Happy Holidays!

On behalf of the entire PhreshWater.com staff and Internship Team I’d like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season no matter where you are or way of celebrating this fine and festive time of year.

We will all be, like most folks out there, taking a small hiatus to enjoy our friends and families and will rejoin the ranks of the diehard music fans on New Years weekend with a bunch of new material and thoughts.

Please drive safe and help make this world a better place any way that you can……

Peace on Earth!


S. Remington – Editor
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Outkast: Kings of Pop Digital Revolution!

A milestone was reached last night on Billboard’s 2003 Music awards. The first ever award to an artist for Digital Downloaded music was given to triumphant applause at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas last night.

The award was given to the artist who had sold, according to the Billboard charts, the most downloaded singles since tracking of those sales had begun earlier in the year. Outkast beat out other artist offering their wares in digital format for their song ‘Hey Ya!’ which racked up over Coldplay, Beyonce, and Black Eyed Peas for this ground breaking award. Read more about the Billboard awards HERE.

Hats off to Billboard for offering this fine award in a time when it is needed most. Also, hats off to Outkast who took the stage to accept their award and stated clearly to the audience and millions on the airwaves that they appreciated the award dearly, that downloading without paying was directly stealing from the artists, and that it “Shows Honor..” that fans worldwide are gathering forces to pay for digital downloaded music.

S. Remington – Editor
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Single Power!

I just purchased my first album via download a few days ago. What a bargain! On Napster my wife and I were able to grab up a complete John Prine album for $9.95 and have it burned to a CD in less than 15 minutes. In doing so I avoided several issues that I will most certainly avoid again:

1) Over-Priced CD’s at the commercial record store
2) The Long Drive and Gas it took to get there
3) Wasted Paper and Packaging

Although Rock superpowers like Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers have stated their case in defense of the dying art of the ‘Album Format’ I have to point out an interesting fact to all of them. Since the opening of Apple iTunes and Napster we are seeing a resurgence in the power of the ‘Single’. A music medium that had its heyday when our parents were listening to The Beach Boys and Beatles is about to make it’s mark on the digital world without the aid of vinyl.

Thom Yorke, front man of Brit rock sensation Radiohead, stated in a recent interview that he is pleased with the new frontier of music for download even if it means people are more inclined to single songs instead of an album. He also said, and I’m in full agreement, that the way we are experiencing music is continually changing and that musicians should be able to evolve with those changes, to enhance the overall music experience. There are some interesting statistics on the recent surge in the digital ‘Single’ for sale. Click HERE

Whine about albums all you want. It still doesn’t mean they are going to go away. I still buy vinyl LP’s at the thrift store and enjoy them thoroughly. One thing is certain: The music industry wasn’t ready for the download revolution and the people responded regardless. Isn’t it beautiful?

S. Remington – Editor
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Planet Drum

This November is International Drum Month so pick up your Tabla’s, sticks and even your pots and pans. Drumming is the most basic and primitive music form that reverberates through every living creature and element. Although my parents continually chewed me out for beating on the kitchen table and kicking bass lines into its wooden legs I have continued to make drumming a part of my life and you should do the same whether you are a novice or a seasoned professional.

There are many celebrations taking place this month in a city near you so be on the look-out for your local drumming event or be radically driven and get a drum circle together. More details on International Drumming Month can be found HERE.

‘Everyone is a Drummer’, is the theme of this month’s celebration and no statement about music could be more true. I had the opportunity to interview one of the finest drummers alive today, who has performed with Herbie Hancock and the Trey Anastasio Band, Cyro Baptista. If you want to hear the insights of one of the finest and humble musicians around and get a down to earth perspective on drumming and the common man then pop over to PhreshWater.com and check out the interview HERE.

Is percussion alive? Absolutely! Drumming happens when you least expect it: notice the rhythms of the subway on your next ride or the sound of leaves falling onto your street this fall. Percussion happens everywhere, all the time, and even with the beat of your own heart. Drumming crosses all barriers of gender, age, musical genre, race, and religion: it’s yet another common thread that exists in this wonderful and elusive universe.

Pick it up, hit it, and enjoy International Drum Month…….


S. Remington – Editor
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Hippie Evolution?

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Widespread Panic concert in Asheville NC where the Disco Biscuits opened. My tickets said that the Civic Center doors would open at 6:30 pm so I planned on getting into the downtown area by 6:15 to assure some decent parking and get in a much needed beer before the kick-off. Throngs of fans were outside the Civic Center doing their ‘Shakedown’ thing with falafel wraps, beer for sale by the can, goo-balls, and other party favors but I slipped by all the kind madness and headed indoors and out of the Northeast wind gusts.

Once inside, which literally took seconds since everyone else was in the parking lot, I found my treasure trove: The beer stand serving extremely cold Highland Gaelic Ale on tap with no one in line. As soon as my clear plastic cup felt the first splash of brew my spine rattled with a rhythmic hammering of bass guitar and drums followed by the unmistakable sounds of the Disco Biscuits. I looked down at my watch which said 6:36 and I just couldn’t believe they were going on stage so early. I think I was just as excited to see Bisco as Widespread this evening since this was my first live exposure to them and I made my way to a stage right seat over the stage.

Before I go any further let me forewarn you that I’m about to step on some toes here. The Disco Biscuits are an amazing band as they proved right before my eyes. What brought shock to me though was the 100 kids down in front of the stage and the thousands of empty seats and open floor space devoid of other music fans. I swear that the crowd level stayed near this level through the entire Bisco performance and I wondered why the Spreadheads weren’t honoring this amazing double-bill tonight?

Another element of weirdness that made me chuckle all night long was the wandering gaggle of ‘Hippies’ with cell phones glued to their heads. I thought I’d never see the day where you couldn’t get away from the damn telephone long enough to enjoy your favorite band. What in the world were they doing: Aping those sappy television commercials where dad is holding up the cell phone at his son’s piano recital so mom can tearfully listen in from the crowded city bus? Jesus, I can just imagine a bunch of kids who couldn’t make the show crammed into a college dorm room passing around a cell phone and a bong sharing the experience…..Give me a break.

I can’t believe that I go into forums and chat rooms, which I will not name here, and witness people slamming bands and gathering factions of others around them to slander other hard working musicians simply because their music doesn’t appeal to them. I’ve been in the scene for a long time and I’ve never seen ‘Hippie’ types like we are seeing now. I shouldn’t even use the word ‘Hippy’ in the same sentence when I’m describing these idiots. I also find it funny that half of these dim-wits probably couldn’t muster up enough energy or brain power to even play an instrument or do it night after night to near perfection.

Is this the new Hippie Evolution? Please say it isn’t so!


S. Remington – Editor
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RIAA’s Download Spiral

Ok. It wasn’t good enough that the RIAA started dragging in 12 year old schoolgirls and 70 year old grandfathers into court in order to gouge their wallets for downloading Britney Spears and Lawrence Welk tunes. In a paltry attempt to show a beaming halo around their heads and a an attempt to gain a sympathetic shoulder to sniffle upon with the American youth and public the RIAA, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, has added another notch of absurdity onto its belt.

