MySpace Buys imeem: Welcome to the Unholy Trinity
By Brom on 11-20-2009
MySpace has lost a lot of ground to Facebook over the last few years and, now with its purchase of imeem, hopes to transform itself into an entertainment destination. The music networking site was acquired for between $8-10 million and Wired reports the majority of this is for imeem's key staff to help with MySpace's aforementioned transition.
The acquisition represents a significant loss considering Warner Music Group "injected an estimated $30 to $35 million into imeem." News Corp are hoping to utilize the talents of iLike co-founders the Partovi brothers and imeem founder Dalton Caldwell to help the site "become more popular as a place to watch videos and listen to music, which has always been its core strength." imeem currently streams music from all four of the major labels although a "source tells CNET that one of the labels exited imeem a few weeks ago."
So, Rupert Murdoch, major labels, and social networking in an all-in-one entertainment venture. I think I'll pass on this Unholy Trinity, thanks!
Vampire Weekend Announce 2010 Shows to Coincide with The Twilight Saga: New Moon’s DVD Release… Oops, I Mean Their New Record… Oops, I Mean Your Life
By Nobodaddy on 11-20-2009
Hey now, Vampire Weekend may not have been included in the who’s who hit list of bands on the Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack (um, or were they? It all kinda runs together at this point, doesn’t it?), but they’ll be damned if they’re gonna let you forget just how comparable to Death Cab they are in the genial, hospitable, popular, friendly, adorable-ruffian-like-Fonzie-from-Happy-Days Department.
So without further ado, these happy-go-lucky ragamuffins are proud-as-punch to announce a round of tourdates supporting the release of their forthcoming album Contra, which drops January 12, 2010 on XL. The album’s first single, “Cousins,” is available digitally right now, and the 7-inch will be in stores on December 15. It’s probably about stuff that you can all like totally relate to and shit... you know, like having cousins. Stressful, right? Anyway, this year’s remaining dates appear below.
In other news, did I really need to qualify the name “Fonzie” up there as being “from Happy Days?" I mean, how stupid do I think you are, anyway?
11.23.09 - Sydney, Australia - Notes on Enmore
12.10.09 - Portland, OR, Crystal Ballroom
12.11.09 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
12.12.09 - La Jolla, CA - RIMAC Arena/UC San Diego
12.13.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Amphitheater
12.15.09 - Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater
01.12.10 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theater
01.17.10 - New York, NY - United Palace Theater
01.18.10 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
01.19.10 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
Future Islands Sign to Thrill Jockey, Prep New Album for Spring; We Hope This Helps Dan Deacon’s Back Heal a Little Bit
By Rachel B on 11-19-2009
I'm a New Yorker at heart, but I'll be the first to admit that Baltimore's DIY music fiddlings are slowly but surely catching up to the the Brooklyn music behemoth in reputation. Just look at Dan Deacon, Ponytail, Double Dagger, and practically the entire Whartscape lineup. Brooklyn's got nothing on that.
And now Baltimore's own fuzz n' buzz outfit Future Islands are staking their claim on the indie mainstream (wow, oxymoron). After receiving a slew of positive feedback for their 2008 release Wave Like Home (TMT Review), Future Islands are now newly signed to Thrill Jockey and are expected to release In Evening Air come spring 2010. And speaking of Brooklyn, be sure to stop by Death By Audio for Future Islands' record release show on December 17. The rest of their tourdates are below.
11.19.09 - Sheperdstown, WV - Blue Moon Saloon *
11.20.09 - Greenville, NC - Lucky's *
11.21.09 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
11.22.09 - Asheville, NC - New French Bar *
11.23.09 - Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light *
11.24.09 - Charlotte, NC - The Milestone *
11.25.09 - Charleston, SC - Adolini's Pizza *
11.27.09 - Raleigh, NC - Berkeley Cafe *
11.28.09 - Baltimore, MD - Floristree *
12.03.09 - Greenville, NC - Tipsy Teapot
12.04.09 - Chapel Hill, NC - The Cave
12.05.09 - Wilmington, NC - Drifters ^
12.13.09 - Baltimore, MD - Jesus Camp %
12.17.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Death By Audio $
* Thank You
^ Lonnie Walker
% Javelin
$ Javelin, Jones, Moss of Aura
Ticketmaster Accused of Holding Back Tickets for Taylor Swift and Keith Urban Concerts
By Annapocalypse on 11-19-2009
Another week, another Ticketmaster scandal. This time, the ticket giant is accused of holding back tickets for Taylor Swift and Keith Urban concerts and distributing them to fan clubs and other exclusive communities instead of putting them up for public sale. Specifically, thousands of tickets were dispersed to American Express and fan clubs for different concerts in Nashville, severely reducing the odds of an average fan being able to score tickets to the shows. Out of 13,300 seats for the Taylor Swift show, around 1,600 tickets were available to the general public when tickets went on sale, and 5,000 of the 13,300 tickets were held for American Express customers due in part to a deal the credit card company has with different artists. For Urban’s concert, 14,900 seats were available, but more than 10,400 tickets had already been sold before the public on-sale date, most of which went to Urban’s fan club and to American Express.
This issue has caught the attention of U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr., who introduced the Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing Act (BOSS ACT!), in hopes of putting an end to absurd ticket holds. "When you have a highly desirable product with incredible demand, all kinds of shenanigans go on," Lefsetz said in an interview with WTVF-TV. "Listen, the whole business is smoke and mirrors. Because no one is policing them telling them to tell the truth."
Reprise Records Retroactively Decides That Wilco’s Being There Isn’t Selling So Hot Anymore 13 Years After Its Initial Release and Drops Wilco All Over Again!!! OMG!!! Wait, But Then Nonesuch Releases It on Vinyl + CD + MP3 and Everyone Agrees All Over Again That Wilco Are “Edgy” and “Underdogs” and “Awesome” (The Word “Handsome” Is Still Rarely Used)
By Nobodaddy on 11-19-2009

Remember Wilco’s second album? ...No? Oh man, that’s gonna make this story kinda difficult then, isn’t it? Hmm... okay, okay, it’s the one after A.M. that everyone says Wilco kinda “came into their own sound” on? A.K.A., it’s the one with “Misunderstood” on it, followed by all those songs that sound just like A.M.? Ah! See? NOW you know what I’m talking about! Aaaand, I proceed:
Wilco’s present hoity-toity label home, Nonesuch Records has just announced a reissue of this 19-track, double-album-sized love letter to charming and amusingly 90s-sounding alt-rock on every format that counts. That’s right, for $21, you can pick yourself up double vinyl, CD, AND MP3 sonic documents of such questionable Tweedy managerial decisions as: employing a full-time dobro player, NOT firing Ken Coomer sooner, and so on! Wow! Here’s the tracklist! Order now!
Side 1:
1. Misunderstood
2. Far, Far Away
3. Monday
4. Outtasite (Outta Mind)
5. Forget the Flowers
Side 2:
1. Red-Eyed and Blue
2. I Got You (At the End of the Century)
3. What's the World Got in Store
4. Hotel Arizona
5. Say You Miss Me
Side 3:
1. Sunken Treasure
2. Someday Soon
3. Outta Mind (Outta Sight)
4. Someone Else's Song
5. Kingpin
Side 4:
1. (Was I) In Your Dreams
2. Why Would You Wanna Live
3. The Lonely 1
4. Dreamer in My Dreams