52media produced the world’s first streaming media webcast which introduced My Morning Jacket, Paul K and the Prayers and over 300 other Independent artists to tens of thousands of early broadband adopters. This incredible online event which was sponsored by Microsoft, Diamond Multimedia and MP3.com helped to pave the way for companies such as YouTube and Hulu while raising over two tons of canned goods for charity.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
The CMCFund is Working!
AVERAGE COLLECTED: $19.08[/b]
[quote]I've listened to your music and have greatly enjoyed it over the past couple years. I look forward to hearing more from you soon. I'm sure its going to inspire you to create some damn good music out of this fiasco. Keep up the good work. moontrains ($10.00)[/quote]
[quote]To further the Intergalactic circulation of CMC's music, here's my $10 spot. sogax ($10.00)[/quote]
Come on people give until it hurts
If you are one of the other 3 who have given, please send a little blurb so we can post it.
Thanks in advance...Flo
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
CMC Fund: The 1999 MP3.com Rolling Stone AD Fiasco Revisited
I was just asked by a good friend for some help ($$).
More on that later.
In late 1998 I was hanging out at the old MP3.com Message Board when they were indie before their IPO and before they soldout to Vivendi, chatting with some pretty brilliant artists who spanned the globe. At this time there were less than 1000 pioneering artists utilizing digital distribution through the 'net. More on them later.
I had an idea to place a full page ad in Rolling Stone for one of the artists that I couldn't understand wasn't signed to a large label. His name is The Crack Emcee (www.myspace.com/thecrackemcee).
I called the President/CEO of MP3.com at the time and convinced him that I could raise enough support from the less than 1000 pioneering artists that were using his site to promote their indie music to pay for 50% of the Rolling Stone bill.
He told me that he would pay the other half.
I got to work. In less than 1 week we had over $6,000.00 in support from the indie artists and were on our way to placing the ad.
At that point people started to question why The Crack Emcee deserved to be the only artist featured in the ad and over the next several days the entire 'project' fell apart. The President/CEO of MP3.com's ADD didn't help too much either - haha.
Anyway back to my friend's request.
I don't have the amount he needs so I thought I would reach out to every music community out there to see if we could put together a similiar project not to promote his music but to save him from losing his apartment, his instruments and his recording equipment because his wife left him while taking all of their savings in the process.
He's really in a tight spot and this is the time where all good inie artists should come to the aid of their fellow indie artists.
If you were there back in 1998 and feel the same regret of not seeing that Rolling Stone AD to the end, here is your chance to do something about it.
CMCFund PayPal E-mail Address
I'm sure he would appreciate if you can give whatever you can to this effort. If donating is out of the question, please contact me at the same e-mail address and let me know how you can help. Anything you can do will be appreciated.
Karma is a blast you all.
Sincerely,
Flo
52media.com
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
A creative use of Digital Distribution
I just found out that Death Cab is releasing 12 videos for each song off the band's major label debut "PLANS." Every song off of Plans will be shot by a different director and released one by one through [b]Digital Distribution[/b] over the next several months on their website.
This project gives a lot of merit to their decision to sign with a major label in the first place, um...budget, as well as show how digital distribution is increasing the the channels artists have to promote their records ....Flo
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The unprecedented collection came about as the brainchild of otaku-house, the production company owned and run by childhood friends Nick Harmer, bassist for Death Cab for Cutie, and video director Aaron Stewart-Ahn. They saw the opportunity to enlist a variety of talented young artists to each make a short film set to a Death Cab song, without the constraints of the traditional music video -- no arbitrary performance footage, the band themselves would not appear in the films. Though the budgets would be small, there would be no creative limits placed upon the filmmakers' imaginations. The ultimate goal was to create a series of small films that worked together as both individual pieces of art and as a unified whole.
