(Ed’s note: I don’t normally publish syndicated material anymore but in this case I though it was important and highly enlightening to see how the mainstream press works…)

The Black Crowes’ manager issues statement:

In my thirty years in the music business, I have never once written a letter to any publication to discuss or oppose a “review” of my artist’s work. Any artist or manager who has survived a dramatically changing musical landscape, and experienced some longevity throughout, has a clear understanding that both good and bad reviews are part of the scenery.

However, this letter was not written to address a bad “review” but rather a fabricated album review that your magazine published even though your “music critic” had not heard more than one song.

In our business, a fabricated review is a serious concern that may ultimately harm all artists because it calls into question the credibility
of the entire review process.

A February 20th email response from a Maxim representative stated in part:

“On the rare occasion that we are not given music because of our lead time or unavailability of the tunes, we make an educated guess … Of course, we always prefer to hearing the music, but sometimes there are big albums that we don’t want to ignore that aren’t available to hear, which is what happened with the Crowes. It’s either an educated guess preview or no coverage at all, so in this case we chose the former.”

(more…)

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For Immediate Release

Bodog Battle worldwide unites with a group of gear greats. Bodog Battle is proud to be teaming with Mesa/Boogie, Hoshino/Tama and Paiste Alpha Cymbals to provide the thousands of musicians competing in Bodog Battle 2008 with the highest quality instruments and equipment available today. With 400+ live battle performances taking place within 70 cities in Europe, Canada and across the United States, Bodog Battle keeps the rock sounding as huge as ever by working with some of the greatest names in music equipment to provide the backline for the 2008 Bodog Battle competition and Bodog Battle reality show.

(more…)

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For Immediate Release

Bodog Battle worldwide unites with a group of gear greats. Bodog Battle is proud to be teaming with Mesa/Boogie, Hoshino/Tama and Paiste Alpha Cymbals to provide the thousands of musicians competing in Bodog Battle 2008 with the highest quality instruments and equipment available today. With 400+ live battle performances taking place within 70 cities in Europe, Canada and across the United States, Bodog Battle keeps the rock sounding as huge as ever by working with some of the greatest names in music equipment to provide the backline for the 2008 Bodog Battle competition and Bodog Battle reality show.

(more…)

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Sonicbids has kicked off a special year-long Get A Gig Guarantee promotion. Sonicbids’ mission is to help bands get gigs; based on the belief that independent music belongs everywhere –– on festival stages; in video game consoles; on film screens; in college theaters; on the radio; in advertisements; on club stages and at sporting events. The Get-A-Gig Guarantee speaks to how important this mission is for the company by giving artist members a free 6-month membership extension if they do not secure at least one gig over the course of the next 6 months – no strings attached. For more, visit www.Sonicbids.com.

The Rock and Roll Report is a Sonicbids partner and if you are in a band it is definitely an effective way to get your music heard. If you want to submit your music to The Rock and Roll Report through Sonicbids just click on the Sonicbids logo in the top right of this very website. Thanks.

Later

Mark

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Sorry for the dearth of stuff on the site over these last few days but things have been pretty hectic personally and I have learned to not write just for the sake of writing. I would prefer the content to be sparse but good as opposed to overflowing but shit. Of course the content could be sparse and shit but that’s beside the point…

Just received two essential components (finally!) for Rock and Roll Report Studios and will actually begin recording Episode 1 of the Rock and Roll Report Podcast (The Phantom Podcast?) this week. It’s been frustrating to say the least but I think that once I get going things will run a lot smoother. The plan is to have the first episode out the week of October 22, 2007 (probably the 24th) and then every week thereafter. The only decision I face is whether to produce a show the week Rock and Roll Report Radio is on. Since CKUT provides a podcast feed for the show for a week after broadcast I will probably only produce three podcasts a month and see how that goes.

The Day in Rock reports that Fox News columnist Roger Friedman is calling for a boycott of Rolling Stone Magazine. Now I have a love/hate relationship with that mag and I can see that if you are of a politically conservative bent you would have a lot to gripe about but Friedman’s reason is not due to the content of the magazine. Friedman’s complaint revolves around the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the fact that Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner essentially controls the nomination process for this ridiculous institution. Now if you shake your head at some of the decisions made for these nominations (why is Rush still not nominated again?) you will definitely want to read Friedman’s reasons for the boycott but really, why don’t we boycott both the magazine and the “institution” and get on with listening to cool rock and roll played in sweaty little clubs, you know, the way rock and roll should be celebrated.

Well if you thought the days of ‘80s hard rock and hair metal were behind us think again. According to Kris Osborn of Time.Com, some of the biggest concert draws of 2007 were reunion concerts by bands like Ratt, Tesla, Poison, Quiet Riot, Ozzy, White Lion and the like and the response to the semi-reunited Van Halen seem to bear this out. The interesting thing is that the shows seem to be attracting young concert goers who weren’t around for these bands’ first kick at the can. Can you blame them? Hard rock and metal have always contained a great mixture of sleaze, glam and fist pumping fun that makes it quite clear you are at a rock show and not a political convention. People want to lose themselves for a couple of hours and this stuff is a great way to do it. Cheap, fast and disposable. That is sometimes the best definition of rock and roll and I guess this just goes to prove that people want more than angst on stage, they want to rock!

One of the best CDs that I received last year and played quite a bit on Rock and Roll Report Radio was Light ‘Em Up! By The Fags and it was with considerable sadness that I learned this summer of the band’s demise. Billed as a logical successor to Cheap Trick, The Fags had what many thought was it all. Great hooks, cool songs, a great sound behind the vocals of main man John Speck, this was a band that seemed poised for great things. Unfortunately major label politics and other business mis-cues killed the band in its crib. Read all about Speck’s experiences with the Fags and their doomed run at the brass ring in The Fags Get Screwed. If you are interested in what John is up to now check out his new band HiFi HandGrenades.

