 -> Euros for on eBay etc. (Example: the first Apocalyptica single, Adorned Brood's Erdenkraft etc) This money would not go to the artist anyway, but to some random person that was smart enough to buy 10 copies around the time of release.

Another way of accumulating a lot of downloaded tracks is to get into bootlegs. I will not pay for illegally manufactured bootlegs, though I will swap, if the musician has no problem with it (in case I do know the musician's view of it).

It is actually a pet peeve of sorts of mine, as I have broadened my musical horizons a lot through p2p, though I make sure to actually buy the music that I listen to. If it is commercially available, that is.

[rivercard]

It is perfectly possible to buy music via downloading portals...

I think you missed the ILLEGALLY part..

As for other downloading, I have no problem confessing to having downloaded things I would otherwise have had to pay 30-40 -> Euros for on eBay etc. (Example: the first Apocalyptica single, Adorned Brood's Erdenkraft etc) This money would not go to the artist anyway, but to some random person that was smart enough to buy 10 copies around the time of release.

IMO if you can't find a copy because it's so rare/out of print, and you don't have the money to buy it, that's simply tough luck. As for the money going to the artist or not is no excuse, but it's true that they'll probably won't see anything from the money you paid.
Still, owning a record phisically as a whole "package" can't be compared to a few megabytes of mp3.

Another way of accumulating a lot of downloaded tracks is to get into bootlegs. I will not pay for illegally manufactured bootlegs, though I will swap, if the musician has no problem with it (in case I do know the musician's view of it).

That's OK.

It is actually a pet peeve of sorts of mine, as I have broadened my musical horizons a lot through p2p, though I make sure to actually buy the music that I listen to. If it is commercially available, that is.

Nowadays you can preview tracks from a LOT of artists via myspace, or you can listen to samples at Amazon for example.

[Maija]

I think you missed the ILLEGALLY part..

No, I pointed out that it is perfectly possible to download music legally.

IMO if you can't find a copy because it's so rare/out of print, and you don't have the money to buy it, that's simply tough luck. As for the money going to the artist or not is no excuse, but it's true that they'll probably won't see anything from the money you paid.

What you said, though, was that it is stealing from the artist if I don't pay them for their music, so according to that logic, this would be perfectly fine. The artist will not see a penny of that money, they have already been paid. Btw, some of these rare records, like the aforementioned Erdenkraft, I would give good money for, could I only find it and be positive that it was not some cheap Russian copy of a copy of a copy of wma-files downloaded back in the day.

Nowadays you can preview tracks from a LOT of artists via myspace, or you can listen to samples at Amazon for example.

I don't think I will base my musical needs on listening to crappy quality samples on Amazon FYI I do collect the bands that I like, well, within reasonable limits, that is! I have all of the Pouges' albums twice (too tempting with the remastered ones), but I have drawn the line at buying their old singles, too expensive, waiting for the treasure chest to be released.

[rivercard]

No, I pointed out that it is perfectly possible to download music legally.

Maybe it was too obvious.. Anyway, there's no problem with legal downloads of course.

What you said, though, was that it is stealing from the artist if I don't pay them for their music, so according to that logic, this would be perfectly fine. The artist will not see a penny of that money, they have already been paid. Btw, some of these rare records, like the aforementioned Erdenkraft, I would give good money for, could I only find it and be positive that it was not some cheap Russian copy of a copy of a copy of wma-files downloaded back in the day.

Yes, the artist has got the money before, but I don't see how that justifies illegal downloading
As for very rare CDs: there are tons of CDs which I want really badly, yet I don't download them, just because I missed out ie on a limited release. You have to wait, and search (ebay is not really the best place for quality), and one day you might be lucky and you'll be able to buy it. I know it's very frustrating if you can't, but that still doesn't justify illegal downloading.

I don't think I will base my musical needs on listening to crappy quality samples on Amazon FYI I do collect the bands that I like, well, within reasonable limits, that is! I have all of the Pouges' albums twice (too tempting with the remastered ones), but I have drawn the line at buying their old singles, too expensive, waiting for the treasure chest to be released.

Believe it or not, I did bought some albums just after listening to 32/16 kbps samples on Amazon. It can go wrong, but if you have enough information about a band, you don't even need to hear the music to know that you'll probably like them. On some cases, that is.
BTW I read your list on the "Favourite clips" thread, and it was quite OK (that's a big compliment from me ). And yes, I did hear of Subway To Sally before, but lets just say they're not really my style.. And a big applause for writing down the word "EBM" in a snooker forum!

[Maija]

I know it's very frustrating if you can't, but that still doesn't justify illegal downloading.

