Hype Lighter

Big thanks to everyone who participated in the online auction over the past week.  All 7 of the limited edition Diamond Rings / PS I Love You 7″ records sold above our starting bids and we couldn’t be happier.  Moreover, we’re ecstatic to announce that together we raised $134.12 CDN for Partners In Health in Haiti.  We know it’s not much relative to what will be required over the coming months and years but we’re really proud that our own music was able to do something positive.  Thanks again and stay tuned!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Diamond Rings video screening last night at The Beaver.  So fun to see y’all there!  Hope you liked listening to The Prodigy…

Also…thanks to those that have been placing bids on the limited edition Diamond Rings / PS I Love You Split 7″ records!  We’ve posted all 7 of them and they’re not getting any cheaper!

Proceeds from the sales will go towards helping the efforts of Partners In Health in Haiti.

When I set out to release a 7” record this past August I certainly wasn’t expecting to attract much attention.  I really just wanted to be able to hear my friends and I on vinyl!  The record in question featured “All Yr Songs” by my own project Diamond Rings and  “Facelove” by Kingston’s PS I Love You.  Thanks in large part to a string of favourable reviews and two awesome music videos by Toronto director Colin Medley, the entire pressing of 300 sold out in less than two months.

What I didn’t tell anyone was that somehow we ended up with a few extra copies above and beyond the additional edition that we ordered.  I’ve been sitting on them until recently because I didn’t really have a clear idea as to what I’d do with them – until Haiti suffered one of the most devastating natural disasters in memory.

Heartened by the many artists within the global music community who are trying to help out however they can, I’ve decided to auction these remaining 7 copies of our 7” record on eBay.  Each copy features entirely new hand screened gold album art and will be signed by the artists.  Proceeds from the sales will benefit Partners In Health, an organization toward which many fellow musicians have been directing their support.

I know fully well that music can’t save the world.  I’m also sure that whatever we do raise will pale in comparison to however much Beyonce and Bono were able to drum up performing on MTV the other night.  Regardless, we’ll continue to do what we can with what we’ve got and hope to make a little bit of difference.

Please help spread the word and place your bids here.

Everyone please direct your browsers to the following HYPERLINK if you’d like to read Pitchfork’s review of the smash single “Facelove” by Kingston’s PS I Love You.  Unfortunately this vinyl is SOLD OUT but you can buy the track on iTunes right here.

Grab a copy of today’s Toronto Star if you want to see who made my own personal list of the Top Ten Songs of 2009!  There’s also lists from Gentleman Reg and Damian Abraham from Fucked Up!

Link = http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/recordings/article/742917

OK. So the saga is over – and it looks like Sony ain’t so bad after all. Shortly after our video was re-posted to Youtube yesterday, Colin, myself, and my manager Remi each received personal phone calls from Sony Canada reps who apologized profusely for the whole mishap.

I guess what happened is that an automated computer program from their UK offices took offense to the fact that my stage name Diamond Rings is also the name of a single that was released by a Sony signed UK rap artist named Chipmunk. It put two and two together and notified Youtube, who took our video down without checking the facts. It goes without saying how creepily Orwellian this whole thing seems, but I guess that’s the price we pay for wanting everything all the time at the click of a button, huh?

Either way, Colin and I are really happy that the video is back online and want to thank Sony for resolving everything quickly and without hassle. They’ve even promised to send me some Beyonce swag and limited edition Modest Mouse 7″ records! Sure beats a libel suit, huh?

But most importantly, we really want to thank everyone who blogged or wrote about this whole event and brought it to the attention of the corporate suits – without you making some noise our “counter claim” would have most likely been buried under some desk for weeks. It’s great to know we have so many fans and we’re really humbled by the support that you’ve shown us. Thank you.

Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for a new video in 2010!

XO,
John O

Hey Friends,

First off, thanks to everyone who has shown such sincere and impassioned support for both Colin and in response to our recent music video saga.  It means so much to both of us to know that you’ve got our back!

The good news (sort of) is that the music video for “All Yr Songs” is now back up and running on Youtube.  However, we still haven’t received anything in the way of official word from either Sony BMG or Youtube which means we still don’t know (and may never know) why exactly it was removed in the first place.

Either way, it’s a bit spooky to realize how much power these international conglomerates can wield out there on the Wild World Wide Web.  That’s quadruple-double-you-dot if we’re keeping score, BTW. But seriously, for something like our homemade video project to get snatched out of thin air, what’s next?  Protect ya necks, kids!  Stay vigilant!  If we hadn’t had such great support from each and every one of you, who knows how long it might have taken to get our work back online.  So thank you again.

Anyhow, we’re doing our best to get some information (or maybe an apology in the form of those signed Beyonce vinyls we were talking about earlier) out of Sony BMG, and you’ll all be the first to know once we hear anything.

Until then, stay safe and enjoy the falling snow.

Sincerely,
John O

Hey Friends,

Sometime on the morning of Wednesday, December 9th the Diamond Rings music video “All Yr Songs” was removed from Youtube at the request of Sony/BMG on the grounds of copyright infringement. Neither video director Colin Medley or myself were consulted by either Sony/BMG or Youtube before the video was removed and we therefore are unclear as to whom or what we are infringing upon.

Colin has since received an email from Youtube stating that “we received a notification of claimed copyright infringement regarding the video from Sony BMG Music Entertainment. When we’re notified that a particular video uploaded to our site infringes another’s copyright, we remove the material as the law requires.” To make matters worse, he has been informed that his Youtube account status is “not in good standing” and further “strikes may result in the termination of your account”. Colin’s numerous videos have helped a great many bands reach far beyond the physical boundaries of the Toronto scene, so for him to potentially lose a means of disseminating his hard work would be a real setback for our entire music community.

Despite all the crap, we’re working hard to get the video back online as soon as possible and will keep everyone notified with any new developments in “Colin and John O’s Most Bogus Corporate Misadventure”. Hopefully this is all just a big misunderstanding and Sony/BMG will call us up tomorrow to offer the both of us a whole bunch of autographed Beyonce or Modest Mouse albums for our troubles. All I can say is that in the meantime, I’m totally throwing out my Sony Sports Walkman. Panasonic Shockwave XBS rules!

Heads High,
John O

Peaches and her Sweet Machine rolled through the Big Smoke last night and put on what was possibly the craziest show I’ve seen all year. This pic was snapped right before Peach took the stage – and she’s clearly not having ANYTHING to do with either Kids On TV’s John Caffery (right), myself, or our matching outfits.

Seriously, though; we were both back up dancers for a portion of the set and it turns out that all our practicing in a John’s tiny little living room above Kensington Market paid off!  The crowd went B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Thanx Peach!

Spent my last few hours in NYC checking out the newest exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. It’s called “Who Shot Rock & Roll?” and looks pretty much like it sounds. Lots of iconic photos and videos of famous musicians – including these images of Grace Jones. She’s probably like my favourite thing ever lately. So cool.

See you soon, Toronto…