Zords - Hollywood

Who doesn't love a bit of synth, right? Oh... you don't? Well, you're wrong.

Describing themselves as, "two brothers and a friend [who] found themselves in a basement filled with old synthesizers and some guitars and figured something had to be done about it," Ontario-based electro-rock band Zords have just released their second song. With an electronic drum-loop and minimal guitar providing the beat and a slowly pulsating synth drone giving the track a wider sound, 'Hollywood' succeeds at stepping into the light a little more eagerly than its somewhat darker predecessor 'Dungeon Master'.

Whether literal or metaphorical in meaning, 'Hollywood's lyrical story remains the same with a tale of lost hope and diminishing faith when once the dreams were ambitious.

"All you wanted was to make it big
Now your dreams have flown out to the sea"

With obvious nods to some great 1980s synthpop whilst keeping themselves away from plainly replicating what others have done before, 'Hollywood' shows that Zords have much more to share with us.



Bandcamp: zords.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/zordsband
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/zords

"I turned the volume up to 10 and I hit one chord, and I said, I'm in love." - Ace Frehley

Underwater Track Team - Underwater Track Team

Californian six-piece Underwater Track Team are a folk-pop band that proudly display their influences and are keen to draw upon them (Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, Fleet Foxes, etc.), whilst still clearly trying to retain their individuality. Their self-titled debut EP, released this month, has been made available to download for free via their BandCamp page and offers five songs of plucky guitar and tight vocal harmonies.

Opening track 'The Call' is the band's elected single, and begins with the sounds of the beach before the strings begin to be strummed in the familiar folksy style. Soon accompanied by "oohs" and "aahs" and a drum-kit eager to be heard, the lyrics then begin to guide us down a carefree road of positive self-confidence.

"We're on the rise, You can't deny,
We hear the call.
We are the kings tonight,
We are the queens tonight."

Even without the shoreline and seagull samples, 'The Call' has a wonderful summery vibe to it that should be applauded for evoking such feelings during a cold and miserable March day.

The watery theme continues into the second track, 'Waves', which talks of fear and making mistakes - likening all the worries to the heavy pressure of water. Yet this song is more uplifting than might appear, and the final lines tell us why:

"I never know how far I'm going,
I only know how far I've come.
All the things that have been done,
To make me strong."

As we hit the middle of the EP there's a brief change of style. 'Set Me On Fire', with its smooth-jazz attitude, lounge-bar aura, and female lead vocal, certainly sticks out amongst its neighbouring folk-fests. Yet, lodged between them all as it is, the track provides a healthy and welcome contrast, and also proves that Underwater Track Team are no one-trick pony.

As we approach the end of the record, penultimate track 'It Won't Leave' is back in familiar territory and yet is almost certainly a high point of the EP. The haunting harmonies - particularly on the frequent "oohs" - are spine-tinglingly good (echoed, coincidentally, in the lyrics themselves) and when the piano hammers its way into the second half, the whole tune becomes a glorious example of what this band can do.

The EP ends with 'Keep The Light On'. Although perhaps a less adventurous track than the others, it's swaying rhythm and final drum beats bring the record to a satisfyingly comfortable close.

Recorded and produced in a way that keeps their sound live and untainted, this debut release has some fantastic highlights that are worthy of exploring.


BandCamp: underwatertrackteam.bandcamp.com
Twitter: twitter.com/UnderwaterTrack
Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnderwaterTrackTeam

"Being able to still make records is a privilege. I don't take it casually" - Tori Amos

Cantoo - Ivory Eyes

Originally a project begun as a outlet for Aaron Parker's creative backlog whilst he played in other bands, Edmonton-based Cantoo is now a fully-fledged band with a self-titled debut album looming. With a select handful of talented musical friends to assist, Aaron was able to put together the music that he felt an urge to create: free, thoughtful, and with appreciative nods to the 60's.

Generously, Cantoo has made three of the album's tracks available to download for free via their BandCamp page. Album opener 'Send In The Clouds' is a short (1:38) instrumental prelude that introduces some of the band's key aims and sounds, whilst 'Alabaster' is a five minute escalating crescendo of harmony driven with reliable drums.

'Ivory Eyes', however, is the track that clearly shows its 60's influences and gratitude. With some of the finest elements delicately plucked from the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, and The Walker Brothers, the song throws some carefree lyrics and guitar at you, with a slight psychedelic slant - gently encouraging you to lay back and soak up the music. Despite its keen nostalgia, it still keeps a foot held firmly in the present so that the tune doesn't sound dated before it has even had a chance to breathe.

