JT Woodruff made me do it.

I'm all for full albums and artwork, but at the end of the day it's about the music and the physical form began to die with Napster. No matter what labels or artists want, digital media is so much a part of the society now; it's easier to distribute and handle. It's permanent and it's infinitely replicable. Nevertheless, the father of MP3 will be around for a while, and I do agree that in most cases a disc for $10 is a good price.

When it comes to licensing music for video games and commercials, this is a double-edged sword. How many of you have listened to a band because you were introduced to that band by Tony Hawk's Pro Skater or Rock Band, an Apple commercial or YouTube. I know I'm not alone here. Goldfinger, Primus, Less Than Jake, and others would have never had such a formidable existence in my musical upbringing without this brilliant use of product placement. Sure, it decreases the "music for music's sake" value, but that's a latent force. Businesses using music to more effectively sell their products are like new quasi-record labels. A taste of the art, none of the baggage. You see the commercial, you play the game, you buy the music.

In this digital age, the biggest problem is the legal distribution model. Why do we download albums for free on P2P sites? Well, because they're free of course. But also because it takes less than a minute to download an entire album and these file sharing sites deliver top-notch quality, reward us for sharing, and best of all--we can have it a couple weeks or months before anyone else. The minute someone (read: industry at large) jumps on this, legalizes it, and charges a reasonable subscription fee is the minute I sign on.

To make a legal (paid) P2P service even more rewarding for its members--it'll have to be to survive--uploading/seeding bonuses could be given some redeemable value, so users can continue to feel like empowered members of a community. It would help, of course, if all other (free) alternatives dropped out of existence at the same time, but at some point the listener has to make a choice to go 'legit' and re-establish his or her own understanding of art's value. Until then, the free service is superior and will remain so ad infinitum.

Labels are scared right now. It's sad, but they're scared of us. The digital era has robbed them of their control. This is why they are recklessly signing half-baked and copy-cat acts. Change the distribution model, establish proper revenue streams for bands that deserve it, and broken will be easily fixed. Anyone catch the irony in that homage?

Citizens For Our Betterment, read on.

CFOB.  Citizens Fall Out Boy, sure.  Let's put a different spin on it.  What about Citizens For OB?  Citizens For Obama Biden.

Now, to be fair, I like many other AP.net readers have been searching for deep social/political meaning in what could be a rather meaningless marketing ploy for FOB's album release, but I truly think there's something to consider here.

We should all agree that The Dark Knight's recent viral campaign, which included the Citizens for Batman legion, has made a strong impact on marketing.  The members of FOB have undoubtedly been inspired by its success and commandeered it for their own purpose.

Does the political message [read: Citizens for...] imply that FOB will be releasing a more political brand of music, or have they simply jumped on the political horse [read: donkey] for the sake of press coverage?  One thing is for certain: FOB is trying to reach an even larger audience.

A cryptic reference to Obama-Biden may not be FOB's blatant endorsement of the Democratic ticket--let's be honest, we all know who Pete Wentz is supporting--but perhaps the subliminal effect of "OB" is more than a sheer coincidence.

What may make this even more intriguing is the timeline on which the CFOB marketing campaign has played out.  That is to say, we have been familiar with the moniker, CFOB, since August 19th (correct me if I am wrong).  The Obama-Biden ticket was not announced until the 22nd, upon which the website received an extra push.  Last night, the first night of the Democratic National Convention, the campaign ended with a cryptic-still, but politically-charged media outburst, the CFOB Mixtape.

"We Believe in (Barack Obama)"

One more thing... what happened to Green Day when they got political with American Idiot?  Oh yea, they won a grammy.

Just a thought.

I leave the rest up to you.

In The Loop

Currently Listening: albums I think you should hear.

Athlete//Beyond The Neighbourhood

This is one of those UK bands you 'hear of' but never hear... until you're forced to while shopping for clothing.  I was caught off-guard, quickly surrendering to the lyricism of 'Hurricane,' so I took out my trusty iPhone and tagged the song with that nifty Shazam application.  Picked up the album later that day.

My Favorite Highway//How to Call A Bluff

Sing-along rock for the Hanson in all of us.  This album is so surprisingly sustainable.  The minute it seems to be drifting to the realm of unoriginality, it takes a turn and rejuvenates itself.  It's exciting and heartfelt through and through.

