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Life At The Top For Death Cab For Cutie
May 23, 2008
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"It's also time for the industry to take the time to discover and develop NEW artists. NOT new records ... NEW ARTISTS ... there's a BIG difference. They are the lifeblood of both the radio and record industries. No matter what format music is played on (CD, mp3 players, computers, etc.) in the future, the opportunities to generate a healthy consumer market exists if NEW artists are established..."
-- From 'A New Year And New Chances', DISC&DAT - 1/6/2004A few years back, I heard a great song being used in an episode of HBO's "Six Feet Under." I didn't recognize it, so I went to the HBO website, pulled up the page about the episode and looked for the music information. (HBO always has the music info used in their series listed online)
The song was "Transatlantacism" by Death Cab For Cutie, and even though I'd heard snippets of their music before, this song was my real introduction to their music. It was from their album of the same name (originally released in 2003); I bought the CD and it quickly became one of my favorites.
Of course, after I bought "Transatlantacism," I went back and bought a few other albums from the band, and over the past five years they've become one of the groups I consider one of my "favorites."
This week, after almost a decade of building their audience through relentless touring, and releasing great new music, their new album "Narrow Stairs" debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. Once again, the public spoke loud and clear at retail. They're out there in droves if you give them more of what they want. What they want is less disposable music from the artists who land in the Top 10 on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart for one week, do all the late-night talk shows, and then disappear faster than a Lindsay Lohan movie at the box office.
An examination of the album charts reveals there are a whole bunch of new artists that are not only achieving current success at retail, but they are having staying power with second and third albums. (Wilco, Death Cab For Cutie, Maroon 5, Carrie Underwood, Gavin DeGraw, etc.)
And staying power is a result of great A&R and artist development.
I've used this Billy Joel quote several times here in the newsletter: " Videos destroyed the vitality of rock 'n' roll. Before that, music said, 'Listen to me.' Now it says, 'Look at me.' "
While you may choose to argue that point, I think one has to admit it contains more truth than falsehoods. Bands like Wilco, Death Cab For Cutie, OneRepublic and others are making people LISTEN again to albums instead of watching fashion videos and lifestyle shows on MTV.
Death Cab For Cutie aren't exactly really "new" artists, but now their music will now be likely be heard by a whole bunch of new people.
Here's hoping the trend continues for a host of other new artists already signed, and for those up and coming on independent labels.
And Now This...
Last week, the RIAA was ordered by a federal court in Oregon to pay Tanya Andersen, whom they sued for alleged file sharing in a case that was eventually dropped, nearly $108,000 in attorneys' fees and costs. That's the largest award to be levied against the RIAA in its legal campaign against file-swappers.
"This will assist in leveling the playing field in other cases," said Andersen's lawyer, Lory Lybeck.
And again, further evidence that the RIAA's lawsuits are as big a waste of time as rehab has been for Amy Winehouse.
And This...
According to data from the comScore Video Metrix service, U.S. Internet users viewed 11.5 billion online videos during March, 2008, representing a 13% gain versus February and a 64%gain versus March 2007.
In March, Google sites ranked as the top U.S. video property with more than 4.3 billion videos viewed (38% share of all videos), gaining 2.6 share points versus the previous month. YouTube.com accounted for 98% of all videos viewed at Google Sites. Fox Interactive Media ranked second with 477 million videos, followed by Yahoo! Sites and Viacom Digital.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK...
"The RIAA campaign against record label customers has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel."
-- Jerry Del Colliano, from his blog post "The Labels: 'Mission Impossible' or 'Get Smart'" ( http://tinyurl.com/3tn8ru ).
Rock's New Economy: Making Money When CDs Don't Sell
TV, games, tours and more: How smart bands thrive todayWith record sales at an all-time low, most bands have had to use evolved thinking in order to stay profitable in today's music business climate. Groups like Paramore, the White Stripes and Spoon have all tapped into various means of doing business. (Rolling Stone)
Read more about it by clicking here.
Marketing Music: Who Needs a Major Label?
