Is This Elevator Music??

"New" Music Economy Forces Bands To Do "New" Things

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:32:00 +0000

Rolling Stone posted an article yesterday describing how bands are making money in the "new economy" of music, where physical album sales are declining and new areas of revenue are becoming more and more necessary to stay afloat.

Of the mentioned areas (including licensing music for commercials, movies, television shows, video games and making money through touring), I found specific area targeting to be the most intriguing. The White Stripes (among other bands) have begun to commission local artists to create limited edition posters specific to the location at which the concert is being held. This creates a more personal collectable for the fan apposed to the mass produced poster that everyone and their mother owns of their favorite band. The artwork can also be used for other things including area specific singles, stickers, you name it, anything with artwork.

However, the article left a gaping hole in one of the largest (if not THE largest) revenue streams for a great number of bands. That is money from PROs (Professional Rights Organizations). These companies, for those unfamiliar, collect licensing fees from public areas (be it a bar, retail shop, sporting venue, etc) that uses music to in any way sell products. This can be through using music to create a better atmosphere or ambiance or using it directly in a television show or anything broadcasted, really. Band then get paid every time their song is played partially or fully on television, radio, or over a sound system (anywhere at any location...it's electronically monitored these days). Bands can make multiple millions of dollars (though not that common) this way depending on how much their music is played.

Now, by licensing out their music to television shows and commercial adds, they are not only promoting themselves through exposure, but also racking up air play time as tracked by PROs, which can ultimately add up to a large sum of money. It's a win win for any band who allows their songs to be played in these forms of media as they'll be getting a licensing fee AND PRO money.

This "new" way of making money isn't exactly new, but most bands haven't been doing much of it until lately, and I'm glad their finally catching on to what many people in and out of the industry (including myself) have been saying will happen for the last five years. The record company isn't dead, it's simply evolving from selling platinum albums to creative multiple streams of revenue for bands in an age where physical album sales look to becoming not enough.

Photo by Flickr User: krzysiek_b.

Yet Another 8-Year-Old Who Sold His Soul To The Devil

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:17:00 +0000

Once again, YouTube has a video of a kid who is probably better at guitar than you. This time it's 8-Year-Old Yuto Miyazawa who displays his ability to mimic Eric Clapton and Black Sabbath
in this video. Wired has a little story on this kid and a lead into how if the amount of people who play Guitar Hero (over 14 million people own it, so probably +20 million have played it) actually played real guitars that music would be better off.

I've actually had this conversation with a friend of mine (who played bass in a band we were in back in the day) about if we had played our real instruments (guitar and bass) as much as we had played Rock Band over a two week period that we could have probably written an entire album...but I digress.

As you watch this video (below), you may notice the same thing I saw...this kid seems to simply be playing notes that sound dead and lifeless. Now, I know the kid is only 8 years old and is still playing some fairly difficult guitar riffs, but they sound like he's playing them with no soul, that they're just notes, which leaves me to only one conclusion: Yuto has sold his soul to the devil in order to play this well at such a young age...that or his father sold it for him in order to become the next Stage Dad/Mom.

Granted he'll be able to rip like none-other in a few years and we'll all be left sitting at our computers watching a 12 year old who can play guitar better than we could ever hope to, which will just leave us feeling empty inside...but until then, just enjoy the video and start practicing...or become a DJ.

A Mother's Day Festival Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Sun, 11 May 2008 20:43:00 +0000

It's Mother's Day, and to honor all of our moms and their concern for our health and safety, the New York Times has published an article all about...this summer's festivals; lovely venues where drugs are more common than potable drinking water and at least one person dies at most events.

To be fair, I find festivals to be a pretty fun time provided you can stand being quite filthy for a whole weekend of "camping" and the smell of patchouli doesn't bother you. I can't say I'm an avid festival goer, though I've been to a few and I'll enjoy a few more.

Out of all the festivals (and tour announcements as well) mentioned in the article, I'd have to say I'm most curious to see how Rothbury goes. It seems that in years past, Bonnaroo and Coachella were the dominant festivals people made a point of traveling to. However, with a more 'eclectic' line-up every year at Bonnaroo, with headliners this year including Pearl Jam, Metallica, Jack Johnson, Panic, Kanye West, and Chris Rock, the more hard-core festival-goers are looking for a less main stream place with bands that will feel more at home with 150,00 'screaming' hippies (I don't remember seeing a lot of Hippies...hell, ANY hippies the last time I saw Metallica).

This leaves room for Rothbury. Though it still has quite a wide range of genres represented by it's headliners (DMG, Panic, John Mayer, 311, Phil Lesh & Friends, Primus, Thievery Corporation, Snoop Dogg, and Modest Mouse), it seems like it is a combination that will go well together and isn't forced, like Bonnaroo's.

