Music News

I’d like to start this post in the same voice I use for my newborn at home. Pandora go bye-bye. I don’t mean to be insensitive, but watching the music industry implode is getting comical.

I saw Pandora CEO Tim Westergren (pictured above) speak at Stanford University last year and I’ve always loved their application. If I was cool enough to own an iPhone, I’m sure I’d love the Pandora iPhone app even more.  Tim and his crew have been dealt what appears to be a lethal blow. The Copyright Royalty Board decided to increase the royalties paid by web radio providers from 0.0008 to 0.0019 per song, per listener.  Pandora currently has 1 million listeners daily and the rate hike will raise their costs too high to operate a sustainable business.

Westergren has a few comments in the Washington Post article. He’s been a fighter over these issues in the past, but he now seems to be changing his tune (no pun intended) and is accepting defeat:

“We’re funded by venture capital,” he said. “They’re not going to chase a company whose business model has been broken. So if it doesn’t feel like its headed towards a solution, we’re done.”

Sound Exchange, the organization that represents performers and record companies, claims that artists [see record companies] deserve a bigger cut of internet radio profits. My perspective is different. The benefit of Pandora is not in playing the Top 40 of mainstream music. It allows users to enter mainstream bands and then Pandora powers music discovery, pointing to similar and often unknown bands that wouldn’t have otherwise been on the radio.

I’d understand this move by the Copyright Royalty Board if Pandora simply copied the FM radio model for web.  Maybe if they played Radiohead all day and acquired legions of their fans as users, then  Radiohead might deserve more of the profits. But Pandora serves up an infinite long tail of bands and serves as a vehicle for those artists to get attention and exposure from fans that have a predisposed interest in their sound. It’s a new model and shouldn’t be compared to FM radio, where the basket of musicians available to listeners is limited to a select few. I feel bad for Pandora, their employees and their charasmatic CEO.

I can say this with near-certainty. The performers are not demanding an increase in royalties. It must be someone else…

It’s AC/DC’s first album since 2000 and they’ve decided to distribute those circular shiny artifacts in their eco-unfriendly plastic cases, exclusively through Sam Walton’s chain of discount stores. Read more at the Wall Street Journal.

I don’t get it. AC/DC has a huge fan base and they are a household name. Why not do like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails and sell digital albums direct to us consumers from their website? They seem to have much more to gain by cutting out all retailers.

Angus - So you’re saying our only option is to drive to the store, fight for a parking spot, battle the crowd inside, and then stand in line to buy your compact disc? Even if someone credible tells me it’s the best album of the year and the liner notes include a spread of the top 10 AC/DC groupies, I still won’t pick up a copy unless it’s somehow misplaced and left near the baby formula and ass wipes.

Thanks for making it so difficult to pay money for your music.

Idolator has a more comprehensive write up.

American rock band The Hold Steady have just released the first single from the upcoming release, Stay Positive, due out mid-July. Ben Nichols, lead singer of Lucero, sings backup vocals on the track. You can buy it now on iTunes for a penny less than a dollar.

You can buy the new Drive-By Truckers album, Brighter than Creations Dark, next Tuesday. Until then, head over here to stream it. Thanks to our friends over at Twangville and Nine Bullets for tipping us off.

A few album reviews:

Rolling Stone

Twangville

Stereogum

There’s a new movie about Bob Dylan coming out called I’m Not There (in case you don’t read any other indie music blogs). You can view the trailer here. The film is scheduled to open on November 21st in the US and Dylan is played by six different actors: Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, and Cate Blanchett.

It’s getting some positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and it looks like it’ll have quite a soundtrack.

Here are two tracks that got me most excited. You can stream a few more of them on MySpace. Look out for Sufjan Stevens doing “Ring them Bells” and Cat Power doing “Stuck in Mobile with Memphis Blues Again” also. Both are really nice versions.

Jeff Tweedy - Simple Twist of Fate (Courtesy of Anyone’s Guess)

Jim James - Going to Acapulco (Courtesy of Fuck yeah! Go team!)

Other performers include:

Eddie Vedder, Sonic Youth, Jim James, Stephen Malkmus, Cat Power, Jack Johnson, Sufjan Stevens, John Doe, Karen O, Iron & Wine, Mason Jennings, Jeff Tweedy, Willie Nelson, Antony, Los Lobos, Yo La Tengo, Mark Lanegan, Mason Jennings, Rambin’ Jack Elliot, Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova and more.

Eddie Vedder, Stephen Malkmus and Karen O. are backed by the Million Dollar Bashers, a stellar ensemble that includes Nels Cline (guitarist - Wilco), Lee Ranaldo (guitarist - Sonic Youth), Steve Shelley (drummer - Sonic Youth), Ted Verlaine (guitarist - Television). Also guitarist Smokey Hormel, keyboardist John Medeski and long-time dylan bassist, Tony Garneir.

