by SHANE SINNOTT

In the early ’90s, Steve Albini wrote an oft-cited article for Maximum Rock ‘n’ Roll magazine called The Problem With Music (read here: bit.ly/IyyI). In it, he breaks down major-label accounting practices, showing how a newly signed band that sells 250K albums can be fucked, money-wise. This week, the band Too Much Joy, an American alt-rock outfit, posted a lengthy blog entry in a more modern vein. Called My Hilarious Warner Bros. Royalty Statement (bit.ly/4wM50u), it details how their label calculated their online royalties owed for the last five years at $62. At the same time, the band’s own online royalties through IODA (Independent Online Distribution Alliance) were about $12,000. It paints a detailed picture of an industry gloriously screwing itself over, one that’s unable to engage in civilized accounting over online royalties. Singer Tim Quirk works for the online music retailer Rhapsody.com, and dissects Warner’s accounting easily. What’s most ominous for the industry is not the cheating, which is pretty much expected, but the lack of knowledge in how the Internet works—that a guy you try to rip off will write about it on his blog, say, or that the need for a label to manufacture and distribute a band’s music has become less and less necessary.

In about three weeks—holy fuck!—the decade will be over. Album-of-the-decade list-making has begun in earnest, providing a much-needed distraction for those with an office job and/or who like to argue. If you want a more “respected” list, take a look at the one posted by The Guardian (bit.ly/6fHdCh). It’s hardcore British, and (spoiler alert) they’ve got the Streets’ Original Pirate Material as #1. If you don’t want to see the four Radiohead albums released this decade in the Top 20, I’d stay away from any pitchfork.com-sanctioned list. Better, variety-wise, to check out this blog entry: bit.ly/mmMnk. Dude has taken the time to assemble every “of the decade” list he can find. There’s over 500 (!) so far, guaranteeing that the argument will never end.