I recieved a Myspace bulletin from the old MUSCLES last week.
It's it's a pretty heart felt plee to fans of music. If you have a myspace still (SOO 2007) and you're one of his fans (I MEAN, FRIENDS), try to find it.
ACTUALLY, I can't be bothered to quote from it. SO HERE IT IS:
70% of my music collection is from independent bands and artists who slug it out and work hard for themselves with very little monetary return because they LOVE music so much.
As a self-taught recording artist Muscles I write, record and produce all Muscles Music by myself.
I am self managed.
I do not have a manager.
I created and operate all Muscles Music related websites,
musclesmusic. net
muscleswebshop. com
and my new blog,
musclesmusicblog. com
(blog that includes behind the scenes/equipment i'm using/fashion/lifestyle/industry advice and COOL things to check out)
As well as running my own myspace/last. fm and everything else out there like my official forum too.
I do not have a Publisher, which means you will NEVER hear my songs on a TV ADVERTISEMENT anytime soon.
Recently Myspace has updated their new Music Player, and it looks so amazing and smooth but,
They've just done a deal with the 4 BIGGEST RECORD LABELS in the world, to SHARE PROFITS of ADVERTISING REVENUE that myspace brings in everytime you CLICK on my page and your own.
This is a positive step forward for the industry BUT 90% of artists/bands in the world are signed to dodgy recording contracts, which means that the :
ARTISTS/BANDS/TALENT will NOT be getting paid if you PURCHASE music through the new MYSPACE STORE (that goes to amazon mp3)
They are launching the new music player soon, UNTIL they MAKE CLEAR their FAIR DEAL for independent musicians, (MUSICIANS WHO KNEW HOW TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES ON THE INTERNET 10 YEARS AGO), I cannot be apart of this money-driven trash community it has now become (as fun as it may be).
It used to be about the music, but now all I see is pictures of LINDSAY LOHAN everytime I login and it MAKES ME SICK IN MY STOMACH! She is an actor, a puppet, and personally I couldn't give a fuck about her personal life.
The constant popping up of "LILY ALLEN or KATY PERRY or MILEY CYRUS or AMY WHINEHOUSE" 'attention seeking' blogs are INFURIATING!
[although you know what WAS cool, did anyone see the DEATH RACE animation movie ad thing, they did it when you logged in a couple months ago? THAT WAS COOL!]
Listen to that LCD Soundsystem song that goes, "Read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes!",
KNOW WHERE THE FOOD YOU CONSUME COMES FROM!
Be INTERESTED in why websites like MYSPACE exist for FREE.
Myspace began as an incredible social networking tool, and fantastic resource for UNDERGROUND MUSIC, but now if INDEPENDENT MUSICIANS are shoved out of the new MYSPACE MUSIC DEAL,
Muscles as a musician will be leaving myspace forever.
IF YOU SAY STUPID THINGS LIKE,
"oh i can't like your music anymore man, cause you don't have a myspace",
THEN DON'T LISTEN TO MY MUSIC.
go back and listen to my debut album again,
GUNS BABES LEMONADE and then you might understand what Muscles is really all about.
see you all soon, or not, i don't really care about myspace anymore.
ALL I CARE ABOUT IS WRITING QUALITY MUSIC FOR YOU
I'VE NEARLY FINISHED a NEW ALBUM and putting together an INCREDIBLE NEW LIVE SHOW!
this might be the smartest or stupidest thing i've ever done, but i'm willing to take this risk.
MUSCLES
I read this, had a bit of an agreeing non (and a bit of a LOL), and then let it plague me for about one episode of BIG LOVE.
BUT then last night I snuck into a gig.
With no hesitation AT ALL I stole from the promoters.
"Hi, I'm on the door."
WASN'T.
Australian promoters were bringing out an American DJ Tim Sweeney, who hosts a NYC based radio show. SO, did he really need my 30 bucks? My French music and moral advisor/boyf was totally not impressed with my stance and walked home. Was I above the average patron? BUT were there any people that actually paid?
Another twist to this argument was that I just played before another internet STAR!!!1, and 17 year old Rye Rye. Heaps of people paid $25 bucks to see her 5 songs.
BUT WAIT! I work for a radio station, I reckon I've put Rye Rye in my mixes about 20 times. So doesn't she owe me now? Isn't that the general vibe that us guestlist peeps work within. We do our bit, so we get it for free. Or in some cases, are paid.
