Who will buy EMI?

EMI the third largest record label is still a target for a take-over. EMI recently hired Roger Ames giving them some new talking points to potential buyers. Still, Warner Music is the only company with a solid offer on the table.

Warner Music Group will LAYOFF 400 employees and place further emphasis on digital strategy and distribution, sources say. Also Warner Music will jump on the bandwagon and engage the ALTERNATE industry by partnering up with Snocap and selling music on myspace.

Google’s YouTube will now begin paying top users for the video content they submit under a new revenue haring partner program that will let the creators share in AdSense revenue generated by their videos.

The Takeover UK has officially signed with Ryko Records

Ann Coulter sounds off and doesn’t paint Rage Against the Machine members as liberals but a bunch of ‘losers’ and “dopey, hippy rock ‘n’ roll numb nuts”. She goes on to say that unlike Rage Against the Machine, people care what she says. Ann lastly says they broke up 10 years ago, the frontman has a flop of a solo career and she is looking forward to the VAN HALEN reunion.

Verizon has pulled sponsorship from the Gwen Stefani tour and severed their partnership with her opener, Akon, after the artist was caught on tape dry humping a 15 year old during a recent show in Trinidad. Actually, that’s putting it a tad lightly. It looked more like dry raping. In Akon’s defense, it was an 18+ show and the young Pastor’s daughter had no place there to begin with. However, the young woman was under the impression that she was participating in a dance competition to win a “trip to Africa,” only to find out it was a sex contest, and Akon considers himself to be ‘Africa.’

The ‘dancing’ that was caught on tape and spread virally across the internet depicts Akon throwing the young woman into several lewd positions while essentially humping the hell out of her. It was very reminiscent of the Tara Reid video where Akon and cohort double team the ‘actress’ in a rather vulgar display…vulgar even for her. Actually, it is reminiscent of just about any Akon show footage, since his ‘dance contest’ is a regular feature at his concerts. I suppose no one from Verizon bothered to checking into this before putting him in all of their commercials and sponsoring his tour with Gwen.

Watch the video below (borders on NSFW)

One Less Reason will be performing tomorrow at Memphis in May. OLR just finished tracking two songs.

I Hate Kate has been touring with Social Distortion and is recieving love from KTCL in Denver. The track Always Something is #7 of all the currents (over all).

Unsigned The Fugue State has finished material with producer Mudrock (Avenged Sevenfold, 18 Visions, Godsmack, Chimaira)

In other new artist news….

KOAR fav Ludo has just completed their record with Matt Wallace (Faith No More) and will be released in September on Island Records. Anna Nalick is recording her second record with producer Mike Flynn (The Fray).

According to sources Atlantic Records will split with Vice Records who houses Bloc Party and the Streets. Atlantic will decide what artists they want to keep.

Struggling MTV will move the upcoming Video Music Awards to Las Vegas for the first time. MTV, struggling to bring back the unscripted zaniness of the show’s early years, will take over the entire Palms, using suites and a rooftop club “to inject a new kind of life into the format,” Ignjatovic said.

The new location won’t change the perception of unscripted zaniness. To little to late. Plus, the whole show and every segment will be casted anyway. Due to the internet people now know whats real and not real.

Speaking about the internet, read the article ‘Things that Changed the Internet‘. 747 Million adults logged on in January.

Not surprisingly, Hip hop magazine ‘The Source’ has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (Coolfer)

Producer songwriter Brian Howes who was behind the success of Hinder’s Lips of Angel will produce the new act Adelitas Way that will be released on Interscope.

Check out the new Kelly Clarkson Never Again video. This song is great to be angry to and the video is perfect. Kelly pulled off the sexy, angry, ex – Perfect. It also has the Alanis ” You Oughta Know” vibe. This song is going to be a huge hit. Movie offers should follow after this performance.

BMI ‘Pick of the Month’ is alternative/folk artist Fion Regan. He will be performing Wed. May 23rd at the Living Room (NYC)

Soundscan

Avril Lavigne
Best Damn Thing
TW 121,630
Total 407,988

NIN
Years Zero
TW 57,666
Total 245,928

Daughtry
TW 48,505
Total 2,358,914

Hilary Duff
Dignity
TW 21,657
Total 232,658

Fall Out Boy
Infinity on High
TW 17,278
Total 795,154

Top Catalog Albums

Pink Floyd
Dark Side of the Moon
TW 7,082

Guns N Roses
Greatest Hits
TW 7,064