Single sells five times as many copies in “Rock Band” versus iTunes

Following a recent report that many bands were signing on to Guitar Hero and Rock Band as a new way to distribute their music comes the news that singles released in the games are outselling even the dominant music store, Apple’s iTunes.

According to this Reuters report, Motley Crue placed its new single, the title track from “Saints of Los Angeles,” for sale as a downloadable track on “Rock Band” well in advance of the album’s release date, which has been pushed back to June 24. The only other places to obtain the track was iTunes and Amazon.

According to data provided by the band’s management, the track was downloaded more than 47,000 times via the Xbox 360 version of the game alone in the first week after it became available. By comparison, the same track received slightly more than 10,000 downloads via digital services like iTunes and Amazon, according to Nielsen SoundScan. With video game versions of tracks clocking in $1.99 versus iTunes’ $0.99, the games offer a real alternative way to sell music.

I highly endorse this show if you are in need of some hot indie pop rockness

I was trying to decide which parts of each report would be best suited for this post but there are so many shocking points it was a difficult decision:

The federal government is secretly negotiating an agreement to revamp international copyright laws that could make the information on iPods, laptops and other devices illegal, according to a leaked government document.

The deal could also force Internet service providers to hand over customer information without a court order.
From: Gov’t wants into your laptop – The Province (BC)

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The federal government is secretly negotiating a copyright agreement that could make some information on Canadian iPods, laptop computers or other personal electronic devices illegal.

Called the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), the new plan would see Canada join other countries, including the United States and members of the European Union, to form an international coalition against copyright infringement.

The agreement is being structured much like the North American Free Trade Agreement except it will create rules and regulations regarding private copying and copyright laws.

Federal trade agreements do not require parliamentary approval.

The deal would create an international regulator that could turn border guards and other public security personnel into copyright police. The security officials would be charged with checking laptops, iPods and even cellular phones for content that “infringes” on copyright laws, such as ripped CDs and movies.

The guards would also be responsible for determining what is infringing content and what is not.

The agreement also proposes that any content that may have been copied from a DVD or digital video recorder would be open for scrutiny by officials — even if the content was copied legally.

The leaked ACTA document states officials should be given the “authority to take action against infringers (i. e., authority to act without complaint by rights holders).”

Anyone found with infringing content in their possession would be open to a fine. They also may have their device confiscated or destroyed, according to the four-page document.
From: Border officials may seize iPods under trade deal – National Post

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According to a leaked document (available at Wikileaks and also at IP Justice), Canada and a number of other countries are planning to create a NAFTA-style body that would police copyright, and would be empowered to seize and/or destroy property without a court order. This agency — whose creation wouldn’t have to be approved by the legislature, according to some reports, because it deals with international trade matters — would also have the power to force Internet service providers to divulge information about their customers without requiring a warrant.

Past attempts by the Canadian record industry to compel ISPs to produce such information failed when the courts ruled that the Canadian Recording Industry Association didn’t have the authority to request that kind of private personal data.

The proposed multi-country agreement (which reportedly involves the U.S., Canada, the European Union, Japan, Mexico and South Korea) is called the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, or ACTA. In addition to the ability to force ISPs to provide customer info, the agreement would also give border guards the right to inspect laptops, cameras, iPods and other devices for any illegal digital content, and would allow them to take action without requiring a complaint from a rights-holder. The agreement would permit guards and others to conduct “ex parte” searches of property or individuals, meaning a lawyer would not have to be present.
From: Do we need copyright cops? – Ingram 2.0/Globe and Mail

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The way Canadians use the Internet and technology – from downloading music to buying new cellphones – could face unprecedented restrictions under new federal policies that critics say are being decided behind closed doors.

The Conservative government has been involved in international talks in recent months to develop an international anti-counterfeiting strategy to reduce Internet piracy and the flow of counterfeit goods. But critics say that instead of cracking down on rogue Internet users heavily involved in illegal file sharing, the agreement seems poised to dramatically increase the government’s ability to police the activities of Canadians, even when they legally purchase music files, DVDs and electronic equipment such as cellphones and personal video recorders.

“This is an attempt here to create a very broad umbrella that strikes at the very heart of every day activities for millions of Canadians,” said Michael Geist, law professor at the University of Ottawa and Canada Research Chair of Internet and e-commerce law.
From: Anti-piracy strategy will help government to spy, critic says – Globe and Mail

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Leaked Document
Proposed US ACTA multi-lateral intellectual property trade agreement (2007) – WikiLeaks

Additional Coverage
Globe and Mail, Calgary Herald, Jamie Shaw,Torrent Freak,Tech Dirt,Daily Tech,Webhosting Poland,Slashdot

Michael Geist‘s past postings on ACTA can be found here, here, here, and here.

