Sam the Record Man, a Yonge Street staple since 1961 and once Canada’s top music retailer, will be closing its doors for good next month. - Globe and Mail

* I was under the impression that all Sam’s were gone now, but according to the article there are still two franchise locations in Ontario.

Photo: Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail

Previously: and then there was one: sam’s in halifax closed from Feb. 22, 2007

PayPlay has just launched “the world’s largest MP3 download store” — a store selling more than 1.3 million indie music tracks, with a search engine that allows you to search for your fave artists and get similar indie artists in the catalog…The recommendation system is the key to PayPlay, since it’s unlikely you’ve heard of most of the artists in their catalog….Still, it was easy to fill my basket with $20 worth of $0.88 music, all of which I’ve enjoyed immensely. PayPlay also features an admirable artist split, with artists taking home an average of $0.59 per track, (artists signed to labels average about seven percent of the price of an iTunes Store download), which means that your purchases at the store are pretty good karma, too.

[via BoingBoing]

iTunes has started offering their DRM-free Mp3s of EMI’s catelogue today though just before their month end deadline.

Coolfer points to an Engadget post on what he calls “the simple process of upgrading your EMI purchases”

While over on Hypebot: “The iTunes store has finally started selling thousands of EMI tracks DRM free, but consumers may not enjoy the hoops they have to jump through to get them.”

The two not agreeing on things is evident if you read both blogs and was noted on Hypebot yesterday when reference was made to Coolfer’s new job at Warner.

Also on Hypebot on the topic of iTunes/EMI: iTunes Upgrade Paves Way For EMI’s DRM Free Launch. Indies Left Wondering When They’ll Be Invited.

URGENT - NOTICE OF INFRINGEMENT AND DECLARATION: WARNER BROS. RECORDS INC. -White Stripes [aquietrevolution.com]

Notice of Infringement and Declaration

TO: Aquietrevolution.com
417 Associated Rd #324
Brea, CA 92821
+1.2139471032
info@aquietrevolution.com

New Dream Network, LLC
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Suite 235
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Phone: +1-714-706-4182
abuse@dreamhost.com

REGARDING: http://www.aquietrevolution.com

IMMEDIATELY and PERMANENTLY REMOVE ALL LINKS, REFERENCES, ARTWORK,
DOWNLOADS, VIDEOS AND MP3 FILES ASSOCIATED WITH THE WHITE STRIPES UNRELEASED ALBUM “ICKY THUMP”

http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2007/05/30/some-new-white-stripes-songs-icky-thump-video/
http://www.aquietrevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/02%20You%20Don’t%20Know%20What%20Love%20Is%20(You.mp3
http://www.aquietrevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/03%20300mph%20Torrential%20Outpoor%20Blues.mp3
http://www.aquietrevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/04%20Conquest.mp3

WARNER BROS. RECORDS, INC.

I, the undersigned, do solemnly and sincerely declare and CERTIFY UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY that:

1. I am the owner or an agent authorized to act on behalf of the owner of certain intellectual property rights, said owner being named WARNER BROS. RECORDS, INC. (”IP Owner”).

2. I have a good faith belief that the auction items or materials identified in the addendum attached hereto are not authorized by the above IP Owner, its agent, or the law and therefore infringe the IP Owner’s rights according to the laws of the (check all that apply):

United States
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All of the above X

Please act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the material or items claimed to be infringing.

3. I may be contacted at:

Printed Name: Dorothy Sherman
Title: Consultant
Company: Warner Bros. Records, Inc.
Address: 3300 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505
Attn: Susan Genco, Esq.
Email (correspondence): GrayZone@grayzone.com
Telephone: 212 946-1718
Fax: 718 552-3028

You should understand that this letter constitutes notice to you that the sale and/or other distribution of this product is unauthorized. This letter does not constitute a waiver of any right to recover damages incurred by virtue of any such unauthorized activities, and such rights as well as claims for other relief are expressly retained.

Finally, notwithstanding our use of the required notice form, we believe that aquietrevolution.com’s activities and services fall outside the scope of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (”DMCA”). Our use of this form, as required by law, is meant to facilitate
aquietrevolution.com’s removal of the infringing product listed above and is not meant to suggest or imply that aquietrevolution.com’s activities and services are within the
scope of the DMCA.

