This is just my laptop..

Listen. My mom has been afraid that the FBI was going to show up at our front door to haul me off to juvie since Napster was a useful service instead of another form of digital rights management. I’ve been jacking music through Napster, Aimster, Kazaa, K-Lite, Soulseek, Limewire, eMule & torrents since I had to dial into my ISP. I’ve used IRC and FTP and occasionally just borrowed CDs from friends without remembering to return them.

I’ve tried to justify ripping off music labels by going to concerts every time I can and buying merchandise straight from the band tent, wall, and/or table. I’ve tried to justify every song, EP, & full length I’ve pirated with the logic that finances would have prevented me from actually buying the medium anyways, so it’s not really a lost sale for Sony or EMI or what have you. Besides, do you know of any good record shops in rural North East Iowa? Of course not.

We went on a band trip to Milwaukee back in high school and I remember the first time I stepped into a real hole-in-the-wall record shop complete with a couple of apathetic employees. I left that day with End is Forever by The Ataris. I don’t remember many details about that trip other than listening to that CD on repeat. It wasn’t my first CD, but it was one of few that I physically owned, had picked out, and paid for. I stared at the back of the case as I memorized every lyric.

Music is an important piece of my life. It always has been and always will be. It would be a large stretch for me to say I’ll never pirate another song in my life, but I realized a few years ago that it was important to make some sort of an effort to support the artists you love. With albums coming out from Dave Matthews Band, blink-182, Angels & Airwaves, & other bands of varied importance, it may be time to start saving a bit. Economic troubles or otherwise.

Mmm. New Bon Iver is amazing.