CD sales continue to slide in the USA. The RIAA continues to blame downloading, but that's a load of hooey. Read Mark Jenkin's piece in Slate, which highlights past declines, and what the industry blamed at that time. Instead, he discusses the real reasons: fragmented audiences, younger listeners with no artist loyalties, and the fact that the big five labels are all controlled by five multinationals in trouble, with little interest in the music biz. Don't forget that a lot of the music being marketed to ALL of us is shyte. All the more reason to continue to support indie labels and local music.
visits since 07/15/02
