This whole "internet radio may disappear in a matter of weeks" thing you've been hearing about? It's true. Don't let it happen, and don't let the RIAA spinmeisters mislead you on what this is about. Click the flashing Save Internet Radio atop this page to find out how.

The major labels have finagled a ridiculous increase in the copyright royalty fees that streaming sites and internet radio stations have to pay. Why do we have to pay these fees when regular radio does not? Because Congress didn't understand the technology in 1998 and adopted some bad legislation. Clearly some in government still have no clue about this whole internet thing. If you've never heard Alaska Senator Ted Stevens ramble on against 'Net Neutrality' when he painfully obviously doesn't know what he's talking about, you can listen to it here. It's well worth the time, even the stuff before he gets to the "[the internet]'s a series of tubes" quote.

The recent increase in these already unfair fees is a blatant attempt to eliminate independent internet radio because we provide a level playing field for independent labels and artists. The major labels are used to having complete control of the marketplace, from payola to media consolidation to colluding to charge us up the wazoo for CDs. The internet changed all of that, allowing independent bands a medium through which their music could be heard by millions of listeners around the globe.

When you hear someone from SoundExchange say that this is about fairly compensating artists for their work, ask yourself, well then, self, why doesn't regular radio have to pay these fees? Doesn't regular radio play the very same music, and wouldn't SoundExchange be collecting a boatload more revenues for their clients? Then ask yourself, which is better for artists -- a small percentage of a large and growing pie, or a large percentage of no pie at all?

When you hear the RIAA complain that people can make digital copies of the streamed music, ask youself if you could run a $5 Radio Shack cable from your receiver to your computer and do the exact same thing (answer: easily).

Please please please sign the petition and write a brief note to your representatives explaining that the copyright royalty fees imposed on internet radio but not over-the-air radio are completely unfair (after all, honestly, what is the difference?), and that it is through internet radio that you discover most of your favorite music these days. Or something like that. Thank you.

End of rant.

As for today's show, it will feature new music from the band from Liverpool I am madly in love with at the moment called The Wombats (their album, Girls, Boys, And Marsupials is available in Japan right now, but you can also buy it through Rough Trade in the UK), We All Have Hooks For Hands, Bikeride, White Hills (thanks Erika!), The Show Is The Rainbow, Aim Low Kid, Thee More Shallows, Music For Animals, The Winter Sounds, Panda Band, The Henry Clay People, The Shaky Hands, plus new Art Brut!

Please tune in for "480 Minutes" today (I honestly and truly don't know how many more of these shows there will be, so please jump on the stream and hang out with me) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time and request songs and stuff via:

e-mail: feedback@bagelradio.com
Yahoo IM: bagelradio
AOL/iChat: bagelradiolive
MSN Msgr: bagelradio@hotmail.com
GoogleTalk: bagelradio@gmail.com

Recent Gig Photos:

I'm still pimping my published SXSW 2007 photos. There are over 500 of them, but start with this sampler set which contains some of my faves. Leave comments on the ones that give you something to say.

Upcoming Bay Area Gigs of Interest:

Hoodoo Gurus @ Cafe du Nord 3/31
You Am I @ Bottom of the Hill 3/31

**The Thermals/ Wet Confetti/ The Otherside @ Bottom fo the Hill 4/2

**The Thermals/ Wet Confetti/ Them Hills @ Bottom fo the Hill 4/3

All India Radio/ [the] caseworker/ The Union Trade @ The Hemlock 4/3

Teddybears (Sweden) @ Popscene 4/5
Richard Buckner (with band)/ Six Parts Seve @ Cafe du Nord 4/5
Richard Swift/ David Vandervelde @ Rickshaw Stop 4/5
Gossip/ Yo Majesty/ Dolorata @ Bottom of the Hill 4/6
Isis/ Jesu/ Zozobra @ Bimbo's 4/6

The Fucking Champs/ Boyjazz/ The Makes Nice @ Bottom fo the Hill 4/7

Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 (Peter Buck, Bill Rieflin, Scott McCaughey) @ Slim's 4/10

Barbarasteele/ Rykarda Parasol/ The Reverse @ Rickshaw 4/12

The Appleseed Cast/ The Life And Times/ The Moanin Dove @ Bottom fo the Hill 4/13

*Say Hi To Your Mom/ Magic Bullets/ Peachcake @ Bottom fo the Hill 4/15

*Sonic Boom/ LSD and the Search for God/ Stevenson Ranch Davidians @ Hemlock 4/18