RIAA officials have recently decided that instead of bulldozing American citizens into court, most of which who saw the illegal P2P networks as legitimate, they are going to give you the option of ‘Settling Up’ before they dutifully chop your head off and potentially send you into financial ruin. Doesn’t that make you want to invite the RIAA over for dinner now? Oh, wait! I forgot to tell you the best part, the part that makes me giddy all over like a punch drunk sorority girl: They will gladly give you 10 days to pay your fine! How can the RIAA be more generous? Is there a Nobel Prize for utter stupidity? Read the full story HERE

What simpleton in the RIAA comes up with these tactics? Aren’t my tax dollars and yours paying for these fools to waste our money playing Gestapo and being blatantly unfair with their cruel and unusual methods of settling the issues of copyright infringement? What ever happened to educating Americans on the long-term dangers and the decline of our musical culture by robbing those who entertain us?

I guess going after the super-power P2P networks (Kazaa, Napster, and Morpheus) hasn’t been able to draw enough blood and gore for the RIAA’s feverish crusades. They build these networks for one purpose alone: Make the sharing of these music files seem like the norm and safe, take in millions in advertising, and then point the finger back at the public who they have swindled. Who is the real villain here? Are these networks able to buy themselves out of peril and due punishment? Obviously so and who is going to stop them?

S. Remington – Editor
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Fresh Cream

Jack Bruce, bass player for the 60's guitar power-trio Cream, is on the mend after the liver transplant he received this summer was being rejected by his body. His family says that he is now on the mend and on the way back to recovery. Read the full story HERE.

Cream, featuring Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker were one of the most successful bands in the 1960's selling more than 35 million albums and dazzling audiences worldwide with their powerful blend of rock and electric blues.

S. Remington – Editor
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Satchmo's in the House

The Queens, NY home where jazz giant Louis Armstrong and wife Lucille once lived will now be open to the public starting Thursday October 16, 2003. After Louis death in 1971 and Lucille’s in 1983 the house was given to the city to be administered by Queens College.

Inside the home you will find the conditions as it was being lived in by the Armstrong’s. Lucille had an eye for redecoration and the home still displays the blue tones of the kitchen, sub-zero refrigerator, and the silver paper lining the master bedroom. Louis den was left in tact including the reel-to-reel recorder where he taped hundreds of hours of conversations between himself and band members spinning tales of the road and many jokes. Read the full story HERE.

S. Remington – Editor
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Child Proof?

John Halderman, a Princeton University researcher, has recently released a paper that completely blows the lid off of MediaMax CD copyright protection that is being executed on several upcoming releases. In this paper he proceeds to purchase a copyright protected CD and within a few keystrokes gains access to the music files, completely bypassing the anti-copy software, and can go about burning copies or ripping the media to his hard drive. Please examine the paper in it's entirety HERE

Again, and let me make this clear, I do not support illegal copying of digital media and certainly want every artist to gain from their own work without being short changed. I am simply in the same boat as Mr. Halderman and many others who see these anti-copy tactics as a futile attempt at preventing piracy and will only escalate the problem to greater proportions. To quote Halderman from his own paper:

“...the industry has the best chance of accomplishing its goals by giving customers more for their money and making it easier for them to buy music. I believe anti-copy CD technologies will prove unfruitful, and will therefore eventually be abandoned by record companies. Their firms may take a cue from the movie industry and increase the value of CDs by bundling interesting bonus features rather than restrictive copy-control software. It seems likely that they will also capitalize on the popularity of digital distribution by aggressively supporting online services like Apple's successful iTunes Music Store. These strategies likely will pave the way to reduced infringement by enticing more listeners to pay for recordings.”

Attempting the Orwellian approach by causing digital prohibition is not the solution and I will firmly stand by my own words and Mr. Halderman's. My job as the editor of PhreshWater.com also includes my own personal commitment to encouraging the proper growth and support of the music industry, whether independent or corporate structured, and to slit my own throat by supporting illegal peer-to-peer networks and piracy would be the highest dishonor to my own lifeblood which is music itself. But, these types of anti-copy deterrents are going to backfire and make an already bad situation far worse than imagined.

S. Remington – Editor
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Sympathy for the Devil?

In a move that is sure to knock the wind out of independent and smaller music retailers, The Rolling Stones have agreed to make Best Buy the exclusive dealer for their upcoming DVD release 'Four Flicks' for the first four months on the market. In a music economy that is already hurting from the long lasting effects of online piracy these types of exclusive deals are sure to hurt many retailers and with more deals like this likely to happen it could stomp the local music store into extinction.

Not only do these types of exclusive business deals begin to degrade the business ethics of the music industry it also cuts off many consumers from being exposed to different music other than what is continually pumped like ground beef from the machines of pop culture. When all paths lead to Wal-Mart and similar corporate mega-chains the level of cultural sterility heightens and who will save our country and minds from this black vortex? G.W. Gump? Don't bank on it.

According to Reuters, full story HERE, one retailer has decided to mark up all Rolling Stones products by a few dollars in order to send a message to The Stones that making a profit won't be so easy when you exclude the rest of the market.

I never would have thought that the Stones could be so greedy. In fact, I had eyeballed the 'Hot Rocks' CD set the other day to replace the one I had lost in college. I think that I'll do a little at home, personal, boycott of my own and not purchase any Rolling Stones merchandise during the entire holiday season. I bet if a few thousand more joined in they might get the message that their own fans are a bit upset for selling out to the ones they have spoke out against throughout their careers. C'mon Mick! You're the one in charge, do something about it!

S. Remington – Editor
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Immortal Guitar

Robert Johnson, one of the most influential blues artist of all time who passed away in 1938 at the young age of 27 will be remembered yet again. Gibson Montana, the acoustic division of Gibson Guitar, is introducing the Robert Johnson L-1 model based on the specifications of his legendary guitar. This master crafted instrument was designed to capture the haunting, timeless sounds of Robert Johnson's music.

The Robert Johnson L-1 will sell at a MSRP of $2,919. Now there's a great reason to save your allowance kids!

Full story and Robert Johnson L-1 guitar specifications HERE

S. Remington – Editor
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Final Wish III

A reader has sent in the following comments:

I have to say that I agree with your idea that legally, the band should be allowed to allow someone to carry out their wishes.

Let's talk about the MORAL part of this. Let's consider the possible negative consequences. We don't know how this person is planning on taking their life, but, if it's going to be immediate, it will probably be violent somehow or really gross. (Even a "non violent" method could be very intense. Imagine a poisoned person writhing and in convulsions while he vomits blood before a large audience.)

Witnessing such a thing can be extremely traumatic for people. There are many psychological disorders and disturbances which can result in those who witness this (such as post traumatic stress disorder). Any audience member who feels they are ready for this may be in for a surprise.

We also have to consider the possibility of something going wrong. It doesn't occur often but even people have tried such extreme suicide methods as shooting themselves in the head sometimes survive. What if the suicidal party somehow survives their attempt?

In my opinion, this suicidal party and the band are being very selfish. They are only thinking of their own publicity and are not considering that the audience may be biting off more than they can handle psychologically and nobody can foretell the extent of the consequences of this event.

