The MTV generation: Has digital killed the video star?

In mainstream culture 2007 represents a major event in the history of consumer music. The digital age is no longer a concept unveiled by an eccentric techie at a convention in Silicon Valley . By 2007 the major teething pains, bought on by the lack of understanding of the major label music industry, have begun to subside (i.e. DRM disasters) and record companies and vendors are beginning to realise the realistic potential that the digital age presents to fans of music. Our adoption of new media reflects social change. And whilst it must come from the consumer, it is influenced to a large extent by computer corporations and record labels. By making digital music cheap, easily accessible and playable on whatever device you want to play it on the digital age can finally begin travelling from a distant pipe-dream to an everyday reality.

This means that there will be casualties. When the CD arrived vinyl became a purist only format. And you'll all remember that song 'video killed the radiostar', etc. But ironically, in 2007 the MTV generation (born around 1981) is on its death bed. Digital music is killing the videostar (well kind of anyway...). The advent of user generated video content sites, specifically YouTube, is attracting the modern youth away from the television music channels and online. Sites such as YouTube allow the user complete control over choice and a vast catalogue of content to watch. They also allow the artist a quick, easy and free way to distribute their video's. Even acts as big as U2 are now unveiling their new music videos on YouTube. But the site is being used as a marketing tool by many broadcasters and artists - only a couple of weeks ago the band Arcade Fire officially announced the release date of their album and its tracklist via YouTube.

The real key to YouTube is the ease at which a user can embed a video file into their social networking profile (such as MySpace) or blog. Because the video file runs on flash technology that all modern computers have installed, files usually load in real time as the viewer watches. Whilst the quality isn't even close to that of MTV yet, its ease of access make it twice as valuable. The fact Google now own it (arguably the most powerful and respected force on the internet) means that once some of the licensing issues dogging its development are ironed out, we will undoubtedly see big developments. HD YouTube anyone?

But apart from giving the MTV network monopoly a much needed kick up the rear sites such as YouTube mean that the content uploaded to the site must be of a high standard. Otherwise the user can switch video to a multitude of other options located in the lower right hand section of the screen which are recommended to them according to their current preference. This level of consumer choice (which on TV has historically resulted in the maximum force of flicking channels or turning off) means the viewer does not need to sit through a music video waiting for the next one. This is good news for creative film makers and music video directors without doubt. Especially emerging young ones who will give the big guns a run for their money and creative souls.

Interestingly (but predictably) this user power has resulted in a new music video craze. Fans are now creating their own video's to the artists music and uploading them for the world to see. A video for the Interpol single "Obstacle 1" emerged last year (see below) around the time of release but turned out not to be the bands official video. Its originality and dark story line fitted the song alot better than the bands official (rather boring) video. Fans were flocking in their droves, many mistaken that this fan produced piece was in fact the official video to the single.

Video: Interpol - Obstacle 1 (Unofficial fan made video):


Video: Interpol - Obstacle 1 (Official Release Video):


Other example was when the track "Umb" (originally released back in 1999) by abstract rock band Sigur Ros gained a revival thanks to a film making student from Israel. Liron Damir's dark and brooding video attracted a great deal of attention on YouTube and throughout the wider blogosphere.

Sigur Ros - Umb (Unofficial Video by Liron Damir):


Now that Warner Music have agreed to license their material to YouTube its clear they now realise the marketing potential of such a tactic. Expect more and more fan made music videos to emerge. Next step, allowing podcasters to use this music...

Links::
YouTube: youtube.com
BBC Article: news.bbc.co.uk

Bloc Party – A lesson for the future

Bursting onto the scene in 2005 like an orgasm in the pants of every teenager Bloc Party were the first ‘post-punk’ band to get you doing one of those really silly dances like nobody was watching you (well it did me anyway). Their debut album Silent Alarm at times gave me grandiose-visions of blowing myself away on public transport, incrementally raising the decibel level until I had rendered myself and everyone else completely disabled. What I am trying to say is Silent Alarm was a masterpiece. Not only did it have some bloody good tunes on it but it was also a social commentary for an entire generation of young people. This mixture of musical and lyrical content makes Bloc Party a very important band indeed. Their musical philosophy bought a refreshing approach to an often boring and saturated guitar-based genre. However, with their follow-up album A Weekend In The City (released February 5th) their importance both socially and as pushers of the ‘indie-envelope’ will, I believe, ultimately turn them (and particularly frontman Kele Okereke) into modern living icons (whether they like it or not).



