Wednesday, July 10, 2002

• Judge OKs suit against Kazaa parent
  A federal judge said Monday that record labels and film studios could expand an ongoing copyright lawsuit to include Sharman Networks, which distributes the popular Kazaa software. Fire up those computers, kids! Get it while you can.
  
  
• Stop Music for Free, Pleads Record Industry
  Denial -- Anger -- Bargaining -- Depression -- Acceptance-- the five stage of grieving. The record industry has just entered stage three-- lowering prices on CDs, fianlly getting music to legitimate online outlets and now this. "Music for free means less new music, fewer new artists, less choice, thousands less jobs," said Jay Berman, head of the industry's main trade body, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Um, no. Music for free means more new music because people want as much as they can get. Music for free means more new artists becuase consumers are not restricted by price in getting all the music they want. By the same token, this means more choice. Thousands less jobs-- okay, he's got me there. But if thousands of record industry weasels got real jobs, this might be a better world. With free music, artists will make money they way they alwyas have-- live performance, liscencing and lastly (yes, it happens sometimes) sales. That's just my take.
  
  
• Michael Jackson Says Industry Labeled Him 'Freak' At Harlem Summit
  Plastic surgery disasters-- check. Spending an crazy amount of time with kids-- check. Naming your compund "Neverland ranch"-- check. (Hell, *having* a compound-- check.) Bubbles The Chimp-- check. Wearing skin lightening make-up (instead of darkening make-up) in response to skin disease-- check. Bizarre crotch-grabbing fest at end of video-- check. Blaming your label for the failure of your album, despite the fact that you didn't tour-- check. Need I go on? How does this equal a conspiracy to have you labeled a FREAK. You did a lot of that yourself, MJ. The New York Post has some more choice quotes.
  
  
• Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli Have Separated
  Poor Eddie. Basically without his band and now without his wife. And there was that bout with cancer. Condolences from Rocktober.com. The kicker about this story is that they've been seperated since October of last year!! where was the paperazzi on this story? And how come 9/11 didn't save their marriage-- Laura Bush, I'm looking in your direction now.
  
  
• Warner Bros. plans 'Superman vs. Batman' movie
  The childhood/playground argument finally comes to the big screen. Crime Fighting Rich Freak against Crime Fighting Alien Freak. How is this even a competition? Alien over Rich Guy, every time.
  
  
• The Viceland.com List That Is Pissing Everyone Off
  10 "Seminal" Bands That You Say You Love but Never Actually Listen To and 10 "Irrelevant" Bands That You Never Mention but Listen to Evey Day. The former list is better than the latter, in my opinion, basically because the first list is true and the second list is just made up to counter-balance the piece.
  
  
• Weezer's Rivers Cuomo Records With Crazy Town
  Cuomo recently paid a visit to rap-rockers Crazy Town's studio to contribute a guitar solo on a track for the band's forthcoming album, according to a Crazy Town spokesperson. While the guys in Crazy Town were casually dressed, Cuomo arrived last Wednesday looking sophisticated in a dark suit, green shirt and blue tie and proceeded to lay down licks on the tentatively titled "Hurt." In other Weezer news, peep their new video in Real Video. Excellent recreation of The Muppet Show.
  

Tuesday, July 09, 2002

• Universal Music provides alternative to file sharing-- Rare old albums can be bought, downloaded on EMusic.com
  Two or three years late, but welcome to the party, Universal Music! If you're tired of trying to track down an old, out of print Olivia Newton John album on your fave file sharing app, then head on over to EMusic. Among the other artists included in this deal: Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Gladys Knight and Bing Crosby. I'm glad that one of the najors is finally seeing the light vis-a-vis getting catalog out there in a format that the people want.
  
  
• Jermaine Dupri Looks To Follow Diddy Down Free-Agent Path
  Oh, JD. I don't know what to say. If you think Sony Music is gonna let you walk away with your So So Def catalog the way BMG stupidly let Puff Daddy go with the Bad Boy catalog, you've got another thing coming. I'd love to see JD and Puffy combine forces and start a "sixth major," but that's just a pipe dream.
  
