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$66 Million Is Almost the Mark of the Beast; Clear Channel Is the Beast, Hit With Big Money Verdict
Apparently, there is a place called Lufkin, Texas, and it is the 76th largest city in the Lone Star State. In an effort to force themselves into the national consciousness, a Lufkin federal court jury ruled against mega-corporation Clear Channel Communications to the tune of $66 million, doubtlessly scaring every born-again in a 60-mile radius.
Clear Channel, which operates nearly 1,200 radio stations nationwide, has been ordered to fork over the sizable chunk of cash to Grantley Patent Holdings. According to Billboard.biz, Grantley founder Billy Shane Fox (not a porn star) invented and patented multiple systems of "inventory management and revenue projection," from which a Clear Channel tool called Viero borrowed.
This Fox character is supposedly a big deal in the "inventory management, price forecasting and traffic billing systems" world, and while I can’t quite wrap my head around what this all means, it’s always reassuring to see the big guy go down. And while $66,029,750 is about how much Clear Channel tips at Waffle House, a victory is a victory. So, although patent infringement for revenue management technology might not be the most titillating subject in the music business world, it says something that any ruling against a bona fide corporate monster like Clear Channel feels like a tally in the win column for the rest of us.
Put on by arts & culture weekly The Village Voice, The Siren Music Fest enjoys prominence as one of the most innovative music festivals in the states today. Showcasing "indie rock veterans" and "emerging artists," attendees have a chance to see a whole slew of acts (that aren’t featured anywhere else in the nation, since indie rock has been completely shunned from most music festivals). And the festival’s setting is a definite positive (you’d think you were the only one in the world — you and the 100,000 other people who flood the park every year!). Plus, there are two stages and a bunch of DJs playing remixed dance music — totally sweet.
No, I won’t complain. It’s all-day, all-ages, totally free, and has an awesome promo poster. And what’s more: it’s sponsored in part by the NY Bartending School, Budweiser, and Astroland Amusement Park. (How can’t that be fun?)
The D, F, Q, and N lines all lead to the ocean:
07.19.08 – Coney Island, NY (8th Annual Village Voice Siren Music Festival)
Presenting: Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks, Broken Social Scene, The Helio Sequence, Beach House, Times New Viking, Jaguar Love, The Dodos, Annuals, Film School, Parts & Labor, Dragons of Zynth, and These Are Powers, with more to be announced.
The ’90s were Wikkid, with a capital "W" and two "k"s. Especially the music! "Grunge" ushered in a slew of absolutely terrible "hard rock" bands; Alicia Silverstone was still eating meat and shaking her entrails in Aerosmith videos; and "the Macarena" taught us all a valuable lesson about the dangers of close gyrating in loose shorts. EMF’s "Unbelievable" came, conquered, and scuttled away gracefully, only to return in 2007 to sell us crumbled cheese. Hanson gave everyone a reason to believe in the virtues of cloning (but only if the results were blond, tanned, and a trifle effeminate). C&C Music Factory made you jump to the rhythm jump jump to the rhythm jump, while Marky Mark desperately wanted to see sweat comin’ out your pores. And who can blame him? The 1990s were good times for good people.
Thinking back gives me a warm feeling just below my equator, and it makes me pine for the extremely talented John Peel favorites Hefner, who enjoyed fair-to-middling UK underground success with their spirited tales of stormy relationships and torrential heartache. Their zenith, The Fidelity Wars, came out in 1999 but is back for another kick at the can June 2, when it will be reissued as a 2CD, 40-song gargantuan audio beast. Added to the original album are 7-inch, 4-track, and rehearsal versions of tracks, the Hefner Heart EP, and a bunch of B-sides, which are all excellent. Hefner’s heart, Darren Hayman, will be playing some gigs in the UK and Spain this summer with bandmate Jack Hayter, but it will most likely be a short return to the spotlight for Hefner, as all members remain extremely busy with projects. Patrick Dempsey take note: you’re allowed to mount your minor comebacks all you want, but don’t overstay your welcome!