Social Importance:
The truth is Bloc Party are a widely misunderstood act. This new album will prove this. Labelled as a nothing more than a ‘fashion’ band by mainstream media in 2005 (with the odd political rant, yawn) meant that whilst many people rocked out to Bloc Party many didn’t delve any deeper. Frontman/Singer/lyricist Kele Okereke freely admits that he felt more comfortable at that time for it to be that way. As a writer and lyricist you are expressing yourself. Your beliefs, opinions and experiences are exposed to the world. Leaving your character open to attack and debate. But A Weekend in the City is a record brimming with intriguing, serious and deeply rooted lyrical content. Okereke is now ready to address the truth. By doing this he goes even further against the grain that so many modern British bands such as Coldplay, Kasabian and Snow Patrol follow. A Weekend In The City addresses the topics central to so many young peoples lives so accurately. The album is his unflinchingly honest depiction of a world of inner city life, drug and alcohol abuse, racism, terrorism, religion, suicide, loneliness, depression, gay sex, violence and the criticism of youth subculture. The record doesn't presume to have all the answers; it is as confused and confusing as life is for young people but when you delve a bit deeper it is profoundly moving. Oakereke's importance is not unlike that of Morrissey with The Smiths in the early 80’s but its updated to reflect the 00’s. Okereke stands to place himself in an iconic position to so many youths on the wrong side of happiness and alienation. The same role Morrissey filled 24 years earlier. An early (2004) NME review of a Bloc Party show stated “If Lock 17 [the venue] burned down tonight, you wouldn't just lose one of Britain's brightest new groups and a roomful of freeloading music journos, but pretty much every person in London who aspires to be someone. Those are the people who go to a Bloc Party gig: young writers, photographers, label managers”... those that embody of the word 'aspiration'. Oakereke speaks directly to and for this audience through these new tracks. “What I observed in my friends – and my behaviour, to a certain extent – was that all the things that people do to unwind is about embracing a void. People work nine-to-five and they hate their lives and their jobs. They go out at the weekends and try and get as fucked as possible. This is what life is for people, which is sad and frightening. None of my friends from university feel fulfilled. No-one enjoys anything. People are going deeper into this haze. The question I wanted to ask was, ‘Why are all my friends either suicidal, falling into a coke haze or having meaningless affairs?’ I wanted to try to discuss this” he said in a recent NME interview. He also professed to want to “expose the anger every non-white kid has when they’re told they’re different” - Dazed & Confused magazine. Okereke explains that he feels the need “To speak to young people in their impressionable formative years - and say something that could help them make sense of their lives. Lessen the sense of alienation and isolation that they might have.” He’s someone who speaks from experience and is qualified to do so. Semi-conceptual as an album A Weekend In The City paints a realistic portrait of the battles we fight and the faux refuges we find not only in the city metropolis (which has a tendency to intensify emotions) but in any walk of life.

Musical Importance:
Musically, Bloc Party were at a (quite rightly) self-imposed crossroads. The sooner the media and the bands resolutely old-skool fans stop expecting “Silent Alarm MK2” the better. Instead A Weekend In The City presents Bloc Party MK2. I have heard most of it (not by downloading the leak I’d like to add!). The denser and more streamlined sound is terrifically exciting. A crunching mix of guitars, electronic beeps, frenetic drum loops and multilayered vocals have been crafted into something that presents a giant leap forward for British music. Kele has said that “For me, this band is about mixing ideas from contemporary dance music and contemporary R&B and electronica and somehow trying to find a happy medium because that really is a lot of the music that really inspires me. It's not your big rock bands. So with this record I'm trying to make that clearer because I'm not quite sure how clear that was on the first record.” Everything that was unique about Bloc Party on Silent Alarm (such as Matt Tong’s angular drums and Russell Lissack’s heavily effected and atmospheric guitars) is still there but their delivery embraces change. The fact this band are from the UK should be celebrated, as not only are they one of the few British acts to really break into the US market, they are without doubt one of the most exciting and important bands in terms of musical progression to come out of the UK in recent years. Such experimentation usually arrives from everywhere but the UK. For example recent examples such as TV On The Radio, Liars, Arcade Fire and CSS are all from the US. Good British bands do what they do well, but there are few that really push this musical envelope. What effort do acts such as Snow Patrol, Kaiser Chiefs and Razorlight make to push modern music forward? Absolutely nothing! In fact (with the exception of Radiohead and Muse) the nearest mainstream act to Bloc Party to come out of the UK with a similar mentality in recent years is probably Girls Aloud!