- Tara B

Tara,

You have really hit on a key note here and I’m glad to receive your response. I have to agree with you on the possibilities of things going wrong and making an already macabre situation go the wrong way, which in reality could happen easily. Perhaps Hell on Earth needs to perform with this patient in an arena that is more intimate and NOT up on the stage, in front of a paying audience, where others stand the chance of psychological disturbance…

S. Remington – Editor
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Final Wish II

According to the Hell on Earth website, the Metal band that plans to have a Euthanasia Society member end their life on stage during a concert, the St. Petersburg, Florida local government has pushed a new law through the courts making such activity illegal. Hell on Earth says it will not hold the concert at the original location but at an undisclosed area and plans to webcast the concert live and in its entirety. If you missed the full episode please scroll down to the next segment for more information….

S. Remington – Editor
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The Final Wish

The band Hell on Earth, as reported by Rolling Stone, will be hosting an on stage suicide during their October 4th performance at St. Petersburg State Theater. An unidentified member of a euthanasia society, whose terminal condition is still unknown, has intent to take their own life on stage to raise awareness for the cause of dying with dignity. Billy Tourtelot, Hell on Earth front man, has agreed to allow the live suicide claiming that the band is not in legal jeopardy because they are not ‘assisting’ the suicide but merely allowing it to happen.

When I first read the story it reeked of being a bad publicity stunt for an ego feeding metal band who can’t rely on their own talent to bring in the press. It even sent me back to Junior High School days when the sociopath punk icon GG Allin kept a dedicated audience coming to his shows over a promise that he would take his life on stage as his final act.

After having read the article last night, slept off the judgmental chatter, and now looking at the subject matter fresh I have gained new insight into this somewhat bizarre story. There are definitely two sides to each coin and I want to point that out before I delve deeper. The BBC has done an amazing special section on their website on euthanasia and has evenly handled the issue properly from both perspectives: Supporters and opposition alike. The opposition feels that it is the duty of medicine to prolong lives and make death dignified but cutting off the pain and allow death to come in a slow comfort. Euthanasia supporters simply want the right to choose how and when they exit this life.

My personal opinion (you knew this was coming) is that now I am in full support not only of this metal band Hell on Earth but the idea itself, even if it is a publicity stunt. This is why: Publicity stunts raise awareness and mine has been raised beyond what it was last night. Whether you agree with me or not I will tell you that music is a very powerful medium that has been asked to fill many different roles in our cultures up to an including marriage, birth, war, grieving, and mainly the facilitation of death. I mean this last statement in the most positive way and in this day and age you might describe it as your death ‘Theme Song’ or the film score when your final credits roll up the screen and you sleep eternal. The ‘Shamanic’ or ‘Spiritual’ role of the musician is something that I’ve always been fascinated with like Jim Morrison who claimed that the spirit of a dead American Indian had possessed his soul since childhood and would come through his movements and song on stage with the Doors.

Rather than having tubes stuck in every orifice of my body, every medication known to man running through my veins, and some dim-wit nurse reading the latest beach novel beside my bed with no care of my own miserable ending only what time her shift is over, I’d rather go out on my own terms. Kudos to the euthanasia society member who wants to spend his final minutes and sharing his final right on this Earth with his Rock and Roll heroes on stage. Whether it really takes place or not, a pat on the back to Hell on Earth who has enough compassion to gladly respect the wishes of another human that merely wants their shamanic presence to lead them through the door. I’ll tell you right now that I’d rather have John Bell singing ‘Space Wrangler’ with an acoustic guitar or the remaining members of the Grateful Dead playing ‘Estimated Prophet’ or Traffic lulling me away with ‘Rainmaker’ than the mechanical whirring of the life support systems as a backdrop as my family (if they are alive at that point) and my friends (if they aren’t ashamed by me or if I haven’t run them away in deaths process) have to suffer watching me shrivel away into the dust with looks of gloom on everybody’s face. Wouldn’t they rather see me with a last nod to joy and my own relief experiencing my musical heroes as their song escorts me over the threshold into the unknown? That is my wish and it won’t match everyone else and that is for sure. But, shouldn’t I bear the right to HAVE that wish? Who decides what my final wish is? Shouldn’t it be me?

S. Remington – Editor
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Legal Peer to Peer for All

I know that I’ve approached this topic many times in the past few months but I want to keep it on the hot plate so that others, those who are not ‘In the Know’, can get a taste of what I’m talking about. In the dark shadows cast by the RIAA by dragging Junior High School students into court to coerce $2000 out of mommies credit card for trading Britney Spears MP3’s (Which will have no value or fond memories in 2 weeks since she licked Madonna’s tonsils) it’s important to educate everyone that downloading music is NOT illegal if you are simply doing the right thing and getting it from the correct source.

I’ve heard people in the check-out line at the grocery store comment on taking away Sally’s computer because the Government is going to send their precious to prison sharing all those Justin Timberlake songs. This is just the kind of propaganda that the RIAA has been able to spin by not tackling the issue, coming up with any viable solutions, and using intimidation to wring our wallets at the Music Store which is ON THE WAY OUT! It’s called evolution folks.

Last night I finished downloading a great LEGAL copy of a pro-shot, Black and White, VCD (Video CD: Digital video that you burn onto regular CDR’s that will play in most DVD players or on your computer) of the Grateful Dead @ the Capitol Theater, Passaic NJ 04.26.77. I was so happy to make this find and I felt catapulted back in time watching the Dead jam through ‘Estimated Prophet’, ‘Good Lovin’, and many more. Jerry was a spry young man then and was jigging and two-stepping around the stage while blasting out guitar solos. What a treat for the archive!

Not everyone is a Grateful Dead fan, true. But there are so many great LEGAL things to share on the Internet that I can’t even fit them on this page. I hope that anyone that is reading this is taking the time to consider what I’m saying and help someone out by showing them the ropes or if this is all new to you that you follow suit. I guess the real issue here is that we support the artists and not steal from them and gladly share on the Internet what they ALLOW you to share as a fan. Here, again, are some great resources for getting started in Legal Peer to Peer downloading of music on the Internet.

Bit Torrent: A great way to share files that I’m just getting savvy enough to seed my own shows that I have in the archive. Check out SharingTheGroove.org. This Legal trading forum is HOT! They have all the info to get you started right inside the forum itself as well as exposing other great Bit Torrent download sites.

Furthur: A great Legal Peer-to-Peer downloading community. You can share and download many of your favorite artists live performances with a slick interface that even has a great chat room featuring the charismatic chat-bot: ‘Truxel’

Etree: A cornucopia of downloading knowledge, loss-less file compression formats, forums for Bit Torrent and other LEGAL trade music trading, and links to all the tools and tutorials to get you started. Definitely the leader in Loss-less audio information and resources.

S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
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Merry Birthday

Today is the birthday of Ken Kesey who was a graduate student in 1959 concentrating in creative writing at Stanford University. He volunteered his time with Menlo Park Veterans Hospital, which was testing several varieties of psychoactive drugs at that time including LSD. During his volunteer time Ken would observe the testing patients, ingest these hallucinogens, and then wrote of his experiences. Kesey would go on to write his most famous work, influenced by these experiments, ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’.