I eagerly await the chance to hear the rest of what Cantoo's first album has to offer.

BandCamp: cantoo.bandcamp.com

Twitter: twitter.com/cantoomusic

Label: www.kinsellarecordings.com

"It's hard to be angry when you're listening to music" - Jerry Reed

Christopher Nelson - Older Hands

With a two-year gap since his last release, Nelson is quick to self-deprecate and offer explanation: "It's been about two years since I've gathered up the confidence to make acoustic music again... Apologies if it's not as good as previous or if there's things wrong with it, but if you stick around - I'll only try harder to get better."

Fortunately, there's really no need for him to say sorry. His latest track 'Older Hands' shows us (just as 2011's brief 'Songbook EP' did) that Nelson is a talented singer-songwriter, whose only real failing is not giving us enough to listen to. The instrumentation may not deviate far from a set of guitar strums and light picking but the sound of his voice gives us more than enough to appreciate via its rough, cracking crescendos and authenticity.

Christopher Nelson finds inspiration from the likes of Bon Iver, James Morrison and - more obviously - Damien Rice, yet manages to avoid any copycatting. The few songs he has provided us with so far show an enticing glimpse of his originality and ability, and hopefully there is yet more to come if this young man will let his guard down just a little.


BandCamp: christophernelson.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpnelsonmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/cpnelsonmusic
Tumblr: thelifeandtimesofcpnelson.tumblr.com
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/christopher-nelson
YouTube: www.youtube.com/cpnelsonmusic
Artwork: cpnelson.bigcartel.com

"Don't play the saxophone. Let it play you." - Charlie Parker

Spark Alaska - Feel The Flowers

It would be easy to spend a lifetime on YouTube finding videos of teenagers-with-guitars, all vying for our attention with their cover versions. It's even easier to make quick judgements about them and assume that they are all cut from the same cloth: more often than not it seems that their persistence and ego is larger than their talent.

Trawling through the Twitter and Tumblr feeds of YouTuber Lorenzo Cook - aka Spark Alaska - you may well assume that he fits the mould of his peers. But whilst his covers are mostly average, it's his original material that deserves considerably more attention.

Made available for free on BandCamp, 'Feel The Flowers' is his most recent offering and certainly his most impressive. With the steady strumming and picking of guitar, glorious vocal harmonies, and tuneful whistles, the first minute comes astonishingly close to harnessing Simon & Garfunkel - and in the best possible way. The song soon spreads its wings a little wider with a defiant chorus that doesn't let itself be entirely restrained by Lorenzo's youth, and the lyrics somehow manage to avoid ever sounding contrived despite the flurry of imagery.

In a just world, 'Feel The Flowers' would be the start of a journey for Spark Alaska; signifying the moment when creativity overtook imitation and success bloomed as a result. Whether Lorenzo is searching for a career in music or not, this newest tune suggests that he has a better chance than many, and it is hoped that he continues to explore his own artistic abilities more regularly for our enjoyment.


Facebook: www.facebook.com/SparkAlaska
Bandcamp: sparkalaska.bandcamp.com
Tumblr: idrownideas.tumblr.com
Twitter: twitter.com/sparkalaska

"Ruling piano keys is harder than ruling a whole kingdom" - Yazan Haddadin

Goto80 - Last Christmas (Hot Digi Remix)

It's that time of year and, once again, there is a definite slew of Christmas-themed records vying for our attention from all the latest and greatest singers and bands out there.

With that in mind I've ignored the whole lot of them and gone back almost a decade to enjoy 2003's release from Goto80 - a Swedish chiptune musician who works primarily with the Commodore 64 computer (my own personal favourite). Although listed as a 2005 release in his discography, Goto80's cover of Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' was included on the 2003 compilation 'The 8bits of Christmas' from 8bitpeoples, a collection of eight Christmas songs created by artists on a variety of different classic machines (NES, GameBoy, Spectrum, VIC20, etc.).

I've chosen to highlight Goto80's song because it not only gets my nostalgic juices flowing for the Commodore 64, and I also happen to quite like the Wham! original anyway, but because it's a pretty good cover version within the chosen medium. Naturally - considering the limitations of the equipment used - there are no vocals, but the tune progresses nicely from a relatively simple interpretation of the chorus before introducing different elements to vary and fill out the sound. The verses are mostly ignored, but I think that was the right decision to take in this case where voice cannot be included.

All in all, this is an enjoyable and festive song from a highly regarded composer within the chiptune scene and well worth a listen by anyone with a hankering for something a little retro.

