Open2Discussion

Those are the powerful words that Maynard opens the last song of Tool's most recent album: 7empest -- Fear Inoculum. This album released in 2019 is the soundtrack for the entire year of 2020. So let's jump right in... It's been a hell of a year this 2020 CE. So many things to unpack, so many lies told, and so many millions dealing with the loss of a job, loss of their homes, or loss of loved ones - surreal isn't even a strong enough word to describe this mess we're experiencing in the US of A. At this point we've already seen over 150,000 deaths related to COVID-19 and symptoms like it, but we're reopening schools across the nation this fall! I could spend hours diving into any one of these topics, but if you've been living under a rock (and who hasn't envied it) since February, here's a rough catalog of the things that have happened. March 2020  COVID-19 became a household term thrown around 200 million+ households multiple times a day Tiger Ki...

The RIAA/MPAA and apparently the US Government think: An artist must have copyright or else they will not be able to make a living, and nothing will be created. How about this... if that's the only job an artist has (selling copyrights), it's time to get a new one. When the US economy tanked in 2008, my previous employer decided they weren't going to give any raises for 3 years straight. However, the costs for healthcare, food, gasoline and living expenses skyrocketed. If I stayed at my old job, I wasn't making enough to survive. It's that simple. So I went and got a new job that paid more money. It's not the same job I did before, but now I can pay my bills and survive, and I'm better off for it. If a musician can't make money selling their copyrights to labels, my argument is this - perhaps they should do something else. It doesn't mean they should sue someone who listens to their music without paying for it. It means they find a NEW way...