Welcome back to the News Release. The column that says, in as many different ways as I can come up with, that the RIAA sucks.
Note to Cameron: YOU SUCK! There, now your column has officially been flamed by a site writer. I kid, of course, since the Bootleg is the only column I regularly read on the Music site. You should, too. PS: As for the gift, rent a limo for the night and take her somewhere to dinner, and whatever nice driving one can do in Cali.
Note to J Modz: I got Donovan in 2 of my 3 leagues too. The serious money league I’m in, he managed to swing me –3 points. I lost horribly, and the guy I was playing forgot to start a defense. I needed Joey Galloway to have a 35 point night and, while the ‘boys put on a show, he didn’t quite get there. Also, I’m begging for a review of a Sevendust acoustic set. There are certain bands I just don’t see in that setting.
The Giants Suck
It’s half time and they’re getting owned. What the hell.
Indies Starting to Wonder
As reported here last week, Universal Music is set to cut their wholesale prices come November. This will, effectively, cut the prices of all Universal Music releases to 12.98 or less.
As such, the Independent Labels in the US who, thus far, have been sticking it to the major labels by offering their titles for less than the biggies, are starting to wonder where this will leave them. Most of them, however, aren’t yet ready to hit the panic button.
Steve Pritched, Senior VP of Navarre Entertainment, says: When you take a $17.98 release, which is $11.75 wholesale, and you put in a typical 7% discount and figure $1.75 in co-op per piece, the net to the customer comes out to $9.18, which is only nine cents more than Universal’s price It’s in the ballpark
Kevin Welk, president of Welk Music Group, the biggest self-distributed indie operation of the country says: If I’m this little label, and this price comes into effect universally, what happens to my costs? It’s going to put a major squeeze on independent labels. [but] Short-term, we’re not changing our situation. If all the majors get involved, I’m going to have to take a serious look at it
So, the general consensus around the country seems to be “wait and see.â€
However, on my end, if all five of the majors adopt this pricing structure, I think a lot of the indies will do well to think about dropping their costs. Indies major benefit right now is that they’re generally the same price if not cheaper, and the music is good. But, if I see the new Live release for 9.99 vs the latest Boom Jockeys for 16.98, I’m probably going to take the CD I know is good. That’s just me… but I’m a typical music fan… and I’m a music fan that’s willing to give almost anything a chance. Unfortunately for them, in this market at least, the one college station that USED to give the local indie scene an audience now does mindless Top 40 to attract all the mindless teenagers to their school. So, the 20,000 Watt station now plays garbage and all the indy scene is left with is 2000 watt stations that barely get off campus. While there are a decent number of college radio stations around here, none are as popular as WVCR was in it’s heyday.
And I’m still bitter, considering I was still a student when they pulled it.
New Johnny Cash Releases
Unrelated and planned before Johnny Cash’s death last week, the legendary music star will be joining Tupac and Biggie in the “sick amounts of post-mortem releases†department. Coming this Tuesday, Columbia Legacy will be releasing Christmas with Johnny Cash… a 12-track classic collection of Christmas tunes. Then, coming on September 23rd is a CD/DVD set, Johnny Cash: A Concert Behind Prison Walls of concert footage shot in 1976 from Nashvilles State Penitentiary. Then, later, there is still the circulating rumor of a box set,1 which Cash was in the process of composing before he died.
I’m kind of happy to see that Johnny got sort of one last quick run before the big man upstairs pulled his plug. He went out with the music. God rest.
VMA Thought of the Week
Who the f*ck cares? Oh WOW, Madonna and Brittney kissed for half a second. GET OVER IT.
Secondly, for everyone clamoring about the snub of Johnny Cash. This is the same award show that gave 50 Cent three awards. People will still know Johnny Cash fifty years after last week. People will know Fiddy for “In Tha Club†(because Dre is all over it) and nothing else.
VMA’s are meaningless. They go to whoever paid MTV the most to promote their record. That’s all there is to it.
Zwan Finished
As mentioned on the main page, Zwan is finished after one album due to personnel problems and low sales. Their lone album Mary, Star of the Sea has only sold 267,000 copies according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Corgan seems unmoved either way: A couple of people asked me, ‘Why didn’t you tell anybody?’ I’m sort of out of the period of my life when I run around trying to generate news
Pumpkins reunion is about two years away.
Dropping Tomorrow
A Perfect Circle with their second studio release, Thirteenth Step. I would have given a quick review to the release single, but I refuse to spend four hours trying to find a valid copy of it Kazaa. However, it will not prevent me from downloading the album.
DMX supposed final album, Grand Champ. I’ve liked most of X’s stuff. I’m sure Cameron will have a review of it sometime soon, if not already. I wouldn’t mind a copy of it… if it’s 9.99, I might just buy it.
Greatest hits CDs from both James Brown and The Steve Miller Band.
New Godsmack
Godsmack’s latest release, an acoustic EP titled The Other Side will come out November 18th through Universal Records (which means it’s 9.99!!). The disc will contain eight tracks, four of which are acoustic versions of previous songs and the remaining four are previously unreleased work that Sully Erna did before joining Godsmack.
Here’s waiting.
Disturbing News of the Week
Straight off of Blabbermouth.
Industrial rock band HELL ON EARTH will feature a “live suicide” at their State Theatre performance in St. Petersburg, Florida on Saturday, October 4. A Euthanasia Society member will carry out the suicide to raise awareness for dying with dignity. The Euthanasia member, who suffers from a terminal illness, is using the event as a platform to help make backstreet suicides a thing of the past.
Though his identity is being withheld until the day of the event, he did have this to say, “I thank the Lord that HELL ON EARTH is giving me this opportunity to end my suffering. I just want to say as my last will and testament that this is my God-given choice to end my life. I’d prefer to have a physician-assisted suicide but until the laws are changed, those who are in pain like me will either have to continue to suffer or do it themselves.”
The event, “The Hell On Earth Haunted Tour”, is part of a national tour the band is on to support their new album, “All Things Disturbingly Sassy”
You know, I goof on a lot of articles… but man. I really got nothing to say here. For more information, go to Hell on Earth.com.
Here is hoping common sense prevails somewhere before the date.
In Other Reading
A bunch of stuff. I think Modz got it all yesterday.
In Conclusion
It’s come to my attention that the Sevendust Acoustic show is here this Friday. Let’s see if working for a music website gets me any love from a local radio station.
Till next week.