And with ticket prices going up each year (I remember when I though $120 was a lot for a ticket), people can't afford to go to every festival or even 2 or 3 like they may have been doing in the past, which makes picking where you spend your inebriated weekend even more important as you'll likely only be going to one festival.

However, there are a great deal more events going on this summer than just the three I mentioned, so go check out the NYTimes article and see where you might like to head this summer. Who knows, maybe your mom will even want to go with you...but probably not.

Sweet, I've Got A New ZiT!

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Sun, 11 May 2008 00:13:00 +0000

If you're one of the millions of people who purchased Grand Theft Auto IV (or have ever played a GTA game ever) over the last week and a half, then you've probably noticed that there is lots of music inside of this game. This has generally been the case with GTA games as you've been able to choose radio stations to listen to while driving vehicles around the city.

This is a great feature of the game, but it's always been a pain in the butt if you wanted to find a song's title that was playing (as long as it wasn't on the soundtrack). That is, until now. In GTA IV you now have the ability to instantly get the artist and track of any song playing by using your in-game cell phone to text a request to a service called "ZiT." Once you've completed this task, you can then log into your newly created Rockstar Social Club profile to have a 30 second clip of every song you've "ZiTed" as well as an option to add it to an Amazon.com playlist for purchase later.

This is the first time that any video game has incorporated a way to purchase music from the game without leaving the game (sort-of, you do have to eventually go onto the internet to get the music) and is quite the leap forward for the music and gaming industry; not to mention it works great with the GTA franchise, known for good music with GTA IV having over 200 tracks on 16 stations, all for purchase on the Amazon MP3 store. By allowing such song information and purchasing power almost instantly, GTA and Rockstar Games have made life for the musically-curious significantly easier while offering a new way to purchase music that isn't offensive, in your face, over-priced, or just a bad idea (which is so often the case).

I recently tried this out with a song I had ashamedly forgotten about, Queen's "One Vision," however, after over 24 hours, I'm still waiting for the song to appear on my Rockstar Social Club profile. Granted this doesn't particularly make it impossible for me to purchase the song (I could just go onto iTunes or Amazon MP3 store and just purchase the song), but it makes it less convenient, something that is a coveted milestone in any service. However, I'm going to give Rockstar the benefit of the doubt since the Social Club launched the same day as the game and I suppose it still has a few kinks left to work out.

I think this is a great idea and a fabulous example of cross-platform collaboration for entertainment and sales benefit. A type of symbiotic relationship between the music industry and the gaming industry that has the potential to become a gaming staple and a somewhat profitable (if not simply a large single percentage portion of sales) part of the music industry. I can promise you will be seeing this type of "one-click" type sales of music in games in the future as the industries and fans alike both seem to be pretty excited about the new way to discover and purchase music.

Photo by Flickr user: dryxedryxe.

More on the music of GTA IV:
GTA Simplifies Song Purchasing
Music from GTA IV Rewiew
Webb Alert's Take
Reggaeton Gets 'Grand Theft' Push

Driving Concerts Into The Electronic Interactive

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:35:00 +0000

Now, being lazy is no longer an excuse not to see Matt Nathanson, or any other band. Thanks to Deep Rock Drive, you can now see concerts right on your laptop, most of them for free.

Trying to mesh the "excitement of live shows with the interactivity of online vigeogames," the new site hopes you'll log in and interact electronically with the band through shout outs and EmotApplauses like kiss-blown lips and lighters.

This sounds like a pretty cool idea, including being able to choose different audio mixes and camera angles, but from the looks of it, this type of interactive media can never replace a real concert from both the fan's and band's perspective.

As a fan, the sound is now only as good as A) your speakers and B) your bandwidth. If either of those are anything but pristine, then all the interactivity in the world isn't going to make it for a good concert-going experience. Just because they might actually play the song you request doesn't make up for a 56k tin-sounding show. And even if you do have a T3 line, laptop speakers aren't going to cut it either.

From a band's point of view, having a live crowd is incredibly exhilarating and can be a huge factor into feeding into the band's energy. Unless they are streaming an actual concert at a real venue, then this just becomes a studio session at a TV station. If I were playing at one of these sessions, the 40 big screens displaying the shout outs and EmotApplause wouldn't really be enough. Maybe some sort of applause or yelling that simulated a real crowd could come one, directly affected by the amount of positive or negative feedback generated from the mentioned interactions.