Stewart-Ahn and the band compiled a list of directors, including superstars, up-and-coming new talents, and even a graphic novelist who had never had his work animated before. "We named the project 'DIRECTIONS,'" says Stewart-Ahn, "because it's a pun on 'PLANS,' obviously, but ultimately because we feel this project is about unique directorial visions more than anything else. We wanted to create a situation where that would be the emphasis, and I feel the list of directors alone proves that."
Among the filmmakers contributing to "DIRECTIONS" are Lance Bangs, famed for his work alongside Spike Jonze, as well as his videos for such artists as R.E.M. and Green Day; P.R. Brown, who has directed videos for Billy Corgan, Matisyahu and Motley Crue; Ace Norton, a stop-frame animation maestro; acclaimed graphic novelist Jeffrey Brown ("Clumsy"); the Cincinnati-based motion design collective, Lightborne; longtime Death Cab photographer Autumn de Wilde; writer/director Rob Schrab, the mind behind the legendary never-aired Jack Black pilot, "Heat Vision and Jack," and co-founder of the Channel 101 website; acclaimed music video directors Laurent Briet and Monkmus, as well as Stewart-Ahn himself, following up his critically hailed video debut, the Decemberists' "16 Military Wives."
"Each interpretation is phenomenal and our hats go off to everyone involved," says Death Cab's Ben Gibbard. "It's our hope that this project serves as a model to both labels and bands as a way to grant the directors the type and amount of freedom we've enjoyed in the creation of the music itself."
"We have truly been blessed to have met so many creative and energetic artists over the years of being a band," says Harmer. "It just seemed so appropriate to build a project that so many artists that we admire could be a part of and it's so inspiring to stand back and watch them work."
"It's thrilling to have so many enthusiastic artists involved," comments guitarist Chris Walla, "and better still that they're such a varied bunch: Some are heroes; some are exceptionally talented friends; some are brilliant people none of us had heard of. I don't know of any projects quite like this one, and it's a testament to Atlantic's commitment to our artistic vision (and partial lunacy) that they've gotten behind us completely to ensure that it happens."
"They're all so good," concludes drummer Jason McGerr. "The first rough cut I saw blew my expectations out of the water. To read about someone else's interpretation of your song simply isn't enough. To be given an opportunity to see it through their eyes is astonishing."

Multimedia & Death Cab Fans - CLICK HERE
Monday, March 06, 2006
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http://www.wolfmother.com People unite for the Wolfies have returned from the canyons of L.A with a fusion of freaked out jamming, delicate melodies and gallant rock riffage that shall be known collectively as Wolfmother. Myles Heskett, Chris Ross and Andrew Stockdale are the key holders to the future of all things Wolf . Together they write all their songs while contributing drums, bass/keyboards and guitar/vocals respectively. In their lives before Wolfmother, Myles worked in graphics, Chris in things digital and Andrew was a photographer so they all shared a passion for creative expression. After years of jamming in anonymity they finally stepped out in public during early 2004, playing shows and signing to Modular Recordings. Later that year the trio released an independent EP that caused ink to be spilled and fans to be won. Then after 6 months of nonstop Australian and overseas touring it was time to start creating a vast album with a deceptively simple title. Their partner in this conception was producer D. Sardy; catalyst for the likes of Dandy Warhols, Oasis, Autolux, Jet and Helmet. Chris, Andrew and Myles decamped to L.A. in May, 2005 and rented an abandoned Hollywood recording studio called Cherokee for their rehearsal space. In its heyday Cherokee hosted sessions like Pink Floyd's "The Wall" but most of its equipment has since been sold or stolen. Even so, from this barren place came lush things as freeform jams evolved into fully formed songs. The themes of the album also took shape in the City Of Angels; a city that thrives on chaos presenting many lyrical possibilities to Andrew Stockdale. The complexities of living in the metropolis also helped shape the escapist imagery of Wolfmother... simple philosophies for complex times. After six weeks of focused creativity at Cherokee - and many fish tacos - the band