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WMG Combines Cordless, Rykodisc
June 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 Warner Music Group is partnering its digital label Cordless with Rykodisc, a move intended to give Cordless artists access to Rykodisc's staff and distribution while enhancing the digital offerings of Rykodisc. As part of the restructuring, K ...
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Brooklyn Venue To Launch With Patti Smith
June 19, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 New York-based indie concert promoter the Bowery Presents has tapped Patti Smith and her band to help launch the Sept. 4 opening of its newest venue, the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The 550-capacity hall in Brooklyn, N.Y., will occupy the former s ...
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Green Light Labels
June 15, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 Earthology Recordings Craig Minowa's Alternative Distribution Alliance-distributed label and CD replication house sits on an organic farm in Minnesota, and is close to making an all-green CD package. Minowa promises that by the end of 2007, a ...
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Down To Earth Labels
June 14, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 There wasn't a CD manufacturing operation in the entire country that satisfied the eco-friendly needs of Cloud Cult leader Craig Minowa. So he built his own. Minowa started Earthology Recordings on a farm an hour north of the Twin Cities in M ...
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Silverstein Aims To Keep Climbing With New Album
June 08, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 When his hard rock band Silverstein was still in its infancy, singer Shane Told had a chance to take the easy way out. Just after the turn of the century, the suburban Toronto musician had been offered a gig to play bass in Avril Lavigne's ba ...
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Fontana Links With PIAS
June 04, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 Fontana, the indie music pipeline of Universal Music Group Distribution, has signed an exclusive U.S. distribution agreement with PIAS America. The label was previously with EMI-affiliated Caroline. The U.S. home of the PIAS Group and Vital Distri ...
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It's 'Digital First' For One Little Indian
May 23, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 San Francisco-based indie One Little Indian has launched a new online marketing division dubbed Digital First, in which albums will receive a heavy online marketing push before being released to physical retailers. Digital First releases will be s ...
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Successful Web Strategy Gives DIY Artist A Boost
May 14, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 A day in the life of DIY musician Jonathan Coulton is the subject of this New York Times article . Is he famous? No. But through savvy use of the Internet and an understanding of his fanbase, the artist is making a living. According to the story, ...
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Yahoo, USA To Cross-Promote Unsigned Acts
May 09, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 Yahoo! Music has inked a deal with NBC Universal's USA Networks to cross-promote music from unsigned artists. Under the agreement, Yahoo! will feed data on unsigned acts popular with its Launchcast streaming radio listeners to USA. The TV net ...
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eMusic CEO Defends Company On Blog
May 08, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 eMusic CEO David Pakman has posted his thoughts on the state of digital music pricing on the company's blog , defending the company's pricing model as one that inspires fans to actually buy music. "We want musicians to be fairly com ...
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Rhapsody, Dischord Ink Deal
May 03, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 Digital music subscription service Rhapsody has finalized a music licensing deal with indie label Dischord Records, marking the first time the company's catalog has been made available on a tethered download subscription service. Dischord is ...
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Fontana Inks Thievery Corp's ESL
April 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 The Universal Music Group Distribution's indie arm Fontana has signed the Thievery Corporation's ESL Music to an exclusive U.S. distribution agreement. ESL releases were previously distributed via Caroline. Founded by the Thievery Corpor ...
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Vagrant Launches Density Imprint
April 13, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 Los Angeles-based rock indie Vagrant Records has launched a new imprint in Density Records. Vagrant, which has worked with such acts as the Get Up Kids, Dashboard Confessional and From Autumn to Ashes, among others, is launching Density to delve i ...
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Victory Launches In-House Touring Division
March 30, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 In an effort to keep its roster "on the road at all times," Chicago-based indie Victory Records is launching an in-house touring division that will book shows for signed bands that don't have a proper booking agent, says label found ...
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SXSW Day II: Deerhunter, Besnard Lakes Steal The Night
March 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 The psychedelic rock of Deerhunter and the classic rock stylings of Besnard Lakes were centerpieces on the second night of music showcases at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference in Austin, Texas. As crowds descended upon Sixth Street -- ...
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SXSW: Byrne Asks Record Labels For Help
March 15, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne called on record labels to remove DRM on digital files and shift from manufacturing and distribution companies to more closely resemble marketing firms in the face of increasing digital album sales. Byrne ...
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Digital Retail Focus Of SXSW Talk With MySpace President
March 15, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 Despite the announcement this morning (March 15) that online music seller Snocap would make available content from Sub Pop and Dangerbird via MySpace, president of the social networking site Tom Anderson said music retail is not a top priority for ...
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Townshend Reveals The 'Method' To His Madness At SXSW
March 14, 2007 12:00 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 Pete Townshend utilized his keynote address at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, tonight (March 14) to unveil a new music Web site dubbed the Method. The concept was first introduced in the early 1970s via music intended for " ...
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Buzz Bound
March 09, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Among the legions of acts booked for this year's South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival March 14-18 in Austin, here are 10 that people will talk about, as profiled by Ayala Ben-Yehuda, Jonathan Cohen, Todd Martens and Mich ...
