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"I look at Internet as the new radio. Piracy is the new radio. That's how music gets around."

Those words came from none other than elder statesman of rock Neil Young, who spoke about music and technology at the AllThingsD Conference on Tuesday. Many would expect a rock grandpa like Young to be bellyaching about how access to free music online is destroying his industry because that's all people of his ilk have been doing. But Young is doing what everyone in his industry should've been doing years ago--retrofitting the old model for the new medium, just like they did for the MTV era.

"Allowing people to discover music is a powerful thing," says Mike McGuire, a media analyst for Gartner Research with an interest in music and retail. "If you let people hear it a few times, they'll pay for it."

Exactly. I remember buying Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction in 1988. 10 or 20 million other people all bought it for the same reason--we either heard "Welcome to the Jungle" on the radio or saw the video on MTV. Before I bought my copy on cassette, I watched that video about a dozen times on MTV--and I watched it for free! Apparently the Internet clouded the memories of many label execs because the entire recording industry was built on the concept of exposing people to songs repeatedly and for free via radio or TV. The idea was to get us hooked like junkies so we'd be forced to buy a copy to have at our disposal any time we wanted. But the industry, as we know, has remained oddly stubborn about the Internet.

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​There's been a lot of talk on Reverb lately about internet piracy. Duff's recent piece on intellectual property and copyright infrigement set the comment forum a blaze with responses, including one from our own Jesse Sykes who was given her own platform on the subject here.

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​On a Tumblr post dated yesterday, Fleet Foxes' drummer J. Tillman announced he's leaving the band:

Farewell Fleet Fans and Friends. Back into the gaping maw of obscurity I go. Tokyo is my last show with the Foxes. Sorry if I was distant and obtuse if we ever met. Have fun.

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​Remember a couple months ago when I was geeking out about the rock and wool offerings you could pair to make killer Christmas baskets? Well, since you're staying inside shopping online on this snowy day anyhow, you'll be interested to know that the Pendleton Board Shirt -- the one modeled after the ... model the Beach Boys wore when they called themselves the Pendletones -- is on sale for about 30 percent off right now. It's still spendy, marked down to $74 from $105. But, damn, how about a high-quality piece of wool that's good at the beach and in the mountains?

Speaking of wool ... the Filson folks are throwing a sale right now, too. Now ... unlike Pendleton, I don't know that Filson ever really puts it all on mark-down. But there are a few choice pieces of wool items -- most still made at their factory/store in SoDo -- that are on sale, though most of it is for women (not that there's anything wrong with that). I'm a huge Filson fan, and was gifted an amazing jacket for Christmas from my in-laws. It's not on sale, but plenty else is.

Rock n' wool, y'all!

Courtesy LITA

​We received news from the fine folks at Light in the Attic Records today that legendary NW engineer Kearney Barton passed away last night at the age of 81. Barton has worked with LITA in recent years on Wheedle's Groove, and other projects. I don't know nearly as much about the man as LITA founder Matt Sullivan, so I'm gonna let him do the talking here. You can read his entire tribute to Barton over on LITA's web site.

Matt Sullivan, founder, Light in the Attic Records:

To say Kearney was a pioneer of the Northwest sound would be a massive understatement. Maybe he was the inventor? Whatever the tag, we miss the man. He taught us about the Frantics, the Sonics, Little Bill, Don & The Good Times, and so many more, but the one that really blew our minds was Black On White Affair's "Bold Soul Sister, Bold Soul Brother," recorded by Kearney in February '70 and released on his Topaz label. It's the tune that led me to Kearney's doorstep in 2003, hoping to convince the wizard to let us license the single for inclusion on a comp of Seattle soul from back in the day. I quickly discovered the man had a heart of gold and a sense of humor that would make your grandfather proud.

