Music News Net

Distributor ALLIANCE ENTERTAINMENT Sold to Equity Groups

MUSIC NEWS- Florida based DVD/CD distributor, Alliance Entertainment, has been sold by Source Interlink to two equity firms, Platinum Equity and The Gores Group. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Alliance has said they do not expect to lay off any employees as a result of the sale reported Michael Rigby, group vice president of business development for AE.  "With Platinum and Gores acquiring us, we're set to grow," he said. "Our mode is very much on the acquisition trail."

BOB DYLAN Gets Back to Back the Basics with San Francisco Concert

MUSIC NEWS- Music legend, Bob Dylan has announced that he try out a new (old) anti-ticket scalping model for an upcoming show at the Warfield in San Francisco, CA. The singer/songwriter is currently on a USA tour and has dumped the advanced ticket sales option for his Wednesday (August 25) night concert.

Instead, the only way you can attend the gig is by purchasing your ticket ($60.00 general admission) at the door and,  the only way you can pay for it is with cash!  The move to eliminate excessive ticket handling and processing fees and reduce ticket scalping will be hopefully be watched by other artists and promoters around the USA as a way to contain rising concert consumer costs and help revitalize the touring industry. Oh, those attending the show can only buy one ticket each.

ANNIE LENNOX Signs With Universal Music, Holiday Album Announced

MUSIC NEWS - Internationally renowned recording artist, songwriter, activist and musician Annie Lennox has announced she's signed a new recording deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), for a long-term worldwide recording agreement.

The first release under the deal from Ms Lennox will be her new "A Christmas Cornucopia" album on November 22  through Decca Records in the USA (on Island Records in the UK).  The album features Ms. Lennox's personal interpretations of some of her favorite Christmas carols as well as an original composition entitled, "Universal Child."

The Joy Formidable Return to North America for Tour

MUSIC NEWS- Welsh rock trio, The Joy Formidable have announced their return to North Amercia with news of an autumn tour that will start up on November 3 in Toronto, CA.  The trio, Ritzy Bryan (vocals/guitar), Rhydian Dafydd (vocals/bass) and Matt Thomas (drums), will wrap up the run in New York City on November 16 at the Bowery Ballroom. 

In other news, you can look forward to a full length album from the group in the spring of 2011 - they've announced a signing with Canvasback Music, (Manchester Orchestra, Fanfarlo, Annuals), a division of Atlantic Records.

Old Media Continues to Die Off, Universal Dumps MTV and MTV.com

MUSIC NEWS- Great insight from Yobie Benjamin at SFGate recently on the state of the music and media industry.  He points out another sign that "old media" continues to die out, with Universal Music Group and its's new management cutting its ties to MTV and MTV.com.  With Universal being home to most every big star in the music biz today; including @LadyGaga (who has an amazing 5,533,535 Twitter followers), @KanyeWest (new to the Twitter world, but with 630,819 followers), Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. MTV may have made Madonna a star, but Twitter gives @JustinBieber 4,472,413 fans that follow everything he tweets.  So instead of putting its content on MTV.com, Universal will show its music videos exclusively online at vevo.com (Uni division, #3 measured video site). The big change will occur after the MTV Video Music Awards on September 21.

TRUTH & SALVAGE CO. Singer/Songwriter Files Lawsuit Against Marriott Corp

   MUSIC NEWS- According to a recent lawsuit filed in Tulare County California,  Tim Jones, one of the four singers/songwriters of the group TRUTH & SALVAGE COMPANY, was shaken awake and pulled from his bed by hotel security and local police while sleeping at the Marriott Hotel in Visalia, CA.  Jones, a Marriott Rewards member and a registered guest staying the night at the Visalia Marriott in February 2010 as part of the band's opening slot on a Black Crowes tour,  was handcuffed, assaulted, taken to jail and cited for trespassing and resisting arrest in his own hotel room after performing at a concert earlier in the evening.

OUTSIDE LANDS Fest in SF a Hit !

MUSIC NEWS- Organizers of the annual Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival have announced that the 2010 event, the third annual fest, held this weekend in San Francisco (August 14 - 15), was a huge success with over 80,000 fans in attendance to enjoy 55 artists on five stages, and some of the best food and wine in the region in historic Golden Gate Park.  With those figures, nearly three million dollars have been donated to the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department since the festival's inception.

See MNN's earlier update on the festival.

Warner Music Group Sees Third Quarter Loss Increase

MUSIC BIZ NEWS- The ongoing entertainment company bad news continued as the growth of digital download sales slowed further at Warner Music Group Corp in its recent fiscal third quarter, prompting CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr to state that the company was looking "beyond the iTunes model" to return to growth.

The firm said its net loss increased in its fiscal third quarter, as music CD sales continued to fall and the company released fewer big albums than a year ago.  Its net loss in the three months to June 30 grew to $55 million, from $37 million a year ago.

SONY MUSIC Takes A Hit, AMERICAL IDOL Moves to Universal

MUSIC NEWS - Simon Fuller's powerhouse 19 Management firm announced on Tuesday it is signing up with Universal Music Group as the label for artists in future seasons of American Idol, dumping Sony Music after nine seasons.

