princej

First Friday!!! FREE SHOW!!!

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:57:51 -0700

We know you have a lot of choices this evening, just make sure you make the right one.

Join or Die!

-KosmoBot

Prince J's Per Diem Pt. 1...

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:32:22 -0700

Has moved! Please check under "San Francisco Music" for the latest entry!

Longshot Massive Sound System Back From The Dead!!!

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:56:59 -0700

In addition to my occasional DJ gigs which have mostly been 80's/New Wave/Punk, I am returning to my roots as a DJ and resurrecting my original passion: my Sound System. While I enjoy all the genres that hit my Technics, my true love still lies in JA and UK 7"s.

A return to past Longshot Massive form, expect to hear Remixes and Versions alongside your favorite Reggae and Dancehall classics. Next stop: Sacramento, CA tomorrow night!

PS: I'm always available for booking! Hit me (princej) or at: longshot.massive@gmail.com

Word.

-J

REPOST: WE"VE BEEN ROBBED!!!

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:54:19 -0800

Today marks a sad day in the life of Maldroid. We have been robbed.

Yesterday morning we found ourselves victims of a terrible crime that would normally cripple bands consisting of mere mortals. Fortunately that’s not the case here as we will overcome this minor obstacle and prevail. THE SHOW WILL GO ON!!!

That’s not to say we are underestimating the damage this has done to us and may continue to do in the future. With that being said we are providing a list of what was stolen so that you, the man on the street, can keep an eye out and an ear open (we’re looking at you East Bay peeps!). If you see or hear anything, please call your local police and/or Justin at (530) 400-7196.

In addition, since we know that most of you guys have in one way or another gotten our tunes for free, you can help ease your conscience by sending what little you may have to what little we have left. We need to replace many of these items very soon in order to keep kicking out the jams!

If the spirit compels you, we have a PayPal account setup for donations. It’s linked up to ajriot@maldroid.com for those kind enough to contribute. Anyone who sends $10 or more will receive some special swag from KosmoBot!

Here’s the list.

Guitar Amps:

Demeter 2 x 12 (one of 10 manufactured ever) – no serial number
Has a red A&S Cases ATA case with a few stickers on it.
Handle is worn through rubber and has inner sheet metal exposed.

Fender DeVille 2x10 – brand new. Serial # b292428

Roland KC-500 (keyboard amp)
Gold robot logo on spray painted on front

Gallien-Krueger Bass Head – 1001 rb2

Ampeg 4x10 bass cab
Brand new with minor scratches on sides

Instruments:

Roland AX-7 White Keytar (very rare and out of production)
2 keys missing, and spray paint logos on front and back

Novation A-Station
1-space rack synthesizer – blue, was in black 4-space SKB Rack Case

Drums:

Pacific by DW drumset – silver sparkle finish

22x18 inch pacific maple bass drum

12 inch pacific maple rack tom

14 inch pacific maple rack tom

12 inch and 14 inch carrying cases

SKB hard cymbal carrying case

18 inch Sabian AAX crash cymbal

19 inch Sabian AAX crash cymbal

Pair of 14 inch Sabian AAX sizzle hi hats

14 inch TAMA steel snare drum

DW stick bag with 10 pairs of vater power 2b wooden tip sticks

Other:

Boss GT-5 guitar effects pedal - dark blue

Furman Power supply

Ibanez Tube-Screamer (green), BOSS Guitar Tuner Pedal (white), BOSS Noise Supressor (white)

Odd-looking custom built foot-switch pedal with 4 footswitches and 4 extruding orange extension cords

If someone tries to sell you any of this gear, it is STOLEN, please call:
Berkeley PD: 510-981-5900 – Report # 08-4857

Let them know that you have item(s) that may have been stolen from Berkeley.

Or, call your local Police Department. Please try to get any identification from the seller, or vehicle identification.

Thank you all in advance and a special fuck off to whoever jacked us.

Join or Die!

Maldroid out!