Eagles Manager Azoff Partners With Wal-Mart to Promote Band's New Album, While Radiohead Creates Buzz for Their Latest by Offering Pay-What-You-Want Deal Online
An ocean and a generation may separate the Eagles and Radiohead, but today's music industry -- with its broken sales model -- led both groups' managers to bypass the major labels when releasing new albums last year.
The Eagles' contract with Warner Music Group had lapsed, so for the release of "Long Road Out of Eden," Azoff Music Management Chairman Irving Azoff found another outlet with a mega-reach among consumers: Wal-Mart. EMI's deal with Radiohead had ended, so Courtyard Management's Bryce Edge helped the Brit cult band offer a revolutionary pay-what-you-want internet deal for their new album, "In Rainbows."
Read more about it by clicking here.
RIAA Defendant Jammie Thomas May Get New Trial
Jammie Thomas, the Minnesota woman who was slapped with a $222,000 penalty for allegedly sharing music on the Kazaa network, asked for a new trial way back in October 2007. The surprising thing is that she may get one.
U.S. District Judge Michael Davis wrote Thursday that he was "contemplating granting a new trial." That's because, Davis said, he may have wrongly instructed the jury that merely making a copyrighted song available in a shared folder amounts to infringement. Oral arguments on this question are set for July 1st.
Asking for a new trial is pretty standard, but the request isn't granted that frequently. The reason Davis is willing to consider it is that one case that the Recording Industry Association of America relied on is being reconsidered and a second, which neither side cited, suggests that an actual transfer has to take place. (The 1993 8th Circuit case, which is binding precedent, says that infringement "requires an actual dissemination.")
Read more about it by clicking here.
Warner Music's Mobile Revenue Declines
Mobile music revenue for Warner Music Group fell to $49.2 million in the second quarter from $56.4 million in the prior quarter. Overall, the major label reported a second-quarter loss of $37 million on revenue of $800 million, compared to a $27 million loss on sales of $784 million in the year-earlier period.
Read more about it by clicking here.
James Cameron Sees 3D For TV, Games
3D isn't just for the movies. Filmmaker James Cameron ("Titanic." "The Terminator," etc.) hopes that there will be 5,000 theaters with three-dimensional technology when his 3D movie "Avatar" debuts next year. He says the digital projectors in theaters will also be able to show sports and events, along with travelogues and other content.
"The real revolution comes as live sports, games and television also start appearing in three dimensions," he says. "We're on the cusp of that, and people need to have a strategy for it," he says.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Look Out, Apple TV: The $100 Netflix Player Has Arrived
The Netflix box is finally a reality.
The Netflix Player by Roku is the first product that allows subscribers to have movies and TV shows from the service's Instant Viewing feature (aka "Watch Now") to be streamed directly to their TV screen. Previously, Instant Viewing was available only to Windows PC users through the Internet Explorer browser. With the release of the Netflix Player, subscribers need only have a wired or wireless broadband connection to access the entire Instant Viewing catalog through their TV.
Read more about it by clicking here.
T-Mobile Debuts Mew Nokia Music Phone
Nearly six months after its next generation of music phones hit the market in Europe, Nokia is finally bringing the latest XpressMusic phones to the U.S.
T-Mobile USA on Tuesday unveiled the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic phone, a slim, music-playing handset, at a party here that featured specialty cocktails with names like Disco Lemonade and Purple Rain and performances by up-and-coming artists.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Cramer: 'I Hate Media' Thanks To Google, Apple
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, CNBC stock picker Jim Cramer reveals, "I hate media stocks." When Cramer speaks ill, that can be very bad news for a sector, as his show "Mad Money" holds significant sway with its millions of viewers. So why does he "hate" media stocks? Blame it on Google and Apple.
"The world got changed by two companies," he said. "Apple is taking away the profitability of TV, and Google is taking it away in print. And it's never going to reverse." Having said that, Cramer stresses that Google is the more immediate villain. "It's just a parasite. It doesn't create content, it steals it, borrows it, shares it."
Meanwhile, he said, media giants The New York Times Co. and Gannett are trying to support failing business models. Even the once-great Time Warner "is a content company for old people," Cramer said. "I try to get my kids to read magazines and newspapers, but no kids do. It's a tragedy." Print's failure is a foregone conclusion, he said, even for Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp. conglomerate recently bought Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal.
