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My Space Tries It Again...With More Help From Justin Timberlake
January 18, 2013
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MYSPACE TRIES IT AGAIN ... WITH MORE HELP FROM JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
The new MySpace officially launched to the public this week, unveiling a revamped site focused on music. (Uh, didn't it actually re-launch once before?)
Co-owner Justin Timberlake's presence is immediate as upon joining (which can be done using Facebook or Twitter logins or through a separate sign-in process) users are offered a free stream his new single featuring Jay Z, "Suit & Tie." Read about it here
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
THE BEATLES "LOVE ME DO" NOW IN U.K.'S PUBLIC DOMAIN AFTER 50 YEARSThe Beatles first single, "Love Me Do," has entered the pubic domain in Europe, thanks to current copyright law in the European Union, Complete Music Update reports.
Read about it hereAnd because of this, "Two small independent labels have released versions of Beatles track 'Love Me Do', which officially fell out of copyright on 31 Dec., even though the sound recording copyright term is in the process of being extended in Europe." Read about it here
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NEW VINYL CONVERTS TALK TO CNET'S AUDIOPHILIACCNet's Steve Guttenberg talks with a few music lovers who grew up in a mostly digital world and are just now starting to play LPs.
Guess what? They love vinyl. Read more
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PIRATE BAY: THE DOCUMENTARYWithout a doubt, Hollywood's most hated BitTorrent website in all the world is now the subject of a documentary.
It looks to be quite a great little film. Here's the just-released trailer. Watch it here
No word on the full release date, but it will be released online when ready.----------------------------
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AMAZON'S MP3 STORE NOW OPTIMIZED FOR iPHONE & iPODSAmazon.com launched its device-optimized music store today with songs as low as 69 cents.
This store, containing a 22-million song catalog, allows both Apple and Android owners the ability of purchasing a song directly on their devices -- something Apple users were unable to do previously -- and play it anywhere. Read more
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2012: A BIG YEAR FOR STREAMINGAccording to IROCKE.COM, 2012 was the biggest year for live streaming concerts, music channels, and music festivals.
Last year, almost every U.S. music festival and many of Europe's largest festivals were streamed online, allowing viewers to vicariously experience the festivals with their eyes and ears in real time. Read more
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STEVIE NICKS TALKS ABOUT THE RETURN OF FLEETWOOD MACStevie Nicks's tumultuous life as a rock queen led her to addiction, heartbreak and "insanity."
As Fleetwood Mac reunites, she tells Caspar Llewellyn Smith why she's going back for more. Read more here
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 8
THE COMPLETE LIST GOLDEN GLOBE WINNERS (IF YOU REALLY CARE), AND THE REAL STORY ABOUT THE HFPAYes, the Golden Globes were held this past Sunday. (Yawn)
Read a great review of the show on Rolling Stone "You Can Smell The Pills From Here" Read more here
(Editor's note: Gee, Jodie Foster is gay? Who knew?)
The list of winners on TheWrap
And from Nikki Finke, here's what the Hollywood Foreign Press is REALLY about, "The Hollywood Foreign Press Association isn't as advertised. It's actually a small motley group of 85 mostly freelancers who won't grant membership to the real foreign journalists at the prestige media outlets across the world. The HFPA clique doesn't want to dilute the financial bonanza it receives from the studios and networks who arrange exclusive interviews about each year's movies and TV shows. Not only have legitimate journalists for years been attacking the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for its exclusionary membership policies and too-cozy relationship with studios and networks.
But an Oscar-winning documentary director (Vikram Jayanti, in his 2004 film, "The Golden Globes: Hollywood's Dirty Little Secret") has called the group a bunch of "freeloaders" who know more about hors d'oeuvres than auteurs and select winners based on "who kisses butt best." The HFPA was even accused in a lawsuit filed by its former publicist of accepting "payola" -- like taking lavish gifts from studios in exchange for nominations -- and other questionable business practices. This and other lawsuits have laid bare many of the dirty little secrets behind the Golden Globes and its largely ludicrous gang of organizers."
READ MORE on Nikki's Deadline.com
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 9
THE WINDOWS PHONE: COMMENTARY FROM MEDIA POSTMediaPost's Larry Dubrow has written a commentary this week titled "Windows Phone, What Can You For Me."
From the article, "Smart phones are for playing and for signaling to the people in your immediate company that you are uncomfortable with human interaction, and maybe for calling 911 if you fall through an uncovered manhole while walking and texting. That's all. Judging by the number of people I see pixel-wrangling with dyspeptic avians, I'm not alone in feeling this way. That's why I have a hard time taking seriously the latest Windows Phone video volley."
