Comments on: The Great Pumpkin Goes To Congress

By: Mars

Mars — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:42:41 +0000

I haven’t listened to ‘rock’ radio since 1992. AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU!

By: Swan Fungus » Smashing Pumpkins, Shooting Arrows, Pink Elephants, Hangman, Space Bats, Computer Fingers

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:33:27 +0000

[...] then this happened. Four days ago Recording Industry vs. The People picked up on my story about Billy Corgan doing the bidding of his RIAA slave masters, and last night Greg Kot at the Chicago Tribute blogged that Jimmy Chamberlain has left Smashing [...]

By: Quentin Peppersmith

Quentin Peppersmith — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:38:45 +0000

And the guys ‘n’ gals making saving billions because of a legal loophole aren’t villains? Admit it, the only reason for this one-sided garbage is because you think that he’s a rich guy whining for more money. And that may be so, but if a struggling independant artist gets their song on the radio, shouldn’t they at least be compensated for the money the radio station gets? How would this make anything worse off for the artist? And isn’t it Sasha Grey’s birthday? Why can’t a guy go to a friends birthday party, even if he’s a prick and she’s a porn star. (I wonder who pops out of the cake at a porn star’s birthday…..a lawyer?).

By: Fred Wilhelms

Fred Wilhelms — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:56:59 +0000

Mitch Bainwol is flat out lying when he says that half the license revenue will go to artists “regardless of any other contracts.”

The current language of the bill before Congress guarantees the 50% for artists only if the broadcaster agrees to the statutory license rates and do not attempt to negotiate a lower overall rate. If they negotiate a lower rate, ALL the money goes to the label and they get to pay the artist “according to their contracts.”

Do you think ClearChannel is not going to look to reduce it’s overall royalty obligation by negotiating a lower rate, say at 75% of the statutory rate?

Do you think the labels aren’t going to agree to that 75% rate when they get to keep almost all that money, rather than just the 50% of the full statutory rate?

The only ones screwed by this arrangement are the artists. Billy Corgan has betrayed all artists by speaking up for this scam.

By: Ray Beckerman

Ray Beckerman — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:46:32 +0000

1. Great article.

2. Billy Corgan is the RIAA’s bitch, and an Uncle Tom.

By: Melvillain

Melvillain — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:59:26 +0000

Luckily, they will fall. Every axe chop gets us one moment closer to yelling “timber!”. They’re actually ushering their own destruction by lobbying for the Performance Rights Act. Radio is almost a dead medium anyway. That started with the advent of the internet. Clear Channel consolidating stations didn’t help either. Obviously, all the Performance Rights Act will do is force out independent radio stations. A lack of independent radio stations will lead to greater consolidation. That in turn will make radio sound even blander than it does now. Which leads to the rise of pirate radio, internet distribution, live shows, or people will just abandon popular music. That will leave the hungry ones, who are willing to forgo a payoff just to be heard. Rock n roll as rebellion lives again. A change is gonna come.
Thanks for your thoughts.

By: M.

M. — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:32:35 +0000

Wow, I didn’t think there was any way that I could possibly hate Billy Corgan more. Thanks for adding to the repertoire of thing the Great Pumpkin does that make my bowels churn.