Gawker
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the blues
Theme Music for the Death of the Media
This nine-minute heartbreaker titled "Mad Ave Blues," sung to the tune of "American Pie," is sure to bring tears to the eyes of every agency creative type, media buyer, and trade reporter who love-hates advertising. Brilliant, and painfully nerdy. More »
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Comment by BadUncle: That's it. I'm gonna get a job as a Walmart greeter. 1 Responses | Other threads
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remixes
Awful Product With Awful Ad Makes Awful Music
Earlier we showed you the horrifying, adult Mouseketeer-like "commercial" for Microsoft Songsmith (do not click that) that could drive the gentlest among us to murder. But at least it's inspiring a YouTube artistic explosion. More »
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Comment by mmstk101: The Roxanne music is amazing(ly bad). Like, actually laugh out loud bad. 8 Responses | Other threads
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music
MySpace launches music site, biz prays it's the next MTV
MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe wanted a one-stop music shop that would have included event ticket and merchandise purchases along with streaming audio and paid downloads. What he got were agreements from the four major labels for the streaming audio and a deal with Amazon to sell digital downloads. Which is something. Also, there's handful of big-name sponsors like McDonald's and Toyota, and MySpace certainly still has a huge user base of music lovers. Whether or not this is "the one" for the record industry remains to be seen. How's the service? More » -
Walter Kitundu
Local oddball musician is now a certified genius
San Francisco artist Walter Kitundu's website is slammed today. The builder of the hybrid turntable/harp instrument he calls the phonokora — a kora is a West African instrument with 21 strings — has received a $500,000 MacArthur grant. Kitundu talked about his art with LAist last year. After the jump, a video demo of the phonokora. More »
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By Paul BoutinComment by Motoko Kusanagi: Whaaat? Is that just a turntable bolted to a harp? I watched the video, and it seems like... 2 Responses | Other threads
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the olds
Neil Young to fix iTunes' sucky audio quality once and for all
"Putting on a headphone and listening to an MP3 is like hell," 62-year-old rock eccentric Neil Young has said, while praising the sonic qualities of old vinyl records. Now, taking a clue from the fix-it-yourself Web 2.0 kids, Young told the Financial Times that he's working on an alternative digital distribution platform that won't drive his ears nuts: More »
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By Paul BoutinComment by Paul Boutin: @mach1andy: Awesome, thanks for coming out and representing the blackface-Fender demographic. Try not to laugh at my Hot Rod... more » | Other threads
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music
Rhapsody finally jumps on board the magic MP3 music bus
RealNetworks freeing its Rhapsody music store offerings from copy-protection chains is about "going after a larger audience and making a better customer service experience available to people," according to Real VP Neil Smith. It may be too little, too late — I doubt my mom will be shopping at Rhapsody again any time soon, and good luck convincing anyone younger than me to pay for MP3s. [Wired] -
startups
Napster shareholders demand $280 million valuation
Napster is still trying to prove that it can sell MP3s, but for some Napster shareholders fighting a proxy battle to get representation on the board, they'd prefer the company was for sale, and at a premium price. Based on their SEC filing, shareholders are arguing that with the purchase of Last.fm by CBS for $280 million, Napster should be worth equally as much, if not more. The only reason it's not is because of a "lack of confidence in governance." They seem to be overlooking the fact that Last.fm doesn't have the brand name baggage but does have a lively community of users.