finally began recording at legendary studio, Sound City. As a result 'Wolfmother' was incubated in the same room as albums like 'Nevermind' and 'Rumours'. After just two weeks in that cavernous space the band had captured the inspired live performances which would form the backbone of their debut album. They then spent another month elsewhere in L.A. adding the little touches that help make 'Wolfmother' such a sprawling beast. And in their downtime they became Champions of every pinball machine in the valley. Throughout this process Myles, Andrew and Chris remained committed to retaining the raw, emotive punch of their live performances. Everything was directed toward capturing "the perfect feeling" rather than "faultless performance". The result is a record on which reckless abandon and glorious imperfections underpin the most evocative moments. As their studio time came to an end the band filmed some videos in the same patch of California desert which featured in the original Star Trek before venturing forth for more live shows. The New York Times gushed about their gig downtown and the NME said kind words about their UK trip. Then they came home to hear "Minds Eye" on the radio ushering in the forthcoming Wolfmother album. The disc comes wrapped in some fine art by illustration icon Frank Frazetta. The images are timeless and impossible to ignore - like the music itself - and it all lands in Australia on October 30. At that time Wolfmother will embark on a month long Australian tour. It will be followed by December appearances at the Homebake, Rockit, Meredith and Falls Festivals. 2006 will see the band taking their music to people around the rest of their world. Please experience Wolfmother [link=http://www.wolfmother.com/2005.html]http://www.wolfmother.com/2005.html[/link]
Friday, February 24, 2006
Lords of Dogtown - Revolution In The Streets

Anyone seen it yet?
Jay, Stacy and Tony are my new (anti) heroes.
One of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Great surfing, skateboarding, acting, soundtrack and directing....MUST SEE
It all started from an..
"Edgy documentary on skateboarding..., .....A close-up look at the birth of skate board culture in Southern California, Dogtown and Z-Boys has attitude to burn, just like the sport it documents. Directed by Stacy Peralta, one of the legends of the sport, it captures the punk rock spirit of skate boarding, and perfectly places it into context within the boundaries of time (the 1970s) and location (a neighbourhood between Santa Monica and Venice, California). Even if you are not a fan you'll be fascinated by the story, which is told using a combination of narration, stills, great vintage 1970s skate boarding footage and new interviews with all the key players. Sean Penn provides the narration, and adds a flair all of his own. The opposite of stodgy, Penn speaks to the audience not at them, sounding like someone sitting at a bar telling the tale. At one point in mid-sentence he coughs, pauses for a moment and then continues. It's this kind of approach that gives this movie its edge." Author: mrchaos33 from Toronto, Ontario 5 July 2003
KILLER
Heath Ledger was a terrific boozed up - drugged out hippie surfer / board manufacturer and small Dogtown bidness owner.
The entire young triple threat called the J-Boyz acted heads and shoulders above nearly all the adults in the movie BUT NOT including Rebecca Demorne (sp?).
Most of these new faces have only been in a handful of films like Emperor's Club with Kevin Kline (another great actor) and I'm going to follow their careers to see if they can ever match this film again.
AWESOME
I see this movie as a revolution on the streets.
PUN INTENDED and stolen.
Just like the punk music and new rock (bowie, acdc, etc) music that we were listening to at the time, this event pretty much helped shape the counter-culture that is alive and kicking and marketed to death today.
JUST as it was back than.
Whjat a wicked film.
Bands at the time and after: Iggy, T-Rex, Clash, Suicidal Tendancies and Honk added to the rallying cry & importance of this scene.
"We're gonna fight your brother...,...And raise HELL". Joe Srummer
I love that music man.
FUCKING A
Back in the 70's and STILL today people eat what they are fed from the media and this movie just killed me with their attitude and badassedness and anti-hero nonconformity. I wish there was a movie like this when I was 13 years old. I had "Pump up the Volume" which I believe did me OK, but this would have been a little more enlightening
Like it is NOW for me at age 37.
