‘RIAA! Freeze Motherfucker! Slowly Step Away From The Computer!’
BY MICHAEL FICHMAN A blog called Thou Shall Not Leak (shouldn’t that be “shalt?”) has gotten all sorts of attention on it’s first day, thanks to the internet sleuthing of my homegirl Maura‘s posse at Idolator. Here’s what the single, solitary post on TSNL had to say:
Hi,
Instead of doing what everyone else has done and create a blog to leak music to people ahead of release dates illegally, I thought (largely since I work in the industry and people’s lack of care or respect for the hard work artists and the people who put out records appals me) I’d create a little blog to post the names, indelible and set out for all to see, of those people who’ve been given the care of having an early copy of a release and have set that responsibility aside and leaked the record they were entrusted with.
I feel perhaps a bit vindictive doing this, but on the other hand, the lack of care brought to the table by the other parties whose names will be listed here is more than grossly inappropriate.
Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments.
Instead of letting this guy (Name: JP, Location: Ann Arbor, MI) know in his comments, I figured I should out
him on another blog as being a little twisted up here. JP, (if that is your real name, not Brad Buckles) granted it hurts bands when records get leaked, but shouldn’t you leave this to the RIAA, for whom hunting “leakers” and “sharers” and “mixtape makers” is perhaps their all consuming task? So many questions here:
Is this the mp3-blog equivalent of those guys who drive around in the desert all day trying to catch Mexicans immigrating illegally? You know, only nerdier and with shittier outfits?
Are you mad that Gorilla vs. Bear won’t post your shit? (Try putting an animal in the name of your band.)
ARE YOU GERARD?
What happens when you publish somebody’s name and the RIAA pops them (because the RIAA is some sort of pseudo-governmental entity somehow)… and it turns out they did nothing wrong?
Frankly JP, I can’t help but think you have an axe to grind. If somebody leaked your shit and screwed up your release (Lupe Fiasco), just come out and say it. If you secretly work for the RIAA (Metallica), then it’s only a matter of time before we find out you live in your mom’s basement. I can’t help but think that a reasoned plea for rationality and respect for artists wouldn’t be a better idea. Make some sort of ethical justification for not leaking promos and then figure out a reason why record companies are STILL GIVING THEM OUT! Propose an economically viable alternative. Stop being a little McCarthyist blogger bitch just because your band sucks.
Disclaimer: I don’t actually think Metallica secretly works for the RIAA. But I’m sure they are Brad Buckles’ favorite band. It should also be noted that “JP” deleted his location and his other blog in between the writing of this column and its publishing. Shady!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Fich is the first ordained rabbi in the musical church of Robot James Brown. He owns a lot of records and people pay him to play them. He writes for Just Sayin?.