Mobb Deep Sue Former Manager Over Unpaid Royalties; Manager “Shook”
By Petey V on 07-17-2008
NYC hip-hop legends Mobb Deep have filed a $1 million lawsuit against former manager Norman "Perfek Storm" Bell, according to hip-hop site SOHH.com. Apparently, Bell used several Mobb Deep tracks, including singles, on a series of "best of" mixtapes from which the group hasn't seen any income.
According to legal documents published on TMZ, the complaint was filed last Tuesday. Bell will receive 13 charges, including copyright infringement. The unauthorized albums, released with titles like Mobb Deep The Infamous Archives and Purfek Storm The Mixtape Vol. 1, were released at various points during Bell's tenure as the group's manager, which lasted from May 2004 until last November, when he was fired by the group.
Prodigy and Havoc, the group's members, have been working together since 1993 but are currently on hiatus as a group due to Prodigy's October 2007 conviction on charges of unlawful gun possession. He is currently serving over three years in prison. His album H.N.I.C. Pt. 2, recorded before his sentence began, was released in April. Meanwhile, Havoc's past legal wrangles include a 2001 incident in which one of his roommates shot a man over leftover Chinese food. Infamous, indeed.
The Howling Hex Got a Little Earth Junk in the Trunk, Courtesy of Drag City Records
By Liz Louche on 07-17-2008
At last, it has happened. A new album by The Howling Hex is on the way, promising kinda weird indie rock, cryptic titles like "O Why, Sports Coat?" and... ranchero music. According to a recent press release from the Hex's label home, Drag City, the band -- with records released under both the Howling Hex moniker and mastermind Neil Michael Hagerty's given name -- will release Earth Junk on September 23, 2008. Could September 23 get any better????
And now, a little background because there's not really much left to this story without it: The Howling Hex started up as the brainchild of New Mexico resident Hagerty, who lives half an hour from the border of Old Mexico, or "Ol' Mexico" like the name of a popular (?) restaurant near my hometown. The band features a revolving cast of musicians, the only constant being Hagerty, a man with considerably more ambition than me, as evidenced by his band's previous eight albums and his two published books.
Earth Junk, the band's ninth album, promises a "Mexican polka" flair, lots of fuzz, and basslines played on organs! What more could you ask for in an early autumn release?
Earth Junk tracklisting:
Beck Announces Vinyl Release, Adds More Tourdates; Danger Mouse Not to be Directly Involved with Either
By Nobodaddy on 07-17-2008
As if guilting you into buying his 10th (!) studio album wasn't enough, that pesky, arm-twisting Beck Hansen is at it again, this time laying it on thick with some cock-and-bull story about some additional tourdates that you "really should" go to and some sort of innovative new vinyl edition of Modern Guilt that "your mother would be ashamed of you for not picking up."
And why not? He's practically got you "by the balls," as they say, now that he's "graciously" decided to tack these relatively modest club dates onto his crowded summer festival plate. Maybe you couldn't justify getting out to the West Coast for Bumbershoot because you live in Chicago and your little brother is currently borrowing your car so that he can move back into college in a few weeks? Well, now there’s no excuse not to take that Red Line Train to one of two shows that Beck's "gone through the awfully big trouble" of putting on just for YOU! Damn, this guilt thing really works!
But wait. You're not off the hook yet, son. Beck still wants more from you, and he knows how to get it! How about a brand spanking new vinyl edition of Modern Guilt, in stores July 22, that includes download codes for high-fidelity (320 kbps) MP3s produced from an actual playback of the literal vinyl master?!? Come on, folks, the first MP3 actually starts with a needle drop, and the 10 MP3s that follow sound like a hissing, crackling, vinyl playback. I mean, just think of all the "trouble" Beck went through to cook this up. And now you want to go and spit in his face by not hoofing it out to the nearest retailer on foot (you don't have a car right now, remember?) and picking-up your very own copy, pressed with the ubiquitous loving care that Beck Hansen is known for?!? Well I've got news for you, Mr. Arrogant Bigshot. Your MOM is on the phone, and she's got three words to say to you about that: "Shame on you."
The extended Guilt trip:
Nick Cave Sounds Better in 5.1, Right?
By Hatchet on 07-17-2008
Dear Tim,
College is a lot different than I expected. It's hard being away from home, even if the people are nice. It's a lot of work, too. Three-hour classes! Plus there are a lot of distractions. High-speed internet is great -- they haven't blocked BitTorrents yet, thank god. I got Nick Cave's whole library in remastered 5.1 surround sound. The rooms are nice -- cable television, and we've got our own bathroom right in the room. No floor showers like when I visited you at school. All in all, it's not bad. It'll take some getting used to. Some guys, Jordan and Matt I think, down the hall, they're having a party, but I don't know if I'll go. It's good to hear from you, tell the folks I miss them.
...Dear Kyle,
I am LOVING college. Yesterday I played Frisbee on the quad, AND made four new best friends: Jordan, Carrie, Matt, and Tommy. Carrie is from California. The West Coast! Tommy is studying poli-sci, just like me, and he sits behind me in this HUGE room -- Tribbey Lecture Hall. The prof is real cool, too. We don't even call him Professor or Mr. Fernald or anything stuffy like that. Just Craig. Or Craiggo, but pronounced like Prego, you know, the spaghetti sauce? College is NOTHING like I expected. Jordan and Matt live together -- they're best friends from the ’burbs -- and they're throwing a party down the hall tonight; it is going to be off the hook. Anyway, it was good to hear from you, and YES I am eating fine. Tell Mom and Meghan I said hi.
...Paul,
First of all, thanks for the package. Mom's cookies were great, as good as Grandma's. The CDs were much appreciated, too. How's home? I'm adjusting to the college life pretty well, I think. It's a lot different than I expected. I'm not used to the whole dorm thing, doors open and all that. I love that I can connect to everyone's iTunes on the network, you know? If they didn't block it. Some kid has Nick Cave's ENTIRE catalog in 5.1 stereo. Jordan has surround sound and we watched The Punisher last night, but I hooked up my PowerBook to it and rocked out. It sounded decent, I suppose; 5.1 is cool I guess, for the novelty and all that. I was just PUMPED to hear No More Shall We Part from all angles. What's really cool is that it isn't even out yet. The first four albums are out next month on Mute, with B-sides and expanded packages. Don't tell the government! Anyway, tell mom and dad I said ‘hey,’ and don't let them mess up my room or anything. I'm still living there. Later.
