Grant’s talents, as well as her songs, are unconventional but sure-footed. Orchestra for the Moon is an organic pop record, but its song structures are surprising, as is the way it employs folk and country sounds and even disco-rock rhythms.
Music critic/writer Jim DeRogatis writing for the Chicago Sun-Times has two pieces that have caught my attention. Last month he wrote on a piece on the end of Punk Planet - a Chicago based institution for the past 13 years which published its last issue for August.
“It’s not our intent to edit political comments in Webcasts on the Blue Room,” Tiffany O’Brien Nels,
Not their intent, they just keep doing it.
AT&T’s controversial edit of comments about President Bush from a Webcast of Pearl Jam’s performance at Lollapalooza last week was not the first time the telecommunications giant has silenced political statements by musicians.
An AT&T spokeswoman initially characterized the sudden audio edit that silenced Eddie Vedder’s lyrics “George Bush, leave this world alone” and “George Bush, find yourself another home” during Pearl Jam’s performance in Grant Park last Sunday as “an unfortunate mistake” and “an isolated incident.”
Why might AT&T censor such comments about Bush:
Donations between 2002-2006 of $7,975,087 to the Republican Party might have something to do with it. [I didn’t and won’t be looking but I imagine the Dems got a equally nice sum of money also].
As noted above, and from the article: AT&T’s Blue Room Webcast also had silenced comments during two performances at the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee last June, cutting remarks by the John Butler Trio bemoaning the lack of federal response to Hurricane Katrina and comments about Bush and the war in Iraq by singer Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips.
You can see the complete Pearl Jam clip below via Youtube:
Cook County judge sets Sept. 17 trial date for R. Kelly - Chicago Tribune
I had simply thought/expected that this whole case had been thrown out/dropped/what have you.
He certainly has not let such charges slow his career down:
In the meantime, Kelly, who won a Grammy in 1997 for “I Believe I Can Fly,” has been busy with his career. He has, since being charged, had six best-selling albums and three nationwide tours.
In an attempt perhaps to distract people from the trial for which he is charged with urinating on a minor and producing child pornography (14 counts) he continues his Trapped in a Closet escapades - where even stereogum notes “the whole thing’s devolved into silly self-parody”.
A draft of the 2007 Music Sector Strategy has been made available for feedback. Music Nova Scotia will be accepting comments to sectorstrategy@musicnovascotia.ca no later than 5 pm Monday August 20th.
The previous strategy was responsible for programs that have assisted NUMEROUS bands, companies and individuals within the local music scene - myself included (I honestly would not have time to list the bands I personally know alone that have received funding assistance). The potential is there for additional opportunities as well as the continuation of existing programs.
Please take the time to review this and if you have any suggestions get them into MNS.
You have a week, take an hour or so and do this.
We`ll be blogging from the event on a daily basis once it kicks off and leading up to (during perhaps) we`ll be featuring interviews from acts performing. Should all be fun!!!
LAUNCH PARTY
The festival will hold its official launch party on Saturday, September 22 at St. Matthew’s Church. The show will feature performances from math rock pioneers, Don Caballero, post-punk act, Contrived, experimental rock duo, The Special Noise and Halifax based post-rockers, Tomcat Combat.
NEW WEBSITE
The Pop Explosion also has a brand new website. Check it out - they`re looking for volunteers for the festival now - sign up, have fun, meet some new people (last year we billeted the wonderful - band and people - Lil Andy from Montreal)
PRESS RELEASE Apostle of Hustle, Eric’s Trip, Joel Plaskett and Tegan and Sara among first bands announced for 2007 Halifax Pop Explosion
(Halifax, NS) – Apostle of Hustle, Eric’s Trip, Joel Plaskett and Tegan and Sara are among the first bands confirmed for the 2007 Halifax Pop Explosion. Proudly celebrating its 15th anniversary, this year’s festival will see over 120 bands play at 19 venues over five nights, between October 16 and October 21.
The festival will hold its official launch party on Saturday, September 22 at St. Matthew’s Church. The show will feature performances from math rock pioneers, Don Caballero, post-punk act, Contrived, experimental rock duo, The Special Noise and Halifax based post-rockers, Tomcat Combat.