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, then! I did actually search something like 5 years for a CD-release of Renaissance's "Turn of the cards", and I only like half of it, but was over the moon when I did eventually find it, as the LP was broooken.

Believe it or not, I did bought some albums just after listening to 32/16 kbps samples on Amazon.

I have too. My main problem is living in the middle of effing nowhere (living in Hungary you might have a similar problem), and it gets very expensive ordering from overseas, due to import tax. You should see my shopping lists when I go to Germany

BTW I read your list on the "Favourite clips" thread, and it was quite OK (that's a big compliment from me ). And yes, I did hear of Subway To Sally before, but lets just say they're not really my style.. And a big applause for writing down the word "EBM" in a snooker forum!

Well, I'll take it as a compliment, then, so thank you, thank you. You seem to be an avid music fan, are you perhaps a last.fm user? (If so, here's my little last.fm home.)

[rivercard]

My main problem is living in the middle of effing nowhere (living in Hungary you might have a similar problem), and it gets very expensive ordering from overseas, due to import tax.

Not to mention online shops who doesn't even ship to Hungary...

You should see my shopping lists when I go to Germany

You should see my shopping list when I order CDs from Germany...

You seem to be an avid music fan, are you perhaps a last.fm user? (If so, here's my little last.fm home.)

No, I'm not a last.fm user, although I've known the site for years. How does it work? Why is it good? I used to search for previews there, but never really understood the main function of it..

PS: Looks like I'm not the only one who noticed, that Germany is indeed the middle of the world musicwise.

[Maija]

No, I'm not a last.fm user, although I've known the site for years. How does it work? Why is it good? I used to search for previews there, but never really understood the main function of it..

The main function is to keep track of what one does listen to, to 'meet' likeminded persons and to get inspiration by looking at what they listen to. Every week / month neighbours are calculated, based on what you listen to. Bands are also "linked" to "similar bands", and though this often is a hilarious read indeed it sometimes works. If I'm deadly bored I sometimes surf around and check out new things.

PS: Looks like I'm not the only one who noticed, that Germany is indeed the middle of the world musicwise.

German bands FTW

[rivercard]

The main function is to keep track of what one does listen to, to 'meet' likeminded persons and to get inspiration by looking at what they listen to. Every week / month neighbours are calculated, based on what you listen to. Bands are also "linked" to "similar bands", and though this often is a hilarious read indeed it sometimes works. If I'm deadly bored I sometimes surf around and check out new things.

I see.. I think I already have a source (a very strange forum) to find new bands/music. Listening to compilations and checking out other artists from the same label also helps.
Here is useful link for music fans:
http://www.discogs.com/
You can find information about a lot of releases/bands there.

German bands FTW

And don't forget German distros and labels. Only American ones can compete with them.

[berolina]

PS: Looks like I'm not the only one who noticed, that Germany is indeed the middle of the world musicwise.

Huh, did I miss something?
There maybe good bands from Germany, but surely there's no good radio station to play them!

[Maija]

Huh, did I miss something?
There maybe good bands from Germany, but surely there's no good radio station to play them!

You've got one right in your area, Berolina :-) Radio Fritz. Ok, it also doesn't stick out too much, but they at least try every now and then. In fact, the only radio station that I know of that plays German non-chart music (or indeed some of the bands who do get chart positions but aren't mainstream) is in the US: Radio Goethe. The founder actually got the Bundesverdienstkreuz for it.

Airtime is always the problem, but there's no easy solution. I find it strange that a record that enters the charts at #5 (Subway to Sally / Nord Nord Ost, just one example) isn't given much airtime, if any at all.

@rivercard: Discogs is ok, I suppose. It takes forever and a year for releases to be added, though.

[rivercard]

I don't really care for internet radios, as I usually listen to my own CDs.
I know some not too bad ones, like EBM Radio and Digital Gunfire. And I've checked out Radio Goethe and they are not bad actually.. Browsing their playlists Yelworc and Wumpscut stand out for me.. But the songs are not too varied I must say.

Discogs is ok, I suppose. It takes forever and a year for releases to be added, though.

That's why I don't even try to submit anything there..

[Maija]

I don't really care for internet radios, as I usually listen to my own CDs.

The brilliant thing that Arndt has done is that he has put out several "Radio Goethe" compilations, where the bands basically donate their songs for the promotion. The CDs cost $5. I have a couple of them, and though most of it, often being a lot of industrialish style bands, isn't my thing, I have discovered several bands. It's a pretty good promotion channel.

I never listen to internet radio stations either, unless RG has something extraordinary going on. If you're into German music, the Herzeleid (Rammstein) forum is quite good, btw.