The new deal has Universal marketing and distributing albums from American Idol finalists and from the  winning contestants starting with the 10th season of the top rated TV show, the first season without judge Simon Cowell. Universal will distribute the releases on its Interscope Geffen A&M label.

The announcement is the first major music deal for Universal Music under the leadership of its new chief executive Lucian Grainge.

IRON MAIDEN Frontman Wants Rock 'n Roll Concerts, Not Cash Cows

MUSIC NEWS - Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson recently attacked the price of concert tickets, making the suggestion that fans are paying too much.   The rocker criticized bands who charge exhorbitant prices for concert tickets, insisting that the artists only have themselves to blame for half-empty arenas and problems with the touring industry (ticket sales dropping 17%+). 

"It's a massive commitment to come and see a band," he recently told Sky News. "They deserve not just a great show, but reasonable ticket prices. It's just not right, you know - it's a rock 'n' roll show, it's not a cash cow."

Iron Maiden continues its Final Frontier tour, with concert dates in Europe through August. 

U2 #1 on Forbes Top Earning Musicians List

MUSIC NEWS- Forbes.com published its annual top-earning musicians list and Irish rockers U2, who brough in an estimated $130 million from their gargantuan world tour and misc music/merchandising deals led the list.  Bono & company, who recently announced the re-booked 2011 concerts for their cancelled 2010 North American tour (due to Bono's back injury),  made $10 million in ticket sales on every stop on their "360 Degree" concert and came in over Aussie heavy metal rockers AC/DC, who gathered $114 million from their worldwide tour.

In the third place was R&B singer Beyonce Knowles, with $87 million, followed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and pop diva Britney Spears in fifth place.  Lady Gaga, edged past Madonna (who was #1 last year) to grab the #7 spot, after she earned $62 million from her 106-date tour, record sales and marketing/merchandising deals.  Madonna came in at #8.

Concert Business in a Slump, LIVE NATION Stock Takes a Hit

MUSIC NEWS - With ticket sales for the Top 100 touring artists down 12% this year (thru June 2010) and further declines of nearly 15% expected for the remainder of the year, international concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment Inc. found their shares plunging today.  As the barometer of the live touring biz, their shares declinged $1.84, or 16 percent, to $9.59 in afternoon trading Thursday. The price of Live Nation stock is at its lowest since before January 25, when the firm announced it finalized a merger with Ticketmaster Entertainment after getting the approval of the US Justice Department.

LN Chief Executive Michael Rapino told investors in NYC that the weak economy has taken its toll on the concert industry and he seemed surprised at the massive sell-off his presentation to the financial community had caused.  He said; "We had a real buzz kill at about Slide 9 when I saw the e-mails go out,".

Universal Music's LUCIAN GRAINGE Takes New Role as CEO

MUSIC NEWS- Lucian Grainge, 49, is in NYC to take up his new role as CEO of Universal Music Group as of last week, July 1.  For now, it's a Co-CEO gig in tandem with the legendary Doug Morris (71) before taking sole control on January 1, 2011.  At that point, Morris will remain on as chairman. Grainge had been chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group International since 2005.  Of the step up,  Grainge said recently: “Stepping into Doug’s shoes is an honour and a privilege. This is a great industry which I believe has as much to look forward to as to be proud of. If we keep getting the basics right of exceptional music and artistry, backed by a great team and sound business sense, then we’ll continue to achieve success.”

Grainge takes over at a challenging time for the music biz, with recorded music sales & ticket sales down while digital increases aren't covering the overall losses (Uni's music sales were down 5.2% with digital up 21% recently).  Profits accross the industry have plunged as piracy has grown tremendously in the digital era.  Mr Grainge has said that there is no “magic bullet” to save the industry but feels that merchandising, with

"Best New Artist" Grammy Award Rules Updated

MUSIC NEWS - To evolve and improve its Awards process, The Recording Academy announced changes to eligibility rules in the Best New Artist category, the Classical Field, and for Recording Academy-produced performances. The new rules go into effect immediately for the upcoming 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards on February 13, 2011, with the total number of GRAMMY categories remaining at 109.

New eligibility requirements for Best New Artist;

New artists have at least one chance to compete in the Best New Artist category, provided that the artist has not already won a GRAMMY. The current eligibility requirements state that the artist must have released, as a featured performing artist, at least one album but not more than three; and the artist must not have been entered for Best New Artist more than three times, including as a performing member of an established group. Any previous GRAMMY nomination for the artist as performer precludes eligibility in the Best New Artist category (including a nomination as an established performing member of a nominated group.)

APPLE RECORDS Catalog Remastered and Reissued on CD & Digital Download

MUSIC NEWS - The record label launched by The Beatles in 1968, as both the new outlet for their own recordings and for the music of an eclectic roster of artists: James Taylor, Badfinger, Billy Preston, Mary Hopkin, Doris Troy, and Jackie Lomax among them, who were all personally brought to the label by The Beatles (individually and/or collectively), Apple Records made popular music history from the very moment it opened its doors. 

Now, 40 years later, Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music raise the curtain on remastered CD and digital download releases of 15 key albums from the Apple Records catalog.  All 15 titles will be released on October 26, 2010 with most of the physical CDs including bonus material.  Together, the 15 albums represent the first ever Apple Records releases to be available via digital download.