Saturday, January 24, 2009
Diplo – Decent Work For Decent Pay – Album Review
by Louis PattisonDecent Work For Decent Pay finds globe-trotting producer and sometime M.I.A beatmaker Wes Dipl’ Pentz on a remix tip, adding his own bass-heavy, ghetto-pop fingerprints to tracks by everyone from booty-rappers Spank Rock to whistle-along Swedes Peter, Bjorn & John. The result is an album that’s far from feeling like a complete statement, but at its best, there’s still much here to suggest Diplo is one of the more flexible, inspired producers at work today.
This comp’s at is best when Diplo’s working on tracks that play to his strengths: namely, rowdy, slightly sleazy party-starters with room for a heavier undercarriage. Immediately lovable are refixes of Spank Rock’s ‘Put That Pussy On Me’ and Bonde Do Role’s Solta O Frango, keeping the upbeat spirit of the originals but adding dirty bass and other sly production flourishes. An unlikely highlight, meanwhile, is the mix of Black Lips Veni Vidi Vic, which homes in on the drawled Latino vibe of the original, replacing dusty guitar twang with a martial, Baile Funk-influenced snare step.
There’s other times, though, where you feel Pentz’s lack of affinity for the material results in tracks that don’t quite work. A remix of Bloc Party’s Where Is Home? falters somewhat, the original’s claustrophobic angst a weird fit to pounding 4/4 beats and wobbly bass. Elsewhere, he just about gets away with it, but only by all but obliterating the original track: a take on Hot Chip's Shake A Fist sees Alexis Taylor’s syrupy sing-song totally disassembled, while the mix of Daft Punk's Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger dispenses with everything but vocoder chorus, rebuilding the track with bursts of junglist drums and snappy snare.
Ultimately, Decent Work For Decent Pay is no more or less than its title suggests – a collection of individual commissions, executed well but not meant to work as a whole, and first-timers looking for a document of Diplo in party mode might do better to look to his still-peerless 2005 Fabric Live mix.
Sundance honors `Push,' `We Live in Public'
PARK CITY, Utah – The Sundance Film Festival's prizes for best U.S. drama on Saturday went to "Push," the dark yet hopeful story of a young woman finding her way out of nightmarish circumstances in 1980s Harlem.Based on the 1996 first novel by the poet Sapphire and directed by Lee Daniels, "Push" won both the grand jury and audience awards. The film version is subtitled "Based on the novel by Sapphire" to distinguish it from the Dakota Fanning-Chris Evans sci-fi thriller due out next month.
The penultimate night of the 11-day festival, the nation's premiere showcase for independent film, was marked by political references and jangled nerves.
Sundance Institute executive director Ken Brecher hoisted an honorary festival pass with the new U.S. president's name on it, and presenter Joseph Gordon-Levitt tugged at his red Barack Obama T-shirt, saying: "These awards are exercises in democracy, and it's a good time for democracy right now."
Gordon-Levitt cheered and gave Daniels a big hug before presenting the audience award to his film, which stars Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey and Paula Patton alongside newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, who plays pregnant 16-year-old Precious Jones.
"This is so important to me because this is speaking for every minority that's in Harlem, that's in Detroit, that's in Watts, that's being abused, that can't read, that's obese and that we turn our back on," Daniels said. "And this is for every gay little boy and girl that's being tortured. If I can do this ... ya'll can do this."
When he picked up the grand jury prize later in the evening, Daniels acknowledged: "I'm drunk. I got like three shots right after we got the last one."
The grand jury prize for U.S. documentary went to "We Live in Public," focusing on little-known Internet pioneer Josh Harris and his failed "lifecasting" art projects in 1999 and 2000. The film was directed by Ondi Timoner, whose "Dig!" won the same award in 2004.
Timoner dedicated the honor to Harris, calling him "the first subject I've ever had that said I don't care how you portray me as long as you make a great film."
Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi won the Waldo Salt screenwriting award for "Paper Heart," a hybrid documentary-improv road movie featuring Yi and Michael Cera.
"I feel sick. I'm sweaty. I smell bad," said Yi, a performance artist and comedian best known for a bit part in "Knocked Up" and her relationship with Cera.
She finished by addressing other filmmakers in the audience: "Who knows what'll happen to our films but at least they were seen."
At 68, Calypso Rose Still Winning New Fans
NEW YORK (Billboard) – More than 55 years after she began performing in the calypso tents of Trinidad, pioneering singer Calypso Rose has released a new album aimed at taking her music to a more diversified international audience."Calypso Rose" revamps several traditional calypso and faster-paced soca classics culled from Rose's extensive catalog, with strains of R&B and Caribbean-flavored jazz.
The album was released in October in France on the Maturity Music label. It will be released in other European countries in March, and the U.S. release is scheduled for May. All 12 tracks are available for download purchase on Trinidadtunes.com, and for a limited time the jaunty ska single "Israel by Bus" can be downloaded for free.
"This is a whole new chapter opening up for me in my senior years," says Rose, 68, in an interview in her Queens, N.Y., home. Her living room is cluttered with trophies, plaques and numerous citations, each attesting to her preeminence in the calypso genre and, by extension, her ambassadorial role for calypso's birthplace, the southern Caribbean Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
"The arrangements on this album are open to a wider scope of listeners," she says, "and when we launched in France, I performed in front of thousands of people who have never seen me before."
