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Independent music company FullAudio Corp. on Wednesday launched MusicNow, the latest digital music service to enter the race to woo music fans from the tempting free, song-swapping services inspired by Napster. Boasting an easy-to-use magazine-like format, FullAudio, which has been developing the service for several years as it has obtained licensing from the big five major labels, said that MusicNow is designed around 36 channels. “MusicNow is on the forefront of a dramatic market paradigm shift beyond the labor-intensive ‘search and browse’ database model developed by Napster,” said Scott Kauffman, president and chief executive officer of Chicago-based FullAudio, which is… Read more »

The days of the compact disc could be drawing to a close as an increasing number of music fans, especially technologically savvy youngsters, turn to the Internet for free downloadable music. At a panel of the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin on Thursday, music industry executives talked about how they plan to stay afloat in the digital world of downloadable music and CD burning. “Unless you’re in a coma, it’s clear that the current business model of selling shiny discs at $17.99 isn’t going to sustain anybody any longer,” said David Adelson, executive editor Hits Magazine and the… Read more »

Phil Spector’s lawyer addressed his client’s arrest in the February shooting death of Lana Clarkson for the first time on Tuesday, contesting an investigator’s comments ruling out the possibility of a suicide. “I am convinced that the thorough and accurate investigation of the evidence by the Los Angeles sheriff’s department, its criminalists and the county coroner will prove that Phil Spector is innocent of any crime,” attorney Robert Shapiro told the Associated Press. Shapiro, who did not return calls from MTV News, commented after Captain Frank Merriman told the AP that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department believes a crime… Read more »

Clad in skimpy tank tops, teenage pop stars Lena and Yulia giggle and clasp hands on a Russian television talk show as their hit music video is played for a studio audience. The camera pans over the audience, lingering on a Russian Orthodox priest who grimaces and crosses himself when the video shows the girls kissing. The pop duo Tatu – Russian slang for “This girl (loves) that girl” – has long been causing a sensation at home. But now that the teenagers are also climbing charts around the world, their scanty schoolgirl uniforms, flirtations with lesbianism and in-your-face sexuality… Read more »

Blink 182, Green Day, and Filter are among the artists featured on an upcoming album saluting Fender musical instruments. The Players: Powered By Fender comes out April 22nd, and it also includes songs played on Fender instruments by Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Remy Zero, the Goo Goo Dolls, Smash Mouth, Third Eye Blind, the Gin Blossoms, Sugar Ray, Collective Soul, Eric Clapton, Aerosmith, and the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. The full tracklisting for The Players: Powered By Fender includes: Sheryl Crow, “Steve McQueen”; Eric Clapton, “Superman Inside”; Aerosmith, “Just Push Play”; Alanis Morissette, “Surrendering”; Blink 182, “All The Small Things”;… Read more »

The annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony featured the spirit of 1970s British punk, some anti-war sentiments and probably the loudest noise ever heard at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. In what’s often the case at the glittery ceremony, the honor also brought together a long-estranged group, in this case the Police. The British trio played publicly Monday for the first time in 18 years, singing the reggae-tinged “Roxanne,” the obsessive hit, “Every Breath You Take” and “Message in a Bottle.” “I’d like to make it very clear that there is absolutely no ego in our band whatsoever,”… Read more »

The British Broadcasting Corp. on Friday said shots of George Michael’s backing musicians wearing anti-war T-shirts will likely be cut from a television show. Michael performed a cover of Don McLean’s anti-war song “The Grave” on BBC’s music show “Top of the Pops” on Thursday. His cellists wore T-shirts with the logo “No war, Blair out” – referring to Prime Minister Tony Blair. A BBC official said shots of the cellists’ T-shirts violate the broadcaster’s policy of impartiality and suggested they would probably be edited out of the show when it is aired Friday. “We have to conform to BBC… Read more »

If the variety of producers she’s working with is any indication, Britney Spears’ next record will be her most adventurous yet. Sure, mainstays Rodney Jerkins and the Neptunes are again logging time with the pop princess, but she has also recorded with Ashanti producer 7 Aurelius and the Matrix, the production team behind Avril Lavigne’s hit singles. And don’t forget Fred Durst. Both 7, who also worked on the latest Tupac album, and the Matrix have done three tracks with Spears and are hoping to do more. “I’m doing something for her, something really ridiculous. [A] record I’m going to… Read more »

Former Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan has rejoined with guitarist Slash, drummer Matt Sorum, and guitarist Izzy Stradlin to form a band that’s basically back together except for singer Axl Rose. The enigmatic frontman continues on with a current Guns N’ Roses lineup consisting of guitarist Robin Finck, bassist Tommy Stinson, guitarist Richard Fortus, guitarist Buckethead, and drummer Brian “Brain” Mantia. The only current member that was around playing with the old band is keyboardist Dizzy Reed. McKagan was asked his thoughts on the current Guns N’ Roses-and Sorum added his two cents. “It’s not Guns N’ Roses, you… Read more »

The surviving members of legendary punk group The Clash will not perform when they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this month, bass player Paul Simonon said Saturday. One of the most influential bands to emerge from the British punk movement of the 1970s, The Clash split up in the mid-1980s and never reformed. The band’s lead singer, Joe Strummer, died of a heart attack in December at age 50. Simonon scotched rumors that Bruce Springsteen – who sang the band’s “London Calling” in tribute to Strummer at the Grammy Awards last week – would… Read more »