Finally, if you thought all that came out of Israel was religious conflict and strife you will be happy to know that the Jewish Music Group has announced the release of “Israel Unleashed: The Best Rock And Metal From The Holy Land”. Featuring the very best unsigned rock and metal bands from Israel it is scheduled to be released November 27, 2007. For a full track listing check out http://www.jewishmusicgroup.com/album.php?id=131.

That’s it for now. I know I haven’t featured any blitz bands in awhile but if your jonesing for a rock and roll fix I suggest that you click on any of the band links from this week’s Rock and Roll Report Radio playlist and check out what they have to offer. I think you your ears will be amply rewarded.

Later.

Mark

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Sorry for the dearth of stuff on the site over these last few days but things have been pretty hectic personally and I have learned to not write just for the sake of writing. I would prefer the content to be sparse but good as opposed to overflowing but shit. Of course the content could be sparse and shit but that’s beside the point…

Just received two essential components (finally!) for Rock and Roll Report Studios and will actually begin recording Episode 1 of the Rock and Roll Report Podcast (The Phantom Podcast?) this week. It’s been frustrating to say the least but I think that once I get going things will run a lot smoother. The plan is to have the first episode out the week of October 22, 2007 (probably the 24th) and then every week thereafter. The only decision I face is whether to produce a show the week Rock and Roll Report Radio is on. Since CKUT provides a podcast feed for the show for a week after broadcast I will probably only produce three podcasts a month and see how that goes.

The Day in Rock reports that Fox News columnist Roger Friedman is calling for a boycott of Rolling Stone Magazine. Now I have a love/hate relationship with that mag and I can see that if you are of a politically conservative bent you would have a lot to gripe about but Friedman’s reason is not due to the content of the magazine. Friedman’s complaint revolves around the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the fact that Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner essentially controls the nomination process for this ridiculous institution. Now if you shake your head at some of the decisions made for these nominations (why is Rush still not nominated again?) you will definitely want to read Friedman’s reasons for the boycott but really, why don’t we boycott both the magazine and the “institution” and get on with listening to cool rock and roll played in sweaty little clubs, you know, the way rock and roll should be celebrated.

Well if you thought the days of ‘80s hard rock and hair metal were behind us think again. According to Kris Osborn of Time.Com, some of the biggest concert draws of 2007 were reunion concerts by bands like Ratt, Tesla, Poison, Quiet Riot, Ozzy, White Lion and the like and the response to the semi-reunited Van Halen seem to bear this out. The interesting thing is that the shows seem to be attracting young concert goers who weren’t around for these bands’ first kick at the can. Can you blame them? Hard rock and metal have always contained a great mixture of sleaze, glam and fist pumping fun that makes it quite clear you are at a rock show and not a political convention. People want to lose themselves for a couple of hours and this stuff is a great way to do it. Cheap, fast and disposable. That is sometimes the best definition of rock and roll and I guess this just goes to prove that people want more than angst on stage, they want to rock!

One of the best CDs that I received last year and played quite a bit on Rock and Roll Report Radio was Light ‘Em Up! By The Fags and it was with considerable sadness that I learned this summer of the band’s demise. Billed as a logical successor to Cheap Trick, The Fags had what many thought was it all. Great hooks, cool songs, a great sound behind the vocals of main man John Speck, this was a band that seemed poised for great things. Unfortunately major label politics and other business mis-cues killed the band in its crib. Read all about Speck’s experiences with the Fags and their doomed run at the brass ring in The Fags Get Screwed. If you are interested in what John is up to now check out his new band HiFi HandGrenades.

Finally, if you thought all that came out of Israel was religious conflict and strife you will be happy to know that the Jewish Music Group has announced the release of “Israel Unleashed: The Best Rock And Metal From The Holy Land”. Featuring the very best unsigned rock and metal bands from Israel it is scheduled to be released November 27, 2007. For a full track listing check out http://www.jewishmusicgroup.com/album.php?id=131.

That’s it for now. I know I haven’t featured any blitz bands in awhile but if your jonesing for a rock and roll fix I suggest that you click on any of the band links from this week’s Rock and Roll Report Radio playlist and check out what they have to offer. I think you your ears will be amply rewarded.

Later.

Mark

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Have you always dreamed of recording your music in a professional studio? TuneCore, Eventful and Solid State Logic (SSL) have teamed up to send one band (up to five people) on a one week all expenses paid trip to England to record at Real World Studios, one of the top five recording studios on the planet. The artist or band with the most “demands” at leading online events site Eventful wins this grand prize, which includes studio time, round-trip airfare, ground transportation, food, lodging, an engineer and assistant and 100% unlimited access and complete lockout of “The Big Room” for five days. (Approximate retail value: $25,000.)

Thanks to SSL, TuneCore and Eventful, one lucky band will be able to record at the same studio and use the same state-of-the-art SSL gear as The Cure, Bonnie Raitt, Super Furry Animals, Beth Orton, Goldfrapp, Deep Purple, Robbie Williams, Paul Oakenfold, Sigur Ros and more.

“The Big Room” is world renowned for its 72-channel SSL 9000 XL K series analogue console, its large selection of vintage Neve modules, and its varied array of outboard equipment custom installed to take every advantage of this state-of-the-art facility, all in a room famous for its intoxicating view of the flowing mill pond. Real World’s team brings a wealth of experience, passion and commitment to help music artists realize the full potential of the studio.

To enter, bands will register as a Performer at Eventful and opt-in to participate in the competition. They then need only encourage their fans to “demand” them using Eventful’s Demand service. The unsigned band with the most Eventful “demanders” at 12:00 pm (Pacific Standard Time), October 31st, 2007, wins the grand prize. Bands with the second and third most demanders each win a Solid State Logic Duende DSP processing engine (ARV: $1495.00 each). The top ten (10) bands with the most demanders each get one album, with an unlimited number of songs (total not to exceed seventy-four minutes) placed for free into all digital stores they choose to which TuneCore delivers, including the first year’s maintenance and storage. (ARV: $45 each.)

Find out more at http://www.tunecore.com/realworld.