Lyrically, what this album leaves me with is a valuable lesson. It’s this ability, as a young person in modern society to stand back and survey an existence you are part of and to make a choice before its too late. This is the effect good art can have on society. It makes us view our society and ourselves from afar; it is affected by and affects personal and social change.

"Just give me moments,
Not hours or days,
Just give me moments

If I could do it again, I'd make more mistakes,
I'd not be so scared of falling,
If I could do it again, I'd climb more trees,
I'd pick and I'd eat more wild blackberries

Musically, this album is as good as Silent Alarm and has equal staying power. It elevates the band above the Hoxton-trendy-set and raises the bar for music in general.

Do yourself a favour - don’t listen to the media, they’ll try and sell you a Razorshite album - judge for yourself. A Weekend In The City exits the highway on February 5th.

Video:
Bloc Party working on new track 'Waiting For The 7:18' @ Grouse Lodge, Ireland (how good is Matt Tong!!):


Links:
Bloc Party Official: blocparty.com
Bloc Party Fansite: blocparty.net
Observer "Kele Okereke: 21st-century boy" Interview: music.guardian.co.uk
A comprehensive guide to 'A Weekend In The City': blocparty.net/a_weekend_in_the_city

Arcade Fire announce album via YouTube

A day after I wrote about Arcade Fire's marketing strategy (see post below) comes this video announcing the release date and tracklisting. Pure textbook!

How to build a buzz the Arcade Fire way

Call them what you will. Those kings of cool, the lords of lavishness and masters of mystery – Canada’s Arcade Fire have announced their highly anticipated sophomore album is finished and is to be titled Neon Bible. 2004’s Funeral awarded the world with some of the most beautiful and intense music for years. The 8+ piece band are sumptuously theatrical both musically and as a live act. Through it’s many dark moments Funeral, as a piece of work, builds to become an empowering crescendo of positivity. Its doused in melancholy but one cannot fail to feel its importance as a piece of music through every frantic, beautiful and downright beaming moment of the journey. Like the sun emerging from the clouds after a springtime rainstorm, Funeral left you with a sense of ambiguous ease that ‘all will be alright in the end’. Arcade Fire hold a phenomenal healing ability through the use of honest emotion (by its traditional definition!) in music. This album created a large worldwide following. Their songs were even being played at national sporting events in 2006 and with advocates such as U2, Chris Martin and Bowie they had a ‘commercial’ appeal too.

However, don’t think this means they will ‘do a Coldplay’ and sell out. Arcade Fire are a real cult act. They have that ever-crucial element that all successful cult acts need – an element of mystery. As we witness the buzz for Neon Bible begin to wind up and up we can see that Arcade Fire have added this trademark mystery to their marketing campaign. Here’s how...

How to build a buzz the Arcade Fire way
1. Generate an interest from day 1:
Even before Arcade Fire went into the studio to start work on Neon Bible they were defying convention opting to record the album in a Montreal church they had bought to turn into a studio. This was to capture their trademark grand sound (who needs ProTools plug-ins when you have the real thing : ) But even before the first click track was laid they were setting the project up to be big and unique from day one. This had the genius effect of portraying a sense of mystery. “What are they upto in there?” asked a local news site. The excitement began...

2. Keep people guessing:
Like all good cult acts Arcade Fire have one of the most abstract official web sites, containing little useful information (second only to Radiohead). No bio, no discography, no contact information – everything that a band would be advised to include Arcade Fire omitted. But, like Radiohead’s site, the purpose (in the same way album artwork is) is to use the official website as a continuation of the music - the art. Arcade Fire keep jonesing fans and media ‘on the hook’ through regular episodes of random blogging (as do Radiohead). Radiohead, possibly ‘the’ mainstream cult act of the last few years, are an example of a band who are able to trust their plethora of fan-run unofficial sites will keep their fan base interested with the ‘day-to-day’ information such as tours and release dates. This saves the big news such as studio updates and the unveiling of new songs to the official site’s blog. By not giving too much away a cult act can increase speculation and discussion as to what will happen next, this leads to a buzz.

Furthermore, Arcade Fire unveiled new track ‘Intervention’ releasing it to buy online for charity (see point 6) as well as it being played all over the radio but later announced that another track ‘Black Mirror’ is to be the first single. The best thing is, none of us know if one, all or none of these tracks will actually make “Neon Bible” (they have “over 100 songs” to choose from afterall!)