Ken Kesey would then form his experimental group the ‘Merry Pranksters’ who through their use of psychoactive drugs, bizarre performance art, and peaceful confrontations of conformity, would eventually move on to the now famous ‘Acid Tests’. Through these series of parties, where guests either with or without knowledge of ingesting LSD, Kesey would continue to push the limits of experimentation while enlightnening many along the way to utilize altered states of consciousness to confront and overcome their fears. The Acid Test also served as the catalyst to launch one of the greatest bands of all time, the Grateful Dead, who served as the house band for many of the Acid Test parties.

Happy Birthday, Ken. And, thank you for your contributions to popular music, culture, literature, and the power of peace. For more on Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters click HERE

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

Johnny Cash 1932 - 2003

Johnny Cash, the Man in Black, passed away early this morning due to complications from diabetes that caused respiratory failure. Johnny was born in Kingsland, Arkansas, in 1932 and learned to play guitar during a time in the US Air Force and eventually made it to Memphis, Tennessee where he would launch his musical career. Johnny’s wife, June Carter-Cash, passed away earlier in May which makes this a very difficult year for the Cash family. Read the full story HERE.

Some of my earliest childhood memories were sitting in the back of the family car as the eight-track churned out Johnny’s raspy tales of the common man fighting against diversity as I looked out the window with the Maine woods passing beside. I think we had all the Johnny Cash eight-tracks and vinyl when I was growing up. Live from Folsom Prison was one of my favorites and ‘A Boy Named Sue’ would crack up my brother and I every time the dusty needle would find the groove on the console stereo. His purist, minimalist, yet powerful approach to his music would always set him apart in my mind from other musicians and group him into a class with other legendary minstrels like John Hartford, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Billy Bragg, Hank Williams Sr., Elizabeth Cotton and many other fine artists.

S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions and Comments: editor@phreshwater.com

Would You Like Fries With That?

Apple iTunes just announced that they have broken the 10 Million Download threshold. That’s what I just said: 10 Million songs downloaded. Realize that these are paying customers, returning on a regular basis, and undoubtedly buying more downloadable singles via digital delivery. And, let’s not forget these folks aren’t wasting gas and time driving over to the mall for that overpriced $17 CD. This is legitimate, good-old American capitalism having a multiple corporate orgasm. Read the full story HERE.

On the other side of this factoid is the music industry and the RIAA. While the other major labels cringe in a corner pointing their fingers at Kazaa, Sony Music has finally decided to unleash their own digital music delivery service. The RIAA, instead of going after Kazaa directly, has resorted to dragging 12 year old girls into court so their grief stricken mothers can cough up $2000 in the name of copyright infringement. Read the full story HERE.

I find it amusing that Apple can make a great success evolving into the digital age and the legal live music trading community (Furthur, Sharingthegroove.org, and Etree.org for example) are zipping merrily along while the other faction is resorting to suing Junior High School students instead of building a legitimate network of their own. Should the American public be taking the fall for the blatant laziness of the music industry moguls while they sun in Cancun on the Billions of dollars a year they siphon from your pockets on overpriced CD’s? Give me a break.

Evolution isn’t always pretty. Some species die out and some get obliterated by large meteors and then there are the weaklings who get eaten by the larger, stronger members of the group. You don’t need a calculator to figure out that 10 Million paid downloads will clearly exceed the $2000 extorted from the credit card of Brianna Lahara's mom. These types of scare tactics do nothing but backfire and seem to do nothing more than increase the chances of the crime occurring more frequently. Maybe GW Bush will have all of these Kazaa downloaders put to death in Texas? I guess in a country where it’s common that sports figures can buy their way out of double-murders and rape that $2000 is quite a discount but it won’t solve the problems of the RIAA’s or the record labels lack of foresight.

S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions and Comments: editor@phreshwater.com

Warren Zevon 1947-2003

Warren Zevon was born in Chicago on January 24, 1947. Early in his childhood his family moved to Los Angeles, California where he studied classical piano and as a junior high school student had as an acquaintance the legendary Russian pianist Igor Stravinsky. Warren’s big musical breakthrough would come in 1978 with Jackson Browne producing his second album entitled ‘Excitable Boy’ which featured the Rock and Roll classic ‘Werewolves of London’.

While beginning work on his latest release ‘The Wind’ Warren started experiencing chest pains and consulted a doctor for the first time in 20 years. Having been diagnosed with lung cancer Warren knew this would be his final work and propelled himself into the most intense creative period of his life. Read full story HERE

Warren’s collaborations included 2 albums with R.E.M., Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, and Neil Young just to name a few of the impressive list of modern music legends. Rolling Stone.com has an extensive online biography of Warren Zevon which can be found HERE.

Warren, may you rest in peace…

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

Cuban Music Crisis part II

As I have reported earlier in this editorial column several Cuban musicians were kept from attending the Latin Grammy’s to receive their hard earned awards. For the second year in a row the US State department has stymied the efforts of the Cuban musicians and claiming, much like a spoiled brat, that the musicians simply failed to give ample time to perform ‘proper’ background checks. State Department spokesperson, Richard Boucher, sunk his left foot deeper into his mouth by claiming that the musicians could pose unwanted terrorist threats.

“Am I a threat to U.S. national security?” asked rhetorically Eliades Ochoa, a leading folk singer. “That makes me laugh! I’m only dangerous when I’m holding a guitar, making music.” Read the Full Story HERE

To think that music, our planets precious song in its many forms, can attempt to be squelched by the devious and blatant actions of Governments on either side of the ocean. Terrorist threat? For the love of Moses, did the state department think that one of the musicians was going to detonate his pair of castanets in the middle of a Salsa number? Who in the hell gives these people jobs in our US Government? I guess only the idiotic and the brainwashed are accepted to perform our countries most dirtiest work and to continually fuel the ‘Caribbean Cold War’ with asinine antics that we have seen one to many times. Shame on the State Department for this covert, schoolyard, bratty display of upholding the laws of our wonderful nation.

Hats off to Cuba who had the tenacity to host their OWN concert that night as a dual purpose event to celebrate their own countries musical virtuoso’s and also slap the faces of Castro and the US State Department. I hope that Ibrahim Ferrer, Buena Vista Social Club member, had a great time up on stage that night and will have enough kindness in his generous heart to realize that most of the people on this continent do not support the actions carried out by our Government full of witch-hunting, McCarthy pandering, dip-shits.

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

Labor Daze

I hope that everyone had a great Labor Day weekend whether you were out seeing your favorite band or hanging out at the pool, and a special thanks to those of you who worked over the holiday so I could enjoy mine. I want to mention again that this Blog serves as the ‘Editorial Section’ of PhreshWater.com | Music News & Reviews. This means that your involvement is always welcome in the form of comments, questions, or editorials of your own. Please feel free to use the email below or to your right at any time for your thoughts on my favorite subject; Music!

While enjoying my weekend I took a rare opportunity and indulged in my Father-in-Law’s digital cable or ‘Two-hundred channels of nothing’ as we both decided it should be called. I stopped at CNN for a brief moment to catch up on some blood, gore, and bombs. A news anchor was expounding on the Labor Day weekend and how many Americans were going to be on the road or on vacation. She then said that the USA is lagging behind most countries when it comes to vacation days from work. The UK and Italy topped the chart with 35 average days off per year! The USA had a dismal 10 average days off of work per year only to be beaten by China with 15.

