Local start-up to change music industry with a sheet music app

The Heretic’s Comment: Local entrepreneurs Matt Mostad and Matthew Sutton have partnered up to revolutionize the music industry. Launched last week, their sheet music app, iSheetMusic, enables musicians to access thousands of songs anytime, anywhere.

“We’re bringing sheet music into the 21st century,” said co-founder Matthew Sutton in a phone interview.
“Sheet music has been one of the things that have been rather untouched by new technology. Only two percent is sold digitally.”

But Mostad and Sutton are changing this by creating the world’s first full dynamic mobile sheet music app.

http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2011/06/27/news/local-start-change-music-industry-sheet-music-app

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The Official Release of the  “Before You Sign That” a is August 1, 2011. An indie artist inspired book Authored by The Heretic’s very own Leslie W. Cross Jr. and co-authored by platinum recording artist Paul Wall.  On May 1, 2011 pre-order your copy. More details coming soon. Weare very excited about this Project!!!!

Jeff Bridges Previews Debut Album at L.A. Show
After three weeks of bar room performances near his home outside Santa Barbara, Jeff Bridges brought his band the Abiders to Los Angeles to preview songs from his upcoming album and reprise a few favorites from his Oscar-winning film “Crazy Heart.”

Bridges and his four-piece band performed for 70 minutes at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, Calif, Tuesday night, entertaining a crowd that included Jackson Browne, his producer T Bone Burnett, brother Beau Bridges, actors Andy Garcia, Ryan Reynolds, who will appear with Bridges in “RIPD,” and Olivia Wilde, Bridges’ co-star in “Tron: Legacy.” Quincy Jones, who recorded Bridges and put his music in the film “John and Mary” when the actor was just 17, introduced Bridges.

The album features songs penned by Bridges, Greg Brown and Bridges’ longtime friend Goodwin, plus songs that did not make the cut in “Crazy Heart,” among them Bruton’s “Nothing Yet.” Bridges is a charming performer, his exuberance making every note ring a little brighter than in your usual country-rock performance. His Bad Blake character from “Crazy Heart” loomed over the show in stories and one more subtle way: A strap on an electric guitar bore not Bridges name, but the all-caps initials BAD.

http://www.billboard.com/#/events/jeff-bridges-previews-debut-album-at-l-a-1005256622.story

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The Official Release of the “Before You Sign That” a is August 1, 2011. An indie artist inspired book Authored by The Heretic’s very own Leslie W. Cross Jr. and co-authored by platinum recording artist Paul Wall. On May 1, 2011 pre-order your copy. More details coming soon. We are very excited about this Project!!!!

U2 to Sell 360 Tour ‘Claws’ As ‘Permanent Venues’

The Heretic’s Comment: U2’s 360 Tour will come to an end July 30 in  Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. But “The Claw” — the alien-like, four-legged structure over the stage — will live on.

After the record-setting two-year-plus 360 trek, U2′s management plans to sell off three of the full, four-legged, 29,000-square-foot steel structures as venues unto themselves.

“It’s certainly our intention to see these things recycled  into permanent and usable ventures,” U2 tour director Craig Evans told Billboard.biz earlier this month. “It represents too great an engineering feat to just use for [the tour] and put away in a warehouse somewhere.”

Evans added that the U2 camp is “now in discussions to send them into different places around the world and have them installed as permanent venues. Some major events have shown interest in these, from four different continents — and we haven’t even really put the word out yet.”

Evans declined to mention specific potential buyers for the structures but said that most of the ideas are “for  turning them into full interior pavilions and amphitheaters. They’re something you can put up on a waterfront and become an instant skyline icon. We know that the inquiries will keep coming in.”

http://www.billboard.com/#/news/u2-to-sell-360-tour-claws-as-permanent-venues-1005255562.story

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The Official Release of the  “Before You Sign That” a is August 1, 2011. An indie artist inspired book Authored by The Heretic’s very own Leslie W. Cross Jr. and co-authored by platinum recording artist Paul Wall.  On May 1, 2011 pre-order your copy. More details coming soon. Weare very excited about this Project!!!!

“The Voice” Plans Summer Concert Tour

The Heretic’s Comment: ike “American Idol” before it, NBC’s hit music competition show “The Voice” has a tour in the works featuring the show’s eight finalists — Beverly McClellan, Vicci Martinez, Dia Frampton, Javier Colon, Nakia, Xenia, Casey Weston and Frenchie Davis.

Noticeably absent from the road-show: the show’s four chart-topping coaches, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. According to multiple sources, organizers for the Live Nation tour wanted the foursome to join the show’s contestants but talks apparently broke down over compensation. It is unclear how big a seller “The Voice” tour will be without the coaches, whose involvement thus far has proved a significant differentiator and draw for the series.

