Friday, April 04, 2003

• Record Industry, Webcasters OK Rates
  Record industry and webcasting representatives have reached a tentative deal on webcasting royalties that would allow Internet radio broadcasters to pay 0.0762 cents per listener per song OR 1.17 cents per aggregate tuning hour, with subscription services given the additional option of 10.0% of their revenue. The proposed plan would apply to both commercial "eligible" non-subscription and "new subscription services," but would not apply to noncommercial, nonprofit, simulcasting AM/FM broadcasters or smaller webcasters who elect to pay royalties under The Small Webcaster Settlement Act (SWSA). Peep the above link for fuller details.
  
  
• Music Industry Sues 4 College Students
  Sending a message to those who trade files over LANs. You're not safe either, bub.
  
  
• Ja Rule Goes After 50 Cent, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Truth Hurts & Lil' Mo
  Peep "Loose Change" on your fave file sharing network. It interesting, but not the greatest dis song in the world. He repeats the "Dr. Dre is gay" rumours, but uses Suge Knight as a source. Talk about your unreliable witnesses. The whole this is pretty scathing, but witless-- fueld by anger and not too much creativity. He jacks the beat to Nas' "Made You Look" for the second half of the song, which is a vast improivement over the first half.
  
  
• David Lee Roth To Issue New Solo Album
  Diamond Dave will be released through Magna Carta/Magnatude Records on July 8. The album features several originals and a few covers-- including The Doors' "Soul Kitchen," The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" and Jimi Hendrix's "If 6 Was 9." Peep the full tracklisting at the above linked story.
  
  
• Incubus Part Ways With Bassist
  No replacement was named in the statement posted on the group's offical website.
  
  
• Beastie Boys' Jam Master Jay Benefit Sells Out In 24 Seconds
  Damn skippy! That's pretty impressive.
  

posted by Randy on 11:10 AM | permanent link to this entry

Thursday, April 03, 2003

• Ol' Dirty Bastard In Mental Institution
  Which is where he shold've been in the first place, getting the help he so desprately needs. Instead, that had him locked up in jail-- which I'm sure did wonders for his mental state. He is expected to be released in July. The Trials And Tribulations of Russell Jones, indeed.
  
  
• Free Content: Why Not?
  The above is a very excellent, easy to understand look the whys and hows of file-sharing actually being good for the music business and the listener. Highly reccommended reading.
  
  
• Cee-Lo Prepares 2 nd Solo Release 'Soul Machine'
  He says this one, due in the summer, will be a bit more hip-hop focused than his most excellent R&B based solo debut. It is likely to feature appearances by DJ Premier, Common and India.Arie. Why is it again that you don't own a copy of Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imprefections? Oh yeah, 'cos youz a sukka!
  
  
• Dutch DJ Junkie XL Dials Up a New 'Broadcast'
  Radio JXL -- A Broadcast From the Computer Hell Cabin is due in North America on June 3. The new album will be split will be split into sections- a "3 p.m." disc" that represents daytime radio and dance music merged with pop music and a "3 a.m. disc" that starts slow and builds it's techno pace over 70 minutes. Artists appearing on the disc include Republica vocalist Saffron, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Solomon Burke and Gary Neuman, among others. Junkie XL's Saturday Teenage Kick is one of the great "Big Beat" albums-- pick it up now if you don't have a copy. No pre-order link yet for Radio JXL -- A Broadcast From the Computer Hell Cabin, sorry.
  
  
• AC/DC, ZZ Top Rolling with Stones in Europe
  Those would be some awesome triple bills-- 20 years ago. I suppose it is still pretty impressive, but it would be much better if The Rolling Stones weren't such decrepit, creepy old men. The oddest part of this story-- The June 13 show in Oberhausen will feature The Cranberries as well as AC/DC. Seriously.
  
  
• Johnny Cash Leaves Nashville Hospital
  The 71-year-old legend was admitted to Baptist Hospital on March 10 with pneumonia and wasn't released until yesterday. Yikes. Better cozy on up to my copy of American IV: The Man Comes Around tonight and remember what I've got before it's gone.
  

posted by Randy on 3:57 PM | permanent link to this entry

Wednesday, April 02, 2003

• Edwin Starr, Dead at 61
  In most any other time of the year, your local oldies station would play "War" as a tribute, but somehow I doubt most of 'em have the gumption to do it. Even though he spoke the truth:
  
  War...huh...yeah
  What is it good for?
  Absolutley nothing
  Uh ha haa ha
  War...huh...yeah
  What is it good for?
  Absolutley nothing...say it again y'all
  War..huh...look out...
  What is it good for?
  Absolutley nothing...listen to me ohhhhh
  
  WAR! I despise,
  'cos it means destruction of innocent lives,
  War means tears to thousands of mother's eyes,
  When their sons gone to fight and lose their lives.
  
