To protest SOPA, PIPA, ACTA, cuts to the space program – yes, I’m still upset about that – and Italian captains that make navigation mistakes, we’re giving away an album for free on Noisetrade.  That’s zero dollaz, people. Consider it a salute to those bandits that get our music out to fans that we otherwise would never have. We love those scallywags like peanuts love butter and dolphins love swimming next to large cruise ships – hopefully not Italian ones. POW – right in the kisser!

Ya’ see, artists find new fans and connect with audiences on sites like Twitter, Youtube and yes, Facebook — the bittersweet time-consumers that haunt our time management skillz. And those sites are being threatened by SOPA and PIPA. Homie don’t play that. MySpace? Sorry, I’m not familiar with that site, anymore.

Of course, Zuckerberg decided not to participate in the blackout, even though Google, Reddit, Wikipedia and other notable swashbucklers did. Why? All signs point to money. A single day of outage on Facebook would cost the company $12 million in revenue, according to Mashable. But that’s chump change when you make$4.25 billion per year. I don’t know about you, but I’m writing Mark in for the 2012 election as “biggest sellout ever”.

Speaking of selling out, now’s your chance to download our many musical numbers via iTunes, CDBaby and pretty much any other music outlet you can think of. Or download Changin’ Tones for free by clicking on this link to Noisetrade. Changin’ Tones features a full band, but we do have plenty of other acoustic music selections.

But copyright law isn’t all bad – it protects our works and gives us some street cred for what we’ve done. Of course, most of the time we’d just rather have our tunes pumping through the ears of those who love it – or like it, we’re not picky here. SOPA and PIPA threaten to block websites without due process, which means that artists could be censored. That’s kind of like someone saying that we can’t write the word #@%& on our own blog. Wait, #@%&, it’s already happening. #@%&!!

To help the SOPA and PIPA protest:

1. Download our music for free.

2. Spread it around to all of your favorite pirates, including pirates that steal art online and those that wear an eye patch.

3. Tell all of your friends that you’re proud to be a pirate.

Since it’s technically not piracy if we give you permission to download our album – please don’t download our music and spread it around to scallywags.

Once again, here’s the link to our free album: www.noisetrade.com/20mtp

To see the SOPA bill

To see the PIPA bill

And let’s not forget ACTA

To learn about navigationally-challenged Italian captains

To learn about space program cuts

To learn about 20 Minutes To Park

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20 Minutes To Park is acoustic music duo out of Nashville, Tennessee, but some of their albums feature a full band. Instrumental music is available upon request.

Here at 20MTP we’re obsessed with new idioms, expressions and colloquialisms of the modern type. So, every week we’ll be layin’ down one fresh def (definitions) of modern slang to use for the entire week. We’ll do our best to include it in all our posts. Yes, we’re aware that using “Hasselhoff” in every post might get annoying, but we’ll do our best to be creative. Feel free to use it and message with hot sentences that we can post. Holla at cha boy.

This week’s fresh def:

Hasselhoff:

As in the Baywatch sensation David Hasselhoff. Known as Mitch (yes, that is my name as well) on Baywatch, the “Hoff” is Grade A prime BA (bad ass). In Germany, it’s a sin to use Hasselhoff’s name in vain.

Here are some ways Hasselhoff can be used:

1. Temptation or teasing

He cranked the Baywatch theme on his boom box and stripped down to his short red swim trunks to Hasselhoff the women sunbathing by the pool.

2. To do a slow motion take

J: “Dude, why are you running in slow motion on stage?” M: “I’m pretty sure our music sounds 10x better when I’m Hasselhoffing it. The women love it.” J: “That’s why they are throwing beer bottles at you.”

3. To annoy with horrible music or other antics

J: “Stop playing the theme from Lamb Chop. I know it’s the song that never ends, but you are Hasselhoffing me to death over here.” M: “Fine, I’ll “Hoff” you with It’s a Small World After All instead. Buh-bam side-burns!”
Let the fun begin!

4. To get completely drunk and wind up on camera eating fast food like a cannibal

J: “Um, you’re getting Taco Bell all over the carpet, man.” M:”Ohhh man… why did I drink so much I can’t see. I’m so Hasselhoffing it tonight, dude.”

It’s cliche, there are no objections there, but there really is no place like home. I’m back in the Chi-town, where the politics are always windy and the city always seems to suck me in. With the Bear’s season fresh in the air (rain or shine – I’m no fair weather fan), it’s a place I’m proud to call home. No punches against Nashville (I love you Music City), but it’s undeniable that home will always hold a special place in the heart.

So what am I doing? I’m visiting family and friends, munching down all the Chicago style pizza that i can, hopefully visiting the art museum, tearing up the night life, noshing on Portillo’s (or my favorite, Scooby’s) and topping it off with whatever I can in a week. Any suggestions? What am I missing?

Speaking of art, I went to my good friend Gillian Taylor’s art showing yesterday. I ended up purchasing some great photography. If you get a chance, check it out here… http://www.gilliantaylorartistry.com

That’s all for today! Gotta run and grab a Bear Claw and some coffee.

I’m fairly certain that everyone I know loves TWC (The Weather Channel). How can you not?

Instrumental versions of “Loveless Cafe” and “Australia” are currently being spun on the overnight Local on the 8′s on The Weather Channel! We’re listed on the site here…
http://www.weather.com/tv/music/aug2010.html

The playlist is random, so unfortunately we can’t tell you exactly when to listen. Fortunately, the songs run wide to over 100 million viewers! Not too shabby…

We’re hoping that the vocal versions of the songs will be on the Wake Up with Al show towards the end of the month on The Weather Channel. Keep your fingers and toes and legs and arms crossed with us.

Thanks for all your support!