However, with that said, this looks to be a viable type of media and concert substitute for possibly sold out show or one too far away to attend. I'm pretty sure I'll be checking out the Matt Nathanson show, free thanks to a Pepsi sponsorship, though I don't know much about many of the other acts (check out the line-up here).

More Info:
Wired's Take
The Plugg's Take

I Am Iron Man...According to Marvel Films

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:38:00 +0000

If you're one of the $100.7m worth of people who saw Iron Man this weekend, you may have joined me in your extreme satisfaction with John Favreau and his new movie. However, what is possibly even better is this coming sumer in the Dark Knight and the announcement that Iron Man 2 (and I've also heard 3), along with Captain America and Thor will be gracing the Silver Screen in the coming years.

I'm anxious to see how S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, according to the movie) is portrayed in Iron Man 2 (you DID stay for the teaser with Samuel L Jackson as Nick Furry after the credits, right?) and if any S.H.I.E.L.D. specific movies will be created. But until then, let's just enjoy what will be coming later this summer w/a Dark Knight.

More Information:
InfoAddict: Iron Man Sequel

Coldplay Has Hot Track...For Free!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:17:00 +0000

It seems as though every band who has released a free single or album over the past year (Trent Reznor, Radiohead, and now Coldplay) are laughing these days...all the way to the bank. For both Reznor and Radiohead, each experiment with free music was a huge success in many ways, not just selling music (yea, people still paid for the music even though it was free including yours truly as I'm one of the few people who still prefer a physical album copy to a digital only version...weird, I know).

Bands releasing free music have seen tremendous increases in website traffic, often times causing sites to temporarily crash due to such a huge onslaught of traffic. They have also increased exposure to people who may not have purchased songs, including radio listeners as Coldplay's "Violet Hill" managed to creep up into the top 40 on BBC radio reaching an estimated 33 million listeners across Europe. Undoubtedly this was due in part because people were able to download the song and then wanted to hear it on the radio.

So what seems to be the result of offering free music is a large amount of sales (in the album, concert tickets, etc), increased exposure, not to mention that this is generally considered the best thing a band can do by its fans only causing them to be even bigger supporters of said band. Seems like a win win win (option #5) situation for the band, fans, and label.

The true test for this type of outlet, as MG Siegler points out, is if this will actually work for small bands who don't have the kind of exposure that Radiohead, Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), and Coldplay have. However, if you've been paying close attention, a great deal of bands have been doing this for quite some time through places such as myspace, personal websites, Napster/Kazaa (pre-Metalica/RIAA shutdown), and various other digital forms of socialness.

So the question is have these bands actually benefited from being able to free expose themselves to the masses? Yes and no. Yes in that people can access them and No in that any schmo can upload his/her song and clutter the already extremely over-populated world of "indie" music with not that many great ways to distinguish the good from the bad.

However, big picture in tact, we'll most definitely be seeing more free music from major bands, as well as small unknown bands, in the near and hopefully distant future.

More on Coldplay's Single:
Coldplay's Play: Free for All?
MG Siegler at VentureBeat
Chris Picks
Stereogum's Take

Myspcae, Your Home For Karaoke?

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:34:00 +0000

In a move I can't say I saw coming, Myspace has launched a Beta version of a new service...Karaoke. This means that not only can you listen to thousands of terrible bands on myspace, but now you can also listen to people even worse belting it out to the likes of The Pussy Cat Doll's "Don't Cha." I can hardly wait.

With the new ability to sing Karaoke, users can record themselves singing one of the many songs that myspace has on it's platform. Said users can then upload it onto the myspace karaoke section where other users can listen to them and vote on them, rating the songs on a 10 star rating and even allowing you to leave feadback.

I suppose this could be pretty fun to compete with your friends, but I'd personally rather compete in Rockband or, say, in a real band, but maybe that's just me. It is definitely something people seem to be visiting and using, so who knows, maybe this could be the next big thing for myspace that sets it apart from facebook...but probably not.

More on Myspace Karaoke:
Myspace Karaoke Goes Live

Songkick, Your New Best Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:52:00 +0000

According to Ian Hogarth, over 70% of people in the U.S. did not attend a concert last year...not a one. Why? Well, it's simply a pain in the butt for most people to look up bands they like to see if their even touring, let alone going to stop in near where they live.

This is why Ian, along with a few other bright chaps, came up with Songkick. Songkick is basically iConcertCal and JamBase's concert listings on steroids. Their goal is to make finding the concerts you want to see as easy as possible.

To do this, Songkick does a few things, but does them well. First, and a huge time-saver, Songkick is able to take a list of the artists in your computer's media player (i.e. iTunes) and load them all into your profile. This is especially nice if any of you have used Jambase's artist notifier and were somewhat annoyed at having to enter in each artist you like individually. This is very handy when you have, say, over 500 or so artists in your play list.

