[tortoise]

I'm going to have the last laugh when all the freeloaders put the record companies out of business and then wonder why the only music they can find is crap like your kooky uncle recorded in his garage.

There is actually an increasingly large pool of independent music with exceptionally good production values. What has happened is that extremely good production and engineering technology has become extremely cheap. For a few grand today you can have a recording and production facility that rivals the very best commercial facilities ten years ago in terms of capability and sound quality.

[Khepera]

You got that right.

[tdadams]

That has been covered earlier in the thread. Access to recording technology doesn't make up for a lack of talent. If you have someone with the right technology and no talent, you only end up with very well-produced crap.

[bvw]

What would tdadams know -- he's a judge for "Billboard", after all. That started as a Circus magazine. Covers the modern circus. They have music at the circus too. Some of it is quite enjoyable -- but a circus is just a circus.