brad sucks, maybe
I stumbled across an artist by the name of 'Brad Sucks' recently and thought I'd pass him along to you, my adoring public.
All none of you.
According to Wikipedia, that internet bastion of knowledge, Brad Sucks was one of the first few artists to utilize the Creative Commons license for his music distribution.
Posting his music online for free, as well as making the audio tracks fully available for any remixing that might be done by the general public, his original aim was to create 'open source music.' This, alone, is something that makes him worthy of mention.
I don't think it takes a genius to recognize that the music industry is in the middle of a major paradigm shift. The public wants their music for cheap (or for free), and they have the means to get it that way. Record Labels and Distributors, having always functioned as the middle-man between the producer and the consumer, are left with little to do but try to sue anyone who recognizes and takes advantage of the business-model shift.
I have the sneaking suspicion that artists like Brad Sucks will become more and more common in the near future. At least, until the music industry can figure out a way to continue making money in a world now fueled by high-speed internet connections - all navigated by crafty digital pirates.
Beyond that, Brad Sucks doesn't really suck that much. Give him a listen and try to tell me I'm wrong.