Artists to music labels: Where's our Napster money?

From the News Blog on cnet.

An article written by Greg Sandoval that came from the New York Post.


So what happened to all the settlement money that Napster and Kazaa were forced to pay the record labels?

That's the question some music artists are asking, according to a story that appeared Wednesday in The New York Post.

The Post quoted two talent managers who said that artists have yet to see their cut of the Napster-Kazaa settlements. This isn't pocket change we're talking here. Napster paid $270 million to settle its copyright infringement case and Kazaa forked over $100 million. Some on the talent side suspect the top four record companies of foot dragging or playing "hide and seek" with the cash.

for the rest of the story click this -----> Link

Peavey Tour™ Bass Amplifier Wins Bass Player Editors' Award

Here's a press release from Peavey for all you slappers and poppers.

PEAVEY INT’L. HEADQUARTERS — Bass Player magazine has awarded its prestigious Editors’ Award to the powerful and versatile Peavey Tour™ 700 bass amplifier and Tour™ 410 loudspeaker enclosure.

Wrote Jonathan Herrera in the November 2007 issue of Bass Player, the Peavey Tour Series “accomplish[es] its mission superbly, integrating a deep grab bag of useable features into a straight-up loud and rugged amp. It [does] everything Peavey designed it to do, and [does] so at a killer price. Peavey just got the job done.”

The Tour 700 bass amp head features a highly specialized, nine-band graphic EQ with frequency bands spaced at critical bass guitar frequencies so players can define the response curve with ease, plus a 700-watt power section and XLR-equipped, equalized direct output with phantom power. Using the exclusive, onboard Kosmos® B sub-harmonic generator, players can blend in a note one octave lower than the original note to create interesting harmonic textures and significantly enrich the bottom end.

“I couldn’t help but love the Tour 700’s [Kosmos B] octaver—maybe it’s all the synth-bass gigs I’ve been doing lately, but I’m immediately seduced by sexy undertones,” he said. “The 700’s tracked well, sounded huge and generally impressed. Plus, its ratio to the direct signal is adjustable, so it’s additionally useful as a subtle sub-harmonic boost.”

Engineered to ease the load for gigging musicians, the Tour 410 loudspeaker enclosure weighs about half as much as most other 4x10s—just 65 lbs., with 1,600 watts program handling and four 10” high-performance loudspeakers. Built-in weight savers like neodymium speaker magnets and an ultra-lightweight plywood cabinet reduce weight without compromising power or reliability.

“With the arrival of Peavey’s Tour Series cabs, neodymium has gone fully mainstream … and Peavey nailed it. The 410 [is] light, loud and quick, with a strong and buoyant midrange. The Tour 700 uses my all-time favorite jack: the Neutrik® Combo, which allows use with ¼” or Speakon® cables. Industry, say it with me: We will put these on all our amps.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces its Inductees for 2008

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation today announced its inductees for 2008. The inductees will be honored at a ceremony on March 10, 2008, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

“The 2008 inductees are trailblazers – all unique and influential in their genres,” said Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation President and CEO Joel Peresman. “From poetry to pop, these five acts demonstrate the rich diversity of rock and roll itself. We are proud to honor these artists and celebrate their contribution to rock and roll’s place in our culture.”

The performer inductees are:

Leonard Cohen

The Dave Clark Five (Dave Clark, Lenny Davidson, Rick Huxley, Denny Payton and Mike Smith)

Madonna

John Mellencamp

The Ventures (Bob Bogle, Nokie Edwards, Gerry McGee, Mel Taylor, Don Wilson)

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame also announced the induction of Little Walter in its sideman category, and the newly named “Ahmet Ertegun Award” (formerly the non-performer category) will be presented to legendary producers, Gamble & Huff.

The 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performer inductees were chosen by the 600 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twenty-five years after their first recording is released.

In addition to being honored at the March ceremony, each inducted artist is commemorated at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland Ohio, which serves as a monument to rock and roll’s impact on our culture. There, this year’s inductees will be honored – along with previous year’s inductees and hundreds of other artists – with exhibits, video and interactive presentations and programs that serve to tell the story of modern music. The Hall of Fame itself will include artifacts from this year’s inductees, a multi-media presentation with highlights from each artist’s career and their signatures permanently engraved in the glass walls of the Hall of Fame.

Presenters and performers at the induction will be announced at a later date. The induction ceremony will again air live on VH1 Classic on March 10, 2008.

For more information visit visit this -----> Link

TIP! Trim Your Fret Hand Finger Nails

It is a good idea for guitar and bass guitar players to keep their fretting hand finger nails trimmed and smooth. You really don't want them getting in the way of your playing. You want your calluses to touch the strings. If you get lazy and don't trim them, you may notice that they start getting in the way and playing becomes more difficult.

