Pea Soup: A True Story

F*ck THE EXCORCIST! F*ck it up it's stupid-a$$! For any kid who grew up in the immediate DC, Maryland, and Virginia trifecta, there were 2 certainties:

1) Saturday Mornings still meant cartoons.
2) The Excorcist was real!

The third was a rite of passage. Every "DMV" kid, after the film's original 1973 release, got that fearful message. Satan was the ultimate evil, and if you don't behave yourself he's going to make you spew pea soup and fornicate with a crucifix!
Somehow, director, William Friedkin had managed to inspire more pants-$hitting than Sunday school, Dad's leather belt, and a bad report card combined.
But the thing here is that Friedkin's shudder-inducing masterpiece inspired trepidation well past Freddy, Jason, and Kevin Williamson wore out their welcome. Why? Well, I can't speak for the rest of the country, but the clincher for any native in and around Washington, DC was this: The Exorcist did happen!

Oh, yeah it did! It happened in Mt. Rainier, MD waaaaaaaaaay back in the day. Some white kid got possessed by the devil. They sent in a priest and…I forget what happened after that but...but...but the house caught on fire and...and...and then they tried to build another house and then that caught on fire somehow! So then…uh, they put up a playground and...now no kid's play there. Oh! Did you know the movie was filmed in Georgetown too? The part where they killed the priest was right at the big steps!
Right. Needless to say, the best horror are the ones that blur that comfortable line between reality and fiction. Case in point, The Exorcist.
Eventually, I got over my phobia of a Linda Blair and watched the film's re-release a few years back. It wasn't as scary (it kind of hurts when you understand the SFX tricks of the film trade) but that damned "spider-walk" is jarring!
Like any 12-step program, now that I've conquered that fear, I had to move on to bigger, better, bloodier things. I've been disappointed in horror, regularly, since then…but with a few rare exceptions. Queue up your illegal downloading with these disturbing pieces of work. These are the type of horror films that would make Linda Blair's head spin! Smart, disgusting, and unrelenting. Happy Halloween:

INSIDE


Se7en


Audition


The Tripper


Teeth


28 Days Later

Silent Hill

A Netflix Review: Bigger, Stronger, Faster

BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER
Directed by Chris Bell

Director Chris Bell buries his family of athletes, and simultaneously puts to rest his own curiosities with steroid use, in this interweaving documentary about the importance of winning in America.
BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER throws shockingly appropriate hard punches when it comes to “performance-enhancing drugs,” but the most surprising thing is the frankness of the athletes. Their faux-virility, blatantly, out wrestles their concerns for long term health. This creates a scary depiction of the world of professional sports. The documentary also serves as a sarcastically harsh study of the type of people who adapt to the “win, win, win” of American culture. Bell then swings the camera around on himself and the spectators. He exposes how we only compliment that attitude despite, hypocritically, looking down on cheaters.
Contains all the physical attributes of a top-notch documentary.

The Internet is Vast and Full of Porn!

Today, the internet decided to roll over and die. Nothing is happening in the world today. It seems that terrorist, vice-presidential hopefuls, Celebrities on the verge of meltdown, drug-addicted football players, and even the Harry Knowles rumor mill, spend most of Friday* anticipating the weekend and nothing else.
I bore easily. Always have, probably always will. It explains my reading, viewing, and relationship habits.
Well, like a cornered animal, when I get bored I lash out! I went down my list of MSN links to bring you material that will hopefully brighten your work day, put that carpal tunnel at ease, and maybe...just maybe, it'll get you pass that final meeting of the day.
Nothing could top Quentin Tarantino farting yesterday, so I went for quantity instead of quality this time!