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By Alaska MillerComment by Shadowlayer: So now companies can invent a valuation based on someone elses? Shit, then my still nonexistant startup is worth $15 billion,... more » | Other threads
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music
T-Pain's Nappy Boy Digital not the online experience listeners are looking for
Trent Reznor isn't the only music celebrity getting his digital swerve on by going independent and using download data to plot likely tour stops on Google Earth. Hip-hop and R&B star T-Pain kicked off his own online distrubtion label, Nappy Boy Digital, earlier this month. But the Grammy-winning artist isn't thinking much beyond selling online, argues Markus Robinson of Black Web 2.0, saying that a the site won't thrive without the promised but undelivered social layer, free downloads and other features consumers are beginning to expect. You'd think an artist who depends on technology like voice processor Auto-Tune to stay on key (as evidenced by a live performance with Doug E Fresh) would be more savvy. -
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online video
Avril Lavigne fans gunning for top spot on YouTube
The microfamous are set to lose one of their own to the squealing hordes who follow the macrofamous when sk8r pop sensation Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend becomes the most viewed video on YouTube, surpassing Judson Laipply's Evolution of Dance. How are tweens planning to storm the gates of democratization in order to install their über-trendy God-queen atop YouTube's throne? More » -
music
Buzznet receives $25 million from Universal Music Group
Los Angeles-based social network Buzznet finally confirmed a long-rumored investment from Universal Music Group, which PaidContent earlier reported to be around $25 million, brining the total invested in the company to over $32 million. The social network, which has been focused on music fans from the start, has also become quite acquisitive, picking up popular music blog Stereogum and, most recently, Gawker Media title Idolator. And they may be looking to add more, according to an email published by The Daily Swarm. (Via Tech Confidential) -
music
Billy Bragg argues for musicians' cut of Bebo deal
"The musicians who posted their work on Bebo.com are no different from investors in a start-up enterprise. Their investment is the content provided for free while the site has no liquid assets. Now that the business has reaped huge benefits, surely they deserve a dividend." [NY Times] (Photo AP/Cheryl Gerber)
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By Jackson WestComment by ImmanuelCan: "The musicians who posted their work on Bebo.com are no different from... all of the other morons that bought into... more » | Other threads
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apple
Linkin Park plays at SoHo Apple Store
So much for a "special event".Linkin Park played a short set at the SoHo Apple store last night. The show was taped for an exclusive iTunes release next month. It's possible that Apple bumped them from an actual secret event because of the leak, but unlikely. [Billboard]
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Comment by rdldr1: Not even Mac fans can save Linkin Park from obscurity and irrelevance. If the much hated Fred Durst is there,... more » | Other threads
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rumormonger
Apple holding a special event next week?
Rumors are flying about a secret event Apple is holding next week in New York City. Potential introductions include long-expected software which would allow developers outside Apple to make applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Other rumors are circling about new high-end notebooks, a new iPhone, or more labels offering DRM-free music on the iTunes Store. Rock band Linkin Park posted a note on its blog about a special show in NYC in with Apple. "Shh... it's a secret..." Got more details? Drop us a line. (Photo by AP/Jeff Chiu)
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Comment by John S. Kim: i hope they don't release a new version of macbook air. just ordered one. more » | Other threads
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music
Bono gives away iPods to save Africa
Bono gave a red iPod to the Japanese Prime Minister hoping to encourage more support from Japan to combat African poverty. Yasuo Fukuda asked Bono if his music was preloaded on the device. "No, but you can download it." More »
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Comment by sample032: Someone should do the world a favor and make Bono take an economics class...and a political science class. more » | Other threads
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music
Live Nation brings Hollywood hard-sell to your desktop
Dear label-hating pundits who gush about Madonna's oh-so-innovative deal with Live Nation: Have you tried to buy anything from Live Nation's site? All I wanted was tix to a local show at a midsize club. Live Nation splatted my screen with so many upsells, signups and talking audio popups that I felt like I'd walked into the old Tower store on Newbury Street. Live Nation surcharged me nine bucks a pop for general admission seats. My print-at-home passes (left) were lost amid pages of tree-killing, color-ink-squandering ads. I Photoshopped the tickets onto one clean page for printing, solely for my own peace of mind.