EMG announces 2 new pickups

EMG-81TW

The EMG-81TW humbucking pickup takes an EMG classic to a new level. The dual-mode design allows for maximum flexibility, with the original 81 providing all the crunch and aggressiveness it's famous for and an all new single-coil that features a fatter tone with plenty of punch and clarity. Either mode is accessed through a push/pull pot for versatility. Dual internal preamps, one tuned for single-coil mode and the other for dual-coil mode, give the 81TW two distinct sounds while delivering EMG's well known noise cancelling technology in both modes.

EMG-707TW

If you're using a Low-B String there's no sense in even trying a passive pickup. The 707TW Active Pickup delivers the clearest, fattest low end you've ever felt from a guitar pickup. The 707 is Alnico Loaded and the coils are summed separately keeping the DC resistance down and doubling the low end frequency response. Translated...that means the low frequency response is more natural sounding. Full, but not muddy. In addition, the dual-coil section has a wide aperture for plenty of string sampling. The resonance frequency of the dual-coil mode is 2300 Hz. In the single-coil mode, the pickup resonance switches up to 3900 Hz and operates in a "stack" mode truly resembling a single coil pickup, not a "tapped" humbucker. Still loaded with Alnico, the single coil sound is as pure as it comes. Dual internal preamps (one tuned for single-coil mode and the other for dual-coil mode) give the 707TW two distinct sounds for two pickups in one, while delivering EMG's well-known low-noise performance in both modes. Only an active pickup can deliver the big tone you'd expect from your 7-string.

Things You Can Do to Become a Better Player Now! PART 4

RECORD YOURSELF After you have practiced a piece or technique for some time record yourself playing it. It doesn’t have to be a recording studio session just a small recorder or boom box so you can hear yourself back. By sitting back and listening back to you playing, you will hear things a bit different then when you were playing it live. It’s almost like you are hearing from the outside looking in instead of the inside looking out. It will give you a new perspective and open your ears up to your strengths and weaknesses.

Think you know your guitar solo's?

How well do you know your classic guitarist?

To take the classic guitar solo quiz ckik here ----> Link

Leave a comment and tell everyone how you did. I scored 79%

Albert Margolis - New project in the works

I received an email from Albert Margolis about a new TV pilot he's been working on. Here is what he tells me.

.............I'm rehearsing with a band that is involved with a pilot for a reality TV show. It's current working title is "57 Now or Never". It's about this 57 year-old singer songwriter who had been living in Nashville and was approached by someone who had worked with Bob Dylan back in the 60's to write music for an album. This lyricist has some very current songs that are still protest-like but about today's issues. Anyway - long story short, they recorded an album and I was on the session. It's done and several of the tunes are in rotation on a few Clearchannel stations in the southwest and they have been charting on Broadjam - www.broadjam.com. The TV series has yet to be picked up, but there is interest from several large networks. The music is in the vein of Dylan/Petty/Springsteen type Americana and has lots of great hooks both lyrically and musically.

You can hear the tunes at:

http://www.broadjam.com/artists/index.php?artistID=40205

You can find more out about Albert Margolis at Rock House Method or Alberts web site.

Origins of the blues

Found this cool tid-bit from wikipedia.

Little is known about the exact origins of the music we now know as the blues.[1] No specific year can be cited as the origin of the blues, largely because the style evolved over a long period of time and existed in something approaching its modern form before the term blues was introduced, before the style was thoroughly documented. One important early reference to something probably closely resembling the blues comes from 1901, when an archaeologist in Mississippi described the songs of black workers which had lyrical themes and technical elements in common with the blues.[2] ...........

For the rest click this link origin of the blues

Doug Wimbish involved in Tarjas new album Winter Storm

Rock House instructor/artist Doug Wimbish has been busy as of late. Aside from his tour right now with Head Fake, he has completed a CD with Finlands very own Tarja called Winter Storm. Tarja has beautiful and incredible voice.

Quoted from her blog Tarja says. "It was amazing to see Doug Wimbish and Alex Scholpp jamming every day between the albums recordings. I loved some of the guitar riffs from those moments, and asked Alex to record them for me. I wanted to have a song to head-bang on stage!"

Rock House Artists/Instructor Alexi Laiho and Children of Bodom Announce Pre-Sale of CD

From The Children of Bodom web site:

Pre-order Blooddrunk!Make sure you get Blooddrunk to your door as soon as possible and check out our exclusive Blooddrunk pre-order packages!

Find the complete information on all special releases of Blooddrunk and the final release dates from the discography.

The band will perform at Download Festival which takes place in Donington, UK 13-15.06.2008.

There's also a chance to win an Alexi Laiho ESP signature guitar by joining Townsend Records' mailing list.

UK fans! Don't miss the first ever UK signing session before the sold out show in Astoria, London!

SATURDAY, MARCH 8th4.00pm - 6.00pm:
CHILDREN OF BODOM
will be signing copies of new single ‘BLOODDRUNK'
at the Zavvi shop in London's Oxford Street
ZAVVI 14-16 OXFORD STREETLONDON WID 1AR
0207 631 1234/http://www.cobhc.com/www.zavvi.co.uk

Mark Daniels of The Limit - New CD

The Following is from Rock House Method instructor/artist Mark Daniels and The Limit .

