I’ve had my ear to the ground for this for a year now, when rumours of the product first started to surface. By all accounts the service has been ready to launch for quite some time and it has been reaching deals with the labels which has held back the announcement.

Here’s an overview of Music Beta from Google:

The service will be available to users by invitation only at first, and it may still be some time before it’s available in the UK.

It certainly looks good and given Apple’s failure to provide a cloud based Itunes service, I have a feeling this is not going to be another unsuccessful launch for google.

Good news for Android users, but the question remains: Will we ever see it on Apple devices?

I hope so.

Google announces ‘Music Beta’ cloud based service. is a post from: evenflowdave.com

Thing is… they are very little to do with music and more to do with popularity.

The awards are handed out to the most commercial artists. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing if sales numbers reflected musical talent.

While teenage girls and the lesser musically informed among us might be pleased that  Take That and Justin Bieber receive awards for “Best Group” and “Best International Breakthrough Act”, the rest of us have to wonder whether the musical champions of Afghanistan might be more suited to our tastes.

But we can sit and moan about the commercial nature of our music Industry, or we can do something to reward good music.

So I say, stuff the Brits, I’m giving out The Dave Prize.

I was gonna use one of my nice Belgian beers, but I thought the shinny chrome of a tin of T would be more appropriate (maybe I can get Tennent’s in as a paying sponsor next year).

As well as being a coveted musical accolade, The Dave Prize is also a refreshing beverage. Two things a Brit award will never be.

The criteria for selection is simple… I will pick the best musical artist or group of 2010, according to me. That’s it.

I will mull it over for the next few hours, but the votes have kinda been counted. I know what I like, so barring some unforeseen mind-control incident, there should be little controversy in the result.

Please let me know your suggested nominations… they might make it into the short-list.

Just don’t moan when your favourite doesn’t win the prize, it’s my award! You can always give out your own.

The nominations and winner will be announced in another post, so if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe for updates.

The Dave Prize will be sent to the winner after the announcement…

Apologies for the lack of glamorous event – maybe next year. No red carpet though, just a few jars in the local boozer. Maybe get the land lady to announce the winner out of a fancy sealed envelope.

Stuff the Brits, I’m giving out my own Award. is a post from: evenflowdave.com

They may not understand the law too great either, as parodies of copyrighted material is allowed under copy-right laws.

(That was a bit of banter, Mr EMI lawyer, not meant to be taken literally. I just dislike corporate blood suckers. Other people are free to like corporate blood suckers if they like, I wont force my doctrine on them)

To be fair to them, they  know that Youtube have a policy of taking down all videos subject of a DMCA take-down while originators go through a mountain of bureaucracy to have them reinstated. Oh well. You can still see the video for ‘Newport State of Mind’, filmed by Welsh people and inspired by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind”, elsewhere on the internet.

Newport State of Mind by Seventeen from AarOne Seven on Vimeo.

Spoof Newport State Of Mind removed from YouTube following EMI DMCA take-down. is a post from: evenflowdave.com

In 2007 ,following their release from EMI, Radiohead released their seventh studio album “In rainbows” as a download for “pay what you like”, before the CD went on sale in record shops. Now the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has issued Google with a take-down notice for blogger sites containing these digital files, as well as other albums.

While Radiohead may have stopped short of releasing the recording under a creative commons license for free, I think this poses an interesting question. Did Radiohead complain to RIIA prompting this take-down notice or  can RIIAhave stepped over their remit?

The reason I find this interesting is because it doesn’t seem like something Radiohead would complain about. Yes, the limited time offer of “pay what you like” for the download was still a commercial offering, but it gave big clues of whatRadiohead were already thinking then… that the future of music distribution would involve free, and free of restrictions content… and that a bands earning potential will come more in touring, which can only be helped by unrestricted access of their music for everyone.

Maybe I am wrong, and will issue updates on this post based on the band’s and the industry’s response. I would just love for RIIA to have gone ahead of themselves and end up getting their filthy fascist knuckles wrapped.

What do you think?

RIAA orders Google to take down sites sharing Radiohead album, but did Radiohead sanction this? is a post from: evenflowdave.com

I think just about everyone accepts that, with virtually unlimited supply, there was never going to be as much money in it. That is, not enough for Rock Stars to live the “Rock Star” lifestyle that so many dream about.

But could it be enough for those who have genuine passion for music to make a living from it?

This info-graphic by the guys at informationisbeautiful.net is quite interesting, but while it shows how difficult it is for bands to make money online (from the perspective of a traditional business model), it does not represent the opportunities and hopes of the many artists who, in my opinion, will make a living from music online.

The graphic represents how much artists are making from soft sales compared to physical media

This is the image that the big record labels and traditional media corporation are trying to sell to the content creators and consumers, through initiatives like their campaign to have the Digital Economy Act (#DEACT) passed through parliament.

But it is not as simple as this. The business model that the big record labels had always operated under is one where there was very little competition, replication could only be done by professionals (without losing too much sound quality) and that because of that they could make massive amounts of money from the few artists they decided to back.

