Secret Machines to Go Public, Public Machines to Self-Release 3rd LP Through World’s Fair Label Group
By Nobodaddy on 07-10-2008
An excerpt from my recent gchat with TMT Editor-in-Chief Mr P:
Nobodadz83: I just don't really have a whole lot of leads for TMT news stories this week, man. I don't know what it is. Slow week or something I guess.
Nobodadz83: Nothing really seems, you know, "newsworthy" around here.
PoonMan69: Really? What about that Secret Machines business that just went down?
Nobodadz83: What ‘Secret Machines Business’?
PoonMan69: Well, they officially announced the other day that they were going to be breaking with their major label and working with the World's Fair Label Group instead to self-release their newest full-length sometime this fall.
Nobodadz83: Huh... really? Hey wait, what's the World's Fair Label Group? Sounds like just another record label to me! That's not news!
PoonMan69: Dude, chill. I know. But World's Fair Label Group is technically a "full-service, worldwide record label administration company," not a record label.
Nobodadz83: blahhhh... go on...
PoonMan69: They've actually been in operation since 2004, and their thing is providing complete administration services to independent
labels... and directly to artists for self-releases. They're based in New York and Oklahoma and have a team of 11 full-time staff providing
press, radio promotions, online marketing, video promotions, sales,
manufacturing, design, and finance services. They've actually done stuff like this before with Midlike, Dandy Whahols, British Sea Power, 1990's... umm...
Nobodadz83: Wow, P, that's a lot of extraneous information you've got there.
PoonMan69: Hey, that's my job, bro.
PoonMan69: But what do you say? Do you want to write about that?
Nobodadz83: What's the "story" there? That vague Secret Machines "self-release" part?
PoonMan69: Yeah. That definitely counts as "news."
Nobodadz83: Wait a minute, P. Is it going to be FREE?
PoonMan69: Umm, no, I don't think so...
Nobodadz83: Is there a WEBSITE where fans can download it from?!
PoonMan69: No.
Nobodadz83: Will we be able to at least PAY WHAT WE WANT for it or download a FREE COMPANION EP though their website or get a free concert ticket with the CD or something?!?!
PoonMan69: Uh... probably not??
Nobodadz83: Ha!! That's what i thought, P...
PoonMan69: Sooooo... not interested, then, I take it?
Nobodadz83: Yeah, I’ll pass...
* Stone Temple Pilots
^ Coheed and Cambria and Russian Circles
EMI Sues Social Networking Site Hi5, Pisses Off Radiohead, Continues to Bat a Thousand
By Heidi Vanderslice on 07-10-2008
EMI's latest stroke of genius has been to sue Hi5, a social networking site. Ever heard of it? Me neither. That's because the website is virtually unknown in Europe and North America, where the market is dominated by other little sites called Facebook and MySpace. Hi5 is most popular in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, and members can upload homemade videos to the site to share with other users. EMI is alleging that the site is engaging in copyright infringement by hosting videos containing music from the label's artists. Um. Hey. Hey, EMI. There's this site that kind of only does this video sharing thing... you might want to check it out... it's called um, YouTu-- oh, never mind.
There's also the matter of Radiohead: The Best Of, with which I personally take umbrage because ending a phrase with a preposition just ain't right. Oh yeah, and there's also the awkward matter of Radiohead declining to renew their contract with EMI and signing with XL (for the physical release). "Awkward" doesn't really seem to be in EMI's company manual, in that it seems to be totally fine with shadily releasing albums and singles despite artists' wishes.
Thom Yorke added his own scathing commentary, saying:
The packaging is awful. There are three really bad photos. They're not going to make any money from it because they'll spend so much on TV advertising. Another thing is that greatest hits don't sell in America. I don't understand why they're doing it. And you know what it's done? It's ensured that we are never, ever, ever re-signing to EMI while there's a Guy Hands involvement. Who knows what could happen in the future. We could say, ‘EMI is great, we miss it and we could go back there.’ But this has ensured we'll never re-sign while he's involved
For Thom Yorke to even suggest the possibility of returning to EMI seems unbelievably generous in the first place, but guess what? Any chance for the label to soon regain one of its most profitable artists was fucked up good and proper with a release of Radiohead's "greatest hits." Another goose egg for EMI. Oh, look... I have a copy of the company manual after all: "Consistency is key."
Illegal Art Plans To Release All Albums Through Girl Talk’s “Tip Jar” Model; Thom Yorke Thinks They’re All A Bunch Of Copycats
By Annapocalypse on 07-10-2008
By now, I’m sure everyone with a computer is aware of the “tip jar” model that Gregg Gillis (a.k.a. Girl Talk) instituted with the download of his new album, Feed The Animals (TMT Review, TMT News). This week, however, the Los Angeles Times reported that Girl Talk’s record label Illegal Art aims to make all of its future releases available via the tip-jar model. Specifically, this means that each of Illegal Art’s 12 bands will be using the “pay what you want” model by the end of the month, including past records that have been previously released on CD.
According to Illegal Art owner Philo T. Farnsworth, Steinski will be the first among this batch to utilize the model. “With older material, we have nothing to lose,” Farnsworth said. While that may be true, it will certainly be interesting to see how some of Illegal Art’s relatively unknown bands fare with this new system.
Bardo Pond, Les Savy Fav, Others Added to ATP New York Lineup; Absurd Ticket Price Decimally More Worth It
By Sarah Dupuis on 07-10-2008
As part of a new effort to make buyers happier about spending a gajillion dollars on a three-day pass, the organizers of All Tomorrow’s Parties New York have added nine new artists to the September festival’s lineup. These new acquisitions mean tickets are more cost-effective and will perhaps make patrons feel less like yuppie douchebags.
Bardo Pond, slated to play 1997’s Lapsed in its entirety, will join in on the Wellsian spectacle of Friday night’s Don’t Look Back show, while ATP has added Les Savy Fav, Alexander Tucker, and Apse to the Saturday lineup. Last but not least, curators My Bloody Valentine have handpicked Bob Mould, Sonic Boom, Le Volume, Courbe, Gemma Hayes, and Wounded Knees to play alongside the previously confirmed artists and, duh, MBV themselves.
The new lineup raises the band count from 22 to 31, and reduces price-per-performance from $10.23 to $7.26. This perceived discount could inspire festivalgoers to splurge on hotel accommodations for an extra $450. Or maybe it’ll just make those of us who plan on sleeping in cars feel slightly more justified for overdrawing from our bankcards.
Festival lineup:
- Day 1 (Friday, September 19 – Don’t Look Back): Thurston Moore performing Psychic Hearts, Tortoise performing Millions Now Living Will Never Die, Meat Puppets performing Meat Puppets II, Built to Spill performing Perfect From Now On, Bardo Pond performing Lapsed
- Day 2 (Saturday, September 20 – Chosen by ATP): Fuck Buttons, Low, Growing, Edan with guest Dagha, Shellac, Thee Silver Mount Zion Orchestra, The Drones, Polvo, Wooden Shjips, Harmonia, Om, Autolux, Apse, Alexander Tucker, Les Savy Fav
- Day 3 (Sunday, September 21 – Chosen by My Bloody Valentine): My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr., Lilys, Yo La Tengo, Mercury Rev, Mogwai, Le Volume Courbe, Bob Mould, Sonic Boom, Gemma Hayes, The Wounded Knee
