Straight to Video
Rock Art Rock
See more in the Rock Art Rock gallery.
polls
Loading ...
Have You Ever Purchased an iTunes LP?
Yeah. Neither have we, given that there’s still such a thing as “real life” LPs. In fact we’d never even heard of this until the Daily Swarm alerted us to a post originating on tech blog GigaOm, which essentially points out that not only has it existed for about six months, but it’s been a bit of a flop. This is interesting news in the wake of yesterday’s ruling on the Pink Floyd v. EMI case, that clarified that Floyd’s contractual stipulation that LPs not be broken up into singles did in fact apply to digital sales.
Floyd, like a good number of other artists, are trying to protect the artistic wholeness of “the album” as they envision it; a conceptual unit, not to be divided into disembodied singles. The case against EMI was wrapped up in an ongoing battle over royalties, however the artistic concern is a major one, and so yesterday’s ruling was a significant victory, even though it’s unclear whether it actually mandates EMI to put the kibosh on the piecemeal downloading of individual songs just yet.
As it turns out, Apple has actually been marketing their digital “LP” for a while now, and not only has it reportedly had practically no impact on album sales, but it wasn’t even Apple’s idea — it came down the pipeline from the record labels, who were quite likely trying to seal up the contractual fissure that results in lawsuits like the Floyd debacle. The digital LPs are supposed to re-emphasize the “visual experience” of vinyl LPs, and when coupled with a tablet PC or an iPad, might bear some resemblance to the experience of holding an interactive record jacket in your hands while listening. It’s not the worst idea ever, but when it come to trying to repair the damage of free-wheelin’ consumer cherry-picking, it’s way too little, way too late.
Have you downloaded an iTunes LP? Post a comment and let us know what you think of it.
Pink Floyd Wins A Ruling Against EMI
BBC News has reported that at least one verdict is in: Pink Floyd’s contract with EMI, though written before the days of digital distribution, does in spirit, if not yet in deed, protect their albums from being divided into individual songs for download.
EMI has responded in the press by clarifying that the jodge’s ruling does not yet mean that they’re prohibited from allowing the individual song downloads, but it’s clearly a step in that direction.
The suit, as we reported earlier, stemmed from the practice of online music retailers selling individual songs regardless of the nature of the album, only rarely stipulating otherwise. Existing royalty payment structures made it so that bands would make less money from the sale of individual songs versus entire albums, and today’s ruling comes as a baby-step in an ongoing quest for Pink Floyd to recoup$15m (£10m) in unpaid royalties.
Faith No More Announces First East Coast Show in Ten Years
Brooklyn Vegan broke the news yesterday that the summer’s first Williamsburg Waterfront show will also be Faith No More’s first show on the east coast in over a decade. It is also reportedly “the first time a show at the space will cost money,” although it’s a benefit that will help subsidize future free shows there, not that we should need any other reason to be cough up a few beans to catch Patton and the gang (seen right, looking rather fruity) back in action.
Right now they’re doing a small victory lap having just finished what must have been a supremely kickass 10-show run through New Zealand and Australia (during which, it might as well be noted, Bottum was down under). Up next they make their grand return to the States for a sold-out three-night stand in their original stompin’ grounds — San Francisco — at the Warfield Theater in April. Yes, it was back in their Bay Area days that it all first came together, including a moment before Mike Patton, even before Chuck Mosely, when they actually endured Courtney Love as lead singer. Can you imagine if that had lasted? Thankfully it did not, and the band went on to conquer the world.
Anyway, after SF comes Coachella, then New York will get its taste, and then it’s off to Europe. Not much love for the USA on this go-round, but the band’s future is yet unwritten, so we’ll see what comes of all this. Besides a righteously Jizzlobbin’, Woodpeckin’, Ugly in the Mornin’ springtime. After the jump, a little chunk of what we hope to see… read more
Devo to Perform on Yo Gabba Gabba!
[Via Antimusic] Finally, Ive got something tangibly in common with my sister’s kids besides blood! Tomorrow, March 11th, I’ll put aside my Aeropress and 70’s psych-folk records, they’ll drop the juiceboxes and look up from the Elmo coloring books, and together we’ll tune in and watch Devo perform their 2007 single, “Watch Us Work It,” on the Nickelodeon show Yo Gabba Gabba! (Check local listings for times.)
While I’m at it, I think I know what my niece is getting for her birthday… A Dora the Explorer backpack, designed by Slash! Awwwww, maybe she can also start bringing little six-ounce boxes of Jack Daniels in with her crustless PB&J. It’s always nap time somewhere!
Slash really is designing a Dora backpack, though, and Devo really is performing on Yo Gabba Gabba. In fact, Mark Mothersbaugh already has a long history with childrens’ shows, having composed music for about thirty of them over the years, including Pee Wee’s Playhouse and Rugrats. HE’s particularly down with the Yo-Gab crew, though, as he’s been starring in his own segment, “Mark’s Magic Pictures,” for over a year now. In the segment, Mothersbaugh applies his real-life skills as a visual artist to draw pictures that often come to life at the end. That’s the magic part, see. Check it out after the jump.