  (chorus)
  
  WAR! It ain't nothing but a heartbreaker,
  War. Friend only to the undertaker.
  Ohhh! War is an enemy to all mankind,
  The thought of war blows my mind.
  War is caused and raised within the younger generation,
  Induction then destruction...who wants to die? Ohhh
  
  (chorus)
  
  WAR! It ain't nothing but a heartbreaker,
  War! It's got one friend that's the undertaker.
  Ohhhh! War has shattered many a young man's dream,
  Made him disabled, bitter and mean,
  Life is much too short and precious to spend fighting wars these days.
  War can't give life, it can only take it away!
  
  (shorus)
  
  War! It ain't nothing but a heartbreaker,
  War. Friend only to the undertaker...woo
  Peace lovin' understand then tell me,
  Is there no place for them today?
  They say we must fight to keep our freedom,
  But Lord knows there's got to be a better way.
  
  (chorus)
  
  Pay your respects and get your Edwin Starr right here.
  
  
• The Dead Plan 'Summer Getaway' with Winwood, Nelson
  The (formerly Grateful) Dead are gearing up for a summer tour-- bringing along Willie Nelson on some dates and Steve Winwood on others. For the stinky hippie crowd, that's a pretty solid bill. Speaking of stinky hippies...
  
  
• Bonnaroo Times Two
  The good folks behind The Bonaroo Music Festival are setting their sights on a second festival this summer after selling out the June 13-15 festival in Manchester, Tennessee.. The Bonnaroo NE Music Festival is set
  to take place August 8-10 at Enterprise Park at Calverton in Riverhead, New York. No artists confirmed yet, but if the line-up for the Tennesse festival is any indication, it will lean heavy on jam bands, funk and experimental artists.
  
  
• Madonna Pulls Music Video Over War Worries
  Pussy. Some principles you've got there, Madonna. It's easy to be against war when their isn't one going on.
  
  
• Osama Bin Laden's Niece Dreams Of Pop Stardom
  A girl can dream, I suppose. No harm in that. It'll never happen. She could be as awesome as awesome can be (though the above linked article compares her to the thoroughly unawesome Natalie Imbruglia), and it would still never happen. At some point, there is such thing as bad press and that name is one they're always gonna spell right in the papers.
  
  
• Latin Youth Abandon Traditional Salsa
  Perhaps the most hearbreaking quote I've read in months: "I almost never listen to salsa music or traditional music like that," said Alfredo Murillo, 23, a student browsing at a music store in Caracas, Venezuela. "I think it's because of the influence of TV. I watch a lot of MTV, and it's the same for many young kids." I'm certianly never one to knock the evolution of culture, but Salsa music kicks so much ass it isn't even funny. The kids will come around years down the road, one hopes. All is not lost-- the above linked article mentions groups like Cultura Profetica, Puya and Superaquello that are thoroughly modern but take bits and pieces of traditional Latin music and tweak 'em to their own tastes.
  
  
• Kittie Sues Artemis for Contract Breach
  The story itself is no surprise, but there's a tidbit at the bottom that caught me off guard: "Lead singer Morgan Lander and her sister/drummer Mercedes Lander are the only original members still in the group." I remember when guitarist Fallon Bowman left, but I was unaware that they were goining without the bass work of Talena Atfield. Frankly, I was unawre that the other two were sisters-- which means that at it's outset, Kittie viloated two of Rocktober's Rules of Rock. They specifically violated these rules:
  
  -Never join or start a group with a relative. The pressures and the money issues will ruin your family.
  -Never join or start a group with anyone whois related to each other. When it comes down to internal band conflicts and business issues, the relatives will almost always side together and you will be left out in the cold.
  