REPOST: You Wanna Read It - 1/7/2008

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:16:35 -0800

So we're one week into 2008 and things are starting to come back to reality after the holiday craziness! Good thing too because Camp Maldroid has BIG things in store for y'all in this new year! Allow us to share but a tiny tidbit of what's on our plate in hopes of whetting your voracious appetites in the days to come!

We are slated for at least TWO new releases EARLY this year! Look for another record similar to "Oakland Lads Club" (2 songs, 2 remixes, videos, audio stems etc.) to drop late Jan/early Feb and a FULL LENGTH to follow shortly thereafter! We are so excited about this and hope y'all are too. It's been a long time in the making but will be well worth the wait (we even brought a pro tools rig up to the mountains and worked on some tracks at 8000 ft. on our New Years vacation)!

January and February are packed with Bay Area shows! Check the calendar for dates! Next one is this Thursday with The Lovemakers and Panda at Cafe Du Nord! It doesn't get much better than that! We also have shows booked at Fat City, the SF Indie Film Fest at Rickshaw Stop and an underground party with a secret hotline! No joke!

Bummed that you don't live in the Yay? Yeah, we're bummed for you too. But, rumors are flying about possible Spring '08 tours! Could it be true? Remember us, Austin TX?

The online Maldroid Store is in full swing! Check back often for new items, sales etc.

Oh, and shhhh! There's still that super secret TV thing with ryandivine...

Maldroid out! Join or Die!

-KosmoBot

REPOST - You Wanna Read It: First Blog of 2008

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:32:58 -0800

Happy New Year everybody and welcome to the first "You Wanna Read It" of 2008. Looking back we have accomplished a lot in one year. From appearing on Good Morning America to gracing the stage at Live 105's "Not So Silent Night", Maldroid has come a long way. None of this would be possible without you people supporting and cheering us along the way. It also doesn't hurt that we possess boyish charm and unmatched fashion sense. With that being said we look forward toward another year of history making rock and roll.

To start the New Year with a bang, we will be playing the Uptown in Oakland this Friday (1/4) with..........The Hot Toddies (Asian Man Records) and Royalty. Please check our show listings for details y'all cause this one will truly be the show to rock in the new year.

As reported before, our online store is up for business. Our merchandise is flying off the shelves so please make sure and pick up some cool swag before you have to head back to work/school. You have been buying stuff for others this whole holiday season and now its time to reward yourself. What better way then to rock a sweet Maldroid hoodie! The store is located at: http://maldroid.bigcartel.com/

Well, next week we will be announcing more shows and even more news! Happy New Year Everyone!

JOIN OR DIE!

-KosmoBot and maldroid.

REPOST: You Wanna Read It: NSSN Recap Edition

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 19:47:03 -0800

Where to start, where to start! As you know this past Friday we took the stage at the annual Live 105 "Not So Silent Night" Show. Well, all we can say was the experience was amazing! However, before we give you the 411 on this history making show, we would first like to address a "situation" that occured on Friday morning.

To our surprise, Woody, the morning show host on LIVE 105 bashed Maldroid during his show. Why you may ask? Well, Woody wanted to drag our name through the mud because he thought we were prima donnas! Why? Well he thought we didn't deserve the right to have a rider (a list of backstage demands). However, one thing that Woody the Love Sponge forgot to mention was that LIVE 105 asked us to provide a rider. In the music industry all bands should have a rider. However you only submit a rider when asked. We would never make backstage demands when a rider is not requested. That's what is referred to as a "dickmove". We may be many things but prima donnas are not one of them. Just to show we do not hide the truth, here is the rider we send to all venues that request them (mind you Slim's, Mezzanine, Sac State etc..have all complied with these items and we have never heard a complaint before).