Here... (deep breath)... is... The Fidelity Wars, in all its expanded glory:
Disc One:
1. The Hymn for the Cigarettes #
2. May God Protect Your Home #
3. The Hymn for the Alcohol #
4. I Took Her Love for Granted #
5. Every Little Gesture #
6. The Weight of the Stars #
7. I Stole a Bride #
8. We Were Meant to Be #
9. Fat Kelly’s Teeth #
10. Don’t Flake Out on Me #
11. I Love Only You #
12. Grandmother Dies $
13. Lisa and Me $
14. A Belly Full of Babies $
15. Mary Lee %
16. The Hymn for the Things We Didn’t Do %
17. Karen %
18. The Heart of Portland %
19. The Hymn for Thomas Courtney Warner %
Disc Two:
1. The Hymn for the Alcohol ^
2. My Art College Days Are Over $
3. Don’t Flake Out on Me *
4. I Stole a Bride *
5. May God Protect Your Home *
6. A Belly Full of Babies *
7. The Hymn for Thomas Courtney Warner *
8. Blind Girl With Halo *
9. Harlot’s Teeth *
10. I Took Her Love for Granted *
11. Karen *
12. The Hymn for the Cigarettes +
13. We We Meant to Be +
14. You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone +
15. I Took Her Love for Granted +
16. I Love Only You +
17. Kate Cleaver’s Home +
18. Twisting Mary’s Arm +
19. The Weight of the Stars +
20. The Girl from the Coast +
21. The Librarian +
# Original The Fidelity Wars album
$ B-sides
% Hefner Heart EP
^ 7-inch version
* 4-track version
+ rehearsal version
You Be Parts and I’ll Be Labor; Prove Your Father Wrong and Be on a Real Record
You just don’t have what it takes to be a successful musician. It’s a crushing realization for us all, but there comes a time in every person’s life where they have to face the truth. Yes, your high school guidance counselor was right. So was your dad. Your drunk uncle lied — your songs are just no good. But with Brooklyn being the philanthropy capital of the world and all, Parts & Labor are trying to make your somewhat pathetic dreams come true. The NYC band are hard at work on the follow-up to last year’s spastic Mapmaker, and they’re asking for a little bit of help from their friends. The band sent out the following message via smoke signal:
Want to be on the next Parts & Labor album?We’re in the studio working on our next album. Send us some audio samples to use on the recording. We’re looking for snippets of noises, field recordings, found sounds, drones, speaking, etc.
Send audio that responds to any or all of these questions:
1. What’s your favorite or least favorite sound?
2. What are you afraid of?
3. What do your parents sound like?
4. Where are you going, or where have you been?The deadline for submissions is May 23rd.
Please keep the samples under 10 seconds. wav or aiff formats are preferred (but mp3s are okay too).
Email your submissions to partsandlaborsounds@gmail.com. Include your name for crediting purposes if you want.
Thanks,
Parts & LaborPS: By sending us audio files you’re agreeing to let us use them on our audio recordings in any way we see fit, forever and ever. Don’t send lawyers at us.
So, go ahead and showcase your wicked ear. You never know who might be listening, and you might just catch your big, 10-second break.
Outraged DC concertgoers (might have) waved handmade signs above their heads at a rally last week, reading slogans like "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Crocs" and "Stop Wasting My Pedicure." The crowd’s wrath was directed at one man by the name of Dante Ferrando, owner of the Black Cat club, in response to his new anti-flip-flop policy.
Showing concern at the number of concertgoers suffering serious injuries like crushed toes and cuts from broken glass, Ferrando has decided to tighten up his suggested policy sometime this summer, turning away those who attend shows in the offending footwear. "Flip-flops are pretty much the same as bare feet," he says.
Appalled at Ferrando’s consideration for his patrons’ safety, proponents of the flip-flop are calling his move "sneakerist" and "creepily compassionate," insisting that all forms of footwear be permitted within the club, lest their summer wardrobe be, like, totally ruined.
Rumors of the Black Cat’s conspiratorial secret deal with major athletic shoe companies could not be confirmed at the time of press, but Nike mysteriously could not be reached for comment, even when I called them repeatedly on this here bananaphone. Phooey.
Alas, TMT readership! Worried about paying the monolithic $2.50 to Virgin Mobile for that Danity Kane ringtone you’ve been lusting for?
Price cuts ahead!
Oh-em-gee, sweet reader, the future is now! Burger King is subsidizing Warner Music Group ringtones.
But, why, you ask?
According to that same Billboard article, BK aims to appeal to the technological bent of us modern folk. (This assuredly explains Iron Man toys, chicken fries, and that creepily silent King from BK commercials.)
You know, reader. Kids today, or something.
After the breakup of At The Drive-In and before The Mars Volta’s first release (the Tremulant EP), Omar Rodriguez Lopez of The Mars Volta released a self-titled album with Jeremy Michael Ward (who is also most well-known for his collaborations with the band). Limited to 200 and released only on MiniDisc, Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Jeremy Michael Ward has been compared to the minimalism of Steve Reich (who, I’m happy to say, seems to be influencing countless artists lately), and since its release in 2001, quite a bit has happened: The Mars Volta released a bunch of albums and gained a sizable cult following; Ward passed away in 2003; and fans are now realizing they were either previously unaware of this collaboration or have been unable to find a copy.