DAZZLING DEBUT
On January 11, Rose made her debut at the sixth annual GlobalFest, a showcase of world music artists held in New York as part of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference. During a 50-minute set Rose dazzled the talent bookers, tour agents and other tastemakers with her bold, occasionally bawdy stage persona. Her performance that day included her best-known hit, "Fire in Meh Wire" (which has been recorded in eight languages by various artists), and lent authenticity to Nat "King" Cole's nod to calypso, "Calypso Blues."
"Calypso Rose is a jewel that hasn't been discovered in America," explains Shanta Thake, director of Manhattan's Joe's Pub, a co-producer of GlobalFest, "We felt this was a great opportunity to bring her to the forefront."
Born McArtha Sandy Lewis in Tobago, Rose was adopted by an aunt and uncle in Trinidad. She started performing there as a teenager in the 1950s when it was considered shameful for women to sing calypso. Performing provided Rose with the necessary confidence to overcome her severe stuttering; despite heated opposition from her family and vociferous protests from Trinidad's religious groups, she persevered and secured her several-decade-long reign as Calypso's queen.
She made history in 1977 as the first female to win Carnival's Road March title (which honors the most popular song) with "Tempo," and since 1978 she remains the only female to have captured Carnival's three top musical honors -- Road March, National Calypso Queen and Calypso Monarch -- in one year.
Rose returns to Trinidad in February to perform at several carnival shows and shoot a video for "Israel by Bus." She then heads to Tobago to film the documentary "Rose, the Calypso Diva."
"Through all of the criticisms I got, I have opened doors for Caribbean female artists," Rose reflects. "I have passed through hell, but thank God I am still here to give them fire."
Reuters/Billboard
Christian Music Stars Join Forces On Charity Album
NASHVILLE (Billboard) – In an effort to use music to help alleviate poverty throughout the world, a dozen of Christian music's best-known singer-songwriters met in Scotland a year ago to create a special project.
"CompassionArt: Creating Freedom From Poverty" is the brainchild of Delirious frontman Martin Smith. It features Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Israel Houghton, Chris Tomlin, Paul Baloche, CeCe Winans, Darlene Zschech and other notable acts donating all proceeds to charity.
The album arrives January 27 in the United States distributed by EMI Christian Music Group (CMG), and will be accompanied by a 50-minute documentary. A book, "The Art of Compassion," is being released simultaneously.
"We went to an old house in Scotland, camped out for a week, and we came out with 20 songs," says Martin Smith, who spent more than a year organizing the January 2008 songwriter's retreat.
Tomlin was ill and missed the retreat, but was able to make the recording sessions a month later at London's famed Abbey Road Studios. He co-wrote a tune called "Come to the Water" that also features Kirk Franklin and Uganda's Watoto Children's Choir.
Martin Smith hatched the idea for CompassionArt after visiting India and seeing the deplorable conditions some children were living in. He and his wife, Anna, were particularly moved by the plight of a young girl named Farin, to whom "The Art of Compassion" is dedicated.
"I actually tried bringing her home to England, and that did not work out," says Smith, who founded an organization to help children in that region. "That is one of the projects that we are supporting -- getting those children back on their feet again. It has been a real joy and has really changed my life."
CompassionArt is supporting 16 charities, among them Ray of Hope, which aids communities in Brazil; Stop the Traffik, a global campaign with the United Nations aimed at stopping human trafficking; and a charity benefiting the Watoto community in Uganda.
The project's first single, "So Great," featuring Houghton, Michael W. Smith, Christy Nockels and the Lakewood Choir, was a top five Christian adult contemporary hit last year and was included on the "WOW Christian" hits compilation. Current single "King of Wonders" featuring Matt Redman, Tim Hughes and Joel Houston is currently climbing the charts.
All sales and publishing royalties go to charity. And because the songs are likely to be embraced by the church, they'll have a longer shelf life and provide a continual revenue stream -- "hopefully for 50, 60, 70 years, if we steward it right," Houghton says. "It's definitely a different type of residual income. If a song connects with the church worldwide, and if it's put in hymn books and becomes a classic, that could make a difference for several generations."
Reuters/Billboard
"CompassionArt: Creating Freedom From Poverty" is the brainchild of Delirious frontman Martin Smith. It features Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Israel Houghton, Chris Tomlin, Paul Baloche, CeCe Winans, Darlene Zschech and other notable acts donating all proceeds to charity.
The album arrives January 27 in the United States distributed by EMI Christian Music Group (CMG), and will be accompanied by a 50-minute documentary. A book, "The Art of Compassion," is being released simultaneously.
"We went to an old house in Scotland, camped out for a week, and we came out with 20 songs," says Martin Smith, who spent more than a year organizing the January 2008 songwriter's retreat.
Tomlin was ill and missed the retreat, but was able to make the recording sessions a month later at London's famed Abbey Road Studios. He co-wrote a tune called "Come to the Water" that also features Kirk Franklin and Uganda's Watoto Children's Choir.
Martin Smith hatched the idea for CompassionArt after visiting India and seeing the deplorable conditions some children were living in. He and his wife, Anna, were particularly moved by the plight of a young girl named Farin, to whom "The Art of Compassion" is dedicated.
"I actually tried bringing her home to England, and that did not work out," says Smith, who founded an organization to help children in that region. "That is one of the projects that we are supporting -- getting those children back on their feet again. It has been a real joy and has really changed my life."
CompassionArt is supporting 16 charities, among them Ray of Hope, which aids communities in Brazil; Stop the Traffik, a global campaign with the United Nations aimed at stopping human trafficking; and a charity benefiting the Watoto community in Uganda.
The project's first single, "So Great," featuring Houghton, Michael W. Smith, Christy Nockels and the Lakewood Choir, was a top five Christian adult contemporary hit last year and was included on the "WOW Christian" hits compilation. Current single "King of Wonders" featuring Matt Redman, Tim Hughes and Joel Houston is currently climbing the charts.