Fast-forward to 2010 and competition is (or should be) endless, as bands can very easily record decent material from their bedrooms. Replication is quality-perfect and songs and playlists can be shared with all your friends through social media – in seconds.

So what the old-guard are trying to do is say: ‘Hold-on, technology and innovation are not good for our business, therefore development and the openness of the web must be reigned back’.

But shouldn’t the message be that the music industry, as we know it, is dead, and we need to invent a new music industry… one that is aided and not hindered by technology and the spitit of a free and open web?

Can music artists make a living from online downloads and streaming royalties? #DEACT is a post from: evenflowdave.com

The people 1 The X Factor 0

This Christmas, music fans (the real music fans) have an early gift. The people united have stood up to and defeated the capitalist, manufactured pop establishment.

It’s a victory for Music.

And against all the odds.

The people, armed only with the internet, 0 marketing budget and one rebel anthem on download only, against the x-factor with their several month long TV programme, unlimited marketing budget and the distribution clout of Sony BMG.

Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Killing in the Name’ Is the Christmas number 1 for 2009 ahead of the X Factor monopoly.

History has been made.

Over 500’000 sales in one week, just from downloads. The most the UK has ever seen.

Congratulations to everyone that got involved promoting the campaign and a massive thank you to John Morter for starting the Facebook group. You have made this a memorable year!

So we won the Battle. What now?

>>An Open Letter to Simon Cowell, The Music Industry and The Media<<

Please share it with everyone you know.

See you at the free gig comrades!

The people have spoken: Anarchy for Christmas 2009 :) RATM4XMAS is a post from: evenflowdave.com

RATM v XFactor

I’ve been out of the country for a few days. I had to get away from the X Factor final hype nonsense.

But I was pumped to learn of the campaign to get ‘Killing In The Name’ to Christmas number 1 ahead of  the X-Factor winner’s song.

The ideal band to topple capitalist music execs and their manufactured pop ballad bull crap.

Congratulations to John who started the facebook campaign for the buzz he has managed to build around it. I wish I would have thought of it.

I already owned all of Rage’s stuff, but I have just downloaded the single again, a couple of times. I urge everyone to do the same.

Nothing against Joe McElderry, I heard him on the radio today and he comes across  as a nice enough lad. Good singer too… Congratulations on becoming British Karaoke champion.

I’m sure your granny will love all your stuff.

I’m sure a lot of the British public will think the song is really good too…

In the same way that most twelve year-old’s think they know about life…

If you’re into that kind of  mass produced garbage, maybe you need to wake up to the fact that x factor hits are never remembered past the holiday period. And rarely are the “artists” that produce them.

The music of artists like ‘Rage Against the Machine’, whose intentions and legacy go way beyond just fame and fortune, is written in history.

If you read this blog at all, you will know how much i hate the Xfactor. For the BS so called “music” the program puts out; for how it successfully manipulates the nation into tuning in, dialling in, paying out; and for how people are deliberately humiliated on the early stages, in the name of entertainment.

As innocent as the contestants might be in all of that, do you think that the corporation responsible for all that deserves to top the charts at Christmas?

We are a long way yet from toppling Simon Cowell and the X Factor. The franchise does after all have the head start of a several months long prime time TV marketing campaign…

Please download Killing in the name from Amazon, or from Itunes …. even if it is just to F*UK Simon Cowell off.

Oh – and if you haven’t already seen it, then you really want to watch Rage on The 5 Live breakfast… http://www.bbc.co.uk/5live/

The revolution will not be silenced or censored… not even by the BBC!

F*UK you Simon Cowell, I won’t buy what you sell me! RATM for Christmas No1! is a post from: evenflowdave.com

Cracks me up every time, but jokes aside, that means that a bunch of poncy pop wannabes will be destroying some classics – and in some cases trying to pass off some lame pop anthem with a hint of a guitar through it, as a rock tune.

To the rock fans across the pond, The X-Factor is the same as your American Idol, only shittier. At least some of your guys are moderately talented, and you get a bigger share of hot chicks.

I found myself watching it last night for the laugh, and I’m pleased to report that not too much damage was done. There was one girl that sang “sweet child of mine”, and an interesting rendition of Queen by two identical weasels, but nothing that’s never been destroyed a million times before.

Funniest thing was a Zac Efron lookalike doing Katy Perry’s “I kissed a girl and I like it”….

You don’t say?

Even if I ignore for a moment that Katy Perry is as Rock’n'Roll as Snoopy is a Pit Bull Terrier, the only thing that makes that song interesting is that a girl kisses another girl. Take that out of the equation and you’ve got the lamest bit of TV ever seen.

But nothing was as interesting as watching Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh quarrel over who has the most knowledge/experience in rock music….

The guy responsible for the ‘Telitubbies’ and ‘Power Rangers’ soundtracks and the man that made his fortune from putting baby faced teenage heartthrobs in tail-coats and singing 60′s ballads, arguing about who is the biggest rocker.