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By Paul BoutinComment by CaptainSemantics: I hate LiveNation with a passion that burns a million suns. They tend to mess up a little too frequently.... more » | Other threads
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domain names
Aussie rockers AC/DC have finally won access to the domain name acdc.com from a porn company that was redirecting traffic to sexually explicit sites. Now, kids searching for the band that keeps rocking after more than 30 years won't be exposed to dirty deeds. One wonders if hearing the song is any substitute. [The Register]
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By Tim FaulknerComment by sample032: I'm a supporter of the .xxx domain idea. Some people really don't want to look at porn, and it... more » | Other threads
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music
Madonna dumps record companies, signs with concert promoter
More and more artists are striking innovative deals to sell their music — and leaving the traditional record industry contract behind. The Wall Street Journal reports that once Madonna's contract with Warner Music is up, she will link up with concert-promoter Live Nation. While not as revolutionary as Radiohead's pay-what-you-want plan, or Prince's free-music-with-newspaper deal, Live Nation is a concert production company, not a record label. Madonna's deal will bring album production and distribution, concerts, merchandise and publicity under one company. More »
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Comment by dalejo: Just another sign that Madonna is a copy cat and not an innovator. Does she even matter any more? more » | Other threads
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music
Red-staters take over Internet
"(I'm So Much Cooler) Online" hit #1 this week on Billboard's chart of the top country songs. Nashville serial hitmaker Brad Paisley tackles a topic Weird Al passed over, the pathetic loser whose MySpace page tells a whole 'nother story. "Online I'm out in Hollywood / I'm six foot five and I look damn good / Even on a slow day, I can have a three-way chat / with two women at one time." Verse two is punctuated by a Mac boot chime. A video starring Jason Alexander, William Shatner and Marcia Brady already topped iTunes' own download chart. But as with most country music vids, you're better off to just listen to the song. -
youtube
Prince is gonna sue you like it's 1999
Purple Rain vs. Chocolate Rain: Prince is suing YouTube for not actively removing illegal copies of his work. His argument is simple and solid: "YouTube ... are clearly able (to) filter porn and pedophile material but appear to choose not to filter out the unauthorized music and film content which is core to their business success." YouTube responded with the usual lines. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by kiranator: when you're trying to keep user-submitted content clean / acceptable, there are two ways to do it: manual takedowns (e.g.... more » | Other threads
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internet radio
"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated"
Today, the Internet radio industry, imperiled by a new plan for music-webcasting fees, received a temporary "reprieve". An onerous schedule of royalty payments proposed by SoundExchange, the music industry's Web-licensing arm and okayed by a compliant Congress, is still in place. Basically, nothing has changed. And despite the stalling, nothing really will. Despite widespread claims of the imminent death of Internet radio, both music websites and record labels will soldier on. This is not a war of utter annihilation: It is Spy vs. Spy. Both sides will be around to throw new bombs in each other's direction tomorrow and forever, no matter how dastardly and deadly their assassination attempts are today. The music industry will eventually compromise at some rate that falls short of bankrupting webcasters, and Internet sites will, eventually, turn their attentions away from whining about the rates and toward finding ways to make money. No one ever really dies, but they sure make a lot of noise. -
clive thompson
The best article you'll ever read about web fame
NICK DOUGLAS — I always wanted newspapers to come with standardized "This is good" stamps on the right articles; it turns out they already do, but the stamp reads "by Clive Thompson." The writer interviewed top bloggers for a New York Magazine thought-piece on their success last year. (Unlike most shallow articles that quote C-list bloggers and draw USA-Today-level insights, Thompson went for the big guns and gave a realistic picture of the (scant) money and (scant) fame made by bloggers. Now he's done the same in-depth look in the New York Times at online musicians. He checks on OK Go, the Hold Steady, and nerdstar Jonathan Coulton, who sang the famous acoustic version of "Baby Got Back." Thompson has no agenda (no "Internet killed the video star!" or "The cult of the amateur is dead!") so he actually lets the subjects tell their stories. If only all journalism about the Internet were like Clive Thompson's.
