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Yes, we know that writing about music is like dancing about architecture (even if we’re not convinced that Elvis Costello said it first), but let’s be realistic: if you’re a music fan who likes to read, you can achieve a very special level of bliss when you get the opportunity to dive into a book about music. The Bullz-Eye staff knocked their heads together and came up with a list of 45 books that span several musical genres and include autobiographies and biographies, histories of record companies and music magazines, essay collections, and straight-up reference tomes. It’s not intended to be all-encompassing, nor would we presume to call it a definitive list of the best music books of all time. It’s simply a selection of some of our personal favorites, none of which would be out of place on a music fan’s bookshelf…and you can find it right here. We also got some of the authors in on the fun, as well as some of our favorite musicians, which resulted in enough responses from folks from Kyle Vincent to Henry Rollins to warrant Rock of Pages: Celebrity Edition. But we know: we’ve missed one (or more) of your favorites. We always miss one (or more) of your favorites. So call us out already and leave a comment. We can always use another addition to our Barnes & Noble shopping list… Filed under: Rock and Pop and Alternative and Rap and Hip Hop and Country and Jazz and Music Labels and Songs and News and Artists and Videos and External Music Comments: 4 Comments |
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UBER.com, along with industry big shots such as Atlantic Records, The Agency Group, Sneak Attack Media and Peer Music Publishing, are launching a contest for unsigned artists and bands called You Bring the Talent. The winner will receive an EP deal with Atlantic, publishing deal with Peer, booking deal with The Agency Group, distribution through ADA from The Rebel Group and a showcase at Hollywood’s House of Blues. To enter, you have to join UBER.com, and upload your band’s music, bio, and photos–then set up a voting module for yourself. The contest runs until March 31, and your fans can vote once every 24 hours. For more information, please visit www.uber.com/youbringthetalent. |
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After three years on major label Columbia Records, New York City based singer/songwriter Ari Hest is on his own again, and is embracing his independent status. Following an alarming trend of artists who feel the need to emancipate themselves from the major label machine to pursue more control and artistic freedom, Hest is launching a subscription based service on January 7 called “52.” The premise is that the prolific artist will deliver to his fans one new song per week with access to blogs, lyrics, interactive voting polls and more. “After an amicable departure from my record label this summer, I decided it was time to try something a little different,” he said. “It feels great to be an independent artist again, and I’m more inspired than ever to write and record. ” At the end of 2008, Hest will take the most popular songs from “52,” and record a new album with those tracks in 2009. There will be three levels to the subscription service, and fans can find out more by visiting Hest’s website at www.arihest.com Filed under: Rock and Pop and Alternative and Music Labels and Indie Labels and Songs Comments: None |
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It is incredibly easy to get buried in publicity emails, and lose track of what you should actually be covering versus what publicists want you to cover. Our publicist (Mike Farley, take a bow) sends me, on average, dozens of emails a day, all of which scream, “Listen to this right this second!” Before I know it, a band I like, like Travis, has a new album out, and I wonder why I haven’t heard a thing about it. Seriously, isn’t it strange that Travis put out an album and the label did nothing to promote it? Anyway, at the end of the day today, Mike forwards an email from the Director of Publicity at Victory Records. The title of the email instantly gets my attention: “I’m removing you from the promo mailing list.” Wow, classy. Even better, the email is a mass email, delivered to God knows how many other sites that Victory had once called upon. The body of the email is almost as funny as the title:
Again, wow, classy. Okay, here’s the point of my piece. I have been so consumed with putting out the fires in my inbox that it wasn’t until I forwarded this hilarious email to some of the writers on my staff that I even realized (my writers, unlike me, are still in contact with the outside world) that Victory records is in the middle of a veritable shitstorm of negative publicity. All of their biggest bands, including Hawthorne Heights, Taking Back Sunday and Atreyu, have jumped ship following charges of gross malfeasance. The final nail in the coffin came today, when former Victory Records VP Ramsey Dean wrote a lengthy dissertation for Absolute Punk about his time with the label. It has since been taken down but, thanks to Idolator and Google cache, the rant lives on. If you have ever supported this label, you owe it to yourself to read this and learn what is really going on. Racism, hookers and paranoia, oh my! To read the entire rant (warning: it’s really, really long), click here. As a post script, I was tempted to tell the publicist that we would be delighted to be taken off their promo list, but I care so little about their product that I decided not to bother. |
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Apple Inc. (the guys who invented the iPod) and Apple Corps (the guys who invented Revolver) announced Monday that they’ve agreed to settle out of court. The two companies have been at odds for years over Apple Inc.’s use of an apple as its logo. Apple Corps was founded in 1968 by the Fab Four to oversee their business interests, using a green apple as its logo.
