First '08 Warped Tour bands announced

The first bands have been announced for the 2008 run of Warped Tour. Against Me and The Bronx (pictured above) are the first two of four bands Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman announced last night at a college lecture he was giving. The other two are Pierce the Veil and The Devil Wears Prada. Lyman also went on to say that he would be announcing 12 to 14 more bands NEXT WEEK on the Warped Tour's official site.

Other than the last two bands mentioned, this year's lineup is already shaping up to be a promising one. Any thoughts on who might be the headliner(s)?

Bob Lefsetz

If you enjoyed my explosion at Universal's CEO in the last post definitely put aside some time to take a look over Bob Lefsetz's blog. The guy has worked for years in the music industry and always seems to have some very intelligent things to say about the music industry. Defintely worth the time if you are interested in this insane line of business.

Website: www.lefsetz.com

Wow...

This is what Universal Music Group's CEO Doug Morris had to say about combating illegal music pirating when it was in it's early stages in the late 1990's and why they didn't come up with alternative legal ideas such as hmm, I don't know, ITUNES!

"There's no one in the record industry that's a technologist," Morris explains. "That's a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just didn't know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?"

Personally, I would hire a vet. But to Morris, even that wasn't an option. "We didn't know who to hire," he says, becoming more agitated. "I wouldn't be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me."

Source: http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/11/universal_music_ceo_doug_morris.html

Basically what Morris is saying here is that contrary to the belief that any smart, common minded corporation would hire someone to at least research this issue, THEY NEVER EVEN DID. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!

Folks, I believe this industry can be turned around, that's why I still work in it. However, right now it's looking pretty bleak. All those corporate fucks in their offices upstairs need a simple remedy that I like to call reality. Stick with iTunes, simply believe pirating is inevitable, think of more innovative ways to sell music, and move on with your lives! It's not that hard people.

My Bloody Valentine reunited

Finally, a great band reunites to save music. Indie noise rockers My Bloody Valentine have finally decided to get back together and record a new album, their first since 1991's masterpiece Loveless. The band plans to have the new album out sometime late next year and even plans to tour. So far they have confirmed a few official reunion shows in the UK and Ireland (sorry, I don't have the exact dates) which will happen sometime after Cochella shooting down any sort of rumor that they might reunite there. Also, once the record is done, the band has said they plan on releasing the album themselves online similar to how Radiohead did earlier last month. Whether it's going to pay-what-you-like model has to be seen.

Best 2 girls, 1 cup reaction ever

(Yes I stole this from Perez Hilton)

This American Life

I haven't until recently discovered the incredible in-depth reporting of NPR host Ira Glass and his program This American Life. It's a truly unique, rich, and heartwarming program that centralizes around one simple theme of life. Every radio episode is very honest and upfront with the stories provided by the chosen interviewees for the program. It's a breath of fresh air compared to all the lousy shock jocks on mainstream radio these days.

If you are interested in listening to almost all the episodes, you can simply go to www.thislife.org and choose any episode to stream for free. There is also a fantastic short 6 part television series which aired on the Showtime cable network earlier this year which you can purchase on iTunes for only $11 (totally worth it).

Into It. Over It.

What do you get when you combine the creative mind of The Progress' Evan Weiss, 52 weeks of his 23rd year on earth, and Gradwell Studios? The refreshing indie/rock blend of Into It. Over It, that's what!

Evan has been involved with some pretty awesome musical projects in the past whether it be his current focus The Progress, spending time on Up Up Down Down or dabbling with his other sideproject Emergency. However, by far, his newest project takes the cake. Not only is the music incredible (think Braid meets Death Cab meets everything awesome) but the concept is so incredibly innovative and daunting. The concept is to create a new song every week of the 52 weeks of his 23rd year. Pretty wild, huh? He's only into week 9 with 9 songs. That's what most artists will release in one record that they might spend anywhere from a few monthes to a couple years on.

Be sure to check his MySpace every Thursday when he posts a new song for the week and to check up on his progress. Also, if you want to download the songs from each week, you can go to the project's website which I've listed below.

Finally someone makes listening to music a fun, interactive experience again!

www.myspace.com/intoitoverit
www.intoitoverit.com