Friday, June 27, 2003

• Online Piracy Spurs High-Tech Arms Race
  Interesting piece from The Washington Post about the different options file traders have if they don't want to get caught in the RIAA's dragnet-- and the different options the industry looks at to cath 'em anyway.
  
  
• Snoop's Armed Guards Spark Investigation
  Interesting twist to the "Snoop-can't-have-armed-body-guards-becasue-of-his-felonious-past" story: three of the bodyguards he was stopped with were California parole agents. This fact has led to an investigation into the off-duty employment of all state workers.
  
  
• Rapper Mystikal Pleads Guilty to Battery
  If you're brave enough to use P2P file trading systems these days, look out for Mystikal's "Pussy Thief"-- his original take on this case. Now he's singing a different tune. He originally faced aggravated rape charges (which could've led to a life sentence), but he pled it down to extortion and sexual battery of the infirmed. The sentencing date is Sept. 25.
  
  
• Korn's Singer Calls Deftones Vocalist 'Bitter,' Prepares To Blow Heads Off
  I gotta say-- on this one I side with The Deftones:
  
  "In the August issue of Revolver, [Deftones lead singer Chino] Moreno slammed the last Korn record, Untouchables, and condemned [Korn singer Jonathan] Davis for addressing the same old angst-filled themes in his lyrics. "As they go on, it's the same thing — bad childhoods and mean moms," Moreno said. "How old is Jonathan? Thirty years old? How long has it been since he lived with his parents? Try to go somewhere else."
  
  
• Panel Seeks to Tighten Radio Indecency Rules
  A bill passed Thursday by the Senate Commerce Committee directs the Federal Communications Commission to take a tougher stand on indecency on the public airwaves and forbid FCC commissioners and staff from accepting travel paid for by the industries they regulate. The bill, which now goes on to the Senate, also substantially increases fines for broadcasting indecency and requires the FCC to review media ownership limits every four years instead of every two years.
  
  
• AOL backtracks on Winamp media player
  Were you one of the many who thought that Winap 3 sucked? Well, turns out you were right.
  
  
• One Of These (Backstreet) Boys Is Doing His Own Thing ... With Tommy Lee?
  A bit of news about the various Backstreet Boys solo albums that are currently being worked on. Nick Carter (who already has onle failed solo album under his belt) is the one working with Tommy Lee.
  
  
• Latifah Gets Breast Reduction
  From Double Ds down to a C. Apparently, they were hurting her back and getting in the way of her kickboxing training. "Latifah's Had It Up To Here," indeed.
  

posted by Randy on 11:25 AM | permanent link to this entry

Thursday, June 26, 2003

check one two
posted by Randy on 1:20 PM | permanent link to this entry

• MTV Plans 'You Hear It First' Tours
  Two tours, actually- one hip-hop and one rock. The rock tour will feature Kenna, The Exies and Fiction Planewhile the hip-hop venture will feature Common, Anthony Hamilton, Bubba Sparxxx and Jin. Memo to MTV: Good effort, but Common and Bubba Sparxxx don't really count as "You Hear It First" artists.
  
  
• Liz Phair Sets First Tour in Four Years
  Jul. 21 - Aug. 22, hitting 1,000 seaters from coast to coast. Every ba review i've read of new self-titled album complains that she's selling out and doesn't sound anything like Exile In Guyville anymore, but the reviews that have been kinder say its a pretty good pop rock album if you can just put her previous albums out of your mind. I suppose I tend to side with the good pop rock crowd, but I'm a sucker for hooks.
  
  
• R.E.M. Revamps Tour Plans, Takes Requests
  Go here to request songs for R.E.M.'s upcoming tour. Click the headline story above to read what dates have been moved to what venues.
  
  
• Foo Fighters New Video Will Not Be Played By MTV
  Nice timing, MTV. On a day when sex in the home between two consenting adults of any gender was ruled a constitutional right by The U.S. Supreme Court, you decide a video of Jack Black and Dave Grohlprancing around in drag would violate your standards and practices. What is the offense? "The video is not being played by MTV because of two controversial scenes, one depicting the two dressed in drag spanking each other, and one in which Grohl and Black's legs are horizontal on the floor intermingling with each other, implying a sex scene." Worry not, Foo Fighters fans-- the video for "Low" will be on an upcoming DVD.
  
  
• Costello Heads 'North' on New Album
  Elvis Costello's North is set for release on Sept. 23. Just as Motley Crue once threatened to do-- it's an all-ballad album. The Brodksy Quartet, who appeared with Costello on his 1993 album The Juliet Letters,, make an appearance on the album on the song 'Still." Costello starts a U.S. tour on July 2.
  