Sincerely,
Flo
www.52media.com
502.777.5252
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Class Action Settlement/Software Update Notice
[b]The RBB AARR - Making you money and getting you more music from Sony's Fuck-up:)[/b]
Enjoy....Flo
Class Action Settlement/Software Update Notice
***IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTICE/SOFTWARE UPDATE NOTICE***PLEASE READ*** (Please do not respond to this email. Responses will not be read.)
If You Bought, Received or Used a SONY BMG Music Entertainment CD Containing Either XCP or Media Max Content Protection Software, Your Rights May Be Affected By a Class Action Settlement, And You Should Download Updates For That Software.
What is this about?
A settlement has been proposed in a lawsuit brought against SONY BMG Music Entertainment, Inc., SunnComm International Inc., and First 4 Internet, Ltd. ("Defendants"). The lawsuit, In re SONY BMG CD Technologies Litigation, Case No. 1:05-cv-09575-NRB, is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and relates to XCP and MediaMax content protection software installed on certain SONY BMG music CDs.
The Settlement resolves claims that the Defendants manufactured and sold CDs containing XCP and MediaMax software without adequately disclosing the limitations the software imposes on the use of the CDs and the security vulnerabilities it creates. The Defendants have denied that they did anything wrong.
Who Is Included, And What Does The Settlement Provide?
The settlement provides relief for persons who bought, received or used SONY BMG CDs with either XCP or MediaMax software. Under the settlement, any person in possession of an XCP CD can exchange it for a replacement CD, an MP3 download of the same album, and either (a) cash payment of $7.50 and one (1) free album download from a list of 200 albums, or (b) three (3) free album downloads from that list.Purchasers of CDs containing MediaMax 5.0 software will receive a free MP3 download of the same album and one (1) additional free album download. Purchasers of CDs containing MediaMax 3.0 software will receive a free MP3 download of the same album.
The settlement also requires the Defendants to stop manufacturing SONY BMG CDs with XCP or MediaMax 3.0 and 5.0 software and, until 2008: (1) make available updates to fix all known security vulnerabilities caused by XCP and MediaMax software; (2) provide software programs to uninstall XCP and MediaMax software safely; (3) fix any future security vulnerabilities discovered in MediaMax and any other content protection software placed on SONY BMG CDs; (4) provide independent verification that personal information about users of SONY BMG CDs has not and will not be collected through XCP or MediaMax; (5) waive certain provisions of the end user license agreements for XCP and MediaMax software; and (6) ensure that any other content protection software will be clearly disclosed, independently tested and readily uninstalled.
At 9:15a.m. on May 22, 2006, the Court will hold a hearing at the United States District Court, Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse, 500 Pearl Street, Courtroom 21A, New York, New York 10007-1312, to decide whether to approve the settlement and the class attorneys' fees and costs.
How Do I Participate In The Settlement?If you bought or received a SONY BMG Music CD containing XCP or MediaMax software and want to receive the relief you may be eligible for under the settlement, you must submit an online claim form at www.sonybmgcdtechsettlement.com, or mail a claim form to:
SONY BMG CD Technologies SettlementP.O. Box 1804, Faribault, MN 55021-1804
All claim forms must be submitted by December 31, 2006.
What Are My Other Options?
If you bought, received or used a SONY BMG Music CD containing XCP or MediaMax software, and you do not want to be legally bound by the settlement or receive a replacement CD, cash, free downloads or other relief, you must exclude yourself by May 1, 2006. If you do not exclude yourself, certain of your claims against the Defendants that were or could have been asserted in the lawsuit will be released, meaning you may not be able to sue the Defendants for those claims.To view the detailed legal Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement, Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Settlement Fairness Hearing and to download the software updates, visit www.sonybmgcdtechsettlement.com. You may obtain further information by contacting the claims administrator at the address above or by calling toll free 1-800-242-7610.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Songwriters object to C-J editorial
We are responding to the Dec. 1 editorial headlined "Lewis honky-tonk tax cuts." The editorial implies that the "Songwriters Capital Gains Tax Equity Act" is some sort of special-interest legislation that is undeserved. Here are the facts and what every songwriter goes through:
Our profession's average annual income is below $5,000 per year. The federal government determines our maximum wage of 8.5 cents per song, per record, which we usually divide four ways with our co-writer and corporate music publisher to generally earn 2.175 cents every time a record is sold. We earn even less when a song is played on the radio and on top of all that, the federal government requires us to receive royalties immediately after collection. This means we earn virtually nothing for years, then on a successful song are thrust for one year into a tax bracket for rich people! No other authors in
Every day our work is being stolen -- 30 billion times in 2004 -- on the Internet. We have no company health insurance, pension or other benefits. Two-thirds of all American professional songwriters have lost their jobs in the last decade.