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Microsoft Calls On Unsigned Bands
March 05, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Microsoft is inviting unsigned artists to create music inspired by Xbox 360 videogames. Participating artists in the Xbox Soundtracks program will be able to download and score music to a variety of Xbox 360 videogame trailers this coming May. Com ...
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Music World Nabs Roots Indie Compadre
February 27, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment has acquired Houston-based independent roots label, Compadre Records. Brad Turcotte will maintain his role as president of Compadre, and the label will continue to exist as an imprint through Music Wo ...
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WMG-IMPALA Strike Pre-Merger Deal
February 20, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Warner Music Group struck a deal with European indie group IMPALA to overcome any objections the group may have to a WMG acquisition of EMI. Last year, IMPALA successfully challenged the European Commission's approval of the Sony and BMG Musi ...
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Interscope Geffen A&M Shifting To Octone
February 20, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Formerly affiliated with Sony BMG, New York-based Octone Records is shifting to the Universal Music Group and will be re-branded A&M/Octone. Octone is home to such acts as Maroon 5 and Flyleaf. Octone was formed in 2000 by J Records/RCA Music ...
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Train Wreck Inks With RED
February 12, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 New upstart indie label Train Wreck Records has inked a national distribution with RED Distribution. The label, owned by singer/songwriter Chip Taylor, will release its first titles April 3; John Platania "Blues, Waltzes and Badland Borders&q ...
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EMI Reorganizes Caroline
February 02, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 EMI Music has reorganized its Caroline distribution arm into three distinct units, focusing on repertoire, artist development and independent distribution. The move comes a week after the major merged its U.S. label operations, creating the Capito ...
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A Sales Explosion
February 01, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 As recently as three years ago, Explosions in the Sky lacked so much as a manager. Thanks to instrumental rock compositions that run nearly double-digits in length, the band seemed destined for underground status. But one football movie later, and ...
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Knitting Factory Boosts Sound, Lighting
January 31, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 As New York City's Knitting Factory celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, the 400-capacity venue has recently made enhancements to its sound and lighting equipment. "We just put in a brand new PA and lighting system in our main spac ...
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From The Magazine: Keep On Keeping On
January 30, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 The music of the civil rights era is on the mind of soul legend Mavis Staples. Her forthcoming spring album, "We'll Never Turn Back," leans heavily on songs from the period in which the Staples Singers began to shine on the gospel/f ...
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WMG Completes Roadrunner Buy
January 30, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Warner Music Group Corp. has completed its deal to acquire a 73.5% stake of Roadrunner Music Group B.V., the Amsterdam-based parent company of hard rock and heavy metal label Roadrunner Records. WMG disclosed its plans Dec. 18 to buy the stake in ...
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Deerhoof, Out Of The Woods
January 22, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 San Francisco experimental noise-pop trio Deerhoof didn't feel the need to upgrade to a fancy tour bus after being handpicked to open for Radiohead on a string of California gigs last June, which included a stop at Berkeley's Greek Theat ...
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Little-Known Dispatch Sells Out The Garden
January 18, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 The last time Dispatch stood in front of thousands of concertgoers was three years ago at a free farewell concert in Boston. But the jam-friendly trio obviously hasn't lost its live following since throwing in the towel. After announcing earl ...
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Digital Jukebox Co. Inks With The Orchard
January 12, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 TouchTunes, the digital downloading jukebox company, has forged a music licensing deal with The Orchard, to bring the digital distributors vast catalog if independent and world music to its Internet-connected jukeboxes. Music from The Orchard will ...
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Animal Collective Inks Deal With Domino
January 09, 2007 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Experimental indie outfit the Animal Collective has signed with the U.K.-based Domino Records, the label home to Franz Ferdinand, Clinic and Four Tet, among others, Billboard.biz has learned. The New York-based group is slated to head into the stu ...
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AR Vet Caplan Moves To Columbia
November 28, 2006 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 A&R vet Michael Caplan, who spent the past year as senior VP of A&R for Sony Music Label Group, moves over to Columbia Records in the same capacity. In addition to his new responsibilities, Caplan will also serve as president of One Haven, ...
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Sanctuary Reactivates Sequel, Slogan Imprints
November 21, 2006 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Sanctuary Records, the label division of publicly-listed U.K. company Sanctuary Group, has reactivating the Sequel and Slogan labels. Sequel will specialize as "a home for contemporary artists," particularly those with an established fan ...
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IODA Taps Weitzner For Biz Role
November 14, 2006 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Exec had been with AAIM. The Independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA) has named Rob Weitzner its VP of business development. Weitzner is taking over for the business responsibilities from VP of marketing Tim Mitchell, who will now focus exc ...
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Recall At Rykodisc
November 10, 2006 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Indie inks multi-year licensing pact. Recall Records has signed a three-year licensing agreement with the Warner Music Group's Rykodisc. Recall, whose releases had already been handled by Rkyo Distribution, will now have access to Rykodisc� ...
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Gullic Upped At Fontana
November 09, 2006 12:00 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Exec promoted to senior VP role. Ken Gullic has been promoted to senior VP of sales and marketing for Fontana. Gullic reports to Steve Pritchitt, executive VP/GM of Fontana, and is based in Universal City, Calif. "Ken has truly played an inst ...