Matthew Williams

​Georgetown Music Store, the south-end retailer I profiled two years ago this month, had a break-in this morning, and lot a TON of loot. Obviously, it goes without saying that this is a horrible time to be set back. But if you're in the business of music, it's that much harder. If you see any of the stolen gear, please contact the authorities. You'll be glad you did.

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​Barely a week after Fleet Foxes drummer Josh Tillman announced that he had a new record on the way -- one that looks to be released by Sub Pop in May -- two of his bandmates have inked a deal with the FF label and are looking at a March release.

Poor Moon includes FF's Christian Wargo and Casey Wescott, along with brothers Ian and Peter Murray. Sub Pop will release the band's debut EP, Illusion, on March 27. Its first -- and free -- single is "People In Her Mind," a light, jangly, lo-fi note-bender that you'd never guess was associated with Fleet Foxes. Download it after the jump.

The band's U.S. tour (dates after the jump) includes a March 27 stop at the Tractor Tavern.

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​Fleet Foxes drummer and noted singer/songwriter J. Tillman is working on a new solo project called Father John Misty, and it looks like he has signed to the FF home of Sub Pop Records. ThisIsFakedDIY.com noticed that Tillman's management, The Agency Group, had posted the following on his artist page:

"In the summer of 2011, Joshua Tillman abruptly left Seattle, lived in his van for two months, wrote a novel on mushrooms and unexpectedly began writing songs under the name Father John Misty in a haunted Laurel Canyon shack. "Fear Fun" was recorded in Los Angeles with Jonathan Wilson, and mixed by Phil Ek in Seattle. "Fear Fun" will be released on Sub Pop May 1, 2012"

The info is now gone, and Sub Pop has no comment at the moment. But if you read the tea leaves -- the Father's Facebook page lists "Pop Bus" as his US label -- it's pretty clear.

The first track we've heard from the project, "I Would Love You," was released today's via http://fatherjohnmisty.tumblr.com/ and is a a collaboration with Phosphorescent's Matthew Houck. It's easy and barroom-anthemic like Houck's tunes are known for. But it's far livelier and open-ended than the light-footed acoustic records that dominate Tillman's solo catalogue. It's already one of the most interesting tracks he's put out.

You can hear "I Would Love You" after the jump:

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Do these happy hipster rockers need a push off their pedestal?

​If 2011 was the year that put the exuberant achievements of The Head and the Heart on the map, Leigh Stone and the folks at Crybaby Studios are hoping 2012 is the year that puts the boundless enthusiasm of their fellow Emerald City rockers into some perspective. Isn't it a natural law, after all, that when an entity achieves unparalleled power or unchallenged success, something--or someone--has to knock it down a little bit? To be fair, though, wasn't it Morrissey who said, "We hate it when our friends become successful"?

After the jump, check out the real life grit and the dark, Siouxiesque vocals of Stone (who performs as New Reunion) in the video, "The Severed Head and the Sacrificial Heart," a satirical look at what Stone says, "reflects the other side of Seattle that's happening."

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Bands like Philadelphia's Dr. Dog could one day be choosing between a Seattle club and a new McMenamins venue in Tacoma.

​McMenamins, the company/family behind just about every place to drink in Portland, the popular music venue the Crystal Ballroom, and Seattle watering holes such as Cap Hill's Six Arms and Queen Anne's McMenamins, are bringing multiple restaurants, several bars, a hotel, and a live music venue (or two) to the old Elks Lodge in Tacoma. It's a long-coming project, and the company hopes to have the doors open in early 2013.

The building includes two ballrooms that could be used for live music venues. And though they don't know exactly what the capacity, programming, or frequency will be, it could mean more competition for clubs and venues in Seattle, which isn't exactly lacking for rooms to hold shows.

"We could have capacities of like 300 and 600 or maybe 600 and closer to 1000," says Jimi Biron, McMenamins' director of entertainment programming and venue development, who oversees programming at the Crystal Ballroom. "We're in the process of trying to determine what programming makes the most sense."

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