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I was was roaming around the web trolling for music news I came across the usual assortment of crap but two things really stuck for me today but for completely different reasons.

It appears that the longevity of Keith Richards is a bit of an anomaly according to How rock stardom can take years off your life. It seems that the rock star lifestyle (you know the ol’ buggaboo of sex, drugs and rock and roll) that comes with the territory once a rock star becomes popular causes them to die pretty quickly. Citing examples of Kurt Cobain, Buddy Holly, Sid Vicious and Pete Doherty (oops he’s not dead yet!) as rockers who keeled over once stardom struck, British scientists claim that after extensive study they have come to the conclusion that “The results suggest that the most dangerous time for a star is during their first flush of fame. Stars are over three times more likely to die than ordinary people in the first five years after chart success, and in the first 10 years they are still at more than two and a half times the risk. And right up to 25 years after launching a career in showbiz, rock and pop stars are still more likely to meet their maker than the rest of us.”

What does this say to the young wannabe rock stars of today? What kind of a message does this send to them? I can just here the local garage band huddled in their rehearsal space with their collective finger poised over the “send” button of their email program- “Boys, this could mean we may become, you know popular and then we could die!” Rock and roll is a vicious game indeed!

At the other end of the spectrum you have Rick Rubin perhaps being a bit to honest when the recently named co-chairman of Columbia Records stated in the New York Times magazine that “I have great confidence that we will have the best record company in the industry, but the reality is, in today’s world, we might have the best dinosaur. Until a new model is agreed upon and rolling, we can be the best at the existing paradigm, but until the paradigm shifts, it’s going to be a declining business. This model is done.” I’m sure that the powers that be at Columbia didn’t expect this so quick in Rubin’s tenure but really, the man was just stating the truth. The old model is dead and right now everybody is staggering in the dark trying to come up with something that works in this Web 2.0 world. Until the major record labels face the fact that they are no longer the gatekeepers to the music anymore, the sooner we can figure out what will make both them and the artists they represent money, the sooner we can start promoting new and exciting artists without fear that taking a risk means the end of life as we know it. It is pretty cool that Rubin is so upfront and at least he is a “music guy” as opposed to a bean counter so don’t rule out the majors just yet.

Later.

Mark

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I was was roaming around the web trolling for music news I came across the usual assortment of crap but two things really stuck for me today but for completely different reasons.

It appears that the longevity of Keith Richards is a bit of an anomaly according to How rock stardom can take years off your life. It seems that the rock star lifestyle (you know the ol’ buggaboo of sex, drugs and rock and roll) that comes with the territory once a rock star becomes popular causes them to die pretty quickly. Citing examples of Kurt Cobain, Buddy Holly, Sid Vicious and Pete Doherty (oops he’s not dead yet!) as rockers who keeled over once stardom struck, British scientists claim that after extensive study they have come to the conclusion that “The results suggest that the most dangerous time for a star is during their first flush of fame. Stars are over three times more likely to die than ordinary people in the first five years after chart success, and in the first 10 years they are still at more than two and a half times the risk. And right up to 25 years after launching a career in showbiz, rock and pop stars are still more likely to meet their maker than the rest of us.”

What does this say to the young wannabe rock stars of today? What kind of a message does this send to them? I can just here the local garage band huddled in their rehearsal space with their collective finger poised over the “send” button of their email program- “Boys, this could mean we may become, you know popular and then we could die!” Rock and roll is a vicious game indeed!

At the other end of the spectrum you have Rick Rubin perhaps being a bit to honest when the recently named co-chairman of Columbia Records stated in the New York Times magazine that “I have great confidence that we will have the best record company in the industry, but the reality is, in today’s world, we might have the best dinosaur. Until a new model is agreed upon and rolling, we can be the best at the existing paradigm, but until the paradigm shifts, it’s going to be a declining business. This model is done.” I’m sure that the powers that be at Columbia didn’t expect this so quick in Rubin’s tenure but really, the man was just stating the truth. The old model is dead and right now everybody is staggering in the dark trying to come up with something that works in this Web 2.0 world. Until the major record labels face the fact that they are no longer the gatekeepers to the music anymore, the sooner we can figure out what will make both them and the artists they represent money, the sooner we can start promoting new and exciting artists without fear that taking a risk means the end of life as we know it. It is pretty cool that Rubin is so upfront and at least he is a “music guy” as opposed to a bean counter so don’t rule out the majors just yet.

Later.

Mark

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In this world of ever dwindling independent record stores, a site like RecordStoreReview.Com is invaluable. Unfortunately it is also expensive to run. They need $1000.00 to cover their expenses this year and so far they have only raised $131.00. If you can spare the cash, why don’t you kick some their way and help them out?

Thanks.

Mark

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I have raved about CD Baby before and The Rock and Roll Report is a CD Baby partner affiliate and proud to be so and now I hear that they will be offering DRM-free MP3 downloads in the near future. This is very cool as it is just one more avenue that indie and unsigned bands can use to get their music out there.

Speaking of which, I gotta apologize for the state of On Random Play here at The Rock and Roll Report. It is undergoing a complete re-think and I am in the process of making it much easier to use. Essentially the idea is that if you read about a band on The Rock and Roll Report or hear a band on Rock and Roll Report Radio or the podcast you will be able to buy the CD or download it from On Random Play and support both this site and the band in question. Have patience as that part of the site should be revamped in the near future.

Later.

Mark

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There is a group that has formed to create an alternative to the annual CMJ music event in New York City because they feel that it has become too corporate. Called the unCMJ Music Fest (formerly the fckCMJ Music Fest), the organisers are aiming to put together an all ages festival that caters to indie music fans and not the music journalists and publicity people that they feel have ruined CMJ. According to the organisers “The unCMJ Music Fest is about music, not marketing opportunities” and is scheduled to take place October 19 - 20, 2007.

You can find out more about the festival at http://www.myspace.com/fckcmjmusicfest.

