Why Wilco is the Future of Music

Lawrence Lessig, of MIT once again makes a whole lot of sense writing about the band Wilco in the February issue of Wired. He posits that the band, led by its “quiet, haunted leader” Jeff Tweedy, has turned the paradym of music downloading on its head…and come out on top.

“After its Warner label, Reprise, decided that the group’s fourth album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, was no good, Wilco dumped them and released the tracks on the internet. The label was wrong, the album was extraordinary and a sold-out 30 city tour followed. This convinced another Warner label to BUY THE RIGHTS BACK! at three times the original price.

Tweedy is thoughtful and seemed genuinely confounded by those (like the RIAA) who use the courts to punish their fans. “We are just troubadours,” he said, “the audience is our collaborator. We should be encouraging the collaboration, not treating them like thieves.” LINK