Via the band’s official website, Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan has announced that the band’s upcoming album, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope will be released completely free, and feature 44 tracks.
The songs will be completely free through the band’s website and will not even require an email address to download.
Says Corgan: “Each song will be made available absolutely for free, to anyone anywhere. There will be no strings attached. Free will mean free, which means you won’t have to sign up for anything, give an email address, or jump through a hoop. You will be able to go and take the song or songs as you wish, as many times as you wish.”
In order to make money, the band will sell “highly limited edition EP’s (of 4 songs each times 11).” The EPs will come with art and will serve as “collectors items” for long time fans, adds Corgan.
The band may “also offer other variations for sale, say for example a digital single with a demo version of a song.”
Corgan oncludes: The commitment that is most important is the one I’m making to you: that the music of ‘Teargarden by Kaleidyscope’ will be available for free to everyone. All 44 songs: free for ALL.
Result for: lead singer
Jello Biafra, the former Dead Kennedys lead singer, recently had a few choice words for the RIAA, going as far as to say that the group reminds him of the mafia.
“I have two different opinions on file-sharing,” says Biafra, “you may take from the big labels…because the only thing they do is steal from both the artists and the audience.”
Besides calling the big labels the “bad guys”, he placed the “small guys” on the “good side.” “Don’t take from the smaller, independent labels. Then fantastic bands would have to surrender way too early, because they can’t afford it,” he says.
“Support the independent labels, but the big ones –****’em. Anyways, I haven’t found anything in many years which come from a large label worth buying” adds Biafra.
Moving on to the RIAA, Biafra gets even angrier.
“The RIAA reminds me most of the Godfather,” Biafra says, actually going into a Marlon Brando impression, “we will sue you. If you want out of this without going to court, we can make an arrangement: Give us $5000. If not, you will find a horses head in your bed.”
“They are doing this to 12 year old girls, they are doing it to 80 year old women, and they do it to students. There are plenty of examples that show people having to quit school because they had to give all their money to the recording industry instead,” he finally notes.
There are many of us who agree with these statements, especially knowing how little these lawsuits have done to stop overall piracy. The model has changed, but the record industry has not adapted as quickly as they should have.
Result for: lead singer
According to Nielsen SoundScan, the Journey track “Don’t Stop Believin’”, originally released in 1981, has become the first catalog digital download in history to reach the 2 million sold milestone.
“Believin’” is at 2.03 million downloads since it reached legal download services in April 2003 and has seen increased popularity through famous placements such as during the final scene of “The Sopranos” and in episodes of “Family Guy” and “Laguna Beach.” The recent addition of a new lead singer and a tour has also helped bring the song back into the spotlight.
“They are one of the most important artists we have,” Sony Music Entertainment Commercial Music Group president John Ingrassia says. “We’re constantly working with the band and our team to create new products or highlight the catalog.”
Ingrassia added, “We always do search engine marketing and promotion through the Web sites of TV shows or other partners, but now we can go to DSPs (digital service providers) and say, ‘We can do a lot more with this if you’ll work with us.’”
Well done Journey.
