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Starbucks Fighting For Street Cred: The New York Times says Starbucks has lost its creative vision and are now dealing with slumping CD sales. Critics and ex executives of the company say Starbucks has alienated business partners by demanding to much cut of music revenue and not being selective of the artists they carry on the shelves.

The starbucks model sucks – expensive coffee and expensive music! Why would people by the Radiohead ‘In Rainbows’ for 13.00 when you know that same record can be bought for $10 or under says artist manager Steve Ross.

Who Cares About First Week Sales: The Raconteurs are abandoning the standard months-long wait between finishing an album and releasing it with “Consolers of the Lonely,” which will hit retail March 25 via Third Man/Warner Bros according to Billboard. “The purpose: to get the album to the fans as soon as possible and as we promised,” the Jack White-featuring band says. “We wanted to explore the idea of releasing an album everywhere at once and THEN marketing and promoting it thereafter,” the band says. “The Raconteurs would rather this release not be defined by its first week sales, pre-release promotion or by someone defining it FOR YOU before you get to hear it.”

Singleless Simpson: Ashlee Simpson will be releasing her third album on April 22nd through Geffen called Bittersweet World. Not suprisingly, her new album features production from Timbaland. Her first two singles have failed to react on the radio charts.

Warner Renews CEO Edgar Bronfman’s Contract: Warner Music Group chairman and CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. has re-upped to run the New York-based major for another five years says Billboard. People close to the situation said the backers remain satisfied with Bronfman and recorded music chief Lyor Cohen, who is in the middle of negotiating his own contract extension.

Hits Daily Double looks at it differently claiming, ‘ Edgar Bronfman’s new five-year deal has emboldened the label chief to sell the WMG board on re-upping N.A. head Lyor Cohen for a similar term. He apparently succeeded in convincing Sperling and company that, despite massive evidence to the contrary, Cohen is indispensable. Said one high-profile music business attorney: “Can you name two music business execs in the last 50 years who have done worse in their jobs, and been rewarded more, than these two clowns?”

Internet Shakeup? Google says Microsoft buying Yahoo could shake up the internet by restricting the free flow of information and some how monopolizing the internet. Honestly, monopolizing the internet and making it a legitimate business may not be that bad. The internet and its element of chaos can’t stay the same, it needs organization – plus, Google needs competition.

New Music: Death Cab For Cutie’s new single ‘I Will Possess Your Heart’ can be purchased on Amazon.

Retailers Clash with Pepsi over Free Music: Pepsi is at odds with some of its biggest US retail customers over a national marketing campaign offering free digital music downloads from online retailer Amazon says the Financial Times. “You have to ask yourself why Pepsi would team up with a company that doesn’t sell its products, and risk antagonising all the people that do sell its products,” said a source at one retailer. (read full article here)