Saturday, December 10, 2005

Wilco's Jeff Tweedy on File Sharing

Admittedly, the bulk of this AP interview (from the Mercury News in San Jose, CA) is reporter John Carrucci asking basic band questions of Jeff Tweedy. However, I liked the Wilco frontman's take on file sharing and thought I'd pass it along. It's not long or profound; it won't make you run for your dictionary. Just one very successful musician talking about his craft and it's distribution. Without giving it all away, here's a quick bite:
I think more than anything else it has engendered an enthusiasm for music. It's a no-brainer that it should be embraced, that's kind the whole point of making music, to be heard. The only thing that stands in the way of making sense to most people is greed.
Nicely put.

via Pregnant Without Intercourse who got it from Largehearted Boy...My God, it's like a disease! Quick! Call a Royal Commission!

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Freedom from the Chains

Former Canadian crime reporter Jeremy Mercer has selected his top ten bookshops in the world. He seems to have missed mine, but This Ain't The Rosedale Library made the list, so that's cool. From this article in the Guardian:
Bookstores are sanctuaries. Places to lose yourself, escape the harsh demands of daily life, find new ways to dream and new sources of inspiration. I love all booksellers; anybody who helps spread the word is doing noble work. But my favourite bookstores are the small eccentric independents run by passionate and usually slightly mad book lovers. These are some of the best.

So for those travelling hither and yon, here's a way to unshackle thyself from the chain stores.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Ok Go Say No Go

To be clear, I'm not about theft. I don't condone stealing from hard working artists. I do, however, have a hard time with people screwing around with my computer without my explicit permission. This is why I won't buy Sony/BMG CDs again. And I'm not alone. Damian Kulash Jr., the lead singer for OK Go has a hard time with a large media conglomerate (which also makes money from recording media manufacture) screwing around with a young band's audience. Check out his opinion piece in the New York Times.

Copyright and intellectual property isn't a cut and dry issue. It's about control. Too often the creators of art/inventions/innovations don't have it. This is the true crime.

Via the springy boing boing

Monday, December 05, 2005

Movie Review: The Squid and the Whale

The Squid and the Whale
Director & Writer: Noah Baumbach

I imagine you’ve read and heard everyone rave about this picture. Pay attention. The Squid and the Whale, based on director/writer Noah Baumbach’s boyhood is a poignant story written with honest candour.

Set in 1986 Brooklyn, in the Park Slope neighbourhood, the story bares the pain, anger, and confusion of the Berkman family divorce. The father, Bernard (Jeff Daniels), has seen his literary star dull while he polishes the work of his grad students. Meanwhile, his wife Joan (Laura Linney) is making a dent in the New York world of letters. The boys Frank (Owen Kline) and Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) bear the brunt of adult frustrations and infidelity.

Baumbach’s writing is top notch and scathing. While the characters demand a certain amount of empathy or anger, they are written and played with human complexity thereby failing to deliver cliché. Veterans Daniels and Linney are both great but merely support the heart-wrenchingly sweet performances of Kline and Eisenberg. You cannot take your eyes or ears off of either of them. Boys are definitely boys here; no soft-focus saccharine sentimentality; no purposeful twanging of heartstrings. Both actors will make strong dramatic appearances again, one hopes.

A wonderful film.