Fiona freed (finally!)

March 22, 2005 11:57 AM

Fiona Freed.Remember the Free Fiona campaign (discussed last month here)? Well, Sony hasn't caved (yet), but the entire album has been leaked online (get it here or via torrent.) I've listened to it a few times through, and all I can say is... wow.
posted by salad spork (53 comments total)

As in 'Wow, this really is awful', I assume.

Matter of taste, of course, but how can a post that essentially flags itself as a double be a good idea?
posted by jack_mo at 12:02 PM on March 22, 2005

No, wow as in this is amazing.

I apologize if you think this was unnecessary, I thought that others might want to know that the album was available, and the old post is too dead to revive. *shrug*
posted by salad spork at 12:09 PM on March 22, 2005

no, it's good stuff, now the album is available and it wasn't before (just 2 songs I seem to remember). thanks for the post.
posted by matteo at 12:13 PM on March 22, 2005

Ya, it's not too bad, at least after a couple listens. I'm inclined to give credit to Jon Brion for the new direction, he seems to have that golden touch.
posted by btwillig at 12:17 PM on March 22, 2005

The guy from Radio Free Tiny Pineapple is going to love this stuff.
posted by fleetmouse at 12:19 PM on March 22, 2005

Well, I do not care for her music, but here is another fine example that gone are days when music executives could do as they wished about price and availability of their product. Eventually even they will learn.
posted by nkyad at 12:21 PM on March 22, 2005

Here's another site to download the songs. Click on Fiona for the whole shebang in a zipped version, with cover art.
posted by iconomy at 12:33 PM on March 22, 2005

wow, do i get to be the first one to question how the whole album just "leaked" on to the internet? she is building a tremendous amount of buzz recently considering she's been pretty anonymous for the past few years. Somehow the record companies are cashing in on this renewed interest...
posted by cusack at 12:47 PM on March 22, 2005

Apologies for mean comment, salad spork - I still find this Fiona Apple person's music, um, horrifying, but the apple-themed postal harrasment scheme was a nice little idea.

There doesn't seem to be any info on the Free Fiona site on how Sony responded to that, and Salon doesn't seem to want to let me read their article - obviously it didn't work in terms of getting a proper release, but how did Sony react? Given the reaction to earlier leaks, and her past platinums, you'd've thought it would be worth punting out a cheapo release with no marketing push (given that the Free Fiona folk were doing backhanded marketing on their behalf).

Shame she won't be earning anything from the album, really.
posted by jack_mo at 12:49 PM on March 22, 2005

If there was ever a sure-fire way to make your record a hit, finding a way of telling people they can't have it is pure gold. Don't fall for it folks, this is how Billy Joel got popular with Only The Good Die Young. Billy Joel, people.
posted by Stan Chin at 12:53 PM on March 22, 2005

I haven't been able to find any Sony response to the leak - though I would assume that if any response came, it would be in the form of a lawsuit or cease and desist order or somesuch.

Shame she won't be earning anything from the album, really.

As if Sony (or any major label, for that matter) artists earned jack shit from their album sales.
posted by salad spork at 12:55 PM on March 22, 2005

Dewd - early Billy Joel ruled. He and Joe Jackson were the original Nerd Rock.
posted by gregariousrecluse at 12:57 PM on March 22, 2005

Jack_Mo one thought was that Sony had signed a contract stating they would spend $X on marketing for her next release so if they think they can' t make more than the $X they are obligated to spend then they may as well shelve it.
posted by zeoslap at 1:01 PM on March 22, 2005

Hm, the http download blew the doors off the torrent. Weird!
posted by idontlikewords at 1:04 PM on March 22, 2005

shebang cusak. sony is playing the system and using the internet's power in pretty much the only way that is commercially useful to them.

it wasn't long before P2P and the militant-industrial copyright infringement machine would be hoist by their own petard and turned into a viral marketing outlet of the RIAA.

bitchtorrent.

i hope they, and fiona, make it a huge commercial success.
posted by three blind mice at 1:05 PM on March 22, 2005

Talk about viral marketing.
posted by deborah at 1:21 PM on March 22, 2005

Hm, the http download blew the doors off the torrent. Weird!