All sales and publishing royalties go to charity. And because the songs are likely to be embraced by the church, they'll have a longer shelf life and provide a continual revenue stream -- "hopefully for 50, 60, 70 years, if we steward it right," Houghton says. "It's definitely a different type of residual income. If a song connects with the church worldwide, and if it's put in hymn books and becomes a classic, that could make a difference for several generations."
Reuters/Billboard
Friday, January 23, 2009
"Idol" David Cook to Hit Colleges on U.S. Tour
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "American Idol" champ David Cook is going back to school, announcing a U.S. tour on Friday that will take him to colleges around the nation.Cook's 37-date tour will begin on February 13 at Florida State University in Tallahassee and end on April 25 at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, AOL music Web site www.PopEater.com said.
Most of the concerts will take place at colleges, including the University of Mississippi and the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. But Cook will also play at Seneca Niagara Casino in New York State and Ameristar Casino in Kansas City, Missouri.
Cook worked as a bartender while trying to make it in the business before winning "American Idol" in May 2008. He said he was keen to get back to his roots and promote the tradition of college tours.
"There's something inherently nostalgic about playing college shows. So many amazing acts used to do it, so it's nice to be able to bring that ideal back, in some small way," Cook said.
"Besides, touring on a bus beats what we used to do, which was cram five guys into a 7 passenger van for one show, 13 hours away," he added.
The rock singer's self-titled debut album came out in November and won the No. 3 spot on the Billboard charts. It is holding at No. 10 this week.
Cook said the inspiration behind the tour is superstar Irish rock band U2, whom he saw perform at the Super Bowl in 2002. "It was just very poignant," Cook said. "Not overdone, but definitely powerful."
Catrin Finch - Bach Goldberg Variations - Album Review
by Michael QuinnCatrin Finch's debut on the venerable Yellow Label offers an accomplished performance of her own transcription for harp of Bach's timeless Goldberg Variations.
First published in 1741 as an aria with 30 variations and originally composed for a two-manual harpsichord, the ever-amenable Goldbergs have been much and often treated (and occasionally mistreated) to a dizzying array of arrangements for everything, it seems, from jazz trio to woodwind ensemble, from accordion to chamber orchestra and, of course, modern piano forte.
Finch's arrangement is the first to transcribe all 32 sections for the concert harp, although the framing Aria has had at least one previous incarnation for the instrument, courtesy of Andrew Lawrence-King in 1998.
Using Canadian maverick Glenn Gould's recordings of the work as an initial point of reference – a controversial choice in itself – Finch approaches the work with an appreciable sensitivity for its cut-crystal brittleness and deceptively delicate simplicity.
Dividing the work into three sections – the first culminating with the first minor key variation, No. 15; the third beginning with the bright two-part toccata of No. 26 – Finch offers a moderately paced account that comes in at just under 64 minutes.
She adroitly side-steps what would seem to be the harp's principal shortcomings compared to a keyboard – the absence of a sustaining pedal and the lack of a damping device – with a nimbleness that quietly cossets and coaxes with its straightforward hand-for-hand transcription.
The work's several hurdles are cleared with clean, crisply articulated playing that eschews showy effect and strives for colour and tone. Which may be where some are inclined to step away from this performance. If the harp is an acquired taste for you, there is much here that might entice and encourage you to stay, but the relatively limited tonal palette will not be one of them.
Finch proves a dexterous negotiator of the fifth variation's hand-crossing gymnastics (partly by choosing to measurably slow down its rapid pace) and, most conspicuously, the teemingly chromatic, darkly lustrous texture of the Black Pearl variation (No. 25). The two renditions of the Aria are sublimely pristine and intimate affairs.
Helge Lien Trio - Hello Troll - Album Review
by Chris JonesA little like Macca, throwing himself into wedlock with Heather Mills so soon after Linda's death, it seems somehow just wrong to begin extolling the joys of yet another new Scandinavian piano trio. The sense of loss at Esbjorn Svensson's passing last year is still palpable. Surely to fall for another bunch of utterly tasteful, technically dazzling, modal merchants is just a tad fickle and unfaithful? Well, maybe, but unfortunately Hello Troll counters any such qualms by sheer dint of its brilliance. Face it, these guys are here to stay, and you WILL fall for them.
In fact, apart from the more ardent Norwegian watchers out there and a few Late Junction listeners you may not realise that pianist Helge Lien along with bass player Frode Berg and drummer Knut Aalefjær have been around for a fair while. Hello Troll is their sixth album in seven years and marks that crucial point where a band that know both their chops and each other finally ascend to a level of playing that on the surface looks easy and yet remains stunning.
The first couple of tracks do, in fact, put you in mind of the kind of fast-paced Jarrettisms that EST were so adept at, yet to call HLT derivative is a huge disservice. Lien's modal approach owes as much to the original source, Bill Evans, as it does any of his fellow near-countrymen. By track three (Radio) Berg's bowed bass propels this mysterious number into unknown territory. Like the cover image of a dark forest's interior, this is interior music made by men who, like most Norwegians, hold a deep respect for the pristine wilderness that surrounds them.
The dancier numbers here: Troozee, Diverted Dance or Snurt, contain enough catchy riffs to make them trusted friends upon repeated listens, while on Halla Troll Lien's use of dissonance is a fabulous counterpoint to the jagged time signature.
By the gorgeous closing In The Wind Somewhere you've forgotten that there ever was an Esbjorn, Brad Meldhau, Tord Gustavsen or whoever. This is a world perfectly created by Lien and his pals. Get over it and just enjoy...