My boredom relinquishing (and safe for work) video playlist: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E10FF717053AFA7A


*NOTE: I write these things days in advance, so even though you're reading this on Wednesday. I'm writing this last Friday. (Ohhhhhhh, it's like time travel)

Inglorious Moment for an Inglorious Bastard

The internet is such a wonderful place.
Join me for a second...
Let's run away from economic woes, presidential communist, $150,000 pantssuits, and Ohio monkeys (ah, but whom am I refering to?).
Let's reflect on the simpler things in life...like farting.
Presented below is a clip from the Tyra Banks show. At the 3minute 17second mark, laugh hysterically as an Academy Award-winning, wunder-kind --- a voice of his generation --- watch the mortification on his massive, chin-face as he realizes, "$#!+. I'm can't stop myself from cutting one on national TV. Christ, I hope this doesn't end up on YouTube!"
Maybe this is what Sarah Palin meant when she coined the term "Gotcha-media."

Scare Tactics

After 9/11 the entire country became political again. We had a vested interest in our government and what they were doing to protect us. Politics never went away, but the intensity from the general public, I think, had simmered.

We, Americans, had become comfortable. We had everything we needed. There was no threat that we needed to hold our government accountable for. The concerns at home, were as easy to ignore as the homeless man outside the subway station.
Then…planes. Glass. Fire. We had to take off our rose-colored glasses. They don’t work when there is smoke in the air. We had to recognize the threat.
And we found the threat…but it turned out to be us.

It took awhile, but all fingers pointed back to our government. Just like Viet Nam, just like WWII, we helped the bad guys. In return, we ignored them until they became a problem for us all.
Here we are in the millennium still suffering for the mistakes of the previous century. It took us 8 years but now we have an opportunity to crawl out of the wreckage of 9/11. To change the psyche of America. To correct our perception at home and abroad.

Get your head out your ass and vote!

All eyes are on America right now: http://www.newsweek.com/id/164981

Netflix Review: The Tripper

The tripper
by dcool29

THE TRIPPER
Rated R
Starring Thomas Jane, Lukas Haas, Chris Nelson, Jason Mewes, and Paul Reubens
Directed by David Arquette

“You can’t stop him! He’s Reagan!”
Viet Nam-era passivity running scared from conservative cold war-era aggression. An ensemble of personable C-listers star, in David Arquette’s directorial debut…and hammers it home (pun intended)!
A little bit of childhood trauma and the son of a lumberjack (Chris Nelson) decides to dress up as, former president, Ronald Reagan and take an axe to any opposition. #1 on his list? The type of hippies that destroyed his family.
When a music festival nestles itself in his forest, Ronald takes to slashing away at the drug-addled as if they were Medicaid.
Never have I wanted an axe murderer to not get back up --- so badly!
The film’s overtones may cause some serious bias, but in actuality, Arquette criticizes, both, the tree-huggers and war-mongers; all under the guise of humor and gore. Alot of slasher films think they are funny when they’re not, but David Arquette surprises us by (first) entertaining and (second) tossing arteries at the camera instead of just attempting the latter.
The movie could be a bit gorier, but it does satisfy the slasher qoutient. Especially, when Nelson (doing a precisely creepy Ronald impersonation), crashes a rave in the middle of the forest! Hysterical and bloody, it depicts the type of “us” vs. “them” mindset that has divided the nation since the 1960s…just, y’know, with a (much needed) axe.

Bamn Now Available to Purchase Online!

The wondeful people at Comixpress have notified us that BAMN is available to purchase via their website.
Real quick...we struggled endlessly with which printer to take our book to. It boiled down to how responsive they would be, and what additional bells and whistles they could swing our way. Comixpress won us over in spite of us, previously, making up our mind to go with another printer.
The fine people at Comixpress beat out their competition by responding to our e-mail inquiry and offering online sellability. I can't suggest them more. They are a solid choice for comic creators starting out.
It's going for $2.99 (pre-shipping and handling). I gotta admit, it's a cool feeling seeing your book as a member of the comic book athenaeum (thanks Dictionary.com! LOL!).
You can find the purchasing page HERE! You can also (always) find the link on the right-hand side of this page under "PURCHASE."
-Troy

Future Brain

I've known this one dude for half a decade. Funny kid, probably one of the most compulsively thoughtful individuals I've ever known. But from time to time, like guys tend to do to one another, I give him s#!+. Partly because I can, partially because he deserves it.

Y'see, this guy that I'm talking about, me and our friends have dubbed him a "product of the video game generation." His attention span is shot to hell. Talking to him sometimes is like trying to capture Road Runner (accelerus extremus).

I blamed it on too much Playstation and not enough...anything else. Apparently, my snap judgement meant I am dead wrong. According to scientist, those who embrace technology tend to undergo a certain type of evolution that leaves the older generation behind. Their cognitive skills are, in fact, sharper: http://www.newsweek.com/id/163924?GT1=43001

Dr. Horrible

The best things come to those who wait. I heard about Joss Whedon's DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-A-LONG BLOG, but it was confirmed, repeatedly, that it wasn't available online after it's initial debut. Well...

I found this at work. To say that I had to suffocate every outburst of laughter this short provided...well...I...guess...I...just...told you. Nevermind.
Neil Patrick Harris' newly-cemented comical rep as a drug-addled, jungle-fevered, former child actor and Joss Whedon's Joss Whedon-ness comes together for this love story/musical about a supervillian who falls for a social worker. SERENITY'S Nathan Fillion effectively pops up too.

MIT Pranks

Whether you're JewbaccaWookie0881 on a Star Wars forum or a degree-seeking mathematician at MIT, geek humor has always earned selective laughs.

Either you get it or you don't.

Below is a link to MIT's storied history of public pranks. Not surprisingly, I found them all hilarious (and some of them astonishing)...

Back during Monica Lewinsky, I spent my high school years being one of the dumb kids. Despite, my parents, counselors, and teachers' mantra of "Troy doesn't apply himself," I...well, didn't apply myself.

Bored with the distractions provided by jocks, potheads, pregnant pre-teens, and gang members found in normal ENG101 at Northwestern, I decided to take a shot at an "advance placement" english course. I learned alot of things during that semester but nothing more important than this fact...The smart kids can get away with anything because they are smart. Once I figured that out, I made myself comfortable.

CLICKITY CLICK:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/gallery/100308_mit_hacks/

Netflix Review: Almost Famous

Director, Cameron Crowe is one of those success stories that will never happen to you. You know those types: A talent allowed to ascend due to the fickleness of time, space, and place. Someone who debuts into the mainstream because someone else liked them enough to let them step out. For people like me this is the worst kind of story. It means that no matter what you do, no matter how good your are, God will only reward your abilities with a roll of the universal dice.
ALMOST FAMOUS is that type of story. It's a quasi-autobiographical film that circulates around Crowe's true life corner turn. The names and faces have been changed, but the coming-of-age is quite real. Crowe was 15-years-old when he started writing for Rolling Stone magazine. A fact that is documented here and magnified (but not fabricated) by the fact that he was able to travel with some of the greatest rock bands in music history not to shortly after his voice cracked.
If the universe had to select Crowe for a reason, then it must have been his talent of making EVERYTHING seem autobiographical. Here, of course it is, but even in previous films (JERRY MAGUIRE, SINGLES) and even his lesser, later films (VANILLA SKY) have such a ring of truth to them that it makes him hard to deny.
There is an alert honesty in every frame of ALMOST FAMOUS, even in the scenes where we are probably seeing fudged details. Perfect example of this is Penny Lane (played with beautiful abstraction by Kate Hudson). From her perspective she is a muse, the music doesn't work for her, she works for the music. In actuality, she is just a groupie, traveling from state to state trying to catch the eye of Stillwater's lead singer Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup). Her performance is equal parts bull shit and equal parts truth. If she had credo (actually, she has plenty) it would be: "The music is really all you need." But what happens when the music inevitably stops?
It's a answer that Penny Lane, William Miller (Crowe's stand-in), Hammond and the rest of Stillwater all have to inevitably face: Rocketing success may be a chance encounter but maybe being almost famous is just as sweet.

Pride and Prejudice

And people criticized Michelle Obama for not being consistently proud of her country...what was she talking about?



I really don't believe McCain, a former Democrat, is aware of what ugliness he has unleashed on this country.
And as for YOU, Sarah Palin...you've lost MILF points with me.

Hilarity!

These people help decide our fate. Please. For God's sake vote. I don't care if you are in a majority Democratic or Republican state, and it seems pointless, all those votes add up to 1 president. You've seen where this could get us. Do you want a repeat of the last 8 years?

Insult to Injury

Ain't nothing quite as satisfying as kicking a Dick when he's down.

I want to know who punched him.

Read on...

http://consumerist.com/5060063/lehman-brothers-ceo-got-punched-in-the-face

Rowdy Roddy Piper

Admittedly, the Palin-bashing is getting kinda old. Even for me.
Maybe she is too easy a target. Regardless,this is kind of funny...

Captain America?

Woke up this morning and saw the above image on MSN. Don't he look like he Captain America? Guess who it is and then Click Here.

From Russia with Love

So, Palin isn't totally off the mark. You can see Russia from an island in Alaska:

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/30/you-can-see-russia-from-here/

NOTE: Yeah, I know that's not Palin but Tina Fey in the picture above...but, seriously, in the Sexy Librarian awards, Tina wins hands down.

It never stops.

It's the 21st Century and people still behave like we are stuck in the 1950s.
Fear is a stupid emotion. Read on:

On Friday, September 26, the end of a week in which thousands of copies of Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West -- the fear-mongering, anti-Muslim documentary being distributed by the millions in swing states via DVDs inserted in major newspapers and through the U.S. mail -- were distributed by mail in Ohio, a "chemical irritant" was sprayed through a window of the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton, where 300 people were gathered for a Ramadan prayer service. The room that the chemical was sprayed into was the room where babies and children were being kept while their mothers were engaged in prayers. This, apparently, is what the scare tactic political campaigning of John McCain's supporters has led to -- Americans perpetrating a terrorist attack against innocent children on American soil.

SFW

Does your office not have enough "porn shui?" Is your boss walking past your desk disrupting your guitar solo? Do your co-workers frequently pop up at your desk un-announced causing you to panic for the minimize button?

Let's face it...you have a problem, my friend. You shouldn't be watching Lexington Steel mounting some unsuspecting Caucasian-girl at work.

However, now (thanks to the fine people of Something Awful you can watch "the p0rn0" at your job without suspicion. They've created adult cinema that is in fact "Safe for Work." Confuse co-workers who glance at your screen and watch as they pause for a second thinking they saw genital entanglement, then watch them walk away confused because all they actually see on-screen is a man agressively playing an arcade game.

Now you have a perfect excuse to cut that "happy hole" into the inside of your pants pocket (for easy access of course).

Seriously, this is (kinda) Safe for Work. View at your own descretion.


http://view.break.com/577249 - Watch more free videos


Hope to see you guys at SPX over the weekend...

Images from SPX Day 1

Bamn debut pix from the Small Press Expo (10/4 -10/5/08)

Bamn @ SPX!

Today, I sat across from, artist, Jay Payne, blinded by red wine, Corona, and Blueberry Lemon Drops, sitting in the “On the Rocks” bar at the Bethesda Marriott, surrounded by friends who have known our goals longer than we knew them ourselves. I sat at the bar stool and I kept checking on Jay…checking to see if he was okay. He seemed solemn, morose. Like his life’s comic book had turned to the back cover.
“Y’alright, dude,” I asked between breaths of beer. He just nodded. Kindly, as if trying not to interrupt his moment. I didn’t get it.
Today, we debut our comic to the public. We sat in our corner at our table at SPX armed with sharpies and a touch of giddy. This was our moment to push forward and pimp our title. We knew but we didn’t. We thought but we didn’t think. We felt it but we weren’t familiar to the touch.
It took me a few hours (and a few more drink tickets) to realize what Jay was feeling. It was loss. That feeling that we had given away so much for this moment. Given up a comfort level that we had situated ourselves in just to write, draw, and edit (and edit) BAMN. We had given up concepts of sleep, concepts of time, creative blocks, health, personal relationships, and inhibitions. Just for the chance for someone to reach in their wallet and hand us three, tax free, dollars.
It kind of hurt. That’s what Jay was feeling. That’s what I started to realize. It didn’t hurt in a “we sold out” -way. It hurt in that way that stated “it was so easy, yet so tough.” We could’ve done this years ago if only we had thought forward. If only we hadn’t let life distract us with its stupid hindrances. But we had to wrestle those obstacles to get us here.
I’m stretching here, but it probably hurt in that way that Stan Lee hurt when his boss told him to just try that stupid Fantastic Four idea. It probably hurt that way when Harvey Pekar decided to tell the world about his cancer year. It probably hurt that way when Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster decided to sell their Superman idea…I’m just spitballing and trying hard to not overdo the comparisons but that’s what I’m thinking it felt like. Like an idea belonged to you and now it, rightfully, belonged to everyone. The ether had spoken. Our life’s comic book was already onto the next read.
It’s a solemn feeling alright. It’s a feeling that you can’t properly emote but it’s there. And all it ask for in return is everything else you thought was important…but it wasn’t.
It tells you to say “f*ck the rules, f*ck the interference, f*ck money, f*ck the partying, f*ck the whining, f*ck what everyone else thinks, f*ck the setbacks, fuck the movies, f*ck the ploys, f*ck the newspaper, f*ck the video games, f*ck the politics, and f*ck me!

Or in summing it all up…

Or at least, that’s what the liquor is telling me to say at 1am…

-Troy

Bamn Goes Live This Week!

Here is some last minute crap for all yous going to Blackfin, SPX, or that are interested in anything Bamn related…

- Blackfin's Drink Specials go for anything except straight alcohol (So, sorry no shots of rubbing alcohol). For clarity, that means from 8pm to 10pm everything else will be $2 at the bar!

- Directions to Blackfin or SPX can be found online, on Bamn's Facebook page, Bamn's MySpace invite, SPX's website and the Blackfin website! (Check below for links)

- It is in your best interest to show by 8pm. I'll party into the late-night but get there on time so you don't miss the specials! Not to mention…FREE FOOD!

- We've been bumped from the VIP section at Blackfin because of another function. Regardless, all our guest need is to say they are with the "BAMN" party and you will receive a wristband that indicates you receive $2 drinks!

- The free admission flyers to SPX are in question now. We apologize guys but the people at SPX have been kind of dodgy. We will give you the flyers at the party but we cannot guarantee free admission.

- You can purchase SPX tickets at the show for $8! SPX does not do advance ticketing.

- The cost for Bamn at SPX is $3 at the table.

- Jay and Dave will provide sketches to those who ask at SPX. Not a problem.

- The Bamn Table is listed as "W32" on the Floor Map/Table layout at SPX.

- I will be doing updates from the show for Twitter and a Post-Show Wrap-up for our website.

- No you cannot sit at our exhibitor table! Unfortunately the SPX police frown on such things. Walk around the floor. There is so much cool stuff to get at SPX besides comics. Support Indie artist!

- We are working on making our book available at local area shops. It will be available online @ Comixpress.com in the coming weeks. We will update the site as soon as info becomes available!

- Special thanks to Caroline Grambo and Gene Greene for making us some last second buttons for SPX!

- Websites to remember:

SPX: www.spxpo.com
Blackfin: http://www.blackfinnbethesda.com/
Bamn's Official page: www.BamnCan.com
Bamn's Facebook: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Bamn/26898909085

Thanks for your support. See ya tonight or this weekend!
Troy

www.TypographicEra.com

Just letting all you kids know that my home: TroyJ15.blogspot.com has undergone a domain name change. I footed the (budget-breaking) $10 and registered under http://typographicera.com/!

Now, my stupidity can spread effortlessly across the internet wasteland. (and no longer when you type TroyJ15 in Google searches will you find every forum I've been to.)

Also, up yonder and below, are some Bamn banner designs. These designs can be seen in larger form at the Small Press Expo.

Expensive as the may have been, Jay just had to have them. We will be making them available as stickers once we sort out the logistics of that!

Hail, me!

It's a Boy!