Official: www.goto80.com
Collective: www.8bitpeoples.com
Twitter: twitter.com/goto80

"Pop music is aspirin and the blues are vitamins" - Peter Tork

Family Machine - Skeletons And That

Somehow, unintentionally, I have found myself listening to (and commenting on) the output of bands from Oxford. ToLiesel, Message To Bears, Perfect Fiction: they all hail from the city of dreaming spires, which also just happens to be the place I was born. I've stepped from one to the other via links between them so it  was inevitable that they'd all be from the same area, and Oxford has an excellent musical history, so I could do a lot worse than focus my attentions there. Thus I have no qualms in mentioning Family Machine's acoustic/indie-pop.

It's been four years since their LP was released, "You Are Family Machine", but they have kept their audience interested since then by releasing the occasional single track. 'Sleep' was short but unwaveringly sublime. 'Quiet As A Mouse' kidnapped We Aeronaut's Anna Log for some sweet vocal work. And, on October 31st, they released a new free download: 'Skeletons And That'.

Although the lyrics do talk of ghosts, monsters, and skeletons, the link to Halloween ends there - this is not a song of thrills and horrors. No. This is a song of loss, growing up, and regret. Whilst certainly mournful, the vocal delivery is so beautifully sincere and the instruments so softly bridled, you can't help but think that there's an adjacent joy being expressed at the existence of memories. As the guitar strums the final chord, it is clear that Family Machine weren't trying to throw us head-first through three-and-a-half minutes of forced forlesing; rather, they were nudging us gently with an acceptance of loss and grief. Through subtlety this band have achieved more in a single acoustic song than some do on an entire album of angst-ridden blues.

http://soundcloud.com/thefamilymachine/

http://www.youarethefamilymachine.com/

"Love is like a violin. The music may stop now and then, but the strings remain forever." - June Masters Bacher

Reviving Stuff 60s (Brooke Bond D) - Various Artists

Brooke Bond D - Reviving Stuff

You've got to hand it to my mother: why spend money on music if she could get it for free? Hence I grew up on a musical diet fed via promotional cassettes from Weetabix, Smiths, and Brooke Bond, and there is no doubt that they all played a part in the forming of my musical tastes. The Weetabix Top Trax tapes and Smiths' Kid Jensen tape pushed some 80s music into my ears when I otherwise might have been too young to notice. But Brooke Bond, via their Brooke Bond D brand of tea bags, went for the 1960s.

I suspect that my mum had thought to herself, "Ah! Some music that I can appreciate," as I don't remember her ever being a huge fan of 80s rock and pop (despite the numerous times we played the tapes at home or in the car). So maybe the Reviving Stuff tape, with its "12 Smash Hits From The 60s" was exactly the kind of thing she was hoping for when it was given away in 1988. As it happens, like all the other music tapes, my sister and I commandeered it and we were both more likely to be listening to it than my mum would be.

Of the twelve songs on the cassette, at least seven of them remain with me as firm favourites. I dislike none of them, but those remaining five wouldn't rank highly amongst my "most played".

Side One
1. Len Barry - 1-2-3
2. Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
3. The Walker Brothers - The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore
4. Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual
5. Mamas and Papas - California Dreamin'
6. Lulu and The Luvvers - Shout

Side Two
1. Amen Corner - Bend Me Shape Me
2. The Flowerpot Men - Let's Go To San Francisco
3. Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues
4. Dusty Springfield - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
5. Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto - The Girl From Ipanema
6. Little Eva - The Locomotion

As far as picking twelve songs from the 60s goes, I think the guys at Brooke Bond did a pretty good job. But I certainly thank them for providing me with wonders like The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore (that song is simply beautiful), and Bend Me Shape Me (so many memories of singing this at the top of my voice during long car journeys). Whilst I'm sure that I would have come across It's Not Unusual, and California Dreamin' at several points during my life, I think it is possible that The Walker Brothers or The Flowerpot Men could have passed me by.

"I write songs so that the person I didn't say those words to can hear them" - Taylor Swift

Dean Freeman - Give Me Time EP

Back in the day, I used to frequent a music website called PeopleSound (as mentioned in this previous post). The site no longer exists anymore, but I used to enjoy visiting it and using its search tool. By inputting the name of a band or artist that I liked, it would recommend something to me. Not something obvious that I might hear on the radio, but something new from an unsigned or just-signed artist that regarded my chosen band as an inspiration.