Source: bbc.co.uk
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Queen - The Show Must Go On
Abandoned places - I guess we know the score..
On and on!
Does anybody know what we are looking for?
Another hero - another mindless crime.
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime.
Hold the line!
Does anybody want to take it anymore?
The Show must go on!
The Show must go on!
Inside my heart is breaking,
My make-up may be flaking,
But my smile, still, stays on!
Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance.
Another heartache - another failed romance.
On and on!
Does anybody know what we are living for?
I guess i'm learning
I must be warmer now..
I'll soon be turning round the corner now.
Outside the dawn is breaking,
But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free!
The Show must go on!
The Show must go on! Yeah!
Ooh! Inside my heart is breaking!
My make-up may be flaking!
But my smile, still, stays on!
Yeah! oh oh oh
My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies,
Fairy tales of yesterday, will grow but never die,
I can fly, my friends!
The Show must go on! Yeah!
The Show must go on!
I'll face it with a grin!
I'm never giving in!
On with the show!
I'll top the bill!
I'll overkill!
I have to find the will to carry on!
On with the,
On with the show!
The Show must go on.
Bikram Singh - Tip Top - Review
by Tajpal RathoreThe one and only Bikram Singh, the American Bhangra artist is mainly known for the superb chart-topping album, American Jugni, produced in conjunction with Tigerstyle and Ravi Bal (2005); Kawan, with vocals by Gunjan, was named 'track of the year' and he hasn't looked back since. His latest album promises to be yet another mega instalment, with both familiar and equally unfamiliar names featuring. Can Mr Singh deliver?
First and foremost, the album needs to ride high on the back of some inventive and highly addictive dhol beats, which mesmerised music buffs on American Jugni. The opener Naagni absolutely delivers on this front. The dhol keeps the song flowing, supported by Bikram's electric vocals; shades of Kawan abound. This is also true for Aashiqan De Dil, which has a rhythm similar to that prevalent in tunes by Tigerstyle.
The deservedly-loved Gunjan makes an appearance on Ik Waari Aaja, permeating the song with the effervescent vocals that have become such a regular feature on the BBC Asian Network. Josh makes the only other special appearance in Akhiyan’eh Tu Vasdi with its truly original and exquisitely arranged beat line. Only the singing leaves something to be desired.
An ample dose of traditional vibes for the hardcore listeners next: Gidhian Di Rani, Tip Top Put Jatt Da, Telephone and Dil Sanu De Mutiyare are all worthy of notice. Solwa Saal even includes the esteemed tumbhi sound, which characterises most traditional Punjabi music, while Mein Boli Punjabi (a rare gem), is a narrated song that is virtually a lost style in our 21st century; this one will appeal to those who love a wholesome ballad. And if that wasn't enough, Pehle Tor Di Sharaab is reminiscent of the type of now-classic jukebox tunes that used to be produced by old-skool bhangra icons like Alaap and Malkit Singh.
A highlight comes in the end, in the form of the Come Back remix which is Bikram saying ''there's more to come''… and boy, will we be waiting; a tip top album for sure!
Bus Driver Sued In Crash That Killed Dottie Rambo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The daughter of late gospel singer-songwriter Joyce "Dottie" Rambo, who was killed in a bus crash in May, has sued the driver of the bus and the company that leased it to the entertainer.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday in circuit court in Nashville on behalf of Reba Rambo-McGuire. It asks for a jury trial and compensatory damages as determined by the jury, but in excess of $25,000.
The lawsuit names the bus driver, James Meadows; Nashville-based Pyramid Coach Inc., which the suit says was dissolved about a month after the accident; and DC Investments Leasing, a Vicksburg, Miss.-based subsidiary of Pyramid Coach.
No phone number was listed for DC Investments Leasing, and the number for Pyramid Coach Inc. was disconnected. Meadow's phone number wasn't immediately available.
Dottie Rambo died May 11 when the bus she was in ran off a road in southwest Missouri and struck an embankment. She was 74.
Seven other people were injured in the accident, which happened about 2:20 a.m. while Rambo was on her way to a Mother's Day performance in Texas.
The lawsuit contends that Meadows was speeding and negligent and that Pyramid/DC Investments Leasing are liable for his negligence.
Rambo was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007.
She has had more than 2,500 published songs, including gospel classics such as "He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need" and the 1982 Gospel Music Association Song of the Year, "We Shall Behold Him." Her songs have been recorded by Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, Crystal Gale and the Oak Ridge Boys.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday in circuit court in Nashville on behalf of Reba Rambo-McGuire. It asks for a jury trial and compensatory damages as determined by the jury, but in excess of $25,000.
The lawsuit names the bus driver, James Meadows; Nashville-based Pyramid Coach Inc., which the suit says was dissolved about a month after the accident; and DC Investments Leasing, a Vicksburg, Miss.-based subsidiary of Pyramid Coach.
No phone number was listed for DC Investments Leasing, and the number for Pyramid Coach Inc. was disconnected. Meadow's phone number wasn't immediately available.
Dottie Rambo died May 11 when the bus she was in ran off a road in southwest Missouri and struck an embankment. She was 74.
Seven other people were injured in the accident, which happened about 2:20 a.m. while Rambo was on her way to a Mother's Day performance in Texas.
The lawsuit contends that Meadows was speeding and negligent and that Pyramid/DC Investments Leasing are liable for his negligence.
Rambo was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007.