Finally a Bob Dylan compilation worthy of discussion.

I’m Not There Movie Clip

Radiohead kicked the middleman to the curb indeed. They released their new album, In Rainbows, directly to fans and just asked for donations. Fans ultimately decided on the fate of the album’s value, which turned out to be about $8.00.

I’m sure that’s just fine by Radiohead because they made $10 million in profit and their hands are the only ones in the cookie jar. It just goes to show that if you are a band with a brand name and legions of fans, you might as well go at it alone. It’s not like you need to make cd’s and get them to retailers anymore. Just put up some links on your site and you can even rid yourself of the online, digital retailers.

I’m sure this is just the start of a new trend.

Looks like Radiohead also has a Spring tour in the works.

If you aren’t already listening, get over there.  My calendar is marked for August 21st when the album is released.

Sea Wolf has announced his debut full-length album, Leaves in the River, will be released September 25th on Dangerbird Records. I recently sang my praises about Sea Wolf, who has just kicked off a midwest tour with labelmates Silversun Pickups before heading out on tour with Nada Surf in October.

Sea Wolf - You’re a Wolf

One of my personal favorites, Black Mountain, has also just released tour dates. I’m planning on joining them at the Independent in San Francisco. Bring some earplugs.

Black Mountain - Druganaut

Sea Wolf Tour Dates:

July

26 Los Angeles, CA - Hammer Museum [w/ Midnight Movies]
29 Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue *
30 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre *

August

01 Omaha, NE - Slowdown *
02 Boulder, CO - R&R Convention
06 Toledo, OH - Frankie’s *
07 Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom *
09 Indianapolis, IN - Vogue Theatre *
10 Cincinnati, OH - Southgate House *
18 Los Angeles, CA - Sunset Junction

September

16 San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island Fest

October
15 Columbus, OH - Basement +
16 Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century +
17 Louisville, KY - Jim Porters +
18 Indianapolis, IN - Birdy’s +
20 Chicago, IL - Schubas +
22 St. Louis, MO - Gargoyle Club +
23 Nashville, TN - Exit In +
24 Birmingham, AL - Bottle Tree +
26 Tampa, FL - State Theatre +
27 St. Augustine, FL - Cafe Eleven +
29 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club +
30 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel +
31 Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle +

November
01 Charlottesville, VA - Satellite Ballroom UVA +
02 Baltimore, MD - 8 x 10 +

* Silversun Pickups
+ Nada Surf

Black Mountain Tour Dates

09/28/07 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court w/ Cave Singers
09/29/07 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive w/ Cave Singers
10/01/07 Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room w/ Cave Singers
10/02/07 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry w/ Cave Singers
10/03/07 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle w/ Cave Singers
10/05/07 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern w/ Cave Singers + Oakley Hall
10/06/07 Montreal, Quebec - Le National w/ Lightning Dust + Oakley Hall + Sunset Rubdown
10/08/07 Allston, MA - Great Scott w/ Cave Singers
10/10/07 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge w/ Cave Singers
10/11/07 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw w/ Cave Singers
10/12/07 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s w/ Cave Singers
10/13/07 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop w/ Cave Singers
10/14/07 Bloomington, IN - Bluebird w/ Cave Singers
10/15/07 Louisville, KY - Headliners w/ Cave Singers + Wax Fang
10/17/07 Norman, OK - The Opolis w/ Cave Singers
10/18/07 Denton, TX - Dan’s Silverleaf w/ Cave Singers
10/21/07 Phoenix, AZ - Modified w/ Cave Singers
10/23/07 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo w/ Cave Singers
10/24/07 San Francisco, CA - The Independent w/ Cave Singers
10/26/07 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge w/ Cave Singers
10/27/07 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe

A commentor on our Hey Pitchfork. Blow it Out Your Ass post, tipped us off to this festival taking place in River Falls, Wisconsin on August 18th. The lineup includes some of our favorite artists from Bloodshot and Alive Records. Thanks Rick!

Scott H. Biram
Robert Belfour
Black Diamond Heavies
Elam McKnight
Sweet Velvet C (Chet of the Immortal Lee County Killers)
Mark “Porkchop” Holder
Left Lane Cruiser
Moreland & Arbuckle
Hillstomp
William Elliott Whitmore
Radio Moscow
Chris Cotton
Brimstone Howl
John Schooley
The BirdDogs
KM Williams, The Texas Country Blues Preacher and the Trainreck
Johnny Lowebow

gates open 11:00am, music at noon

Some mp3’s we’ve posted on HearYa in the past:

Brimstone Howl - Bad Seed

Black Diamond Heavies - Fever in My Blood

Scott H. Biram - Been Down Too Long

Radio Moscow - Frustrating Sound

Head over to Nine Bullets for a more complete mp3 sampler.

Read Rick Saunders’ write up for a great write up about what Deep Blues really means.