3. Communicate directly via the internet:
Once you’ve grown too big for guerilla gigs on public transport and grassroots street team marketing, its time to find a way of creating a buzz whilst staying connected directly with your fans. At this point it seems important not to purvey any of sort a corporate record company image. Arcade Fire appears to have broken out alone citing ‘Arcade Fire Music’ as their label (even though it is probably an offshoot of a major if even a real label), and Radioheads current hiatus is well publicised and it appears likely they will go independent with their next album.

A personal web blog is the perfect way to start. No need for press releases, just Win Butler himself telling the fans what’s happening and personally unveiling the new tracks. Accordingly, in a recent post he stated that Neon Bible has been selected through a strategy of ‘MySpace Darwinism’. “We decided to try and get a couple of songs out to people before the record leaked... that is why we leaked over 100 songs on Myspace as fake band names over the last year and then made a compilation of the 11 most popular songs and called it ‘Neon Bible’!” Even if not the first to do this, it is genius!

4. Be different:
Arcade Fire attempted to sate jonesing fans by setting up a curious toll-free phone number (1-866-NEON-BIBLE ext 7777) advertised online, where you can hear a static-y, almost unlistenable new album track. It even had Pitchfork fooled “Assuming it was some cheesy viral marketing campaign for a Christian youth movement or a car (Dodge Neon, maybe?) or something, we ignored it. Whoops!” Whilst its not exactly a revolutionarily new idea it is different, and that’s the name of the game. Being unique, standing out from the stock. (At the risk of contradicting point 3) this strategy also cleverly pulled fans off their computers. True music fans still have something to do with the real outside world like visit record stores and go to gigs, they can use phones too, I think.

5. Organise some ultra-exclusive live dates:
There is nothing like a couple of gigs that sell out in less than 5 minutes and leave fans selling their grandmothers on eBay to create a hype locally and internationally. The old: “Oh well seeing as I can’t get a ticket, I’ll just get the album and turn it up really loud, invite a load of mates around to flick the lights on and off and squash me till I’m soaked in sweat and my internal organs come dangerously close to bursting” really works! Arcade Fire announced 5 dates in a church in New York City, 5 at the Ukrainian National Federation in their hometown of Montreal and another 5 in another church in London. Obviously the venues are equally important to this overall image and campaign (see point 1). Expect a mountain of press interest at each city and feature length articles in every magazine during the month prior to and following their visit.

6. Get publicity effortlessly:
A cult act like Arcade Fire must purvey a sense of cool at all times, this includes when trying to get press attention. So release one of the new songs and give all profits to a charity like Partners in Health. That way you’ll get loads of press exposure and will be doing such a good deed. Everybody’s happy!

The first track to be made publicly available from these sessions entitled ‘Intervention’ sounds like a grandioso pop version of Sunday mass complete with that prevalent pipe organ and pounding snare drum. Its religious context doesn’t stop there as the controversial worry-ridden lyrics speak of ‘working for the church while your family dies’, as well as soldiers at war dieing. A church choir adds to the setting and emotion. Somewhat like the sound of the internal voice of the disenchanted middle-American youth forced into the weekly jaunt to visit god’s house or setting out onto the plains of Iraq as a young soldier ‘Intervention’ contains a message that many would rather ignore. The track sets the album up at be a big and bold piece of work.

As if by some stroke of fate another track ‘Rebellion/Lies’ was accidentally uploaded. According to a post from Win Butler on the band's website, someone from Merge Records mistakenly put the track on iTunes on December 26. Which is quite convenient actually, as now the media are writing news pieces about it and fans are searching frantically for it. It regrettably manages to overshadow the fact that this is all for charity.

Expect the album in March/April following a full leak.

Links:
Neon Bible: neonbible.com
Arcade Fire Scrapbook: arcadefire.com
Pitchfork’s Review of “Funeral”: pitchforkmedia.com

Arcade Fire - Black Mirror

Win Butler of Arcade Fire has just announced that the first single from the bands sophomore album will be entitled “Black Mirror”. He unveiled the track in full on his personal blog via the bands website.























Links:
Hear “Black Mirror” in full: www.arcadefire.com

The male solo artist biography - ‘An interesting story’

Flicking through last weekends Sunday glossy I came across a ‘Ones to Watch’ article. It listed their pick of new actors, fashion designers, bands and artists tipped for the top in 2007. The next ‘hot’ solo artist they spoke of was a man by the name of Tim Pare. He is yet another sensitive singer-songwriter whom plays acoustic guitar and sings. However, what was most interesting was his biography, it made for a great story.