And to think of all the crap I’ve listened to from G.W. Gump and Donald Rumsfeld about China and their deteriorating civil rights! At least the Communists are getting better rest with an additional 5 days of vacation per year. Makes you feel ‘Proud to be an American’ now, huh? You can’t blame me for being a bit shocked at those figures. No wonder our country is stressed to the max and pumping out $300 a month in psychoactive pharmaceuticals! I guess if my US job were only allowing me less than 10 days off a year, no time off for maternity leave, and no promise of a financially stable future or retirement savings then Government authorized drugs might be just what I need. Then again, with no available time off to visit the Psychiatrist, I guess that my hopes of masking this sense of impending doom have been completely deflated.

Coffee anyone?

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

Education without Music?

I find it very disturbing that our public education system in the USA continues to slide deeper and deeper away from the basic rudiments of learning that help children become well-rounded members of our society. As schools frantically try to figure out how to boost ‘Test Scores’ the students get short-changed by having access to the arts almost yanked away completely. Music and the Arts have been forced into the back seat so the US Government can pretend that our children are ‘keeping up’ with other countries academic achievements as our schools turn out under-prepared graduates into a scarce job market.

According to the Music Industry News Network, ‘The nation's leading music advocacy organization today advised parents and local educators that despite good intentions, local interpretation of the federal "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) education law is seriously affecting access to music education for America's public school students. "The law clearly identifies the arts as a core academic subject," explains American Music Conference Executive Director Rob Walker. "However, the requirements for standardized testing in literacy, math and science are leading local districts to divert resources away from other subjects. As a result, the arts are truly being left behind. We fear most of all that music, which is a vital learning pathway for children's success in school, is being sacrificed for shorter-term testing results. We're talking about what kids need to be successful learners." Read Full Story HERE

How have we let this happen in the USA? Is the ‘Power of Pride’ so weak that it can’t lift an arm and stop this type of foolishness from happening right under our own noses? You are probably asking yourself ‘What can I do?’ or ‘Where to go from here?’ If you’re not registered to vote then that’s a good place to start. From there you can go to SupportMusic.com and learn more about how to support music education in the United States.

I’m not willing to let our music, art, or heritage to be pushed aside. I’ll even support this issue in a country that’s not my own. Are you satisfied that your children’s education will only prepare them for the time clock? What will you do about it?

S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions and Comments: editor@phreshwater.com

Music and Bombs

Driving to work today I made an all too frequent mistake of turning on the radio when the BBC world news is airing. I’m not one to turn my cheek to the tumultuous affairs that happen on this Earth but I at least deserve my morning cup of coffee before being subjected to a mudslide of media doom, gloom, and gore. Bombs are going off in taxis, suicide bombers are getting onto crowded buses in Jerusalem, and religious extremist women and children are suiting up with plastic explosive vests and walking into crowded hotel lobbies to detonate their payload of anger toward fellow humans. It’s a damn shame that such diverse and abstract concepts as religion can motivate people to intentionally harm their brothers and sisters on this planet.

After arriving at work with my steaming cup of Joe sitting on my desk I find more disheartening news in the music industry that I have reported on earlier in this column. Cuban musicians Ibrahim Ferrer, Chucho Valdes and Cuban group Los Van Van, three nominees for the September 3rd Latin Grammy Awards will not be able to attend the gala event because of stringent processes set up by the US State Department. Apparently, The ‘GW Gump’ Administration has been stepping up its resurrected ‘Cold War’ tactics by intensifying the process by which Cubans gain passage into the USA by tying up paperwork and investigations that could take up to two months before clearance is granted. All of this is due to the paranoid visions of our government that Cuba is still financially backing global terrorist efforts. Read Full Story HERE

This situation, which could easily be rectified by ‘GW Gump’ himself, is an absolute tragedy to musicians and to all artists worldwide. ‘Road Map to Peace’? How about extending your hand to three legendary musical artists and help them on their journey for recognition they fully deserve? I can’t believe the American public allowed such a foolish, bumbling, idiot into office. Are you going to let it happen again? You may have to put your remote control or Game Boy down for an hour to vote and make a stand this election, people. If all the music fans got together to help put these antiquated, outmoded, 1950’s idealist numbskulls out of their leather chairs in Washington maybe we could help turn this planet into a place where music is heard and not the sound of bombs…..

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

Full Bluntal Ignorance

Ted Nugent, Seventies Rock Icon turned NRA zealot and poster boy, has recently filed a lawsuit against the town of Muskegon, Michigan for canceling his upcoming concert in June. Apparently, Rick Lewis and Michael Floorwax, morning talk show hosts on radio station KRFX-FM, ended the interview in progress with Ted after he made several racial slurs against Asians and African Americans. Nugent claimed that the cancellation of the June 30th concert “damaged his reputation and career”, according to a statement issued by his attorney. Full story HERE

I guess if you were encumbered by the same massive ego as Ted Nugent then it would be hard to understand why an entire city wouldn’t want you and your ignorant, loin-clothed, bigoted mouth making a public appearance. Does he think we are all complete idiots when we listen to his lyrics in ‘Stranglehold’ and don’t notice the outright degradation and references to violence against women?

Let’s get real, brothers and sisters. Ted needs to get a grip on reality and stop bitching and whining when his mouth gets his ass in trouble. My two year old is light years ahead of Mr. Nugent in intelligence, composure, and respect for the other inhabitants of this planet. Ted’s back-ass values and blatant disregard for anyone who doesn’t agree with his platform of “Kill it before you grill it” just makes me sick. You got asked to not appear in concert, Ted, because you are a disgrace to our society that has evolved beyond your shallow perceptions of our planet that is searching for peace.


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

Chalkdust Torture

I was poking through the Music News last night on the ‘Net like probing a bowl of spaghetti with a fork in search of the last remnant of a meatball. Suddenly, out of the piles of hype and fluff, appeared a headline that made my head spin in wonderment: ‘Phish Bassist Arrested for Child Endangerment’. You can imagine the shock of hearing that Mike Gordon could be into a major mess involving a child. I clicked quickly on the link and read the story. A sense of relief came over me as I finally came to the bottom of the article which read: ‘A joint statement released by Gordon and the girl's family reads, "We have had several discussions regarding the situation that occurred at Jones Beach. It is now clear to all involved that this was an unfortunate misunderstanding, and we look forward to putting this matter behind us."

I should probably do Phish and Mike Gordon a huge favor by not even mentioning this again in the press. But, my point in doing so is to point out that the core of this story, which held the truth, was eclipsed by the impending sense of doom in the headline itself. What idiot decides that this manure can get served to the public?

This is the difference between the Independent Press, like ourselves and others ventures on the ‘Net and print, and the mindless dolts who make a living by turning a harmless situation into a ‘Breaking Story’ that could cause irreparable damage to another persons social life and not to mention their career. Just look at the headline and then the article. The body of the story, which is Mike Gordon is cleared of accusations, cancels and nullifies the Headline itself! Lenny Bruce would have a field day with this material! I guess you don’t need to take a class in common sense in order to get your degree in journalism either.