During one of my first visits, I was basking in the back-catalogue of Tears For Fears, so I naturally asked PeopleSound what it could offer me. One of the first results was a guy called Dean Freeman, and his song How Does It Feel?. After listening, I soon downloaded a couple of other tracks he was offering, then found his official website which had one extra track on offer.

Today, his website no longer exists. I can find only a couple of references to Dean and his music that aren't just within a list of mp3 files. His career as a musician, it seems, was shortlived. I recall that he was also involved in production and so perhaps he continued to walk down that avenue instead.

Really, I shouldn't mourn that he didn't release any other music. There are hundreds of thousands of musicians that release good stuff and yet never "make it", or fail to be discovered by the right person, or decide not to pursue that particular dream, or just lose motivation and allow it all to fade away. It's a fact of life in the music industry: only a very, VERY, tiny percentage of people ever approach a point where they might call themselves "a success".

But as for this guy...

Dean Freeman was one of the first artists that I listened to away from the radio, or from personal recommendations. His music represents one of the first times that I felt I was discovering something for myself and, at that time (potentially anywhere between 1999 and 2003), that was a big deal for me. I tried to find out as much as possible about his music but, naturally, found very little. In my somewhat childish naivete, I started to set up a fan page and contacted Dean by email requesting the possibility of conducting an e-interview. From what I remember, his reply was understandably cynical; asking what form my website was going to take, and what I intended. I saw sense in the end, and didn't proceed with the 'project'.

My fan-website never saw the light of day and, unusually for me, I don't think I have any old floppy discs with the files on it. His own website no longer exists. All that remains is a couple of old references on websites such as EmoSonic (2008) and The Muse's Muse (2007).

So here I am now, talking about a musician that very little people have probably ever heard of, that never really made it, and that doesn't really seem to exist anymore. And yet, somewhat amusingly, his music actually means something to me because it represents a period in my life when I started finding music with a little more independence. Perhaps then, this is my eulogy for his career as a recording artist.

His one release which was available digitally and as a physical CD (which I stupidly never purchased, so I guess I'm as much to blame for not fully supporting his endeavours!) was his EP: Give Me Time.

Give Me Time EP
1. Give Me Time
2. Rain
3. Something I Can't See.
[currently seems to be downloadable at EmoSonic and CampFame, amongst others]

Curiously, the first track that I ever heard, and my favourite, is How Does It Feel?, which doesn't actually seem to feature on the EP. It definitely had the production values of both the early and revived forms of Tears for Fears, some nicely distorted background vocals, and a confident guitar. From the EP, the title track stands out above the others , but Something I Can't See is notably different due to a piano taking control. If you were to pressure me into making a comparison (which, to be honest, I'm generally quite happy to do) I'd draw a strong parallel with White Ladder-era David Gray.

Maybe someone else out there also downloaded the mp3s like I did, and still enjoys them the way I do. Maybe there's some CDs of his EP still floating around in the world, regularly listened to by someone else who wishes there could have been more.

Whether an artist "makes it" or not, their music still could have something to offer.

Thanks, Dean. You were one of the first important steps along my own, personal, musical road.

...

Sadly, there's no YouTube video I can link to, no SoundCloud widget to play his music. So I shall reiterate that the Give Me Time EP can be found to download at a couple of places such as:

http://emosonic.com/mp3/Dean%20Freeman/Give%20Me%20Time%20EP/
http://www.campfame.org/mp3/Dean%20Freeman/Give%20Me%20Time%20EP/

Enjoy :)

"Dance to the movement of the stars. Sing till the walls around us ring. Pray that it never fades away until we sleep" - David Gilmour

ToLiesel - The Light

After writing the previous blog post about Message to Bears' song Wake Me, I visited their Facebook page.  Scrolling through the latest posts, I saw a link to a recent gig that listed the other bands that performed with them. I searched one of them, ToLiesel, clicked the link to hear their song, and very quickly fell in love with it.

Sometimes it is tough to put a finger on exactly why I like a particular track. Other times I can easily declare, "The chords are wonderful!" or "The voice is heavenly!" or "It fills me with joy!", etc. etc.

In this case, I am ashamed to admit that much of my enjoyment is because it reminds me of another band. Making comparisons seems to be a staple of music commentary, yet usually frowned upon; it is often considered lazy, and too reliant on the reader's knowledge. And yet music is sometimes phenomenally difficult to describe in words that the only way around it seems to be, "They sound like [this band], only rockier/funkier/darker/...".

