No Rock And Roll Fun

MUFFIN'S IN A COFFEE SHOP: Interesting piece on Brassy, who have had to take time off their day jobs in order to tour Australia. Although Muffin suggests that the internet hasn't helped, the real reason why a band like Brassy haven't really taken off to a point where their music can support them lays more in this sort of thing: "Brassy's 'Play Some D' [reports Undercover] was used in a UK campaign, but they didn't see a cent from it. "Motorola were using it. They used Play Some D for the prime time movies, in and out of ads" she says. "We didn't have any say in the matter. We aren't with the publishing company that put out the first album so they just went ahead and did it. They didn't ask and we didn't get any money." Remember, the battle against downloading is being fought in the name of the artists, and yet time and again the artists seem to end up with No Money At All.

Talking of people making money from Music, Daniel Miller made a few quid when his label was hoovered up by EMI, and continues to helm the now not-quite-indie. Miller is interviewed for today's Guardian Online and while he shudders over the RIAA "victimisation" of individuals, he does parrot the line that "There's no question that [filesharing] is having a negative effect on the record industry" - um, actual, Daniel, there is a very, very large question indeed over whether its effect is negative. It's like an enormous question. It's a question so huge, you have to pack sandwiches and spare water if you wish to traverse it. And any time we see anybody trot out the "it's unquestionably a bad thing", we shall spring to our feet and wave our order papers.