ASCAP to Sue 29 Night Clubs, Night Clubs to Respond by Raising Drink Prices On Us
By Nobodaddy on Apr 1 2008
ASCAP (you know, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers?) has always been in the thankless business of pinching pennies for... well, generally penniless artists, admirably robbing from the rich to feed the poor, standing up for the little guy, striking a blow for intellectual property, fighting for truth, justice... you know the drill.
But you know what? Fuck that polite, good guy routine. ASCAP is sick of your favorite nightclub's SHIT, man. It's been pushed too far, goddamn it, and now it's taking the kid gloves off, getting down to business, and trading its cute, Penny-Larcany racket for some real Grand Theft.
The Schwarzenegger-esque vengeance has begun with the recent filing of 29 separate copyright infringement lawsuits against nightclubs, bars, and restaurants in 22 U.S. states and Washington D.C. ASCAP claims that these dastardly defendants have publicly performed the songs of the performing rights organization's songwriter, composer, and publisher members (you know, via playing the songs on their jukeboxes, hosting live shows, and so on) without a license.
See, all such establishments are required to obtain licenses from the various performing rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI, and SEASAC, in the U.S.'s case) before they start kicking out the jams to ensure that all of the represented artists can obtain their fees for public performances of their music. Nearly 90% of the fees ASCAP collects are paid as royalties directly to its members, while the balance covers ASCAP's operating costs. The action heroes at ASCAP claim to have repeatedly reached out to the owners of these ne’er-do-well establishments over "a significant period of time" before deciding to workout, get huge, buy some ammo, and take this blockbuster legal action. But each felonious club failed to license the music while continuing to play it.
"By filing these 29 actions at the same time, ASCAP is aiming to heighten awareness among music users and the public that it is a federal offense to perform copyrighted music without permission," says Vincent Candilora, ASCAP senior VP of licensing (and, now, ass-kicking). "ASCAP's priority is to serve as a voice and advocate for its more than 315,000 members who are essentially the smallest of small business owners. ASCAP not only has a right to collect license fees from the users of music, but it also has a responsibility to its members to ensure they are adequately compensated for their hard work."
Bangarang, Vincent! It's time to take out the trash!! Hasta la vista!!! How does it feel to be hunted?!?!! Huh? Oh... yeah, umm, anyway: "Using music is a vital part of the total service that businesses offer, both in attracting customers and driving more revenue," Candilora continues. "By accepting an ASCAP license, business owners can legally use music in ASCAP's popular and ever-increasing repertory." Church!
ASCAP’s Revenge List:
Brookside Sports Bar & Grille, Surprise, Ariz.; Bar 330, Brea, Calif.; Paulie's Upper Deck, Redondo Beach, Calif.; Frankie's Too!, Falcon, Colo.; The Guards / Griffin Room, Washington, D.C.; Matilda's Pub & Barbie, Newark, Del.; Ultra Lounge, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Best Western - Sea Breeze Lounge, Fernandina Beach, Fla.; Wrigleyville North, Chicago, Ill.; Ice Lounge, Indianapolis, Ind.; Tin Alley Grill, Framingham, Mass.; The Quarter Bistro & Tavern, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Scott's 1029 Bar, Minneapolis, Minn.; Parrot's Sports Bar, St. Peters, Missouri; Black Tie Nightlife, Raleigh, N.C.; Dexter's, Riverdale, N.J.; One, New York, Your browser may not support display of this image.N.Y.; Cannon's Black Thorn Inn, Rockville Centre, N.Y.; Fireside Inn, Port Crane, N.Y.; Club Majestic, Tulsa, Okla.; Emerson's Pub, York, Penn.; Charleston Beer Works, Charleston, S.C.; Chattanooga Food & Drink, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Drillers, Houston, Texas; Pat's Pub, The Colony, Texas; Vette's Sports Grill, Odessa, Texas; Five 01 City Grill, Virginia Beach, Va.; The Flame, Spokane, Wash.; and Long Wong's, Milwaukee, Wis.