So, before you go to class this morning or hit the Phantasy Tour forum you know the truth from the bullshit and can help the music fan community from spreading rumors. Please remember, in this fast paced world where you are expected to toss your brain out the window as soon as you roll out of bed, to not scan the headlines and inadvertently continue a trail of slime created by some lame-brain sitting in a high rise capitalizing on disinformation.

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

Download This! Part II

Although there is much squawking and paltry caterwauling in the news today over the issues of illegal downloading there are still legal, viable, and exciting methods of getting the music you love while giving back to the artists and their community of fans. While the talking heads on the idiot box mumble and grumble back and forth over lawsuits and subpoenas there are diligent, avid music fans with extensive programming knowledge building and delivering ‘cooperative’ P2P networks fueled by the fan base and supported by the artists they follow. The taping of live performances and trading them is an entire subculture in and of itself. While the RIAA and major record labels furiously try to dig themselves out of the pits of their own ignorance and laziness there exists a beacon of positive energy building a new model for artists and digital delivery of their music. Terabytes of musical bliss pump merrily along, day after day, into the hands of satisfied fans and the more that passes across the matrix of servers and networks this community of traders gets deeper and stronger in numbers as more become educated.

Why would any band or music artist not openly support this level of commitment from its fan base and deny them permission to trade live performances? Why wouldn’t you allow fans to record, trade, and deliver your message into thousands of waiting hands? The answer is simple: Some bands are motivated by the all-mighty dollar and some aren’t. Don’t they realize that they will sell more tickets to concerts and immensely benefit with no more effort than taking the stage and having a good time? Sounds like a win-win situation to me….

No matter what becomes of the ‘RIAA vs. itself’ and all the noise being made in the press you will see two nodes of digital delivery establish itself and prosper and it’s just a matter of time. Once the dust clears and the lawyers have walked away with millions over an issue that should have been solved without them, the two new models will exist and they will evolve again within themselves. One genus of this will be the Pop culture digital delivery system where everyone gets their precious money right down to the micro-cent and they will be happy. The other genus, the live music trading community, will continue to be one big road trip of happiness and continue to lead the way with positive energy as its fuel.

The most important issue is that no matter what side of the fence you fall upon, no matter if you are into Pop music or Jam bands, that you support the artists so they can continue to entertain you. Being under the illusion that everything should be free and compensation doesn’t matter is completely absurd. Don’t be a part of the problem and contribute your time and energy to Kazaa and the like who only care about the millions they will gain in force feeding you advertising in exchange for killing an industry and musicians careers.

If you are in search of some good live music, are willing to share and not freeload, and have the tenacity to educate yourself in digital audio formatting and trading then here are my top picks for where you should start your journey: etree.org, FurthurNet, SharingTheGroove.org. Read the FAQ’s and sticky posts before you begin, be kind and others will be kind in return. That’s the way it should be.

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

Oh Canada!

(Toronto) - The Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) is initiating what CRIA President Brian Robertson categorizes as "the second phase of our education program with Canadian users of file-sharing services".

"This phase follows on the heels of our Value of Music campaign, which launched in April of this year", said Robertson, "and is designed to inform Canadian users of file-sharing systems of the damage they are inflicting upon the thousands of people involved in the creation of music, as well as to warn them of the legal implications they might face". ..:: Read More Here

Thank the supernatural entity of your choice that there are people in high places on this planet that have some sense! ‘Value of Music Campaign’ – It is Brilliant! If this is a democracy, in the USA, can we fire the RIAA and HIRE the Canadians? Educating people the VALUE of music and its importance instead of hauling them off to court and using scare tactics? Well, that’s no fun now is it? Educating people might mean someone will have to do some work. Work? That might lead to solutions or facilitating the next phase of the digital revolution….

I’m going to go out to the back yard, face North, and give Canada a standing ovation!

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

Digital Prohibition

I would probably lay off of the RIAA and stop giving them such a hard time but their ignorance and unabashed stupidity keeps getting them more grief. Just the other day a judge in Massachusetts stymied the efforts of the RIAA to make MIT and Boston College divulge student information in order to subpoena them for sharing copyrighted files on the Internet. I’m here to say again, as an upholder of our Constitution and Democracy, that the RIAA is still fighting a battle they can’t win.

Yesterday I checked the Internet traffic reports for PhreshWater.com and was being entertained by all of the ‘Keyword Searches’ that brought visitors to our site this month. While scrolling down the list that included Jerry Garcia, DJ Mark Farina, Phish IT Festival, and other common phrases my eyes stopped dead in their tracks. Someone, believe it or not, had actually made it to PhreshWater.com via Google using the keyword search ‘RIAA Internship’! I ripped out a hearty ‘Baa Ha!’ and nearly fell out of my seat. I can’t believe there are actually people who want to join up with these thugs! Why don’t they just tie a red bandana around their necks and join the Hitler Youth, for the love of St. Pete!

Let’s face it: The RIAA is going to fail again and again and again trying to force a download prohibition. When they tried it with alcohol did that stop Al Capone from bootlegging and send him off whimpering into a corner? People don’t care if it’s copyright protected! I know it’s sad and the last thing I want is for the musicians to not get paid. But, the real issues that should be discussed here are SOLUTIONS to the problem instead of hauling off students into the gas chamber. ‘Illegal’ P2P file sharing is going to happen, full scale, whether Metallica, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the RIAA sob and whine morning noon and night about it. Apple iTunes seems to be plodding along just fine while filling their Swiss bank accounts to the brim and other services are being developed and deployed on a daily basis for music and video digital delivery. Welcome to the future, cavemen.

People thought that Copernicus was nuts when he suggested the Earth moved around the Sun. It’s called the ‘Evolution of Logic’, people. I’m not suggesting that you throw away your DVD player because it will most certainly be outmoded in the coming years. But, the ‘Consumption’ of music and video is evolving! CD’s and DVD’s WILL BE REPLACED in due time just like Vinyl Records and 80’s Mullet hair cuts (At least I hope they go away).

Conclusion: The RIAA has NO Solutions and their tactics will continue to be as worthless as trying to roll a snowball through hell….

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

Political Hoopla?

I had reported last week that Krist Novoselic, Nirvana Bassist, was giving up his music career in pursuit of politics. I was enthusiastic about his decision and if he decided to run for the ‘Big Kahuna’ of them all, being the United States President, I’d carry him all the way to Washington on my shoulders even if he threw his bass guitar up over his head in the process. I even thought for a moment that maybe we’d see a trend starting, in Jesse Ventura proportions, where entertainers finally use their powerful presence and take political offices by storm. A few days later this daydream became a nightmare….

Instead of Bob Weir or Trey Anastasio announcing they would run for Governor of Vermont or Colorado a seismic quake of insanity arises in California. ‘The Terminator’, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is running for Governor! Then, to counter the ray gun toting Republican meathead from advancing closer to Sacramento, Gary Coleman, of 70’s TV ‘Different Strokes’ fame, rises like a diminutive phoenix from the California smog to challenge the politically rabid cyborg and announces he’ll fight for the seat in office!