UPDATE! Well it seems the fine folks at CMJ (or at least their legal eagles) are not too happy with the unCMJ Music Fest and have forced organisers to change its name to un C. em J. Music Fest. Get all the grizzly details at This Day in Rock.

Later.

Mark

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There is a group that has formed to create an alternative to the annual CMJ music event in New York City because they feel that it has become too corporate. Called the unCMJ Music Fest (formerly the fckCMJ Music Fest), the organisers are aiming to put together an all ages festival that caters to indie music fans and not the music journalists and publicity people that they feel have ruined CMJ. According to the organisers “The unCMJ Music Fest is about music, not marketing opportunities” and is scheduled to take place October 19 - 20, 2007.

You can find out more about the festival at http://www.myspace.com/fckcmjmusicfest.

UPDATE! Well it seems the fine folks at CMJ (or at least their legal eagles) are not too happy with the unCMJ Music Fest and have forced organisers to change its name to un C. em J. Music Fest. Get all the grizzly details at This Day in Rock.

Later.

Mark

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I have been pretty quiet these last few weeks as I lie low for the summer relaxing but this kind of stuff really pisses me off. AT&T deleted portions of Pearl Jam’s webcast performance of “Daughter” last Sunday as they closed Lollapalooza due apparently to some anti-Bush statements inserted into the song by Eddie Vedder. According to AT&T as quoted in Rolling Stone’s Rock and Roll Daily:

When asked about the missing performance, AT&T informed Lollapalooza that portions of the show were in fact missing from the webcast, and that their content monitor had made a mistake in cutting them. During the performance of “Daughter” the following lyrics were sung to the tune of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” but were cut from the webcast:
- “George Bush, leave this world alone.” (the second time it was sung); and
- “George Bush find yourself another home.”

It is of course extremely ironic that AT&T stresses that they have content managers on hand during these live webcasts to “cut down on excessive profanity since the broadcasts are not age-restricted” and they have committed to posting the full, uncensored version in the future but this would never have come to light if fans hadn’t informed the band themselves. On top of that, if the intention was to cut down on profanity (i.e. swearing) what in the hell did singing lines about George Bush have anything to do with that? Has the name George Bush entered the vernacular as a swear word now? Since when did expressing an idea become profane?

I have a 12 year old son and he is exposed to all kinds of music that comes in for The Rock and Roll Report, some of it with the infamous “explicit lyrics” warning stickers on the jewel box but my approach to “questionable content” is to educate him as opposed to preventing him from listening to the stuff. I will explain that it is either an artistic form of expression, a way for the artist to express themselves in much the same way as the people that they are singing about or quite simply the “profanity” is merely there for the shock factor. Of course this doesn’t always wash with him but the point is it is my job to educate him or even possibly not let him listen to a particular song (although we all know that this will just make a kid seek out that which they are prevented access to so that doesn’t really work). It is not up to some corporate entity to do my job as a parent. If they are so concerned that there may be profanity during a webcast, post a warning and leave it up to the parents to deal with it.

Censorship is insidious. It starts with cutting out “excessive profanity” and then moves to unpopular or contrary opinions until before we know it the corporate controlled media is literally preventing us from hearing the full range of ideas and emotions that are part and parcel of a truly democratic society. The Internet is a wonderful method to give these full range of ideas their due and many people are concerned that the increasing corporate grip on this method of expression will eventually turn the Internet into another form of the excessively regulated, corporate controlled airwaves. This lies at the heart of the argument for net neutrality and it is something that I firmly believe must be legislated into existence before the AT&Ts of the world snuff out this bastion of global self-expression.

Do I sound paranoid? Your damn right I am! The Internet has allowed me to express myself through both the writen word and through the medium of radio, podcasts and perhaps in the future video. I am not beholden to any agency, I do not have to clear what I say to anybody and it is up to those that listen to Rock and Roll Report Radio or who read The Rock and Roll Report to decide if what I say and play has any merit. That is the way it should be. Everybody seems to sprout off in the West about freedom of expression and yet when that expression goes against those in power or expresses a controversial viewpoint, we start hearing about “freedom expression run amuck.” That is quite frankly a crock of shit. If you truly believe what you are saying is valid you should have a soap box to express it. I will decide for myself if it is or is not worth my time and attention thank you very much.

UPDATE! Saw this on Punmaster. While I’m not surprised this just blows my mind.

AT&T ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE CENSORED IN THE PAST. Pearl Jam and their fans were less than thrilled when anti-Bush statements from their set at this year’s Lollapalooza were edited from a Web cast by AT&T’s Blue Room. AT&T soon apologized, saying that the incident was “a mistake,” but are now admitting that they have censored performances in the past. The company claims that they “have taken steps to ensure that it won’t happen again.” Fans are now claiming that some anti-Bush statements were also censored from performances from Bonnaroo earlier this summer, despite the fact that AT&T claim only to censor bad language That said, Pearl Jam used profanity nearly 20 times in the broadcast that was not edited out. Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready wrote on the band’s Web site, saying, “I don’t however believe that a capitalist corporation such as AT&T has the right to subvert the First Amendment of the constitution to which we all are accountable. This happened on the night we played Lollapalooza. I was dismayed to hear that the act of censoring free speech was used to edit our song ‘Daughter’ for a Web cast. Surely the American listening public can discern for themselves what they deem acceptable to hear. We can think for ourselves, AT&T. … Say no to censorship, it leads to dictatorship!”

So I can say “Fuck” but not “Fuck Bush?” My head is starting to hurt…

September 24, 2007 Update! It appears that AT&T are now modifying their censorship policy. They say they will not edit audio content although they might edit visual content if there is “strong sexual content.”

Uhhh, doesn’t this sound like the whole Elvis hip gyration controversy of the ’50s?

Later.

Mark

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Saw this on Anti-Music. It is food for thought. In have marked in bold what I think is the most significat point.

