Guy Hands, Sour Grapes

Well, Well, Guy Hands you don't give up easily. Seems your company Terra Firma is suing Citigroup over the purchase of the EMI music company. You claim the banker, who lent your company money to buy a wonderful company back in 2007, lied to you. Your law suit also alleges that naughty Citigroup isn't lending EMI any more money so those sleazy bankers can make more money from patient Edgar Brofman's Warner Music Group by letting EMI go broke. Is this sour grapes Mr. Hands? Guy, I told you, you were in over your head. Your company paid too much, the economy tanked, and you don't know anything about the tricky music business. This Robert wonders, maybe Citigroup is right, someone else should be running EMI.

Guy Hands, Record Biz Casualty

Well, well, Mr. Guy Hands, seems like you are another casualty of the record biz. Just like I warned you. It ain't as easy as it looks. What are you going to do now that Citigroup rejected your debt restructuring proposal? Looks like that patient Edgar Bronfman at Warner Music is finally going to gobble EMI up.

Ellen Degeneres, Music Deadbeat?

My, my, this Robert is wondering about Ms. Ellen Degeneres.

She was announced as a judge on American Idol at the same time the record companies sued her TV show? It seems all

that music Ms. Degeneres dances around to, is being used without any permissions or payments to the record companies. What could the producers of her show be thinking?

Plain common sense dictates you must have permission to use music on TV. When asked why they didn't get permission, the show producers said: "they didn't roll that way?

This Robert's notes this must be a sign of the times, a music crook is promoted to a music judge.

Farewell Guitar Giant

I finally get to meet Les Paul.

That's right, Les Paul passed today. The most precious experience for this fake Robert was playing a Les Paul electric guitar for the first time. It's some of the most fun you can have dressed. If you don't know much about this modern day guitar and recording genius, yes, people, Les invented solid body electric guitars and multi-track recording.

Check out this obituary.

GR8 MP3 Blog!

This Robert has found a MP3 blog that works for him. Superfan2009 is all about GR8 music in the MP3 format. All the music at the site is free and legal, given away with the artists permission. Superfan2009 is all that. She's spending her time finding fine music for us music lovers, and she's spreading the word for a lot of worthy music makers. Check out Superfan2009.com.

Wigged Out

This Robert apologizes. Phil Spector any wig is an improvement.

Who's Gonna Get the Money?

This Robert is perplexed. 

I like artists getting paid. I just wonder after seeing the Performance Rights Act pass in the House Judiciary Committee, how fair is this new law shaping up to be? 

An outfit called SoundExchange was created in 2000 as an unincorporated division of the RIAA. In September 2003, SoundExchange was spun off as an independent and non-profit organization.  

This Robert wonders if the money from taxing radio for the artist's performance is going to get to the recording artist. This Robert doesn't see any artists on the 18 member board of Sound Exchange, only record companies, lawyers, and RIAA officials.  This Robert knows that money being paid to record companies doesn't necessarily mean the artist sees any of it.

Poorly dressed Phil

I lost a bet to Blind Lemon Jefferson about the outcome of the Phil Spector murder trial. After watching L.A. juries find O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake not guilty, this Robert was sure the creator of the "wall of sound" would waltz out of the courtroom, not guilty of shooting that poor woman. But to my surprise, he didn't. Do you think Phil's look had anything to do with the jury's verdict? What's with the hairdo Mr Spector? I'd fire your fashion consultant before any more damage is done? Then I'd plan a vacation with Roman Polanski.

Neil, Caught in the Middle?

Mr. Neil Young, I see you're caught in a technological conundrum. You want to show the auto business new ways with your wonderful electric car. I congratulate this bold step.

But when it comes to YouTube technology, Mr. Young, are you showing some old show business ways? Warner Music Group, your record company, is negotiating for more money for themselves by removing their music from YouTube.

This Robert agrees with their right to have your music removed. This Robert read your blog and agrees: "It is time for industry wide standards of artist's compensation on the web."

Robert just wonders how much truth there is in YouTube's response, "It is the record labels' responsibility to represent and pay their artists."

Mr Young, does this mean Warner was collecting money from YouTube and not paying you?

Ryan Adams vs. Jim DeRogatis, Verbal Heavyweights

Man, I just heard the best rant ever. It was a performing musician sounding off on a music journalist's answering machine. Robert is truly amused that the journalist is Mr. Jim DeRogatis. You all remember, he took the 5th amendment at R. Kelley's pornography trial.

First, here's the review that set Ryan Adams off. Then here's what Ryan said to Jim De's answering machine. You decide who's got a case.

Ska Surviving

Some good news, Ska music, one of my favorites, isn't dead.

The Specials, one of my favorite Ska bands, has reunited and are on tour in Europe.

The Uptones, my favorite Ska band, have released their 1st studio CD, Skankin' Foolz Unite.

It's Ska and It's gr8. It's such a shame there isn't even a Ska section in iTunes. What gives?

Is 2009 the year Ska gets it's due? This Robert hopes so.

Jobs Listens to Johnson

Well, well Mr. Steve Jobs, this Robert is truly sorry to hear about your condition.

But I've got to thank you for finally taking my advice and going DRM free at your iTunes store.

Music is a world-wide open source language. It's about time everyone treated it that way.

U2 Flies High

This is all so new, music performers getting paid in corporate stock.

And Yeah! U2 has made 19 million dollars from Live Nation, when they recently sold their shares in the monster concert promoter.

Bono, you've done well for yourself.

Now show us how smart you really are by doing something special with Live Nation's donation to you.