She has had more than 2,500 published songs, including gospel classics such as "He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need" and the 1982 Gospel Music Association Song of the Year, "We Shall Behold Him." Her songs have been recorded by Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, Crystal Gale and the Oak Ridge Boys.
Chris Rock about Rap Music
95% of Music Downloads are Illegal: IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has released its report on Digital Music 2009. According to the report (.PDF). It concludes that despite initiatives by the music industry, 95% of music downloads continue to be illegal.Yes, the IFPI, or as it's known, the global version of the RIAA, says that 40 billion songs were illegally downloaded in 2008, and the report goes on to state that:
The debate has a huge way to go, but the campaign for ISPs to act as proper partners in helping protect intellectual property is making progress.
Yes, they're talking about "three strikes rules" the E.U., France, and now the RIAA are considering / embracing. Nothing like really, really, bad news to push your initiatives through, after all. They call the system "graduated response," and list the following statistics:
- Seven out of ten (72%) UK music consumers would stop illegally downloading if told to do so by their ISP (Entertainment Media Research, 2008)
- Seven out of ten (74%) French consumers agree internet account disconnection is a better approach than fines and criminal sanctions (IPSOS, France, May 2008)
- Eight out of ten (82%) American teenagers familiar with the law think sanctions for illegal downloading are appropriate; 57 per cent of those unfamiliar with the law agree (KRC US, January 2008)
- 90 per cent of consumers would stop illegally file-sharing after two warnings from their ISP (IPSOS, France, May 2008)
Music companies’ digital revenues internationally grew by an estimated 25 per cent in 2008 to US$3.7 billion. Digital platforms now account for around 20 per cent of recorded music sales, up from 15 per cent in 2007. The continued growth in digital sales has helped slow down the rate of decline in the overall market for recorded music.
Single track downloads, up 24 per cent in 2008 to 1.4 billion units globally, continue to drive the online market, but digital albums are also growing healthily (up 37%). The top-selling digital single of 2008 was Lil Wayne’s Lollipop.
Single track downloads, up 24 per cent in 2008 to 1.4 billion units globally, continue to drive the online market, but digital albums are also growing healthily (up 37%). The top-selling digital single of 2008 was Lil Wayne’s Lollipop.
Pretty impressive growth despite the piracy. Also, unlike the RIAA, the IFPI does not consider every download to be a lost sale. Rather, they consider about 10% of the downloads to be lost sales, meaning that rather than 40 billion songs, only 4 billion song sales were lost, assuming, of course, the IFPI's unsubstantiated numbers are correct.
Here's where what Valve's Jason Holtman said at the Game Business Law summit at SMU's law school last week strikes a chord. He said that "Pirates are underserved customers." And that makes sense: quite a few people pirate games because of overpriced schlock and DRM. The same might apply to music.
After all, the music industry, despite all the cheering from the IFPI, really still doesn't get the digital age. As the study states, the industry (and music retailers like iTunes) is finally, finally getting that people hate DRM. Serve the customers well, with DRM-less music, better pricing, and there'll be less piracy, so the theory goes. We'll see, though hopefully we'll see more independent studies rather than industry-funded ones.
Source: hothardware.com
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Jazz Musician David 'Fathead' Newman Dies At 75
KINGSTON, N.Y. – David "Fathead" Newman, a jazz musician who played with the Ray Charles Band and won fame as a tenor sax soloist, has died at age 75.Newman played and recorded with a wide range of jazz and soul luminaries, such as Herbie Mann, Aretha Franklin and Aaron Neville. He also led a successful solo career.
He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990 for his work with Art Blakey and Dr. John.
Manager Karen Nemman says the jazz musician died Tuesday of pancreatic cancer in a Kingston, N.Y., hospital.
According to his Web site, Newman spent 12 years with the Ray Charles Band beginning in 1954. He began as the baritone sax player and became the star tenor sax soloist.
Akon Claims He Doesn't Know His True Age
ATLANTA – Even though Akon has a birth certificate, he says his age is still a mystery — and he'd rather keep it that way."All it's going to do is depress me," he told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "I don't want to know I'm getting older. Then I'll start to think about getting checkups and insurance. I don't want that."
Numerous reports have put his age between 25 to 35 years old. In 2006, he gave his age as 25. But now, he claims his birth certificate shows he was born on April 16, 1977, which would make him 31.
Some have accused Akon of trying to push back his age. But the singer, who was born in the United States but spent his early life in Senegal, where his family is from, says he never knew it.
"In Africa ... age is not important over there. They don't care. People only focus on it here (America) and in Europe."
Akon says when people ask, he just gives him a figure that comes to mind.
"I feel like I'm 21 right now," he says. "And I'll be 21 for the next 10 years."
Akon went multiplatinum with his 2006 CD "Konvicted," which included hits such as "Smack That" with Eminem and "Don't Matter." His most recent album, "Freedom," was released in December.
'Little' Jimmy Dickens Leaves Nashville Hospital
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Grand Ole Opry star "Little" Jimmy Dickens has been moved from a Nashville-area hospital to a rehabilitation center to recuperate from surgery.
Grand Ole Opry star Little Jimmy Dickens arrives at the 40th Annual …
The 88-year-old Dickens underwent surgery Jan. 13 to repair a subdural hematoma, a form of brain injury.
Opry publicist Jessie Schmidt says Dickens anticipates a short stay in the rehab center.
The 4-foot-11 entertainer has been a member of the Opry since 1948. His hits include "Country Boy," "A-Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed" and "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose."
Grand Ole Opry star Little Jimmy Dickens arrives at the 40th Annual …The 88-year-old Dickens underwent surgery Jan. 13 to repair a subdural hematoma, a form of brain injury.