Songkick also e-mails you when your artists are coming into town. No more searching for dates and tours, it's all e-mailed directly to you. And on top of this, Songkick even will list the cheapest tickets for sale, as searched for from over 16 different ticket distributors in the US and UK. So now you've been notified of when the show is and you even know you're getting the cheapest tickets, life can't get any sweeter, right?

Well, actually, it can as Songkick also has a great section of concert recommendations based on the artists you uploaded into your profile. This is usually the trickiest part of any music based website as everyone's taste is different and the only two people to have gotten it right so far are a rocket scientist (seriously, the guy who wrote the algorithm for Pandora is a rocket scientist) and the geniuses at Last.fm. However, Songkick does an impressively good job and I would now add them to the previous list of two.

Overall, a great website with many more features that you should definitely check out. Thanks again to my boy Matt at parislemon for giving me the heads up on this. Who knew that being friends with the 8th most influential tech blogger would actually pay off?

More on Songkick:
Songkick Goes to 11
Ian Hogarth at Download Squad

iTape, youTape, we all tape for Muxtape

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:43:00 +0000

So one of my new favorite sites (thanks to my boy Parislemon) is Muxtape. Muxtape is a great website that allows users to upload a single mix of 12 songs that they deem awesome or of a great flow or whatever. Once you have your 12 songs uploaded, you organize them how you please and presto, you have a muxtape.

This is such a great idea that it makes me slightly giddy. It takes making mixes back to the 80's, when putting songs together actually mattered and was something you thought about due to the time it took to create a mix tape. Now-a-days, people just put songs into play lists and burn them onto CDs in minutes instead of taking hours (if not days) to think about and create their mixes. Muxtape doesn't do this by making the process tedious or painfully long, but by making the user actually think about the songs they will be choosing for their mix as there is a 12 song limit.

Many people have created simply great mixes that are available to anyone, whether the participant member or simply someone looking for some good music. I highly recommend checking it out, signing up, and creating a mix for everyone to listen to. If you do, please leave a comment at the bottom with a link to your mix, I'd love to check out what you think I should be listening to.

more on muxtape:
Got Your Muxtape and It Changed My Mind
Make Us A Muxtape

Hey, We're (I'm) Back! Woopiee!

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:15:00 +0000

Hey everyone, sorry for the ridiculously long hiatus, I should have warned you I was going to be away, but I didn't, oops. I won't go into details, but this picture sums up my life fairly well. As for Natalie not posting, well, she won't be with us this summer as she has to go study fruit flies in the upper peninsula of Michigan until August (true story, that's what happens when you're a biologist). So, be sure to keep an eye out for some new posts coming very soonly, not that my life doesn't still look like that picture, but I'm going to make time to keep the thousands (read: 4) people who read this blog informed on everything I deem interesting.

BAM!

noreply@blogger.com (mitten minnie) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 05:55:00 +0000

Have you ever wanted to cook for your girlfriend, but were afraid to try? Is she one of those "salad-eating bitches?" No worries; Coolio has got your back. Check out mydamnchannel.com for Cookin With Coolio. Who knows what the hell Rachel Ray or Paula Dean mean when they say "a pinch" or "a bushel," anyways? Coolio keeps it real by using terms real people can understand, such as a "dime bag of seasoning." Complete with his own Sauce Girls, Cookin' With Coolio will show you how to make food that "looks better than yo' mama's titties." Word.

Speaking of keepin' it real, check out Rolling Stone's recent interview with Billy Corgan. Whether or not you enjoy the Smashing Pumpkin's new release, this front man has got it spot-on about the record industry today. He rips big record companies and new one, and encourages emerging artists to regularly "kick the butts" of music industry vets. While the Smashing Pumpkins new release doesn't compare to Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, maybe their new-found freedom from the big execs will inspire them to write some truly unique tunes. (It's interesting these words are coming from the front man for the Smashing Pumpkins, who were known to some in their grunge hey-day as "the grunge Monkees). If not, at least kudos to Mr. Corgan for tellin' it like it is.

Stevie Nicks Can Withstand the Testosterone A Little Longer

noreply@blogger.com (mitten minnie) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 04:43:00 +0000

Sheryl Crow told Spinner, an AOL music website, earlier this month that she and the members of Fleetwood Mac "definitely have plans for collaborating in the future," apparently implying that Stevie Nicks would like to add a bit more estrogen into the mix. Christine McVie left the band in the late 1990s, making Nicks the group's only female. However, Lindsey Buckingham told Billboard after she made that statement that the members of Fleetwood Mac were all "a little surprised." I'm with Lindsey on this one-if Fleetwood Mac wants another female on board, I feel like they wouldn't be hard pressed to find a better replacement for McVie.

