Feature / Music
Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (August 2006)

Posted pre-2010

Top 5 Ways the Internet has ruined everything.

by Jason

1. The Mixtape

Eons ago one used to spend anywhere from three hours to a week compiling songs for a the greatest of all mixtapes ever to be mixed for anyone at any certain time even if the mixtape was for their damn car. Nowadays all you need to do is go into your iTunes, select 30 or so random tracks and viola you have a full burned mix CD. Neat. Where's the fun in that? Where's the perspiration? Where's the picking of just the right songs and sequencing them just right? Mixtaping used to be an art, now it's a convience. And don't even get me started on iPod playlists.

2. Downloading "leaked" material.

Getting music before it was released was reserved to music moguls, music writers, and friends of the band. Now anyone with a DSL connection can go on Soulseek or whatever get the latest and sometimes even under produced material from a band's upcoming release months before it hits the shelfs. One the reasons why I liked being a zine editor was for the free promo stuff. Yeah sure I was in it for the free CDs, whatever, but instead of just downloading the leaked tracks I actually had to review the CD which in turn got read by someone which in turn made that person go buy it in the store. All you are doing by downloading leaked tracks is just that, downloading leaked tracks, you don't support independent music.

3. People that download everything and don't buy it.

This goes with what I spouted off on above but to more of the degree of people that download everything, not just leaked tracks and then never buy it. I don't mind people using Soulseek or Kazaa or whatever you kids use these days to check something out before you buy. But never buying it? Come on. Bands are travelling across this world and you can't even slap down 12 bucks for their latest release? Sure maybe you are poor and maybe you are not getting an allowance from your parents. Well maybe next time spend less on 120 dollar pairs of ripped jeans and "guyliner" and support the band you claim you think is "amazing".

4. LastFM.

I guess posting a playlist on a messageboard or a blog site has just become way too time consuming. Lazy bastards.

5. Time Wasting.

Today I should have washed the dishes. Got change for the laundry. Went to the library. Cleaned my room. Instead I checked Myspace 4,000 times. Checked the messageboards I read daily 3,500 times. Listened to 20 mp3's of bands I either own the CD of or don't like anyhow. Now I feel really nappy.

— words by the SPB team

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