Mike Monteiro, like always, is an inspiration for all of us to follow. He read the fine print [1] at Muxtape and thought to ask permission from the Dead Milkmen's drummer, Dean Sabatino, before uploading one of their songs. Of course everything Mike does is FTW, so you never can be too sure whether he's playing a joke on us.
Update: Mike's added Butthole Surfers to his mix!
Anyway, Mike's action got me thinking. Everyone claims to have one of those friend of a friend who happens to be a famous musician. And with the internet breaking down all those sort of boundaries that used to matter -- like geography and fame -- it's quite possible to be "friends" with the musicians themselves.
In my dream world, Muxtape would have been so much more interesting if it was a challenge about creating the ultimate mix with songs that you do indeed have permission to use. And, I'm not talking about your standard Creative Commons fare or sneakers-in-the-dryer kind of music.
I'm talking about BIG NAMES. Basically, who could -- through their connections -- make the coolest mix with authorized songs.
Since the musician's permission does not equal the label's, this is just a fun what-if pitch. I'm way more interested in seeing who could come up with the best mix using their connections and how name-droppy it would get.
[1] aka as the language that won't save them from a cease and desist.