Don't get me wrong, Sheryl Crow has made some worthy contributions to pop music in the past. Tuesday Night Music Club is one of the better pop records of the 90s; belting "Strong Enough" while driving in my car will never get old for me. And as far as I'm concerned, female musicians who continue to write their own music and can hold their own on lead guitar are great. I haven't given Crow's latest effort, Detours, a listen to yet, but her first single sounds like a Jack Johnson rip-off. The chorus of "Love is Free," the first single, repeats "everybody's makin' love because love is free." Last time I checked, things you make yourself are usually free of charge. It seems like Crow is jumping on the neo-hippie bandwagon, and with very little originality. While I am happy to see her return to the formula that made her famous with "All I Wanna Do" and "Strong Enough"- stripped down rock tunes- Detours seems a bit fake. After all, can you really be environmentally and socially conscious and a spokesperson for Revlon at the same time? (Granted, some of the proceeds from her ads are going to charity). While "Love Is Free" aims to bring people together, it really just makes me want to get as far away as possible from people who actually buy that crap. Keep your options open, Fleetwood Mac.

Justice for Satellite Radio...Sorta

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:02:00 +0000

The Justice Department has finally given a go for the XM/Sirius merger (so says CNN) that was announced over a year ago (February 19th, 2007 for those keeping score). This is a big step for the two (and only) satellite radio companies in the U.S. but it still could mean diddly squat if the FCC doesn't give them the OK Go.

For the past year, stock prices have been all over the place and customers have been getting more and more angry having no idea what is to become of their current subscription. This still isn't resolved with certain "analysts" saying that new equipment would to be purchased but XM stating that current subscribers would be able to keep their current radio and still receive content. More fun than this is having to renegotiate (or create all new) contracts with auto companies (as each have exclusive deals with many a car manufacturer) as well as content including NFL, MLB, and on air personalities like Howard Stern and Oprah.

Even more fun is that no one is sure how much the new service will cost and how many services there will be. Last year, the stations had mentioned offering a la carte options from between $6.99 to $16.99 a month (compared to the $12.95 is currently costs for each) and have made a point of stating that it will cost less than $25.90 (12.95+12.95...woot math!), the current price for both subscriptions.

Bits of actual good news (other than the first paragraph) are actually here, though. Most importantly is that this ruling could help put some pressure to on the FCC as to finally come to a conclusion (it only took the Justice Department about 395 days to make their decision, c'mon FCC!). And for those partial owners of the company (i.e. stock holders), prices went up 15.5% and 8.6% for XM and Sirius, respectively.

Great White Station Fire Special on VH1

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:28:00 +0000

Some of you may remember a pretty awful event that occurred around five years ago. Great White was playing at The Station in West Warwick, Rhode Island when a pyrotechnics set up engulfed the building in flames, killing 100 people and injuring over 200 more.

Well, VH1 didn't forget. Billboard reports that a one-hour benefit concert honoring the five-year anniversary and the memory of those who weren't lucky enough to make it out alive, including Great White's lead guitarist Ty Longley.

Honestly, I didn't really understand how awful this event really was until I read up on it more just a while ago. I was first chuckling to myself that VH1 was airing a concert for this and then I felt terrible after getting all the details as this really was a pretty horrific event. To learn more, you can trust this wiki article, which, according to Michael Scott "Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information," a true genius.

The VH1 special will air on VH1 and VH1-Classis on March 23rd at 10pm with Poison's Bret Michaels hosting the event which will include Twisted Sister, Dierks Bentley, Gretchen Wilson, Randy Owen from Alabama, other, and interviews from survivors of the fire. If you're not going to be out that night, it should be a pretty fun concert to watch; however, if you're antsy and want to see it before it airs, you can log onto www.vh1classic.com and get a preview of the event.

Apple To Do Subscritption Music? Huh?

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:04:00 +0000

According to the Financial Times is reporting that Apple is in talks with the Big 4 about giving users total access to music via a subscription service. It seems as though this would work after purchasing a special iPod or iPhone (potentially for a $100 premium over current prices) for the ability to download music for one year without paying for it. Nothing is final, but this 'rumor' has actually been confirmed, which is nice for a change.

