ANOTHER INTERNET BATTLE

GOOGLE has done a 'Muscles'. Kinda.

If you're aware of music blog Palm Out Sounds, you'd know that each Sunday they post a 'Remix Sunday'.

It's mostly a giant LOL, generally posting a weekly collection of bedroom remixes. Having said that, it's a blog that I always find myself returning to.

ANYWAYS...

Last week they posted this.

Similarly to the Muscles post, I can't be bothered paraphrasing. Please enjoy the post in it's entirety below.
Oh and here is a picture of Muscles to break up the whole too-many-words-in-a-post thang. (HAPPY NEHA?)



A Brief Word About Remix Sunday

For all of you who are wondering what has happened with Remix Sunday, let me offer a brief explanation:

Google, the IFPI & the RIAA have begun a campaign against all the music blogs hosted on blogger.com - especially high profile blogs, like Palms Out.

This first started a couple of months ago, but only hit Palms Out about a month ago.

Without warning, Google removed three old posts from the blog, and offered no explanation. They then followed by removing Remix Sunday 131, and 132- and offered a brief explanation. Keep in mind, there is no actual copyrighted content uploaded by Palms Out that is hosted on any of Google's servers, only hyperlinks.

Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog infringes upon the copyrights of others. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.

The DMCA is a United States copyright law that provides guidelines for online service provider liability in case of copyright infringement. We are in the process of removing from our servers the links that allegedly infringe upon the copyrights of others. If we did not do so, we would be subject to a claim of copyright infringement, regardless of its merits. See http://www.educause.edu/Browse/645?PARENT_ID=254 for more information about the DMCA, and see http://www.google.com/dmca.html for the process that Blogger requires in order to make a DMCA complaint.

Blogger can reinstate these posts upon receipt of a counter notification pursuant to sections 512(g)(2) and 3) of the DMCA.

We are in the process of file counter claims because we get permission to post the music on Palms Out, and we don't believe we have done anything wrong, but unfortunately, Google is not playing by the rules. They only offer us the URL of the removed blog posts, they don't tell us which link is causing the problem. This means that we cannot reference any content in our counterclaims.

Our only solution is to move the whole site to our own server. But we are all busy people, and there are many hurdles. Asit stand right now, we are about 75% ready with a new site hosted at http://palmsout.com, but we are having a major problem importing all the past content.

Please bear with us, we are not dying, we are not over. We are only just getting started.

if any of you are wordpress experts and would like to lend a hand - please drop a line to palmsout@gmail.com

Oh and a word to Google: whatever happened to your slogan "Don't Be Evil"? Why would you succumb to the disgusting tactics of the IFPI/RIAA? Especially when you have no legal obligation to remove a hyperlink? Any employees are more than welcome to offer an answer, no one has responded to our inquiries yet.

And for anyone else who is pissed off about this, complain! Write google emails, letters, write blog posts about this, do whatever you can to draw attention to this, and maybe we can reverse this process.

Love, Palms Out.



For me, this means that I can't conveniently go to one site for a weeks worth of not-that-good remixes. BUT I'm pretty PRETTY confident that within the crazy world of the internet, some other blog will start getting more recognition for doing the same thing. The whole collection-of-mp3-posts concept, is not a world first.

For the people behind Palm Out Sounds, they'll probably lose hits. And they sell advertising on their site, so that can't be a good thing. But then is that to say that they are making money off other people's work?

Yeah, probably like 10 cents more than the bedroom DJ who added a baltimore club beat to Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Again, I don't know where to stand or if I could be bothered to stand anywhere. If your blog is renowned for posting mp3s, and you're getting heaps of hits - possible making a profit from it, some corporate entity WILL eventually get you. IF THEY COULD BE BOTHERED.

Hype Machine still exists, right? And so do millions of other blogs that do EXACTLY the same thing as the Remix Sunday posts.

LMAO.

DEFINITELY ON THE DOOR

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?

wiilarious

Remember this rant?

Rather than repeating myself, have a guess as to what you think I'd say about this:



Wii music. What the fuck. At least Guitar Hero comes with a fake guitar.

Converse

Jona Bechtold. Kid Sister. Bradford Cox.




Sophie Kasakove (Care Bears on Fire). Morgan Quaintance. Santi White. Pharrell Williams.

The list goes on, but I thought those two images would be enough to make my point.

I am wearing a pair of navy Converse right now, and I think it'd be a safe guess to say everyone I know owns a pair (be them black, pink, blue, green...) The popularity and versatility of the Connie isn't something that needs to be argued. For me, a campaign like the above begs the question: How much is too much when it comes to celebrity endorsement?

As much as I love the artists featured, I think this campaign really cheapens the Converse brand. They've never needed to flaunt their 'cool' before so why start now? And why with so many artists? The line up reads like the who's who of indie cred right now. I mean, hello! Bradford Cox?! I love Converse. And so does everyone else, right? So why do they feel they need to 'celebrate' the brand by turning them into a gimmick endorsed by rich and famous Americans? If they really want to celebrate the brand, Converse reps should head into the clubs and photograph the people who wear them everyday and wear them to death. Without being paid to do so.

today i am...

so OVER it:

1) when you go to see a band and they play their "hit" that most of the audience has been waiting to sing-a-long too but then they change it justtttt slightly when they sing it (because they're bored playing it for the gazillionth time) so that the audience sings along but the timing is all off. happened last week with a certain band (you'll never guess who) and when the singer broke into the chorus, the audience sang "i was walking with a ghost" and she sang "i was walking with aaaaaaaaaaa- g-hostttt"... just to mix it up.

2)christmas parties/ free drinks... when its 10pm and there’s a lychee martini in one hand, a sleazy text message being sent with the other, and I leave to buy my second pack of malboro lights, trouble is a'brewin (pun).

3)LENSELESS SUNNIES. for fuck's sake.

so INTO it:

1) checking out new sydney superclub 'The Ivy' this wednesday at its opening party. more intrigued than anything by the poolside bar that apparantly has (lychee) martini glasses that float on the water.

2) DAFT PUNK this saturday in sydney. i was listening to their best of this morning whilst walking to work and my face almost melted off. SO MANY HITZZZ!

3) this...