Foo Fighters Album Leaked; Band Relieved

from the and-that's-how-not-to-freak-out dept

Mon, Apr 4th 2011 10:28am — Mike Masnick

We're seeing more and more bands realizing that when albums leak, it's not the end of the world, and, in fact, that there are ways to take advantage of that. Simon Bodger points us to the news that the band the Foo Fighters appears to recognize this completely. After discovering that their new album had leaked, the band went to Facebook, and noted that it was "Rad" that the album had leaked because they were "starting to think no one cared," and then noted that "our version sounds better," and pointed people to a streamable version of the album instead.

Seems like a more effective way to build up happy fans, rather than to tear them down...

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Filed Under: foo fighters, leaks

29 Comments

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a-dub (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 10:40am

Love it or hate it, their reaction to the album being leaked is really the only way to handle the situation. Otherwise, it makes the artist come off as greedy and attacking their fan base.
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Fighting for foo, 4 Apr 2011 @ 10:42am

I love foo-fighters! You can bet that I, like everyone else who has a *choice* to support the machine, will be pulling out the plastic for this one. It's common sense, the balance of power has shifted to the consumer (as it always does, eventually) and you wouldn't expect to threaten and insult your boss and get a raise... would you?
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CommonSense (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 10:50am

Even more rad?
Is the fact that I pretty much had stopped caring about the Foo Fighters, but will be checking out this new album when I get home from work, if for nothing more than to show them my support for treating fans like fans and not criminals.
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vivaelamor (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 10:51am

Re:
"You can bet that I, like everyone else who has a *choice* to support the machine, will be pulling out the plastic for this one."

Just checked and they still appear to be with RCA (subsidiary of Sony Music). I think I'd be more likely to burn the money in their honour.
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Dark Helmet (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 10:57am

Re: Re:
Meh, unless they have a 360 agreement w/RCA (which I doubt), just go check out the stream and attend a concert....
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Atkray (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 11:05am

Re: Re:
"Just checked and they still appear to be with RCA (subsidiary of Sony Music). I think I'd be more likely to burn the money in their honour."

Can't decide if that is insightful or funny...
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Atkray (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 11:07am

DMCA to the link they posted in

3...

2..

1.
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Joe Publius (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 11:08am

Rad to the max
If you ask me, these kinds of reactions really aren't that hard to understand and make sense if you take a moment to think about it. This is really Good News that ought to someday be No News.
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John Doe, 4 Apr 2011 @ 11:15am

Why wasn't the FBI called?
Shouldn't they have notified the FBI, CIA, DHS and every other TLA of this horrible breach?
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Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased) (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 11:19am

Re: Re:
Ever since I got the Sony rootkit from their "One by One" album I have boycotted their (read: Sony) cd's. Plus, most of what they come out with now sounds like the same old songs rehashed.
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Planespotter (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 11:25am

Re: Why wasn't the FBI called?
No need... ICE will probably take the site offline in a few hours, even though the band actually hosted the files for streaming!
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Apr 2011 @ 11:30am

Re: Re: Re:
>>Plus, most of what they come out with now sounds like the same old songs rehashed.

This is what is wrong with most of the music produced by the major labels. They play it safe and stay with the formula that made them money last year. If a modern record executive ever went camping he would save the match he used to build his first fire; for his second fire he would want to stay with something that was a proven winner.
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 11:45am

Re: Re: Why wasn't the FBI called?
And put up a message saying the site is linked with child pornography?
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chris a. g. (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 11:47am

question...
anyone know their home address? I'd rather just send them a cheque in the mail rather than rather than the alternative...
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Apr 2011 @ 12:03pm

Re: Re: Re: Why wasn't the FBI called?
that was last week, this week every one is a terrorist
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Apr 2011 @ 1:15pm

guess what? Now I'll buy the album out of the princapality's of the matter
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mike, 4 Apr 2011 @ 1:37pm

Foo Fighters
Not a fan but I did love the Probot thing. From rather humble beginnings Dave has turned out to be one of the smarter rock stars of the generation. I admire his business sense and people skills.
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Tom Landry (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 1:46pm

I always wondered with his obvious talent, why he didn't strike out earlier on his own when he was with Nirvana. With all due respect to Kurt Cobaine's abilities and memory, Grohl turned out to be a much more well rounded writer/musician.
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vivaelamor (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 1:52pm

Re: Re: Re:
"just go check out the stream and attend a concert...."

Good idea, I can add them to Songkick.
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nate, 4 Apr 2011 @ 2:05pm

...and soundcloud too
The beloved Fighters of Foo are really embracing new tech. They've also got the entire album in soundcloud.

Give em some credit, they're trying.

And it sounds like what *should* have cone after There Is Nothing Left To Lose...so it's really really good.
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Soundy (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 3:07pm

Re: Re:
"Just checked and they still appear to be with RCA (subsidiary of Sony Music). I think I'd be more likely to burn the money in their honour."

Better yet: download a torrent of it and mail your cash directly to Dave Grohl, along with a note explaining why. Bet he gets a kick out of it :)
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Apr 2011 @ 3:25pm

This album is not leaked but has been available for a week as a stream on a dutch radio website: luisterpaal.nl
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vivaelamor (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 3:55pm

Re: Re: Re:
"Better yet: download a torrent of it and mail your cash directly to Dave Grohl, along with a note explaining why. Bet he gets a kick out of it :)"

Perhaps worth doing just to make the point, but there are plenty of artists out there who offer me services I want without strings attached so I'm not likely to lose sleep wondering what to do with hypothetical money.
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 4 Apr 2011 @ 7:08pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Between "leaked," "relieved" and "streamed," I'm beginning to doubt this post has anything to do with music.
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charliebrown (profile), 5 Apr 2011 @ 7:22am

Blue Note records streamed the last albums released by Norah Jones and Amos Lee prior to them being released. The full album in great quality. I have bought the Amos Lee album. I still might buy the Norah Jones but, after almost three years so far, I have not. Need I say more?
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Huph, 6 Apr 2011 @ 3:56pm

Ever Get the Feeling You've Been Had?
Surely everyone responding to this post is not THIS naive?

The Foo Fighters launched a MASSIVE digital marketing campaign for this album.

This leak is part of that marketing campaign. Don't be foolish. Can the major labels really so easily trick everybody?

For that matter, remember that almost ALL leaks in music are manufactured. Don't fall for that indignation BS. If the album is mixed AND mastered and is then leaked, it's called a soft release.
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anonymous, 11 Apr 2011 @ 12:12am

@Huph
I wouldn't discount the possibility of the leak being part of a marketing campaign. That said, to suggest that "almost ALL leaks in music are manufactured" is just plain incorrect. Where's your source?
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adele, 17 Sep 2012 @ 6:27pm

This might be a kind of marketing method. To attract people attention.
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