Thankfully, Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Jeremy Michael Ward will now finally see wide release June 10 on Infrasonic Sound Recording Co. According to the press release, the album is a "playful, abstract concoction of manipulated sounds and processed, unrecognizable recordings of household objects, everyday activities, passing dialog, and similar ephemera." Sounds like a review written by P or Mangoon, don’t it? No? What are you, the TMT cop?
1. Sounder of Tame Swine 2. A Tightrope Supports Our Festering 3. Salvo 4. Impoverished Beliefs 5. Heathrow Waltz 6. Swill the Ranks 7. Gidi Prime 8. Swiss Armor Tank 9. Improvised Beliefs 10. Host to Fairweather Friends
If we’ve learned anything from the animated Disney smash hit The Lion King, it’s that there is a circle of life. And for third-rate early ’90s grunge rock bands, it goes something like this: you and your unshowered chums start playing small clubs and then gradually progress to big clubs to arenas to casinos to everybody’s favorite summer celebration, Taste of Arkansas. But not those contrarians Stone Temple Pilots! Whereas Silverchair and Everclear may soon be coming to a state fair near you, the hard-rockin’ rock dudes in STP are keepin’ it real by bringing Frank Black on tour with them. Yes, that Frank Black.
The former Pixies frontman and the recently reunited (who knew??) sorta-grunge band will be setting the hearts of nostalgic frat boys and late ’80s college rock fans alight during a very special string of dates this summer. Perhaps Mr. Black will be bringing the noise from his "mini-LP" SVN FNGRS to an amphitheater near you? Only time, or the following listing, will tell.
06.24.08 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl 06.25.08 - Tucson, AZ - Anselmo Valencia Amphitheatre 06.27.08 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center 06.28.08 - Woodlands, TX - Woodlands Pavilion 06.29.08 - Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Live 07.02.08 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre 07.04.08 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
You may not be aware of it, but TMT news reporters go through a lot to bring you the latest music scoop everyday. In fact, we’re so intrepid that we go so far as to stake out the private residences of those who we’re writing about. Right, guys? No, that was just (...)
• Wolf Parade to Tour, Fans to TMT: "Wait, Which Band Is That Again??"
Okay, people, listen up and listen good! I’m only going to say this ONCE: No, I do NOT know what Sunset Rubdown is doing this summer. No, I do NOT know what Frog Eyes have planned for the coming months. No, I do NOT have any information about Swan Lake’s (...)
Adding one more flick to his IMDB profile, Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. (a.k.a. Common) will be starring in the newest Terminator flick due in 2009. Common will star as a freedom fighter saving the world, kicking ass, doin’ chix, and drinking whiskey out of his bible flask*, (...)
Until now, I’ve invoked my Fifth Amendment right in regards to who broke the organ in the garage, but it’s confession time. Twas’ me; I fucked it up. It was late, and I was tripping on acid practicing my one-man, black-metal, psych-rock band act when, at (...)
In a move sure to stun industry bigwigs and casual hispters alike, LA’s HEALTH has decided to tour — this time on not one, but two continents. They’ve only been on, like, four tours in the past year, leading many to believe that they didn’t really (...)
I stand by my previous statements regarding the SP20 Festival (TMT News), with one concession: things are shaping up. Really, though, The Vaselines (joined by members of Belle & Sebastian), Les Thugs, and Eric’s Trip? It’s like 1994 all over again, and if (...)
• Built to Spill Announce Tour, Offer Empty Rhetoric About "Change"
Reading some quotes from Doug Martsch, frontman of Built to Spill, I can’t help but think that his speeches and promises are no different than other leading musicians — empty promises. “I was convinced the American people wanted something new and (...)
I recently bought a bed from IKEA. I knew there was “some assembly required,” but didn’t realize the full extent until I opened the box and found no fewer than three bags of screws and bolts to match the dozens of wooden planks. I looked back and forth, in (...)
It’s been a long nine years since Merge released First Imaginary Symphony for Nomad, the debut full-length by The Music Tapes. That’s the bad news. The good news is that The Music Tapes, a.k.a. Julian Koster — best known for his saw work and creative vision (...)
Music zines will have you believe that the news of Gang of Four losing two members (rhythm section, have you) is an opportunity to exhibit some comical irony. But those ‘clever’ writers are supreme douche nozzles. I think it’s tragic that Dave Allen (...)
Last year, for the first time, the human race became more urban than rural. Soon, more than half of the world’s population will live in urban centers. Some will point to a rise in development among third world countries, some to megacities getting mega-er, and still (...)
• Report: Warner Music Tries On Dynamic Pricing Hat, Looks Like Shit
In the olden days, consumers would frequent establishments that made profits by selling music on various forms of physical media, at a premium. When new, popular albums were released, the "kids" would run to these stores in droves, plunking down money made from part-time (...)
Tiny Mix Tapes, LLC. [Design: Dzynomite | Code: Erin Potter]