Napster Drops DRM: Napster has stripped DRM from all paid downloads on its digital music service and replaced them with unprotected MP3s. As of today all six million songs in the Napster catalog will be available without DRM protection.
Recommended Show: Los Angeles alt rock band, Palmerston, will be peforming at The Knitting Factory this Thursday, May 22nd. Palmerston’s single “Addicted†was added to: WRZX/Indianapolis, KAZR/Des Moines, KACV/Amarillo and MusicChoice. More information can be found here.
An Overnight Sensation: Flobots has the No. 1 downloaded hip-hop album on iTunes this week — in their hometown. How fast did it happen? Oh, really fast…
“I’ve never seen anything happen for a local band so fast,” said Nerf, program director at KTCL, the local station that gave the Flobots an early break. In the past, with every band that has taken off out of Denver, it’s been a slow, tedious process to get signed, and a slow, tedious process to get the album ready to go, and a slow, tedious process to get the song to radio.”But this all seemed to happen in a month, and if that kind of inertia and momentum keeps going, these guys are going to be an enormous success.”
Local Denver band Meese signed to Atlantic Records, a couple months before Flobots signed with Universal Republic. Meese signed a traditional deal as they will be spending months making their first record.Flobots signed an ‘as is’ deal with Universal, which means the label will release their self produced record.
New Music: Listen to Surrender and Broken by Without Tomorrow. The band has performed on Taste of Chaos and Warped Tour, and plan on releasing their new record “Chasing Dreams” in June. A list of upcoming shows can be found on their myspace.
Apple Is Getting Into The Ringtone Business: Apple and the major music labels will sell ringers to iPhone users via iTunes. Apple will also allow users to convert songs they have previously purchased through iTunes into a ringtone says the New York Post.
YouTube a Destinition For Videos: Pete Wentz is pissed because MTV will not play music videos. Here is what he has to say:
I could only assume that you would be completely frustrated with the same things i am with mtv. it is a network called music television that does not play music videos. and when they do play videos it is in 30 second clips on TRL or underneath the credits of whatever reality show.
the truth is we have a collective memory of videos. certain ones we can all sit and look back and say “oh i remember that” or “i cant believe axl rocked the nwa hat and the bicycle shorts in the same video”. people say that with the a.d.d. generation people cant pay attention to a whole music video whenever we have asked. that people wont watch those anymore. i disagree. as most of you do as well. the truth is whole videos should be played. bands should play live. premieres should be a big deal like they used to be, not just a snippet of a video. artists should be able to let their imaginations go and know that people will be able to see what they have crafted. artists should talk about their ideos. we should and can make the music video important again.
Tougher Times For EMI: Citigroup is giving Guy Hands three extra months to turn EMI around. EMI who houses artists including Coldplay and Kylie Minogue must generate underlying earnings of £180m by September to meet key targets set by Citigroup. If EMI does not meets its goals, then what happens next? Most likley, there will be am extensive shakedown between Citigroup and EMI.
TVT Records Under Investigation: Creditors are claiming a financing deal between owner Steve Gottlieb and hedge fund D.B. Zwirn was aimed at diverting assets from the creditors according to the New York Post. “The creditors’ committee is conducting an investigation into the elaborate finance transactions of [TVTRecords] and its affiliates,” Richard Wolfe, the chair of TVT’s creditors’ committee, said. “I believe the scheme was designed to insulate the value of the publishing assets of [TVT] from its creditors.”
iPhone Now Welcomes File Sharing: An illegal file sharing application for the iPhone and iPod touch is now available. “We were able to download half of a full-length movie in 20 minutes, while our first song download took only three minutes over WiFi says Wired“.
Signings: Camera Can’t Lie has signed to Atlantic Records. Mercy Mercedes has signed to the Militia Group…what’s up with the Cher autotune effect?
The Lack of Memorable Talent, Makes Idol Boring: “Contestants who were good but not memorable made for mediocre television, watchers say.” “Because the talent level was so high, nothing anyone did was surprising,” Anderson said. The audience for American Idol” has dropped by about 8 percent from the nearly 31 million viewers who watched last year, but “Idol” has withstood the downturn better than many other hit series, such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” down about 20 percent.