Having left behind his job, house and life in Britain Tim re-located to China to teach English, but it was on his way home via the Trans-Siberian Express when he met a group of inebriated soldiers that his adventure really began. He was forced to swap a bottle of vodka for a battered 4-stringed guitar, then held at knifepoint forced to play for them. After the fear of events and boredom of his mammoth journey began to settle in he then started writing songs while holed up in a small cabin with an Estonian war veteran. Using his MP3 player to record the rough demos, the basis of aptly titled debut album “Trans-Siberian Express” was written. The album is then reported to have lived to see its release by a series of twists of fate. He was later robbed in St. Petersburg and lost everything - except the fabled MP3 player, meaning when Tim finally disembarked from the train, he swore to finish and record the songs after bringing them so far under such testing circumstances. ‘Failure to do so would be to spit Lady Luck in the eye’ said his bio.

The story was so typical of the set model record companies employ in order to market a male solo singer-songwriter to a commercial audience. They must all come with an interesting story (to make up for the fact that it is just one bloke and his guitar) and his decision to become a musician must have come after a specific life-changing event or ‘epiphany’. Here is the supporting evidence:

James Blunt:
Blunt was unique in the fact that he was posh. But this wouldn’t in any way warm people to him. The fact he was a commissioned officer in the Life Guards regiment, a unit of the Household Cavalry of the British Army, who after rising to the rank of Captain, helped. Then he served as an officer in Kosovo. It was the fact that while on duty in Kosovo that he wrote his song "No Bravery" which spoke on the subject of war. It engaged the reaction that he really was qualified to speak on the subject. There was this image painted of an officer who had stood guard at the coffin of the Queen Mother who had, uniquely, switched the sound of gunfire for the sound of a guitar.

James Morrisson:
Labelled as the man who took Blunts crown in 2006. His bio spoke of his distinctive singing voice being the result of severe illness as a baby. But that wasn’t enough. His label made a lot over him having contracted whooping cough and almost died because he was coughing so much. This became a salient point in his early press. As was the fact he was given just a 30% chance of survival but surprise, surprise he confounded doctors who said he would be severely brain damaged if he did pull through. The result was an underdog story to warm the heart of all the young girlies and their mums.

Ray Lamontagne:
Although Ray has more natural talent than all of the aforementioned put together his bio still needed to be interesting. So, whilst working shifts in a shoe factory, depressed and lonely, keeping almost nocturnal hours he experienced a real ‘epiphany’ when the alarm sounded one morning at 4AM. He awoke to his clock radio playing "Tree Top Flyer" by Stephen Stills. It stopped him in his tracks: "I just sat up in bed and listened. Something about that song hit me. I did not go to work that day; I went to the record store and sought out that album “Stills Alone”. I listened to it, and was transformed." At that point he knew this is what he wanted to do, and doggedly followed the path for nearly a decade before he was discovered. This bio was an excellent talking point at interview and way to overcome the problem with his affliction of extreme shyness. However, that (coupled with his brilliant music) even turned him into a publicists dream giving him a real air of mystery as he’d never divulge any private information other than the fact he’d rather work on his woodland cabin alone than spend time with anyone else.

Devendra Banhart:
A real cult folk hero in the USA Devendra portrays the homeless, wandering, neo psych/folk hippie artist/musician to a tee. Born in Texas, and named by an Indian mystic whom his parents followed. He grew up in Venezuela, where he was raised amidst the shanties and sweatshops. “You don't go out after 8 because it's too dangerous. You don't wear nice sneakers because, while here you may get assaulted, there you just get killed” said Banhart in his bio. He then began life as a wondering minstrel moving between Los Angeles, San Francisco (living in the lower Castro, he was tapped by his roommates -- a gay couple whom Banhart refers to as "Bob the Crippled Comic and Jerry Elvis" - to play two classic songs at their wedding.) and Paris. He apparently had a second epiphany quarrelling about the Rolling Stones with his girlfriend when he realised he had the power to write about anything he wanted. “It was like being constipated and then taking a suppository” he said. You can also guarantee that his music and live shows are equally random as his life story.

So in conclusion, when comparing the biographies of bands against that of solo artists (specifically male) it is clear the importance the biography plays. Its role is not only to generate press interest but also to give the world something to really remember them for. It must be something vivid that sticks in the publics mind when they enter the record store or start up iTunes.

Links:
Tim Pare’s Biography: timpare.com
James Blunt Biography: jamesblunt.com
James Morrison Bio BBC Article: news.bbc.co.uk
Ray Lamontagne Independent Newspaper Article: enjoyment.independent.co.uk
Devendra Banhart Biography: younggodrecords.com

Album leaks: Terrible crime or a way to create hype?

