Morning Music Notes – Don’t Leave Spotify, or They Will Mock You With Facts

Fire in London at Sony Destroys 1.5 Million Discs; Three Teenagers Arrested

The fire at Sony’s Enfield distribution centre on Monday night in London, UK, destroyed a whopping 1.5 million discs (via Music Week).

“Beggars meanwhile, estimate that around 750,000 units were lost in the fire, but noted that it had stock warehoused across the world which it could call upon to ensure that CD’s of its current catalogue could get back into the market place. However it added that it could take up to three months to replenish its vinyl stocks.

“One of the bands affected by the fire are the Arctic Monkeys’ who announced yesterday that their new single, Hellcat Spangled Shalalala was just one of the CD’s torched in Monday’s fire. The band, who are signed to Domino Records, had planned to release the single on Monday, however only a limited number of vinyl copies will now be made available to fans on the band’s website, while the song will also be sold digitally online.”

Rioters – ruining lives for others since the middle ages. However, NME reports that 3 teenagers have been arrested over the fire. Big surprise they were young lads .

“Two 17-year-olds and an 18-year-old have been held over violent disorder and arson. The youngest suspect has been bailed, while the others are still in police cells, reports London 24.”

Music fans in England are being urged to buy digital tracks and albums from the indie labels (via Guardian).

“The call comes as plans are thrashed out for an emergency fund to provide a lifeline to small labels affected by the destruction of 25m CDs and DVDs at the Sony DADC warehouse in Enfield, north London, on Monday night. The Association of Independent Music has called on fans to show their support for small labels by buying digital downloads. The issue for indie labels is that most of the large retailers have reserve stock for back catalogue titles, but not for new and upcoming releases.”

Spotify: We Have Monetized What Used to Be Illegal Downloading

On Tuesday, Century Media removed their content from Spotify, noting that payment to artists was poor. Spotify have responded and presented some facts for defense (via Digital Music News). I HATE it when facts make me lose arguments. Just because my toy robot hits refresh on my computer all day, it doesn’t mean that PeteHatesMusic doesn’t have a readership of a million people, right? (ignore the double negatives in that last sentence – even I don’t understand it)

“”We are sorry that Century Media have opted not to offer its music to their fans through Spotify. Spotify has one of the biggest music libraries in the world – of over 15 million tracks – and is committed to offering our users the widest possibleselection of music across artists and genres from around the world.

“Spotify is now generating serious revenues for rights holders; since our launch just three years ago, we have paid over $100 million to labels and publishers, who, in turn, pass this on to the artists, composers and authors they represent. Indeed, a top Swedish music executive was recently quoted as saying that Spotify is currently the biggest single revenue source for the music industry in Scandinavia.

“Spotify is now also the second single largest source of digital music revenue for labels in Europe (IFPI, April 2011). Billboard reported in April that Spotify territories saw an average digital growth rate of 43% last year. By contrast, neighbouring countries (without Spotify) saw only 9.3% digital growth.”

Booyah!

From the Category of ‘Why is This News?’: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez Get Naked Statue Tribute

17 year old Justin Bieber and his craddle-robbing 19 year old girlfriend, Selena Gomez, have been made into a naked bronze statue (via Guardian UK). This is apparently the first time either one of them have inspired anyone else. The statue was done by Daniel Edwards, the artist who previously made a statue of Britney Spears, giving birth, nude on a bearskin. This guy must’ve had QUITE the upbringing.

“While Edwards has announced the sculpture in an attention-grabbing statement, it’s not clear whether the Bieber-Gomez tribute has actually been cast. The released images seem more like computer-generated illustrations than photographs. Titled Justin and Selena as One, the sculpture shows the two singers in their birthday suits, bonded at the ribcage. Bieber, who was born in Canada, has a maple leaf covering his nether regions while Gomez, from Texas, has a strategically placed lone star. Before them, over the words “Justin & Selena Forever”, a bronze Canada goose is mounting a bronze Texas armadillo.”

From the Category of ‘This Might Be Gossip, But Let’s Reluctantly Comment on it’: Lyrics Stolen From Amy Winehouse’s Apartment

Personal items, including lyrics, have been stolen from Amy Winehouse’s Camden apartment (via NME).

“It is reported that one of Winehouse’s former acquaintances has taken copies of unreleased tracks, lyric books and letters from her home, including one of her favourite guitars and lyrics scribbled for her third album. According to The Sun, Winehouse’s father Mitch has been informed and is said to be “livid” about the theft. He has also reportedly vowed to track down the culprit.”

If I see lyrics for sale on eBay during my daily Amy Winehouse Lyric Sheet eBay search, I will be suspicious of any sheets popping up in the London area.

New Video: OK Go – All is Not Lost

Most Some people know OK Go as the ‘Trendmill Video’ band. The video has been spoofed in countless places, including the Simpsons. OK Go have made other clever videos. It’s too bad their music is sort of average, isn’t it. But if they keep making videos, I will keep watching them, and listening to them for free via legal, online streaming devices.

Their latest video, All is Not Lost, is a decent song, with a cool idea for a video. Via Spinner:

“Working with Pilobolus was great,” OK Go’s Damian Kulash says of the dance company in this video. “My sister and I have been making stuff together for 30 years; we finish each other’s sentences, we have our own language. Amazingly, Pilobolus fit right in as if we’d been working together forever and we were immediately in that perfect creative bubble, where everyone’s buzzing with ideas and you stumble across better stuff than any one of the collaborators possibly could have dreamt up in advance.”

Check it out below:

OK Go – All is Not Lost
[youtube ur-y7oOto14]