So, the CD is done, we are in press and radio and I feel we collectively (Mark, Bob and Todd) have arrived at a very cool place. It’s been difficult to get to but we are here. In the advent of our CT CD Release show I can honesty say we found “something,” and are the undisputed owners of it. Dec 22nd was one of the best concerts I feel we as a band played. For over the past year, while finishing the CD, we have been practicing non-stop to develop this sound that has become THE LIMIT.

I am proud of my band for being different than what is out there and am very excited to get all this energy out to you.
We are reviewing tour plans now, happy to say some good things have been coming across our desks. We are and will take the time to make the next tour/series of tours special. I can’t wait to see you all whether in Europe, across the USA or at home in CT.

I hope you are ready, I know we are!
Cheers,
Mark Daniel
THE LIMIT

Freekbass Talks About His First Bass Guitar

I always regret selling my first bass. If you are just starting out, and still have your first bass, keep it! I would love to have my first piece of wood with strings that I eventually learned to make sound come out of. At the time it was a matter of having to sell one piece of gear to get another, so I didn't have a lot of choice in the matter, but in hindsight, I should have tried harder to hold onto it.

The reason I had to move to another bass was my hands were starting to get bigger, so I needed something with a longer scaled neck.My magical first bass was a Fender Musicmaster, which was a short scale neck. I still remember the smell of the case when you would open it up. I looked online tonight for a picture like the one I had and the best (and the coolest) picture I could find of it was this one of Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth playing one. I of course did not look as cool playing it as she does, unless a chubby 6th grader who secretly wished he was Chuck Berry is your idea of hip.

2008 Blues Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

I found this while digging around on one of my buddies sites Blues Historian and thought it was news worthy.

2008 Blues Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

The following esteemed individuals and recordings have been selected for induction into the Blues Hall of Fame by The Blues Foundation. The Hall of Fame committee is chaired by Jim O'Neal, founding editor of Living Blues, and David Sanjek, recently of the BMI Archives. The induction ceremony will be held at The Blues Foundation's Charter Member Dinner on Wednesday, May 7, at the Tunica RiverPark in Tunica, Mississippi, the night before the 2008 Blues Music Awards.

The 2008 inductees include living performers Jimmy McCracklin and Hubert Sumlin, as well as late artists Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Peetie Wheatstraw, Jimmy Witherspoon, and the Mississippi Sheiks. John Hammond and Paul Oliver are the non-performers inducted this year. The play 7 Guitars, by August Wilson, and the book, Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf by James Segrest & Mark Hoffman, were also selected.

The following singles or album tracks will be inducted during the ceremony: "Back-Water Blues" by Bessie Smith; "Double Trouble" by Otis Rush; and "My Babe" by Little Walter. These albums were also chosen for induction: Piney Woods Blues by Big Joe Williams; Members Only by Bobby Bland; Rocks the House by Etta James; Freddy King Sings by Freddy King; and I'm Jimmy Reed by Jimmy Reed

On May 8, the night after the Blues Hall of Fame inductions, The Blues Foundation will present the Blues Music Awards for the first time in their 29-year history in the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the Blues. Performers, industry representatives, and fans from around the globe will celebrate the best in Blues recording and performance from the previous year at the Grand Casino Event Center in Tunica Resorts, Mississippi, just down the road from Memphis, the Awards' home since their 1980 inception.

The presenting sponsor will once again be The Gibson Foundation. In 2008, the State of Mississippi, the Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Grand Casino and Resort are sponsoring the Blues Music Awards. BMI, Casey Family Programs, Eagle Rock Entertainment, FedEx, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and XM Satellite Radio also sponsor the Blues Music Awards.

The Blues Hall of Fame is a program of The Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization established to preserve Blues history, celebrate Blues excellence, support Blues education and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. The Foundation consists of a worldwide network of 165 affiliated Blues societies and has individual memberships spanning the globe. In addition to the Blues Hall of Fame, the Foundation also produces the Blues Music Awards, the International Blues Challenge and the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards. For more information or to join The Blues Foundation, log onto www.blues.org.

ROCK HOUSE INSTRUCTORS NOW ON TOUR

You know you love them. Now go see them on tour. Rock House Instructors are involved with several bands and projects. You can check out their tour dates on The Rock House site. While your there be sure and sign up for after show passes. Who knows you may be one of the lucky ones.

WIN A SET OF EMG PICK UPS ON THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21 DURING THE LIVE CHAT

EMG the official Pickup of Rock House will be sponsoring a Live Chat on Thursday, February 21, 2008 from 10:00 to 11:00pm EST with Rob Tuner President of EMG Pickups. Rob will discuss and answer your questons on active pickup technology and applications. During the chat one bass player and one guitar player are going to win a set of EMG Pick Ups. You have to be in the chat room to be eligible to win.