I don't think it's any secret that CDs are on the way out. I was just in a Circuit City that was closing it's doors. CDs were 40 percent off, so I picked up the new EPMD LP, the new GZA and the Jurassic 5 Re-Issue of their first joint. Mixed results, but at that price it's all good. I have a Virgin Mega Store near my job that's closing up. Those cats are only at 25 percent off, fuck that. I'm like a CD vulture for stores that go under, I'm waiting for at least 40 percent off their too, and that's a full fledged CD shop, so they have everything in up in there. Can't wait.

I still tell stories about when The Wiz went under. I got a 10 pack of Zip Disks for 10 bucks! I still use them joints in my MPC from the same packs I bought then. Combine this with Tower Records folding a few years back and Coconuts going under about 4 months ago and what do you have left?

You've got Best Buy and Walmart. Not exactly stalwarts of culture in America. But even those stores are marketing their CD sections as add ons now for when you buy an Ipod or an HD TV. The CDs are placed on your way out basically, and the section has gotten smaller and smaller year after year.

The whole business model of CD Sales is going out the window. Your always going to have your small mom and pop shops (I hope) and as a touring musician your going to need CD product to sell. That's about all that's left. A few years ago, I predicted that Online CD Stores would all be converted to MP3 shops or would fold. Name me an online site that sells CDs exclusively today? You can't. I can name one that folded that used to be huge, another that switched entirely to MP3s and one that does both within just the Hip-Hop genre. That business model changed, just as I said.

I don't have another prediction, but I do have an observation.

There is one group of people that still listens primarily to CDs, what demographic do you think this is?

Maybe, 40 somethings? Can't break their habits. No.
Maybe a certain genre? No.
People that aren't tech savvy perhaps? No.

It's Music Bloggers and Writers! Yes, that's right. Believe it or not, the people that fancy themselves ahead of the curve on the "next big thing" in music are the only people left that listen to CDs almost exclusively.

No offense to all the fine folks that we are courting for press right now, but what's up with yall? I can't figure it out for the life of me. At this point, pressing a CD doesn't add any authenticity to a release. I hope yall realise that. There are many labels, some a lot bigger then mine, that are exclusively doing digital releases. Why is it that you still need a CD or even a crappy CD-R sent to you to review something? Do you people realise how much more it costs to promote something when you have to do mailouts? You have to pay postage. You have to pay for your packing supplies. You have to print your bios and pay for ink. Think about it, this shit adds up. And for what?

What's the angle? I recently discussed this with someone and we came up with a few theories, none of which can be true in all cases.

1- It's an ego thing, they love making people jump through hoops for their attention.
2- Their old and think that pressing a CD makes you a "real musician" worth their time.
3- Their afraid of viruses from downloads
4- They've been gettting free music delivered to their house for free via CDs for so long they never had to discover what the internet has to offer and don't realise that technology has radically changed music.
5- They are so embedded in the old machinery of the major labels and high paid PR Firms, they don't even realise it.

These seem like really dumb reasons, save maybe #3. But, keep in mind, you have the power to observe where something is coming from before you click the Download Button.

I just don't get it.

These days there is so much power for the musician. You can record and mix your record at home. You can release it yourself, or team with an ally like Uncommon. You can choose to give your music away or sell it online. You can network and meet more people on the internet through social networks in 2 hours then what you could pre-internet in 2 years. You can distribute your music to tech savvy bloggers across the internet for review with the click of a button. Oh wait, you can't do that last one because music reviewers are all friggin dinosaurs that likely listen to AM Radio on the way to work in between CDs.

Maybe I should press up our next release on Cassette and send it out to Press like that. It will probably get praise for being the most innovative thing ever done.

Well, I've got that off my chest. To all my bloggers, you know I'm doing this out of love. This is like an intervention of sorts. I know you have an Ipod you bastards, don't front. When you catch up to the rest of us, Uncommon will be waiting with high quality music for you. Just don't take too much longer or you'll meet the same fate as Circuit City and the Virgin Megastore.

If your a blogger and have a reason for this insanity that is not named above, please comment and let us know.