survival strategies for the 21st century musician

david byrne gives us a cool appraisal of the landscape and the money making opportunities available for the innovative musician this century.

survival strategies

same as it ever was?

recently radiohead turned everyone's head in the music industry spinning about 360 degrees and frothing pea soup at the mouth as if they were the demonically infested child from 'the exorcist' for one simple idea:

they put up the tracks for their upcoming album 'rainbows' on a server and suggested that the visitors 'pay what it was worth to them' and download the track.

critics and pundits were the first to cry foul (prompted probably by the strong arm of corporate nitwits who were screaming like that little green monster in the nicorette ads) and kept crying that 'it's the end of the age - the doom is upon us'.

funny thing that. after the album was downloaded, the band had made about $3 million dollars and the average payment was around $6. with no corporate payments - this was raw income free from the suits!

futurist song writer, former 'talking heads' front man, business experimenter david byrne sits down with lead singer thom yorke to talk about not only the controversy but also seek to find 'the true value of music'.

DJ Set Tutorial: Mixing Trip hop

'nuff said.

world's simplest motor

Unexplained Phenomenon - Simplest Electric Motor - Funny bloopers are a click away

commuting costs

the toronto star has a lovely article about the real impact of commuting and it's toll on family time.

not to be snarky, but it's obvious time over there. my wife and i were discussing this the other day how by the time we get home (we both have rather long commutes) to cook dinner and have a chat about the day, well it's time to go to sleep.

i used to be an avid, addicted television watcher. now, i tape two shows a week and watch the other one online at the global tv website. (for the nosy the shows are: torchwood, heroes, supernatural) and even though there's an iTunes in Canada the shows i watch aren't made in Canada so i can't download the episodes.

Commute's True Cost is Family Time

posting again

it's been a long time
i shouldn't have left you
without a strong rhyme to step to
- eric b. & rakim

just to say that i'm back again trying to take a few minutes each day and post links about what comes through my mental filter.

thank you for finding this as part of your reading schedule. i hope to not let you down again.

'my library'

courtesy of google.

i had a longer post but in the process of 'previewing it' before i posted it - it got lost - so here's the shorter post about it.

check out google book search. it allows you to read through books (some of them) and to compile a list of your own recommendations.

for now - i have the starts of mine.

cuervo's recommended readings