Read more about it by clicking here.
CONGRATS TO
Irving Azoff, who was named an MVP in Advertising Age's annual Entertainment Marketers of the Year issue. The success of the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" album and the exclusive deal with Wal-Mart were factors in Advertising Age's decision.
HICKS GETS GREASED
Following in the footsteps of fellow "American Idols" Clay Aiken and Fantasia, former people's champion Taylor Hicks will hit the Broadway stage by appearing in "Grease" from June to September.
MORE DRM-FREE MUSIC
This week, Napster made all six million mp3s in its library DRM-free. The download service has the backing of all four major labels.
BONAROO TV
For the first time in it's seven-year history, Bonnaroo will be broadcast live via Fuse TV. The station will feature each day's best performances, totaling six hours of coverage.
RIGHT BACK TO WHERE SHE STARTED FROM
Courtney Love has abandoned "Nobody's Daughter," the album she was working on with Linda Perry and Billy Corgan, and will instead start over.
STILL AT IT
The Dave Matthews Band is a "long way" from completing their new album, but violinist Boyd Tinsley says they hope to finish it after DMB's tour ends in September.
WEDDING BELLS
As expected, Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and pop singer Ashlee Simpson married this weekend at a ceremony officiated by Joe Simpson in the Simpson's back yard.
WELL, A SEXY SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN A SEXY NOTHING
Paul McCartney, Morrissey, and members of Bloc Party and Death Cab for Cutie are in the running for the title of this year's "World's Sexiest Vegetarian."
ACM WINNERS
The Academy of Country Music held their annual award show this weekend. Kenny Chesney was named Entertainer of the Year, Carrie Underwood was named Top Female Vocalist, Brad Paisley was named Top Male Vocalist, Rascal Flatts was named Top Vocal Group, and Garth Brooks received the Academy of Country Music Crystal Milestone Award.
TICKETMASTER TRIES PAPERLESS
Ticketmaster is planning on going the paperless route for some shows in hopes of preventing scalpers and frustrating the secondary-ticket market. The plan will be used for Tom Waits' Glitter & Doom tour.
BRIAN WILSON BACK AT CAPITOL
Brian Wilson will release his new album "That Lucky Old Sun" via Capitol Records on September 2nd. Wilson premiered the piece, which features contributions from longtime collaborator and arranger Van Dyke Parks, at London's Royal Festival Hall last September. This album marks Wilson's return to Capitol, the original home of the Beach Boys.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD "TOP IDOL"
Surprise, surprise. Country singer Carrie Underwood is the all-time most popular "American Idol" winner according to a poll released on Monday by AOL Television. An overwhelming majority -- 63% -- thought that contestants who had record deals in the past should not be allowed to compete on the Fox network show.
AOL MUSIC EXPANDS ONLINE
AOL Music has launched a pair of new sites: The Boot, focused on country music, and The Boom Box, featuring hip-hop and R&B. The sites will give fans access to their favorite artists -- including video and song premieres, news, photos, exclusive interviews and original editorial features.
HERE WE GO AGAIN
Rumors are circulating via Canada's Much Music that the reunited Led Zeppelin will play four shows at Toronto's Skydome this August.
TYLER TO REHAB
Us Magazine is reporting that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has checked into a rehab facility in California. The 60-year-old singer checked into the Pasadena Recovery Center, the site where Dr. Drew Pinsky practices and was the setting for Celebrity Rehab.
KARMA
Lou Pearlman, the boy band creator/manager who helped guide the Backstreet Boys and 'NSYNC to chart-topping success, was sentenced to 25 years in prison today for charges that he bilked investors and banks out of over $300 million.
WHO TRIBUTE
Pearl Jam, the Foo Fighters and the Flaming Lips will take the stage on July 12th to pay tribute to the Who in an upcoming VH1 Rock Honors episode. The Who will also perform at the event, with all proceeds from the concert benefiting the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Quotes of the week
"Nothing's planned. Never say never. We discussed the idea and we do enjoy the writing process. It's quite exciting the way Genesis writes, going in without music and just jamming. An album is a road you get on and you can't stop it. Who knows?"
