pebkac thoughts

I’m voting with my dollars. If the RIAA is taking aim at icons of remix culture like DJ Drama, I’ll have to be even more careful about a ritual everyone should have when buying a CD or a song from iTunes.

1. Identify the record label publishing the CD/track
2. Check this page to make sure the label is not a RIAA member.
3. If the label is not a RIAA member, continue with normal purchasing decision.

For example, I just had somebody recommend the latest album by The Shins (warning: flash-only site), Wincing the Night Away. I went to amazon, noted that the label for the album is Sub Pop, and proceeded to check the RIAA page. Huzzah! They’re not listed!

BUT WAIT. There’s more!

According to their own history, they have a deal with Warner Music (are Warner on that RIAA page… hmmmm), and according to idolator, they watermarked promo copies of Wincing but experienced a leak anyway… and called in the rather entertaining web sheriff. What’s going on here? Suddenly I’m less enthused. I like the two albums by The Shins that I already own and would like to continue to support them, but jeez. Too bad their next tour doesn’t seem to swing out East.

Screw it. I don’t have money to blow on music anyway.

And now for something completely different. How hilarious is this debate looking back?

[update]: I’ve been around the web a bit more and have decided that Sub Pop Aren’t All That Bad ™. The fact that they went green was the biggest clue. Maybe I’ll buy that album after all.