Harvey Danger, Music Piracy and Desperate Ploys For Attention
Friday 7 October, 2005

In the era of D-grade celebrities doing anything for attention, this latest story to cross my way didn't surprise me, short of the surprise that I was actually interested.

Oddball rockers Harvey Danger, famous for their 1997 hit Flagpole Sitter, have just released their new album Little by Little entirely for free download. Sure, they released it as a protest against the music industry structure, but it sounds more like a very desperate ploy by some has-beens to get listeners.

I couldn't be sure if they were actually popular on the other side of the world or if they really were D-grade hacks. Other similar offbeat-but-popular American bands from that era that I liked, such as Barenaked Ladies or Third Eye Blind, simply ignored Australia after a couple of early songs, and radio ignored them right back (possibly short of listening to Rick Dees, but you know ... *shudders*). The Barenaked Ladies are huge in Canada, but we'd never know.

The first listen to this album could have been nostalgic, or could have even produced a gem of dyn-o-mite! After a listen, it's probably a ploy more than anything else. They're still selling it in shops with a bonus disc, or asking for donations, so they'll probably get some pro-distribution freaks to support them and do roughly about as well.

As for the album, well, it's a decent stop-gap between listening to Franz Ferdinand's You Could Have It So Much Better and Hot Hot Heat's Elevator. Ultimately, I find there's too much piano making it sound the same.

Perhaps you get what you pay for.