Special Note to
Michael and Ian Wright

If I knew your current address, I would be sending you a royalty check for Hayden's Wall.

AzOz RSS Feed

Other Topics

Miscellaneous Stuff

Essential Guide to Piracy

Thomas Edison, IP and the Recording Industry

Building a Practical Cyber-Jukebox

50 Ways to Leave Your Label

RIAA Lawsuit Decision Matrix

File-Sharing Debate Dead and Buried


Sony Invalidates IODA's Independent Status

July 3, 2009 -- The Independent Online Distribution Alliance became decidedly less independent this week when Sony bought part of it. I'm thinking they should be legally obligated to change their name. (More at Wired)

Random Staccato

July 2, 2009 -- Haven't paid much attention to the news lately. Let's see what's going on. (More)

Starting Over

July 1, 2009 -- When we did Hayden's Wall in 2002, the RIAA ended up inspiring us to more or less give it away for free on the Internet. Now that the entire music industry is irrelevant, a better plan is in order. (More)

A Few Free Samples

We're giving you a limited opportunity to grab 6 tunes off of Hurricane Alley's Category One (128k mp3s), most of which will be vapor once the record hits retail. But it's certainly enough to give you a feel for the album.

Elusive Jackalope Disappears

June 29, 2009 -- It's kind of a bummer when you drive 150 miles or so to play a gig, only to find out the club has been abandoned. This past weekend, that bummer was named The Jackalope, a club in Nogales, Arizona. (More)

Hurricane Alley's Category One Released to Retail

June 23, 2009 -- It seems like it took forever, but our new album is finally done and delivered to retail. Now, it's time to consider all of those things I've been dreading -- like selling it. And giving it away. (More)

Follow-up -- June 30, 2009 -- Makin' Copies.

ASCAP Calls In Another Really Bad Idea

June 19, 2009 -- I'm starting to think that these guys have a box full of bad ideas and once every week or so, they pull one out and give it a go. Having already annoyed every Girl Scout camp, bar, dentist office, mall, and even local bands with cover songs on their web sites, ASCAP now wants to be paid every time your phone rings. (More)

$2 Million For 24 Songs?

June 19, 2009 -- This is, of course, preposterous. My question is about the wisdom (or lack thereof) of the jury. (More)

DRM Dimwits Still Trying to Kill Off Music

June 13, 2009 -- Saw the headline at Slashdot, but didn't read the conversation or the original article because any such plan still ignores basic physics and thus is doomed to failure. And follow-up thoughts about ASCAP. (More)

ASCAP Tries to Bill AzOz For Cover Songs

June 11, 2009 -- Riding the back side of the RIAA's wave of stupid is ASCAP, which is now apparently asking a minimum of $340 if your band's music page has cover songs. Needless to say, our music page no longer has any. (More)

RIAA Dares To Be Stupid

June 4, 2009 -- Jammie Thomas, now married and with a new lawyer, gets ready for a new trial, while the RIAA files motions asking for the same flawed jury instructions that caused a mistrial the first go-round. If they had a brain, they'd be dangerous. (More)

A Memorable Birthday Bash

June 1, 2009 -- A report from my third show with Hurricane Alley, this time from a private party in Rio Rico, Arizona, almost at the Mexican border. (More)

News Briefs

June 1, 2009 -- Widely repeated across the Internet today is the story that Jimi Hendrix was murdered by his manager. If true, this is going to screw up a lot of conspiracy theorists who have been saying for years that the CIA did it.

Susan Boyle -- A perfect example of how the record business has destroyed music by insisting that female artists be little more than lip-syncing strippers. Every time Boyle comes up in conversation and people try to find a nice way to say they thought she was too unattractive to have such a beautiful voice, I think, Hello? Has everyone forgotten Janis Joplin? Patti Smith? Mama Cass? Compared to Janis, Susan Boyle is a looker.

When image, sex and Autotune is everything, the creativity and content have already joined talent in the back seat.

Idle Chatter

May 22, 2009 -- Over at CNN, "Little" Stevie Van Zandt is saying that rock is almost dead because kids these days aren't doing it right. He might be right, but there's a little more to it than that. (More)

Step By Step...

May 17, 2009 -- Another live show report, plus progress status on the album. (More)

Crooks and Liars

May 11, 2009 -- In December, the RIAA told Congress that they weren't going to file any new lawsuits. Turns out they were talking about something else. But that's okay. Everyone lies to Congress and nothing ever comes of it. (More)

Rocking Out With Vietnam Vets

May 5, 2009 -- Two days ago, we played for a crowd of Tucson-area Vietnam Vets and had such a great time that I just have to write about it. (More)

Peeking Out at the Real World

May 2, 2009 -- I live in Phoenix. According to the media, the city is overrun by Mexican drug cartels, who are buying assault weapons, selling pot and kidnapping everyone in sight. Now there's the swine flu story. I should be afraid to go outside. (More)

News Archive

Great concert tickets like
Toby Keith tickets,
Van Halen tickets,
Hannah Montana tickets,
Stevie Wonder tickets and
Dave Matthews Band tickets.

How the RIAA Litigation Process Really Works

Recording Industry vs The People

Scanning the Internet
for Good Music

The Criteria: I liked it

Lodger

Tic Tac Orchestra

Empire Day

Joe Myers