I make this declaration conscientiously, believing it to be true and correct, and in accordance with the laws of each of the countries listed above. I am aware and agree that the contents of this statement may be relied upon against me in any court or arbitration proceeding.

Truthfully,

Dorothy Sherman

Date: MAY 31, 2007

http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2007/05/30/some-new-white-stripes-songs-icky-thump-video/

http://www.aquietrevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/02%20You%20Don’t%20Know%20What%20Love%20Is%20(You.mp3
http://www.aquietrevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/03%20300mph%20Torrential%20Outpoor%20Blues.mp3
http://www.aquietrevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/04%20Conquest.mp3

Last week I posted a video that was a rant of one independent filmmaker’s frustration with the studio system - the parallels are evident with music as in film, and while this is another film example, it easily applies to music as well.

“They’re sucked, but they’ve never sucked like they do now” - on Hollywood films

There’s some other nice comments on the current state of the film industry that again parallel the music biz of today. His point of the good stuff coming from B-movies and the independents rings true to me especially in regards to music.

Good interview regardless says this Bruce Campbell fan!

P.S. We’re definitely operating an indie label re: post title!

“Jaws of Life” from wintersleep is Radio3’s NMC Track of the Day [MP3 download].

The short of it:

Like some perfect mixture of hard rock with poetry and an almost prog rock like sensibility, switching it all up from time to time.

______________________________________________________________________________

Radio3 also had an interview with Joel Plaskett earlier this week:
Teenager: An Interview with Joel Plaskett

______________________________________________________________________________

Buck 65’s new album Situation, produced by Skratch Bastid, will be released September 18th!

Bastid is currently in the studio mixing the record with Roger Swan at Hipposonic in Vancouver.

Check out the newly posted track “Rebel”, an acoustic preview of one of the songs from Situation, recorded with Toronto based multi-instrumentalist John Zytaruk.

This is the story of todays entertaiment industry (Music and Film)
- commenter on YouTube

Via Lefsetz Letter

We finally got our label’s site live.
You can just use http://fhttrecords.com/ to visit.

Next on the list of things to do is to release an album and get a few more artists or bands involved.

We’ll be talking more about the label now too that we have the site up and things are underway.

Feedback is welcome!

The site was designed by Mike Belyea of Ermine - you can see some more of his work over on his site at www.mikebelyeadesign.com

The Bullet with Butterfly Wings is an interview with DWTB’s Jason Burns, that was posted on Carsten Knox’s music blog Melody Makers. At various points I have searched for other east coast/Canadian music blogs and never seem to turn up much in the way of local content. And in the past month I’ve found Carsten’s blog except he noted on April 16th that his blog “will be on hiatus”. Also Chris McClusky’s self-titled was a recent find, but he now seems destined for Toronto - so I’m not sure where that will leave his east coast focused writings.

That’s the pic from the article - which was taken in the hall of the Rock Garden - wow!

Right - so DWTB returns for a show after a number of weeks off while their singer Dave was away. The above mentioned interview [is a good one, go read it, then come back] brings you up to date on general/big picture issues pretty well up to when Dave left. And they are playing this Friday and may have some new songs for you to hear so there. If you need to know more get in touch with the band via their myspace perhaps?

http://www.myspace.com/reilymusic
http://www.myspace.com/tanyadavismusic

From their MySpace blog [I haven’t included the cute intro Andrew wrote, nor a short additional update from Brian]:

Their Majesties are officially up in the air-ish. (Ish is the key “word”)
Lots of interesting and important things have happened since getting home from Toronto. Lots of things that could take pages and pages to explain; COULD take, but for the convenience that is Chronological Point Form.

-Niall leaves the band; the band has no drummer.
-Daniel decides to go back to school in the fall, in pursuit of Academic Excellence. As a result, immediate (and future) tour plans are ditched.
-Management (courtesy of Rob and Joi) part ways as a result of point #2.
-The Van is put up for sale. (A combined result of #s 2 and 3)
-Hockey playoffs are watched.
-Soul searching commences.

This brings us pretty much up to date.
Nonetheless, there ARE a few things on tap. Dave Ewenson is filling the drum stool as a ringer. He officially becomes the strongest member of Their Majesties, past and present and future, EVER.
Some local shows should be worked out soon, and the website will let you know. No one actually updates it; it just Knows.