What can we do to counter-attack this insanity? Do Californians REALLY want a ‘Shoot-Em Up’ action figure as Governor? For Christ’s sake you’ve already got the LAPD filling that slot! What will happen when those two forces unite? Gary Coleman? C’mon now! Give me Re-Run or J.J. Walker and then you’d get some asses up and into the balloting booth!

Don’t be fooled, people. This is all just a plot to lull you to sleep again so you’ll forget that ‘GW Gump’ is your elected President. So, take another Zoloft, put on your Britney Spears CD, do what the ‘Good Tube’ says and you’ll be just fine.......


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

Cuban Music Crisis

Over the weekend it was reported that Cuban music artists nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards this year are having problems securing a visa in time to be able to attend the ceremony. Some of the effected musicians include Ibrahim Ferrer, of Buena Vista Social Club, Afro-Cuban jazz star Chucho Valdez and the salsa band Los Van Van. Many Cuban-Americans have threatened to boycott the Latin Grammy's, and rightly so, if actions are not taken to speed the process of helping these artists obtain visa's to get the recognition they deserve.

A very unimaginative and stiff spokeswoman from the US State Department, who obviously sees everyone on this planet as yet another wad of paper in her wastebasket said, "We have not received any visa applications from Cuban citizen Grammy nominees in connection with the Latin Grammy Awards ceremony. Visa applications received from award nominees to attend the Latin Grammy Awards are adjudicated in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations governing the issuance of non-immigrant visas." Good God, I know burnt slices of whole wheat toast with more personality than this jaded automaton.

This is yet another ongoing problem I'm having with our establishment and society. What ever happened to 'Grace'? What ever happened to extending yourself to help another human being, regardless of their geographical location or race, in order to give someone the credit they deserve? What about the US record labels that raked in cool millions for the stellar performances of Ibrahim Ferrer and the other Cuban artits? What other countries muscians can we exploit next year and stockpile our bank accounts?

As much as this is a tragedy to music and art we only have ourselves to blame by letting these heartless dimwits into political office in the first place. It's not even the State Department spokeswoman's fault; She's simply doing what her stodgy elitist boss requires her to do and say so he can hit the golf course this morning and make more underhanded deals at the expense of the real inhabitants of this planet.


S. Remington - Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions or Comments: editor@phreshwater.com

String Cheese Gets Tough

I just received this press release last night in my in-box:

‘On Wednesday, August 6, SCI Ticketing, a company owned by The String Cheese Incident and Madison House Inc., filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Federal Court in Denver, Colorado, claiming that ticketing giant, Ticketmaster, has monopolized the concert ticketing industry, using its immense market power to prevent competition for the sale of concert tickets. SCI Ticketing also alleges that Ticketmaster has entered into agreements with, among others, Clear Channel Communications Inc., to restrain trade in the market of concert tickets.

On Monday, August 11, at 11:00 a.m. to Noon EST, at the Inter-Continental Barclay Hotel (Drawing Room and North Parlor II), 111 East 48th Street in New York City, a news conference will be held to explain the lawsuit, and present the argument that fans shouldn’t have to suffer financially at the hands of Ticketmaster, and artists should be able to provide their own ticketing services, thereby maintaining relationships with their fans and controlling their own musical futures.’

Here again, music fans, is your chance to start using your hard earned (or borrowed) money, your brains, and hands to swing your ‘political’ bat. I know that’s a scary word for some of you but if only half of you who read this actually believed that your voice and actions make a difference this world would be a different place.

Why has Ticket-Bastard become a huge monopoly? It’s because you and I and the rest of our brain-dead society, who would rather blindly accept our Mc Jobs and X-Box entertainment, has allowed it to happen. Period. Even I am guilty of Ticket-Bastard convenience: I have allowed them a link in our ‘Tour Central’ page on the website as a ‘convenient’ way for fans to get the tickets they really want. But that stops today! To show our support for String Cheese going up against the unconstitutional tactics of Ticket-Bastard and in the best interest of music fans globally we will take down this link and interface before the weekend is over.

This is not the first time Ticket-Bastard has tried to seal itself off from the constitution to siphon the wallets of music fans. My suggestion to you all who are buying tickets for events is to go to the artists website FIRST and put your money THERE. That’s politics!

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

Sex Machine!

James Brown the Godfather of Soul, the hardest working man in show business, and undoubtedly the Funkiest human ever to walk the planet is set to be honored by the Kennedy Center for his achievements. Although the Godfather is a ripe 70 years old he still dominates the stage with electrifying, ass-rocking, vitality that even the younger Rap and R&B artists can’t seem to muster. It just goes to show that age is no limiting factor when it comes to getting your groove on.

A concerned reader wrote in the other day about the ‘Pop-up Ads’ that they received from PhreshWater.com upon their visit. I want to point out that during my search this morning to find the ONE James Brown story on the Internet that didn’t have a ‘Pop-up’ Ad tagged onto it was a long and aggravating battle. After browsing nearly a dozen websites I finally found a news source worthy of adding to the News Ticker. Let me say that being part of the independent media that we need some advertising to keep afloat but I promise you that PhreshWater.com will NEVER accept ‘Pop-up or Under’ Ads of any kind. That type of invasive visual pollution just makes me sick. However, when we link away from our site we can’t control the devious advertising schemes of the other news sources that are present on the Internet.

If anyone else is fed up with ‘Visual Pollution’ (Force-Fed Images such as Billboards, Pop-up Ads etc.) I’d like to hear your thoughts on the subject. This is an editorial column which means your voice is just as important, or more important, than mine. Don’t just sit back and let it all slide by: Free minds need Free voices. That’s what PhreshWater.com is all about.


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

Novoselic for President

Earlier in the week Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic announced he is done with the music business and is giving up his latest musical project in exchange for a shot at politics. Eyes Adrift, Novoselic’s latest band configuration with Meat Puppets Kurt Kirkwood and ex-Sublime Drummer Bud Gaugh, seemed to be a good outlet for Krist but led him closer to his true self and interests. You can read Krist’s official statement at the Eyes Adrift website HERE.

I would give anything to see Novoselic vs. G.W., rock legend up against half-wit oil baron, this upcoming election! And just think about all the kids who thought ‘Cigar Willy’ Clinton was hip because he could blow a sax, amongst other things. With Krist as our new President he could incite a mosh-pit to really liven up those White House press conferences. Of Course, Donald Rumsfeld would have to loosen up a bit and stop wearing those crappy ties…

In the wake of 9.11 and the ‘Bush World War’ that have since taken place I want to implore the music fans of this world to not simply sit on the outside and get lulled to sleep with the rest of the mediocre Americans this upcoming election. Let’s get our heads on straight and not forget the big scam that happened last time when the candidate who accumulated the most votes was the loser……

S. Remington - Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions or Comments: editor@phreshwater.com

Happy Birthday Jerry

Guitar and music legend Jerry Garcia was born this day in San Francisco, California. Although losing a fingertip in a wood chopping accident at the age of five Jerry would kindle his love of music by learning how to play the piano, guitar, and the banjo. During the early sixties Jerry would play in many musical configurations including the Asphalt Jungle Boys, Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers, Hart Valley Drifters, The Wildwood Boys, and then would help form the Warlocks in 1965. The Warlocks first paying gig was at Magoo’s Pizza Parlor and they later went on to become the house band for Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests. Later that year the Grateful Dead were formed in San Francisco.