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THE 'A-SIDE' - BONUS TRACKS* In case you can't wait to see how the latest season of "Downton Abbey" winds up and don't mind spoilers, iTunes will have the last three episodes available for purchase almost three weeks before the finale is set to air on U.S. TV. "Apple says this is the first time it has offered episodes ahead-of-time in this way, although previews of forthcoming series have been available in the past," according to the BBC News. Read the whole story
* You know what they are...but here they are listed: 10 Annoying Concert Behaviors
* Since its debut on YouTube in 2005, the wacky sketch-comedy brand Smosh has racked up more than 2 billion views, and 6.8 million subscribers -- more than any other channel on YouTube, according to new data from channel tracker VidStatsX. Read the whole story
* Want a TV now? Last year's Panasonic is your best bet. Panasonic's ST50 series of plasma TVs was our go-to recommendation in 2012, and guess what? It's a great buy now. Read more
* In the fourth quarter, global PC shipments dropped 4.9% year-over-year, according to new data from Gartner. The culprit? "Tablets have dramatically changed the device landscape for PCs, not so much by cannibalizing PC sales, but by causing PC users to shift consumption to tablets rather than replacing older PCs," Mikako Kitagawa, an analyst at Gartner, said in the report. "This transformation was triggered by the availability of low-cost tablets in 2012." Read the whole story
* Coming your way: glass so thin and pliable it bends. (And it will be used in a plethora of tech devices) CNET gets ahead of the curve with Corning's future tech for smartphones and more. Read more
* Microsoft sold about one million Surface tablets during the holiday season, estimates UBS. What's wrong with that? "This is down from the analyst's previous sales estimate of two million units for the product line," The Next Web reports. "The company obviously wanted more. One million Surfaces is a fraction of the supply numbers that were floating about ... in the last few months of 2012." Read the whole story
* The Razer Edge is on the cusp of the future. This Windows tablet/gaming hybrid is making the future a reality. The Edge is a versatile device with great potential. See why we're so excited about it. Read more
* CES postscript: The touch laptop, like it or not. If Intel has its druthers, pretty much everything coming down the pike will be touch-capable. Read more
* The first next-generation BlackBerry will come in multiple variants and pack some decent horsepower, according to Techradar. Read more
* The PC market is in a state of steep and worrisome decline. The first step in addressing the problem is identifying the issues surrounding it -- which is the goal of this eWEEK slide show. But a more difficult task for PC makers will be to figure out how to reverse this slide. READ MORE
* Amateur filmmakers remake "Toy Story" as live-action movie. Shot-for-shot re-creation of the 1995 animated children's movie using the original soundtrack and franchise-licensed toys has become an Internet sensation. Read more
* Homeland Security still advises disabling Java, even after update. DHS says an unpatched vulnerability may still put Web browsers using the plugin at risk of remote attack. (I've already disabled mine, you should as well) Read more
Short News Items ...
'AMERICAN IDOL' TAKES RATINGS HIT:
Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey's much-hyped tiffs did nothing to help the season debut of "American Idol." The show returned Wednesday night to its lowest-rated and least-watched regular-season premiere telecast. It delivered 17.9 million viewers and a 6.0 adults 18-49 demo rating. That's down 19% from last year's opener, which was the previous lowest-ever record-holder. The numbers also mean last night's "Idol" premiere will not be the most-watched entertainment show this week -- Tuesday's NCIS had 22.9 million viewers. This is the first time another series was seen by more viewers than "Idol" during its regular season premiere week.
ELTON A DAD AGAIN:
Elton John and David Furnish welcomed their second son, Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, into the world on January 11th, Hello! reports. The brother to John and Furnish's two-year-old son Zachary, Elijah was born in Los Angeles through a surrogate.
EDC HITS THE WINDY CITY:
Electric Daisy Carnival will stop in Chicago en route to this year's EDC Las Vegas, taking over the Chicagoland Speedway on Memorial Day weekend, event producer Insomniac announced today. The electric dance music blowout will hit on May 24th, 25th and 26th.
ADELE WINS AGAIN:
Adele's "Skyfall," from the latest James Bond movie of the same name, won for 'Best Song' at the Golden Globes.
NEW BOZ:
Boz Scaggs' is releasing his first album of new studio material in five years, "Memphis."
KID & BOB:
Kid Rock and Bob Seger are both hitting the road this spring, and on two overlapping dates, they will share the stage for two shows. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and Kid Rock and the Twisted Brown Trucker Band will both take the stage in Minneapolis/St. Paul on March 15th, as well as the following night, the 16th, in Fargo, ND.