Rookie Of The Year//Sweet Attention

The long-awaited followup to 2006's The Goodnight Moon.  A fun album from one of my favorite bands, this album is truly for everyone.  Stuck in my head.

* * *

Coming reviews:

Hawthorne Heights//Fragile Future

Person L//Initial

Katy Perry//One Of The Boys

The first review goes like this...

I don't listen to the radio much at all.  This blog is meant to point to the reasons I don't.  Katy Perry is the reason I should.  Fortunately, just a few weeks ago I sat down in a local barber shop for a trim.  Her latest single "I Kissed A Girl" came pouring out the house speakers.  My head was bobbing in no time... much to the inconvenience of my friendly barber.

I had no idea what the song was or who was singing it, but I desperately wished I would remember it so I could ease my curiosity with a quick Google later on.  My desperation was unfounded; that voice was singing in my head all day and I had no choice in the matter.

* * *

Katy Perry brings something so tangible to the female-fronted pop/rock act.  Her melodies are unavoidable.  When I first sat down to hear One Of The Boys in its entirety, I was soothed by its listenability.  It was as if I could finish the melodies she began without having heard any but two of her songs, those being "I Kissed A Girl" and "UR So Gay."

The second of these two songs is one of a rare few songs I really couldn't care less about.  While "UR So Gay" ventures into more creative musical landscapes and preserves the attitude of the album, it just doesn't captivate me for one reason or another.  The hook is insufficient.

As it happened, most every track had me singing along in a flash.  My favorites in addition to "I Kissed A Girl" include "Waking Up In Vegas," wit-ridden "Mannequin," "Thinking Of You," and desperate love anthem "Self Inflicted."  The truth is that song after song, every chorus is so brilliantly constructed, every line so well executed it is hard to dislike any lengthy part of this album.

The musical arrangement is typical, 'overproduced' some may say.  I personally don't use the word because I think there's no such thing--but that's a different discussion altogether.  What I mean is that musicianship and production are well-built for this album.  They aren't out of the ordinary or special in any way.  It is the voice that needs to shine, and it does indeed.  Katy Perry has such character and emotional expression in her voice that the spotlight was on her the minute I pressed play.  This is the mark of an artist who has the talent to venture into deeper and more rewarding projects.

* * *

Overall, the album is a joy to hear top-to-bottom.  Its accessibility is undeniable though I would hesitate to say it has great lasting appeal: it's pop at its best.

B+

Rules To Break

First, this blog will initially contain three main categories: 

• Album Reviews: self-explanatory
• Features: this might be where a lesser-known act is profiled, a one-off song is reviewed or something like that.
• General: a place for me to address the blog topic openly without a particular musical muse

These aren't set-in-stone.  Here's to hoping they multiply.

Second, the few of you reading this blog have something to say.  Please comment.  On a related subject, I don't read a lot of professional critiques.  I come from an artist/producer background; my vision might indicate this.  If you have something to say about the blog, please do.

Finally, bookmark me.  This rule is set-in-stone.

The First Blog

Hi, friend.  This is my first ever blog on my first ever blog.  It seems lately I have become increasingly concerned with the way music is being written, produced, sold, and heard.  I need an outlet; will you be mine if I promise to share unabashedly?

* * *

Good.  So let me tell you a little bit about myself.  I am a student... and a professional... but mostly a professional student, I'd say.  Music has been my dream career since a very young age, and so I've made it my purpose to approach it.  I've developed strong tastes and opinions over the years, for better or worse.  For better, because without such a sensitivity to sweet and sour I'd have no reason for this blog.  And for worse, because a thought or feeling left uncovered is a dangerous device of self-destruction.  I need an outlet.

* * *

The music I prefer is true.  It's believable, loud, honest, and pure.  I like drama.  Lyrics are crucial.  The voice is the most important element of a song.  If a song doesn't say something and say it well, it is better left unsaid.  This blog is about popular music.  It's about songs that are--or should be--on any music lover's radar.  Of course, this is a matter of opinion.  But that's the beauty of a blog: I'm right and you might be too... but it's my blog.