Now if we can just get that AC/DC catalog on iTunes, we’ll be good to go. |
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…will surely find their blood boiling after they read this. Finally, the leopard reveals its spots. |
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File under ‘You have got to be kidding me’: Trans World Entertainment, which owns retail music chains For Your Entertainment, Sam Goody, Strawberries, Wherehouse, Specs and Coconuts, is refusing to carry the Scissor Sisters’ new album, Ta-Dah (which is really freaking good, btw), because of comments singer Jake Shears made at the National Association of Music Retailers convention that CD prices were too high.
According to Trans World President and CEO Jim Litwak, his company was just expressing its displeasure at Shears' comments, which he said were untrue and unfair. And furthermore, he said the whole situation could've been avoided had the band bothered to pick up the phone and call him. "Mr. Shears said that he tried to buy a Raconteurs album but didn't because it was too expensive," Litwak told MTV News. "But he didn't bring it up to register, because if he did, he would've seen that the CD was on sale. "So Mr. Shears made an incorrect statement at a convention instead of reaching out to us, to discuss our pricing," Litwak continued. "We decided that it would've been nice to get an apology from them, so we reached out to their distribution company [Universal Music Group Distribution] to let them know we were displeased, and we never heard back from them. So we made the decision not to carry the band's new release."In fairness to Trans World, Jake should have taken up this issue with the band’s label, Universal, which decides the suggested retail price for their albums. This is what Tom Petty did back in the day with his album Hard Promises when he found out that his then-label MCA was going to charge a full dollar more for his record than every other record on the market. He refused to turn the album in until the label relented, which they ultimately did. Score one for the common man. However, in fairness to Jake, CD’s are way, way, WAY too expensive. (Click here to read the rest of the Chauffeur's mad rant.) |
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Relating to the Spotlight Kid’s fine posting below, one should also be aware of a highly disturbing article which appeared on the always-fair-and-balanced Fox News website last week about the album. What’s worse is that there’s nothing in it that really surprises me… Record Biz Crisis: Top 20 Misses 750K The top 20 pop albums sold fewer than a total of 750,000 CDs last week. You read that correctly. The actual total was 738,211. The number includes 220,000 copies of a greatest hits singles collection from all the labels, “Now That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 22.” Without “Now 22,” regular releases came in around 500,000 copies. This is a crisis that no one acknowledges in the record business. But consider that recently dismissed Sony execs Donnie Ienner and Michelle Anthony were making $2 million a year, and that their income is typical of upper echelon management in any record company. If the half million CD sold at full price — $15 — then they didn’t even pay for a small part of one salary. Consider also the execs at radio conglomerates, who have tightened playlists so that few new records are played unless — as identified by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s findings — stations receive free trips, gadgets and other gifts as inducements. You might wonder how any of the companies on either side can afford to stay in business. Consider that last Tuesday, “Now 22” was not the only new release. Sony/Epic issued a new CD by writer-producer Butch Walker, a performer whom this column has extolled over and over. Not only did no one from the company bother to send it here, this reporter only learned about it by accident — yesterday. Walker, who should have a following from his extensive touring — he produces and opens for Avril Lavigne. But he’s been ignored by his label and radio. What’s he supposed to do? The CD sold fewer than 15,535 copies — the minimum it would have taken to hit the top 50. And here’s an amazing statistic: four songs from the new album have been played a total of 200,000 times on Walker’s MySpace page. I doubt this is the work of one person who clicked the links that many times. Some group of people is interested in Butch Walker. They’re just not a group that his label or radio stations are interested