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They can start their list of legally downloadable music right here. I suggest you support the freedom of music!

Check out Sharing the Groove as well for BitTorrent downloads of Spring tours!

In the latest twist, it's the radio stations themselves that have been reaching out to the labels, offering to play songs in the form of ads, often in the early morning hours when there tends to be an excess inventory of airtime. The practice is legal as long as the station makes an on-air disclosure of the label's sponsorship -- typically with an introduction such as "And now, Avril Lavigne's Don't Tell Me, presented by Arista Records."

To be sure, Don't Tell Me is a bona fide hit, even without spins being bought and paid for. Radio stations must play a song many thousands of times for it to crack the Billboard top 10. Nonetheless, a few hundred spins here and there can move a song up a place or two in the rankings -- and ensure that it is climbing rather than falling on the charts.

Hmm. The only thing I am sure about is that the music industry is making the sheep believe that a song is a hit at the expense of their own customers.

"In our business, perception is reality," he said. "The minute you're down in spins, these program directors drop the record."

If it is played 40 times a week people are going to hear it and *believe* that it is popular. When it gets artificially vaulted to the top of the charts more people are going to *believe* that it is popular.

Now. Where did the money come from for them to pay the radio stations to "advertise" the song? Music buyers. That's right. The wonderful conglomerates are at it again. Telling the sheep what to think is good and paying to make sure they hear it and keep buying it. Do you really want to keep supporting conglomerates that use shady tactics and your money to make some songs more popular than others?

No? Then support freedom of music and stop the roundabout tactics, money wasting, and bullshit.

You could go to sharingthegroove.com and check out the tours section, chances are it will have been recorded.

For its part, the RIAA maintains that the up-close-and-personal techniques are nothing new. RIAA spokesman Jonathan Lamy says its investigators do not represent themselves as police, and that the incident reports vendors are asked to sign, in which they agree to hand over their discs, explicitly state that the forfeiture is voluntary.
All right boys... Make sure the boots go up above the knees... We're heading into bullshit territory!

If the RIAA isn't trying to look like the police why do they bother hiring ex-police officers, wear clothing similar to raiding police units, and cavort about as some sort of tactical unit? It is obvious to me that they want the "villains" to think they are the cops (and those street vendors, at least for the time being, are going to believe that they are).

Pink slips that say they handed the stuff over voluntarily or not... They are acting as an official force on duty to confiscate material and they want to look as official as possible to have these individuals fork over the material quickly and without issue. If they are so concerned about their property being "stolen" and resold why don't they contact the real police and have them do it? Probably because the real police have better things to do than worry about what is being sold in Chinatown...

Please remember that this is where your money is going when you decide to purchase music that is "owned" by the RIAA... Busting 12 year olds and funding a "tactical unit" to bust street vendors.

My suggestion, as always, is to support FREE MUSIC. FurthurNET and Sharing the Groove

Good luck RIAA and thanks for yet another humorous charade!

You know what is really sad? The fact that the RIAA was found guilty of price-fixing on CDs, was giving a one fingered slap on the wrist, and got to get out of paying pretty much anything by a loop-hole...

Support freedom of music people. Only support bands that allow the free copying, distribution, and listening of their music in any format you choose.

It's the public that supports the RIAA by purchasing their merchandise. DO NOT DO IT.

Sharing the Groove and FurthurNET

Or don't pay for any music and support the freedom of music. Bands that don't care about the money and seem to care about the music are the bands you should be for. If they are distributing their music for free and allowing you the freedom to make copies and distribute that for free, that who you should support!

sharingthegroove.com and FurthurNET

Us deciding what is good or the music industry telling us what is good?

This company's stuff doesn't do much good when society is bombarded by what the industry wants us to hear.

It becomes a hit because we don't get much of a choice. ClearChannel plays no variety, the non conclomorate channels don't play variety but instead endlessly repeat that they are not owned by ClearChannel and Infinity...

The only way hits can be decided is through freedom of music.

Support those artists that support the free distribution, copying, and playing of their music. Start your searchs at Sharing the Groove and FuthurNET