Hippo, Birdie, Two Ewes...

To mr_kurt and the lovely and talented ohiblather!!!!

Beatnik Turtle's Indie Band Survival Guide

The band Beatnik Turtle has published an excellent Indie Band Survival Guide. Free (Beatnik Turtle's New & Improved Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike-Don'tMakeItSuck License) on the web.

We're going to break distribution into two areas; first, how to sell your music, and second, how to get your music heard. As you think about how to get your music out there, you need to consider how much of your music to give away, compared to how much you want to sell. We, as independent bands, operate in a strange part of the industry and are constantly deciding how much of our best music to give away, compared to how much of it that we are going to keep. We need to put our best foot forward by giving people our best songs in order to entice them to listen to our music. But then we're removing their desire to purchase them, which is especially true as more people buy from digital services that sell music by the song rather than the album. In general, we suggest erring on the side of giving away too much of your music rather than the opposite. A non-paying fan is better than no fan at all, because you might be able to interest them in T-Shirts, future albums, or shows.

(From Lawrence Lessig's blog.)

Apple sues Apple

That's Apple Corps vs. Apple Computer. For the third time!

Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two surviving members of the band, and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison are suing Steve Jobs of Apple over the use of the apple logo.

According to Apple Corps, a company set up in 1968 to release the Beatles' songs and manage their creative affairs, Mr Jobs broke an agreement to stay out of the music business when he launched the iTunes music store.

Geoffrey Vos, QC, representing Apple Corps, said a Trade Mark Agreement in 1991 gave the company exclusive right to use "apple" marks for the record business.

In return Apple Computer had exclusive right to use "apple" marks for the computer, data processing and telecommunications industry.

The anti-war song meme:

(Seen all over, most recently in katster's journal.)

When you see this, post an anti-war song in your journal.

Bob Dylan: Masters of War

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

Copyright © 1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music