Opry publicist Jessie Schmidt says Dickens anticipates a short stay in the rehab center.
The 4-foot-11 entertainer has been a member of the Opry since 1948. His hits include "Country Boy," "A-Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed" and "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose."
Carnegie Hall Slashes Schedule And Budget
NEW YORK – Carnegie Hall cut its 2009-10 schedule by 10 percent because of the recession, instituting a hiring freeze and slashing $4 million from the budget for its current season to keep it balanced.
Carnegie executive and artistic director Clive Gillinson said Wednesday that next season's budget will be even lower than the revised $76 million for this season. Carnegie announced a schedule of 180 concerts, down from about 200 in recent seasons.
"Like everyone, we're now having to manage our way through an environment which has not really been experienced by anybody in living memory, and where so many of the assumptions we would have taken from granted are no longer valid," Gillinson said.
Susan Brady, the hall's director of development, said individual giving for this season was down 17 to 18 percent to $11 million. Corporate donations remained steady, and overall giving was about $30 million last season.
Gillinson said the staff had remained at about 290. It is too early to determine whether Bank of America would renew as the season sponsor, a role it has filled in recent seasons. He said two symphony orchestras and one chamber orchestra who had intended to play at Carnegie next season had canceled plans after losing corporate sponsors, and that some orchestras had changed programming to cut costs.
In addition, Carnegie will break with recent practice and allow renewing subscribers to pay 50 percent when making their commitment and 50 percent by Feb. 27. In the past, they had to pay 100 percent at the start.
Gillinson said 55 percent of Carnegie's tickets were sold as parts of subscriptions, making it harder to judge the impact of the financial turmoil during the final months of the year.
The season opens with music director James Levine conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 1. The highlight is a festival called "Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: Celebrating Chinese Culture," which includes 30 events throughout New York from Oct. 21 to Nov. 10.
Carnegie executive and artistic director Clive Gillinson said Wednesday that next season's budget will be even lower than the revised $76 million for this season. Carnegie announced a schedule of 180 concerts, down from about 200 in recent seasons.
"Like everyone, we're now having to manage our way through an environment which has not really been experienced by anybody in living memory, and where so many of the assumptions we would have taken from granted are no longer valid," Gillinson said.
Susan Brady, the hall's director of development, said individual giving for this season was down 17 to 18 percent to $11 million. Corporate donations remained steady, and overall giving was about $30 million last season.
Gillinson said the staff had remained at about 290. It is too early to determine whether Bank of America would renew as the season sponsor, a role it has filled in recent seasons. He said two symphony orchestras and one chamber orchestra who had intended to play at Carnegie next season had canceled plans after losing corporate sponsors, and that some orchestras had changed programming to cut costs.
In addition, Carnegie will break with recent practice and allow renewing subscribers to pay 50 percent when making their commitment and 50 percent by Feb. 27. In the past, they had to pay 100 percent at the start.
Gillinson said 55 percent of Carnegie's tickets were sold as parts of subscriptions, making it harder to judge the impact of the financial turmoil during the final months of the year.
The season opens with music director James Levine conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 1. The highlight is a festival called "Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: Celebrating Chinese Culture," which includes 30 events throughout New York from Oct. 21 to Nov. 10.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
McCartney, Parton Guest On New Yusuf Albuma
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – Yusuf, formerly known as Cat Stevens, will follow up 2006's "An Other Cup," his first secular album in 28 years, with a set that recalls his straightforward troubadour days.The as-yet-untitled set is due in late spring from Universal.
"This one was really a result of me writing a lot of songs and being kind of inspired again," Yusuf -- who adopted the Muslim name Yusuf Islam in 1978 and now prefers the shorter version -- told Billboard. "After I recorded ('Cup') people just wanted to hear me do a lot of simple stuff, just with the guitar."
The single "Boots & Sand" features Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton -- with a video shot by Jesse Dylan, son of Bob -- while Michelle Branch and Gunnar Nelson assist on the track "To Be What You Must."
"Boots" was written as a result of 2004 incident in which Yusuf was denied entry into the U.S., apparently as a result of mistaken identity on the post-9/11 "no fly" terrorist watch list. "It's a slight oddity of a song," he said. "The image I had was kind of a cowboy B-movie made in Italy, but the story came from real events, real people."
The new album's stripped-down sound is in contrast to "Cup," which featured tracks with prominent layers. "Perhaps I went to town a little bit with the production on the last album," Yusuf said. "I was just having fun with the new technologies -- we have endless tracks on Pro Tools. You can just flow them out and add and add, and I did."
Yusuf came to Pro Tools digital audio software thanks to his son, who performs under the name Yoriyos and encouraged him to play with recordings and a computer in his home studio in London. "He's got such ears," Yusuf said. "I could understand what he wanted to create -- that journey than the album can take you on."
Download Mp3 Music Paul McCartney - Dolly Parton
Reuters/Billboard
Country Singer Jo Dee Messina Delivers Baby Boy
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country singer Jo Dee Messina and her husband have announced the birth of their first child, a boy.Craig Campbell, the singer's spokesman, says Noah Roger Deffenbaugh was born Monday afternoon at a Nashville-area hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces.
Messina, 38, and Chris Deffenbaugh were married in October 2007.
Messina's hits include "Bye, Bye" and "Bring on the Rain."
Aretha (and Her Bow) Barack the Inauguration
Really, it's only fitting that the entertainment for newly minted President Barack Obama's inauguration was a first lady in her own right.
Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin took to the dais and belted out, for all the world to hear, "My Country 'Tis of Thee" in honor of the 44th president of the United States' history-making entrance into the White House this morning.
