Out with the old, in with the new

 

Today is the (un)Official Paul Haig Day…..and to mark the occasion I have elected to resurrect the blog and make two posts and for the first time ever post some MP3s for you enjoyment.

Can I have a woo and a hoo! Please?

Whilst contractually this might cause me problems with one of my employers I thought it was worth the risk.

If you’ve come simply to enjoy the work of Mr. Haig then scroll down to the next post.

I did initially try to combine these posts into one but in the end this simply detracted from the overall value of the enterprise.

 

The world of blog is littered with hundreds of excellent music sites covering just about every possible genre you could think of. Each of these sites share one thing in common……passion. A passion for the subject matter they cover. Whether obscure sixties show tunes, Bollywood hits, or the latest indie darlings the writers display a sensitivity enthusiasm and insight towards their subject matter than can often be lacking in the mainstream press. 

Personally my CD collection now has discs by Arcade Fire, The Eames Era, Vandeveer, These United States and various other fantastic bands that I might not have found were it not for the sterling work these people produce on a daily basis.

I salute and applaud these efforts on two levels, firstly as a music fan but secondly as a shareholder in an independent label.  

Whilst the Major labels cling to their outdated business model and struggle to adapt to the world of digital download the majority of the independents have embraced the advances of technology. Many of these smaller labels, like my own, now have dozens of bloggers that they forward advance copies of future releases to in an attempt to garner some publicity which in turn will hopefully drive sales. By allowing bloggers to post tracks in advance of their release we are aware that sales may be reduced but feel that the longer term benefits of doing so outweigh the short term loss.

In contrast the major players seem to prefer to hide behind legislation and fire off threats of litigation to protect the copyright of their artists body of work. The net result is that fantastic bloggers like The Vinyl Villain get to the point where their inbox is groaning under the weight of DMCA notices and they begin to question if it is worth carrying on.

To VV and everyone out there writing about music……it is.  Contrary to what the DMCA people believe Blogging didn’t kill the radio star and the Buggles were off the mark too because video didn’t either.

In a show of solidarity I’ve posted this little release for you. It’s the first single from The Strike Nineteens, released by one of the labels I’m involved with and came out in January this year. Sit back, relax and have a listen. I hope you enjoy it and would be delighted to receive your comments….good, or bad.

 

The Strike Nineteens - Delicate