15 days to go
Part II: The Friday Five is a bad one for me this week.

But we're going to get through it. Promise.

1. Who is your favorite singer/musician? Why?

That's pretty easy. Johnny Cash is my standalone fav. His music speaks to me like nothing else.

2. What one singer/musician can you not stand? Why?
I firmly believe that I would like Rush if it weren't for Geddy Lee's voice. It's too whiny. There are others, but this is the one closest to the surface right now.

3. If your favorite singer wasn't in the music business, do you think you would still like him/her as a person?
I'd like to think so, but I never got the chance to meet him, so I'm not sure.

4. Have you been to any concerts? If yes, who put on the best show?

I have been to more concerts than I can think of. I'd have to say that my top five are(in no real order):

Morhpine(Cure for Pain and Good tour), both at First Avenue, Minneapolis.
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, Global a Go-Go tour, Metro, Chicago, 2002.
G. Love and Special Sauce/Soul Coughing/Spearhead, Minneapolis Riverfest, circa 1995.
Smog, Supper Tour, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, 2003.
Flaming Lips, Soft Bulletin Tour, Vic Theatre, Chicago, 2000.


5. What are your thoughts on downloading free music online vs. purchasing albums? Do you feel the RIAA is right in its pursuit to stop people from downloading free music?

Frankly, it's complete bullshit that they are attempting to sue people for exchanging music. First of all, if album prices weren't so astronomical(I used to work in a record store, and I know how much it takes to make a CD), people wouldn't feel the need to share files as much. And even if prices weren't so high, well, there's this other thing: RADIO. I can call up any radio station and ask them to play a song, and hey presto! I've got it all to my greedy little self, to share with friends or copy endlessly. It's been going on since cassettes were invented, and it'll be going on long after CD's are gone. The only major difference is that now that we have the internet, we are able to share this music without their control. Across all borders, in all nations, everywhere. It's barely traceable, and hardly hurting the artists. Most artists are stuck in contracts that severely limit their cut from the proverbial pie already. We're actually lining the pockets of, guess who- executives who really only found the talent(in most cases, someone else did), they don't have it. Having known way too many struggling musicians, I feel absolutely no remorse that some record label bigwig won't be able to pay off his coke dealer this week because I wanted to hear something obscure from a band which I already own all the other albums of, or get a preview of the new one coming out. I buy albums. I download music. Sometimes I download something because I'm curious, then I buy the album because I like what I hear. I mean, why is it, do you think, that you can go to pretty much any music store's website and listen before you buy? C'mon world, take a side!

Ok. I'll keep ranting about this for a couple hours, if we're not careful. I'm pretty sure my connection would fry if I kept going, anyways.

Needless to day, I think it's a steaming crock of shit.

Back to my humble little life, I'm going to do some cleaning this weekend, along with some website programming, along with some planning of a funeral. I'm too tired and emotionally spent to try to do anything else, methinks.

So, go forth and download. Support your local artists, and stick it to the man.