Today, Comixpress sent us the first batch of Bamn #1 --- fresh from the printer. These are the copies that will be sold at the Smal Press Expo this weekend (October 4th - 5th 2008).
The expression on Dave's face (pictured above) says it all.
Spitting in the face of cynicism, I must say, even if we don't sell a single copy...this makes it ALL worth it.
It took a year to get to this point. Jay spending night and day just to pencil these 27 pages...me passing out on his couch with my laptop on my chest after spending an entire night ironing out story details. In the process, I think we pissed off both our girlfriends and sometimes each other.
The comic book is alive, surreal, and very much OURS!
Now we just have 6 more issues to go.
The book will soon be available for $2.99 at Comixpress and Alliance Comics and Games (we'll post more details as they become available).
It'll go for $3.00 at SPX. You can find us at table "W32."
Now that we have a few days of downtime, please join us not just at SPX but (if you're in the area) come to Blackfin for our release party. It's this Thursday (October 2nd 2008).
But MOST importantly come to Bethesda for the Small Press Expo. You can buy Bamn #1 at our table, as well as stickers, buttons, and we will even provide sketches (Well, Jay and Dave will. Not me. I can't draw for $#!+).
See you this weekend,
Troy (www.BamnCan.com)

Muxtape

Just recently, I had discovered this fantastic corner of the internet called Muxtape. I'm not sure how I stumbled across it (porn?), but I instantly fell for the site's simple yet jubilant interface. It's purpose was right up my alley.
Muxtape was designed so people could create digital mixtapes online. Post them to the page and share them. The page consisted of two clicks:
-1st click on whatever mixtape had the most interesting title (you never knew what type of list you were going to get)
- 2nd click to start a list of tracks.
So, If you're an MIA/world music-kid and you blindly clicked on MetalMilitia331's playlist of gloomy, growling guitars...you just hit the back button and try again.
Needless to say, Muxtape is designed for those fortunate enough to not have one-sided taste. (Me? I was quite alirght discovering Dragonforce, The Langley Schools Music Project, and Nas' new album all in one sitting)
Well, like anything convenient and thoughtful, the big boys have put an end to it. The Recording Industry Association of America , who doesn't want you to sing on YouTube and files lawsuits against your mother, has approached Amazon (the site's server) and now Amazon wants the site re-vised or shutdown.
*sigh*
Here's the skinny from, the site's creator, Justin Ouelette, who has cooked up an alternative...but does it hold the same appeal?:
There was a popular misconception that Muxtape only survived because it was “flying under the radar,” and the moment the major labels found out about it it’d be shut down. In actuality, the labels and the RIAA read web sites like everyone else, and I heard from them both within a week or so. An RIAA notice arrived in triplicate, via email, registered mail, and FedEx overnight (with print and CD versions). They demanded that I take down six specific muxtapes they felt were infringing, so I did.
Around the same time I got a call from the VP of anti-piracy at one of the majors. After I picked up the phone his first words were, “Justin, I just have one question for you: where do I send the summons and complaint?” The conversation picked up from there. There was no summons, it was an intimidation tactic setting the tone for the business development meeting he was proposing, the true reason for the call. Around the same time another one of the big four’s business developers reached out to me, too.
I spent the next month listening. I talked to a lot of very smart lawyers and other people whose opinions on the matter I respected, trying to gain a consensus for Muxtape’s legality. The only consensus seemed to be that there was no consensus. I had two dozen slightly different opinions that ran the gamut from “Muxtape is 100% legal and you’re on solid ground,” to “Muxtape is a cesspool of piracy and I hope you’re ready for a hundred million dollar lawsuit and a stint at Riker’s.”
In the end, Muxtape’s legality was moot. I didn’t have any money to defend against a lawsuit, just or not, so the major labels had an ax over my head either way. I always told myself I’d remove any artist or label that contacted me and objected, no questions asked. Not a single one ever did. On the contrary, every artist I heard from was a fan of the site and excited about its possibilities. I got calls from the marketing departments of big labels whose corporate parents were supposed to be outraged, wanting to know how they get could their latest acts on the home page. Smaller labels wanted to feature their content in other creative ways. It seemed obvious Muxtape had value for listeners and artists alike.
In May I had my first meeting with a major label, Universal Music Group. I went alone and prepared myself for the worst, having spent the last decade toeing the indie party line that the big labels were hopelessly obstinate luddites with no idea what was good for them. I’m here to tell you now that the labels understand their business a lot better than most people suspect, although they each have their own surprisingly distinct personality when it comes to how they approach the future. The gentlemen I met at Universal were incredibly receptive and tactful; I didn’t have to sell them on why Muxtape was good for them, they knew it was cool and just wanted to get paid. I sympathized with that. I told them I needed some time to get a proposal together and we left things in limbo.
A few weeks later I had a meeting with EMI, the character of which was much different. I walked into a conference room and shook eight or nine hands, sitting down at a conference table with a phonebook-thick file labeled “Muxtape” laying on it. The people I met formed a semi-circle around me like a split brain, legal on one side and business development on the other. The meeting alternated between an intense grilling from the legal side (“you are a willful infringer and we are mere hours from shutting you down”) and an awkward discussion with the business side (“assuming we don’t shut you down, how do you see us working together?”). I asked for two weeks to make a proposal, they gave me two days.