The list of acts confirmed for the festival thus far includes, experimental punk act, Aids Wolf; critically revered Broken Social Scene alums, Apostle of Hustle; legendary noise rock outfit, Eric’s Trip; 2007 Polaris Prize nominee, Miracle Fortress; off-kilter pop favorites, Mother Mother; 2007 Polaris Prize nominee and East Coast icon, Joel Plaskett; JUNO nominated indie-pop act, Tegan and Sara; celebrated space-pop act, Young Galaxy and many more!
“For 15 years now the Halifax Pop Explosion has been developing our city’s cultural reputation on a national level,” states the event’s executive director, Waye Mason. “ The line-up that’s taking shape for this year’s festival will only act to further that reputation, as some of the most exciting and celebrated artists currently making music will be converging on our city for five days in October.”
The Halifax Pop Explosion is one of Canada’s most respected festivals for showcasing new and emerging music, art and culture. Founded in 1993, the festival has consistently merged diverse line-ups of ground breaking musical acts with exhibitions of art, media and pop culture from Halifax, Canada and around the world.
Passes and packages for the festival are on sale now. For more information on Halifax Pop Explosion passes and packages, visit: www.ticketpro.ca or call 1-888-311-9090.
Tickets for The Halifax Pop Explosion launch party go on sale Monday, August 13. They will be $14 in advance and $18 day of show (taxes included). For more information, visit: www.ticketpro.ca or call 1-888-311-9090.
Tickets for Tegan and Sarah at St. Matthews Church are on sale now. They are $25.00 in advance and $30 day of show (taxes included). For more ticket information, visit: www.ticketpro.ca.
Tickets for all 2007 Halifax Pop Explosion shows will go on sale Friday, August 24.
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The Halifax Pop Explosion’s official website: www.halifaxpopexplosion.com
For more information on each artist, visit:
Aids Wolf: www.myspace.com/aidswolf
Apostle of Hustle: www.arts-crafts.ca/apostleofhustle
Contrived: www.dependentmusic.com/contrived
Don Caballero: www.shop.relapse.com/artist/artist.aspx?ArtistID=10165
Eric’s Trip: www.myspace.com/ericstriphome
Joel Plaskett: www.joelplaskett.com
Miracle Fortress: www.myspace.com/miraclefortress
Mother Mother: www.mothermothersite.com
Special Noise: www.myspace.com/specialnoise
Tegan and Sara: www.teganandsara.com
Tomcat Combat: www.myspace.com/tomcatcombat
Young Galaxy: www.younggalaxy.com
PRESS INQUIRIES ARE WELCOME!
Matt Charlton, Pigeon Row Public Relations
(902) 482-4579 / matt@pigeonrow.com
Why Does The RIAA Hate Webcasters? Webcasters Don’t Play Very Much RIAA Music - TechDirt
87% of the music you hear on the radio is from an RIAA-member record label. However, when it comes to music on webcasts, the story is quite different. Jon Healy, at the LA Times, points out that only 44% of music on webcasts are from RIAA labels.
First, given that independent labels are responsible for nearly 90 percent of new Canadian music, the importance of creating a legal environment that supports webcasting is magnified in Canada. Second, in light of questions about the fairness of copyright collective distribution models for the private copying levy (which may be similarly disporportionately skewed toward the majors and a select few Canadian artists), the reliance on conventional radio sampling and sales may be a very poor proxy for identifying the music that Canadians are listening to and copying. Third, it reinforces the need for policy makers and politicians to reach out beyond CRIA, which represents the majors, and instead pay far more attention to the independent labels (CIRPA) and the artists (CMCC).
German Prosecutors Tell Entertainment Industry They Won’t Help Going After P2P Users - TechDirt
We’ve never quite understood why in the US and some other countries, a civil matter between businesses and their customers should require help from public law enforcement….Public prosecutors in Germany are apparently telling entertainment industry lawyers that they won’t help the industry track down file sharers, noting the “obvious disproportionateness” of trying to go after people for file sharing, and noting that unauthorized file sharing was merely “a petty offense,” while pointing out that, despite industry claims to the contrary, “there was no evidence that substantial damage had been done.”
Brits reject copyright term extension for music! - Boing Boing
This is the first time that I know of, in the history of the world, that any country has given up on extended copyright terms. In the US, the Supreme Court found that 98 percent of the works in copyright were “orphans” with no visible owner and no way to clear them and bring them back into the world. Extending copyright dooms nearly every author’s life’s work to obscurity and disappearance, in order to make a few more pennies for the tiny minority of millionaire artists like Cliff Richard (and billionaires like Paul McCartney)
The decision will presumably be appealed, virtually guaranteeing years of litigation that promises to divert millions of dollars earmarked for artists to lawyers instead.