ToLiesel's The Light reminds me of Big Country, a Scottish band that were mostly successful during the eighties. The similarities were first obvious to me in the vocals, but even the guitars take me back to songs like Look Away and Wonderland. Yet it is important to note that, firstly, I may be the only one that even thinks they sound similar and, secondly, it isn't a bad thing. I could also, just as easily, suggest that the guitar is reminiscent of Parachutes-era Coldplay.

The Light is ToLiesel's only output so far, but I am certainly keen to hear more from this band. The harmonies are unforced and gentle, the guitars ring out with the comfortably familiar indie-echo, and the heavier sections of the tune remain focused and in-keeping with the rest of the tune. It's impossible to make any judgement of a band based on a single track, but I look forward to what comes next.

Oh, and they have kindly made this song free to download. So do it!



Visit: http://toliesel.com/

"He who sings scares away his woes" - Cervantes

Kid Jensen's Chart Blasters - Various Artists

So far, the most popular post here is about the Top Trax cassettes that were given away by Weetabix in the 1980s. Judging by the comments left on the page, I can only assume that there are lots of people out there that get as nostalgic about these kinds of things as I do.

Those Weetabix tapes got an awful lot of play when I was a child, but if there was one other cassette that could possibly have been put in the player more times then it would have to be yet another tape that was given away back in the 80's.

Smiths crisps (which later became part of the PepsiCo group, and thus some of the products became labelled as Walkers instead) gave away a 10-song track cassette in 1986. David "Kid" Jensen was the celebrity used to give the mix some credibility as he'd been a radio regular throughout the 70's and 80's and, when this tape was released, had made a move from Radio 1 to Capital FM as well as making a start in television.

The album's title is incredibly eighties: "Kid Jensen's Chart Blasters"

"Kid Jensen's Chart Blasters... from Smiths!"

My sister and I adored this tape and, as with the Weetabix cassettes, I am certain that my relationship with music was forged and moulded by it.

Before the music began on Side One, Kid Jensen himself provided a little introduction that still remains deeply ingrained in my brain. Sadly, the actual tape itself was accidentally left in a car that got sold/scrapped and so no longer can I listen to those immortal words:

"Hi, I'm Kid Jensen, and I've got together with the people at Smiths to bring you a hot selection of chart blasting hits. You'll be hearing from The Bangles, King, Cyndi Lauper and Paul Young, D.C. Lee, Bonnie Tyler, Shakin' Stevens, Dead or Alive, Alison Moyet and Michael Jackson! So get on your feet and jump to the beat with Kid Jensen's Chart Blasters... from Smiths!"

And then The Bangles' Manic Monday would begin.

In fact, we became so used to listening to the tape that whenever I hear one of the songs being played today, I always expect to then hear the intro to the next track off the tape. It seems a little wrong when Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun doesn't begin as King's Taste Of Your Tears ends. But then, that's what custom digital playlists are for these days.

So, for those of you who remember the tape but don't remember what was on it, here's the track listing:

Side One:
1. Manic Monday - The Bangles
2. Taste Of Your Tears - King
3. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
4. Every Time You Go Away - Paul Young
5. See The Day - D.C. Lee

Side Two:
1. Holding Out For A Hero - Bonnie Tyler
2. Turning Away - Shakin' Stevens
3. You Spin Me Round (Like A Records) - Dead or Alive
4. All Cried Out - Alison Moyet
5. Thriller - Michael Jackson

"Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die" - Paul Simon

Piracy : Google's Responsibility? Pt. 2

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the British Phonographic Industry's demands of Google. They requested that the first page of results for a musician or song on the search engine should not include any websites that clearly offer illegal music downloads, regardless of whether such sites are the 'most popular' or not. Google's response at the time seemed fairly clear: they did not support piracy at all, but were not willing to make the changes asked as it undermined the search process (popular sites being ranked higher) and they were not responsible for the visiting habits of their users.

Yesterday, Google seemed to make a u-turn on that decision:

Financial Times: Google acts to reduce pirated content
Gizmodo: Google Lays The Smack Down on Torrent Sites...
Google Inside Search: An Update To Our Search Algorithms

Google plans to make changes to the search results depending on how many valid copyright removal notices they have received for particular sites. Specific pages that are in breach of copyright are already removed from results once Google receive a notice, but the new search algorithm will effect, as a whole, a website's position in their search results.

For example, in the past month, there have been requests to remove almost 4.5 million URLs. The biggest offending domain was filestube.com, which accounted for almost 300,000 of them (the BPI, incidentally, was the main reporting organisation). Based on this, it would be safe to assume that the next time you Google your favourite artist, filestube.com will be pushed way down the results in favour of more legitimate websites.