Franz Ferdinand, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Thom Yorke, 50 Cent have all been victims (and won't be the last). As we move into 2007 can it really be said that album leaks are still terrible crimes against honest hard working artists? Or is there more to it than first meets the eye? There is no doubt that the Internet has changed the music world for the better but as with most great things in life, there follows bad.

Album leaks are not new. They certainly haven't just suddenly appeared in the last couple of years. Last month, and just after the new Bloc Party album “A Weekend In The City” was leaked, Win Butler of Arcade Fire (whose highly-anticipated second studio album will arrive in 2007) described the infamous album leak as “inevitable as the Christmas cold I can feel coming”. Album leaks have become so prevalent that it’s met with surprise when a major artists unreleased work doesn’t end up on file sharing networks!

Why is it so prevalent? Finding that rare "promo" is something every fan of music, irrespective of genre, seeks out. However the prevalence of the Internet (which don't forget was actually created to share files) has meant that rare "promo" one person may have been lucky enough to obtain becomes so widely available. Obviously 10 years ago this wasn’t possible. When an album leaked it may have covered a city or two - now it covers the world.

What does it mean? If the world obtains an artists album a month before the official release date, it won’t fail to have a significantly adverse affect on the first week of sales figures. Ok the hardcore fan will probably buy it anyway, but the mass market won’t be so keen. For a major label’s established artist this is a problem, but the real victim is the newly signed band making their first album or an artist about to unveil their anticipated sophomore.

A small indie band who blogged about finding themselves victim said: "In the end though, it comes down to hard business realities. Despite glib assurances from some of the guilty parties, we really can’t afford to sit back and trust that everyone who downloads it before the official release date is going to rush out and buy a copy in the shops. For a small, underground, independent band like us, individual sales start to matter a lot more. The sad fact of the matter is that the business heads in the music industry still look at sales (particularly first week sales) of an album to gauge its success. The impression they receive of our success determines a large part of our future – whether or not certain people choose to invest more in us, help us out, get us on tour, get us making a third album and so on. As a result the industry has developed in such a way that everyone builds up to a release date in order to make the biggest possible impact with the businessmen. It’s not an ideal situation, but until you’re U2 there’s not much you can do about it."

But even if we are talking about an act the size of U2, if it's to be believed that a major record label in 2006/2007 still manages to fall "victim" to the album leak of one of their large acts, then they are clearly not paying enough attention to their security. Think about it. This master recording equates to millions in revenue to them, there will have been hundreds of thousands spent on studios, marketing and not to mention upto a year of everyone involved’s time and effort. If it’s to be believed that anyone can just walk up in a mastering studio or duplicating plant and run off their own copy, the record company are insulting everyone's intelligence. Is this really a terrible crime or just another marketing gimmick in an industry that has no choice but to be creative in its marketing campaign? The volume of large acts to have their album “leaked” prior to the release date over the past year is so prevalent that if its unintentional, someone isn’t doing their job correctly and is letting down the artists who pour their time, blood, sweat and tears into a project. However, if it is intentional it’s a masterstroke. After all, it’s not a bad way to create a buzz is it? Give the fans what they want, what they are desperately searching for. But keeping it unknown in the “general” public domain. Get the message boards talking, sit back and watch the online buzz take off.

How to avoid it? If the vast majority of album leaks are unintentional the music industry continue to scaremonger and force outrageously stupid answers into a problem they have no realistic idea of how to stop.

The most obvious answer to me is to "leak" the 10 songs that didn't make the album on purpose, throw those people off the scent. But which are still good enough not to let the albums down. For example, Arcade Fire have employed a very interesting “multi-formatted” approach to creating a buzz (which I shall write about later this week) around their forthcoming “Neon Bible” sophomore.

The only way forward is to offer the record buying consumer something that they can't get by downloading. Nowadays it is expected to include an additional DVD disc with the original release containing among other things promo videos and “the making of” documentary’s, that latter of which would motivate any fan. But how do you attract the “salient buyer”? This is a question I shall discuss in the future, although it’s a difficult one it is achievable.

If the album leak is unplanned then it is a crushing blow to an artist on both a personal and a business level. And although desirable, a deal that contains a provisional clause regarding album sales should a leak occur is unlikely. But on a theoretical level I am not so convinced. Would Sony, XL, EMI or Warner leave “their till” wide open all day? I am not so sure. If they did I wouldn’t want to be an artist signed with them!