TOMORROW
Aug 14th @ The Pavilion - w/ Go It Alone (from Vancouver), Memories Of Phoenix (last show), Orchid’s Curse, & Envision. 6:30pm $7
Then they are off on tour with Label-mates Energy (http://www.myspace.com/thisenergy) from Boston for ANOTHER US tour:
16 Aug 2007 @ Cafe L’inco - Montreal, Quebec
17 Aug 2007 @ TBA - Oswego, New York
19 Aug 2007 @ Elks Lodge - Cambridge, Massachusetts 20 Aug 2007 @ Wallingford American Legion - Wallingford, Connecticut
21 Aug 2007 @ Charm City Art Space - Baltimore, Maryland
22 Aug 2007 @ Nara Sushi - Richmond, Virginia
23 Aug 2007 @ The Remenant - Goose Creek, South Carolina
24 Aug 2007 @ Hotel Birmingham - Birmingham, Alabama
25 Aug 2007 End Of Summer Jam Orlando, Florida
26 Aug 2007 End Of Summer Jam Orlando, Florida
27 Aug 2007 @ The Treehouse - Lawrenceville, Georgia
28 Aug 2007 @ TBA - North Carolina
30 Aug 2007 @ Roller Kingdom - Hudson, Massachusetts
31 Aug 2007 @ Tigers Den - Brockton, Massachusetts
2 Sep 2007 @ Don Pedros - Brooklyn, New York
3 Sep 2007 @ End Hits - Ottawa, ON
4 Sep 2007 @ TBA - Quebec City, Quebec
5 Sep 2007 @ TBA - Fredericton, NB
7 Sep 2007 @ TBA - St. Johns, Newfoundland
8 Sep 2007 @ TBA - St. Johns, Newfoundland
10 Sep 2007 @St Albans Hall - Sydney, Nova Scotia
And then they go BACK to Europe AGAIN
We have also just been added to the biggest hardcore music fest in the UK - the annual event known as Ninjafest. Some of the bigger hardcore bands from Europe and the USA will be playing this fest in London. This will be followed by a week long UK tour with Colin Of Arabia (from Boston)
Advice to bands - use these guys as role models for their work ethic if nothing else!
Plenty of speculation over Amazon’s plans regarding this investment and how it may pertain to Amazon’s plans to enter the digital music sales market.
Amazon invests in social music site Amie Street - Ars Technica
Small online music retailer Amie Street announced today that it has received a round of Series A financing led by a somewhat unexpected source: Amazon. The companies declined to disclose the amount of the investment, which included several private investors, but the move could hint at what customers can expect to see from Amazon’s own music store when it launches later this year.
…
Amazon could also be interested in bringing Amie Street under the Amazon umbrella. Offering Amie Street as a cobranded or entirely Amazon-branded venture would give the site much more exposure and save Amazon from having to develop its own solution from the ground up.
AmieStreet’s Music Community Funded by Amazon - Mashable
The unique approach of a combined digital music store largely influenced by its own social network is probably very appealing to the executives at Amazon, considering the somewhat passive approach it has to the inclusion of user-submitted content.
Music at Market Prices - Springwise
Here’s how the site currently works:
Prices at Amiestreet are determined by demand, increasing to a maximum of USD 0.98 per song depending on how many people download it. The more popular a song, the faster its price will increase to 98 cents. Besides giving early buyers a better deal, the market price system gives consumers the added pleasure of seeing they’ve discovered a song or artist before everyone else has.
Amie Street Closes Series A Financing Led By Amazon.com - TechCrunch
No doubt, Amazon’s recent payments system seems an ideal fit for the site as well.
Will Amazon’s Music Service Embrace Variable Pricing? - Hypebot
We can’t imagine that labels - major or indie - are anywhere near being ready to adopt such a radical pricing plan or that current recording contracts would allow it.
An a partner in a new indie label I have to say Amie St. has been one of the few music services I have been interested in. Not only do they provide an easy means of selling your music online, the start price of zero provides incentive for people to take a chance on you and should the price rise I see that as a marketing tool in that someone obviously likes you.
Last week when I posted