in, apparently. If they were, there would be more of an investment in Walker’s career — and other countless talented artists like him — by the record companies. Instead, the record stores are empty, and customers are drifting toward other entertainment. There isn’t a lot to look forward to right away in terms of new releases: Rapper DMX has a new album on Aug. 1, but his last one was three years ago. Rocker Tom Petty’s waited four years to put his new CD, and the last one wasn’t exactly a bestseller with fewer than 350,000 copies sold. Yesterday’s crop of new releases has only one promising title, by Los Lonely Boys, whose previous album sold 2 million copies. All eyes will be on them to see if they can beat their last first week sales record: 4,000 copies. That shouldn’t be too hard. Or Music, a satellite label from Epic, sticks with their artists the way most labels do not. Filed under: Rock and Pop and Alternative and Electronica and Rap and Hip Hop and Country and Jazz and Music Labels and News and Artists and Blues and External Music Comments: 1 Comment |
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Ah leave it to VH-1 Classic and Sony BMG Legacy! The two giants have paired up to create a new CD series entitled We Are the ’80s. Yes, once again you can have another artist-specific best-of compilation from the likes of Loverboy, Rick Springfield, Bow Wow Wow, and A Flock of Seagulls! But wait! These aren’t just any old comps. No, sir, they also include “b-sides, album tracks, and rare cuts!” Holy shit, you mean kinda like other superfluous “deluxe editions” of albums that include an entire second disc larded with crap, but this time it’s all within the comp! Wow! But wait, there’s more! There’s also a tour for these people that will be hitting your better county fair tents everywhere! On the lineup is Rick Springfield, Eddie Money, Scandal and Loverboy! Look out! This is key for labels like Legacy, which has a strong desire to reach a younger, hipper demographic group. “How do you get a 20-year-old to buy discs by Rick Springfield?” asks Jeff Jones, executive vice president of Legacy Recordings and Sony BMG Catalog Worldwide. “VH1 Classic helps the 25-40 demo discover this cool music.” Hey, now about telling those young hipsters to not buy Rick Springfield albums? The guy’s been cranking out crapper after crapper for decades now. And does anyone really want to see Loverboy? Money’s been touring any place that will have him for years. The ’80s are toast, folks. We don’t need to have any more rgurgitated fun packs of the most plastic decade in music. The nostalgia is stronger than the music, just remember that. I lived through it. Many a could have been great album was botched thanks to cheeseball ’80s production and bad synths. Yes, there were also some groovy albums that came out as well…but I can’t think of one that was by Loverboy or Eddie Money. |
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…and, unsurprisingly, it’s Rhino Records, who’ve already been catering to the music geek community for years with their Rhino Handmade label. It hasn’t been publicized nearly enough, but if you visit the label’s website, you’ll see a link to a new section simply called “Digital.” It’s not a particularly glamorous section; in fact, the intro only consists of three sentences. Sometimes great albums go out of print. It’s just a fact of life. Here are some from the Warner Music Group vaults that we’ve brought back as high-quality digital downloads. The downloads are 99 cents per track, and they cover various genres, but those who’ve wanted to hunt up certain out-of-print discs but couldn’t afford the eBay pricetag will be giddy to hear things like Guadalcanal Diary’s Jamboree, Marshall Crenshaw’s Downtown and Mary Jean & 9 Others, the Dream Academy’s self-titled debut, or the Dead Boys’ We Have Come For Your Children will now have their chance. Selection is pretty limited at the moment, but here’s hoping the endeavor proves successful enough to cause the Warner vaults to be opened wide… Now, there’s one thing you should note: as it stands right now, these tracks are available as WMA downloads for Windows users only. Which sucks. But, still, it’s a start… Filed under: Rock and Pop and Alternative and Rap and Hip Hop and Country and Jazz and Music Labels and Songs and News and Artists Comments: 2 Comments |
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Lost Highway Records is, on June 27th, reissuing Van Morrison’s “Pay the Devil” album, adding a bonus DVD which features Van the Man performing four songs live.
