Music Industry

A 23-year-old Welsh singer is the latest in a wave of pop artists—female, British ones—to channel 1960s Motown, the Wall Street Journal reports. Duffy, who storms the US this week with TV talk-show appearances and a performance at the Apollo tonight, is already a hit across Europe, her soul sound coming on the heels of fellow Brit Amy Winehouse’s multi-platinum success. More »

Fans of Neil Young will soon be able to buy his entire music archive on Blu-ray discs, the AP reports. The first 10-disc set, out this fall, will cover the prolific rocker’s career from 1963 to 1972 and will include some previously unreleased songs, videos, and handwritten manuscripts. Buyers will also be able to download more content to the discs on their own. More »

Nine Inch Nails released its new album free of charge today, Billboard reports. In premiering The Slip online, frontman Trent Reznor wrote, “Thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years—this one’s on me.” The 10-track album will see CD and vinyl release in July, but in the meantime you can download the latest from the industrial legend gratis. More »

Nine Inch Nails aims to outmaneuver scalpers and undercut premium ticket brokers with an online strategy during an upcoming summer concert tour, Reuters reports. Tickets will be sold directly to fans registered on the band's website beginning 72 hours before each concert date. Organizers hope tight ID restrictions will ensure only fans get tickets. More »

The music manager who orchestrated Mariah Carey's comeback is shopping Eliot Spitzer’s 22-year-old call girl, Ashley Alexandra Dupré, to top music labels, the New York Daily News reports. More »

Michael Jackson is depending on his next album to stave off encroaching financial ruin. That’s why, 2 days ago, he banned his kids from his Las Vegas studio, swore off women (did he ever like them?) and recruited music masterminds RedOne and Akon to produce a money machine, the New York Post reports. More »

Starbucks is handing control of its record label to Concord Music Group barely a year after it got into the music business, Variety reports. The move is part of a shakeup as the coffee chain refocuses on its core business to jolt itself out of a slump. Starbucks' label Hear Music released albums by Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, and James Taylor last year. More »

"American Idol" champ Jordin Sparks has been forced to cancel April concert dates with Alicia Keys because of dangerous vocal-cord hemorrhaging, the New York Post reports. Even a sneeze could permanently damage the 18-year-old chart-topper, who has been singing nonstop since winning "Idol" last year. However, her handlers say, Sparks is expected to recover fully. More »

Amazon.com’s digital music download store isn’t stealing iTunes customers—the six-month-old service is attracting a new consumer demographic, analysts say. A market research firm found that only 10 percent of Amazon MP3 customers surveyed in February previously bought iTunes music, AppleInsider reports. That’s a “healthy indication that the digital music customer pool can expand into new consumer groups,” an analyst says. More »

Estate sales are always a mixed bag, but the James Brown auction at Christie’s in August will be something special, TMZ.com reports. Sure, fans will be able to snag coveted items like a Grammy or keyboard, but the Godfather’s socks, underwear and canceled checks? Say it loud: His estate is broke. More »

Major record labels are suing two Chinese websites that allegedly allow illegal music downloads in a case that could have a huge impact on the way the Chinese obtain music.  The groundbreaking multi-million dollar case over copyright infringement could pave the way for even larger claims, the Wall Street Journal reports. Spokesmen for the two websites insist they’re not responsible for content they don’t host. More »

Apple has become America's No. 1 music retailer, the Los Angeles Times reports. The company said yesterday that its iTunes store had overtaken Wal-Mart for the first time. Analysts say its ascent to the top spot after just 5 years is a major milestone for the industry and the Internet. More »

The world of online music buying looks set for a shakeup with the launch of MySpace Music, announced today. The joint venture between MySpace and three of the big four record labels aims to compete head-to-head with iTunes, CNET News reports. Music industry bigwigs are said to have long felt that iTunes was getting too powerful. More »

Rapper Jay-Z is about to decamp from record label Def Jam and sign a $150 million deal with concert promoter Live Nation, reports the New York Times. The deal, Live Nation's biggest to date, will give the superstar financial backing for tours, his own record label and other related ventures such as talent consulting. It reflects the ongoing scramble in the music business as CD sales plunge and fans download more and more of their music. More »

Mariah Carey unseated Elvis for the No. 2 spot in chart-topping songs this week. Her single "Touch My Body" became her 18th No. 1 and pushed Elvis into third place, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Beatles' all-time record of 20 remains, but Carey could eclipse the Fab Four by the end of summer. More »

Virgin Media may become the second ISP to unplug users who share files illegally, the Register reports. The company is in talks with a UK record industry association over a  "three strikes" system, which would disconnect users who share copyright-infringing files after two warnings. "We are taking this problem seriously and would favor a sensible voluntary solution," Virgin Media said. More »

The Los Angeles Times was duped into reporting that associates of Sean “Diddy” Combs were involved in the 1994 shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur, the Smoking Gun reports. The paper based last week's story on FBI reports fabricated by a long-time con man who has long sought to insinuate himself in the rap world.  More »

The Smashing Pumpkins are suing Virgin Records, claiming the company illegally used the band's name and music in ads for Pepsi and Amazon.com, the Guardian reports. The rockers' contract does not allow using the band in promotional campaigns such as the Pepsi Stuff ads, and members would “never grant such authority" that undermines "artistic integrity," the suit charges. EMI, which owns Virgin, declined to comment. More »

The Justice Department today approved the proposed merger between satellite radio firms Sirius and XM, the Wall Street Journal r eports. The FCC must still sign off, but the pair appears to have allayed antitrust concerns about the merger of the industry's two largest companies by arguing that they face competition from all music providers, including conventional radio. More »

Amy Winehouse and Cistercian monks wouldn't seem to have much in common, but now they've got the same record label, the BBC reports. Universal Music's search for "sacred singers" to record a Gregorian chant album turned up an Austrian monastery dating back to 1133. "It was beautiful, beautiful music," said a Universal exec. More »