MAYBE all the people that paid to see Tim Sweeney, are actually funding his contribution to uderground music via his NYC radio show?
You do good Muscles, and with 56 comments on your bulletin you've obviously struck a nerve. And Tim, if I could have stayed longer, or got there earlier, I would have. Probably even paid.
But in terms of money, isn't everything fucked?
Thoughts?
20 comments:
Nina I like this post. The old Muscles and his ERRATIC capitalisaton of SOME words and NOT OTHERS!
But your are making your argument deliberately confusing. Putting Rye-Rye in your mixes doesn't entitle you to free entry in to Tim Sweeney!
That said, who cares. I feel like a total hero when I get in to something for free at the last minute.
But, I AM TIM SWEENEY.
I happily paid to see Tim Sweeny. And when I arrived at the door, someone had said they were 'Michaella Solar-March' and used my name and pre-paid ticket. So you, and someone ghosting as MSM, and I'm sure loads of others didn't pay the $20 entry fee - which isn't a lot!
It was an underground, independent show - one the promoters lose money on, rather than take a profit. And I think we should celebrate and support as much as possible independence within a market saturated by 'super-clubs' financed through corporate sponsorship.
Rant over. Getting off the high horse now. But damn girl, it was only $20!
As for Muscles - as long as he gets an appearance on ROVE (Presets, anyone?) he'll be fineeeee. That, or get a facebook page!
I totally understand the independent promoter thing, but I think there's too much other stuff more worthy of a moral high ground.
Image: spider shooting a moth with a shotgun, shrugging and saying: "FOOD CHAIN!"
Did you pay for Rye Rye?
LAST NIGHT I MET A GIRL WHO SAID SHE HAD CONNECTIONS IN THE MELBOURNE INDEPENDENT MUSIC COMMUNITY.
anon- nina didn't pay for rye rye because she was part of the line up playing that night.
anyway, i just received that rant from muscles on an email too. he is literally bombarding me from every online avenue possible.
even if the independent artists on myspace aren’t getting paid for their music being on the site, it undoubtedly remains the most accessible avenue for people to search for and listen to music. there may be a lot more music out there but the truth is that there isn’t really a lot more good music out there. blogs and places like myspace allow listeners to discover that for themselves.
it's muscles, not metallica. maybe he is making a statement by deleting the myspace but it will be water cooler talk for about 5 minutes and then no one will care. anyway, i imagine a thousand unofficial muscles myspaces will crop up featuring ‘ice cream’ and ‘sweaty’ so that people can make them their profile songs.
i have been watching a lot of ‘the wire’ lately and so i’m a little bit in the frame of mind of ‘play the game or get played’. we’re in a time when even record companies are scrambling to keep their heads above water in the music biz’s new world order. the answer is not deleting a myspace page. the answer is to innovate. the biggest change we can hope for will be the balance of power in the music industry shifting back to artists as the independent brands unite.
play on player.
INDEED nehzies.
INDEED.
haha INDEED!
maybs we should consider a Movestill offshoot - a fanpage for The Wire?
Shootstill? Playstill? Indeedstill?
Your sense of entitlement is kind of astounding.
Anonymous is clearly someone we knowlol. Kym?
I feel like I'm being unfairly targeted in this rant off.
In saying that however, my initial question remains, who wrote this shit?
Chicks on Deck.
oh snap
"go back and listen to my debut album again,
GUNS BABES LEMONADE and then you might understand what Muscles is really all about."
is there a song on there about how he's too busy updating his last.fm to write good songs?
i paid $32 to see Rye Rye, and did so without question. i could've got my name on the door but wanted to step up and support independent promotors + i liked all the artists on the bill... then she played 4 songs, karaoke style - her backing tape kept stealing her lines.
ps - different anon to the other anon.
everything IS fucked
luckily, in the 21st century musicians no longer need money, food or water to survive. just autotune and a bong
ps/ hooray for blog interaction
(there was an embarrassing lack of commentary here http://somegreygardens.blogspot.com/2008/10/sydney-dj-mecca.html and I was concerned it was apathy but NO! must be my posting! I'll try to be more provocative from now on!)
Just having a community
Tim! Should we expect an '808s & Heartbreak' style Faux Pas album in upcoming months?
Guys,
Muscles linked us.
http://musclesmusic.blogspot.com/2008/11/would-you-sneak-into-gig-for-free-if.html
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