Hey, great! Thanks, Lost Highway! Oh, and a very special thank-you for doing that LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS after the album was initially released! That way, you’ll make sure to totally fuck over the fans who bought the album when it came out in the first place…! Okay, I admit it, this shouldn’t bother me as much as it does, given that I got a promo copy so that I could review it; really, this’ll be the first time I’ve actually put money in Van’s pockets…or, more realistically, Lost Highway’s pockets. This isn’t the first time they’ve pulled a stunt like this; they did the same thing with Elvis Costello’s “The Delivery Man,” although at least they waited six months to do it, and they included seven extra tracks and a DVD. But no matter how much more you add, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s totally fleecing the fans who went out of their way to support one of their favorite artists as soon as the album hit stores. (I had to laugh when I looked at the Amazon listing for the expanded version of “The Delivery Man,” where someone commented, “I think I’ll wait for the Rykodisc reissue, which should be out in time for Christmas 2005. Rumor has it that it will include the little-heard Elvis demo entitled, ‘Shilling the Rubes Was Never This Fun.’”) So, seriously, Lost Highway: why do you do this? We love the music, but this treatment is simply unacceptable. |
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Jessica Simpson has dumped her label, kids. First Nick, now this. Here's what I don't get, though. She's hopped from Columbia over to Epic. Now as I recall Epic was always distributed by Columbia, so technically, isn't she working for the same umbrella corporation? Maybe someone will finally teach her how to sing over there. Chances are though her boobs and acne-free chin will keep selling them. C'mon, there can't be that many 14 year old girls out there who still wanna hear Jessica. This chick's career has gone on far too long. I mean she's such a much better actress than singer. |
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Perhaps complaining for long enough sometimes actually works. Universal Music is going to open up its vaults to release over 10,000 currently unavailable albums for downloading. Score one for the new and old school. I just can’t help but continue to complain here, however. As one of those in the “minority” of people who still enjoy collecting music, I’d much rather have an official CD of an album with all the booklet and all that jazz rather than just a CD-R with perhaps some artwork files to print out and put together. That’s just too damn much work. I’m not bitter. This could be fine and all. I just like actual product in my hands and on my shelf, so I can then rip it myself and have mp3s. Hmmm. |
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After Sony’s hugle blunder by encrypting some of their CDs with malicious anti-piracy software, the mega huge company is going to settle the lawsuits brought against it. So what do you get if you were one of the folks who was burdened with their bullshit discs? I hope you’re excited: “The proposed settlement would enable consumers who bought, received, or used a Sony CD loaded with XCP to exchange the disc for a replacement CD, an MP3 download of the same album, and either a cash payment of $7.50 and one free album download or three free album downloads. Consumers who have a CD containing MediaMax 5.0 will receive a free MP3 download of the same album and one additional free album download, while those with CDs containing MediaMax 3.0 software will receive a free MP3 download of that same album.” $7.50?! Um, what universe are they living in? Even with a frickin’ free album download, they should at least give back full retail price. Oh well, I didn’t buy any of those crappy discs, so enjoy your rewards! |
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With Sony/BMG and Warner Bros. recently getting hit with payola lawsuits, more music being purchased digitally, and more new artists becoming hip to the fact that they can survive on their own without “borrowing” money from a major label, the music industry is becoming more indie than ever. Distribution companies such as Redeye are allowing independent artists and indie labels the option of using channels that were previously reserved for the majors. And artists are able to sell their own CD’s online and digitally, as well as through traditional touring….and realizing that they can make and KEEP all or most of the proceeds. No more concern about getting dropped or about the spending the next five years paying a major label all the recoupable expense associated with breaking a new band. And when the war against payola reaches the radio programmers, it could be the end of FM radio as we know it. Which begs the question: will anyone care? I know I won’t. And once again the best artists are the ones who will get noticed. |