Beck Poised at Turning Point

Band continues to self-release; download available Saturday

(NEWSER) - Radiohead is rolling out new album The King of Limbs this Saturday in digital format, the Telegraph reports, and it's once again forgoing a trifling thing like a record label. (The band notably self-released 2007's In Rainbows.) Fans eager to hear the album ASAP will have to take advantage of the $10 digital download, but will also be able to order CD and 10" vinyl editions on release day. More»

Group has three in the works after Bono's surgery

(NEWSER) - Instead of shutting him down, Bono’s recent emergency surgery has prompted a creative burst: U2 is planning three new albums, including one produced by pop guru Danger Mouse, reports Australia's the Age . “We have about 12 songs with him," the singer says. "At the moment that looks like the album we will put out next because it's just happening so easily.” More»

(NEWSER) - Three bands just weren’t enough for Jack White, who’s started a music store/recording studio/record label in his adopted hometown of Nashville. Third Man Records is “where everything starts to make sense,” the White Stripes frontman tells the Wall Street Journal. “Where modern meets old and tangible meets invisible.” White says the label could have 100 releases within 2 years. More»

(NEWSER) - Record labels and the online radio industry have reached a deal on royalties that insiders think will allow the medium to survive, the New York Times reports. Larger sites like Pandora will pay the labels 25% of revenue or up to 14 cents for every song they stream—whichever is higher—and small sites will pay 12% to 14% of revenue. Prior to the deal, rates were set to hit 19 cents per song, and many so-called webcasters said they couldn't survive. More»

Producer pushes listeners to illegally download, burn songs

(NEWSER) - Legal wrangling reportedly led to the shelving of Danger Mouse’s latest album; now, instead of dropping Dark Night Of The Soul, the producer behind acclaimed Beatles/Jay-Z mash-up the Grey Album is releasing a book of photographs by director David Lynch—with a blank CD enclosed, XXL reports. “For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will,” the disc reads, seemingly hinting that fans should download the album illegally. Listen for free at NPR (link below). More»