December 14, 2007

Friday Have a Seat on the Lanai for Music News Day

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Music News

  • The iTunes year-end charts should have been a warning: Billboard‘s official tally of the year’s biggest-selling albums is out, and ladies and gentlemen, your #1 album of 2007 is: Daughtry. The “American Idol” guy. Rolling Stone points out that “in what has to be further proof that the recording industry had a terrible year,” the top seven best-selling albums of 2007 were all released in 2006.

  • Perhaps due to this terrible year for the music industry, there’s been a bit of a shakedown at major record labels, with Geffen and Interscope (both subsidiaries of Universal Music) laying off 15 employees yesterday; the last few weeks saw layoffs at Sony BMG and Island Def Jam as well. Rumors had been circulating that Geffen was about to close its doors but CMJ says now “that seems unlikely.”

  • In an investigation into the still-unsolved murder of Jam Master Jay, MTV News uncovers a mystery about a missing security camera tape that might show the identity of the assailant or assailants; Jay’s friend Randy Allen hinted in an interview that he knows the whereabouts of the tape but isn’t talking.

  • Singer Tori Amos (or an alter ego?) had a bit of a fit at a gig in San Diego on Wednesday night, evicting two fans from the venue. “Get the f*** out of my show,” Amos shouted, reportedly because the two women had been repeatedly getting up and down from their seats in the front row. “It’s a privilege to sit in the front row and I reserve those seats for people who appreciate music,” continued Amos. Ulp! Watch the excitement here:

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    BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

    “Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

    No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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