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By Nick DouglasComment by TheTypeset: And I'm sure it must be resonant for you guys too, considering that your readers hate on you like they... more » | Other threads
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cellphones
iPhone Ringtone Sheetmusic: Let Angelic Tinkling Remixes Begin
As the world embraces the iPhone ringer sound, we continue to dissect it here at the Giz, and now NYC musician Andy Neesley helps us out by transcribing the ringtone for us. And hey, this is actually correct. Now those who are musically literate can play it on the piano, get together string quartets to play it, or even work up a rousing rendition with a kazoo choir. [Gizmodo] -
big media strikes back
Jealous of AllofMP3, majors sue
SCOTT KIDDER — Continuing our international web 2.0 coverage here at Valleywag, this morning Arista Records LLC, Warner Bros. Records, Capitol Records, and UMG Recordings Inc. sued everyone's favorite Russian Web 2.0 business, AllofMP3.com. As we all know, AllofMP3.com sells DRM-free MP3s for just under $2 an album. More » -
lala
Everyone must get sold
CD-swapping site LaLa used some of its nine million bucks to buy an resurrect a dead Internet radio station, WOXY. Just when you thought a site already made obsolete by Amazon, eBay, and iTunes couldn't get any more irrelevant, ya know? More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by tharpo: 97X....BAM! The future of rock and roll. Back in their analog days, I actually followed the advice of... more » | Other threads
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myspace
Music Video: New Friend Request
It may be from July, but we just saw this clever MySpace song and dance (beats the pants off MySpace Freak) for the first time. Revel in the MySpace metaphors in Gym Class Heroes' "New Friend Request." More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by Probably Your Momma!: Isn't that the Cobra Starship dude from the Snakes on a Plane music video? I'm growing my hair long. more » | Other threads
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myspace
I got 99 friends but a bitch ain't one: The MySpace Freak Rap
"There is this song I keep hearing on the radio in Atlanta called 'MySpace Freak' by some lowly rap group," says reader Paul Stamatiou. Any song that begins with "Chillin' at the crib" is guaranteed awesome, and C-Side's "MySpace Freak" delivers. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by ResearchZilla: actually, this is targeted at the new core 35+ "aging hipster" demographic within myspace... does celine dion have a myspace page?... more » | Other threads
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to-do
To-Do this weekend: Que honda, guero?
- Tonight through tomorrow, go to Yahoo's campus for Yahoo Hack Day to hang with coders. Oh, and Beck. [Upcoming]
- Beck and people who sound like Beck play at the Download Music Festival tomorrow in San Fran. [Download Festival]
- Our Silicon Alley brothers can hit up the Wired NextFest in New York City. Picture the Chicago World's Fair plus Bruce Sterling. [NextFest]
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music
Click here to dance: Record companies, it's finally time for the Creative Commons license
Music publishers still struggle to maintain relevance in an online world, as YouTube's deal with Warner Music yesterday revealed. Some bloggers praised the video site for "getting one record label off people's backs" by helping Warner Music find and veto (or license to) videos using its music. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by makaera: I suppose that only those fans who danced to the original version sung by Haiducii would object to putting in... more » | Other threads
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youtube
Feature: Why YouTube's best deal will be its death
Takeaway: YouTube's new deal with Warner Music looks like the dot-com's salvation, but it could be its downfall. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by zachfewtrell: I think the Napster case is quite different from that of YouTube. Napster was almost exclusively illegal content... ... more » | Other threads
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gawker media
Word up, Idolator
Rev up the awkward "new baby" metaphors, Gawker launched a new title today. Idolator is the music blog too hip for music blogs, complete with manifesto, glitzy logo (Is that a heart or is it the RIAA's bag of souls?), and a new spin on the Gawker cynicism you knowand love. More » -
david pogue
David Pogue talks and sings at TED 2006
TED, the futuristic conference that calls itself "a preview of Heaven" just released this year's keynote speeches online. Most of the clips from the February TED conference aren't geeky or funny enough. But New York Times personal tech columnist David Pogue is both. Forgive a few well-worn jokes and listen to his witty — if pedantically delivered — piano parodies. "The Bill Gates Song" is destined to be a summer jam. More » -
apple
Get ready for 50-cent Macs
While Bill Gates trashes the $100 laptop from MIT, Apple — known for its super-pricey toys — is cutting deals with rapper 50 Cent for a branded cheap computer for inner-city kids. Not that this is news to you well-informed readers, but once it hit the magazine Vibe, the story felt unavoidable. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by changbang: it just seems logical for 50: first a motorized, waterproof vibrator shaped like his own penis, now a cheap apple... more » | Other threads
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summer jams
Make the Valley summer jams mix
School's out, it's time for summer jams, Valley style! Send in your techie-centered (and otherwise appropriate) songs to tips@valleywag.com, subject "Summer jams." Mp3 files (or links to them) only. From this, we'll build a downloadable summer mix to play at the office. More » -
dell
Remainders: Dude! You got a cake!