NO-SHOWS FOR THE INAUGURATION:
Though they are all big Obama supporters, neither Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, nor Aretha Franklin are coming to Washington for Obama's Inauguration Party. They've all passed for a variety of reasons -- schedule, exhaustion, etc.
SOUND CITY PLAYERS TO PLAY LIVE:
The Sound City Players will play live: The massive supergroup helmed by Dave Grohl and featuring rock luminaries including Stevie Nicks and John Fogerty will play a one-off show at Los Angeles' Hollywood Palladium on January 31st, the same night Grohl's documentary "Sound City makes its theatrical debut at the Cinerama Dome.
AFFLECK CRITICS CHOICE:
Ben Affleck won Best Director for "Argo" at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards
N'AWLINS FESTIVAL LINEUP:
Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Maroon 5 and the Black Keys are among a slew of artists slated to perform at this year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Others also set to play this year: Dave Matthews Band, Phoenix (who just announced the title of their upcoming new album), John Mayer, Frank Ocean, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Jill Scott, Jimmy Cliff, Patti Smith, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, Band of Horses, Gary Clark Jr. and Earth, Wind & Fire.
BREAKING UP:
Britney Spears and fiancé Jason Trawick have broken up and called off their engagement, Us Weekly reports. The couple had been together for three years and became engaged in December 2011.
PRINCE SURPRISE:
Prince will play six last-minute shows at the Dakota Jazz Club in his hometown of Minneapolis this week, during which he's promised to provide plenty of surprises, as well as hold auditions for a new drummer, Billboard reports.
1-D GOES 3-D:
One Direction will officially begin shooting their previously announced behind-the-scenes 3D film next weekend. The film will be released by TriStar Pictures on Aug. 30th, 2013.
'THE KILLING' RETURNS:
AMC's "The Killing" has been renewed for a third season, the network and Fox Television studios, which produces the series, said Tuesday. The new season, which begins production Feb. 25th in Vancouver, will focus on a new case, which will be resolved by the end of the season.
BOWIE INFO:
Tony Visconti has been producing albums for David Bowie since 1969. "Music didn't interest him until two years ago," the producer tells Rolling Stone of Bowie's surprise return after a decade away. He confirms the singer has no plans to tour, but may consider a single show. Read More
BEYONCE SUPER BOWL SHOW NEWS:
Beyonce will reunite with former Destiny's Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michele Williams for her Super Bowl halftime show Feb. 3rd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, according to an US Weekly report.
SXSW FIL INFO:
South by Southwest will kick off its upcoming SXSW Film Conference and Festival on a lighthearted note with "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone." The Steve Carell comedy, which follows the travails of a pair of Las Vegas magicians, has been named the festival's opening-night film.
MUSCLE SHOALS DOC:
The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon and Wilson Pickett are just a few of the artists who traveled to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, during the 1960s and early 1970s to record. In that small town, a handful of studios were changing the sound of soul and rock & roll. Now you can check out the trailer for the new documentary Muscle Shoals, from director Greg "Freddy" Camalier, which is set to premiere this year at Sundance: Watch it here
SUPER BOWL ROLLING STONE:
Pitbull and Flo Rida will help Rolling Stone magazine kick off Super Bowl weekend New Orleans-style on February 1st, when they'll hit the stage for Rolling Stone LIVE at the Bud Light Hotel.
DANO TO PLAY BRIAN:
Paul Dano will play Brian Wilson in the upcoming biopic "Love and Mercy," which Bill Pohlad is set to direct. Atticus Ross – who won an Oscar with Trent Reznor for their music for "The Social Network" – is in talks to write the film's score.
CASSADEE GETS HER DEAL:
Cassadee Pope, the winner of the third season of "The Voice," has officially signed with Republic Nashville. She is managed by Irving Azoff and Tina Kennedy.
STROKES ARE BACK:
The Strokes are returning with new music. Billboard has confirmed a report that the Strokes' fifth studio album will be released later this year, and that the intended first single is titled "All The Time."
BEATLES REDUX:
A BBC program to air on TV and radio will see artists including The Stereophonics and Mick Hucknall attempt to rerecord The Beatles' "Please Please Me" album at Abbey Road Studios. Marking the album's 50th anniversary, the acts will have just 12 hours to complete the work, mirroring the marathon single session that resulted in The Beatles' debut album. The event also will be filmed for a BBC Four special called '12 Hours to Please Me', scheduled to air Feb. 15th in the U.K.
