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He’s photographed Princess Diana in diamonds, Madonna in lingerie and top model Gisele Bundchen in the buff. But celebrated French photographer Patrick Demarchelier says none of the hundreds of pop culture icons he’s immortalized in his more than 30 years behind the lens can compare with his dog, whom he calls “the perfect model.” An exhibition at Paris’ Petit Palais museum brings together more than 400 of Demarchelier’s renowned portraits, including, of course, a ravishing shot of Puffy the long-haired dachshund. Looking sprightly in his uniform of sneakers and a polo shirt, with his trademark shock of salt and pepper… Read more »

MySpace, the world's largest social networking site, on Wednesday unveiled a long-expected joint venture with all four major music companies in a bid to compete with Apple Inc's market-leading iTunes store. MySpace Music is designed to win fans with a mix of unlimited free music, comprehensive music catalogs, concert tickets, merchandising and other entertainment features. The launch of the new service had been dogged by speculation on the start date and the ongoing search for a chief executive. But the biggest challenge for the new venture was signing a deal with the fourth-largest music company EMI Music, which had held… Read more »

Record labels, music publishers, songwriters and online music services have reached an agreement on how to compensate music creators for online distribution of their content, they said. The agreement is designed to settle how the industry calculates royalty rates for limited downloads and music that is streamed online, including when it is provided by subscription and advertising-supported services. Fans using on-demand music streaming can select the songs they want to hear but do not keep a permanent copy. Under the proposal, providers of such services will pay a mechanical royalty of 10.5 percent of revenue after other royalties are calculated.… Read more »

A French museum has found a previously unknown piece of music handwritten by Mozart, a researcher said Thursday. The 18th century melody sketch is missing the harmony and instrumentation but was described as important find. Ulrich Leisinger, head of research at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, Austria, said there is no doubt that the single sheet was written by the composer. “This is absolutely new,” Leisinger said in a telephone interview. “We have new music here.” “His handwriting is absolutely clearly identifiable,” he added. “There’s no doubt that this is an original piece handwritten by Mozart.” The work, described… Read more »

O come, all ye Colbert faithful. Stephen Colbert will host his own Christmas special this year, Comedy Central announced Tuesday. “A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!” will air Nov. 23 as a one-hour special. It will be a musical special featuring John Legend, Elvis Costello, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson, Feist – and “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, who’s slated to sing a duet with Colbert of a song simply titled “Hanukkah.” (The song Colbert is to sing with Nelson appears to be a version of “The Little Drummer Boy” – called “Little Dealer Boy.”) Most of the… Read more »

The first time Arcade Fire performed in Paris, Mathieu Saura stood outside the venue with his girlfriend, holding up a sign that read, “Please, we want to come to the show.” The band’s bassist, Richard Reed Perry, got them in, and ever since, Saura might as well have not left. Under the name Vincent Moon, he’s gone from a fan begging for tickets to an in-demand filmmaker who has revolutionized music video. His films are stripped down, intimate videotaped performances – shot in one take, often of an act simply strolling down a street or playing in a parking lot.… Read more »

The June leak of nine allegedly “mastered, finished” tracks from Guns N’ Roses’ long-delayed “Chinese Democracy” spurred a renewed round of speculation about whether the Axl Rose-led band will finally release the 14-years-in-the-making album. But some concrete signs are finally emerging that the album’s release could be imminent. That’s because, according to sources, negotiations are under way for “Chinese Democracy” to come out as an exclusive at one of the big-box retailers — either Wal-Mart or Best Buy. Negotiations are also ongoing for conventional record company distribution, another source said. Guns N’ Roses is now managed by Irving Azoff’s Front… Read more »