If you are one of the lucky few to write some hits, you can propose a joint-venture business partnership with a corporate music publisher. You will pay at least half of all the costs of getting your song ready to market. Demos run around $1,000 each, and if one out of 10 of those songs gets picked up by an artist, you're doing great, so you should demo a lot of them. Like some, you might want to lease your own office, build a studio in your home and hire someone to hit the streets to get those songs heard. You'll have to pay promotion costs to radio to get the song heard if one gets recorded.
After writing hundreds of songs and working for years to build your publishing company with your corporate partner, you each both decide to sell the business. Your corporate partner pays the capital gains tax rate of 15 percent. The songwriter-publisher will pay the top tax rate, somewhere north of 35 percent. Don't forget to add in 15 percent or more self-employment tax.
Rep. Ron Lewis thinks this is unfair. It is also important to note that nearly 10 percent of the entire Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, co-sponsored this important legislation -- not just one
America's very first professional songwriter, Stephen Foster, who after visiting the commonwealth as a child wrote "My Old Kentucky Home," died, literally, with 39 cents in his pocket. These lawmakers know this is valid legislation that songwriters have deserved for decades. They just want to ensure that future Stephen Fosters are treated as well as corporations.
Member, the
RON HELLARD
JAMES DEAN HICKS
LISA PALAS
Friday, June 03, 2005


Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Lucky
Well, when I started 52media, guess who I called first?
When Lucky said "Yeah, promote me online", I was convinced that we were on to something here. You see Lucky's music is the type of music I wish today's radio would play. I'd much more want to hear his 'real' music than all of the Top 40 combined!
I couldn't believe there were artists of this calibre that they major labels didn't already have signed.
After over 7 years of promoting bands online, I found out that there are 1000s of bands that derserve the recognition and exposure they aren't getting, so Lucky this is your day brother! Thanks for believing....Flo
Lucky
www.luckyweb.com/
MP3 - "Cooking For One"
Tom Waits meets Elvis Costello
Monday, August 16, 2004
First Post
I was working for MTV Online as a local reporter, database & web site developer and thought that there had to be a better way to promote great bands other than the typical standards. You have to remember, back then, the world wide web consisted of millions of dial-up accounts with only graphics and words, no media what-so-ever.
I found the MP3 Technology after reading about it in Wired magazine, October 1998. I joined every MP3 site that I could find. Back then there was maybe 3 sites artists could go and promote their music.
I started promoting my original songs with a vengeance. In less than 1 month I went from a number in a database to an over-night Internet superstar. My home-brewed 4-track recordings were being downloaded by 1000s of folks a day. In a 7-day span I had over 15,000 people download my songs. I was on top of the world musically.
After about a month my attitude changed completely. I went from a serious "Shameless Self Promotor" to realizing there were better artists out there that deserved my help. Over the past 7 years, this new attitude has helped to create a community of over 10,000 like-minded musicians, artists and extreme personalities.
While my goals and asperations have changed all of these years, my heart and determination hasn't. I've met 1000s of incredible people located throughout the world, all interested in creating a new outlet for new music and art.
This little section of the 'Net is dedicated to them.
Thomas William
towilmusic at gmail