The fact that the judges think this guy is a rocker says it all…

Message to Simon Cowell: Real Rockers and Real Musicians don’t go on the X Factor, or American Idol.

The guest on tonight’s programme is Bon Jovi, so logically the contestants will be destroying his songs. But that’s OK, with respect to Bon Jovi, his stuff is a bit too mainstream and girlie for real rockers to care much.

Sorry girls, but it is!

My mission: to put together a spotify playlist of REAL ROCKERS. A list of 18 tracks so removed from the commercial mainstream that the X Factor and American Idol will hopefully never touch.

It wasn’t an easy task. I sampled many great grunge albums to narrow this list to 18 tracks. Through the night and to backing vocals from the missus screaming to “turn that horrible noise down”.  But here its is…

If you have Spotify, you can get the playlist here. If you don’t have Spotify yet, you really should You can get it here (Unfortunately, Spotify is not available outside Europe yet).

The 18 tracks I hope the X Factor and American Idol will never touch.

1. Mayonnaise   –  The Smashing Pumpkins
2. Fell on black days  -  Soundgarden
3. Would?  - Alice in Chains
4. No end in sight  - Mudhoney
5. Smells like Teen Spirit  - Nirvana
6. Bullet with butterfly wings – The Smashing Pumpkins
7. Alive – Pearl Jam
8. Come as You are – Nirvana
9. Black Hole Sun – Soundgarden
10. No excuses  - Alice in chains
11. Like a Stone  - Audioslave
12. Do the Evolution  - Pearl Jam
13. Plush  - Stone Temple Pilots
14. Nutshell  - Alice in Chains
15. Tonight Tonight  - The Smashing Pumpkins
16. Hunger Strike  - Temple of the Dog
17. Black  - Pearl Jam
18. Where did you sleep last night  -  Nirvana (MTV unplugged)

The more educated rockers will notice a Grunge flavour to this list.  Best musical era – ever. Unrepeatable.

There are a lot of really great songs that didn’t make it into the list, but I had to keep it to a reasonable length and wanted to give some of the bands on it a mention. Some of the tracks are also there for what they symbolise. I can think of many better Nirvana songs than ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’, but how could I have a Grunge list without the anthem that swept across the world announcing the breakthrough of all this great music.

You might be thinking that this is a very arbitrary selection, based on the authors personal taste, and you’d be spot on. This is my list and my blog. If you don’t like it, you can piss off  and make your own.

And once you’re done please share it in the comments

18 rock songs you will never see on the X-Factor or American Idol is a post from: evenflowdave.com

You know the time… the time you and yours huddle round boob tube and laugh at some poor deluded fools who want  to be the next Britney Spears or Justin Gingerprick.

twitter trending topics on Saturday morning confirmed it. X Factor was ranking.

For me that means two things…

1. Having to endure the endless “ohh, I think X will win it, he’s a great singer. He’s cute too. hehe” (Not to mention getting made to watch the damn thing by the missus)

2. Arguing with every fan I come across about the “merits” and evils of the programme.

First thing first, look, I’m not saying there aren’t talented singers on the x-factor, but what I do say is that being a good Karaoke singer doesn’t make you a musician.

Like any decent profession, that should be something you achieve through hard work, study , practice, writing, gigging, marketing.

These people want to go from Karaoke to International top selling artist in less than a year – that’s an insult to all the many bands who struggle for years gigging and gradually building up local support and a fan base, until they are popular enough to get the attention of the record industry.

It rarely lasts long for the get famous quick crowd anyway. Apart for a one or two, what’s happened to all the other reality TV “stars”?

Chewed up by Simon Cowell’s money press and out the other end completely flat. But the money machine keeps rolling – just keep the suckers coming.

But that’s not even the worst part, here’s the biggest X-Factor evil…

The format of the programme is simple. The good singers make it through and that bad ones don’t. Right? Wrong…

It turns out that there is a screening process that all entrants go through before going through to the televised auditions in front of the judges.

That means that the best singers are let through and while other good - just not the best –  singers are sent home, all the nutters (the ones that everyone watches the first few programmes for, the ones that get people watching, then hooked on the series) that have no chance are allowed through for the “entertainment factor”.

In other words, the less fortunate are handpicked to be made a fool of  on TV and laughed at by the whole world.

Have you seen the way some of them get laughed at by Simon Cowell and Loui  Walsh? I have no problem with calling a spade a spade and if someone is crap, they should know it. But publicly humiliating someone on TV? I’m sure I wouldn’t see that level of unkindness in the most unkind school playground.

But the worst part, the part I hate the most is that for all I despise the X Factor, I end up watching those first few programmes along with everyone else.

It’s like driving past a car crash. I don’t want to look, but it’s just so compelling.

People keep watching and so the show goes on. It’s a vicious circle.

Simon Cowell and his evil empire must be stopped.

Who’s with me?

X Factor should be cancelled for crimes against humanity! is a post from: evenflowdave.com