(PR) It seems that people are opting for classic hard rock and metal CDs over most generic “new” music. This according to a report by the Associated Press. While record companies try to fathom reasons why people aren’t buying their “new” product, by ignoring the most logical explanation and looking to court tweens to help pick up their bottom lines, it appears that music from other eras where A&R people took chances on bands that didn’t sound like everyone else and bands were allowed to develop a fanbase over several albums is still attracting a lot of buyers.
Twenty-Seven years after its release, AC/DC’s Back in Black is still selling almost enough copies a year to qualify for a gold record. Last year while we were treated to dozens of sound-alike emo bands that didn’t sell many CDs, AC/DC’s landmark album managed to sell 440,000 copies in the US.

While [insert silly multi-worded name here] was struggling to attract the attention of TRL girls, other albums from long-ago were also moving pretty heavy numbers. Metallica’s jump to the commercial mainstream, aka The Black Album was added to the CD collections of 275,000 US music fans last year and Guns ‘N Roses debut which broke records when it was released in 1987 is still a hot seller, welcoming 113,000 more people to the jungle last year. And the album that killed “hair metal” and touched off the grunge trend of the early 90s (Nirvana’s Nevermind) is still going strong with 143,000 copies sold last year.

David Geffen should be proud to have two bands that he took a chance on still selling today and showing us why we need trendsetters and not trendfollowers running labels more than ever. On the other end of the spectrum, when you think of today’s blasé music scene, you might think of the “genius” of Clive Davis and while his “genius” isn’t selling record breaking amounts of CDs right now, he did manage to give us the best selling CD of 1986 in the form of Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut. However, like most things that Clive touches it may sell today but doesn’t have much of a shelf life (like real cheese) as Houston’s CD only manages to attract about 7,000 new people a year, easily beat by Radiohead’s “OK Computer” which turned on 94,000 additional people last year.

There is definitely a lesson to be learned here. But will the people that need to learn it the most, take heed? Probably not, as they are too busy trying to find clones for the few bands of today that manage to sell a decent amount of CDs. That’s when they are not working to shutdown online radio, installing rootkits on customers PCs and suing people.

UPDATE! Over on Canoe today they have posted the story  Vintage Albums Still Rockin’ the Charts with more stats as to how everything from The Joshua Tree to Thriller are still raking in the sales.

Later.

Mark

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Saw this on Anti-Music. It is food for thought. In have marked in bold what I think is the most significat point.

(PR) It seems that people are opting for classic hard rock and metal CDs over most generic “new” music. This according to a report by the Associated Press. While record companies try to fathom reasons why people aren’t buying their “new” product, by ignoring the most logical explanation and looking to court tweens to help pick up their bottom lines, it appears that music from other eras where A&R people took chances on bands that didn’t sound like everyone else and bands were allowed to develop a fanbase over several albums is still attracting a lot of buyers.
Twenty-Seven years after its release, AC/DC’s Back in Black is still selling almost enough copies a year to qualify for a gold record. Last year while we were treated to dozens of sound-alike emo bands that didn’t sell many CDs, AC/DC’s landmark album managed to sell 440,000 copies in the US.

While [insert silly multi-worded name here] was struggling to attract the attention of TRL girls, other albums from long-ago were also moving pretty heavy numbers. Metallica’s jump to the commercial mainstream, aka The Black Album was added to the CD collections of 275,000 US music fans last year and Guns ‘N Roses debut which broke records when it was released in 1987 is still a hot seller, welcoming 113,000 more people to the jungle last year. And the album that killed “hair metal” and touched off the grunge trend of the early 90s (Nirvana’s Nevermind) is still going strong with 143,000 copies sold last year.

David Geffen should be proud to have two bands that he took a chance on still selling today and showing us why we need trendsetters and not trendfollowers running labels more than ever. On the other end of the spectrum, when you think of today’s blasé music scene, you might think of the “genius” of Clive Davis and while his “genius” isn’t selling record breaking amounts of CDs right now, he did manage to give us the best selling CD of 1986 in the form of Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut. However, like most things that Clive touches it may sell today but doesn’t have much of a shelf life (like real cheese) as Houston’s CD only manages to attract about 7,000 new people a year, easily beat by Radiohead’s “OK Computer” which turned on 94,000 additional people last year.

There is definitely a lesson to be learned here. But will the people that need to learn it the most, take heed? Probably not, as they are too busy trying to find clones for the few bands of today that manage to sell a decent amount of CDs. That’s when they are not working to shutdown online radio, installing rootkits on customers PCs and suing people.

UPDATE! Over on Canoe today they have posted the story Vintage Albums Still Rockin’ the Charts with more stats as to how everything from The Joshua Tree to Thriller are still raking in the sales.

Later.

Mark

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Coolfer posted a link to an interesting article over at The Guardian Online called Smells Like Indie Spirit where writer Jude Rogers argues that there appears to be a resurgence in indie music in the UK but what does he consider to be indie? It is certainly not a musical genre in my opinion and should never be used to identify a style of music.

Indie is short for independent but independent of what? To me, indie is a philosophy, not a type of music. It is maintaining control of your art and ensuring that it is only presented the way you want it to be presented. That is why you will rarely hear me purposely trumpet the fact that I play and write about indie and unsigned bands since I don’t want people to mistakenly think I play something vaguely referred to as indie music. The Rock and Roll Report is about rock and roll, pure and simple. How it is distributed is something that is a side issue to the music. I tend to focus on music not on major labels only because I have found that some of the best rock and roll can be found there. It is an unfortunate fact that it is those bands and artists that to me best signify what rock and roll are all about that are often side-lined from commercial radio due to their indie status and it is for this reason that I champion their cause.

I refuse to classify my music by mode of distribution. It is not indie or alternative. It is rock and roll, nothing more, nothing less.

Check out the excellent documentary What is Indie? which I think best answers this whole question.

Later.