Sub Pop Offers Scholarship to (Hip) Losers
By Scout Leader Kyle on Apr 1 2008
Are you a loser? If you answered yes, yep, yeah, or "no, I'm actually pretty cool," then the Sup Pop "Loser Scholarship" may be just right for you! Okay, so in order to be eligible, you have to live in Washington or Oregon and be a graduating high school senior, and you should also have an interest in music and the arts. But if all this applies to you, then you have a chance at getting a scholarship from the label that released Bleach!
Sub Pop is giving away one $6,000 scholarship and two $3,500 scholarships, so that ought to help pay for a book or two.
Alright, my little 18-year-old TMT reader, let's do the financial aid rain dance:
To get the scholarship, you have to submit a one-page essay with images and links to your work to scholarship@subpop.com.
Make sure the essay includes this stuff:
- What are you doing in the arts/music field in your community?
- How and/or why did you become interested in artistic outlets?
- Why do you need this scholarship money?
- What are your influences and/or who inspires you?
- Who are some of your favorite bands or artists?
If you want to do it snail mail:
Sub Pop Records
Attn: Scholarship
2013 4th Ave, 3rd Floor
Seattle, WA 98121
Good luck! The deadline is May 1st. If you need more info or want to bitch about how the 48 other states aren't eligible for the scholarship, then mosey on over to Sub Pop's information page here.
Harmony Korine’s Mister Lonely And The J. Spaceman/Sun City Girls Soundtrack Get Release Dates; I Don’t Know Who the Target Audience Of This Story Is, But They’re Probably Totally Nuts
By Joe B. on Mar 31 2008
Harmony Korine, the goofy bastard responsible for such lovable fare as Gummo and Julien Donkey-Boy (Dogme 95-approved), as well as the screenwriting for Kids and Ken Park, is set to release a neat little movie called Mr. Lonely (trailer). It's about celebrity impersonators. At one point in the film, the main character, a Michael Jackson impersonator, “comforts a nonagenarian non-actor who appears to be hitting himself with a plastic hammer."
Clearly the film needed a heavy dose of good sense, so Korine tapped the sensible, old-fashioned bedrocks of stability, Sun City Girls and J. Spaceman (of Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized), to write the soundtrack (yay!), but independently of each other (awww). This news is extra notable for Sun City Girls fans, as the band broke up last year after the untimely death of drummer Charles Gocher. The soundtrack is among the last recordings of theirs yet to see the light of day.
But here's the new news: both the film and the soundtrack have actual release dates! The film is scheduled for a U.S. release on May 2, while Drag City announced the release of the soundtrack, Mister Lonely: Music from a Film by Harmony Korine, for April 22. It will be packaged in a convenient recorded format, which doesn't require the consumer to, um, view the actual Harmony Korine movie.
Mister Lonely: Music from a Film by Harmony Korine tracklisting:
One More Reason to Wish You Had Disposable Income: Futuresonic Announces Headliners RZA and Wire
By Liz Louche on Mar 31 2008
As spring sets in and summer festival fever starts to take hold of the UK, Manchester's Futuresonic festival reveals the first additions to this year's lineup. The festival, which runs from May 1-5, will feature performances from Mike Paradinas (you know him as µ-Ziq) Venetian Snares, Luke Vibert, Flying Lotus, Chrome Hoof, The Chap, Dirty Projectors, Gay Against You, Rolo Tomassi, and so much more! In this case, the "more" in question consists of headlining performances from the Wu Tang Clan's RZA as Bobby Digital and legendary post-punks Wire. But the fun doesn't stop there! OH NO IT DOESN'T. Because, you see, Futuresonic is not just about music -- it's also about art, learnin', and FUN.
Futuresonic gives props to music and digital culture through a series of conferences with experts, big-wigs, and assorted movers ‘n’ shakers from both fields. Expect intellectual stimulation from "media futurist" Gerd Leonhard, "gaming academic" Aleks Krotoski, and a whole slew of fun, smart people. And around the city there will be art and art experiments! There's just too much to describe. Besides, the laundromat where I wash my clothes and steal free wireless from the adjacent apartment building smells terrible, so I need to leave as soon as possible, but the Futuresonic website has extensive information. Now if only the festival provided ticket scholarships for unemployed former graduate students, it would be PERFECT.