Although generally considered as a good move - particularly by those in the music, gaming, and film industries - there are still some questions and criticisms.

It is theoretically possible that some websites may be unfairly penalised. They may provide a hosting service for video, audio, etc. but have their own strict policies regarding the uploading of copyright-infringing materials. Whilst they may be going through their own battles removing links to illegal downloads from their own users, Google may also be flagging it as a problem-site, and thus lowering their position in the search results. As I touched on in my post about YouTube converters, Google'sYouTube website can often be found to be hosting content that infringes copyright laws. Unofficial uploads of various TV programmes, films, or music videos all cross the same boundaries that Google is trying to take a stance against. Will we see YouTube's position drop in search results? I suspect not...

A cynical surfer might also point out that Google itself is spreading further into media distribution through its TV services, app. store, etc. and so may just be trying to protect its own intellectually property, rather than becoming too worried about everybody else's. Furthermore, there is some worry that the search engine is starting to succumb to pressure from industry and/or government, and thus may no longer be the lauded homepage for quite so many people as a result.

By far the biggest question is whether this will actually play any significant role in reducing piracy. Sadly, I imagine that it probably won't. In the same way that methods of piracy have consistently kept up with changing technologies in digital rights management, it is fair to say that the pirates will quickly find an alternative way to share what they wish. Equally, those people looking for free and illegal downloads will discover new methods to do so.

Good luck Google. Like many, I do not encourage people to download music illegally. However, I also wish to search the web for whatever I want... no matter what it might be.

"Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music" - George Carlin

Piracy : YouTube Converters

Previously, I mentioned Google being under-attack from the British Phonographic Industry for not being more proactive about how it lists websites that promote music piracy.

Today (although it has been murmuring away in the background for a couple of months) it hit the news that Google has been making its own stand against piracy. As owners of YouTube, Google has issued cease-and-desist orders to certain websites that provide tools for downloading the audio from YouTube videos; therefore making it possible for someone to easily get an mp3 just by finding the video somewhere on YouTube.

There is an abundance of websites that offer this kind of service. Some of them are riddled with advertising, thus providing the owners with a decent amount of revenue depending on their visitor counts. Many such sites make it very clear that their intention is to provide a way to get hold of music for free. Other sites are a lot simpler, cleaner, and more professional, and may provide other options for file retrieval and conversion. I've used one such site several times in the past. Admittedly, this has only been for converting my own files and not to download music (the audio quality on YouTube videos tends to be lower than I prefer), but I understand how useful such a tool can be. I also understand why YouTube sees them as a problem.

Firstly, there's the obvious issue of copyright and piracy. Although backing down from the BPI's demands, Google does want to be seen as doing something to prevent this kind of 'theft'. The official YouTube channels of artists and music labels provide a location for the music to be streamed legally. They don't want you go sneaking in and taking the audio for yourself, and therefore not go out and spend money on the recording.

Secondly, and more cynically, if you grab the audio for the song you may be less likely to visit YouTube to listen to it. Therefore, Google's visiting figures could potentially drop, along with their advertising revenue.

Whether the second reason is as important to Google as the first, remains to be seen. But any attempts to maintain and support the integrity of a musician, both in terms of their ideas and their finances, should be seen as positive. However, as with the BPI's own demands earlier, is this the right way to go about it?

Legally, there's a certain amount of personal use of copyrighted material that is allowed. This is particularly the case within education. One site received one of the cease-and-desist letters from Google and did what they were asked, but expressed their sadness at having to do so, making reference to the use of the tool by teachers. Other websites approached by Google have been less submissive.

I think the biggest issue here with Google's approach is hypocrisy. Google Search is a tool that can potentially be used for finding pirated music, but isn't marketed as such and certainly doesn't suggest it is used in such a way. Should Google be held responsible for its malicious misuse by the public? No, I don't think so. Equally, tools that can potentially be used to illegally retrieve copyrighted material - should they be held responsible? Umm... maybe... I think the sites that are clearly marketing themselves for that very purpose are asking for trouble, but others with a more educational viewpoint have a better standing.

More hypocrisy lies in the fact that YouTube has a LOT of content online that does not comply with copyright regulations. It's often possible to find whole episodes of television programmes, or watch music videos, etc. that have not been posted online in an official capacity. In other words: Joe Bloggs rips his DVD and puts the videos online. There's a similar problem with people using music in their own personal videos. Google makes some attempt at preventing this, often removing music from videos if its software detects it, or taking down any videos that have copyright claims made against them. But ultimately, YouTube/Google could be accused of hosting copyrighted material and not just providing a tool to find it. It would make a lot more sense if they concentrated on trying to prevent that happening.

