A handful of posts ago, we talked about NYC producer/musician Joel Hamilton’s cross-country Vespa ride to raise money for his friend and fellow producer Scott Harding, who was critically injured in a hit-and-run accident while leaving a late night studio session. Joel’s trek also benefits FMC’s Health Insurance Navigation Tool (HINT) — a free service that provides information to musicians about their health insurance options.

We recently had the chance to catch up with Joel to talk about how the ride came together and why health insurance is such a crucial issue to the music community. read more

On July 17, 2008, Pitchfork and Future of Music Coalition co-presented a panel discussion about Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, as part of Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival. As expected when you put front man Chuck D, PE Media Assassin Harry Allen and original Bomb Squad members Hank and Keith Shocklee around a table, the back-and-forth was incredibly entertaining and informative.

You may have seen the news item over at Pitchfork about concerned musicians who want to make sure that the next President — whether it’s John McCain or Barack Obama — doesn’t forget about those still suffering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The artists — including several veterans of FMC’s Artist Activism Camps in New Orleans — signed a letter (PDF) calling upon Obama and McCain to attend a September 18 presidential forum in the Big Easy and talk about their vision for the city’s recovery. read more

The latest issue of Under the Radar has two different covers with a handful of socially-engaged musicians posing in support of political protest.

Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie, Britt Daniel of Spoon and Colin Meloy of the Decemberists grace Cover 1, while R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe and Modest Mouse’s Issac Brock rock Cover 2. read more

FCC Says Comcast Illegally Interfered With Web File-Sharing Traffic
A majority of the Federal Communications Commission has concluded that cable operator Comcast unlawfully disrupted the transfer of certain digital video files, affirming the government’s right to regulate how Internet companies manage Web traffic.
Cecilia Kang, The Washington Post read more