For Pete's Sake! - The Sony Soap Opera Continues
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sun., Jan 29, 2012
My thanks to World Leader Symes for providing me with an update on the plight of singer-songwriter Pete Atkin and his attempts to get a major label to provide him with accounts.

MEANWHILE, THE SONY SOAP OPERA CONTINUES –
Hey! I have now received some accounts from SonyBMG!  Only for the Demon reissues (still nothing whatever for the See For Miles reissues), but still, that’s something, right?   Disappointingly, they’ve applied a 25% “container charge” which is not in my contract.   They’ve also based their royalty calculation on the dealer price, which is admittedly current usual practice.  But my contract, however, specifies recommended retail price as the basis for my royalty, which effectively means they’ve made a roughly 30% further unjustified reduction on what little I am owed.   So I’ve sent it back to them.  
     It’s scarcely credible that they haven’t had to deal with any number of elderly contracts like mine, so it’s hard to think they aren’t just trying it on, to see if I’ll notice.   Or maybe – surely not? – they’re just lazy and inefficient.   (Any other suggestions welcome.) When you consider that we’re talking here about a very modest three-figure sum, it hardly seems worth their while to be so small-minded.  To adapt the well-known schoolroom phrase “It’s their own time they’re wasting.”

Keeling Rocks Out
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sun., Jan 29, 2012
Composer, and lately, singer-songwriter, Andrew Keeling has a new album due out soon. Bells Of Heaven has an altogether rockier sound than some of his previous song-based albums and features contributions from The Comsat Angels' guitarist, Stephen Fellows. More details and pre-order here.

Bad Thoughts & Fripp
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Thu., Jan 26, 2012
The Sister Fripp highlights a recent mention of her little brother by journalist and author Mark Dery over on her blog.

Ned's Treehouse
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Tue., Jan 24, 2012
You can read all about the Adrian Belew-produced Treehouse album by Ned Evett here. 

Germany, Grooveshark & GEMA
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Tue., Jan 24, 2012
This press release from GEMA suggests that Grooveshark's recent announcement that the company is ceasing operations in Germany might not be all they said it was.

Mister Stormy's Monday Selection
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., Jan 23, 2012
What an absolute gem Mister Stormy has polished today - Robert Fripp making an early pass at the solo on Matte Kudasai, isolated from the Discipline multi-tracks and in breathtaking up-close detail. 

Z'Zooom!
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., Jan 23, 2012
My thanks to Justin Brandis who writes to say "Wandering around Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, I was unfortunately too late to attend what seemed, at first glance, to be a performance by my favourite band."

Vive le Crimso
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., Jan 23, 2012
My thanks to Becarmi for sending in this link about French trumpet player and vocalist, Médéric Collignon who has a liking for King Crimson's music. For anyone unable to get the gist of the article, Becarmi writes "His current project is about King Crimson music with a touch of Miles Davis. Larks Tongues in Aspic (Indiscipline, Vroom, Dangerous Curves) played with a small orchestra of 8 violins. Very interesting"

Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sun., Jan 22, 2012
Our thanks to Eric D Nixon for sending this link to David Lowery's dissenting Facebook post on how the new digital-age music companies might not be all they're cracked up to be. On a related theme, Duff McKagan of the popular beat combo Guns N' Roses isn't winning many friends when he dares to suggest that some folks should "Quit whining about SOPA and PIPA. Where's the public outrage over internet piracy?"  

Grooveshark Quits Germany
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sat., Jan 21, 2012
Grooveshark are quitting Germany according to this piece on Billboard. There's also some more on Grooveshark's Digital Music New subpoena here.