VICE/ZUNE Party on June 6th @ the Bus Stop W/Dog Day
Free entry and beer with RSVP.
If anyone is interested, you have to RSVP @ comingzunehali@viceland.com

In what I believe is our first contest – AQR has two passes (one prize) for the June 26th Jose Gonzalez show being brought to us by Jeemy.net aka Jeremy Macneil.

In order to be considered, simply comment below (or shy folks can email info@aquietrevolution.com) and tell us something about Mr. Macneil. Maybe he has been part of some local music fests….Perhaps as a young entrepreneur he provides other services for bands…He definitely owns a business…Maybe he has put on other shows, been mentioned in some local press…I knew he did plenty but as I think of hints (I have more but that is enough) he really has been pretty involved with making some things happen locally.

So reward Jeremy`s hard work and yourself potentially with a quick Google search on the man or a website visit and share with us what you found. Anyone that provides a valid response (what is valid you ask, what ever I say!) will be entered into the random draw and one winner will be selected.

Deadline is Friday May 30th and the winner will be announced on Monday June 2nd.

Tickets just went on sale Friday past and already a third have been sold so one way or another you should get on with securing a ticket for this show (great venue for this too!!!)

Thursday, June 26th @ St. Matthew’s United Church on Barrington – 7:30PM

JOSE GONZALEZ (http://www.myspace.com/josegonzalez)
REBEKAH HIGGS (http://www.myspace.com/rebekahhiggs)

$15 ADVANCE (+ SERVICE FEES) / $18 AT THE DOOR

Tickets will be on sale through ticketpro Friday, May 16th.
http://ww3.ticketpro.ca/pos.php

Watch for additional contests for local shows and from local artists and labels this summer!

Bands should definitely consider popping over to http://gruvr.com/add.php and directing the service to their MySpace page. Once that is done, all your Halifax shows instantly show up in our sidebar + on any widgets you put out there from Gruvr + on Gruvr’s website whenever someone searches an area where you have an upcoming show [and actually anyone can add the band's site so fans feel free to help out a band you like].

It has already alerted me to one show of interest I possible may have missed otherwise: Dragonette June 27th at the Marquee Club.

Fans can also fire the feed for Halifax shows into their favorite reader directly: http://gruvr.com/feed/?geo=%20Halifax,%20NS

I decided to take the CKDU charts off the sidebar and make them a regular post.
I will occasionally add some links to MP3s or other sites for albums in the charts.
All I am doing this week is highlighting one album I can not stop listening to….find it and the various charts below
CKDU 88.1 MHz – Halifax

* indicates Canadian artist.
** indicates local artist.

Chart ranking reflects airplay during the week ending 20-May-2008.

Top 30
20-May-2008
RANK ARTIST TITLE (LABEL)
1 DAVID MYLES**
On The Line (Little Tiny)
2 SHEARING PINX*
Haruspex 7″ (Divorce)
3 THE NYMPHETS*
Feels Like Motherfuckers 7″(Psychic Handshake)
4 BORIS
Smile (Southern Lord)
5 NO AGE
Nouns (Sub Pop)
6 OLD MAN LUEDECKE**
Proof Of Love (Black Hen Music)
7 BRENT RANDALL AND HIS PINECONES**
Strange Love Single (Just Friends)
8 TEENAGE HEAD WITH MARKY RAMONE*
Teenage Head With Marky Ramone (Sonic Unyon)
9 RYAN COOK AND SUNNY ACRES**
Hot Times (No Scene)
10 GHOST BEES**
Tasseomancy (Youth Club)
11 THE WET SECRETS*
Rock Fantasy (Rodeo Peanut)
12 SECRET FIRES*
I Only Want What I Can’t See (Independent)
13 JAPANDROIDS*
Lullabye Death Jams (Independent)
14 PENN POUTANEN AND LORRIE MATHESON*
Rebels United (Independent)
15 HOT TODDY*
Trio (Independent)
16 VARIOUS*
Do You Want To Talk All Night? A Tribute To Snailhouse (Sappy)
17 DUCHESS SAYS*
Anthologies Des 3 Perchoirs (Alien8)
18 CRYSTAL CASTLES*
Crystal Castles (Last Gang)
19 CADENCE WEAPON*
Afterparty Babies (Upper Class)
20 SHAD*
The Old Prince (Black Blox)
21 WILSON/LEE/BENTLEY*
Escondido Dreams (Drip Audio)
22 THE DEATH SET
Worldwide (Counter)
23 MEM3
Pennsylvania Grey (Independent)
24 HELOISE AND THE SAVOIR FAIRE
Trash, Rats And Microphones (Yep Roc)
25 NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (Anti-)
26 DIRTBOMBS
We Have You Surrounded (In The Red)
27 HOT CHIP
Made In The Dark (Astralwerks)
28 LUPE FIASCO
The Cool (Atlantic)
29 JESSE DANGEROUSLY**
Verba Volant (Independent)
30 JOURNALISTS, WOLF**
In Love (Radiator Collective)

