Shock jock Howard Stern doesn't get nearly the love online as he used to; search-engine hits using 'Howard Stern' as a query line dropped almost ninety percent since March of 2005. Since Stern's move to satellite radio late last year, his own website's traffic has dropped by seventy percent, while Sirius Radio's spiked by almost three hundred. Innnteresting. [R&R]
The jackasses who try to run popular music are after Myspace and YouTube again; the latest is Universal Music Group CEO Doug Morris, who had this asinine comment: "We believe these new businesses are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars." He added, "How we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly." What a tool.
From an admittedly rather dry newsposting at Radio & Records:
"Flinn top 40 WHBQ (Q107-5)/Memphis programming/promotions assistant Joe Mack is promoted to MD. Later, this bonus sentence was added to make this rather minor news appear more weighty."
That's comedy.
Here's some highlights of the lineup for this year's Farm Aid event, if you're in the New Jersey area(Camden, to be exact) September 30th:
Willie Nelson
John Mellencamp
Neil Young and Dave Matthews
Robert Randolph & the Family Band
Jay-Z's three-year "retirement" is over - though he did pretty well for himself in the interim between The Black Album and the present, given that he ,i>did become president of one of the world's foremost record companies(Island/Def Jam). Nonetheless, the mic has lured Shawn Carter back to the game, with his new album Kingdom Come dropping November 21st. The record features appearances from some usual suspects(Dr. Dre, Kanye West, producer Timbaland and Pharrell Williams) as well as unusual - Coldplay's Chris Martin produced one of the songs. Weird, but like everything Hovah, it'll be a smash. [MTV]
Essential Listening for today, September 18th, is Belvedere's swan song Fast Forward Eats the Tape(2004). Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, the four-piece made kickass, blindingly-fast punk rock with hardcore breakdowns and hooks for days. Belvedere broke up six months or so ago, and FFETT sounds even better posthumously. Recommended.
Hatebreed have confirmed the death of former guitarist Lou 'Boulder' Richards at the age of 35. Suicide is hinted at in the official statement. I first saw Hatebreed in 2001 or 2002 before Boulder left the band late in '02, and he was a class act to me and my friend that night. Rest in peace.
Big surprise: Victory Records honcho Tony Brummel has fired back at his prized act, Hawthorne Heights, who filed a lawsuit last month claiming they're owed thousands in unpaid royalties and that Brummel employed street-team tactics to unethically manipulate other records in brick-and-mortar stores to boost HH sales. They're right pissed, and they should be. However, Brummel says it's all slander, and he's suing them right back for the two albums left on their deal with Victory. Hooray for the legal side of rock. This is why if you're in a freakin' band, get a freakin' lawyer. [aversion]
Costa Mesa, California's Supernova have won their court battle against CBS and its Supernova series featuring Tommy Lee and ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newstead; the court decided in favour of the first act's four albums and touring work. Stick it to the man!
Thursday keyboardist Andrew Everding is a smart fella.
Recently my alma mater(Algonquin College) and its radio station(add us on Myspace!) had a fire sale of CDs from last academic year; they're promo and can't really be sold, per se, but whatever, life is life, move on. Anyway, one of my prizes was a sought-after-by-me copy of P.O.D.'s The Warriors Vol. 2 EP from last fall, before the release of Testify this past January. Featuring 'Boom' and 'Wildfire' live at Cornerstone 2004, this little treat also had 'If It Wasn't For You', which is one of P.O.D.'s strongest, most consistent songs in four years. Find this and buy it.
When he's not busy being, you know, the light of the world and our Saviour, Jesus Christ has found time to build a Myspace page. [Relevant]
If you were born between 1975 and 1980, this will take you back. Oh, to be young again!
Everybody's favourite dark-pop-punk kids, Yellowcard, announced on the road over the weekend that the followup to Lights and Sound will be recorded soonish and released in the middle of next year or so. This is, of course, sandwiched around singer Ryan Key's alleged canoodling with Kelly Clarkson. Everyone make obnoxious kissy noises! [AP]
How 'bout this for must-see Monday television? Last week we reported that Green Day and U2 were collaborating on a cover song to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans - well, damned if they're gonna not perform the tune live on Monday Night Football(ESPN) on September 25th. The game is in New Orleans(Saints hosting the Atlanta Falcons, if you're an NFL buff) for the first time since last year around this time. The performance will officially reopen the Louisiana Superdome, which was condemned as a disaster zone following its conversion to a shelter for victims last fall.
Not only are Bad Religion coming to Ottawa this week(Wednesday, September 20th at the Civic Centre), but they're also prepping to record an album due out in 2007. It'll be their 14th since they formed in 1981. And it will sound pretty much like all the others, with the exception of some of the major-label stuff from the '90s. And I will love it.
Posted by mike at September 18, 2006 05:36 AM