ROLLING STONE FOR THE iPAD:
Rolling Stone magazine just launched an iPad edition that will feature links to samples of music featured in reviews and articles; readers can also buy full-blown tracks from iTunes. A single issue is $4.99, same as the print version, with a digital subscription ($19.99) separate from a print one.
Leaving Us
John Wilkinson, a guitar player who accompanied Elvis Presley for more than a thousand shows as a member of the TCB Band, died last Friday at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer, the Associated Press reports.
Claude Nobs, the founder and general manager of the Montreux Jazz Festival, died last week after sustaining injuries from a fall while cross-country skiing in nearby Caux-sur-Montreux on Christmas Eve. He was 76.
Quotes of the week
"Life is a bitch, but there's always hope. Smoking weed is going to bring us together as a generation."
-- Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky. (Really? That'll do it, huh? It didn't do it for a whole generation from the '60s, and I don't think it'll do it now.)"I now know that, yes, I am powerful. I'm more powerful than my mind can even digest and understand."
-- Beyoncé, on her public influence, to GQ magazine (Now the question is, who is the bigger egomaniac, Beyoncé or her husband Jay-Z?)"A lot of it just starts out us joking, but we're passionate, we're both crazy. And then sometimes it just goes and you can't really stop it."
-- Nicky Minaj, talking about her ongoing on-screen feuds with Mariah Carey on "American Idol" (And can someone please tell Ms. Minaj: a) nobody cares; b: shut up )"We kinda wanted to call our next album 'Tenacious D: Led Zeppelin IV,' which would suggest that it's in fact our best album. We're not gonna call it that, I don't think, but I think this will be our Led Zeppelin IV. There's gonna be some mind expansion – it's gonna be changing some lives."
-- Jack Black, talking about the next Tenacious D album in Rolling Stone"The record business sucks! [Laughs] It's never going to be the same. That's why all of us who care are starting to do other things. I love music, don't get me wrong, [but] whether it's illegal downloads or whatever they want to blame it on, that's why a lot of record companies shut down, or merge together. They just aren't the same, records aren't the same. Artists like Adele, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, Drake or whomever -- it shows that records do sell. That it can be done. Great music, timeless music is hard to come by, but there are some that are like that. The song Sia wrote for Rihanna, ["Diamonds"] that you'll hear in the elevator or in the grocery store -- It's a feel-good song. Those kind of songs last -- your "Waterfalls" or "Unpretty" -- but there's a lot of this "just for the times" music out now, but they don't last and then everybody's on the next thing. So I don't think it will ever be the same, but great music and great musicians still exist."
-- TLC's T-Boz, in The Hollywood Reporter(Editor's note: Actually all the quotes of the week could have gone to Lance Armstrong, who gave Oprah Winfrey the interview about his use of performance enhancing drugs to win the Tour DeFrance seven times. We've known now for sometime Lance ... but some of things you said in the interview were priceless)
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Lance Armstrong Admits To Using Performance-Enhancing Drugs To Show Remorse
AUSTIN, TX—Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong kicked off a campaign to restore his image Monday by admitting in a television interview with Oprah Winfrey that he used a sophisticated cocktail of performance-enhancing drugs to evince remorse and shame.
Read the rest here and laughRead the rest here and laugh: Click Here.
The Music Industry Past, Present & Future, And The Internet I answer questions on EconTalk
I did an interview about the industry and the Internet at EconTalk with host Russ Roberts. Russ is also a professor of economics at George Mason University, blogs at Cafe Hayek, and has written three novels that teach economics. He's also the co-creator of the Keynes-Hayek rap video. (And if your understanding of the economic meltdown that occurred needs to be enlightened, this video will do it)
In the interview we talk about the evolution of the music industry, the impact of the digital revolution, and I give my reasons for believing in the virtues and potential of the Internet in enhancing the music industry. I point out, as I have many times here in the newsletter, that the internet allows numerous artists to make money from their music and it can enhance revenues from live performances by expanding an artist's base. We also discuss the challenges facing record companies and I suggest that the full potential of the Internet as a distribution channel has yet to be fully exploited. There's a lot of ground covered, but based on the comments already posted of those who have tuned in, they've enjoyed it.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Smart Marketing Consulting Services
Smart Marketing Consulting Services has been in business sixteen years, and consults clients in the music, entertainment, attraction, media, and technology industry on branding, marketing, online exploitation, maximizing new media, and more.
"And the beat goes on, the beat goes on ... drums keep poundin' rhythm to the brain."
"Work is life, you know, and without it, there's nothing but fear and insecurity." -- John Lennon
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