• Record Labels Say CD Sales Drop 7 Percent, Blame Web
  Surprise, surprise-- a study funded by the R.I.A.A. finds file trading resposible for a decline in sales. It's the exact opposite finding of studiens funded by file-trading advocates. Who's right? Probably both-- file traders may buy less music, but the music they buy is stuff they've heard and enjoyed. At least that's how I see it. Jonathan Potter, executive director of Digital Media Association is the clearest thinker here, dismissing all the studies. "The way to defeat illegal music distribution services is to offer comprehensive, innovative, fairly priced legal services," Potter said. "Until the record companies offer their content ubiquitously in a consumer friendly way, studies like this are useless."
  
  
• State Senate to Examine Music Firms
  The California State Senate has widened its probe of music industry accounting practices and is investigating whether major record companies defrauded artists out of royalties through undisclosed licensing deals with record clubs and video channels and through financial shennagians with reduced foriegn royalty rates. I'd love to see this nasty business dragged out into the light and set straight, but the pessimist in me figures that political dollars will talk louder than the need to Do The Right Thing. I still hang on to hope, as it is miraculous that the fight has come this far.
  
  
• Queer as Folk
  The New York Times discovers that lesbians have taken over the folk scene in a very real way. Um, can the paper of record seriously be this out of touch, trend-wise? It's been that way since started tuning into the trend in the early 90s, I can only assume it pre-dates me as well. Good read, none-the-less.
  
  
• Limp Bizkit's Back With Rick Rubin; Title Prepped For Next LP
  Album tite: Less Is More. Guitarist to replace departed Wes Borland: none-- Fred Durst and Sam Rivers are trying their hands at filling in for him. Album due December or January.
  
  
• Allergy Hospitalizes Johnny Cash
  Johnny Cash was hospitalized yesterday (Aug. 26) in Nashville after suffering an allergic reaction to either food or medicine, his manager Lou Robin said. He also suffers from autonomic neuropathy, a disease of the nervous system that makes him susceptible to pneumonia and hospitalized twice last fall for treatment of bronchitis. Still, he keeps on keep'n on, gearing up to release American IV: The Man Comes Around on Nov. 5. Get well soon, Johnny!
  
  
• Alabama Farewell Tour Starts To Take Shape
  Should I start a betting pool as to when the reunion concert/album will take place?
  
  
• The Who To Offer Live Bootlegs
  Within three weeks of a show on The Who's current tour, you can have a copy of that show of your very own. Good going, boys. Check it out at TheMusic.com
  
  
• Run-DMC Selects Its 'Greatest'
  Run-D.M.C. will release a greatest hits collection on Sept. 10. Hwo will it differ from the already out there Together Forever collection? Well, the new collection excludes "The Ave," "Together Forever {live}"and "Pause" but adds "You Talk Too Much," "Down With The King," "Can Your Rock It Like This?" and "Mary Mary." It's a much better collection, in my opinion.
  
  
• 'Herman' Files Suit Against Band
  So, this touring version of Herman's Hermits includes only one original member-- the drummer. Good for Peter Noone for trying to put a stop to it.
  
  
• Urban Poets, Hip-Hop Artists to Tour
  Participants vary from city to city, but along the way there will be appearances by DJ Jazzy Jeff, Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, and Public Enemy's Professor Griff. A poerty slam followed by a nice Biz Markie set-- I guess I can get behind that. I'd be pretty disapointed is the good Professor was the headlining act in my city, though.
  
  
• A Little Girl Discover's Heavy Metal
  Peep the picture and check out the girl on the far left. I just love the look on her face as she looks at her heavy metal hands. "My god, the music
  has taken over my hands! Am I doing this right?"
  
  
• Sony Takes Axe to Betamax
  Who even knew they were still making them? Talk about missing the memo! Sony said on Tuesday it would only make 2,000 more Betamax machines before discontinuing the product altogether, ending its 27-year history -- 27 years spent mostly in the shadow the rival VHS format. Worry not, professionals, Sony does intend to continue onward with their Betacam products.
  

Monday, August 26, 2002

• Snoop Dogg Gives Up Weed And Alcohol
  As a straight-edge hip-hop fan, I gotta give props to Snoop for attempting to get straight. Of course, it'll take hundreds of years before all the dope and alcohols is out of his system. He's probably ona residual high right this very moment.
  
  
• Naturi Describes Alleged 3LW Food Fight That Led To Split
  It was the mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheeese in the hair that was the last straw, apparently. Plus, management allegedly thought she didn't fit the image of the group's up coming album A Girl Can Mack. This is just the weirdest break-up in recent memory.
  
  
• Fans Riot at Leeds Music Festival
  Several hundred people rioted at the end of the famed music festival, burning toilets and attacking police. I can only imagine what kind of toxic death smell mus have filled the air the toilets and trashed burned. Yuk.
  
  
• Atlantic City Rap Concert Goes On
  Except it didn't really. Well, it sort of did. The show was canceled last Monday after a police memo indicated that N.O.R.E, also known as Noreaga, has associations with the Bloods street gang. On Friday, a federal judge allowed the concert to proceed after the city and concert promoters struck a deal for increased security at the 5,900-seat minor league baseball stadium. At the actual event, things got started three hours late, only 200 people showed up and headliners N.O.R.E., Styles and Khia never took the stage.
  
  
• 'Behind the Music' Turns Five
  Happy birthday BTM! The above article is pretty good-- grabbing quotes from academics and people who make the show. This article from the San Francisco Chronicle is a pretty good attempt to list the top 10 best, but I disagree with their choices. With that said...
  My Personal Top 10 Episodes Of Behind The Music
  01. Journey
  02. Styx
  03. MC Hammer
  04. Leif Garrett
  05. Metallica
  06. Milli Vanilli
  07. Motley Crue
  08. The Notorious B.I.G.
  09. Rick James
  10. Ted Nugent
  
  
• Nirvana's Greatest Hits Due In October
  The incusion of the infamous unreleased "You Know You're Right" is assumed but not confirmed. The album, however, is fer sure fer sure on Universal Music's release schedule.
  
  
• Jury Sets $136 Million Award in Piracy Case
  Since the company being sued is now bankrupt, it is doubtful that the R.I.A.A. will ever collect. However, it is still the largest judgement ever in a U.S. copyright case.
  
  
• Zeppelin Denied Copyright For 'Houses Of The Holy'
  Speaking of copyright... The reason why essentially coems down to when the recording was made. Since it was released in 1973, it predates the current Copyright Act of 1976, and therefore falls under the rules of the Copyright Act of 1909. The earlier law did not delineate categories of works made for hire; the Copyright Office's decision was therefore based solely on the registration description provided by Atlantic Records. Categories of works made for hire were outlined in the updated 1976 Copyright Act.
  
  
• Scarface Hospitalized, Cancels Tour
  Scarface has a nasty case of high plood pressure, so he's cancelling his current tour and taking some time off. According to the above linked article, he says he'll concentrate his efforts on running Def Jam South.
  
  
• File sharing: Guilty as charged?
  A sort of interesting (but mostly frustrating) interview in Salon with aUniversity of Texas (at Dallas) economist Stan Liebowitz. Just last week, he was saying Mp3 file trading wasn't huring the music industry. Now he says he not so sure. Just like everyone else.