Now, this is something I've wanted for a long time and would be somewhat excited to see come to fruition. However, I agree with my good friend MG Sielger over at Venture Beat. While it is something that people could enjoy and be asking for, the way it is set up seems overly complicated, especially for Apple. Plus, as MG says, why would you want to fix the system they have which isn't even close to broken, or even bruised for that matter. Selling songs for 99 cents is what has made the iPod so powerful (yes, the iPod) as it has cause people to come out in droves to purchase the portable music players.

Personally, I don't see this taking off. iPods are not the cheapest thing and lots of people already have them. With iPod sales slowing, adding $100 to that price isn't exactly going to boost sales. The model doesn't seem to fit with me and, frankly, I'm surprised that the labels are going along with it as well. Although, I suppose that getting more of your music "sold" onto the biggest selling music player and store is always a good thing to be a part of. We'll just have to wait and see for this one...

Photo by Flickr user: nebarnix.

Dupré: Hooker/Musician...Pretty Much The Same Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:15:00 +0000

Chris Anokute, Capitol Records Senior A&R Director has this to say about Ashley Alexandra Dupré and her "aspiring" music career.

"I think her song is absolutely terrible. If people are interested in signing her, then they shouldn't be in the music business. It'd be a shame to exploit her talent based on the unacceptable reality that she was involved in. Most importantly, it destroyed multiple families. I don't think the scandal will help her at all. In fact, I think the public is a bit smarter than we think they are. Even though she's had over a million hits on her MySpace, I think people are just going there to see her pictures and laugh at her attempt to pursue a music career."
Quote from Billboard

Tell us how you really feel, Chris. In all honesty, he's pretty accurate in his claims about her and her music. However, will this stop someone form signing her with such an incredible amount of publicity already surrounding her (4.6 million myspace page hits, 711,000 song plays on myspace...that is before they shut down her page)? I highly doubt it. Why, you ask? For the same reason that someone would sign/distribute Kevin Federline...free publicity that the record company doens't have to spend millions of dollars on in order to "break" the artist.

Granted, this is equivalent to saying that you're saving money purchasing items when a retail store has a sale, when you're actually spending money (you only save when you don't spend). It sounds good when you say it, but it's not factual, logical, nor does it really make any sense what-so-ever.

After listening to her two songs available (click here if you dare), I completly agree with Chris Anokute. Her voice is not very good (pro tools-ed to the 10th degree) and the songs are terrible. Maybe if she had some incredible song writers behind her and a great producer to fix all the pitchy notes in her songs she could sell a few albums, but then you'd end up with another live performance reminiscing that of Ashley Simpson.

Animal Collective: Harder Than You Think?

noreply@blogger.com (mitten minnie) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:48:00 +0000

Pitchfork media announced that Public Enemy and Animal Collective will be among some of the acts to play the Pitchfork Festival, which is held in July annually in Union Park in Chicago. Other performers of note (at least the ones I'm excited about) include grime pioneer Dizzee Rascal and singer-songwriter M. Ward. Quite an eclectic and talented line-up; if you need a two-day crash course in indie music-with a side of Flava-Flav- this is the fest this summer to attend. And for just $50 dollars for the whole weekend, let those Bonnaroo-goers this year eat cake!

I'm not one to diss the 'Roo; I was a loyal attendee for three years in a row, but this summer's selection of festivals is pretty impressive even without Bonnaroo. Michigan's Rothbury has somehow managed to book the likes of Snoop Dogg along with the Allman Brothers and John Mayer (Primus was the act that most excited me on that roster); in August the nation's armpit (also known as New Jersey) will host Radiohead, Jack Johnson, Cat Power, Girl Talk and others at All Points West. One of my favorite live acts, The Flaming Lips, will be festival hopping from Summer Camp to Wakarusa. If you've got some time and a hankerin' for good live shows and warm weather, summer 2008 should treat you well even if you can't make it down to Manchester, Tennesee.

Sorry, Lars Ulrich.

Slicing Your Way to Music Stardom

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:38:00 +0000

I was fortunate enough to stumbled across an up-and-coming music website this morning called slicethepie. It's a UK based site that allows unsigned bands to upload music and, if the public likes them enough, get financing for an album. The key is the band gets to keep all of the copyright AND publishing rights. That's the short and easy explanation of the site.

Many features the site boasts include getting paid to review music (yes, you get paid to listen to a track and write a review of said track, up to 12 pence which, as of right now, is equal to 24 cents) and have full power over who is eligible for financing through voting and rating systems. One can also help finance a band (if they reach that stage) with money earned on the site or any other monies the person may have, which gives that person rights to a portion of the band's royalties.

Even more interesting than this is the stock market-esk system set in place which gives people the ability to trade their percentage of the band's fund-raising capital. You are assigned a percentage type number based on how much you financed and then that percentage can fluctuate in value according to things such as the bands hype, projected sales and various other influences.

