Read Current Newsletter
Seattle Office of Film + Music Homepage
Seattle City of Music
RSS Feed
Twitter
Facebook
Billboard.biz:
As ad-supported music services increase in popularity and falter financially, content owners need to consider the consequences of their negotiations. Lowering rates may provide short-term relief, but doing so may limit the creation of better products and business models. Rather than save a distressed music service and endorse its current business, labels may want to encourage evolution by keeping rates unchanged.
The Stranger:
This is Grudge Rock: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Family Feud, which Stratton has been hosting at Re-bar for going on seven months. It is Seattle’s funnest new rock night. For the rest of the night, the members of Helms Alee and Akimbo are asked to name Popular All-Girl Rock Bands (Sleater-Kinney, the Runaways) and Bands Whose Lead Singer Went On to Do Bigger and Better Things (Police/Sting, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani). Just like in the traditional game of Family Feud, the band that can guess all the correct answers before getting three strikes wins the points. To make it a little more rock and roll, the bands take turns performing live sets at the end of each round. On this particular night, after stealing quite a few points (and playing a killer set), Helms Alee took home the grand prize, an envelope containing all of the door money.
Reverb:
Late last week, employees of Barsuk Records quietly packed up their Georgetown headquarters and decamped to the top of Queen Anne.The eclectic alterna-pop label, which launched Death Cab’s career and boasts a roster of artists that includes the Long Winters, Mates of State, Ra Ra Riot, and Say Hi now occupies a large, raw space that formerly housed a photo studio near the Galer St. Trader Joe’s. That’s not the only change that’s afoot at Barsuk: The label’s longtime in-house publicist, Ever Kipp, has started his own media relations company, Tiny Human, with Barsuk’s blessing.
Filed under: Music | Tags: Champagne Champagne, Mad Rad, Music, music festivals, sasquatch!
Ear Candy Beat:
The folks over at Live Nation and House of Zacks have steadily been adding performers to this year’s Sasquatch! Music Festival. The some of the new additions include local hip-hop groups Champagne Champagne and Mad Rad, and Tom Morello playing with his new band the street sweepers.
CNN:
Months after teasing iPhone enthusiasts with an announcement of Skype’s native VoIP client for the iPhone, the free Skype for iPhone will finally be available to download from the iTunes App Store sometime on Tuesday. While most of the features aren’t too surprising–Skype does want to maintain some consistency across its mobile applications, after all–there are a few capabilities that are notably missing, and a few iPhone-only perks that are refreshing to see.
Filed under: Music, SXSW 2009 | Tags: blue scholars, Music, seattle, sxseattle, sxsw
Wired:
Hollywood studios are negotiating with broadband providers to take action against customers caught downloading movies repeatedly. Penalties range from redirecting infringers’ browsers to an anti-piracy message and disconnecting them entirely, a movie industry source familiar with the talks said Friday. The revelation came as the Recording Industry Association of America is talking with the same ISPs to get them to adopt a “three-strikes” plan and cut internet access to repeat infringers of music copyright. The RIAA proposal aims to make music fans stop trading pirated material, while limiting industry lawsuits that target individual offenders who face court damages of as much as $150,000 an infringement.
Billboard.biz:
Google Inc on Monday launched free downloads of licensed songs in China, while sharing advertising revenue with major music labels in a market rife with online piracy. Lee Kai-Fu, president of Google in greater China, said one reason Google lagged in the mainland search market was because it did not offer music downloads, the missing piece to its strategy in a market where it trails leader Baidu.com Inc. “We are offering free, high quality and legal downloads,” Lee told reporters. “We were missing one piece … we didn’t have music.”
Billboard.biz:
A new study from Heartbeats International suggests that while almost all respondents agree that music can strengthen a brand, a lack of resources that companies devote to music remains a major problem. In the 31-page report, titled “Sounds Like Branding,” the Stockholm-based brand communication agency asked brand directors or managers from 70 majors brands for their input. The report begins by examining the role music plays in the branding strategies of various corporations. For example, 68% of companies say music is an important tool in building a brand and 96% of respondents claimed music can strengthen their brand.
Rolling Stone:
Rock Daily spotted some reports about a near Soundgarden reunion last night in Seattle at one of Tom Morello’s Justice Tour stops. RS reader Chris Senn writes in with an eyewitness account of what went down at the Crocodile Café. “Of course, with Tom Morello and Wayne Kramer in the building it’s a given the audience is in for some kind of incarnation of ‘Kick Out the Jams.’ For lead vocals they brought out Mark Arm, lead singer of Mudhoney, while Morello and Kramer faced off in a guitar duel front and center stage. Shortly after this an additional guitarist showed up quietly, playing at the side of the stage. Although it’s been over a decade since Soundgarden broke up and his signature beard is now gray, there’s no mistaking Kim Thayil!”