And while her less-than-understated bedazzled bow hat threatened to upstage the legendary singer, the performance went off without a pitchy hitch.
Franklin's tune was one of just two performances in the lead-up to Obama taking the oath of office. She was followed by a more classic performance of the Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts," arranged by John Williams and played by Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Anthony McGill and Gabriella Montero.
Aretha Franklin Performs My Country, Tis Of Thee At The Historical Inaguration 2009
Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin took to the dais and belted out, for all the world to hear, "My Country 'Tis of Thee" in honor of the 44th president of the United States' history-making entrance into the White House this morning.
And while her less-than-understated bedazzled bow hat threatened to upstage the legendary singer, the performance went off without a pitchy hitch.
Franklin's tune was one of just two performances in the lead-up to Obama taking the oath of office. She was followed by a more classic performance of the Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts," arranged by John Williams and played by Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Anthony McGill and Gabriella Montero.
Monday, January 19, 2009
All You Need Is Net, '60s Folkie Donovan Says
CANNES, France (Hollywood Reporter) – The Internet is the new '60s, folk rocker Donovan told reporters as the MIDEM international music conference got under way here Monday."The dream of the '60s, of me and John Lennon and the others, was: How do we speak to everybody on the planet at the same time?" said Donovan, whose career has been revived in TV commercials using his hits. "The first answer was via satellite, but that didn't connect to everyone. Then John would say, 'How about telepathy?'
"Then we forgot about it until now we realize that the Internet fulfills that dream of communicating with everyone. I'm not afraid of the Internet because it's that the dream we had. The Internet is the new '60s as far as I'm concerned."
Donovan, who had received the medal of Officier dans L'Ordre des Arts et des Letttres from the French government Sunday, was on hand for a showcase and to promote a biographical documentary, "Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan."
The Scottish-born singer-songwriter, who was to perform a showcase at MIDEM on Monday night, said he would make what he expected would be his last world tour beginning in 2010.
Rain fell steadily on the French Riviera all day as the conference focused on how artists can relate to their fans via the Internet without the traditional backing of record labels.
At a banquet in the Carlton, legendary French singer Charles Aznavour was to receive the MIDEM Lifetime Achievement Award.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Dublin Radio Airs New U2 Single
DUBLIN, Ireland – U2 fans, get your boots on. The first song from the band's first album in five years is ready for you to hear. U2 began broadcasting the up-tempo single "Get On Your Boots" Monday — first on RTE, Ireland's state broadcasters, then for free on the group's Web site.For decades, U2 has given Irish broadcaster Dave Fanning first dibs to broadcast its singles. Fanning — a friend of Bono since U2's Dublin rise in the late 1970s — led his morning RTE 2FM show with the song, which he praised as "a big song with lots of layers, but not overproduced."
Giving an advance taste on the Internet to the rest of the world is new. The "Get On Your Boots" single goes on sale Feb. 13 in Ireland and shortly thereafter worldwide.
U2's official Web site also lists all 11 title tracks for the new album, "No Line on the Horizon," which will be released Feb. 27 in Ireland, March 2 in many other countries, and March 3 in the United States.
"No Line on the Horizon" was recorded over a two-year period in New York, London, Dublin and Morocco — and is widely forecast to become the biggest-selling album of 2009. It is the band's 12th studio album and the first since 2004's Grammy-winning "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb."
The U2 Web site said Monday that "No Line on the Horizon" will be sold in an unprecedented five formats: a standard CD case with 24-page booklet; a "digipak" edition with a fold-out poster and rights to download a U2 film; a 64-page magazine version; a box edition that includes a DVD and hardback book; and a limited-issue vinyl LP.
Metallica's "One" - All Solos By One Guy
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Death Row Assets Auctioned For $18 Million
The assets of Death Row Records, said to include master recordings of Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, were auctioned yesterday (Jan. 15) for $18 million to Canadian development company WIDEawake Entertainment Group.
Because of the less-than-expected acquisition price, the only creditor likely to capture a return after lawyers and other Chapter 11 administrative fees are paid is the Internal Revenue Service.
"Suge" Knight (right), with Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg
That means other creditors, including unsecured ones like co-founder Lydia Harris, will be left out in the cold. Harris isn't content with the verdict.
"This was all a scam from the beginning," a disgruntled Harris tells Billboard. "Everyone wanted me to bring judgment down, and so I brought on the case. But now I'm not getting paid because I'm an unsecured creditor? Yet, administrators are getting paid and Suge [Knight]'s bills are still getting paid? If it wasn't for me no one would be getting money. They made sure it happened this way because I was the biggest creditor. There must be some internal thing going on and I'm obviously not in on it."
According to Harris, Conquest Media, an online marketing and branding company, made an undisclosed bid yesterday, but the judge overruled it because it wasn't filed on time.
As previously reported, Death Row initially filed for Chapter 11 protection in April 2006, and that July, the California judge overseeing the filing ordered a bankruptcy trustee to take over the label. Along the way, three companies put bids in on Death Row, all three valued at about $25 million. But the first two -- stalking horse Warner Music Group and its replacement Koch Entertainment -- both pulled out when due diligence showed that inadequate record-keeping made it difficult to ascertain the label's valuation, let alone whether it was worth the $25 million bid both had made.
An investment group called Global Music agreed to buy Death Row in June 2007, but that deal collapsed amid fighting between investors, who ultimately were unable to raise the necessary financing.
Harris battled Knight for years for a share of Death Row and won a $107 million judgment in 2005, which was one of the factors that tipped the label into Chapter 11.