Re: My earlier comment. Note that the http download of the entire zipped album (the one you get by clicking on Fiona's picture) is all screwed up. Lots of distortion and artifacts and normalization issues. The individual linked mp3s from the MeFi home page are fine so far.
posted by idontlikewords at 1:22 PM on March 22, 2005

militant-industrial copyright infringement machine

Who, as we all know, along with the pinko-liberal-gay-professors and the commie-hippie-freesoftware-hax0rs, rules the internets.
posted by nkyad at 1:27 PM on March 22, 2005

Since Fiona Apples fans are a fairly small group (when she doesn't have a catchy single or MTV video out, at least), it seems that Sony wouldn't have much to gain by releasing the album now that it's probably being downloaded and shared by a goodly portion of the fanbase for this particular album. Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm just postulating.
posted by chaz at 1:42 PM on March 22, 2005

That doesn't make any sense at all, chaz. If Sony were to release and promote her album, it would draw in a lot of those who aren't fans now but were fair-weather fans for her first album.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 2:02 PM on March 22, 2005

chaz, I don't know - the FAQ at Free Fiona (linked above) states her two previous albuns had gone Platinum. If that perspective isn't enough for Sony, what is?
posted by nkyad at 2:03 PM on March 22, 2005

It is a great album, a grower
Also see Wired News: Any one time about 38,000 users in the United States are downloading songs from Extraordinary Machine.
posted by Lanark at 2:20 PM on March 22, 2005

I never liked Fiona before, but I did download this new album and will give it a listen. FWIW.
posted by sonofsamiam at 2:23 PM on March 22, 2005

I liked both of her earlier albums better. This one is OK, but yes, it sounds like a Jon Brion soundtrack/concept album.

Muscato said he does not condone file sharing, but he can "hardly blame people for stepping outside the lines" in this case.

I like how everyone who's "against file sharing" changes their tune when it's something they want and they can't get it any other way. Bloody hypocrite.
posted by mrgrimm at 2:36 PM on March 22, 2005

I like how everyone who's "against file sharing" changes their tune when it's something they want and they can't get it any other way. Bloody hypocrite

The thing that I'm against is file sharing if a product is readily available in the shops. This isn't, but as a fan of her earlier two albums, I've grabbed this because I want to hear it. I don't know about other people who have grabbed this album, but I will gladly pony up cash for it if/when Sony release it. If I didn't like it, then I've not wasted my money and will delete the tracks.

FWIW, and not really knowing any Jon Brion stuff (but I've seen his name all over the place), this sounds like it's a good album. If it's viral marketing, so be it; if it's not, surely someone at Sony is starting to look at the money they're losing.
posted by TheDonF at 2:58 PM on March 22, 2005

I'm no Fiona Apple fan, but the title track is wonderful. I've listened to it a dozen times today.
posted by waldo at 2:59 PM on March 22, 2005

I'm completely in love with Fiona's music, and I don't really care if this is a leak or viral marketing or what... I can't stop listening to it.
posted by buriednexttoyou at 3:12 PM on March 22, 2005

"Well you ain't Fiona Apple, and if you ain't Fiona Apple I don't give a rat's ass."
posted by nyxxxx at 3:47 PM on March 22, 2005

I like her music and like her, thanks for the links!

nyxxxx, thanks, I had that running through my head!
posted by fenriq at 3:50 PM on March 22, 2005

and dear lord for poor fiona / swore on some music awards she wish'd she'd never been born / in a language of such sighs
posted by Quartermass at 4:21 PM on March 22, 2005

Eh, pretty boring, uninspiring to mine ears. Happy others have found a home with it.

/goes back to listening to Broken Social Scene
posted by Mach3avelli at 4:30 PM on March 22, 2005

Mach3avelli: I'm still your fag, sir.
posted by basicchannel at 4:59 PM on March 22, 2005

Here's hoping she pulls a Wilco.
posted by signal at 5:03 PM on March 22, 2005

As if Sony (or any major label, for that matter) artists earned jack shit from their album sales.

I'd be willing to bet she made a good few bob off those two platinum albums, assuming the 'singer/songwriter' tag is true and she doesn't have a hit factory behind her. If you write your own songs and have a decent publishing deal, being on a major isn't all bad. Er, until they spike your album because they don't reckon it'll sell, obviously.
posted by jack_mo at 5:09 PM on March 22, 2005

I'm still your fag, sir.

I had three servings of asparagus last night, so I hope the piss didn't leave too much of an aftertaste. What'd you use anyway, a shot glass?
posted by Mach3avelli at 5:27 PM on March 22, 2005

wasnt the whole premise of the Free Fiona campaign that the fans had gotten the leaked album and liked it and wanted to buy it?

so, what yer telling us is that the Fiona album is leaked again?

Is this Fiona?
posted by Satapher at 5:28 PM on March 22, 2005

while chan marshall and scout niblett STARVE. ;)
posted by Satapher at 5:30 PM on March 22, 2005

nm i got this place confused with boingboing... this actually is 'news'
posted by Satapher at 5:31 PM on March 22, 2005

this album is ok. nothing too extraordinary (har har). it's certianly not being shelved for being too difficult, from what i can tell.

meh.

but i am glad my favorite Joan of Arc song has been quoted in this thread!
posted by cathodeheart at 5:44 PM on March 22, 2005

Killer. Thanks for the post.