A tour would not only drum up more buzz for the show, but also provide another way for the network to cash in on its biggest success in years. “The Voice” — which at $2.3 million per episode is NBC’s priciest unscripted series ever — is garnering in the neighborhood of $250,000 per 30-second spot this season.

After some internal debate, NBC opted to hold the series’ second season for the spring. It was granted the plum post-Super Bowl slot and is poised to expand its number of episodes. Last month, NBC Universal Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt told THR that he hopes to feature fall and spring iterations of the show the following year.

http://www.billboard.com/#/events/the-voice-plans-summer-concert-tour-1005254452.story

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The Official Release of the  “Before You Sign That” a is August 1, 2011. An indie artist inspired book Authored by The Heretic’s very own Leslie W. Cross Jr. and co-authored by platinum recording artist Paul Wall.  On May 1, 2011 pre-order your copy. More details coming soon. Weare very excited about this Project!!!!

The Heretic’s Comment: Pre-Internet  artists such as Whitesnake and the estate of Rick James are taking note from the recent case of FBT Productions v. Interscope.

In this case, FBT Productions (who had a stake in Eminem‘s royalties) successfully argued before the the Court that money generated from download sales should be classified as licensing income rather than designated as record sale income (classifying a transaction as “record sale” revenue versus licensing revenue can have a major impact on the amount of money a Record Label is obligated to payout in artist royalties).

For more details on this topic, please see our post entitled: Download Sales: Will Money Stay With Labels or Go To Musicians? (Type this Title in the search field located in the upper left portion of this screen)

With the FBT Productions decision in place, the Rick James estate, Whitesnake and a number of other pre-internet artists are looking at their old contracts and deciding to file suit with the same argument made by FBT Productions that the Record Label has  incorrectly designated digital download sales as a record sale instead of as a licensing sale.

We will keep you posted as these various lawsuits make their way through the court system.

http://www.thecmuwebsite.com/article/more-legacy-artists-sue-for-bigger-digital-royalty-share/

Alicia Keys Adds Broadway Producer to Her Resume

The Heretic’s Comment: Alicia Keys is headed to Broadway, but she won’t be flexing her vocal chords on stage. The “No One” singer has signed on to serve as a producer for the Lydia R. Diamond play Stick Fly.

“I’m so passionate about this play because it is so beautifully written and portrays black America in a way that we don’t often get to see in entertainment,” Keys says in a statement. “I know it will touch all audiences who will find a piece of themselves somewhere inside this house.”

The show is a contemporary comedy, which tells the story of a well-to-do black family on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard. The insecurities of each character gradually come to light throughout the course of the show.

Directed by Kenny Leon, whose credits include A Raisin in the Sun and Radio Golf, the production will open at the Lyceum Theatere on 45th street December 8th. It will begin initial performances November 18th.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/alicia-keys-adds-broadway-producer-206240

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The Official Release of the  “Before You Sign That” a is August 1, 2011. An indie artist inspired book Authored by The Heretic’s very own Leslie W. Cross Jr. and co-authored by platinum

Michele Bachmann in Legal Spat for Using Tom Petty‘s ‘American Girl’ at Rally

The Heretic’s Comment: It’s not even 2012 yet but election season is in full bloom. And with it comes a new political ritual: First, a Republican candidate attempts to score cultural points by choosing a popular song for a political commercial or a rally. Next, a musician complains about such unauthorised use. Finally, politician says “Sorry!.”

Up first in the 2012 war is a developing dispute between singer-songwriter Tom Petty and Michele Bachmann. On Monday, Bachmann officially announced her candidacy for U.S. president. She left the stage as Petty’s “American Girl” blared over the loudspeaker. Uh-oh.

Petty is unhappy with Bachmann’s choice of exit music, according to political consultant Matt Ortega, and is in the process of sending a cease-and-desist letter. NBC News has also confirmed the report.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Petty has fired off a legal letter for political uses of his music. Previously, the singer sent George W. Bush a C&D over his presidential campaign’s use of the song, “I Won’t Back Down.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/michele-bachmann-legal-spat-using-206257

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The Official Release of the  “Before You Sign That” a is August 1, 2011. An indie artist inspired book Authored by The Heretic’s very own Leslie W. Cross Jr. and co-authored by platinum

Kanye West‘s G.O.O.D. Music Inks Deal with Island Def Jam

The Heretic’s Comment: Kanye West‘s independent label G.O.O.D. Music has signed an exclusive long-term worldwide label agreement with Island Def Jam Music Group.

