Commodore Nicole's Blog: All I smell is your bullshit. For six months, I been pourin' money down a bottomless hole.

I recently heard that several large Music Labels are going before congress and the senate to propose a tax for radio stations. The Performance Tax would be on local stations to pay music companies money for the songs they play over the air and streaming.

Now everybody thinks they deserve a bailout.

Now let me say, that I am actively supporting the No Performance Tax crusade. But I'm not 100% behind this website. There is a lot of spin in their language and it irritates me. But sometimes ...Fire with Fire. You know?

This new TAX is nothing but a shallow attempt to re-fill the Music Labels pockets. It's no secret that the digital age has caused a major upheaval in the Music Industry. That because of their absolute denial to move with new technology several years ago, Music Labels and Industry moguls spent all the money they pocketed selling $5 cds for $25 fighting it, then doing what the audience wanted - to embrace it.

When any Media bigwig says "But this is what you wanted" it's Distractionary bullshit.

So the Music Industry is looking at using this Performance Tax on Radio to bail them out of their own bad decisions. Bad choices like cutting popular artists who found better methods to get their art to their fans, and over paying, over spending, over subsidizing the careers of the current catalog of artists. Remember when every freaking singer was guzzling Crystal like it was water? I do. I wasn't impressed. Who do you think paid for it? We did.

If I thought for one second that it was worth it, I might be on board with the idea. But I don't. Music Labels need to look in their own house, and start taking stock. Get a budget together, scale down, cut back, open the door, toss the rubbish, and look to the future. Just like their audience has had to do in these hard times.

Their whine is that without this tax they can't foster new artists, that without this money the people behind the stars won't be able to do their jobs. More distractionary bullshit. New artists and the production staff are the essence of the business, cutting them out would be like holding their breath until they died.

What they need to do is look at the parasites.

Fire the artists that are nothing but flash, that don't actually have any talent. The actors who think they can sing, the singers that are really just looking for an avenue to reach their dream to act. Next fire 7/8th of the marketing team. If you weed out all the posers and keep the true artists, then you won't need a PR army to convince the audience to buy into the no-talent hacks. Also, halve all the money you spend in promoting an artist. If they have talent then you won't need to spend crazy amounts of money dressing them, styling them down to what they drink, plastic surgery to make them look just like the other labels girl, getting them into parties, their videos, and spin money. Let the music speak for it's self.

Speaking of the music. How about cutting back on the theatrics of a tour shall we? Sure they are hella entertaining. Do we need them? Not even a little bit, seriously. You say we "want" to be blown away, but really the audiance just wants to see the band sing their songs. Cut out the siezure inducing lights, the flames shooting out of everyones ass, and fire everyone who is not in the band prancing around the stage. Singers singing, music being played, that's it. Ok, fine, may be a little mood lighting.

Next start looking at those artists who actually bring in money. They bring it in, but what do you spend keeping them happy? Stop paying for stuff that the artist should be paying for. If they need to have their hairdresser flown in to Cali from Podunk, they need to pay for it. Designer originals, one of a kind this, unique that, an assistant to carry their dog - all out of their own pocket. And video's all get shot in the continental US. Stop paying for their vacations.

And for god sake, if your artist, whether rising, standard, or falling, is failing at being a decent human - fire them. Kick their ass to the curb, box their shit and put it on the side walk. Don't harbor them, don't coddle them, don't cover it up, hand them the bill for damages and seriously don't try to convince me it's cool, funny, hip, or OK. It's not - ever.

The Performance Tax on Radio is the Music Industries way to continue their life style because the audience has stated that we are tapped out and we're not going to pay anymore. If we allow this bill to be passed, then they'll take it from out pockets anyway. Tell your representative that Music Labels are not entitled to this tax. They have done nothing to derseve it.