Jonathan Coulton as part of the Humble Music Bundle?!

Encubed

http://www.humblebundle.com/

Along with some other artists including OK Go, TMBG, and MC Frontalot.

Apparently this is a compilation of a bunch of songs - I wonder which ones are on it? From the video preview I guess Still Alive is included.

Get it and donate to charity!

Bry

I see this track list and blurb for "Jonathan Coulton's Greatest Hit (Plus 13 Other Songs)":

It's hard to pick the 14 best songs from Jonathan Coulton's catalog
because, really, they are all the best. But
this collection has many of the favorites you know, along with a few you
probably don't, including tracks from his latest album, Artificial
Heart, and three brand new live tracks from his recent
Artificial Heart tour. Which is his greatest hit? Only you can
decide!

1. Sticking It to Myself
2. Good Morning Tucson
3. Code Monkey
4. Redshirt
5. Creepy Doll
6. You Ruined Everything
7. I Feel Fantastic
8. Shop Vac
9. The Future Soon
10. Skullcrusher Mountain
11. Re: Your Brains
12. I Crush Everything (Live in Portland)
13. Want You Gone (Live in Toronto)
14. Still Alive (Live In Toronto)

Since you go to Toronto shows, @Encubed, you've presumably heard everything but track 12

Brownd

Just purchased the bundle. Completely unexpected, since it was all about videogames before, but most came with soundtracks so it actually was a natural next step.

Listening to the album now. They're the original album versions, with Code Monkey in mono and The Future Soon and Skullcrusher Mountain slightly crossfaded. IMO they should've been the versions from JoCo Looks Back, since those weren't crossfaded (and Skullcrusher ends crossfaded with I Crush Everything, which isn't even here in its original form)

This is the first time I've listened to Redshirt, I wasn't even aware of its existence. Loved it.

Very nice selection. Let's see how great the live tracks are.

skyen

There's a really good live band version of Want You Gone on there.

tmentz1

MC Frontalot mentioned doing an AMA on Reddit with "the rest of the humblebundle crowd" today at 2PM if anyone is interested.  Coulton could be a participant.

tmentz1

...and Coulton has confirmed he will take part in this

Thalandor46

Time zone?

mrgoldenbrown

@Thalandor46 I would assume Eastern Daylight (GMT minus 4)

BrettGlass

I'm not buying because "Humble" funnels money to EFF. EFF claims to be a public interest group but in fact pushes for policies favored by the corporations with which its board members are affiliated (or which give it large amounts of money). In particular, due to its ties to Google and BitTorrent, Inc., EFF opposes the rights of artists and creators, claiming that any effort to enforce their copyrights, no matter how reasonable, will infringe on "freedom." I believe that if JoCo had known more about EFF's actions and
motivations, he might not have consented to the use of his music in fund raising activities for it.

chicazul

@BrettGlass You can, of course, choose what percentage of your money goes to "charity"—including zero. Of course, it is your prerogative to choose not to support the Humble model at all.

BrettGlass

Yes, it's true that I could tell them not to give any of my money to EFF -- a request which they would hopefully honor. However, because they are funneling others' money to it, I choose not to patronize them at all. I realize, of course, that others' opinions may differ.

mrgoldenbrown

@BrettGlass ;Wow!  Opinions definitely differ.  If you don't want to purchase from them, don't.  But please refrain from slandering them.  I am not comfortable with your phrase "a request which they would *hopefully* honor."  You imply that the Humble folks are probably dishonest, but don't actually claim it so you don't need to give evidence.  That seems like a low blow.

As an aside, I consider the EFF's lawsuits to expose the FBI's spying on citizens without warrants to be clearly in the public interest.  I consider them defending college kids from abusive legal tactics by giant corporations to be in the public interest.  Can you mention which reasonable pieces of legislation the EFF opposed that you supported?  (I know you don't boycott everyone that opposed SOPA/PIPA)

I am also curious how you reconcile boycotting Humble for their support of the EFF, but not boycotting JoCo and Frontalot and TMBG, who are also "funneling others' money to it" - without them, this bundle wouldn't exist, and the EFF wouldn't be raking in the $$$.

(I suggest we move any further posts on the political aspect of the Humble Bundle [as opposed to thoughts on the actual material] to the political statements thread)

Brownd

Most charity works say "we're gonna give this portion / everything to this charity", so you won't contribute because you hate that charity. In this case, you can choose not to give anything to a certain charity and direct more money to the artists / host.

BTW did a wiki page for the album: http://www.jonathancoulton.com/wiki/Jonathan_Coulton%27s_Greatest_Hit_(Plus_13_Other_Songs)

BrettGlass

I agree that the full details of EFF's transgressions are off topic for this thread. But a few brief things: They are responsible for allowing CALEA to become law, and have supported harmful regulation of the Internet on behalf of corporations in which their board members have a vested interest (and/or which have given them money). And they oppose artists' rights. EFF board member and Grateful Dead songwriter John Perry Barlow has already made his millions; he now says that all artists, musicians, authors, and other creative people should work exclusively for tips. But again, this really warrants a separate thread.

Icemage

@BrettGlass

I don't know how else to put this, but you're protesting too much.   If you're not interested in the bundle, then don't buy it.  This threadbare "excuse" of not liking one optional charity as a primary cause for refusal to support is gauche in the extreme, especially (as mentioned) you have the option of redirecting funds away from them if you so choose.  Even more ridiculous is the concept of not supporting it just because others disagree with you and will support the one cause you don't like.

