Morning Music Notes – Meat Loaf Makes The Headlines For First Time in 20 Years

Singer Meat Loaf (aka Robert Paulsen from Fight Club) has fainted at a concert for the second time in three days, reports Gigwise. The most amazing thing about this story is that Meat Loaf is still performing concerts. The 63 year old was revived by crew members, and then ‘heroically’ (my word choice) decided to finish the concert. I know for sure if I’m alive singing at 63, and I faint for the second time in a few days, I sure as heck ain’t singing for some fans – I’m going to a hospital.

Oddly, there is more Meat Loaf news. Gigwise has news that both Lil Jon and Chuck D will guest star on Meat Loaf’s next album. What the F??

“The unlikely pair are said to be working with the singer on his new album ‘Hell In A Handbasket’, which is set to be the first of three albums. Speaking about the new album, Meat Loaf told Billboard: ”(It’s) the most personal record I’ve ever made. It’s about how I feel the world’s gone to hell in a handbasket. It’s really the first record that I’ve ever put out about how I feel about life and how I feel about what’s going on at the moment.”

Meat Loaf met Lil Jon when they appeared on Celebrity Apprentice last year. If that doesn’t earn you street cred, I don’t know what will.

Where Music is Sold

Courtesy of Digital Music News, comes some statistics about the percentage of albums sold by various retailers.

According to Nielsen Soundscan, just 8 percent of albums were sold through independent retailers last year, compared to roughly 56 percent from heavyweights like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Target. 26 percent from iTunes, AmazonMP3, and other online outlets. The rest, about 7 percent, came from online purchases of actual CDs, mainly from places like Amazon. Maybe that businessman Jay-Z is onto something, with The Throne’s Best Buy exclusivity.

Very interesting stats about vinyl records though. “Indie retailers account for a monstrous 71 percent of vinyl sales, though the biggest-selling LPs are typically rock or indie.” And when you think about it, it makes sense. The kinds of people looking for vinyl aren’t typically seen trolling through Best Buy looking for it. I don’t even know if these stores stock vinyl; at least not in the quantity (and quality) of indie stores.

The Shins Are Back

Natalie Portman’s favourite band, at least in Garden State, are the Shins. After releasing 3 albums, the band took a break. Lead singer James Mercer went on to form a pretty cool side project, Broken Bells, with renowned producer Danger Mouse. Now it seems that the Shins are returning. Billboard has news of a new Shins album likely coming in 2012.

“Yesterday, amid an announcement of upcoming tour dates, came news that the next record from the Portland indie rockers will, in fact, arrive via Aural Apothecary (James Mercer’s own label) – and its associated major label, Columbia.”

Check out an older video for the Shins song, Pink Bullets.

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