I fully support anti-piracy, and certainly would never wish for any material I might create or own to become freely available against my wishes. But I am not sure if this is the way for Google to approach it.

Plus, anybody with a little computing knowledge could just use some free audio software directly record the music from a YouTube video as it plays through the computer. The online services make it a little easier, sure, but I'm not sure they should be under such a direct attack.

"People haven't always been there for me, but music always has" - Taylor Swift

Piracy : Google's Responsibility?

Over this last week, the UK news has shifted some focus onto the debate between the British Phonographic Industry (now calling itself the British Recorded Music Industry, but still abbreviating itself to BPI) and Google. The BPI is pushing for Google to take a more active role in preventing music piracy by preventing websites which are known for illegal file-sharing from appearing as a top result in searches. The example being thrown about is that performing a Google search for "Adele mp3" will provide links to infringing websites before displaying the likes of iTunes or Amazon.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18892655
http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/google-we-re-anti-piracy-just-like-you-guys/051050

Google already receives thousands of requests from copyright holders for the removal of links to sites that are providing illegal downloads, and has been upholding the majority of these. Theo Bertram, the UK Policy Manager for Google, has offered a reply-of-sorts to the BPI's demand, saying that Google is steadfastly anti-piracy but also pro-freedom of expression - and that the two are not mutually exclusive. Google instead suggests that the source of income that these offending websites have in advertising or payments for subscriptions should be removed, thereby making it financially difficult for the sites to exist. It does not feel liable nor responsible: the sites are indexed by Google, and shown as results based on popularity and relevance. Google isn't hosting the sites, nor is Google purposely promoting them.

My opinion (for what it's worth)?

I don't think Google should be held accountable nor responsible. For a start, keeping a track of all the illegal music-sharing websites and removing them must be a mammoth task. A task that will never end since the websites will just move, become mirrored, or find some other smart way around it. And other sites will also start up. Google is doing a pretty good job of keeping up with the requests for removal, but it's endless. As for adjusting the position of a website in search results... I think that could be the beginning of something dangerous. Is it up to Google (or another organisation/corporation) to dictate what should and shouldn't be a) indexed, b) searchable and c) listed highly (even if the click-through ratio for that site happens to be particularly high)?

Again: Google doesn't provide the content, it doesn't host the content, it doesn't associate with it. Google's search tool is just that: a tool. And although using similes is a lazy, flawed, and incredibly easy way to draw comparisons, I'm gonna' do it anyway...

The Internet is like an unbelievably huge city with billions of locations in the forms of websites, trillions of roads between those sites, and massive diversity between locations. Like any city, there are "bad" areas and "good" areas; places the public shy away from, and places that people flock to; locations with a reputation for wrong-doing, and those with metaphorical halos hanging above them. How do you find ANYTHING in a city like that? You need a map. The map provides you with the location of everything, as long as you know what you are looking for, and then off you go if you want to.

Google is your map. It doesn't tell you to go to the disreputable locations. It tells you where they are. Should our town maps cover up the areas where criminal activity is likely to take place, just so we find it harder to get there?

If I'm going to go really ridiculous with the similes, I could say: "A hammer is a tool. It is not the fault of the tool's manufacturer if someone buys one and then beats someone else around the head with it". But then things start to edge towards discussions about knife crime, or gun ownership, and really that's a little too far...

Google DOES have a certain amount of responsibility towards safe and sensible usage of the Internet, but I do not feel that they should be called up to begin a censorship programme at another organisation's demands. Equally, Google is not the only search engine on the Internet. It's own popularity should not make it a sole target. The BPI should be approaching ALL search engines and, *ahem*, "decision engines" that can be used to reach offending websites if it actually feels they are the root of the problem.

I admit it's a difficult issue, and a difficult battle. Back in the day, Napster was shut down because it provided the tools for people to illegally share music - even though it didn't host the files itself. However, it's intentions for infringement were substantially clearer. But where on earth do you draw the line, if you draw it at all?

I stand by Google's position, and I also feel it is unfair that they should become a target for blame due to the size of the company and its financial success. It is individuals that are pirating and sharing music. The public attitude towards music, it's value, and an artist's worth needs to be changed before anything major will ever happen. Piracy has often been seen as a victimless crime... a non-criminal crime, as such. Until this attitude changes, it's going to be a losing battle.