After using the site for about an hour today, I can say it runs fairly well and the idea has kept me intrigued enough to go back at least a few more times in the future. However, there will always be problems with you give the power of determining who gets through to the next round with voting, as systems always have a way of being manipulated. It seems as though the system isn't tamper-proof, but is anything but a fully open, un-secure flood of corruption. People on the site seem to be taking their role (band, listener, label) at least somewhat seriously and that makes the wheel spin smoothly.

I'm anxious to see how slicethepie turns out, if it will succeed (as it has much potential to do so), or if it will fizzle out on an inability to make any money. I don't know their full financial plans, but the site makes money from taking a small percentage from the top of every transaction (except track rating payouts, from what I can tell), just like a regular brokerage firm. It sounds like a good idea and I hope it does well, new ideas like these are always welcome in a market that hasn't seen the best economic years in recent history.

The Beatles Rock, Except on iTunes...or Do They?

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:28:00 +0000

It wouldn't be a right to not talk about the Beatles/iTunes speculations at least once a month, so here is this months edition of the daytime soap-opera that is the greatest band of all time and Apple.

The United Press reported on Saturday that Paul McCartney had reached a $400 Million deal with Apple to put the entire Beatles catalog on iTunes which would also involve EMI, Sony, and Michal Jackson (the majority holder of Beatles' publishing rights). Also getting in on the action: Ringo Starr as well as the families of George Harrison and John Lennon.

However, Billboard reports today that this is totally unfounded and has no factual support. Apple has dismissed these claims as "unsubstantiated speculation."

So who to believe? Well, talks of the Beatles finally being on the iTunes catalog have been going on since, well, since the creating of iTunes and were recently very hyped for the last Macword in January '08. In the Billboard article, they report how McCartney personally told them that a deal with iTunes was "virtually sealed" and that George Harrison's widow, Olivia, confirmed this back in June of 2007; yet we still have no Beatles on iTunes (no, McCartney's songs don't count).

Until I see an official report from Apple/iTunes with the songs available for purchase and I actually myself purchase a song through the giant online store and it plays flawlessly, then, and only then, will I believe any of this hype. We've had so many stories over the past few years of the Beatles coming to iTunes that I've become immune to any story that involves both parties. However, that doesn't mean I won't continue to report the hype, I mean, c'mon, it's fun.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user: erglantz.

Arcade Fire Cleans up the PLUG Awards

noreply@blogger.com (mitten minnie) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:18:00 +0000

The PLUG independent music awards were held this past Thursday in Philadelphia. PLUG is "a cartel" of various people connected to the indie scene who put together nominees in categories that range from "Album of the Year" to "Music Blog of the Year". After the nominees are chosen, the general hipster public is allowed to vote online for the winners. And the big winners are:

Album of the Year- "Neon Bible" by the Arcade Fire
Female Artist of the Year - St. Vincent (Annie Clark)
Male Artist of the Year - Andrew Bird
Americana Album of the Year - "Shepherd's Dog" by Iron and Wine
Hip Hop Album of the Year- "None Shall Pass" by Aesop Rock
Artist of the Year - Radiohead
Live Act of the Year- Arcade Fire
Music Festival of the Year - Coachella

...you can probably guess the rest of the winners, or if not just ask that guy wearing girls pants and girl hair with noise-canceling headphones on drinking fair trade coffee, checking the updates on the Pitchfork Media website (the obvious choice for Music Website of the Year) on his Macbook Air as he glares at you because you're judging him.

Animal Collective was nominated a number of times, winning only "Indie Rock Album of the Year" for "Strawberry Jam." (Wait...aren't all of these albums indie)? If you haven't given Animal Collective much of a listen to, this would be a good one to start with. It's one of their more accessible albums, and probably my favorite. The website is worth a visit- I have heard at least a bit of a lot of the artists nominated, but there were many I haven't heard before, so if you're always on the prowl for some new tunes, this site is great because they provide streaming clips of all of the winners and nominees.

I was glad to see "Iron and Wine" receive some credit, as well as Andrew Bird. Cliches aside, all of the winners were definitely deserving. When it comes to picking trendy music, hipsters know whats up. But short shorts on guys will never be trendy in my book.

John Denver is Deadly...in Thailand

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:18:00 +0000

Karaoke isn't something that usually causes death (though maybe it should sometimes), but today isn't a usual day. Weenus Chumkamnerd, a 52 year old male Thai, got so fed up with his neighbor's Karaoke party that, after warning the group that if they didn't quite down, he'd "come back and finish them off." Well, he did just that to Dr. Suthathip Thammachart and 7 of her guests, even shooting his own brother-in-law.