  
• Tori Amos' America-Themed Scarlet's Walk Due Oct. 15
  I'll let the first two paragraphs speak for themselves: "Native American history, pornography, Oliver Stone, and Andrew Jackson are just some of the subject matter on Tori Amos' forthcoming America-themed new album, Scarlet's Walk, according to a spokesperson for the singer. As for the album's namesake, Scarlet "may be the land and may be a person and may be a trail of blood" and is the personification of everyone's search for answers, as the story of the album goes. The album's musical and lyrical journey was inspired by the tragic events of Sept. 11 -- the album was written entirely after the attacks on America while Amos was on the road." What more can I add to that?
  
  
• Hardest-working man in rap E-40's blueprint for success paying off
  E-40 has always gotten my love and respect. He has always been able to sell just as many albums out of his trunk as he has with his distribution deal with Jive. And all of kids saying "off the heazy fo sheazy" owe E-40 a royalty. If you aren't hip to E-40, cop his new album: Grit & Grind. When I parked my car last night at 8 p.m. he was on the radio with his crew. When I drove to work today at 8:30 a.m., he was still on. I am assuming he went home beteween shows, but you never know.
  
  
• Homer, Jagger Team Up on 'Simpsons'
  Mick Jagger and Keith Richards will appear on an upcoming episode of "The Simpsons." The plot: Homer goes to Rock n' Roll Fantasy Camp. Homer get all the cool gigs.
  
  
• Mike Myers Considers Keith Moon Film
  I'd rather see Jason Schwartzman in the role-- he already plays the drums, is about 1,000 years younger and looks a bit like Moon. Anyway, Roger Daltry sez he recently spoke to Myers about doing the movie. In Hollywood terms, this means basically nothing-- it is barely a first step in possibly looking into getting the ball rolling on the project.
  
  
• Richard Ashcroft To Reveal Human Conditions in October
  Former The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft will release Human Conditions in October. The album will feature appearances by Brian Wilson, Talvin Singh, and DJ Shadow. An appearance by Brian Wilson these days should give you the fear. They don't plug in his keys anymore becuase he barely plays them through his acid-damaged foggy brain and he certainly can't hit the notes he used to. Was I the only one who was freaked out by his appearnace at that Jubilee thing. Man, even Baby Spice on backing vocals couldn't save that performance.
  

Monday, July 08, 2002

• Michael Jackson: Recording Industry Racist
  Oooh boy, this was quite the weekend for Wacko Jacko. Calling the head of your record label "evil" devilish" and a racist-- and then doing it again. And again. Not the wisest negotiation tactic. And according to this article, the Rev. Al Sharpton was a bit taken aback by Jacko's comments, even though he was the one who arranged the whole media circus. Ther Official Rocktober.Com Position On The Issues At Hand: Media/Music Industy: Bad. Media/Music Indusrty Reform: Good. Wacko Jacko and Rev. Al Leading The Fight: Bad.
  
  
• A Media Giant Needs a Script
  Very nice piece in the NY Times about how corporate infighting and low morale are dooming AOLTW's efforts at synergy and media domination.
  
  
• Industry Woes Hit Vivendi's Music Unit
  If Vevendi Universal tried to sell their music properties a few years ago, they might have had a few takers. Thes e days, who the hell wants it? The big players can't buy becuase of anti-trust concerns. Outside buyers see the music industry in decline. Plus, artists are in revolt over restrictive contracts. Why would anyone wanna buy into this industry?
  
  
• Firm Believer
  This profile of Jeff Kwatinetz and The Firm is very interesting. It reads like a profile of someone who is so obviously going to rise and fall that it seems amazing he's even trying to become the super agent he longs to be. Plus, he looks like Adam Curry a bit. That's never a good sign.
  
  
• Destiny's Child Star: Show Biz Can Drive You Crazy
  See also: "Shocker: Sun Rises In East!" and "Experts Predict Blue Sky Today"
  
  
• Project Pat Seeks New Weapons Trial
  It seems the prosecuters keprt referring to his career as a gangsta rap artist. Could that have tainted the jury? Do ya think? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmaayyybe....
  
  
• I Was A PreCog
  I saw Minority Report. It was pretty good, but the plot holes were annoying, the dialogue was sometimes clunky and it should've ended a half-hour before it actually did-- just like A.I. Anyway, this is a behind the scenes report from one of the brothers playing the pre-cogs we learned nothing about in the flick.
  
  
• AGING WHO BASSIST'S LAST HURRAH KILLED HIM
  Apparently, John Entwistle's doctors advised him against going out on tour. He didn't listen. Ooops.