Keep reading for the Hip Hop, Jazz and Loud charts. (more…)

Erin Ward, Jeremy Van Wick and Nick Hughes

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They are Shearing Pinx and are playing two shows on May 23rd as part of Obey Convention.

Bus Stop Theatre, 8:00PM-10:30PM
w/ Nadja, Zachary Fairbrother and the Ra-Dawn Sun Cult, and Short Films

Gus’ Pub, 10:30PM-2:00AM
w/ Be Bad, Special Noise, Attack Mode, and Troy Richter

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They’re coming here to kick off the release of their EP Haruspex (buy it!) on Divorce Records.

Haruspex (from Wikipedia):

“[A] Roman practice inherited from the Etruscans; a haruspex (plural haruspices) was a man trained to practice a form of divination called haruspicy, hepatoscopy or hepatomancy. Haruspicy is the inspection of the entrails of sacrificed animals, especially the livers of sacrificed sheep and poultry.”

I haven’t had a chance to listen to much of the EP, but for the most part Shearing Pinx make heavy, noisy, No Wave-influenced, experimental rock and roll. (Note: No Wave was an underground, experimental rock and roll movement from New York City in the late 70s, early 80s. See: DNA or James Chance and the Contortions. You’ve heard bands that it’s influenced.) It’s music that cuts up conventional interpretations of rock and roll and music as a whole, and vies for a more primitive, organic sound. Looking to the past to look for the future.

They are heavily involved in a burgeoning noise-jazz scene in Vancouver. They helped start Fake Jazz Wednesdays – a weekly jam that’s open to the public, and Her Jazz Noise Collective – a network of women encouraging women to make music in a male-dominated and oriented scene. Shearing Pinx’s music, while keeping heavy and noisy, has a more positive and optimistic edge than you’d expect.

Don’t miss them this weekend! Don’t miss any part of Obey Convention!

I went to the QOTSA show last night and left with something I haven’t had in a while…a true excitement about a new band. I’m not entirely sure what more I can say other than this band were awesome and for me, the highlight of the entire evening (sorry Queens fans).

I now proclaim Iceland’s national export the band Mugison who totally kicked ass on stage last night at the Cunard Centre and then again the Seahorse.

Don’t take my word for it, go and discover Mugison for yourself:

http://www.myspace.com/mugison

OnReel, the beat of the east coast says they, is now offering up the cover of their magazine to the highest bidder:

We are now accepting bids for the front cover of the MAY and October issues of OnReel Music Magazine.

Don’t miss out on this GREAT marketing opportunity.
Place your bid today. The current bid is $600.

Bids are accepted via email. Minimum increase $100 CAD.

My immediate reaction to hearing about was less than flattering.
BUT – there could be plenty of great reasons for doing something like this. Keeping a music magazine going these days is tough for the best of them, so i can’t imagine what it takes to keep an east coast focused publication running. So even if it was purely financial I wouldn’t necessarily blame them – especially if it was 100% clear that the cover story was bought.

I sent some questions to the publisher to see why they started doing this and whether or not they have any concerns about how this would be perceived by their readers [and if their readers are even told], but no response so far.

a) Is it over yet?
Yes – bidding ended May 9th
b) If not what is the current bid at (or what was the winning bid)?
c) Is this the first time you have done this?
Might be the first, but the next issue’s cover is up for grabs now too
d) What motivated this idea?
e) Is it clear to readers in the issue the cover is for that the cover was bid for?
f) Do you have any concerns about how this may affect people’s views of the content/editorial of the magazine?

For the record I think the YoRodeo poster for the OBEY convention would have made a stunning cover for the May issue!