-One bag of Tortilla Chips
-One container of Salsa
-One container of Guacamole
-1 Deli Tray for 8
-1 750ML bottle of Jim Beam
-1 24 pack of Bud Light
-10 Towels
-12 chilled Diet Cokes
-1 bag of Reese's Pieces
-Assorted seasonal fruits

That's It!!! Now mind you we do not expect this from any venue nor do we send it to any venue unless we are asked to submit one. Even then we don't EXPECT EVERYTHING OR ANYTHING!!! It's merely a wish list for those who inquire!!!

Well this opened the flood gates for people to attack the band!!! All of a sudden everyone and their mom (literally) called in chiming in that Maldroid were a bunch of ungrateful assholes!!! Now to all you haters please step back and realize something. What's that? Y'all can SUCK IT!!! First off Maldroid owes a large chunk of their success to everyone at LIVE 105! We love the station and everyone who works for them! If it was not for Madden, Aaron Axelsen and Surfer Spud, who knows where we would be. As kick ass as we may be it takes a lot of love from others to get where we are! We would never piss on anyone who has helped us out! We were merely doing what we were told to do.

Now on to one hater in particular. To the shock of everyone, a mother of one the bands we competed against at Cafe Du Nord (you know who you are) called in and really laid in to us. Now we won't name this band for two reasons although you can figure it out pretty easy because:

1) They don't deserve the press.

2) Its pretty fucking embarassing to have your mom call in a popular radio show
and defend your band!!!

Now her main complaint was that her son's band deserved to play the NSSN show and Maldroid did not. Why? Well she said her son has been playing music since 2003 and have toured. Um, so what. We have been playing music in various bands since 1995!!! We have toured the world. We have been punched! We have bled! We have driven thousands of miles to shows that are canceled. We have slept on cold floors! We have lost girlfriends! We have been booed off stages! We have been through it all and have stood up and formed into the band we are today! So please bitch, step back and shut the fuck up. Your boy's band doesn't deserve shit yet compared to us or any of the other deserving bands in the competition. Tell your son's they are lucky they got that far (PANDA DESERVED YOUR SPOT Y'ALL. THAT'S THE TRUTH AND THE WORLD KNOWS IT!!!) and were allowed to play with us. Now on to
more important things:

NOT SO SILENT NIGHT RULED!!!! We played a tight 6 song set that really got the crowd moving. The overall feedback from the show has been very positive. New Maldroid fans were created that night. The entire crew working the concert were amazing people. All the bands that night brought their 'A game' as expected. Paramore were the most popular of the night (not a fan of the music but nice people). Every 3rd person had a Paramore shirt on. Amazing! The band of the night was Spoon although we felt the kids didn't get them. Again, remember very pro-Paramore crowd so that can be expected. Angels and Airwaves although entertaining seemed off. Perhaps the drinks guys? Jimmy Eat World blasted through a very tight set of new material and old crowd favorites. Finally Modest Mouse were simply amazing with a very musical set. They had an accordian for crying out loud! Overall a great night of music for everyone!!!

Our next show will be a headlining gig at the Phoenix Theatre in Petaluma on Sat. Dec 22nd with Good City Lie Still, By His Stripes, The Grand Color Crayon, and Indian Valley Line. Make sure to make it out to this gig as it marks our return to the Phoenix after a very successful gig with the P-Nauts a couple months ago.

Finally we would like to mention that after countless requests, a tour is being put together. We feel that the people we are (potentially) going on tour with fit us quite well!!! More details will given as they become available.

Well, that's it for this week. Till next week people. Maldroid out!

-KosmoBot and maldroid.

JOIN OR DIE!!!

Maldroid on the Silver Screen?

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:49:37 -0800

So MusicNation has asked us to participate in a Sundance Film Festival promotion sponsored by the new Honda Fit. Apparently they like us (who doesn't, ha ha!).

Anyway, with enough participation we have a great shot at being able to screen our videos at Sundance plus snag a free trip there! Not bad press for us, not to mention the press for Fuzz, huh?

How can you help? Well, this is probably the easiest ballot system ever!

Simply send MALDROID via text message to NATION (628466) and that's it!

