A similar 2016 study by MUSO, a leading content protection and piracy data specialist, measured a 60% increase in visits to stream ripping sites in one year from 2015 to 2016. Needless to say, times have changed and now on-demand streaming services and advanced stream recording technology have made ripping a very real threat to copyright holders and creators.Ī survey by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) found that three in ten internet users had engaged in stream ripping over a six-month period in 2016. It was similar to listening to terrestrial radio with a blank cassette tape ready and waiting for the song you want to be played in order to record it. But, as a Billboard magazine article from the same year noted, “even the music industry concedes that the impact of stream ripping is minimal.” The article goes on to explain the inefficient nature of ripping software and the inability of users to search internet radio services-which were at the time were not yet on-demand-for their desired content. Stream ripping has existed for about ten years, with the digital performance rights organization Sound Exchange recognizing its dangers in 2007. It sounds complicated, but the internet is teeming with free apps and programs that make the ripping process easy, and its popularity has prompted some in the industry to flag it the fastest growing form of music piracy. Digital streaming services have since taken over as the preferred way to consume music, boasting over 100 million subscribers in 2016-a number that recently surpassed the total number of Netflix streaming video subscribers.ĭespite this substantial base of paying customers and affordable monthly subscription rates, many are choosing to bypass legitimate services by “ripping” songs from streaming platforms, which involves recording, converting, and saving songs to downloadable file. What started with the analog dubbing and bootlegging of cassettes forty years ago evolved with the digital age into CD burning and MP3 sharing, eventually leading to a chaotic illegal downloading landscape at the turn of the century that would force the music industry to develop novel anti-piracy efforts and distribution models. Easy Mark‘s amp-driven power probably would have already been enough for me to give it a pass, but this is something far more special than just another loud rock record.Cross-posted from the Mister Copyright blog.Īs formats change and advances in technology continue to transform the way we listen to music, new methods of pirating content are never far behind. know their way around a guitar riff, and better yet, they command a soaring melody with confidence and swagger. And “Bedmaker” is just plain awesome, propelled by infectious riffs and warbling low-end and featuring the sublime backing vocals of Melissa Quinley. Building back up into a loud and mighty rock record, “The Site…” boasts meaty riffs and equally meaty hooks. “All Bark” is a bit more subdued at first, yet paradoxically more urgent, Brummeler’s vocal harmonies revealing a sing-songy melody that erupts into a synth-driven new wave chorus. The song shimmers and shines beneath Martin Brummeler’s slacker vox, ascending toward a triumphant chorus and a sinewy breakdown. The aforementioned title track opens the record with muscle and melody, lazily plodding its way toward an abrupt shift in tempo, skyrocketing into intense and catchy rock `n’ roll. band, while still young and relatively unknown, isn’t letting their underground status overshadow their need to be loud, and as such, Easy Mark has an overwhelming power about it. It’s more “Bulldog Skin” than “My Valuable Hunting Knife,” which is especially refreshing when you’ve heard countless bands rehash the latter. In fact, when I really think about it, they don’t just recall Guided by Voices, but, in particular, the period during which Robert Pollard was backed by the muscular Cobra Verde. Mass Solo Revolt’s Easy Mark is more than just a really good indie rock record, it’s a really good rock record. Plenty of bands can ape their heroes, but Mass Solo Revolt merely evoke a golden era while writing some particularly kickass songs of their own. Not that Mass Solo Revolt sounds exactly like them, but there’s that spark and warmth in MSR’s music that allows one to easily draw a line back to these underground giants. In its melodic chug, I hear Pavement, I hear Guided by Voices, and I hear Superchunk. The opening guitar notes of Mass Solo Revolt’s “Easy Mark,” on the album of the same name, contain a certain tone, a certain fuzziness that takes me back to a time when indie rock was still a fairly novel thing to me.
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