-- Mike Rutherford in Rolling Stone, commenting on the possibility of Genesis getting together again to record and tour."It's just an unfortunate thing that's happened. It's literally just a growing apart, that's all."
-- Shania Twain's husband, Robert "Mutt" Lange, commenting about their decision to divorce. I'll bet it's "unfortunate" for Mutt ... he doesn't get to produce any more of Shania's albums."You're gonna have as many as [the] Brady Bunch when you have these."
-- Jack Black, talking about his "Kung Fu Panda" costar Angelina Jolie as an expectant mother of two, during a joint "Today" show interview."Tell Tyra that the Queen has returned, and while you're at it, have Heidi clear the runway."
-- RuPaul, announcing his new LOGO network show, Drag Race, a reality competition between drag queens. Yup, TV Wasteland indeed."For comedy, we're good-looking girls, but in terms of professional good-looking people, I don't want to run with those horses!"
-- Amy Poehler, along with "Baby Mama" costar Tina Fey, to Oprah. Well, she's honest. She could never "run with those horses" ... she'd get trampled."I think David is better looking than him. Definitely."
-- Victoria Beckham, choosing her husband's looks over People's twice-named "Sexiest Man Alive," George Clooney. Each to his own, Victoria."I can look back at pictures of myself with the great assurance that I will be embarrassed by about 60% of them. This is the nature of fashion."
-- Sarah Jessica Parker, in an interview pre-dating her wearing a completely ridiculous, ugly, and outrageous "hat" to the "Sex & The City" premiere in London to Vogue. And that picture of Sarah might even cause her to question her sanity at that point in her life. Since when is it "the nature of fashion" to wear things that will look ridiculous in hindsight?
THIS WEEK'S "WHO CARES?!" HEADLINE THAT COULD'VE BEEN FROM THE ONION ... BUT IT'S REAL
"High-kicking Donkey In Jail ... Donkey Doing Time In Southern Mexico For Assault And Battery"
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
New Madonna Album Hailed As Available For Purchase May 20, 2008
LONDON-Pop superstar Madonna has once again wowed music critics and consumers alike with her latest offering, "Hard Candy," an album that has garnered unanimous praise for the ease with which it can be exchanged for money. "Fans will find this record just as for sale as anything else in Madonna's wonderfully obtainable oeuvre," said NME staff writer Henry Carter, who also lauded individual tracks on "Hard Candy" as being available for 99 cents each on iTunes. "There's something here that anyone can pay for, whether they are longtime buyers of Madonna's albums or new to spending money on her music." Although "Hard Candy" has only been available for three weeks, its format of a two-channel 16-bit PCM encoding at a 44.1 kHz sampling rate per channel has already drawn comparisons to such classic CDs as the Beatles "Abbey Road" and the Spin Doctors' "Turn It Upside Down."
Read the rest here: http://tinyurl.com/4n8arg.
THE RADIO INTERVIEW on 'THE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE' - From newsblaze.com
"Steve Meyer is on the front line of global music sales and distribution which he expects will soar to pocket-bursting levels. What's more, he shares his insight and ingenuity with us. Steve gives us both historical perspective and futuristic vision as he chats with Judy about the love of his work, trends of the business and his personal points of view about success, happiness and blending life with the lust for life. Steve joins Judy and helps us discover the thrill of having it all with a sense of balance and purpose. "
You can listen to an interview I did with Judy Piazza of 'The American Perspective' by clicking here: (It runs about 15 minutes)
http://www.thesop.org/index.php?id=10306.
The Blogs
Check out a great blog by Jerry Del Colliano, the Director Executive Programs, Clinical Professor Music Industry & Recording Arts, at the Thornton School of Music,University of Southern California, by clicking here: http://www.insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com.
Box Office
Check The Daily & Weekly Box Office (and more film info) at: www.boxofficemojo.com.
TinyURL
Check out www.tinyurl.com where you can make a smaller URL that will work for any webpage you wish to link to or reference. (As you can see, I'm using it in my news stories above!)
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