So far, you guys that have been voting have rocketed us to #2 in the nation! So please, please, please grab your phone, start the texting and let's get to #1!!! And as a bonus, you can cast a vote DAILY!

Plus, if you go to our MusicNation page, you can vote twice daily!

Join or Die!

-J and maldroid.

PS: Click the link to check out the higher res version of "You Wanna Touch It"! You can also rate it, embed it, comment etc. Word.

Maldroid @ Sundance Film Festival?

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:23:48 -0800

Once again, MusicNation has asked us to participate in a Sundance Film Festival promotion sponsored by the new Honda Fit.

With enough participation from our fans, we have a great shot at being able to screen our videos at Sundance!

How can you help? Well, this is probably the easiest ballot system ever!

Simply send MALDROID via text message to NATION (628466) and that's it!

Just so you know how easy this could be, we are currently at 23rd in the nation WITHOUT any promotion! So please, please, please grab your phone and start the texting! And as a bonus, you can cast a vote DAILY!

Plus, if you are a MusicNation user, you can vote twice! Just go to http://maldroid.musicnation.com and click VOTE.

Thanks to you all in advance!

Join or Die!

-J and maldroid.

Maldroid at Cafe Du Nord - December 3rd - Tix Going Fast!!!

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:17:20 -0800

Maldroid has been selected as one of 5 (out of 261) bands competing for a chance to open up Live 105's Not So Silent Night with Modest Mouse, Jimmy Eat World, Spoon and more! Celebrity Judges and the crowd will pick the winner!

Tickets are ALREADY almost sold out, so get yours today RIGHT HERE!!! and come watch MALDROID crush the competition!

Join or Die!

-J and maldroid.

We made it!!! Maldroid in Live 105 top 5!!!

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 22:43:09 -0800

Moments ago Aaron Axelson announced Maldroid as the 5th and final band to snag a spot at the Live 105 Not So Silent Night Local Battle of the Bands! The winner of this show will go on to open the annual Not So Silent Night show featuring the likes of Modest Mouse, Spoon, Jimmy Eat World and more!

The show will be held at Cafe Du Nord in SF on December 3rd. It will be ALL AGES and a steal at $5!!!

Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10AM! This show WILL sell out. Get your tickets right away!

Click Here For Tickets!!!

Finalists include:

MALDROID
Mud
Cast of Thousands
Element 94
Apside

Hope to see all of you there to help support us and to see history in the making! Thank you!!!

Join or Die!

-J and maldroid.

Maldroid on Live 105!!! TONIGHT!!!

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:32:40 -0800

Hey y'all! Be sure to tune in to LIVE 105 tonight to listen to Aaron Axelson's Soundcheck program from 7-10PM PST.

Call in or text your request for our new track "You Can Have It All"!!!

Last week we hit #4 Most Requested Local Band! This week, let's hit #1!!!

Plus, he will be announcing the top 5 bands from the Not So Silent Night Local Band Competition LIVE ON AIR!

Listen at 105.3 FM in the Bay Area or STREAM LIVE worldwide!!!

CONTACT LIVE 105:

REQUEST A SONG
Request Line 415.478.LIVE
Toll free 1.800.696.1053

TO TEXT
send messages to FM105 (that's 36105)
or #105 from your Sprint phone

Join or Die!

-J and maldroid.

All I ask of you is...

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 17:26:21 -0800

Our track "You Can Have It All" has been chosen as 1 of 20 semi-finalists out of 261 submissions in the annual Live 105 Not So Silent Night Local Band Competition by Aaron Axelsen and YOU! This means we are in the running to open the show for the likes of Modest Mouse, Jimmy Eat World, Spoon and more.

But, time is running out! In the next 24 hours we are asking for your input and votes on our new recording of critics' favorite: "You Can Have It All" before the final 5 bands are chosen Sunday night on Live 105's Soundcheck!

Every listen, rating, comment, add to favorites, etc. counts! Plus, we want your input on the track before we decide to call it a done deal.

