The far-reaching effects of the Stop Online Piracy Act (house) and the Protect IP Act (senate) are being discussed throughout the internet right now- just as they should be. I wish every bill our leaders bring to the table fell under the same public scrutiny. I, however, don’t need to add to the discussion of global implications, I want to discuss just one. One implication has made me support SOPA: Grooveshark

You see, if SOPA passes, I want to own Grooveshark.com

It’s not about fairness or liberty or innovation, really. My support for SOPA comes strictly from the fact that it wouldn’t be difficult for me to own Grooveshark once these bills pass.

If you’re not familiar with Grooveshark, here’s their business plan in a nutshell:

1. Allow users to post and distribute MP3′s of any band they like
2. Whatever the users don’t post, Grooveshark will post for them
3. Ignore DMCA takedown requests, court orders, and lawsuits
4. Don’t pay any royalties to labels or indie musicians.

Don’t ask me how a site like this gained any legitimacy, but for some reason tons of people think Grooveshark actually supports the music it’s using to sell ads and subscriptions. There’s a reason they’ve been sued by every major label and why independents like Zoë Keating have had to issue DMCA takedown notices upwards of seven times. Just like the United States Congress, Grooveshark has become a respected batch of pirates that nobody seems to sense as a threat.

How SOPA Can Help

Under the terms of the SOPA bill (yes, I’ve read it, have you?), pretty much any site on the internet becomes a site that facilitates piracy. My dad’s blog about shit he finds on the beach in Washington? Total pirate haven. Forget YouTube, Wikipedia, and of course Grooveshark, any site with a comments section falls under this bill’s definition.

All I’d have to do is issue a notice to sites associated with Grooveshark under the new law. You read that correctly, I don’t even have to inform the site I’m attacking. At that point those sites have 5 days to stop servicing Grooveshark- Paypal, Google, whomever. If Grooveshark doesn’t somehow sense they’re being targeted via some disturbance in the force, they’ll probably keep violating copyrights and ripping off musicians as though nothing had happened.

At that point, I can literally own their domain name through a simple court procedure. I wouldn’t get their bank accounts or assets, but think about all the traffic I could funnel directly to my website through their more popular name. Hell, I could just point Grooveshark.com to my Pandora Radio station since Pandora actually pays royalties to guys like me.

If Grooveshark bothered to notice and tried to defend themselves, it’d be even better. Since every site- even mine -is now a Pirate Bay, they’d be perjuring themselves the second they tried to claim otherwise. That means jail time for their directors and executives, but SOPA adds a bonus: They would immediately be responsible for my legal fees. I could hire the ten best lawyers on the planet and let Grooveshark pick up the tab.

How You Can Help

You too can help me own Grooveshark.com – it will be a simple matter. Besides, if you don’t help me, I’ll just own your domain name instead. It will be far, far easier than you can imagine and you will have no legal recourse to fight these claims.

If you doubt any of this, I suggest you educate yourself on SOPA/PIPA right now… though I wouldn’t recommend it. Congress and their friends at the MPAA/RIAA are counting on you NOT knowing what the hell is going on in order to pass these bills.

So you’re better off joining my quest to own Grooveshark. Just tell your representatives how you feel about SOPA/PIPA and together we can make this happen!

General Ebel here, fresh off the plane from Fishcon 2011. I was recently interviewed by the Freelance 4 Real show and we talked about what it takes to survive as a small business- any small business -but particularly the über-competitive world of independent music. Co-hosts Justin Kownacki and Michael Sorg asked me about the delicate balance involved in asking YOU to spread the word about my music. It’s the difference between begging for attention and earning your assistance.

I don’t like begging, I don’t know anyone who does, but to be frank my very survival depends on your involvement. You’ve already heard the music and I’m glad you’re a fan, but I need you to go one step further than the ordinary masses out there. Chris Penn would talk about changes to Facebook and Google and how their systems now depend almost entirely on people sharing stuff with their friends, but I’ll put it in terms of the music industry:

• Blogs, Magazines, and Radio stations only want to run stories about bands that have a buzz going.
• Venues and booking agents only want to work with artists who inspire their fans to action.
• The #1 reason people buy new music is based on a recommendation from a friend, not from ads or promotions.
• I will only be able to tour to your town if we can generate enough buzz to get people’s attention.

Music, like any other small business, depends on people like you spreading the word around your town and your online community. Without your help, all I’m doing is begging for attention. It’s like two lovers having a fight: Music industry types aren’t going to hear me if I tell them I deserve a shot, but as soon as they hear the same message from one other trusted source they’ll take it seriously. It’s amazing what a little word of mouth can accomplish.

The Ask

Something we talked about during the interview was not being afraid to ask.  So what am I asking you to do? I need you to keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to spread the word. Here are a few examples:

• Whenever I post a video on my YouTube Channel – Don’t just “Like” it, share it via email, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
• When I post something to the blog, use the Share buttons at the bottom.
• If you hear of a local event or business that could use my music, throw it at them. If I knew anyone behind #OccupyWallStreet right now, I’d be sending them copies of It’s Raining Bankers and They Got The Money

In a nutshell, YOU are my record label. Every artist you like depends on you to help them grow and survive. If you truly want to see this lone goofball’s music rise and dominate the world (a modest goal), then I need YOU to share me with your friends. Anything I do that doesn’t flat-out offend you or injure your soul, please share it with others. I’m counting on you every day, so thank you for not letting me down.

I’m doing my best not to let you down, ever.

What made you a Matthew Ebel fan? (Assuming you are one. If not, grab some free songs and tell me what you think.) It’s not always easy to quantify, but I’d like you to try. It may not even be my music that brought you here.

