NIN @ the 2009 Virgin Fest (more by Bao Nguyen)

A letter from Trent below...

Continue reading "Trent Reznor: thoughts on ticket re-sellers / scalping"

I guess some of this is technically old news, but I never realized it until this week. Morrissey, currently not actually on tour (he got to the US on March 6th after cancelling four shows, played one night, and then cancelled two more), was supposed to be touring with Massachusetts' neo-soul wonder-kid Eli Paperboy Reed. This was confirmed by Eli himself in a lemmingtrail posting. On December 5th Eli described the opportunity as "Totally nuts". Three posts later he wrote, "Yeah its insane. No animal products on our rider anymore!" (I like that part). BUT... Flash forward 8 dissapointing days later. Eli posted:

Eli - 12/13/08 - 2:30 am

This isn't happening....Morrisey came to our show in London and said that we weren't right for his tour. Apparently on his last tour he kicked off the opening band after the first show so at least that didn't happen. I'm pretty bummed

That does suck. That also explains why Eli is available to play the Bell House (3/12, TONIGHT), SXSW, and a whole bunch of other shows this month including March 28th at Maxwell's.

That also explains why Bill Pearis' partly-published list of UK bands playing NYC this month included a band (that I am now just first posting about) called the Courteeners, who in addition to playing Mercury Lounge on March 17th, are in North America because they're touring with Morrissey (as opposed to being here because they're playing SXSW like most of their countrymen). And yes, Morrissey is a fan:

"Every song was very strong and full of hooks and dynamics. So many groups in England, they're hyped and they're all over the press, but they don't actually have any songs, they don't really have anything to offer ... But it's different with The Courteeners."
- Morrissey.

As much as I feel bad for Eli, at least the Moz is keeping it real. Eli is probably over it anyway. He's got better things to think about, like, eleven shows at SXSW, and...his major label record contract...

After releasing his debut album through Somerville's Q Division last year, Brookline native Eli "Paperboy" Reed this week signed a major-label deal with Virgin Records.

Reed spread the news earlier today via the Lemmingtrail music and arts message board.

"After what seemed like forever of contract negotiations on Tuesday I finally signed with EMI/Virgin Records," Reed wrote. "I am really psyched to start working on another record and to make the best damn record I've ever made. 2009 is going to be a good year, I think."

Reed wrote that his Virgin deal does not include his seven-piece backing band, the True Loves, due to their unstable lineup. But he added he will continue to work with them under some sort of "sharing agreement." Terms of the contract were not revealed. [Boston Herald]

All Eli Paperboy Reed dates HERE. All Courtneeners dates (including the three NYC shows with Morrissey that are hopefully still happening) (but not including any Morrissey dates before NYC - Red Cortez are the band opening, or not opening, the beginning of Morrissey's tour) and a video, below...

Continue reading "Morrissey cancelled more shows, The Courteeners (not)opening instead of Eli Paperboy Reed (now on Virgin) "

"Yeah, we're getting really good at mergers and acquisitions at this point, so we've had a lot of companies that we've acquired and had to integrate. But we're working on our ability to do this much quicker. We have to keep some of these systems distributed; sometimes you just can't directly integrate them. You've got to keep running them to better integrate them into the overall enterprise."
[Joe Manna, CIO of Live Nation]

"Mr. Billy Corgan was busy in Washington today, first appearing before the House Committee on the Judiciary in a hearing on the Performance Rights Act, then delivering a letter in support of the controversial Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger. You can read Billy's words to the committee here, but essentially Corgan told congressional leaders that radio should pay performers, not just songwriters, for tracks played." [Stereogum]

"Bono said he had no opinion on the mega-merger." [Chicago Sun Times]

"I had a long conversation with a promoter who told me that with regard to a show he was promoting, Ticketmaster was guaranteeing the secondary market for the act." [Bob Lefsetz]

"In a meeting last May with more than 100 ticket brokers, Ticketmaster's then-chief executive, Sean Moriarty, acknowledged that the ticketing giant had used TicketExchange to sell 160 Neil Diamond tickets over two shows at marked-up prices." [Wall Street Journal]

"No Doubt is sticking it to Ticketmaster by selling 10% of the tickets for its North American Tour directly to fans. The goal, according to Jim Guerinot, No Doubt's manager, is for fan club members to buy tickets instead of 2nd party distributors such as TicketNow, the legal scalping division of Ticketmaster. This is the same problem Bruce Springsteen and his fans have been pissed about for weeks." [New York Press]

"AEG CEO Tim Leiweke slammed the proposed Live Nation, Ticketmaster merger, saying that it is 'not good for the industry.'" [The Busines Insider]

"Come on! Only Gene Simmons got into this business for the money. The rest of you were enraptured by the music. Can't you get the public on the same page? Can't you turn everybody into a club rat? Can't we get everybody to go out and see live music on a regular basis? Or do we have to wait until the labels fail, independent promoters are broken and every ticket is sold on TicketsNow and StubHub?" [Bob Lefsetz]

Continue reading "Bono, Billy Corgan, No Doubt, Bob Lefsetz, AEG, others chime in on Live Nation & Ticketmaster"

A Place To Bury Strangers have signed a worldwide deal with UK based record label, Mute. On Friday April 17, the band will appear at the 2009 Coachella Music Festival in Indio, CA. They will also headline this year's PsychFest in Austin, TX on Saturday March 15. The band is currently in the studio working on an as-yet untitled sophomore album. Release date is TBD.