You decide. Help us out with your vote! Simply click the link below and make your virtual voice heard!

http://live105.imeem.com/music/5ixJcNIl/maldroid_you_can_have_it_all/

Join or Die!

-J and maldroid.

REPOST: You Wanna Read It - Thanksgiving Edition

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:22:35 -0800

Hello Ladies and Gents! Welcome to yet another edition of "You Wanna Read It"!!! As usual we faced another busy week. First for the biggest news! We have been selected as a semi-finalist for the annual LIVE 105 NOT SO SILENT NIGHT CONTEST! Thats right thanks to you we have entered the semifinals!!! We got an overwhelming response for our new version of "You Can Have It All". Below are the finalists for the contest along with a link with directions for the next round. Please visit and help us get into the finals. The winners get to open up for Modest Mouse, Angels and Airwaves, Jimmy Eat World, Spoon and Paramore at the Bill Graham Civic Center.

Cast of Thousands (SF & Oakland)
Mud (SF & Oakland)
The Ian Fays (San Francisco) ***Maldroid's female counterparts. Very talented and easy on the eyes!!!***
Panda (Piedmont)***Maldroid's little brothers. Very talented and easy on the eyes of girls in college.***
Wallpaper (Oakland)***Very sick dance music***
3rd Rail (Oakland)
The Frail (San Francisco)
Magic Bullets (San Francisco)
Element 94 (San Bruno)
Desa (Oakland)
Company Car (San Francisco)
Firme (San Jose)
Two Left Feet (Concord)
The Distraction Fit (San Francisco)
Make Amends (San Francisco)
Maldroid (Oakland)***No explanation needed. However very easy on the eyes of everyone***
My Revolver (San Francisco)
Apside (San Francisco)
Clevergirl (Oakland)
La Vendi (Oakland)
Keep visiting this link for further details. Lets get the "Boy's in Brown" on the stage they were made for: http://www.live105.com/NSSN-Local-Band-Contest/1203965

In other news we had a great show at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco this past Saturday night! We shared the stage with Astral and The Frail. Thanks guys for coming out and rocking the house. This past show was extra special because it was the first full set played by our new drummer Hugo. The reviews are in and.....HUGO KICKED ASS BEYOND EXPECTATIONS! This guy has worked his ass off to learn the material and has done an excellent job doing so!

Well as you can see no shows!!! Dont fret my pets. Shows are being booked as we speak with such acts as The Lovemakers, Panda, and The Phenomenauts in the horizon. Also there is a big show in december at Slim's that may see a certain band rock the stage. Well have a great turkey day and make sure to drive safe. There are a lot of drivers drunk off of spiked eggnog, pumpkin beer and tryptophan(you know the stuff in turkey that makes us want to go sweepies). Anywhoo goodnight everybody!!!

maldroid.

JOIN OR DIE!

p.s what are your plans for turkey day?

NEW MALDROID SONG! Maldroid to play Live 105's NSSN?

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 13:19:26 -0800

Oh who knows.. maybe. Like every other band interested (in modest mouse at least, paramore and angels and airwaves can suck it.) In any case, like many local bands this week, we have entered ourselves in the Live 105 NSSN contest. We are competing to open the show. This is more a ploy for us to get our new track in Mr. Aaron Axelsen's hot hands, but if we win it'd be another nice notch to add to our contest victory belt.

If you'd like to help us out, simply go here:
http://live105.imeem.com/music/5ixJcNIl/maldroid_you_can_have_it_all/

Give us as many stars as you think we deserve and maybe leave a comment. In return, we're giving you a sneak peak at our new recording of 'You Can Have It All' this is actually a rough mix, so your comments and ratings are not only a means of helping us win this thingee, they're also valuable input to us and your last chance to be heard before we call this song done. for good.

The bands with the highest song rating go the next round. WE DO NOT SUPPORT DOWN RATING OTHER BANDS SO DON'T DO IT. For more on our stance on this and the contest go to the contest link and read our comment.

http://live105.imeem.com/music/5ixJcNIl/maldroid_you_can_have_it_all/

Thanks so much for your time! Tell a friend! Enjoy the sneak peak at our next masterpiece!

