In 1999, there were few internet outlets for this sort of thing. I did get some interest and some airplay out of some college radio stations, until a dispute with HFA knocked it off the air. I maintained that it was a clear case of Fair Use given that it was a parody, but they had better lawyers, and claimed that it was a rework of the original, which required publisher permission.

Anyway, here it is; click Continue Reading for the lyrics:

Albania, Slovenia, Time to catch a train yeah
Out of Serbia and Bosnia, NATO’s going to bomb ya,
Sarajevo, Montenegro, baby why don’t we go Croatia

Off the border of Greece there’s a place called Kosovo
But you don’t want to go Because they’re bombing it all
Bodies in the sand, You can feel blood dripping through your hands
You’ll be dragged through the streets by the mobs of raving Serbians
Way down in Kosovo

Albania, Slovenia, Time to catch a train yeah
Out of Serbia, and Bosnia, NATO’s going to bomb ya,
Sarajevo, Montenegro, ooh time to go anywhere but Kosovo,
Get killed by people who you used to know
That’s just the way things go
Way down in Kosovo

Milosavic, somebody catch that bitch

We’ll put out to sea, the Adriatic’s the place to be
If we’re lucky we’ll see the ships of the US Navy
Afternoon delight, watch the missiles taking flight
Looks like somebody else is going to meet their maker tonight
Way down in Kosovo

Albania, Slovenia, Time to catch a train yeah
Out of Serbia, and Bosnia, NATO’s going to bomb ya,
Sarajevo, Montenegro, ooh time to go anywhere but Kosovo,
Get killed by people who you used to know
That’s just the way things go
Way down in Kosovo

Milosavic, somebody catch that bitch

Even NATO knows, it’s too late for Kosovo,
But if you want to see
How bombs help out the refugees
Get down to Kosovo

Northern Star on Ultrastar Deluxe

This is the perfect example of why I release my music under a Creative Commons license. They even have a link to my Jamendo album on their front page. Sweet.

Ubuntu Studio open source Linux-based audio production

I’m a huge fan of open software and free ideas. Ever since Windows XP launched, with its authorization schemes, I’ve been on a migration path away from Microsoft. And yet, while I use a Mac laptop and Linux on my desktop for web development, I still use Windows XP along with Cakewalk SONAR for all of my recording and sound design.

There are two primary reasons I have persisted in the proprietary world of Windows and Cakewalk. The first reason is that I have invested in a lot of Windows-only hardware. And the second reason is that open source audio tools have lagged behind their proprietary counterparts in terms of features and friendliness. But those reasons no longer suffice.

This week, when Ubuntu 7.04 launches, it will have a companion, known as Ubuntu Studio. Ubuntu Studio is a community-produced collection of repository packages, audio tools and plugins that provide a comprehensive audio and video production environment. And it is my path to a fully open source music studio.

To learn the ropes in this new system, I will be recording my next album, called “The Open Album.” I’m still working out the licensing, but I think it will be something similar to the GPL.

Here’s the scoop: All tracks, plugins, and project files will be released along with the album. Other musicians will be free (and encouraged) to remix, premix, and otherwise tweak the music, provided they release all their source material, which will require that no proprietary software be used.

I’m excited to get started, but it will probably be a few weeks before I get familiar enough with the software to post anything resembling an alpha release of any of the songs.

Once the album is finished, it will be published at Jamendo, and all source materials will be released at TheOpenAlbum.com (currently redirecting to this site).

What do you think? Do the principles of software apply to music? Is it brilliant, or stupid? Intuitive or unworkable? We shall find out.