Beatles Might Release Digitally, Again
Though this is news we have heard before, George Harrison's son, Dhani Harrison, is pushing toward an Internet music store devoted wholly to the Beatles. Harrison points out in the article by guardian.co.uk that, "We're losing money every day." The executors of the Beatles' music estate and UK record label Apple are considering a deal…
Legislature Empowering Artists and Radio Stations
Just this morning, Future of Music Coalition gave an update on the Local Community Radio Act of 2009, which would allow 100-watt, non commercial FM stations (Low Powered FM) broadcasting to more niche markets. As described by FofMC, LPFM could encourage school, church and nonprofit radio stations while providing an outlet for local artists. The implications of…
My Morning Jacket Release Only in Independent Record Stores
My Morning Jacket has always been a friend to HeadCount. In 2008 we registered voters at dozens of their shows. Front man Jim James did a Public Service Announcement supporting voter registration. They gave us the original demo to the song "Gideon" for streaming on our download page (it's still there), and each band member…
Antitrust Board Could Learn from the Past
David Balto, an antitrust attorney in DC who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger, wrote a guest op-ed for hypebot today. Balto frequently represents parties in government merger investigations and presents a very comprehensive view of the potential merger sitution. Among his discussion of how 'too good to be true' the merger…
Scalped Tickets on Ticket Exchange Sold by Artists
Between the public scrutiny concerning Ticketmaster's relationship with TicketsNow and Ticket Exhchange, and the Congressional investigation regarding the proposed merger with Live Nation, Ticketmaster's PR department has had their hands full. As the inquiries continue, the media seems to find more skeletons hanging in those Ticketmaster closests. This week's skeleton: Scalped tickets on Ticket Exchange are sold by the artists….
Radiohead’s FAC Meets in London
The Featured Arts Coalition, an organization recently created by innovative music industry case study Radiohead, had its first meeting yesterday in London. The Coalition aims to "give musicians and artists more control of their music" and a "much fairer share" of their profits. At first glance, the difference between this organization and the Future of…
Reunited and It Feels So Good
Some of the HeadCount team was in Hampton, VA this weekend, enjoying the reunited sounds of Phish. In addition to registering people to vote, we decided it would be cool to allow fellow fans to make their voice heard everyday, not just on election day by writing letters to their congressmen. If you're wishing you were there (and believe…
“Just As Radio Promotes Music, Music Promotes Radio”?
Billy Corgan was in Washington DC yesterday speaking up to Congress (in a suit!) on behalf of the right for musicians to receive royalties from traditional radio. This legislation, the Performance Rights Act [H.R 848] (check pg 3), first introduced then rejected by Congress in December of last year, would make the US the last of the…
It seems to be that time again
Yesterday was a mayoral election in Los Angeles, California. I know, it snuck up on me too. With 55% of the vote, Mayor Villaraigosa easily won his second term in office. Although it seems like we just had a pretty big election (because we did), there are still more local issues that need to be tackled…
(Very) Young Republican Wows Conference
A 13-year old conservative author upstaged Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh at the Conservative Political Action Conference this week. Jonathan Krohn's brief remarks, captured here on video, laid out a definition of conservatism that wowed the VIP audience. He said he was inspired to write his book "Define Conservatism" because during the Presidential campaign "too…