- Today's "Reason that San Francisco is cooler than San Jose" is a warning to vegetarians: In Silicon Valley, waiters forcibly stuff meat down your throat. [Metroactive]
- Apparently everyone who didn't know about the Adobe/Microsoft fight over the PDF format has their heads in the sand. Yeah, they're all probably worrying about obscure news this week, like the US killing the world's leading terrorist. [Planet PDF]
- Thanks again, SloshCon sponsors! To everyone else: If you want to give people money to drink, please sponsor the Gnomedex parties coming up in July. [Ponzarelli]
- Is the Glam.com blog network scamming its writers? (Ha, name a blog network that isn't.) A tipster says, "Apparently their $11m in funding doesn't cover paying out a few cents to their partners." [Celebitchy]
- Songwriter Billy Bragg takes his music off Myspace, saying the site's terms and conditions let Rupert Murdoch's media empire re-use all posted music without paying a cent in royalties. One wonders if News Corp would ever get away with acting on that clause, but either way, YAY FOR LEAVING MYSPACE. [Register]
- Pictured: Best. Caption. Ever. The Register snarks at Dell for throwing Wall Street Journal editor Don Clark...a birthday party. [Register]
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By Nick DouglasComment by Anonymous: Fans of Korea House in Santa Clara have been hand-fed by the proprietress; she's one of the charms of the... more » | Other threads
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marissa mayer
Marissa Mayer rocks the beatbox
Yes, this is the bone-chilling laugh of Google VP-and-spokeswoman Marissa Mayer. Yes, someone sampled it over a beat and sent it in. Yes, we all have too much time on our hands. Now listen. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by eknirb: I guess if all that Google stock she is sitting on proves out to be, uh, worthless..she can always rock... more » | Other threads
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apple
How John Lennon invented the iPod
And a cute lil' vid to end your day: how John Lennon invented the iPod. More » -
techmeme
Afternoon news: Memeorandum goes Newspeak
- Yahoo gets an NYT section cover story for, um, improving its ad program. Thrilling. [NYT]
- Cry baby cry: Apple (the White Album one) loses its case against Apple (the White iPod one). [BBC]
- The New York Times starts its E3 coverage. A week of coy euphemisms for "booth babe" commences. [NYT]
- Tech Memeorandum is now Techmeme. Given that creator Gabe Rivera lives with TechCrunch creator Michael Arrington, this is all kinds of wrong. [Techmeme]
- Big-time graphics firm Silicon Graphics Inc. goes bankrupt, just a couple months after picking a new CEO who cut an eighth of the team. One assumes the government won't be subsidising SGI to protect the economy. [CNET]
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steve jobs
Tony Brummel, iTunes prima donna
A reader sends in a purported e-mail exchange between Tony Brummel, head of indie label Victory Records, and Steve Jobs, God of iTunes. In these mails from last week, Tony (who a month back ripped iTunes apart) wants Steve to give Victory special treatment. More »
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By ndouglasComment by buenobueno: I'm calling shenanigans. A conversation in which Jobs appears rational and comparatively less egotistical? Bullshit. more » | Other threads
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music
I am the Wal-Mart
Finally, a band that geeky tech reporters have heard of. The remnants of the Beatles will take their music digital, and tech journalists are finally able to put on an air of cultural relevance — or cheap headline gags. More »
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By ndouglasComment by Nick Douglas: And George's family and John's...widowish...thing. more » | Other threads
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apple
Apple vs. Apple: The good bits
Apple Computer is defending its logo against Apple Corps, the recording label owned by the Beatles. The latter claims that the Apple logo in the iTunes store dilutes Apple Corps' trademark. There's law involved, and serious IP issues and blah blah blah. But here are the good parts: More »
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