Jerry Garcia would influence many over the years and share the stage, studio, and front porch with greats including Merl Saunders, David Grisman and Bob Dylan. I could probably sit behind this desk today and write about him until lunch, take a break, and return until bedtime. I want to remember Jerry today like most of us want to be remembered and spoke about while we are not in the room. I want to remember him not because of his shortcomings or his troubles. I want to remember him alive on stage playing his guitar with thousands of people smiling back up at him in the crowd.


S. Remington - Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions or Comments: editor@phreshwater.com

Mass Media?

The move was successful but in the process we learned that we would have a bit less space. Being an audiophile, the stereo was set up immediately although we didn’t have a clean drinking glass from the boxes strewn across the floor. The CD’s made their way into the media rack, into the entertainment center, into the CD jukebox and case organizer, and then nowhere. I looked around and realized I’d run out of storage for the rest of the music and I stood dumfounded in the middle of the den. My brother mentioned that he had went through his collection a few months ago and his wife took the box of discs to work and her coworkers quickly pillaged the stash.

I thought about all this for a second, walked over to the media rack and glanced over Charles Mingus, Ween, Sly and the Family Stone and Frank Sinatra. I must have spent some time going over the titles and humming tunes because my brother’s voice broke into my trance state imploring me to, ‘Pick out the ones you don’t really listen to.’ Quickly, I became like Bilbo Baggins protecting his ‘precious’ ring as I snarled and huddled closer to my wall of CD’s. How could I give up my life long ambition of having every inch of living space dedicated to music? Anyone who comes closer is going to loose an eye!

Well, no music had to perish in the move and the discs without a bed are snuggled closely together in shoe boxes over in the corner. I guess they’ll remain there over the next few days and go unnoticed with all the other clutter or until someone complains about them taking up room. Is there any music that I ‘don’t really listen to’? I may have to eat cereal out of my hand this morning but I’ll have my precious music playing throughout the house as the milk slips between my fingers.


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

Moving Day

Thanks for visiting the PhreshWater Editorial Blog. I am moving over the next few days and will return to posting by Wednesday. If you have any music related subjects that we should cover after my return please email them and we'll get started.

S. Remington - Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions or Comments: editor@phreshwater.com

Download This…

How many songs did you download last week? Are you using Kazaa, Morpheus, Grokster? The music news headlines have become, on the ‘pop’ end of the scope, a virtual propaganda street brawl between artists, the recording industry, politicians, and now my cat wants to call a press conference. The RIAA has brought out their big guns and in the image of Big Brother have decided to employ their ‘Police State’ tactics to go directly into your home, handcuff you and your hard drive and slam you both into the back of the paddy wagon.

Do you think I’m kidding? The RIAA has already issued subpoenas for over 200 people using the Kazaa network for offering copyrighted music for download and who’s to stop them from hauling them off to the electric chair? I guess when your over paid lawyers can’t get a handle on things and are fighting a seemingly loosing battle, like alcohol prohibition, you simply aim your rifle into the crowd and start picking off bystanders to get your point across.

The issues that never seem to come from the talking heads on CNN and from the mouths of the spineless RIAA thugs is why illegal downloading has happened in the first place. If you want to find the source of this problem then follow the stream back to the recording industry who has sat on its enlarged, gluttonous, haunches for the past ten years getting fatter and fatter on over priced CD’s and siphoning the pockets of pre-teen women with clone after clone of the next Boy Band! Suddenly, after their long slumber, they realize they have ignored the advances of technology, the global community, and a budding new industry of digital music on demand. Because they didn’t pay attention and wallowed in their own incestuous greed the recording industry is lagging slowly behind, trying to catch up, and their poor ego’s have been bruised in the process.

But, there are success stories that can’t be ignored. Fans of ‘Live’ music have banded together with the artists themselves and continue to offer free, legal, live performance recordings for download. Furthur network is teeming with material ranging from Bluegrass, Jazz, Jam Bands, and beyond because of the expressed written consent of the artists themselves. Phish even had the foresight to open it’s own LivePhish.com which comes right off the soundboard, clean as a whistle, and into your CD-Burner.

So, the RIAA continues to play Gestapo and not offer any real solutions, which is that the recording industry needs to regroup and get their shit together before they loose even more ground.

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

Viral Stupidity

As a music writer my inbox is filled to the brim every morning with press releases, newsletters, amidst the spam and scant personal fare. On Tuesday I saw that one of my favorite Jazz newsletters had arrived and my eyes moved quickly down the browser to the first headline that stated clearly that Metallica was suing the Canadian Rock band Unfaith for using the guitar chords E and F. Naturally, with my punk rock non-conformist upbringing, I rose from my chair and yelled something to the effect of ‘No @#%&;$ way!’

I felt compelled to mobilize quickly as my anger propelled me to Google to find the band Unfaith who had, undoubtedly, become the next victims in the wake of Metallica’s whining tyranny. The Unfaith home page met my eyes with Lars Ulrich’s gaping mouth like a stranger had stole his lollipop and my anger raised up inside like a monsoon. But as I read, I realized that I had been had… Apparently, this was all a hoax and my trusty Jazz newsletter had incited the same hysteria in me as many others who found the story, like I had, to defy the laws of common sense and musical integrity.

Quickly, I called up the newsletter and pounded out a quick note to the Editor that they had printed a hoax. Later in the day the Editor wrote back saying they knew it was a hoax all the while and that, ‘The beauty is that it's not inconceivable for Lars to launch into something like this after the Napster episode...,’ and that they would print it was just a hoax in a few days.

Is viral stupidity everywhere? Why would you knowingly reprint a hoax to prove a point? I suppose in this day and age where personal responsibility has become an afterthought that it all made sense to someone, somewhere…….

S. Remington - Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions or Comments: editor@phreshwater.com

Welcome Music Fans

Thank you for visiting the PhreshWater Blog powered by 'Blogger'. If you have no idea what PhreshWater.com is all about then please stop over for a visit. Our staff, Interns, and Music Fans from all over the world come together to bring you, via Independent Journalism, the latest in Music News and Reviews. What is 'Independent Journalism'? ---- It means that no matter how many millions and billions of dollars that the record industry pours into super-hyped publicity we will report and write about music the way it should be --- With a Free and Open Mind. We are not funded by any outside sources and we are only fueled and read by avid music fans who understand 'quality'. If a band can pawn off 1 milllion cookie-cutter, over-produced, CD's does it mean that it was the 'Album of the Year'? Not necessarily.....

This 'Blog' is going to serve PhreshWater.com readers, New readers, and Blog-Hoppers as a type of 'Letters to the Editor' section that I will try my best to make a daily addition. The topic will always be music related and you are more than welcome to Email me any questions or topics that you would like to discuss and I may even publish your letter in it's entirety.

Take care and visit again -- Let's Blog!

S. Remington - Editor
PhreshWater.com
Questions or Comments: editor@phreshwater.com