I had to make a decision. As I saw it I had three options. The first was to just shut everything down, which I never really considered. The second was to ban major label content entirely, which might have solved the immediate crisis, but had two strong points against it. The first, most visibly, was that it would prevent people from using the majority of available music in their mixes. The second was that it did nothing to address the deeper questions surrounding ownership and usage for everyone else who wasn’t a major label: mid-size labels and independent artists who have just as fundamental a right to address how their content is used as a large corporation, even if they don’t carry quite as big a stick.
The third option was to approach a fully licensed model, which I had been edging toward since I met with Universal. I knew other licensed services so far had met with mixed success, but I also knew Muxtape was different and that it was at least worth exploring. The question about whether or not the labels saw value in it had been answered, the new question was how much it was going to cost.
It was June. I approached a Fifth Ave law firm about representing me in licensing negotiations with the major labels, and they took me on. Two weeks later I met with all four, flanked by lawyers this time, and started the slow process of working out a deal. The first round of terms were stiff and complex, but not nearly as bad as I’d imagined, and I managed to convince them that allowing Muxtape to continue to operate was in everyone’s best interest. Things were going well. I spent the next two months talking with investors, designing the next phases of the site itself, and supervising the negotiations. A big concern was getting a deal that took into consideration the fact that Muxtape wasn’t a straightforward on-demand service, and should pay accordingly less than a service that was. Another reason I liked the licensing option from the outset was that it seemed like a uncommon win-win; I didn’t want the ability to search and stream any song at any given notice, and they were reluctant to offer it (for the price, anyway). Muxtape’s unusual limitations were its strength in more ways than one.
The first red flag came in August. Up until then all the discussion had been about numbers, but as we closed in on an agreement the talk shifted to things like guaranteed placement and “marketing opportunities.” I was denied the possibility of releasing a mobile version of Muxtape. My flexibility was being constricted. I had been worried about Muxtape getting a fair deal, but my biggest concern all along was maintaing the integrity and experience of the site (one of the reasons I wanted to license in the first place). Now it wasn’t so simple; I had agreed to a variety of encroachments into Muxtape’s financials because I wanted to play ball, but giving up any kind of editorial or creative control was something I had a much harder time swallowing.
I was wrestling with this when, on August 15th, I received notice from Amazon Web Services (the platform that hosts Muxtape’s servers and files) that they had received a complaint from the RIAA. Per Amazon’s terms, I had one business day to remove an incredibly long list of songs or face having my servers shut down and data deleted. This came as a big surprise to me, as I’d been thinking that I hadn’t heard from the RIAA in a long time because I had an understanding with the labels. I had a panicked exchange of emails with Amazon, trying to explain that I was in the middle of a licensing deal, that I suspected it was a clerical error, and that I was doing everything I could to get someone to vouch for me on a summer Friday afternoon. My one business day extended over the weekend, and on Monday when I wasn’t able to produce the documentation Amazon wanted (or even get someone from the RIAA on the phone), the servers were shut down and I was locked out of the account. I moved the domain name to a new server with a short message and the very real expectation that I could get it sorted out. I still thought it was all just a big mistake. I was wrong.
Over the next week I learned a little more, mainly that the RIAA moves quite autonomously from their label parents and that the understanding I had with them didn’t necessarily carry over. I also learned that none of the labels were especially interested in helping me out, and from their perspective it had no bearing on the negotiations. I disagreed. The deals were still weeks or months away (an eternity on the internet) meaning that at best, Muxtape was going to be down until the end of year. There was also still the matter of how to pay for it; getting investment is hard enough in this volatile space even with a wildly successful and growing web site, it became an entirely different proposition with no web site at all.
And so I made one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever faced: I walked away from the licensing deals. They had become too complex for a site founded on simplicity, too restrictive and hostile to continue to innovate the way I wanted to. They’d already taken so much attention away from development that I started to question my own motivations. I didn’t get into this to build a big company as fast as I could no matter what the cost, I got into this to make something simple and beautiful for people who love music, and I plan to continue doing that. As promised, the site is coming back, but not as you’ve known. I’m taking a feature that was in development in the early stages and making it the new central focus.
Muxtape is relaunching as a service exclusively for bands, offering an extremely powerful platform with unheard-of simplicity for artists to thrive on the internet. Musicians in 2008 without access to a full time web developer have few options when it comes to establishing themselves online, but their needs often revolve around a common set of problems. The new Muxtape will allow bands to upload their own music and offer an embeddable player that works anywhere on the web, in addition to the original muxtape format. Bands will be able to assemble an attractive profile with simple modules that enable optional functionality such as a calendar, photos, comments, downloads and sales, or anything else they need. The system has been built from the ground up to be extended infinitely and is wrapped in a template system that will be open to CSS designers. There will be more details soon. The beta is still private at the moment, but that will change in the coming weeks.
I realize this is a somewhat radical shift in functionality, but Muxtape’s core goals haven’t changed. I still want to challenge the way we experience music online, and I still want to work to enable what I think is the most interesting aspect of interconnected music: discovering new stuff.
Thank to you everyone who made Muxtape the incredible place it was in its first phase, it couldn’t have happened without your mixes. The industry will catch up some day, it pretty much has to.
Justin