I know what made me a Ben Folds fan- His ability to produce amazing sounds with only a few instruments just seemed brilliant. Even the album he made for Shatner sounded great.

I know what made me a Henry Rollins fan- NOT his music. Seriously. His spoken word stuff is amazing; it should all be called “Tales of a Man Who Abhors Bullshit.”

I know what made me an Amanda Palmer fan- Her ability to parlay mediocre label support into a self-sustaining music career is inspiring for those of us trying to skip the label step entirely. She’s anything but Top 40 material and yet has a following that just won’t quit.

So what made you a fan of ME? What is it about me or my music that made you support me?

I’ve discovered that there are two factors that motivate The Powers That Be (otherwise known as the Us from my Manifesto): Eyeballs and Influence. You, my awesome fans, matter only insomuch as either how many of you are out there or how much you’ll do when I ask you. You’re either a valuable demographic or an eager volunteer.

If you want me to become famous and tour the planet, you need to help me prove myself to the Big Industry Players. At least, that’s the way they want it to work. If you ever want to see me on a big stage with sparklers and moving lights, I have to show The Powers That Be that I can mobilize you like… well, like a Robot Army.

Would you do that for me? If I asked you not just to share my music but to get five or ten of your friends to join my mailing list, would you make it your mission? If I book a show 50 miles from your house, would you pack the car with friends and road-trip out to the concert? Those are the kinds of things The Powers That Be want to see; I must be able to command you like the President deploying the 101st.

Fuck that.

Again, as I said in my Manifesto, you are not just a listener drone. I don’t empower you, You empower me. I am neither your commander-in-chief nor your boss nor your mom. All I’ve done to deserve your support is show You support when you use your voice.

Do I need more fans? Of course I do. Would “being noticed” by the Big Industry Players help me get on stage in your town? Very likely. I won’t pretend that an active crowd of Matthew Ebel fans wouldn’t propel me into a new echelon of rock stardom. I’m just not going to pretend I’m your leader, even if I call myself General Ebel from time to time.

If you need a mission, there are always a few over at www.matthewebel.com/help. But I’m proud to say that my fans are not mindless followers. You are creative, you are proactive, and you mobilize me.

All I ask is that you influence others as much as you’ve influenced this lone piano-rocker.

UPDATE: Holycrap, you guys filled this need in under 24 hours? Damn. I’m speechless! Thanks for the support, I’ll be sure to send video/photos of the sound panels when I start putting them together.

The dirty little secret of recording studios is that 90% of the work is done by the room. If the room sounds good, the recording sounds a whole lot better. I’m in a new studio now, complete with granite walls, low ceilings, and a furnace. You can help me prepare for The Lives of Dexter Peterson recording sessions, though, by helping me treat the studio walls!

Of course, there are always other ways to help listed over at http://matthewebel.com/help/

A while back I scoffed at the advice that I should “get booked on the Oprah Winfrey Show” to gain more exposure. Well, I’d like your help in trying something close to that. Another female powerhouse, Ellen Degeneres, actually WANTS MUSIC SUGGESTIONS for her show.

If you’ve got just a couple of minutes, I’d love to get your assistance in reaching out to her. It’s a long-shot, I know, but I’ve always wanted to try something like this! Here’s all you need to do:

1. Go to http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=257
2. Fill out the feedback form there.
3. Put Matthew Ebel as the Artist Name
4. Put your favorite Matthew Ebel song as the Song Title (my favorite is Everybody Needs A Robot).

That’s it! It’ll take you, like, 30 seconds to do all this. Who knows? I may be playing a show live on ABC someday thanks to your help!

We’re now 12 days into Movember and, thus far I’ve got mixed results. For those that aren’t up to speed on this, Movember is the month when men grow out the mustache to raise awareness and funds to fight prostate and testicular cancers. Hey, it’s a lot more macho than wearing a pink shirt, right?

Anyhoo, thus far my fans and I have only raised about $185 for the cause. ACK! This is pitiful! It’s not even close to the $1,250 that C.C. Chapman has raised! This is unacceptable! We must TAKE HIM DOWN! All you have to do to assure victory (and help fight cancer) is donate right here…

Of course, on the lighter side of things, my Mo is totally beating the crap out of C.C.’s. And that’s what really matters, isn’t it? He’s even trying to make his Mo look bigger by losing a bunch of weight… nice try, CCFC, but your little stunt will do nothing for you (except make you healthier and look better), my ‘stache is already lifting weights and taking Tae-Kwan-Mo. WE WILL DESTROY YOU IN A STEEL CAGE! Or something…

It’s time to kick testicular cancer in the balls.

In case you didn’t hear the latest episode of Accident Hash, I’m challenging C.C. Chapman and others to grow out a ‘stache to help raise awareness and funds for men’s cancer research.

So do me and every man a favor… go to www.matthewebel.com/movember and donate some cash (or grow your ‘stache). All proceeds are split between the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, so every dollar helps!

UPDATE: All slots have been filled. Thanks so much to those of you who spread the word!

The next five people that join my mailing list will be gifted a FREE part of my next album at Sellaband. That means when I hit the goal and the album is produced, you’ll receive a free limited-edition version of the album and share in the sales for the next 5 years! Oh yeah, you’ll also get 3 free songs right now.

Along with them, anyone who referred those 5 people will ALSO get a free part. So if you’re already on my mailing list, go grab a friend and tell ‘em where to get their free music!

Of course, if you want more than just the one part, you can always grab more and get extra benefits right here:

http://sellaband.com/matthewebel