Mark

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Southern California radio station STAR 98.7 (KYSR-FM) is searching for the next Rock Star in a music competition contest named Rockstar 987. The winner will be awarded $25,000 cash, $2,000 in Guitar Center equipment and a record deal with Ironworks Music (owned and operated by Kiefer Sutherland and Jude Cole). Star 98.7 is inviting listeners, musicians, singers and songwriters (individual or group) to submit a video of themselves performing an original song (no “covers”) to STAR 98.7’s website www.star987.com.

All qualifying video performances are posted for viewing on www.star987.com as they are received. Five finalists, as determined by online voting and a panel of judges, will advance to the finale. The five finalists will each perform at least one original song at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip in front of a live audience on Friday August 17th. Immediately following the performances a panel of judges will determine the grand prize winner.

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Jeremy Morris is a musician, independent record label owner and a genuinely nice guy. He was kind enough to answer some questions about running a record label, the future of music and maintaining your faith in the sometimes amoral world of rock and roll.

The Rock and Roll Report: How did you get involved in the music field?

Jeremy Morris: I grew up in it. My father is a professional musician to this day. So I had my first band at age 13 and was playing out professionally at a very young age. My father really helped me alot to get the ball rolling.

RRR: Who are your musical heroes and inspirations

JM: For me it really started with the Beatles and Stones. I was totally into their music, but in the later years I would discover a love for a lot of progressive and electronic music too! Groups like Yes, Genesis, Kayak, Gentle Giant, Pink Floyd, Camel, Barclay James Harvest, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Steve Hillage, Amazing Blondel, Gordon Giltrap, Anthony Phillips, Steve Hackett, Ashra, etc…These bands would carry on where the Beatles left off.

RRR: Tell me a bit about the label. How long its been going, what the mission of it is and what kind of music does Jam Recordings release?

JM: The label went public with official releases in 1984. We pressed up 6000 copies for my first album. A bit ambitious for the time when indie labels were not so common. The mission of the label has always been to put out good music and bring happiness to many people. The styles range from rock, progressive, power pop, electronic, Christian, instrumental, ambient, etc.. If it’s good and I love it, then I will probably release it. I don’t go by what is popular, I go by what I like.

RRR: What kind of distribution does Jam Recordings have? Are you playing in the digital space as well and how?

JM: Jam has world wide distribution with many small indie outlets all over the globe. I find the little guys to be more honest by experience, (While the big boys may move more units, they are less likely to pay you…sad but true) I am still a firm believer in the traditional cd and lp and will continue with that format as long as people want it. I have never downloaded a song. I am not into that at all. I want the full package, the artwork, the lyrics, the information. To me this whole downloading thing is the McDonalds land of fast food music! … and it really hurting the concept of “The album”—A collection of songs that is meant to be listened to as a complete experience.

RRR: With all the doom and gloom in the music industry these days about slumping sales, how do you compete or at least break even in this cut throat world?

JM: I carry on by faith. Of course, I think the industry has always been difficult from day one. I am on a mission to keep making and providing good music because I was made to do that. God has always taken care of me. Somehow it all works out, even though it defies logic, God will provide. The orders come in and I ship out the music. It’s in His hands.

RRR: Your faith is very important to you. I remember the first time I heard “What God Wants” (fantastic song by the way!) I thought it was some kind of metaphor for something else (hey, I’m not too swift!) but it didn’t take me long to realize that the song was about your faith. How do you reconcile your faith with the sometimes crazy, immoral world of rock and roll?

JM: I am glad you like the song! Thanks. I have been criticized for many years by the religious people for being a rock musician. Playing this music has never been a problem for me because I don’t associate it with immorality. People like to blame music for our cultures problems ( but the music is really a mirror of our culture) I have played rock music in bars since I was 15 years old. I never got into drugs, drinking, smoking , or any of that. To me that was of no interest at all. I was there for the music, not the party.

RRR: You have been referred to as one of the hardest working men in rock and roll and you even have a tribute album out dedicated to your music. Why do you do what you do?

JM: I have a conviction that I was born to do this. I have been passionate about music all my life. I would be forsaking my calling if I didn’t do music. One must be true to who they really are.

RRR: The music industry has evolved considerably in the last few years. All this Web 2.0 technology like MySpace and YouTube are giving indie artists better tools to get their music out there to potential fans. What are your thoughts on these developments? How are you as an artist and a record label owner taking advantage of these technologies?

JM: I am a big fan of both MySpace and YouTube. I think it’s a wonderful networking tool for both musicians and music fans. I am working strong on both of these fronts and find that these developments are helping truly independents reach a greater audience than ever before. I have alot of music videos up on YouTube for example. The response has been great!

RRR: What are your near term and long term plans for Jam Records and your music?

JM: I plan to continue releasing as much music on the label as I can. (Both my own and other artists as well) The label is about to release a 3 cd charity set for Hurricane Katrina victims called “Sweet Relief”. The cd has 74 bands from 12 countries around the world. The profits from the release will go to help the poor and the homeless. I am very excited about this project.

I also have a 5 cd career spanning Jeremy Box set coming soon…. 5 cds of original recordings from 1976–2005 called “SONLIGHT” They are also many other projects in the pipeline. I am certainly not bored. I will do as much as I can while I am still here. The best is yet to come.

You can visit the Jam Recording website by going to http://www.jamrecordings.com/ or listen to his music at his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/jeremyamorris

Later.

Mark

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Jeremy Morris is a musician, independent record label owner and a genuinely nice guy. He was kind enough to answer some questions about running a record label, the future of music and maintaining your faith in the sometimes amoral world of rock and roll.

The Rock and Roll Report: How did you get involved in the music field?

Jeremy Morris: I grew up in it. My father is a professional musician to this day. So I had my first band at age 13 and was playing out professionally at a very young age. My father really helped me alot to get the ball rolling.

RRR: Who are your musical heroes and inspirations

JM: For me it really started with the Beatles and Stones. I was totally into their music, but in the later years I would discover a love for a lot of progressive and electronic music too! Groups like Yes, Genesis, Kayak, Gentle Giant, Pink Floyd, Camel, Barclay James Harvest, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Steve Hillage, Amazing Blondel, Gordon Giltrap, Anthony Phillips, Steve Hackett, Ashra, etc…These bands would carry on where the Beatles left off.