"We are incredibly excited to sign with Mute," says frontman and guitarist Oliver Ackermann. "They have put out some of our favorite music over the years. I can't think of a label that better fosters experimentally creative music."

TONIGHT (3/5), catch them with Marnie Stern and Ra Ra Riot at NYU. All current APTBS dates below...

Continue reading "APTBS sign to Mute - Marnie Stern NYU show tonight"

Target shopper (by kate*)

Prince has found an outlet for his latest collection of songs, recorded without a major label, by partnering with Target for a three-disc set, the retail chain said on Monday.

The album will be available at Target stores March 29. The collection has two original studio albums called "LOtUSFLOW3R" and "MPLSoUND" and a third disc titled "Elixer" by his latest protege, the singer Bria Valente.

The three-disc set from Prince, which will sell for $11.98 at Target, is the latest instance of a recording artist partnering with a major retailer to release an album. [Reuters]

In October, AC/DC released their new album exclusively through Walmart.

The music industry has lost more than 30 percent in sales since 2001 because of illegal downloading, a top industry official said Wednesday, giving evidence in a Swedish trial.

John Kennedy, the head of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, told the Stockholm District Court that Swedish site The Pirate Bay had become "the No. 1 source of illegal music," following court actions against two other popular file-sharing sites, Grokster and Kazaa.

"Over a period of time, piracy has done immense damage to the music industry," Kennedy said, adding that illegal Internet downloads had caused industry sales to tumble from $27 billion in 2001 to $18 billion in 2008.

Kennedy testified on behalf of a handful of record companies, including Sony BMG and EMI, which together with movie companies such as Universal and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. are seeking 117 million kronor ($13.2 million) in compensation and damages. [AP]

DOWNLOAD: Earthless - Godspeed (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Phosphorescent - Reasons to Quit (Willie Nelson) (MP3)

Earthless

Jagjaguwar announced the addition of Dinosaur Jr. to their label family earlier this week. Not many details were released, but they said, "Its not often that the shiny reveries of our younger, more formative years get to coincide with the psyche of our professional lives. Let's call it castle building, start making plans for a new tower, muse on it in our quieter moments, then move on. WE'RE STOKED!" Other Jagjaguwar artists include Okkervil River, Bon Iver, Women, Black Mountain, and Swan Lake who just released their new album along with some free MP3's.

The Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar/Dead Oceans SXSW showcase takes place at Mohawk in Austin on Thursday, March 19. Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, Julie Doiron, Foreign Born, These Are Powers, Women, Richard Swift, Bishop Allen, Phosphorescent, BLK JKS, Akron/Family, and "Special Guests" are on that 2-stage bill. I can't say for sure who the special guest is, but Dinosaur Jr. will be at SXSW. They have a publicized SXSW show just one night later. Apparently BlackBerry (yes, the phones) have taken over the Court Street Courtyard for a couple of nights. Dinosaur Jr. are playing that. They go on after Grizzy Bear (one of two shows they're playing) who go on after Peter Bjorn and John.

Phosphorescent is playing two official shows at SXSW. They're doing a normal set at the above-mentioned showcase, and they're performing their new Willie Nelson tribute album from start to finish at the BrooklynVegan showcase at Club DeVille one night earlier which is exactly what they're doing at the Bell House in Brooklyn this Saturday night.

Lou Barlow is also playing at least one show at SXSW. The Dinosaur Jr. bassist is listed as ""Lou Barlow w/ Imaad Wasif" on the Merge/Barsuk showcase at The Parish on March 21st. Telekinesis, The Wooden Birds,, Say Hi, The Rosebuds, and Ra Ra Riot are also playing that show.

J Mascis's other band Witch is currently on tour with Earthless. That tour brings them to Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn TONIGHT (2/25). Children open up and tickets are still on sale. If you go, don't miss San Diego's Earthless.

Earthless is the brainchild of Mario Rubalcaba, Mike Eginton & Isaiah Mitchell. Rubalcaba a prolific drummer has worn the alias of Ruby Mars during his stint with Rocket From The Crypt, went on to bang away for the Hot Snakes, was the drummer for hardcore art-punks Clikatat Ikatowi and previously was in the Black Heart Procession... and prior to that? Mario was a member of Tony Alva's Alva Team skateboarding crew. He now finds himself, along with bassist Mike Eginton and guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, knee deep in the near opposite direction of all things punk rock, ensconced in the world of jam, space and "cosmic nodding" a.k.a. Earthless.

