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Vivendi Universal’s (V) Universal Music Group plans to sharply lower the consumer cost for compact discs, in an effort to bring customers back into retail stores and boost music sales. The move comes as the music industry grapples with a continuing decline in retail sales in the face of rampant piracy and other problems. In a press release Wednesday, Universal Music said it will reduce wholesale prices and implement a $12.98 manufacturer suggested retail price on virtually all of its top-line CDs in the U.S. The plan will eliminate MSRPs of as much as $18.98, and the company believes retailers… Read more »

Celebrities including Madonna, Chrissie Hynde and Sharleen Spiteri remained tightlipped about the apparent wedding of designer Stella McCartney and publisher Alasdhair Willis as they left this remote Scottish island Sunday. Pretenders singer Hynde would only say that the 31-year-old daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney looked “beautiful” when asked about the ceremony. “It was good. It has been a lovely week,” said Spiteri of the rock band Texas, as she boarded a coach to leave the island. Hordes of reporters, who have spent days trying to glean information about the closely guarded wedding, were left disappointed when both singers declined… Read more »

The backstage area of this year’s Vans Warped Tour often resembled a punk-rock frat party, according to Thrice frontman Dustin Kensrue. There was plenty of partying and more than a few juvenile practical jokes perpetrated by the bands and their crews. Such situations can be flat-out dangerous, and sometimes injuries ensue. A few weeks ago, Thrice drummer Riley Breckenridge damaged his back while reaching under the band’s bus. Was he looking for water balloons filled with sour milk to throw at the members of Pennywise? Nope. He was trying to remove his suitcase from the storage compartment, and in the… Read more »

Long an artist’s sanctuary, the commercial recording studio is becoming a virtual fortress, guarding against the potentially devastating consequences of theft. The thieves’ targets are the rough mixes, outtakes, alternative takes and finished masters that traditionally have been loosely handled, even by the artists themselves. Leaks of this material are nothing new, but the advent of unauthorized file sharing on the Internet has greatly increased the consequences of this phenomenon. Recent albums by Eminem, 50 Cent, Korn and Radiohead were all available online prior to release, because unauthorized copies were leaked to unknown parties. In such cases, marketing strategies are… Read more »

The he-said/she-said between Britney Spears and Fred Durst went into overdrive Thursday morning when the Limp Bizkit frontman offered intimate details about his professional and personal relationship with the singer on Howard Stern’s syndicated radio show. “I swear on my son Dallas’ baby blue eyes I was telling the truth [about our relationship],” said a groggy Durst, who admitted to being out late the night before. Stern and his crew egged him on for salacious details for about a half an hour. “This [relationship] went on for a little while, that’s what’s pretty unbelievable about this crap she’s saying,” Durst… Read more »

After scoring a hit in 2000 with their first single, “Flavor of the Weak,” American Hi-Fi were showered with praise and press. The experience of playing stadiums and landing mainstream radio play influenced frontman Stacy Jones to write the title track of the band’s new album, The Art of Losing. “We started out playing these sh-ty little clubs all over the country, and it was f-ing great,” explained Jones. “Then when ‘Flavor of the Weak’ started getting played, we found ourselves on these bills where we were playing between Dream and the ‘Moulin Rouge’ chicks. I just remember looking at… Read more »

Until recently, it seemed only kids – and music critics – could love Eminem. Politicians condemned his obscenity-laced and violent lyrics. Gay and women’s groups blasted him as a homophobe and misogynist. The Grammy-winning Detroit rapper had millions in album sales, but little love from mainstream America. Well, he’s still not America’s sweetheart. But some of the vitriol directed at Eminem has diminished – replaced not just by grudging respect, but by downright enthusiasm from some unlikely quarters. “The guy is funny, smart, and sometimes shocking,” author Stephen King gushed on his Web site. “Those are all things I look… Read more »

Fans who wish they could walk a mile in Eminem’s shoes now have a chance to cruise one in his car. The rapper traded in his Ford Mustang last week to a Detroit-area dealer who plans to auction the car to the highest bidder. The 1999 Mustang convertible, custom-painted purple from its original red and with a tan leather interior, is available for viewing at Russ Milne Ford in Macomb, Michigan. One lucky buyer with cash to spare can drive Eminem’s near-mint ride, with 17,656 miles on it and a small mark on the front bumper, right off the lot.… Read more »

There’s apparently still a little Muhammad Ali in Will Smith, who accepted his Best Actor MTV Movie Award last week in the voice of the boxing legend and later talked about his new record with equal confidence as “The Greatest.” “I don’t want to gas it up, but it’s definitely the best album that I’ve ever done,” Smith said backstage at the ceremony. “I think people are going to be really surprised, the direction that I decided to take.” Like the first single, “Black Suits Comin’ (Nod Ya Head),” the rest of Born to Reign finds the former Fresh Prince… Read more »

When Jacoby Shaddix (a.k.a. Coby Dick) was bashing his forehead bloody with the mic night after night on last year’s Ozzfest, it became pretty clear that Papa Roach were a tortured, turbulent group – one far removed from the cookie-cutter rap-metal bands to which it was frequently compared. As if to hammer home the point, the band has distanced itself even further from its former peers on Lovehatetragedy, which comes out June 18. Aside from a rapped section in the first single, “She Loves Me Not,” and a few half-spoken vocal lines in various other songs, there’s nothing on the… Read more »