FBI Anti-Piracy Warning!

I'm going to start a new feature tomorrow ... I was hesitating in doing it for two reasons: first of all, simp that I am, I didn't know how to do it; and secondly, I'm rather against the whole file-sharing thing. Yes, what I'm about to grace you dear readers with is my new "Song of the Month" feature! [Applause, applause!] But before I post the first download, I thought I'd chat a bit about the file-sharing issue in general, and how it relates to my "Song of the Month" posts in particular, if you'd be so kind as to indulge me for a few minutes....

I've always rather disliked the concept of free file-sharing, mostly because I strongly believe that artists should get paid for their music, and that we should be willing to pay for it if we are to be truly respected as "music lovers". Truth be told, I've downloaded an MP3 every once in a long while without paying for it, but I've always (and I do mean ALWAYS) either bought the CD if I liked the song, or deleted the song if I didn't. At the same time, I have very little sympathy for the U.S. music industry, for a number of reasons (which I may go into in a future post, if anyone out there is curious). Suffice to say, I could go on and on about the dumb-ass shenanigans of the corporate music mucky-mucks, and the bleak wasteland they've turned the music industry into, but I sort-of promised you a reasonably brief entry.

Okay, let's cut to the obvious question: If I dislike file-sharing so much, why am I doing it? Well, I have a few arguments in my defense. First of all, the only songs you'll be downloading from this site are either commercially unavailable in the U.S. and most other places, or are out-of-print everywhere; that makes it, in my mind, harder for the recording industry to justify a cry of "lost revenue" from my slow trickle of postings. Secondly, I've bought a lot of CDs over the years ... so many that the manager of a local store told me himself that my patronage alone kept them from closing months earlier than they eventually did. If the recording industry were aware of the 1,000 CDs that adorn my bookshelves, not to mention the hundreds that I've traded in over the years, they would not only find it really hard to prosecute me for music piracy (despite the fact that I do make the occasional mix CD for friends and family), they would probably be compelled to -- if I may be blunt -- get on their knees and kiss my ass.

Okay, I think that's about all I have to say on the issue, and I hope I've mitigated the concerns of the FBI, the RIAA, and any other concerned parties. And now, the obligatory disclaimer, which I've also posted at the top right of the blog's homepage:

Any song download posted in this blog is meant for evaluation purposes only, and as an entirely unofficial and unsolicited promotion for the artist who recorded it. No profit is being made by my posting the file, and it is requested that you please not distribute it further. If the song is not to your liking, I kindly ask you to delete it from your computer; but if you enjoy the song, I encourage you to seek out the CD from which it came.