 In making the announcement, Kanye West was joined by Chairman & CEO of Universal Motown Republic and Island Def Jam Barry Weiss and President & COO of Island Def Jam Steve Bartels.

STORY: Kanye West Delivers One of Greatest Hip-Hop Sets of All Time at Coachella

“Kanye’s genius has been proven time and time again on records and onstage,” Bartels said. “He not only pours it out for himself, but he has made the difference with his presence on innumerable projects with other artists who are indebted to him. Kanye is an integral core member of the IDJ family, and G.O.O.D. Music continues his unselfish tradition of bringing along great new artists to the forefront.”

STORY: Kanye West Mad Over ‘Mama’s Boy’ Track Leak

Weiss commented on Ye’s success. “As a recording artist and a producer over the past eight years, there is no one who has made a greater impression on the game than Kanye. We look forward to working closely with the new and established artists that he will be bringing to G.O.O.D. Music, which is already off to an impressive start with Big Sean.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kanye-wests-good-music-inks-205864

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The Official Release of the  “Before You Sign That” a is August 1, 2011. An indie artist inspired book Authored by The Heretic’s very own Leslie W. Cross Jr. and co-authored by platinum

Rihanna Whipped By Another Fashion Photographer Over ‘S&M’ Music Video

Can a music video infringe the copyright on a still photo?

The Heretic’s Comment: Pop star Rihanna’s music video “S&M” is continuing to create quite a stir among famous photographers.

In February, David LaChappelle sued the singer and her record labels for infringing the copyright on some of his photographs. Now, the singer is also being pursued by another photographer, Philipp Paulus, who is making similar allegations.

The music video “S&M” portrays Rihanna’s sadomasochist relationship with the press with images like blogger Perez Hilton on a leash like a dog. In once scene, Rihanna wears a big dress, up against the wall with huge plastic in front of her, with X’s all around.

German photographer Paulus believes that image was appropriated from his own photographic series, “Paperworld.”

In February, LaChappelle made the same sort of allegations, suing for copyright infringement. The photographer claimed that eight of his images for past Vogue Italia photo shoots had been used by Rihanna. The photographer alleged that the music video was directly derived from the “composition, total concept, feel, tone, mood, theme, colors, props, settings, decors, wardrobe and lighting” of his photographs.

In moving to dismiss the complaint, Rihanna and the defendant record labels argued that LaChapelle was “effectively trying to monopolize an entire subject matter or genre in two different mediums, i.e., still and motion picture formats.”

The defendants add that there can be no finding of substantial similarity because the nature of the two artistic mediums are vastly different.

“The Eight Stills, by their nature, present posed images frozen in place; the angle, lighting and subject of each image is forever static and unchanging,” say the defendants in their brief to the court. “In contrast, the Video is a motion picture set to music — moving at a frantic pace, with the camera and subjects constantly in motion, and the lighting, focus and angle of the shots continually changing. The only thing in common between the Eight Stills and the Video is that they invoke common concepts and types of props associated with S&M practices…but which are given dissimilar expression.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/rihanna-whipped-by-fashion-photographer-205821

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The Official Release of the  “Before You Sign That” a is August 1, 2011. An indie artist inspired book Authored by The Heretic’s very own Leslie W. Cross Jr. and co-authored by platinum

Rick Rubin: Music Biz Could Be Bigger Than Ever

The Heretic’s Comment: Recorded music sales continue to struggle and the leadership at the top of Sony Music is shifting, but Rick Rubin continues to exhibit the Zen master attitude that’s helped to make him a legendary force in music both as a producer and recently as co-chairman of Columbia Records. The music industry “could be a bigger business than it’s ever been,” states an optimistic Rubin.

“People…are willing to pay for music.”

“People love music more than they ever have and … are willing to pay for music.” The trick, Rubin recently told Billboard, is that the execs need to figure out how to get them to pay: “I think with certain artists you want to hear their album … and then there are other artists who I like where maybe it’s more about the single. I don’t think there is going to be one way that everything works. I think people will have many more options and choices of how to digest music, and hopefully the labels will get to the point where they are in the business of serving the audience instead of trying to hold on to an old model.”

The goal of the label should be to diversify the way that it caters to the audience, and to do that, the old standard of the album package must be altered.  “I always felt like if we do what is best interest of the artist, in the long term it will always benefit us—always,” Rubin said.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=83420

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The Official Release of the  “Before You Sign That” a is August 1, 2011. An indie artist inspired book Authored by The Heretic’s very own Leslie W. Cross Jr. and co-authored by platinum recording artist Paul Wall.  On May 1, 2011 pre-order your copy. More details coming soon. We are very excited about this Project!!!!