JOIN OR DIE!!

maldroid.

SAT @ DNA Lounge!!! FREE before 10:30!!!

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:39:07 -0800

Saturday, Nov 17th - Doors at 9, Bands at 10:30
DNA Lounge - 375 11th St. San Francisco
$10 adv, $12 door - FREE before 10:30!!!

MALDROID
Astral
The Frail

DJ's Johnny Evil & Otterpop

JUST ADDED! Rev. Dr. DJ Davidian 777 & D++ from Short Shortzz

Join or Die!

-J

This Saturday! Maldroid w/ Astral, The Frail @ DNA Lounge, SF

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:36:32 -0800

REPOST: You Wanna Read It - 11/11

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:35:58 -0800

Wow what a week we had! Two history making shows and two entertaining radio shows!!!! If you were living under a rock we played a Thursday show with Reel Big Fish at Sac State University and headlined the Mezzanine in San Francisco on Saturday night. For those who attended thank you. For those who didn't attend? Go to the next show you are missing out y'all!!! Here are some highlights from the shows.

Sac State Show(11/8):
1) Killer Crowd
2) Being attacked by a soundman on stage during our ground breaking rendition of "Rock and Roll".(see previous blogs for further details)
3) Killer backstage spread(Pasta, Alfredo, Assorted Chips, Soda, Hard Laq, Salad, Steamed Veggies....)
4) Awesome hospitality by security.
5) Man proposes to girlfriend on stage during REEL BIG FISH.
6) New Die hard Maldroid Fans reveal themselves.

Mezzanine/Live 105/Owl Magazine Show (11/10):
1) Killer Crowd
2) Awesome sound guys who love our band and share beer with us.
3) Killer headliner backstage room equipped with shower!!!! Cool spread(Chips, Hummus, Pita, Jim Beam, 6 cases of beer including Red Stripe and Bud Light)
4) Maldroid melts faces.
5) Killer Bands on bill (Thank you to Music For Animals, The May Fire, Magic Bullets, The Ian Fays). Each band were great and they were all awesome people. Plus the Ian Fays were rather attractive if we do say so ourselves! Rawr!
6) The bittersweet passing of the drumming guard as we saw Michael Urbano (Cake, Smashmouth, Cracker) hand off Maldroid duties to our new drummer Hugo during the ending of "He Said She Said".

Wow, see people!! You miss a Maldroid show you miss history!!! If you tuned into your local college radio stations you might have heard our smart asses wise crack on everything from local bands to pornos with girls who have dirty socks!!! Stay tuned because the media onslaught will continue!!!!

This week we will be headlining the DNA LOUNGE in San Francisco with The Frail and Astral. Our girl DJ Otterpop and our homeboy Johnny Evil will be rocking the 1's and 2's. That means DJing for you non hipsters.

Till Next Week
maldroid.
JOIN OR DIE.

REPOST: Vote for Maldroid!

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:32:06 -0700

Maldroid has just won yet another music video contest, this time for the Heck No! Lite Brite video in the Owl Mag's 'Video Made The Radio Star' contest. As part of this contest, there will be a free show on November 10th at the Mezzanine in SF. all you gotta do is RSVP at:

http://www.sonicliving.com/theowlmag

They are also giving away a brand new Gibson Guitar. This one's all fan driven, so if you could please spare 2 seconds to click the below link:

http://www.theowlmag.com/giveaway.asp

and vote for Maldroid, we'd really appreciate it! Ryan spends countless hours making these things for your viewing pleasure, so the least you can do is spend a couple seconds to help us win a guitar!

Oh also, we were named one of the top 7 bands in the East Bay (along with the Lovemakers) in this months issue of Oakland Magazine! Check it out here:

http://www.oaklandmagazine.com/media/Oakland-Magazine/November-2007/Where-Its-At/

See ya at mezzanine!