You're Invited to Bamn's "Album" Release Party

Blackfin restaurant has agreed to host a pre-SPX release party for us fanboys. We're not rich yet! So don't start thinking you're gonna be getting free drinks! We are getting our own private section our very own drink specials and appetizers. Got it?!

-The party specials are from 8pm to 10pm and ONLY for our party!
-We will have our own VIP section
-You do not have to leave after 10pm (but drinks go back to regular price)
-Appetizers are complimentary/free
-There is no line. Just tell them whose party you're with!
-$2 "You name it." So all drinks (mixed, beer, etc.) at our party will be 2 bucks!
-The dress code is casual but, hey, it's a celebration...so dress decent!
-Invite as many additional people as you want.

Here's more:
BlackFinn is the perfect place to celebrate the day’s accomplishments, toast a colleague, entertain a client or just unwind with a cold beer and some serious contemporary American fare. Whether you’re looking for a casual bite or a more dining experience, the Finn is sure to please. Are you still in your suit? Did you have a casual day? Did you spend the day at a golf outing? It doesn’t matter. The inviting atmosphere at BlackFinn makes everyone feel comfortable. The bartender is going to treat you like a regular, you’re going to hear the music that you love, and everyone will be looking for fun.You work hard. You deserve BlackFinn.
-http://www.blackfinnbethesda.com/index.php

Event Info
Host:Bamn!

Type:Party - Club PartyStart Time:Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 8:00pm

End Time:Friday, October 3, 2008 at 1:00am

Location:Blackfinn Restaurant & Saloon4901 Fairmont Ave.Bethesda, MD 20814

(301) 951 5681

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Email:BamnCan@hotmail.com