AltWeeklies Wire
Quack! Media Plans on Complete Musical Success in This New Recession Economynew
In an era when the bloated infrastructure of the music industry as we have known it for the last 50 years is imploding, it's refreshing to see a back-to-basics approach succeed, as in the case of the Ann Arbor multimedia company.
Metro Times |
Chris Handyside |
11-17-2009 |
Music
#thissongissogreat: How to Change This Band's Life, in 140 Characters or Lessnew
The Twitter paradigm reverts to the antiquated record-store clerk model, where you discover new music because you trust the person behind the counter who loves something you've yet to hear.
VIP FTW! Bands are Using VIP Packages to Give Fans More Bang for Their Bucknew
As the music industry struggles to (re)invent itself, more touring bands are tapping a new revenue source: themselves. From European cult bands to arena-size superstars, premium-package ticket deals are an increasingly popular part of the concert-business model.
Riverfront Times |
D.X. Ferris |
09-25-2009 |
Music
How Trikont is Saving the World, One Compilation at a Timenew
It's safe to say that Achim Bergmann of Trikont, Germany's oldest independent record label, has an affinity for the underdog. The label's eclectic catalog has been transcending language boundaries and international borders long before "world music" became a Billboard buzzword.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Nicole Gluckstern |
09-22-2009 |
Music
Will Gossip Blog Notoriety Translate into Music Industry Clout for Perez Hilton?new
You could almost hear universal snickering in the music industry a few months ago when Perez Hilton announced his intention to start a label and become the next Jimmy Iovine. Now the industry watches to see what the Perezcious Music label will bring.
NOW Magazine |
Jason Keller |
09-21-2009 |
Music
Sub Pop Offshoot Hardly Art is Hardly Starvingnew
Like the now-defunct Sub Pop offshoot label Die Young Stay Pretty, Hardly Art receives financial backing from Sub Pop. But unlike DYSP, Hardly Art is determined to live to see middle age on its own dime.
Seattle Weekly |
Sara Brickner |
09-21-2009 |
Music
Why is Modest Mouse Frontman Isaac Brock Starting from Scratch With Obscure Portland Bands?new
Brock, 34, acknowledges that his new role as an indie label kingpin is a departure, though he's quick to add that he's always been interested in the business side of music.
Willamette Week |
Casey Jarman |
09-16-2009 |
Music
Radio Nowhere Trades Physical Dollars for Digital Dimesnew
After his band's popularity waned, Mike Baker began using social networking to write his music and build a buzz.
East Bay Express |
Eric Rubin |
08-12-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Blue Scholars are Turning the Artist-Label Relationship On its Headnew
Seattle hip-hop group Blue Scholars have brokered a deal in which New York hip-hop label Duck Down Records signed to them. Whether that's the most accurate way to put it is debatable, but the message is clear: things are changing.
Seattle Weekly |
Jonathan Cunningham |
08-10-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Music Companies Use 'Mafia' Strategies to Crack Down on Local Businessesnew
ASCAP, which touts itself as a performance-rights organization, has developed quite a reputation in Sacramento. Local business owners have complained of receiving unsolicited bills that demand immediate payment, repeat phone calls and visits from sales representatives, and even a bit of intimidation regarding fines and lawsuits.
Sacramento News & Review |
Nick Miller |
07-02-2009 |
Music
How a Gamer Used His Celebrity in 'World of Warcraft' to Launch a Music Careernew
Even Michael Bailey -- or Fony, as he's known to fellow WoW gamers -- couldn't have predicted that one day his cyber-world celebrity would bring his real-world electronic music group hundreds of digital download sales and a burgeoning international fanbase.
East Bay Express |
Nate Seltenrich |
07-02-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
If Your Love is Cheap, Windows Loves Your Bandnew
Microsoft's Sponsored Songs program is the latest in a series of variably successful attempts by large companies to use independent music to reach a new audience. If it is to be a long-term strategy, though, many say it must form a stronger bond between the bands and brands it links.
Used MP3s: Hawking 'Old' Digital Music Files Through New Websitenew
A new crop of consumer-facing music stores is focused on helping fans resell "used" digital music the way they do CDs. But the big conundrum with digital music is that there's no way to prove sellers legally own the songs on their computers.
Nashville Scene |
Eliot Van Buskirk |
06-19-2009 |
Music
Bypassing Record Labels, Jill Sobule's New Album is Funded by Fansnew
Sobule has had a hard time with record companies. The singer/songwriter has been dropped by MCA and Atlantic, not to mention the two indie labels she recorded for are now defunct. Naturally, Sobule was hesitant about shopping her latest album to another label; but without any money of her own, other options were few and far between.
New York Press |
David Chiu |
05-14-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Record Store Day Arrives in Charlestonnew
Ironically, after almost 10 years, the plot of Empire Records has never been more current. Just as the film's titular shop faces extinction, so do the last remaining mom-and-pops still stocking discs. But in Charleston, things aren't so gloomy.
Charleston City Paper |
Bryan Reed |
04-15-2009 |
Music
