Morning Music Notes – Parting RIM Shot
When Illegal Downloading Isn’t Fun
You might have heard last week that huge (and primarily illegal) file sharing program and website, Mega Upload, was shut down by the FBI. One of the (alleged) founders of Mega Upload, Kim Dotcom (ya right that’s his name!) was missing. Well, he was found – hiding in a safe room with a loaded shotgun (via NME). I’m guessing this wasn’t Kim’s vision when he started the company. Police had to use magic to cut their way through electronic locks to access the safe room. Dotcom (aka Schmitz) has been charged with operating a criminal enterprise that distributes intellectual property.
RIM CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie Step Down
After taking Research in Motion (RIM) to great heights and having it all slip away in 2011, RIM’s co-CEOs and co-chairmen, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, have stepped down and named Thorsten Heins as the new president and CEO (via Digital Trends).
In the statement, Lazaridis said, “There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the Board and told them that we thought that time was now. With BlackBerry 7 now out, PlayBook 2.0 shipping in February and BlackBerry 10 expected to ship later this year, the company is entering a new phase, and we felt it was time for a new leader to take it through that phase and beyond. Jim, the Board and I all agreed that leader should be Thorsten Heins.”
Lazaridis and Balsillie will remain on the company’s board; Lazaridis has become vice chair of RIM’s board and chair of the board’s new innovation committee, while Balsillie will continue to piss off the NHL and try to relocate hockey teams to Hamilton.
Jonny Greenwood and Krzysztof Penderecki Collaboration Out on March 13
If you don’t know who Krzysztof Penderecki is, you are NOT a hipster. Or you’re not into classical music, or not Polish. He is a legendary Polish composer, who announced a collaboration with Radiohead talent, Jonny Greenwood, back in September. Like my horrible rash, more details have emerged – the self-titled LP will be out on March 13 (via Pitchfork). The album will have 2 pieces from Penderecki’s scores in the 60s, Polymorphia, and Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima. It will also feature 2 pieces from Greenwood, as inspired by the 2 Penderecki pieces. Little does Penderecki know that Greenwood intends to copy his work entirely – how is that for inspiration?
Morning Gossip!
Some useless gossip and stuff the uneducated people will be talking about at the water cooler this morning – PeteHatesMusic is here to help you seem, er, uneducated.
Katy Perry Unfollowed Russell Brand on Twitter – oh snap!
Seal and Heidi Klum Set to Divorce. Resisting urge to make a Kiss from a Rose joke (only since I know NO other Seal songs)
Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters to get married for a FOURTH time. Okay, no one will likely be talking about this at the water cooler.
