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  When we go to the post office to mail a letter, we can choose how we want the post office to rank our mail compared to other mail in the queue. We can buy a first class mail stamp, but if it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight, we would turn to Federal Express or its competitors. We would expect to pay a premium in exchange for the carrier ranking our mail above someone who didn’t pay that premium.Â
  For example, when we purchase a book from Amazon.com, we are given several options for how we want our book shipped to us. If Amazon were to offer us the option to buy a book at a few percentage points off of the retail price we might pay if we went to a bookstore without the convenience of near immediate delivery, Amazon would be at a competitive disadvantage to, say, Barnes & Noble, Book People, or your local independent bookseller. If all the books had to be shipped at the lowest rate, e.g., the book rate (remember that?) there probably would be no Amazon.com.
  The Internet, on the other hand, ranks every piece of traffic at the same priority and that priority is the “going� rate, which often is the slowest rate unless you’re on a virtual private network (one of the several examples of violations of “net neutrality� that demand in the marketplace has already created). This is one of the definitions of “net neutrality�, meaning that ISPs treat each piece of traffic in a “neutral� manner, meaning ISPs do not let anyone jump the queue and wouldn’t let you if you wanted to—even if you were willing to pay more for the benefit. CONTINUE READING
“I feel that it makes everyone look smaller, not bigger. Take for example, when you see some joe schmo artist who has a well known band in his
top 8. If you are a complete unknown and you have U2 in your top 8 it makes them look smaller.”
Throughout the entertainment industry it is getting harder and harder for acts to define their market. On paper, one would think that with so many available resources and new avenues to get heard, record companies should be able to really up the ante, however it is becoming apparent that much of the problem is indeed stemming from the “artists� themselves.
(You can find Phaze 9 promoting themselves daily drowning out comments on mainstream bands myspace pages including SOAD, Flyleaf and 10 Years.  Phaze 9 consist of a family including mother, father, and seven year old son. They purchased a Friendbot)
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There is more than one issue to address, the first being that there simply seems to be a lack of quality acts in general, but why is that? Maybe kids are too quick to pick up the Playstation controller over the axe. But beyond a lack of inspiration there is a major shift in this country that is happening right before our eyes: the insatiable lust for fame. Now, even my 40yr. old balding next door neighbor thinks he is going to be famous. The two biggest contributing factors of this in my opinion are Myspace.com and American Idol. American Idol has paved the way for thousands of fairly talentless people to take the mainstream airwaves. At best, the majority of these people are closet singers that ordinarily couldn’t draw their best friends out to come see them perform at a karaoke bar,
and now they really have a “voice� with this Myspace craze. Myspace.com is really interesting because it takes all the allure and mystique away from the artist. Back not too long ago you would only have a few outlets to get your “fix� on the band in which you craved. You invested your time to see them perform, to see the video on MTV, or you went to the store to buy the magazine they were featured in…there was an investment. These days you can know what band ate what for breakfast this morning, what brand of toilet paper they use, and what their favorite TV show is- there is no mystery. Everything about our culture and where it is headed is the antithesis of Rock-n-Roll. What rock band back in the day would post a journal on their daily life…are you kidding me? CONTINUE READING
Over 8 American Idol contestants will be releasing records from September to mid November with 3 contestants releasing CD’s on the same day November 14th. Fantasia Barrino’s sophomore effort is due Oct. 17. Ruben Studdard’s will release his third CD on September 26th. Clay Aiken’s street date is October 14th.
Take a Look at these sales figures below.
Kelly Clarkson – 5.4 million copies
Carrie Underwood – 3.2 million units
Clay Aiken – 2.8 million
Ruben Studdard – 1.8 million
Fantasia Barrino – 1.7 million
Josh Gracin – 667,000
Bo Bice – 641,000
Kelly Clarkson is the only true megastar American Idol broke. Auditioning 10,000 artists and finding one legitimate gem? This sounds about right.
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Tooth and Nail has signed Mississippi based Jonezetta. Its a new wave act a cross between The Killers and Franz Ferdinand.
Victory Records has signed Florida’s hardcore emo screamo act A Day to Remember.
Virgin Records has signed singer/songwriter folk artist A Fine Frenzy (pictured) out of Los Angeles.Â
San Diego based Dynamite Walls are beginning to make a mark selling 1,000 EP’s in the 1st month of the release online. The band has been compared as everything from Coldplay to John Mayer, but I also hear radio contempories such as the Fray. For more information contact Jason Burkhart or legal Nick Ferrera.
Aug 7 Los Angeles, CA – BMI
Aug 10 Santa Barbara, CA – Club Soho
Aug 17 Tempe, AZ – The Sugi Tap
Aug 26 San Diego, CA – Epicentre
Sep 8Â San Diego, CA – The Beauty
Sep 29 San Diego, CA – Pi Beta Phi Sorority
Kiss and Ride (mp3)
Now (Tell Me) (mp3)
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