Frankly, you're breaking Wheaton's Law on several levels here.

---

On a happier note, I just bought into the bundle.  Already have most of the Coulton stuff, but that's not stopping me from enjoying the rest of the bundle (particularly Christopher Tin's album, which I've been very interested in ever since it won a Grammy).

skyen

Political Statements thread. This has the risk of escalation about it, and I think it's best if we contain it.

skyen

Completely separate from any questions of who gets what money, I think the Humble Bundles are a pretty excellent model for distributing content in our brave new world. A few big names to draw in the crowds, coupled with things of slightly more obscure quality. It's kind of like being an opening act on tour with the crowd-pleasers, you get a ton of exposure, but on a much grander scale.

Lots of people might only buy it for TMBG, but all of them GET Coulton and Frontalot, and once you've bought it anyway, why not listen to it.

And that's why I bought it, even though I've pretty much got everything Coulton, TMBG and Frontalot already. I want that model - regardless of who might in this specific instance be benefiting from it - to succeed, and I'd like it to spread.

villicious

It's OK to not like things.

BrettGlass

@icemage Again, this might be better for a separate thread, so I'll summarize it in one sentence: EFF is pursuing policies, on behalf of corporations, that would greatly harm my community and other communities like it... as well as artists everywhere. I'd be breaking Wheaton's Law if I didn't try to stop that behavior and encourage others not to support it. I would strongly recommend that folks boycott "Humble" until and unless it stops funneling money to EFF and its political activities. End of tangent.

Icemage

@BrettGlass: There's a time and place for everything.  You're polluting this forum topic; if you insist on kicking that ball around the field, create a separate topic.

@skyen

I agree about the humble bundle pricing paradigm.  It's definitely one of the most interesting innovations to come along, and probably the first time in history where you see a "true pricing" effect where people pay exactly what they are willing to pay for a product.

srdownie

Yay Humble Bundle! Yay JoCo! Yay EFF! Yay Child's Play!

In the Internet Class Warfare struggle, I want the EFF on my side! And I want children on my side too! Yay!

BrettGlass

Tthe article to which you link had some very serious inaccuracies. Please move responses to the "political statements" thread, which I've bumped.

srdownie

And I harbor a special Yay! for humble children who -- while listening to JoCo & Co. -- grow up to write software bundles for the EFF!

Yay^2!

dantes

Huge fan of Humble Bundles, and this just made my heart jump with joy.

Bry

Sorry I was away this weekend. @skyen, thanks for being you. Everyone else, thanks for diverting the discussion I don't care about into the thread I don't read.

Angelastic

I finally got around to getting this the other day (I didn't get it immediately because I didn't have my credit card handy.) I'm somewhat glad I didn't get around to buying that TMBG album when it came out, so there's something new for me in the bundle. I already had most of the JoCo stuff of course (maybe not the live tracks) and probably all of the Frontalot tracks (I was excited to notice I didn't have that album, but then realised it's probably a best-of compilation. I haven't checked all the songs yet.) Does anyone know if the album version of OK Go's 'This Too Shall Pass' is supposed to sound like it's horribly saturating for most of the song, or is that just a problem with the mp3? (it could be, if JoCo accidentally gave them the mono Code Monkey and those crossfaded tracks) I was looking forward to getting to know some of their music, having heard people (JoCo, in particular) raving about their videos, and I was expecting maybe the remixes wouldn't be all that great, but if that's now the album version is supposed to sound then I'm very disappointed.

I haven't actually listened to much of the rest yet; too much new music, too little time.

I'm glad Humble Bundle are turning torwards music, because I realised I've listened to all the soundtracks from the last bundle but haven't played any of the games yet. I may say 'too much new music' but you can never have too much new music. Yay, new music!

maletero

That OK Go album is all like that. At first, I thought is was something wrong with my headphones, but no. They said in an interview somewhere (I think it's part of the interview on the "Extra Nice Edition" of the album) that they wanted it to sound like you're listening to it blaring through the speakers of your car, or something like that. It does sound really good blasting through the speakers of my car, which is where it played constantly for more than a month after I bought the album. I highly recommend it. And if the sound of that album is too grating, then their album "Oh No" is pretty good, too. But I like the songwriting on "Of the Blue Color of the Sky" (the one with "This Too Shall Pass") quite a bit better.

Angelastic

Hmm, I don't have a car to blare them out of the speakers of. Well, I guess if I ever want to have that feeling of being in a car with terrible speakers, I can save the cost of the car by just listening to this. And I'll have to remember that if I ever film them in concert from right next to the speakers, I don't have to worry about it being too much for my camera.

Anyway, new tracks have been added to the bundle!

Jonathan Coulton 

From Coulton’s eighth studio album Artificial Heart comes “Je Suis Rick Springfield,” originating from a rambling conversation had with They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh and sung entirely in French. From his unreleased collection, Coulton also provides bonus track “Blue Sunny Day” which explores an alternate view of a beautiful, sunny day.

I did not know that about Je suis Rick Springfield.

Also, because he's JoCo-adjacent:

MC Frontalot 

MC Frontalot delivers three of his favorite remixes from the archive, including old school classic “Nerdcore Hip-Hop” backed up by more recent mixes “Secrets From The Future” by Crimson Death and a hard remix of the “Penny Arcade Theme.”