Geldof Lashes Out At BBC For Live Aid/Rebel Fund Report
This situation got uglier in a hurry, as if the original allegations weren’t ugly enough already. On March 4th, the BBC ran this report, in which BBC4 correspondent Martin Plaut claimed that his nine months of research amounted to credible evidence that the lion’s share of money raised by the monumental 1985 benefit concert Live Aid went to purchase arms for rebel militias. “I accumulated evidence from secret CIA reports. Former ambassadors supported the story Aregawi [Berhe] had told me,” Plaut reported. The story told by Aregawi Berhe was that 95% of the money went to guns, a claim just inflammatory enough to make its way around the web, including here at Crawdaddy!, which ignited some interesting debate in the comment section. Geldof spoke out in public, dismissing the claim and casting aspersions on the journalist’s sources. Another article came on the 8th, this time by Rageh Omaar of the Guardian UK, defending Plaut and reaffirming the credibility of his research. And now the Guardian has published a response by Geldof himself, in which the gloves come even more fully off.
A2IM to FCC: Net Neutrality Now!
[Via Hypebot] The Association of American Independent Music (A2IM) has taken the lead in the fight for net neutrality as it filed a brief with ye olde FCC, bolstering the case for a fair, free and open internet. The FCC has been weighing the facts for a while now as it prepares to formulate new policy regarding the internet and how much control the dominating web-providing companies ought to be able to exert. The FCC’s choices will have broad, sweeping effects on the independent music scene’s ability to perpetuate itself in the new media marketplace, and so it remains crucial that the A2IM and other organizations continue to be as vocal as possible. “Without the benefit of an open Internet, we may very well end up with another set of gatekeepers that determine who gets to play and at what cost,” the statement maintains.
The open letter substantiates its position with some strong facts and stats, and is well worth a look-see for those keeping up with the issue. Hypebot posted the statement in its entirety, although you can also find the statement and a wealth of other information on A2IM’s own site.
Amy Annelle’s Seventh Album Coming This Summer
There is greatness living, walking and dreaming among us, people! Austin-by-way-of-everywhere troubadour Amy Annelle has finished work on her seventh album, Cimarron Banks, and has slated its release for sometime this summer. Either under her own name or as the backbone of a permeable folk/rock ensemble called The Places, Annelle has been unfurling her consistently passionate and spectral acoustic marrow for over a decade, and though she wins praise from every heart punctured by the ether-tipped jags of the storm-felled trees that are her songs, we end to think the world can do better. And this summer (”For now we can say late May/early June,” she has reported via email) the world will get its next chance.
According the website of her own record label, High Plains Sigh, the new album “features very special guest Ian McLagan (Small Faces, Bob Dylan) and longtime musical ally Paul Brainard (Victoria Williams, Alejandro Escovedo), as well as new friends from Austin’s vibrant music community.” The site is well worth checking out, by the way, as it also houses some gorgeous photography shot by the songstress on tour and on wanderings amid desolate, broken-down stretches of the great American expanse.
Annelle will be touring the US and beyond in support of the album’s release. In the past, she has lent her talents to back up such diverse and shadowy greats as Jandek, Michael Hurley, Roy Harper and R. Stevie Moore, and in the future, who knows? One thing’s relatively certain, though, which is that her own original graces will no longer be obscured by the group moniker. “the places handle has been retired” she writes. “this is an amy annelle album.”
The Places are dead. Long Live Amy Annelle! Video of her performing a new album song after the jump…
Iron Machine Music: Tom Morello to Score Iron Man 2
Metal Insider [via Daily Swarm] reported today that the Iron Man sequel, due out this summer, is slated to be even more of a metalfest than we thought it would be. In addition to the Lamb of God songs slated to be included in the video game, and the bunch of AC/DC songs known to be peppered throughout the flick, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has been brought on board to score the rest of the film’s music. [To clarify, Morello will be working in collaboration with Academy
Award-nominated film composer John Debney. - ed.]
Morello is apparently no stranger to soundtrack work, as he has laid down original guitar tracks not only for the first Iron Man movie, but also Talladega Nights: The Story of Ricky Bobby, and xXx: State of the Union, not to mention the dozens of other movie, TV and video game moments in which his guitar appears by way of collaboration with other artists (Crystal Method, Cypress Hill, etc.)
Now if only there were a scene in IM2, some kind of feverish dream sequence perhaps, featuring the music alluded to in the headline — that would be something. For those whose interests were piqued by the pun, you may be excited to know that Mr. Reed has officially re-issued his 1975 noise classic and is selling it exclusively via his website, in the run-up to his European tour with the Metal Machine Trio. A sweet little taste after the jump.
Update: Keef Still Saucy; New Stones Possible
[Via Rolling Stone] Whew! Turns out there is still order in the universe after all. In conversation about the upcoming Exile on Main Street reissue, Keith Richards told Rolling Stone that he “wouldn’t be surprised if we did some recording later this year.” And as for that subtly era-ending nugget that circulated about a month ago — you know, the one that gave us all a moment of pause as we stared down into the glowing amber tumblers in our hands — don’t worry, our leader is still with us. When asked about the gossip regarding him and Ron Wood having a go at the straight and narrow, Richards responded, “Listen, the rumors of my sobriety are greatly exaggerated, and we’ll leave it at that.” That sounds about right.
James Brown’s Body is Out of Sight
by: Howard Wyman
by: Howard Wyman
published: March 12, 2010
in column: What Goes On
no comments yet
Tags: