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Other than my subscription to eMusic, I pretty much only buy music direct-from-the-artist. This usually includes getting a record (on vinyl) at shows, which hopefully includes mp3 downloads that labels like Merge and Sub Pop include with their LPs. I also bought the Radiohead record (at $5) online.

I see 2 benefits to this approach:

1. (I like to think) artists get more from the sale than they would if I bought it from a shop.
2. The labels that make up the RIAA get less (if any) money from the sale. (I usually only go to shows of bands on independent labels - "safe" on the RIAA Radar).

As of the last few months, I almost never buy CDs anymore---- I'm lucky enough to have a great record store (Amoeba) that sells lots of new vinyl, and now I only buy records that include a download of the album. Recent LP+MP3 purchases include:

Ted Leo: Living with the Living
Low: Drums and Guns
Coco Rosie: The Adventures of Ghosthorse & Stillborn (sorry, Flash, but pretty)
Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Blonde Redhead: 23
M. Ward: Post-War


I totally cannot tell you how much better it feels to spend my $12.99 on an LP than a cheap, disposable CD that becomes garbage after I import it.

And the best part is I'm selling Amoeba all my CDs to pay for it all!

The last two records I bought on vinyl (the new records by Of Montreal and M. Ward) came with a coupon for one-time download of DRM-free MP3 versions of the album tracks from the label's Web sites. So I get the big cover art and the intangible experience (they're both double albums on vinyl) but I can still play 'em on the computer without sweating over the process of digitizing vinyl.

Fact is, the vinyl version of the Of Montreal record (which is awesome) has a scratch that makes track 3 repeat the same crazy groove over and over, and it sounds intentional and much, much better than the digital version, which now seems weirdly short. And it comes with four bonus tracks, which are included in the download too but not on the CD version. Obviously some small record labels are betting big on vinyl as a way to keep people buying records, and I'm all for it.

Matador Records is one of the biggest labels in non-RIAA music (Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Belle and Sebastien, Brightblack Morning Light and Cat Power are all popular indie bands on Matador)

Merge Records is pretty huge in terms of independent rock music. They have bands like Spoon (they're pretty popular, even in the mainstream--they were on a car commercial), The Arcade Fire (they were on the cover of rolling stone), Destroyer, and The Magnetic Fields.

For electronic music, Warp Records is pretty awesome.

Fat Cat is a pretty good one. They put out records by Animal Collective (touted by the New York Times) and Sigur Ros.

No need to participate in mainstream culture...

avoid riaa stuff at all costs. here's some amazing music to check out via p2p or via what few links i've bothered to dig up. what follows is a nice selection of pop and rock from some outstanding bands on some very fine record labels. support these artists, or artists like them--unencumbered by the riaa. support these labels. they do wonderful things. these are great songs from great albums.


aislers set, the - mission bells from (suicide squeeze/slumberland) aislers set on epitonic

ballboy - donald in the bushes with a bag of glue from silver suits for astronauts ep (sl)

barcelona - i have the password to your shell account from moshi moshi: pop international style (march) barcelona on epitonic

beulah - popular mechanics for lovers from the coast is never clear (velocette records) beulah on epitonic

boyracer - tell me where my hands should go from to get a better hold you've got to loosen your grip (555 recordings) boyracer on epitonic

bugs in amber - roller coaster ride from rocketship letters (sign language)

camera obscura - suspended from class from underachievers please try harder (merge)

can i be she-ra? - pizzacato

carissa's wierd - sofsticated fuck princess please leave me alone from songs about leaving (sad robot) more songs

catch, the - empty your pockets

cinerama - your charms from the flirt compilation

currituck county - the collision from unpacking my library (teenbeat)

decemberists - red right ankle from her majesty the decemberists (kill rock stars)

east river pipe - my life is wrong from (merge/sarah) east river pipe on epitonic

evening lights, the - in a day from landscape cdep (shelflife) more songs

faint, the -

avoid riaa stuff at all costs. here's some amazing music to check out via p2p or via what few links i've bothered to dig up. what follows is a nice selection of pop and rock from some outstanding bands on some very fine record labels. support these artists, or artists like them--unencumbered by the riaa. support these labels. they do wonderful things. these are great songs from great albums.


aislers set, the - mission bells from (suicide squeeze/slumberland) aislers set on epitonic

ballboy - donald in the bushes with a bag of glue from silver suits for astronauts ep (sl)

barcelona - i have the password to your shell account from moshi moshi: pop international style (march) barcelona on epitonic

beulah - popular mechanics for lovers from the coast is never clear (velocette records) beulah on epitonic

boyracer - tell me where my hands should go from to get a better hold you've got to loosen your grip (555 recordings) boyracer on epitonic

bugs in amber - roller coaster ride from rocketship letters (sign language)

camera obscura - suspended from class from underachievers please try harder (merge)

can i be she-ra? - pizzacato

carissa's wierd - sofsticated fuck princess please leave me alone from songs about leaving (sad robot) more songs

catch, the - empty your pockets

cinerama - your charms from the flirt compilation

currituck county - the collision from unpacking my library (teenbeat)

decemberists - red right ankle from her majesty the decemberists (kill rock stars)

east river pipe - my life is wrong from (merge/sarah) east river pipe on epitonic

evening lights, the - in a day from landscape cdep (shelflife) more songs

faint, the -

avoid riaa stuff at all costs. here's some amazing music to check out via p2p or via what few links i've bothered to dig up. what follows is a nice selection of pop and rock from some outstanding bands on some very fine record labels. support these artists, or artists like them--unencumbered by the riaa. support these labels. they do wonderful things. these are great songs from great albums.


aislers set, the - mission bells from (suicide squeeze/slumberland) aislers set on epitonic

ballboy - donald in the bushes with a bag of glue from silver suits for astronauts ep (sl)

barcelona - i have the password to your shell account from moshi moshi: pop international style (march) barcelona on epitonic

beulah - popular mechanics for lovers from the coast is never clear (velocette records) beulah on epitonic

boyracer - tell me where my hands should go from to get a better hold you've got to loosen your grip (555 recordings) boyracer on epitonic

bugs in amber - roller coaster ride from rocketship letters (sign language)

camera obscura - suspended from class from underachievers please try harder (merge)

can i be she-ra? - pizzacato

carissa's wierd - sofsticated fuck princess please leave me alone from songs about leaving (sad robot) more songs

catch, the - empty your pockets

cinerama - your charms from the flirt compilation

currituck county - the collision from unpacking my library (teenbeat)

decemberists - red right ankle from her majesty the decemberists (kill rock stars)

east river pipe - my life is wrong from (merge/sarah) east river pipe on epitonic

evening lights, the - in a day from landscape cdep (shelflife) more songs

faint, the -

check them out:
matador
dischord
touch and go
mint
southern
merge
alternative tentacles

or, for the fast route, hit the google listing of record labels:

http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Music/Record_ Labels/

However, for anyone experiencing such anti-RIAA sentiment, I would point out that some of the finest and most groundbreaking music today is released by labels who are not part of the RIAA. (99.9% of artists ARE involved with ASCAP and BMI, but as I understand it, these organizations are separate from and not quite as evil as the RIAA.)

For example, some of my favorite sources of music are Darla Records, Drag City Records, Teen Beat Records, Matador Records, Merge Records, Misra Records, etc., etc. Many of these record labels are actually NICE to their artists and fair to the consumer (the average cd price is maybe $11-14). Also, online stores like Other Music and Insound do a fairly good job of filtering new non-big-five-media-company music. This is, of course, a small slice of the available pie, focused around my particular listening habits. I know that it is daunting at first to try and find music outside the mainstream that suits you, but you really only need to find a few artists or labels to truly open the flood gates.

My point being, there IS music being made for you that does not diectly suport "the man." Find a record label you like and begin to branch out!

• Smells Like Records - Sonic Youth
• Dischord - Teen Idles (Minor Threat/Fugazi)
• Merge Records - Superchunk

Those are just a few labels started by bands. They haven't turned evil and they consistently put out new and good music.

There's already an alternative to the major labels. You just won't become a mega-superstar as easily. I have little sympathy for bands that go with major labels, they have a choice.