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In the punk and indie-rock communities, members of different bands often collaborate on side projects and release them through independent labels. Major labels, however, aren’t so hip to the practice, which is why you won’t be seeing New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert touring with Hazen Street this summer. “He was there during a lot of the writing process, and he played on some stuff, but when it came down to politics and legal issues, there were problems,” said co-vocalist Freddy Cricien, who also plays in the hardcore group Madball. “Unfortunately, he couldn’t be a part of the album as… Read more »

A year after Apple Computer Inc. launched its iTunes Music Service, the online music industry is selling songs by the millions – and that may not bode well for the major record labels. Online services account for just a fraction of overall music sales, but they’re growing rapidly. And the new choices they give consumers threaten to remix the recording industry’s traditional revenue streams, pumping up the volume of singles and subscriptions and turning down album sales. Customers at three of the leading online services – iTunes, Musicmatch Inc.’s Musicmatch Downloads and RealNetworks Inc.’s Rhapsody – buy about 10 times… Read more »

If anybody can get Internet music downloads right, it should be Sony Corp. The company has years of experience selling records, consumer electronics and personal computers – and it’s had plenty of time to study earlier digital-music ventures. So how could the Connect music store, unveiled on Tuesday, have turned out so badly? It gets a few things right, but by forgetting that customers want to feel like they actually own their music, it repeats – or exceeds – the mistakes of other music stores. Let’s start with compliments: Sony does more than any other service to bring down the… Read more »

While being well-prepared is almost always advised for a young band in the studio, spontaneous strokes of creativity are usually the moments the musicians remember best. Of the 13 songs that comprise Yellowcard’s latest album, Ocean Avenue, the band had a dozen of them hashed out beforehand. But while knee-deep in recording, the group stumbled across the riff that became the foundation for “Only One,” which is slated to be the album’s third single. “We discovered a riff for it by accident,” singer Ryan Key said. “We were testing something else out and just tracked it right away. We then… Read more »

Hanson have lined up a nineteen-date U.S. tour behind their independently released new album Underneath. The trio of Hanson siblings – guitarist Isaac, 23; keyboardist Taylor, 20; and drummer Zac, 18 – kick things off on July 5th in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Two shows, July 14th and 16th, are set for Hanson’s adopted home base of New York City, and the tour is set to close on August 7th in their original hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Underneath is Hanson’s first record in four years and the first release on their own 3CG label. “We just felt that 3CG was… Read more »

Apple Computer Inc. Wednesday said it has sold 3.3 million songs on its iTunes online music store since that platform’s relaunch one week ago, with nearly as many downloads of the new version of its music player software. The company also said users had downloaded more than 500,000 free songs during a promotion giving away tracks by popular artists including Courtney Love and Nelly Furtado. Apple also said users published more than 20,000 custom play lists to the music store in the week since the upgraded version was launched, which included the new play list feature. Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice… Read more »

Simon Cowell will soon get a taste of his own venom. The ruthless Brit is creating a new “American Idol”-like series called “The X Factor” in which he and two other judges will not only choose the finalists, they’ll work with them on the performances and together face the critiques of the other judges. “It’s too safe sometimes for me on this show, ‘Idol,’ because I have no responsibility,” Cowell said. “I just sit there smugly and pass on judgment. I wanted to actually create one show where I was held responsible, as well as the artist.” “The X Factor,”… Read more »

Beyond the leisurely melodies and the abstinence theme on Avril Lavigne’s latest single, “Don’t Tell Me,” lives a side of the 19-year-old singer many people never thought existed. Elsewhere on her new album, Under My Skin, due May 25, the Canadian songstress tackles topics such as emotional isolation (“Together”), existential introspection (“How Does It Feel?”) and a fear of growing up (“Nobody’s Home”) – subjects far more mature than the teenage crushes she sang about on 2002’s Let Go. “It’s the same me. I wrote on both records, but my tastes have changed,” she said. “I was like 16 when… Read more »

Sony (SNE) aims to take on industry leader Apple (AAPL) starting Tuesday with an online music service whose songs will play only on Sony products. Internet analysts are scratching their heads, especially because the digital download service – called Connect – is geared toward supporting Sony’s MiniDisc, a 13-year-old format that has never hit big. But some retailers say sales of MiniDisc players perked up in the two years since Sony added the ability to record digital music onto them. And Sony will introduce an offshoot of the MiniDisc in June, offering more storage at a lower price than competitors.… Read more »

What’s up with iTunes? At the ripe age of 1, the innovative market solution for legal music downloads has brought almost $70 million into Apple Computer’s coffers while reinventing commercial music choices for consumers. Other music retailers, including the behemoth known as Wal-Mart, have taken notice and followed suit. CDs? So yesterday, Dude. Before iTunes, the mushrooming problem of illegal downloads seemed, at least to the music industry, a challenge to its existence that could only be addressed by going after downloaders – like the University of Minnesota students last week – still being pursued. The iTunes bridge hasn’t ended… Read more »