Incidentally, there's such a ridiculous amount of legal free music available on the Internet, that scouring sites for an illegal download of that latest Rihanna hit almost seems a little silly. Just because it's being freely distributed without any copyright infringement, doesn't mean it's rubbish. I mean, seriously, it's possible to spend your hard earned money on some serious dross, so why not go low-risk and discover something guilt-free too.

Weetabix Top Trax / Top Trax II - Various Artists

One of my first posts here talked about the song Young At Heart by The Bluebells; a song that I know and love, and has some good memories associated with it. Chances are that the only reason I know it so well is because we had it on a cassette tape that came free (with tokens, I suspect) from Weetabix breakfast cereal. The tape itself was given away during 1985, the song was originally released in 1984, and I was born in 1983. So I suspect that, without the tape kicking around my house, I wouldn't have ordinarily listened to it a great deal due to being so young when it was out.

But we did have the cassette.

In fact, we had several. Weetabix did two sets of tapes, one in 1985 and one in 1986, known as Top Trax and - imaginatively - Top Trax II. Each cassette has two songs on each side. I'm not sure how many tapes there were altogether. I still have six, and I believe that is all we ever had. Five from the original set, and one from Top Trax II.

I've had several visits to my post about The Bluebells track, which mentions the Weetabix tapes, so I've decided I'd mention all the tapes I have. Partly because I like listing stuff, partly because some people may be genuinely interested and (most importantly of all, considering the purpose of this blog) because these tapes defined my listening habits and tastes for quite some time.

From a very young age, these cassettes were played repeatedly. At first, played around/to me, but then later played by me. Long car journeys meant my sister and I bringing the cassettes along with us and shouting, "Mum! Change the tape!" after every four songs. I regard those six tapes as a single album of 28 tracks and, since I now own each of the songs on CD or MP3, I often consider compiling them into a Top Trax playlist so I can once again listen to them as a whole.

Here's my collection of the tapes:

Weetabix Top Trax/II Cassettes

And here's a list of what was on each of them (again, I point out that I don't have all of the tapes that were ever given away, so this is just a list of those I have):

Brian's Cassette:
1.1. Haircut One Hundred - Fantastic Day
1.2. Nik Kershaw - I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
2.1. The Bluebells - Young At Heart
2.2. New Edition - Candy Girl

Bixie's Cassette:
1.1. Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good
1.2. Bucks Fizz - My Camera Never Lies
2.1. Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen
2.2. Irene Cara - Fame

Dunk's Cassette:
1.1. Thompson Twins - Doctor! Doctor!
1.2. Tears For Fears - Shout
2.1. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
2.2. Kirsty MacColl - There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis

Crunch's Cassette:
1.1. Tears For Fears - Mad World
1.2. Big Country - Wonderland
2.1. The Jam - Beat Surrender
2.2. Status Quo - The Wanderer

Brain's Cassette (this is the one with a torn label, so I don't know which side is which):
?.1. Bucks Fizz - If You Can't Stand The Heat
?.2. Thomson Twins - We Are Detective
?.1. Bananarama - Robert De Niro's Waiting
?.2. ABC - The Look Of Love

Bixie's Cassette - Top Trax II:
1.1. Thomson Twins - Don't Mess With Doctor Dream
1.2. Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels
2.1. Five Star - System Addict
2.2. Baltimora - Tarzan Boy

For me, the three standout artists from that bunch are Nik Kershaw, Tears for Fears, and Thompson Twins. Mainly because, several years later, I got myself the greatest hits CDs of each of these and discovered other songs that have gone on to become particular favourites. And there is no doubt that my enjoyment of music from the 1980's began with these tapes.

EDIT (05/08/12): I have just realised that I must own at least one other tape, because I'm certain that Nik Kershaw's Wide Boy was a featured track. When I return home, I must search...

EDIT (08/08/12): Yep, I actually have one other tape:

Brian's Cassette - Top Trax II:
1.1 Nik Kershaw - Wide Boy
1.2 Big Country - Look Away
2.1 Bronski Beat - Hit That Perfect Beat
2.2 Jim Diamond - Hi Ho Silver

Weetabix Top Trax II - Brian's Cassette

The photo above also shows how awesome my mum was, in that she'd type little inlays for all the cassettes, just to make life easier searching for the tape we particularly wanted. To be honest, I'm surprised I forgot about this one. Side 1 must have been played an awful lot.

"People go to movies or listen to music because they want to be inspired" - Daphne Zuniga