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The Beastie Boys, Alanis Morissette, the Dave Matthews Band and Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio are among the artists banding together in the “New Power Project,” an effort to fight President George W. Bush’s energy plan. The members of the coalition – which also includes Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and Blues Traveler – hope to use their Web sites, online fan mailing lists and tours to get their fans to petition Congress and the Bush administration to alter federal energy policy. “President Bush’s energy plan recommends drilling for oil in the biological heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, bringing back… Read more »

Pennywise has found a new location for its free concert on today (June 19) after West Hollywood, California authorities thwarted the group’s plan for an outdoor show because of the confrontational tone of its new single,’ “F-k Authority.” The local punk veterans will now perform indoors at the House Of Blues, just blocks down the Sunset Strip from the original, planned location-the parking lot of Tower Records. Other details remain the same-set time will be at 3 p.m. and tickets are available on a first-come basis to those who purchase Pennywise’s new album, Land Of The Free?, when it goes… Read more »

While the music industry responded aggressively to curb the spread of piracy on the Internet, the number of pirated music discs sold worldwide soared last year. A report released today by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said that even as music industry worked to curb the spread of piracy on the Internet, the number of pirated music discs sold worldwide soared by 25 percent last year. The report, dubbed “IFPI Music Piracy Report 2001,” goes on to say that a total of 1.8 billion pirate recordings (CDs and cassettes) were estimated to be sold in 2000, meaning… Read more »

Look for the “Made in the USA” label on some best-selling music from Japan’s top pop artists. Japan’s chart-topping musicians, looking to cut music with some of the top talent in the United States or just looking for a bit of anonymity overseas in place of media mayhem back home, are heading to studios in places such as New York and Los Angeles to record. Among the top 20 albums in Japan for May, 14 were made by Japanese artists and six of those were partially or completely recorded in the United States. The other six slots in the top… Read more »

Media titan Viacom Inc. plans to use its MTV Networks unit as the foundation of its global strategy, with focus on emerging markets in China, India and Brazil, its chief executive Sumner Redstone said on Sunday. MTV, which reaches 340 million homes worldwide, is growing quickly in Asia, reaching nearly 130 million homes. “This is a region that has over 3 billion people, which should give you an idea about the potential for us,” Redstone said. The U.S. spends about 0.6 percent of its gross domestic product on television advertising, compared with 0.2 percent in China, where MTV reaches 54… Read more »

Singer Janet Jackson’s latest album will remain on the banned list in Singapore unless an offending track containing explicit lyrics is removed. “The distributor can release the album ‘All for You’ by removing the objectionable track ‘Would You Mind’,” a spokeswoman for the Films and Publications Department said. Local distributor EMI Singapore voluntarily submitted “All for You” for vetting and launched an appeal in April after authorities decided the album could not be sold. Information and Arts Minister Lee Yock Suan then upheld the ban. EMI is still trying to get the green light from Jackson’s management company to delete… Read more »

Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson may have just married a famous actress, but the man at the helm of America’s “most rock ‘n’ roll” rock band has not gone Hollywood just yet. Yes, that is the lanky, longhaired Robinson accompanying his wife, Kate Hudson, to the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Yes, he does hobnob with famous actors and directors, but they discuss obscure records and movies, not box office grosses. “I’ve met so many cool people in my lifetime, but… just because you’re famous and wealthy doesn’t make me want to sit down and have dinner with you,” he… Read more »

Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst, eager to become a movie director, is now eyeing a different project on which to make his debut. Daily Variety reported on Monday that he would shoot “Life Without Joe,” a thriller described as “Deliverance” for the younger set. But Durst told Daily Variety on Tuesday he wants to launch his career with “Runt.” “‘Runt’ needs to be done now,” he said. “I made a band so I could direct videos and then direct a movie.” The $10 million project is the story of a teen who is endlessly taunted and persecuted by a trio… Read more »

Pop diva Janet Jackson’s latest album may have rocketed up the U.S. charts but fans in Singapore will have to wait as the state censor weighs whether to uphold its ban over her racy lyrics. Local distributor EMI Singapore voluntarily submitted “All for You” for vetting but launched an appeal after authorities decided the album could not be sold because of “explicit sexual lyrics” in the song “Would You Mind.” “The appeal is still in process,” a spokeswoman for the Films and Publications Department told Reuters. “We haven’t come to a conclusion yet.” EMI was not immediately available for comment.… Read more »

Randy Acker named Vice President of Def Jam/Def Soul Records, and will be based at the companyís New York office. Kevin Liles, president of the Island Def Jam Music Group, has named Randy Acker to the position of vice president of Def Jam/Def Soul Records. Mr. Acker will report directly to Kevin Liles and will be based at the companyís New York office. In his new post, Acker will be involved in the overall operations of the Def Jam and Def Soul labels, which includes coordinating activities with joint ventures such as Roc A Fella, Murder Inc, Def Jam South… Read more »