RRR: Tell me a bit about the label. How long its been going, what the mission of it is and what kind of music does Jam Recordings release?

JM: The label went public with official releases in 1984. We pressed up 6000 copies for my first album. A bit ambitious for the time when indie labels were not so common. The mission of the label has always been to put out good music and bring happiness to many people. The styles range from rock, progressive, power pop, electronic, Christian, instrumental, ambient, etc.. If it’s good and I love it, then I will probably release it. I don’t go by what is popular, I go by what I like.

RRR: What kind of distribution does Jam Recordings have? Are you playing in the digital space as well and how?

JM: Jam has world wide distribution with many small indie outlets all over the globe. I find the little guys to be more honest by experience, (While the big boys may move more units, they are less likely to pay you…sad but true) I am still a firm believer in the traditional cd and lp and will continue with that format as long as people want it. I have never downloaded a song. I am not into that at all. I want the full package, the artwork, the lyrics, the information. To me this whole downloading thing is the McDonalds land of fast food music! … and it really hurting the concept of “The album”—A collection of songs that is meant to be listened to as a complete experience.

RRR: With all the doom and gloom in the music industry these days about slumping sales, how do you compete or at least break even in this cut throat world?

JM: I carry on by faith. Of course, I think the industry has always been difficult from day one. I am on a mission to keep making and providing good music because I was made to do that. God has always taken care of me. Somehow it all works out, even though it defies logic, God will provide. The orders come in and I ship out the music. It’s in His hands.

RRR: Your faith is very important to you. I remember the first time I heard “What God Wants” (fantastic song by the way!) I thought it was some kind of metaphor for something else (hey, I’m not too swift!) but it didn’t take me long to realize that the song was about your faith. How do you reconcile your faith with the sometimes crazy, immoral world of rock and roll?

JM: I am glad you like the song! Thanks. I have been criticized for many years by the religious people for being a rock musician. Playing this music has never been a problem for me because I don’t associate it with immorality. People like to blame music for our cultures problems ( but the music is really a mirror of our culture) I have played rock music in bars since I was 15 years old. I never got into drugs, drinking, smoking , or any of that. To me that was of no interest at all. I was there for the music, not the party.

RRR: You have been referred to as one of the hardest working men in rock and roll and you even have a tribute album out dedicated to your music. Why do you do what you do?

JM: I have a conviction that I was born to do this. I have been passionate about music all my life. I would be forsaking my calling if I didn’t do music. One must be true to who they really are.

RRR: The music industry has evolved considerably in the last few years. All this Web 2.0 technology like MySpace and YouTube are giving indie artists better tools to get their music out there to potential fans. What are your thoughts on these developments? How are you as an artist and a record label owner taking advantage of these technologies?

JM: I am a big fan of both MySpace and YouTube. I think it’s a wonderful networking tool for both musicians and music fans. I am working strong on both of these fronts and find that these developments are helping truly independents reach a greater audience than ever before. I have alot of music videos up on YouTube for example. The response has been great!

RRR: What are your near term and long term plans for Jam Records and your music?

JM: I plan to continue releasing as much music on the label as I can. (Both my own and other artists as well) The label is about to release a 3 cd charity set for Hurricane Katrina victims called “Sweet Relief”. The cd has 74 bands from 12 countries around the world. The profits from the release will go to help the poor and the homeless. I am very excited about this project.

I also have a 5 cd career spanning Jeremy Box set coming soon…. 5 cds of original recordings from 1976–2005 called “SONLIGHT” They are also many other projects in the pipeline. I am certainly not bored. I will do as much as I can while I am still here. The best is yet to come.

You can visit the Jam Recording website by going to http://www.jamrecordings.com/ or listen to his music at his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/jeremyamorris

Later.

Mark

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The Guardian has written a great article called Sgt Pepper Must Die! where they interviewed everybody from Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips to Mark Ronson to Billy Childish as to what they considered the most over-rated album of all time. Some interesting choices and I would have to reluctantly agree with Luke Pritchard of The Kook’ take on Pet Sounds (I have it and I have tried to love it but while good and brilliant in places it’s hit and miss for me). Of course Rolling Stone got into the act and is now asking their readers for their choices so that should be a hoot to read.

Speaking of overrated albums, one record that I have found to be criminally underrated is Pink Floyd’s classic 1967 debut Piper at the Gates of Dawn. When we think of Pink Floyd we often think of a lumbering, spaced out dinosaur, Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall and the sound of barking and moaning dogs but Pipers is a pop masterpiece. The brainchild of the late psychedelic visionary Syd Barrett, Pipers is strangely forgoten, especially with all the hype surrounding Sgt Peppers, an album which I feel it trumps in both originality and pop craftsmanship. Luckily, to celebrate its 40th anniversary there will be a special deluxe 3 CD version of the album released in August that will include the singles not included on the album like the brilliant See Emily Play and Arnold Layne. Forget any of your preconcieved notions of Pink Floyd. Slip on some headphones, slap on this CD and immerse yourself in an incredible psychedelic musical playground.

Well another major studio is closing as Sony BMG has announced that they are closing their Hell’s Kitchen New York studio due to harsh economic realities. This should really come as no surprise as more and more artists become proficient with everything from Garageband to Pro Tools and use them in everywhere from their basement to the local church choir loft. The art of recording will never die and producers who understand it will always be in demand but it’s just that these massive facilities will increasingly shrink in relevance as technology has almost (and I repeat almost) made them obsolete.

Well Apple is increasing their impact on music beyond the download as they host 31 Nights in London. Called the iTunes Festival, the iPod company will be hosting over 60 bands in concert at the London Institute of Contemporary Art featuring everybody from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to Amy Winehouse. Head out to the festival website and enter to win tickets to any one of the shows. As if you needed an excuse to visit London in July!

Later.