I poped Tidal in my car's CD player a couple days ago and haven't listened to anything else since.
posted by Hugh2d2 at 6:03 PM on March 22, 2005

Already got most of Extraordinary Machine, and it's the best music I've heard for years.
(according to my own tastes)
(first post)
posted by limnrix at 6:18 PM on March 22, 2005

This whole situation annoys me. It's almost to the point where I want to send checks to the creators, and not buy it if/when Sony/Epic releases it... but of course, that may be what they're afraid of. One paranoid theory is that this is really all a cheap viral marketing campaign, self-funded by suing filesharers. You just wait, and wait, and wait, and never pay the artist, and if the consumers have the music they'll calm down eventually...
posted by limnrix at 6:22 PM on March 22, 2005

Is this Fiona?

i wouldn't mind looking like fiona, but no, it's not.

limnrix - me too. i was thinking that if fiona set up a paypal site asking anyone who downloaded her album and really loved it to paypal her, say, 10 bucks, i'd do it. The conspiracy theories positing that it was actually leaked by sony doesn't make sense - why would they do something that they weren't making money off of? a track or two, maybe, but not the whole album.
posted by salad spork at 7:15 PM on March 22, 2005

that zip file was the fastest download i've ever seen. there either is money behind this or some angels. now to listen...
posted by amberglow at 7:20 PM on March 22, 2005

that title track is amazingly great. (and listen and learn, Nellie whoever). And i'm not a giant fan of Fiona.

Oh Well is wonderful too-- "my peace and quiet was stolen from me..." (Joss Stone could learn from this one)

Please Please Please is good too.

Fiona's been listening to Marianne Faithful and Sinead and Mama Cass, i think : >

a quick listen--it is good, but definitely difficult and too smart/quirky for top40 radio.
lots of noise and stuff too--is it intentional? i couldn't listen all the way thru on some songs.
posted by amberglow at 7:39 PM on March 22, 2005

i would also paypal money to fiona herself. it is great music. glad to see she is still around too, perhaps she can replace tori amos in my regular rotation since tori has apparently lost all ability to make interesting music.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 7:39 PM on March 22, 2005

I'm loving this CD. Thanks so much for posting this. I'm a little confused as to how her whole album is available: is this with Fiona's permission? Or is this bootleg?
posted by adrober at 7:43 PM on March 22, 2005

The conspiracy theories positing that it was actually leaked by sony doesn't make sense - why would they do something that they weren't making money off of? a track or two, maybe, but not the whole album.

I'm not saying this album in particular is a deliberate leak, but I wouldn't be surpised to learn that this sort of thing is a tool in the smart record peddler's kit. Look at the "leak" of the new Beck album--they've got *videos*, ferchrissakes. Beck's fanbase, like Fiona Apples, probably skews a bit towards 20/30-something (ex-)hipsters, the sort of people who are much more likely to buy something based off of "underground" buzz on the Internets as opposed to the usual radio/MTV/magazine promo strategy. Somebody mentioned "pulling a Wilco" earlier--it didn't hurt their sales, did it?

Y'know, in the future it might be easier to just assume *everything* is Pepsi Blue.
posted by arto at 11:14 PM on March 22, 2005

AppleFilter
posted by mr.marx at 7:36 AM on March 23, 2005

Weretable and the undead chairs: i would also paypal money to fiona herself. it is great music. glad to see she is still around too, perhaps she can replace tori amos in my regular rotation since tori has apparently lost all ability to make interesting music.

Thank you! I just got The Beekeeper and was horribly disappointed. I thought I was the only one!

This is some of the best music I have heard in a long time. If anyone finds a way to pay for this album, let me know. I would love the chance to support her.
posted by arcticwoman at 9:03 AM on March 23, 2005

were and arctic re: Tori Amos. Yeah, me too, but I'm too fangirl to quit.
posted by limnrix at 3:39 PM on March 23, 2005

mmmmmm
Internet killed the wealthy pop star
When the Dj shared the video star
Silencing the recording industry's profits
Users downloading the file sharing bits
posted by thomcatspike at 4:39 PM on March 23, 2005

It is certainly an excellent album. I'd like to see a few more tracks on it. I think its chief problem is that it falls into the Norah Jones market and Sony may not want to release a CD that competes with its hot star. A shame. I bough Fiona Apple's first alblum and I'd buy this one too.
posted by IndigoSkye at 11:55 AM on March 28, 2005