  Cat Stevens vs. The Flaming Lips
  An agreement has been reached between the former Cat Stevens and The Flaming Lips over the similarites of The Flaming Lips' "Flight Test" and Stevens' "Father and Son." Royalties from the sale of 'Fight Test' will now be divided between both parties.
  

posted by Randy on 1:17 PM | permanent link to this entry

Wednesday, June 25, 2003

• RIAA Plans Lawsuits Against File Traders
  Hundreds of lawsuits coming soon against file traders hosting large amounts of copyrighted files. What would happen if the millions the industry is spending on ailinating their fans was spent promoting their work or poured into developing legal download options? The mind boggles.
  
  
• Public Domain Enhancement Act To Be Introduced In Congress
  Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Congressman John Dolittle (R-CA) have agreed to introduce the bill into Congress, which would require copyright holders to drop $1 per work at the fifty-year mark in order to retain their copyright interests for the full duration set out by Congress. If they don't pay the fee, the work would enter the public domain. Read more about The Public Domain Enhancement Act here and contanct your Congressman/woman and tell 'em to support it.
  
  
• Angry At 'Devious' Record Label, KRS-One Halts Sales Of New LP
  To parapharse The Blastmaster himself: "How many labels must get dissed/before somebody says "Don't fuck with Kris"?" Kudos to KRS-One for stopping his label from distributing what he says in an unfinished, inferior product. Here it is allegedly for sale at Amazon, if you wanna try to get your grubby hands on it.
  
  Boston Sue Record Company
  Boston's Corporate America didn't do as well as the band had hoped, so now their suing their record company, claiming the label didn't live up to their end of the contract when it came to promoting the album. I suppose that's one way to recoup your costs on an album that was roundly panned by the critics.
  
  
• Days of the New Member Meeks Is in Rehab
  I guess if you have to be a grunge imitator, you might as go all the way and indulge in a variety of not-very-good-for-you substances. But seriously, all of us here at Rocktober.com hope that Travis Meeks of Days of The New (the group's lone original member-- the others went off and formed Tantric) has a speedy and complete recovery.
  
  
• Snoop Dogg May Face Criminal Charges
  A Memo To Snoop: Please try to remember that your 1990 crack dealing conviction make you a felon, which means you can't do all sorts of things that law abiding citizens can. Such as associate with other felons. And have bodyguards that carry guns. One would think that having stopped smoking the hooch, your mind would be a little clearer on these details. On the other hand, you are right on for criticizing the lack of diversity in the "Girls Gone Wild" videos.
  
  
• MTV2 Cues Up Local Spin for Affiliates
  A few (possibly) lucky cities around the U.S. are getting MTV2 channels with local content mixed in and an accompanying website. I found this story via donewaiting.com and he really sums it up best: "On one hand, I like the idea of people tuning into MTV2 and getting info about their local scene. On the other hand, it is MTV and as a rule they are Not To Be Trusted."
  
  
• And Now For A Super Short Rant
  My digital cable just got upgraded to super duper digital cable, so now I get all the music video channels. Lord help me, I can't stop flipping to VH1 Classic. What interests me most in the "VH1 Classic All Request Hour," which airs each day at 1 p.m. and 9 p.m.
  
  If you're like me, you see that title and you instantly assume it is a TRL like voting show, where the most popular requests get played, which would mean lots of Michael Jackson, Madonna and Cyndi Laupervideos. But (thankfully!) it isn't. It is straight up "Send in your e-mail request and we'll try to play it before the end of time." Before I checked the website to see what the dilly-yo was, I was baffled that so many people were requesting New Model Army or the T'Pau song that isn't "Heart and Soul" or Rebbie Jackson 's "Centipede" or John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band 's "C-I-T-Y" or The B-52's "The Girl From Ipanema Goes To Greenland" and so on.
  
  If you wanna get really scared, peep the VH1 Classic Message Boards. Since VH-1 Classic doesn't offer a list of what they just played, these obsessives do it for them! Sign petitions to get 'em to play a Dan Folgelberg video!
  
  Anyway, Zeus bless VH-1 Classic!
  
  
• Eminem Dangles Doll in Jackson Imitation
  Nice work.
  
  
• Iggy Pop Awarded Knight in the Arts and Letters order in France
  Oui oui!
  

posted by Randy on 12:21 PM | permanent link to this entry

Tuesday, June 24, 2003

• Cash Plays First Show Since Wife's Death
  I was under the impression that Johnny Cash was too sick to do concerts anymore, but good on him for powering through his illness and the loss of his wife in order to put on a show.
  
  
• R.E.M. Places Rehearsal Footage Online
  Head on over to remhq.com to see R.E.M. rehearsing "She Just Wants To Be," "Walk Unafraid," "Get Up," and "Maps And Legends"
  
  
• Outkast Solo Albums Being Turned Into Movie Musical
  SpeakerBoxx/The Love Below-- Andre 3000and Big Boi solo joints pacakged as one-- will come out on Aug. 19. They are taking 10 songs from that collection and making an HBO movie musical with 'em-- something about a love triangle, it seems.
  