Mark

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The Guardian has written a great article called Sgt Pepper Must Die! where they interviewed everybody from Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips to Mark Ronson to Billy Childish as to what they considered the most over-rated album of all time. Some interesting choices and I would have to reluctantly agree with Luke Pritchard of The Kook’ take on Pet Sounds (I have it and I have tried to love it but while good and brilliant in places it’s hit and miss for me). Of course Rolling Stone got into the act and is now asking their readers for their choices so that should be a hoot to read.

Speaking of overrated albums, one record that I have found to be criminally underrated is Pink Floyd’s classic 1967 debut Piper at the Gates of Dawn. When we think of Pink Floyd we often think of a lumbering, spaced out dinosaur, Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall and the sound of barking and moaning dogs but Pipers is a pop masterpiece. The brainchild of the late psychedelic visionary Syd Barrett, Pipers is strangely forgoten, especially with all the hype surrounding Sgt Peppers, an album which I feel it trumps in both originality and pop craftsmanship. Luckily, to celebrate its 40th anniversary there will be a special deluxe 3 CD version of the album released in August that will include the singles not included on the album like the brilliant See Emily Play and Arnold Layne. Forget any of your preconcieved notions of Pink Floyd. Slip on some headphones, slap on this CD and immerse yourself in an incredible psychedelic musical playground.

Well another major studio is closing as Sony BMG has announced that they are closing their Hell’s Kitchen New York studio due to harsh economic realities. This should really come as no surprise as more and more artists become proficient with everything from Garageband to Pro Tools and use them in everywhere from their basement to the local church choir loft. The art of recording will never die and producers who understand it will always be in demand but it’s just that these massive facilities will increasingly shrink in relevance as technology has almost (and I repeat almost) made them obsolete.

Well Apple is increasing their impact on music beyond the download as they host 31 Nights in London. Called the iTunes Festival, the iPod company will be hosting over 60 bands in concert at the London Institute of Contemporary Art featuring everybody from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to Amy Winehouse. Head out to the festival website and enter to win tickets to any one of the shows. As if you needed an excuse to visit London in July!

Later.

Mark

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This is pretty neat. The Akamai Net Usage Index for Digital Music is a site that graphically tracks where and when digital music is being consumed on a global basis. It’s kind of cool in a “Mission Control” way and I will play around with it a bit but it’s fascinating what you can track on the Internet in this day and age. I found out about this on the always informative Podcasting News site.

Later.

Mark

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I read with a heavy heart that the legendary Sam the Record Man located on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto is closing after 70 years in business. It is somewhat ironic that the news of the closure comes at the same time as I read an article in the New York Times called Plunge in CD Sales Shakes Up Big Labels  (registration required) in which the major labels are desperately scrambling to expand beyond CD releases to generate other sources of income to make up for the drop in their CD sales.

I know that I am repeating myself but the major labels have nobody to blame but themselves for the predicament that they are currently in. After essentially trying to criminalize their customers by suing them or burdening their online experience to the point where it was just easier to illegally download their music, these major labels have realized too late that music in this Web 2.0 world is distributed in a multitude of ways and in a multitude of formats. A MySpace site here. A video uploaded to YouTube there. Letting a company like CD Baby take care of the distribution of the physical CD and digital download of your music while you busily update your blog and MySpace page while submitting your podsafe music to a couple of cool podcasts and MP3 blogs. These are the realities of the music biz in 2007. But the thing that got to me in the article, the real kicker was the quote:

Even as the industry tries to branch out, though, there is no promise of an answer to a potentially more profound predicament: a creative drought and a corresponding lack of artists who ignite consumers’ interest in buying music. Sales of rap, which had provided the industry with a lifeboat in recent years, fell far more than the overall market last year with a drop of almost 21 percent, according to Nielsen SoundScan. (And the marquee star 50 Cent just delayed his forthcoming album, “Curtis.”)

In other genres the picture is not much brighter. Fans do still turn out (at least initially) for artists that have managed to build loyal followings. The biggest debut of the year came just last week from the rock band Linkin Park, whose third studio album, “Minutes to Midnight,” sold an estimated 623,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan data.

This “drought” is because the major labels have dropped the ball in going out and finding fresh, new and exciting talent. Because they are more concerned with the “biz” part of “music biz” and less with the music, they have left the true music fan with no alternative to go to the hundreds of indie record labels, the Internet and services like Last.FM for their musical fix. By clinging to this outdated mode of generating profits and then waiting too long to react to the new playing field, they have potentially written their demise without ever really fighting the good fight. EMI seems to be the only label attempting to adapt with their recent DRM-free stance but even then, with new owners in the wings, we shall see what part of the music/biz split survives.

As for Sam the Record Man, it is indeed sad that they are closing up shop. The unfortunate part of this Web 2.0 world is that it has no sense of history, no nostalgia. I can remember the Boxing Day specials at the Sam’s in Montreal and the sheer thrill of rummaging through the racks buying everything that I could. Nowadays, I buy my music either at the local indie record store or online and the thought of going to any chain store strikes me as both old fashioned and dehumanizing. But the reality is that the Internet has forced us all to adapt or die. Either you embrace the new technology, show your fans that you are taking their interests to heart and working with the artists as a true partner or you will slowly fade away, another corpse on the digital landscape.

Sorry to see you go Sam. It was fun while it lasted.

Later.

Mark

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If you had any doubt about the impact that Web 2.0 technologies like MySpace, blogging and YouTube are having on musicians and their ability to make a living without major label support, check out the New York Times article Sex, Drugs and Updating Your Blog (registration required). Tracking musicians like Jonathan Coulton (where I found out about the article on his very compelling blog GarageSpin), OK Go, The Hold Steady and Scene Aesthetic, it shows how these musicians are exploiting the power of the Internet to get their music heard and support themselves as true independent musicians. It also discusses the dark side of sudden MySpace or YouTube success but over all gives a very positive and downright inspiring view of what musicians can do in 2007 to make build up a fan base. Required reading if you are in a band!

Later.

Mark

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