They're playing SXSW too.

Speaking of Hot Snakes, and the Bell House and SXSW, Obits kick off a tour on March 15th.

Video of Earthless performing at Roadburn 2008 (the performance they just released as a live album), below...

Continue reading "Dinosaur Jr, Jagjaguwar, Witch, Lou Barlow and Earthless"

As pointed out this morning, there was a hearing on Captiol Hill today to discuss the Live Nation / Ticketmaster merger. Jim DeRogatis tuned in:

All of the senators voiced strong skepticism about the merger--including traditional foes Orrin Hatch (R-UT, and an amateur recording artist) and Charles Schumer (D-NY, and a Bruce Springsteen fan outraged by Ticketmaster's handling of the upcoming tour)--and they hurled barbed questions about skyrocketing prices, duplicitous ticket schemes and unfair competition at Ticketmaster head Irving Azoff and Live Nation boss Michael Rapino.

A native of downstate Danville, Azoff stressed his background as a music fan who traveled to Comiskey Park to see the Beatles and who promoted acts such as Dan Fogelberg and REO Speedwagon during his time at the University of Illinois. "This business is in far worse shape than many people realize," he said, adding that the merger is necessary to save it.

Rapino cited the benefits of Live Nation shows to local economies, claiming that one two-day event last summer at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisc., pumped $5 million into the area. He did not name the artist.

Rapino also argued that competition is alive and well. He cited the example of Chicago, claiming that Live Nation only promotes 16 percent of the concerts here versus 29 percent promoted by Jam. Nationally, he said Live Nation only controls 38 percent of the concert business.....
[Continued at the Chicao Sun Times]

Reuters covered it too, and points out that "Sen. Charles Schumer urged Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff to sell TicketsNow, which gave its parent company a public relations black eye just before the merger was announced."

"Ticketmaster faces a Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday about its plan to merge with Live Nation, but at least the company managed to resolve its conflict with the state of New Jersey just before the hearing takes place.

Bruce Springsteen's home state settled with the ticketing giant after fans filed thousands of complaints that Ticketmaster gouged them and others by directing them to its secondary ticketing market, TicketsNow, which offered tickets marked-up hundreds or even thousands of dollars above their asking price on the first day in which they were available.

As penance, the company paid New Jersey $350,000 and promised to compensate approximately 2,200 people who were overcharged as part of the flap, according to the Wall Street Journal (whose article can't be read without a subscription). Their means of compensation is a bit odd; out of those 2,200 disgruntled Springsteen fans, 1,000 will be entered in a random drawing to receive permission to purchase two tickets to another show on the tour without having to pay Ticketmaster's notoriously onerous convenience fees (so that's how you avoid those fees: by winning a lottery?).

In addition, Ticketmaster must erect a better wall between its primary and secondary ticketing businesses and must prove that it is selling its tickets first to the primary market, as opposed to injecting them directly into TicketsNow, whose auction style bidding generally results in higher prices.

Barry Diller, CEO of Ticketmaster, originally pinned blame for the foul-up on Visa. The company later clarified the problem was with its credit card billing system in general, which was overloaded by consumer interest in these shows -- never underestimate the popularity of Bruce Springsteen in the tri-state area.

Top brass from Ticketmaster and Live Nation will appear in a Justice Department hearing on Tuesday to determine whether they should be allowed to merge, called "The Ticketmaster/Live Nation Merger: What Does it Mean for Consumers and the Future of the Concert Business?" [WIRED]

Wired further points out that the hearing will be webcast starting at 2:30pm EST.

Relix Magazine was launched by Les Kippel in 1974, stemming from the underground network of Grateful Dead concert-goers who taped and traded live recordings. The newsletter was originally distributed under the name Dead Relix and featured hand-drawn black and white concept artwork covers created by artist Gary Kroman. Averaging 20 pages per issue, the articles focused on taping tips and Grateful Dead news.

Even as early as the second issue, non-Dead editorial found its way into Dead Relix's pages and, with the addition of an editor, the young magazine expanded its scope to cover the music of the San Francisco Bay Area psychedelic scene. By 1978, Dead Relix contained reviews, essays, short features and artwork, and had dropped the "Dead" from its title. In a world that was moving away from hippy culture, Relix managed to remain relevant, by expanding its scope of coverage beyond "Bay Area psychedelic rock" to cover genres as diverse as reggae and heavy metal, with varying degrees of success. [Wiki]

To quote an anonymous source, someone "bought RELIX and Jambands.com and saved both from going under." The investor "didn't buy any of the other Zenbu entities though."