The music industry is being reborn on the internet. Now, more than ever, independent music has a venue, free of industry giants who dictate what the pubic will heart. If you haven’t been reading the trades for the last couple of years, you might be saddened to know that the music industry–at least, the music industry as it has been molded over the last 40 years–is crumbling.

The cause of death is a pretty simple one: You and I and everyone we know have been stealing records for almost ten years now, remorselessly and relentlessly. As much as we all hate to listen to Lars Ulrich cry into Bob Rock’s silk ascot, it’s true. It’s illegal, and we’ve been doing it because we assume that we are justified because our jobs aren’t as much fun as emptying Hetfield’s dishwasher and flipping mansions for profit. We rationalize our theft by telling ourselves that it’s ludicrous that someone should make millions (MILLIONS!) for creating art while we have to roll up our sleeves and wake up for our jobs every day.

We’re not exactly right about that, though. The reason Lars, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson and all Read the rest of this entry »