"When I began shooting nobody pleaded for his life because they were all drunk," he said after his arrest.

Dr. Thammachart held these types of parties often, according to The Telegraph, and it seems as though Weenus just snapped. The article also states that John Denver's "Country Roads" (apparently a hugely popular song in Thailand and the rest of South-East Asia) was a karaoke favorite of the doctor and her parties and could often be heard when she had people over. This means that not only is that John Denver full of shit, but also a little pinch of karaoke homicide.

This is such a ridiculous story that I could not pass it up. Everyone has always thought of doing something about that noisy neighbor you have, but seriously, is killing everyone in the room necessary (except for the one guy who played possum and lived)?? That quote is something straight out of Hannibal Lectur's mouth..."A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." Just creepy

Lollapalooza to Book Pretentious Brits, MMJ Releases Track List

noreply@blogger.com (mitten minnie) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:20:00 +0000

Rolling Stone reported this week that the likely headliners of Chicago's Lollapalooza will be Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails. The announcement hasn't officially been made, but apparently the Chicago Tribune, who first reported the news, thinks their "industry sources" are pretty reliable. (Although, if you ask me, anyone who puts quotes around their title is pretty sheisty...and Chicago newspapers have been known to stick their foot in their mouths, ala Led Zeppelin headlining Bonnaroo). It's the closest Radiohead will get to Detroit, my home town and a city they have historically avoided.

My Morning Jacket, one of my favorite bands, released the track list for their upcoming June 10 release "Evil Urges," reports Pitchfork media. If you haven't already heard their 2005 ablum, "Z", I highly recommend it. Hailing out of Louisville, Kentucky, MMJ is heavily influenced by southern rock, which is one of the reasons their live shows are so much fun. On "Z," though, Jim James, the band's singer and rhythm guitarist, showcases his superior song writing skills. "Z" is southern rock minus the cheesiness, plus some experimentation that that yields some innovative results. The only dates the band has confirmed on the festival circuit are Coachella and Bonnnaroo.

Also on the Pitchfork website, Lil' Wayne supports safe sex.

Whitesnake Returns to the Arena with Def Leppard...Awesomeness to Ensue

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:30:00 +0000

So, starting March 22nd, Whitesnake will be touring once again starting in New Zealand, kicking off their 2008 Australia/New Zealand/Europe tour. What marks this monumental and simply awesome occasion, you might ask? The release of their first album since 1997 (Live albums don't count, Mr. Nitpicky), "Good To Be Bad." Even better is that Whitesnake is in the works with Def Leppard to create an even better tour in the US following this European indulgence.

Since the 80's metal glam rock was one of the corniest eras (and the best era for drinking music/Friday night at the bar), I, for one, am pretty excited. The ability to see "Here I Go Again" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" at the same show NOT performed by a cover band is actually something I would pay to see. And, according to the videos of older live performances (those in the 80's) have some pretty attractive people which have to still be in equally, if not better shape, right? Sugar Pouring, anyone?

But seriously, I will be going to this show when they finally figure out what the dates are. However, I can't say I will be picking up the album when it hits stores April 22nd. I'll just demo the 30 second clips on iTunes a la Michael Scott from The Office.

facbookTunes? Maybe...

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Boy) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:31:00 +0000

It appears as though Facebook, and it's creepy uncle Myspace, are both attempting to woo the big four (Sony BMG, Universal, Warner, EMI) into deals to allow them to either sell or stream (or both and more) music from their respective social networks to the masses. A potentially huge deal for both ends, it has the potential to shake up iTunes, if not just a little.

According to Mike Sachoff over at WebProNews, the discussions are in the preliminary stage, but executives have dished out a few details: services could include (though not limited to) ad-supported free streaming music as well as mp3s available for download for a fee. However, before anything gets settled on the myspace front, that tiny little lawsuit between them and Universal, you know, the one where Universal claims that mypsace is aiding users in uploading/converting Universal's and allowing them to "stream" for free on the user's personalized pages, would have to be settled.

This could be a huge deal, if either or both go through, as the user count for each is around 65 million and 110 million users for facebook and myspace, respectively. With that kind of massive amount of users, if even 10% of them use the proposed services (which is a gross underestimate), both parties are bound to make a fair amount of coin. This also could be a potential threat to iTunes as it seems as though it may be the first genuine digital competitor for the online giant. If the deal could ensure that songs downloaded would be iTunes/iPod/iPhone compatible, then Apple could have a pesky, nagging little foe in it's virtually competitor-less online world.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user: pshab.