WIDEawake Entertainment Group Inc., based in Toronto, has had nominal exposure to the U.S. market. Lara Lavi, the company's founder and CEO, is a lawyer, songwriter and entrepreneu, who founded the company in 2006 to work in a variety of media, including film and music. WIDEawake has distribution in Canada through Universal Music.
Lavi says WIDEawake does not have distribution in the U.S. and has not determined which company it will partner with to distribute the Death Row catalog.
"We have some ideas," she says, adding that the label has been in contact with companies in the U.S. about potential distribution. "We're very respectful of Death Row's legacy and when the time is right we'll announce that."
Lavi acknowledged there is significant unreleased material included in the deal, including tracks by Shakur, Dr. Dre and others. "There's probably more that hasn't seen the light of day than has," she says. Lavi says announcements on the unreleased material are forthcoming. In the case of the Shakur material, the company will work closely with his estate.
Lavi would not disclose who WIDEawake's investors are, other than to say the company has financing to secure the Death Row deal. She says the value of the acquisition makes sense considering "it is a clear deal. There's no debt to worry about." WIDEawake lists its investors as Mississauga, Ont.-based New Solutions Capital.
Lavi says she is unconcerned about any potential involvement of Knight, the label's co-founder. "He's moved on," she says, noting he has started a new label.
For her part, Harris also recently launched an independent label, Lady Boss Entertainment, which she had planned to continue funding with the money she hoped she'd be awarded in the settlement. Now, Harris says she's looking for investors to "make it what Death Row was supposed to be. I need people who believe in me."
"My head is spinning right now. I feel like a victim," says Harris. "They took all this time and tried to attack me, now there's no money for unsecured creditors. Now I wonder if it was all worth it. But I'm definitely not giving up. I never thought I would end up with anything. I'm going to keep pushing."
Reporting by Mariel Concepcion, Ed Christman and Robert Thompson.
Because of the less-than-expected acquisition price, the only creditor likely to capture a return after lawyers and other Chapter 11 administrative fees are paid is the Internal Revenue Service.
"Suge" Knight (right), with Tupac Shakur and Snoop DoggThat means other creditors, including unsecured ones like co-founder Lydia Harris, will be left out in the cold. Harris isn't content with the verdict.
"This was all a scam from the beginning," a disgruntled Harris tells Billboard. "Everyone wanted me to bring judgment down, and so I brought on the case. But now I'm not getting paid because I'm an unsecured creditor? Yet, administrators are getting paid and Suge [Knight]'s bills are still getting paid? If it wasn't for me no one would be getting money. They made sure it happened this way because I was the biggest creditor. There must be some internal thing going on and I'm obviously not in on it."
According to Harris, Conquest Media, an online marketing and branding company, made an undisclosed bid yesterday, but the judge overruled it because it wasn't filed on time.
As previously reported, Death Row initially filed for Chapter 11 protection in April 2006, and that July, the California judge overseeing the filing ordered a bankruptcy trustee to take over the label. Along the way, three companies put bids in on Death Row, all three valued at about $25 million. But the first two -- stalking horse Warner Music Group and its replacement Koch Entertainment -- both pulled out when due diligence showed that inadequate record-keeping made it difficult to ascertain the label's valuation, let alone whether it was worth the $25 million bid both had made.
An investment group called Global Music agreed to buy Death Row in June 2007, but that deal collapsed amid fighting between investors, who ultimately were unable to raise the necessary financing.
Harris battled Knight for years for a share of Death Row and won a $107 million judgment in 2005, which was one of the factors that tipped the label into Chapter 11.
WIDEawake Entertainment Group Inc., based in Toronto, has had nominal exposure to the U.S. market. Lara Lavi, the company's founder and CEO, is a lawyer, songwriter and entrepreneu, who founded the company in 2006 to work in a variety of media, including film and music. WIDEawake has distribution in Canada through Universal Music.
Lavi says WIDEawake does not have distribution in the U.S. and has not determined which company it will partner with to distribute the Death Row catalog.
"We have some ideas," she says, adding that the label has been in contact with companies in the U.S. about potential distribution. "We're very respectful of Death Row's legacy and when the time is right we'll announce that."
Lavi acknowledged there is significant unreleased material included in the deal, including tracks by Shakur, Dr. Dre and others. "There's probably more that hasn't seen the light of day than has," she says. Lavi says announcements on the unreleased material are forthcoming. In the case of the Shakur material, the company will work closely with his estate.
Lavi would not disclose who WIDEawake's investors are, other than to say the company has financing to secure the Death Row deal. She says the value of the acquisition makes sense considering "it is a clear deal. There's no debt to worry about." WIDEawake lists its investors as Mississauga, Ont.-based New Solutions Capital.
Lavi says she is unconcerned about any potential involvement of Knight, the label's co-founder. "He's moved on," she says, noting he has started a new label.
For her part, Harris also recently launched an independent label, Lady Boss Entertainment, which she had planned to continue funding with the money she hoped she'd be awarded in the settlement. Now, Harris says she's looking for investors to "make it what Death Row was supposed to be. I need people who believe in me."
"My head is spinning right now. I feel like a victim," says Harris. "They took all this time and tried to attack me, now there's no money for unsecured creditors. Now I wonder if it was all worth it. But I'm definitely not giving up. I never thought I would end up with anything. I'm going to keep pushing."
Reporting by Mariel Concepcion, Ed Christman and Robert Thompson.
Download Mp3 Music Tupac Shakur - Snoop Dogg - Dr. Dre
Talking Heads - Burning Down The House (LIVE in 1983)
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