Search Results for: AVOID

After failing to crack the million mark with her last two albums, Janet Jackson is wary of using the “c” word to describe her upcoming release, “Discipline,” which hits stores on February 26. “I think a comeback is when you leave and then you … come back,” Jackson said with a laugh during a recent interview. “People are always quick to use that word ‘comeback,’ but I never went anywhere, really.” “Discipline” marks her 10th studio disc, and her debut release for Island Def Jam after more than a decade at Virgin Records. Her last album, 2006’s “20 Y.O.,” stalled… Read more »

Like it or not, major record companies are expected to continue drafting their artist contracts so that labels share a piece of most — if not all — of the artists’ rights in all types of revenue streams, not just record sales, but also concert tickets and t-shirts. Artist lawyers say that their responses are as varied as the rights and terms in each label’s “360-degree” deal. Some labels want to be the merchandiser, while others want rights only in certain types of merchandise connected to album cover artwork. And when it comes to artist royalties, some labels pay a… Read more »

Michael Jackson is on deadline. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Wednesday issued a court order giving the reclusive entertainer 25 days to turn over financial information to a law firm that previously won a $256,000 judgment against him in July. Should Jackson balk at turning over the records requested by the firm of Ayscough & Marar, he instead has the option of making good on his unpaid legal fees. Jackson engaged the firm during his 2005 child-molestation trial to perform such tasks as obtaining court orders to block information from being publicly released and delaying discovery in several… Read more »

Michael Jackson is on deadline. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Wednesday issued a court order giving the reclusive entertainer 25 days to turn over financial information to a law firm that previously won a $256,000 judgment against him in July. Should Jackson balk at turning over the records requested by the firm of Ayscough & Marar, he instead has the option of making good on his unpaid legal fees. Jackson engaged the firm during his 2005 child-molestation trial to perform such tasks as obtaining court orders to block information from being publicly released and delaying discovery in several… Read more »

The world was treated to “Gimme More” this summer. But Perez Hilton may have given his readers too much, too soon. Zomba Recording LLC, which is owned by Sony BMG, filed a federal copyright-infringement lawsuit Thursday against the online gossip purveyor, saying that over the past three months he illegally posted at least 10 new Britney Spears tracks, both completed cuts and unfinished demos, on perezhilton.com. “The unauthorized dissemination of recordings is a serious violation of copyright law,” said a Zomba spokesperson. “In addition, posting demos and unfinished songs as if they were final versions is grossly unfair to the… Read more »

Silverchair has postponed four shows on their current U.S. Tour to allow singer, Daniel Johns to recover fully from a case of laryngitis.  Daniel caught the common viral infection of the throat earlier this week after flying Sydney/Los Angeles/Toronto/New York/Los Angeles over just four days. It severely impeded his vocal performance on the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” on Tuesday. While his Doctor had initially been hopeful that Daniel’s laryngitis would clear up “in a day or two”, he has since advised that the Silverchair frontman should “avoid singing for 4 to 6 days” in order to be guaranteed of… Read more »

Avril Lavigne is pissed about allegations that she stole a song from ’70s pop act the Rubinoos. So pissed, in fact, that she’s invoking lyrics by the Ramones.In a post on her MySpace page addressed to “My Dear Media [hey, that’s me!], Friends and Fans,” Lavigne ripped the Rubinoos’ claims – and subsequent lawsuit – that her tune “Girlfriend” rips off their 1979 semi-hit “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” She wrote that she “had never heard this song in my life” and “all songs share similar lyrics and emotions. As humans we speak one language.” “You may have heard some… Read more »

With his ragged mane and heavily tattooed wiry frame, former Guns N’ Roses bass player Duff McKagan looks every bit the rock star. But the 43-year-old musician doubles as a savvy investor, overseeing a diverse portfolio ranging from property and stocks to vintage guitars. While he draws the line at donning a suit and tie, McKagan also runs the business affairs for his new band, Velvet Revolver, which just released its second album, “Libertad.” “I do everything I can do so this band doesn’t get ripped off,” said McKagan, who subscribes to the online edition of The Wall Street Journal,… Read more »

Appearing under the alias Sacred Fools, powerpop family band Hanson played a special ‘secret’ semi-acoustic concert last night (Friday, June 29) at Hollywood’s cozy, 200-capacity Hotel Cafe. Of course, it wasn't that well-kept a secret, judging by the gaggle of excited, camera-toting female fans at the gig, some of whom had to be told repeatedly by the Hotel Cafe staff to refrain from taking flash photos of their flaxen-haired idols. Hanson's concert was a decidedly intimate and low-key affair, with youngest brother Zac hauling and setting up his own drum kit before the show. And on a couple occasions during… Read more »

Recently, Maureen Callahan wrote a piece for the New York Post about Crush Management, the NYC cadre that shepherds the careers of Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, the Academy Is … , Boys Like Girls and Armor for Sleep (or, as Callahan puts it, “basically any band that a 13-year-old girl with a blog and a Hot Topic habit obsesses over”). Aside from providing readers with some genuinely bananas quotes from songwriter/ rock-and-roll vampire Butch Walker about credibility (especially considering this is on his résumé), the article is excellent primarily because it floats the hypothesis that the artists… Read more »