  
• Classic Rock's Main Event
  Styx (sans estranged lead singer Dennis DeYoung and dead drummer John Panozzo), Journey (sans estranged lead singer Steve Perry) and REO Speedwagon (sans estranged guitarist Gary Richrath) will be rocking across America this summer. In my mind, these three groups are touring together because they have three of the best Behind The Music episodes ever. Okay, maybe not REO Speedwagon-- theirs was just good. But still-- it should be a good show. This line up would've played football stadiums back in the day, but these days they're betting on filling arena. Which is no small potatoes.
  
  
• A Brief Catechism of Rock Shows, Part I
  Read it, learn it and love it.
  
  
• "Chicago" Producers Get "Footloose"
  Those zany Academy Award winning producers behind "Chicago" want to re-make "Footloose" as a musical. Some of you may remember that "Footloose" already has been made into a broadway musical, but this proposed version will have nothing to do with the play.. Who would've ever thought we would live in a world where there are two music versions of "Footloose"?? These are strange times.
  

posted by Randy on 3:59 PM | permanent link to this entry

Tuesday, April 01, 2003

No Joke, There Will Be No Updates Today
Sorry, kids. Real work is calling. More stuff tomorrow, I promise.
posted by Randy on 12:06 PM | permanent link to this entry

Monday, March 31, 2003

• Soldiers at the Door
  Michael Franti of Spearhead tells of a recent incident when governement agents visted a member of his band's mother:
  
  "You have a child who's in the Gulf and you have a child who's in this band Spearhead who's part of the "resistance"(in their words)."
  
  "They had pictures of us performing the day before at the rally, they had pictures of us performing at some of our annual concerts that we put on that are in support of peace and human rights. They had his flight records for the past several months, they had the names of everybody who works in my office, our management office Guerilla Management. They had his checking account records. They asked his mother a lot of questions about where he was, what he was doing in this place, why he was going here. They confiscated his sibling's CD collection that they had brought over to listen to while they were in the Gulf, and basically were intimidating – told her which members of the press she could talk to and which members of the press she should not speak to."
  
  Scary stuff. At least they aren't stopping Spearhead from performing. Not yet, at least. There's a bit more to the interview-- read the above link for the full story.
  
  
• Analyst: Internet File-Sharing Bigger Than Record Business
  Well, duh. The testimony was given on Thursday during a California Senate committee hearing exploring Internet piracy. Kazaa got in a few good licks, though: "'The record business, in the digital revolution, has been a day late and a dollar short,' said Kazaa lobbyist Phil Corwin. Corwin also blamed the industry blues on large-scale media consolidations, which left them wrestling with debt, the end of music fans converting their vinyl albums to CDs and $18 CD prices."
  
  
• Best Buy Trying to Sell Musicland Unit
  Speaking of the ailing music business. Good luck finding a buyer-- though I guess all those mall leases have to be worth something to someone.
  
  
• Anti-Dixie Chicks Concert Slated for May
  The Dixie Chickswill face stiff competition on their May 1st concert date in Greenville, South Carolina. Headlining a competing, anti-Dixie Chicks concert (in response to anti-war comments made by Natalie Maines in England) is. . .The Marshall Tucker Band. Talk radio host Mike Gallagher tried to get acts like Charlie Daniels, Travis Tritt and Toby Keith but they all had touring commitments.
  
  
• Cold Set Up Headlining Tour, Are Tapped For Lollapalooza, Staind Jaunts
  Remember when Cold abruptly left a Weezer tour because they were getting heckled all the time? Somehow, they think they'll have better luck on the second and thrid legs of Lollapalooza. Here's to the power of positive thinking.
  
  
• War Puts Radio Giant on the Defensive (NY Times registration required)
  Is radio monolith Clear Channel is using its considerable market power to drum up support for the war in Iraq, while muzzling musicians who oppose it? Mmmmmmaaayyybbbeee, sez the above linked story. On the same tip, here's a pretty decent article about hgow coverage of the war could affect meida consolidation laws (if at all).
  
  
• Copyproof CDs Moving to Market?
  Mmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaayyybbbeeee. In a research note published Friday, J.P. Morgan analyst Sterling Auty said that Arista Records, a subsidiary of BMG Music, appeared to be moving to market with CD copy-protection technology produced by SunnComm Technologies. None of the companies involved would confirm, though.
  
  
• Commercial Tie-Ins, Product Promos Invade MTV (L.A. Times registration required)
  Not the most earth-shattering news, but still a pretty good article on the rise of product placement in music videos.
  

posted by Randy on 12:39 PM | permanent link to this entry