  
• Flaming Liips, MMW, Roots Set for Berkfest
  All you stinky hippies in the North East crying over the cancellation of Bonaroo NE can rejoice a bit and plan to make your way to the sixth annual Berkfest in Great Barrington, MA. Aug 15-17. Currently set to appear-- The Flaming Lips, The Roots, Medeski, Martin & Wood, The Greyboy Allstars, The Charlie Hunter Trio and more. Peep the website for more info.
  
  
• Evanescence, Cold Rock 'Nintendo Fusion Tour'
  Ahhh, so that's whay Cold dropped off Lollapalooza. Kicks off Aug. 4 in Los Angeles, but other dates are still being fleshed out. Here's the tour's official site but don't go there quite yet looking for more information. Nintendo, Evanescence and Cold. Goth Rock and Super Mario. Two great tastes that taste great together.
  
  
• Saadiq Plans Live Album for Own Label
  Raphael Saadiq (formerly of Former Tony! Toni! Tone! and Lucy Pearl), whose Instant Vintage was nominated for a Grammy about the same time he got dropped from Universal, will make a live album has his next solo shot. It will be recorded concerts July 2 at San Diego's Belly Up Tavern, July 3 at Los Angeles' House of Blues and July 4 at Las Vegas' House of Blues, with fans and radio contest winners in attendance. The record and accompanying DVD will be released on his Pookie Entertainment label.
  
  
• Spiritualized in State of 'Grace'
  Spiritualized will release Amazing Grace on Spet. 9. I'm too lazy too search for it, but I think I posted this item a month or so ago, though maybe there wasn't a U.S. date attached yet. At least now you can pre-order,if you want to.
  
  
• Swept Away TV
  Teens in Soth Florida interview whatever artists they can who pull through their area and put the results on local access cable. Also-- the internet. Their site has performance and interview clips with artists like Incubus, Dashboard Confessional, The Riddlin Kids, Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton and more.
  

posted by Randy on 12:31 PM | permanent link to this entry

Monday, June 23, 2003

• Cold Drops Off Lollapalooza
  As I predicted here, nu-metal band Cold is dropping off the tour. Remember, these were the guys who were basically booed off a Weezer tour a few years back. They were very optimistic to think that a Lollapalooza crowd would give them a warmer reception.
  
  
• Taps for Music Retailers?
  BusinessWeek takes a pretty sobering look at the numerous factors driving stand-alone record stores like Tower and Musicland out of business. Most interesting fact-- "42% of the recorded music sold in America comes from the discounters and category killers, up from some 25% in 1992." Catagory Killers being place like Circuit City that sell CDs cheap just to get you in the store.
  
  
• New bill injects FBI into P2P battle
  HR-2517, the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2003, introduced by Reps. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Howard Berman (D-Calif.), instructs the FBI to develop a program to deter online traffic of copyrighted material and develop a warning incorporating the FBI seal that copyright holders could issue to suspected violators. The bill also instructs the FBI to encourage the sharing of information on suspected copyright violations among law enforcement, copyright owners and ISPs. There a lot more to the bill-- read the article for more info.
  
  
• Top Artists Balking At A La Carte Downloads
  ...becuase it undercuts record sales. What these top artists (Linkin Park, Madonna and Radiohead, among others) are still failing to understand is that a lot of folks aren't interested in their albums, which is why they want to download singles. And by not offering these singles for sale, the artists are thereby encouraging folks to use P2P services to get what they want. I can't believe we're in the year 2003 and still having this argument.
  
  
• Zellweger Takes Joplin Role to Heart
  Renne Zellweger as Janis Joplin.
  Both have squinty eyes. Both are from Texas. I'll be interested to hear if Renne can drink enough whisky and smoke enough ciggerates to get the raspy voice right.
  
  
• Lil' Kim Reports Big Jewel Heist
  Signs You Are Making Too Much Money: You're carrying $500,000 dollars worth of jewlery in your carry-on bag and you don't notice until the plane is about to take off that your carry-on bag got checked as baggage. if I had that much ice on me, it would never leave my side.
  
  
• Bummer Summer For Concerts — Why Aren't Fans Going?
  Very nice piece from MTV News. In fact, let me give a quick little shoutout. It was written by Gil Kaufman, whom I used to work with at SonicNet/Addicted To Noise. Anything you read on MTV News that is well researched, has numerous sources and gives an extensive overview of a complicated story is most likely written by Mr. Kaufman. Keep up the good work, Gil! And here's a nice companion piece from Rolling Stone about falling ticket prices.
  

posted by Randy on 12:33 PM | permanent link to this entry