Bruce Flohr, a former record company executive now with Red Light Management, is an “Idol” admirer but said the show has to do a better job of weeding out lesser singers who make it too easy to guess who will make it through to the end.
“Part of the problem is people are starting to use the show as a vehicle to stardom, whether they truly want to sing or not,” he said.
Listen to the track Outrage by Capital Lights. Their new record titled “This Is An Outrage” will be available July 8th via Tooth and Nail Records.
Check out the track ‘Let It Rain‘ from Hong-Kong raised Margot Blanche who describes herself as a French-Filipino NuSoul songstress with a classically alluring voice. Margot says ‘Let It Be’ was written during one of the darkest moments of her life and I don’ t doubt that…
Katy Perry’s single, ‘I Kissed A Girl‘ was added to top 40 radio. This is a good cheeze track – Katy has a good original voice. I still can’t understand why she is performing on the WARPED Tour…
Shinedown’s new single ‘Devour‘ was recently added to active rock radio as well as the 3 Doors Down new single titled ‘Train‘.
Rehab’s ‘Sittin’ At A Bar‘ was added to alternative radio…..eh! it’s alright.
Duffy’s new single ‘Mercy‘ has almost 10 million views on YouTube – except she has nothing on Amy Winehouse.
We want to hear new music, email tips@kingsofar.com
Ashlee Simpson’s single ‘Outta My Head’ represents the lowest point in modern music.
“It was written by SIX!!! people. As a comparison, ‘Yesterday’, the most covered song in history, was written by Paul McCartney, one man, in his sleep”.
“So what’s gone wrong in the last 40 years, that we’ve gone from Yesterday to “Ay ya ya ya yaâ€?
Paul McCartney is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, poet, painter, record producer, and film producer.
“Well, McCartney was a songwriting genius, right? Well maybe, but that genius didn’t spring out of thin air. He’d done his homework, and was steeped in rock’n’roll and blues, folk, ragtime, musicals, Tin Pan Alley standards, church hymns and classical music – all influences working on him when he composed”.
“The writers of ‘Outta My Head’ are influenced by market forces and the few hit records of the last 18 months, all of which eschew melody for the novelty of the studio and the tyranny of whatever rhythm is moving the club floors at this particular moment.”
“But for the last 3 years it’s been a downward spiral, with popular music across genres deteriorating massively as writers and performers completely misplace the melody.”
Do you want to be a better songwriter? well, you have to write more meaningful melodies and lyrics that touch the soul. If you have only listened to records during the last 10 years, the chances of writing songs that touch millions of people are slim to none. Start listening to these records now…
Courtney Scraps Album: Courtney Love has reportedly scrapped an entire album recorded with pop songwriter Linda Perry. The Hole singer, who previously worked with Perry on 2004’s America’s Sweetheart LP, apparently ditched the record to work with British musician Micko Larkin.
Change Shmame: Several local figures including legal nut job Larry Lessig plans to support Obama’s plan. Larry ‘philosophical nutjob’ Lessig is best known as a proponent of reduced legal restrictions on copyright, trademark and radio frequency spectrum. Do you know what that means my fellow artists? He doesn’t want you to get paid. There is a real sick psychology that exists that thinks getting paid for your art/creation is a mortal sin – and Lessig who is a staunch Obama supporter, is leading this crusade.
Lawsuit On Its Way: Dolly Parton intends to file a lawsuit against Howard Stern who manipulated recordings from one of her audio books into racist and sexually graphic sound bites. “I have never been so shocked, hurt and humiliated in all my life,” Parton said . “I cannot believe what Howard Stern has done to me. In a blue million years, I would never have such vulgar things come out of my mouth”. I’m thrilled Dolly is standing up for herself..
New Music: Local band based in the New Orleans, The Vettes, are getting airplay on WEZB (top 40). Upcoming film placements include MTV Movie Awards ’08’, Kill Theory, and “Final Destination 4”. Check out this video made by a fan.
Chicago Needs to Be Saved: Pete Wentz talks about Chicago’s promoters ordinance. As we mentioned yesterday, the city council of Chicago wants to bankrupt the local music community.
Recommended Listening: This Is It by Pete and J. These tracks are perfectly fitting for a soundtrack like Garden State or Juno. Hopefully these tracks will find a life of their own. Good songs, good dynamics and good songwriting…Can we say just good?
Newsletter