The future of music downloading

To the record industry, John Seroff is something of a criminal. For music fans, he's a budding revolutionary. Seroff is the publisher of http://tofuhut.blogspot.com, better known as Tofu Hut, a genre-blending MP3 blog that treats its readers to free downloads of obscure music and well-written ruminations on little-known artists. Seroff's recently posted the music of Malicorne, a '70s French folk band, and Riko, a female MC from Britain. But by allowing people to download free music, Seroff and the other bloggerati have caught the attention of the record industry. Two weeks ago, the popular blog Moistworks shut down after Great Britain's version of the Recording Industry Artists of America threatened it with a lawsuit. Copyright law says that copyright owners control the distribution to their works.\n"It's a bitch that Moistworks got shut down, but I don't take it as anymore than a shrug," Seroff said. Seroff started his blog as a way to communicate with people after he moved to Florida. "I had scads of free time, and there was something about (blogs) that had revolutionary possibilities," Seroff said. "It struck me as a way for people all over the world to listen to anything. I said 'I've got good tastes. What the hell, I'll give it a shot.'"\nHe chooses the music he posts based on whatever moves him, be it old or new. He limits himself to music that he thinks not everybody has heard before. \n"Why does everyone and their brother have to hit me with the new Bright Eyes single?" Seroff asked. "We have 90 people posting Arcade Fire, too. I would love to see a country music blog. How about a bebop blog?"\nBlogs adhere to a number of common sense rules to help keep the record industry at bay. They only post songs for a week or two before taking them down. They make sure to provide links to places readers can buy the stuff that is posted. They don't give away whole albums.\n"When I first started, I would get phantom, random e-mails from people telling me I was going to jail," Seroff said. "They told me 'I love what you're doing, but you need to chill out.'" Once when he posted an unreleased Tupac Shakur track, he received a cease and desist notice from Amaru Enterprises. He said it's his red badge of courage.\n"By the time they got in touch with me, it was already down," he said. "(The record industry) shrugs at us every now and then. If they wanted to, I'd already be shut down."\nFor followers of the bloggerati community, Tofu Hut is a daily source of nourishment and a refreshingly independent voice amid the din of corporate marketing strategies. The beauty of music blogs is that anyone can start one, and it seems like everybody has. The Internet is the one truly populist medium because it gives the same access to all, provided you know a little something about computer programming. \nWith all the MP3 blogs in existence (and there are more than you think), you'll wish you had bought the 60 GB Ipod with the color screen. \nDuring January, a lot of superb and rare finds made it onto the blogs.\nSoul-sides, http://soul-sides.com, did a week's worth of tracks from the Prestige Records catalogue. The songs highlighted Bernard Purdie, Idris Muhammad, Sonny Stitt and others. The Of Mirror Eye, http://blog.ofmirroreye.net, recently posted multiple tracks from MF Doom's alter ego King Geedorah and Songs from the Deep Throat Soundtrack.\nAmong the hip-hop blogs, Common's latest single, "The Corners," made the rounds last week. Tracks from Edan's forthcoming album also popped up in more than one place. Cocaine Blunts, www.cocaineblunts.com, posted tracks from the Outsidaz, Ras Kass and Young Zee. On indie rock blogs, the LCD Soundsystem has been a late favorite, while Sri Lankan singer M.I.A. has been getting the equivalent of heavy airtime. Many bloggers post only older music. These don't seem to be in danger of going away because they stimulate renewed interested in otherwise forgotten artists. At a time when no one else is promoting older artists, blogs may increase their sales.. \nBut while that argument should justify keeping all blogs and file-sharing around, it doesn't. When blogs post sought-after music like Common's "The Corners," they may have the reverse effect of undercutting sales. Bloggers aren't making any money off their sites right now, although Seroff said he has his fingers crossed that a small record label will call and ask him to blog for their artists. \nSeroff said he is still paranoid that record companies will shut him down, but he is optimistic that MP3 blogs will keep multiplying and the readership will grow. \n"We plan to destroy the radio and the mass media and overthrow the government, and we'll all live with milk and honey and be naked," he joked.\nIf Moistworks is any indication, more shutdowns may be on the way. Another IU student was sued last month by the Record Industry Artists of America for illegal file-sharing. In Norway, a college student was sued for simply providing links to free Internet music. He didn't host the files himself but pointed people to where they could be found. He lost the suit and paid up. \nIn my own defense, I urge you to buy an album if you like what you download.