11.24.2003

Thanksgiving!

Kind readers of this section of PhreshWater.com and the main site: I want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving and a Happy Holiday Season. There are so many things to be thankful for, especially my life blood and soul-food: Music! The PhreshWater.com staff is also thankful that we are going to take a few days off from writing and spend some time with our families and friends; another integral part of our support system!

If your looking for the gift of music to give this season we’ve got the perfect stocking stuffer! PhreshWater.com’s Gene Pool Compilation Volume 1 is now fresh off of the press and ready for under the tree! The Gene Pool is PhreshWater.com’s section where we feature up-and-coming unsigned and independent artists. We’ve decided to put out a great compilation CD featuring all of these bands each and every year. The first ever Gene Pool Compilation features amazing tracks from Revisor, Lotus, Sum Demeana, Infradig and many more! Check out the feature story of the Gene Pool Class of 2003 and pick up a copy of the CD.

All purchases help keep PhreshWater.com, your favorite free and independent music media webzine, alive and flowing day after day after day……..

Again, Happy Thanksgiving and we’ll be speaking after the weekend!

S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
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or Comments to : editor@phreshwater.com

11.18.2003

Tell Us The Truth

This past Saturday I had the honor of attending the Tell Us The Truth Tour which featured Billy Bragg, Steve Earle, Lester Chambers, The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello), & Mike Mills playing together and in solo sets in support of major political platforms that effect each and every one of us. The two platforms that these fine artists were to raise awareness were our rights as citizens to be told the truth in the media and not subjected to mindless propaganda and also to bring accountability to the corporate sector for the crimes and heinous environmental situations they are causing. Another major theme of the performance was the common thread that was shared by the artists and audience alike was the bitter distaste for the US occupation in Iraq and the reckless use of power by our government. Read more about the show HERE

I urge you to please make an attempt to see this brilliant and powerful day or evening of music and message when it comes to your town. Once you realize that most of the people standing around you are just as upset about the state of the world right now and the total distrust of the GW Gump regime you can feel the tides of change rushing through your veins. If you have not registered to vote you have no reason to complain about this situation and you are going to hear it from me, if no one else, because you need to put down your bong, game console, and remote control and help take this country back for the people!

PhreshWater.com is committed to being an honest and true independent media source and we will continue to support justice and equal rights wherever they are challenged or in threat of being revoked. If all you want from a music news source is a pile of sappy fluff about your rock and roll icons then you have certainly come to the wrong place. The US government is content and tickled to offer you Zoloft, Prozac and Ambien at every TV channel switch to lull you to sleep, render you powerless and to make you forget. PhreshWater.com is offering you giant doses of reality, people, and that’s all that you need…..


S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Submit Editorials, Questions,
or Comments to : editor@phreshwater.com

11.08.2003

Digital University!

In a move to ensure that online music can continue to legally thrive on college campuses Penn State has just signed an agreement with Napster to offer their premium service to students campus wide. Napster will offer high quality audio streams, tethered downloads, and forty radio stations as well as the ability to purchase downloads to burn at $0.99 per song. Read the full story HERE

There seems to be quite a bit stirring on the table when it comes to the digital delivery of music. It’s great to see the Universities coming to the forefront and offering positive solutions to the copyright infringement problems that are apparent globally. We’ve seen the Canadian government take to educating their nation on the issues, the RIAA using scare tactics, MIT students making an attempt at a legal campus solution, and everything in between. As I’ve said from the beginning of all the hoopla: This digital revolution is going to happen, it has been happening, and solutions need to be presented instead of going on the attack.

Finally, an online presence has been established to inform and discuss the solutions pertaining to digital music downloading and the many other issues that come under its umbrella. The International Music Industry Reform Assoc (IMIRA) has just launched as this source and features stories, news, forums, and more on these very sensitive topics. The site will also stand as an open think tank to gain positive momentum in resolving the many issues that face the imminent peer-to-peer future. Read the press release HERE.

S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Submit Editorials, Questions,
or Comments to : editor@phreshwater.com

11.04.2003

Turn the LAMP Down Low......

Two heroic MIT students set their sights on offering students on campus a secure and copyright infringement free way of listening to music with download capabilities disabled. Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? I guess all you’ll need now is a some corporate exec’s to pull a fast one to make your plans turn sour? Read on……

Students Keith Winstein and Josh Mandel had negotiated a deal through Seattle WA based Loudeye to purchase thousands of MP3 tracks for use on their newly developed LAMP (Library Access to Music) system. Soon after Mondays launch, with music being pumped campus wide via the television cable, the LAMP lights were shut down by MIT over disputes with Loudeye and other agencies who claimed that the licenses were not valid at this point.

Although they are experiencing a temporary setback with the launch of LAMP the MIT students say they are committed to moving forward in developing a fully licensed service. Their plans also include making such systems available to other schools to give music access to students. Read the full story HERE.

A smooth sea never made a great sailor, so the saying goes, but I guess we can all expect a lot of guff and corporate chicanery when it comes to the media revolution that will happen regardless of their endless streams of lawyers and ill gotten gain. Just when you think your ducks are in a row the game board can magically morph beneath your feet when your playing with the boys at the top. Loudeye, the ‘middle child’ in this little skirmish, gets to point fingers both ways when they are the ones who offered the goods for sale? Gimme a break!

Three cheers to MIT and the two students heading up LAMP! You have to give these guys a big pat on the back for playing the game in a legitimate manner and holding their heads high. There may have been legitimate confusion about the licensure on the part of Loudeye but at least admit that you were in error! This epidemic of the corporate sector and their slippery means of avoiding personal responsibility needs to come to a halt.

Turn the LAMP back on!

S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Submit Editorials, Questions,
or Comments to : editor@phreshwater.com