-J

Fuzz in SF Chronicle!!!

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:51:33 -0700

Been away for a couple of days so this may have already been posted on Fuzz, but if not, here ya go!!! Bravo Fuzz!!!

---

San Francisco Chronicle
New Web site brings the mixtape spirit alive

Alan T. Saracevic, Chronicle Staff Writer

Monday, October 22, 2007

Mixtapes date back to the days of music on Memorex.

People would put their favorite tunes on a cassette tape and give it to a friend or a significant other. Then they'd pass it along, and next thing you know, "Al's party mix" would be all the rage in the neighborhood. (Remember drawing cool stuff on the tape covers? Remember tape covers?)

In a weird way, mixtapes were a prehistoric form of social networking - an organic marketing method that would spread music virally. Underground movements like hip-hop and indie rock were born thus.

So, it's not too surprising to see a tech startup in San Francisco taking those mixtape memories, sprinkling a little Web 2.0 pixie dust on them and launching a product today that could change the way people listen to music online. And could give this startup a good little dose of giddy-up.

Fuzz.com, a music label cum social networking site cum band management Web site, is trying to apply the 2.0 ideals of networking and community to the beleaguered music biz.

The product it's launching is called - you guessed it - the Fuzz Digital Mixtape. It's a cool little widget. Artists, labels and fans can all go the Fuzz site and customize their own digital mixtapes, using some pretty slick flash technology. Users can pick from the free music provided by bands on the Fuzz site or upload their own MP3s.

And, just like in the good ol' days, you can customize the cassette box.

Once you have it all set up, you can grab the embed code from Fuzz and put it up on your own site or your MySpace page, or send it along to your buddies or bandmates.

"This is a different kind of music discovery tool," said Jeff Yasuda, Fuzz's founder and CEO. "Here's an opportunity to put your tape up on any social network."

From a technical standpoint, the Fuzz mixtape idea is not revolutionary. It's basically a flash player spinning naked MP3s. But the care Yasuda's development team took in developing the flash animation and customization tools differentiates it from your average playlist generators.

One also can assume the musically savvy techies who will be playing with this thing will be taking it in even other, more interesting, directions. In other words, it's customizable.

From a business standpoint, Fuzz's play here also is fairly interesting. As a whole, the company sees itself stepping into the breach left by a disintegrating music industry business model rocked by new technology. In a post-Napster world, no one has really figured it out yet.

Fuzz's site allows band members, fans and casual listeners to interact in a variety of ways, mostly based on social networking models. Fuzz also is acting as a label, signing Bay Area bands like the Lovemakers and Maldroid, and says it is splitting revenues in a much more band-friendly way than the traditional music industry ever did.

By positioning it in the middle of the game like that, Yasuda and the Fuzz gang hope to foster community and leverage that into real dollars.

The mixtape idea should work as a "Trojan horse" to get that going.

Mixtape "is geared to introduce people to Fuzz," said Yasuda, a musician who quit his life as a venture capitalist to give the music business a whirl. "Down the road, we'd like to build out a network of folks using it to do an adshare with them."

Yasuda stressed that plans on that end weren't finalized, but did say that a number of labels already have expressed interest in using the Fuzz Mixtape platform to distribute music virally, including Modular and Touch and Go.

Other logical partners for Fuzz are the myriad "MP3 bloggers" out there, a loose network of music lovers and critics who spend their time finding new music and writing about it.

Mike Sherrill is one of the more popular bloggers in that space, running a site called missingtoof.com. He got a chance to demo the Fuzz widget last week and sounded enthusiastic, on both the content side and the business side.

"The look and feel of the widget should fit perfectly into the hip little niche music bloggers have created for themselves," wrote Sherrill in an e-mail exchange. "Toss in the added incentive of a revenue share of ads displayed on the widget and I think they may have a seriously viral product on their hands."

E-mail Alan T. Saracevic at asaracevic@sfchronicle.com.