Apparently, and no doubt shockingly, rappers have borrowed someone else’s music yet again…

Borrowed, stolen, or properly sampled is the question that has come into play.  Soul music legend Syl Johnson had the intro of his track ‘Different Strokes’ sampled by Jay-Z and Kanye West in the song ‘The Joy’ that appears on their new album Watch the Throne.  

Jay-Z and Kanye are hoping to leverage the Federal Copyright laws for tracks pre-dating 1972 and show that the song would fall under fair use.  However, Syl doesn’t see it that way and has officially filed a lawsuit again Jay-Z and Kanye, their label, and everyone else involved that he can.  He’s taken on huge artists in the past and obviously isn’t afraid to go to bat for his art.

The whole situation has taken a turn for the worse, and: “This is where it starts to get ugly.  Unfortunately lawyers for Jay-Z and Kanye West are attempting to discredit the claim entirely.  ’Any claim based on the alleged use of Plaintiffs’ recording is barred because, (a) the allegedly copied portion of the Plaintiff’s recording is not part of the musical composition; and, if it is part of the composition, (b) is not protectable and/or (c) any use was de minimus.’ ” according to Paul Resnikoff, the Publisher and Founder of Digital Music News.

Read the rest of his article, When Should a Recording Copyright End? The Throne Battles a Soul Legend…, for the full story and to hear a sample of the two tracks in question side by side, so you can decide for yourself.

I think this situation yet again points to rappers continually sampling illegally from previous artists’ work.  Jay-Z and Kanye can afford to license the music, so why didn’t they do that from the start, or at least do their due diligence to make sure that the track wouldn’t come under fire for infringement?  You would think that a legendary soul artist would at least be owed that, after all by Jay-Z and Kanye including that intro on their track it makes you think that they were paying tribute to the legend and his work.  However, they’ve come up short from a tribute and are now being called thieves…

What’s your take on the legality of this copyright infringement claim?

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This year the Arcade Fire are doing something quite different to celebrate the holidays…

They want you to donate their money – yup that’s right THEIR money, up to $300,000.00 that is.  That’s a pretty sweet chunk of change.  There is a slight catch, if you can even call it a catch, but their matching your donation to Kanpe.  Kanpe is a wonderful organization that is helping Haiti rebuild after their disastrous earthquake last year.

The Arcade Fire have pledged again this year give them a sizable donation, matching what we all kick in.  In exchange for helping an awesome cause at the holidays the band will also send you a postcard as a thank you:

Hi Guys,
This is Win from Arcade Fire. If you are having a hard time deciding what to get your friends and family for gifts this year, give them our money! For any donation you make to Kanpe this holiday season, the band will match it. We will also send a nifty little post card, signed by Regine and I, to put under the tree, or wherever you put your gifts (it’s not our business). For any silicone valley jerks who might try to bankrupt us, lets put the upper limit at 300,000$… Have a great Holidays
Luv, Win

Check out the full article on Pitchfork for more details and how to donate!

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I for one can’t believe that Thanksgiving is tomorrow already…  With all of the Christmas commercials on TV and decorations in stores, it’s easy to forget that it’s not quite December.  I like to take time each year at Thanksgiving to think about all of the things in my life  that I’m thankful for .  In reminiscing about the past year I remember just how many things in my life I have to be grateful for – an amazing husband, family and friends near and far, the growth of our company over the course of this year, and still realizing that a real “Thank you” at work is a much more powerful and genuine form of appreciation than most others.

Following that train of thought, and moving into the professional arean there are many resources and tools that make your job search simpler.

To get a broader view, I asked the Music Jobs team what their favorite resource or tool on our site was, and this is what they had to say:

Tammy R. – Definitely the job alerts and stats!

Laura P. – The ability to upload a PDF of your formatted resume, your MP3s, and images to help showcase your profile.

Drew S. – Loves the “Find People” search function because it provides an easy way of getting in touch with the right people for my current and future musical projects.

Warren K. – The statistics section.  There’s nothing more exciting than checking statistics to see if an employer has viewed your profile.

Stu M. – I like the ability to connect with my Facebook account and have Music Jobs notifications of new alerts appear within Facebook.

Moritz S. – I love the job alerts.  Tailored alerts to exactly the types of jobs you’re looking for – conveniently straight into your inbox.

Last of all, me: Tara D. – I’m thankful for being there for our members.  We have a direct telephone line for the site, and I answer the phones.  I’m glad I can provide instant customer service to members with questions or concerns as they arise.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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I just downloaded Coldplay’s new album “Mylo Xyloto” from iTunes.  It’s in my queue and ready to start playing after the current track finishes.  I’m pretty excited to hear what the new album sounds like.  I’ve been a big Coldplay fan since “Yellow” – I remember when I first discovered the song, the band, it all…  I was a Sophomore in college, in my boyfriend’s dorm room.  He went to get ready for class and the TV was on when I arrived.  The video for “Yellow” had just started – it was nighttime with Chris Martin walking/running along the beach singing as the sun began to rise.  I was hooked instantly – whether it was my love of British music or love songs I don’t know, but I’ve never looked back since.

I sat in front of the TV in silence listening and watching.  I was sitting on my knees (like the little kid does at the end of Forest Gump) until it was finished.  I finally got to see them live for the first time nearly a year later, and that night then became my greatest concert experience to that date (only one other concert, by Oasis, has ever topped that first Coldplay show).  I’d been to plenty of concerts by the time I saw my first Coldplay show at the ripe old age of 20.  During college I spent almost every weekend at concerts downtown Chicago, some weeknights too!  I even got up to 4 shows in one weekend, which I was very proud of…

Anyways, back to the Coldplay concert.  The energy and enthusiasm exuded by the band just took me so off guard.  Their passion was evident and they all looked like they were having so much fun.  Plus they sounded amazing.  I can still remember Chris Martin rocking out on his guitar, then in mid song flinging his guitar onto his back and proceeding to jam on the little piano in the center of the stage.  He didn’t even bother to sit down. He just turned around and started banging out the rest of the song on the piano.   And of course, Yellow was even more amazing in person.

I’ve continued to see Coldplay on each of their additional tours as they’ve come to my city or nearby.  It’s always a great show, but they’ve never yet rivaled that first Parachutes tour for me.  But I’m looking forward to letting them try to one p themselves as I sit back an enjoy the great music.  Looking forward to the new album.

Cheers!

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This morning in London the Stone Roses announced at a crowded press conference that they are officially reuniting, and have even released tour dates for next Summer in Manchester.

The band, to put it mildly, has had a tumultuous history together.  According to Richard Smirke’s article “Stone Roses Reunite, Announce 2012 Concerts” – he describes the anticipation of the announcement:

“Speculation about the band’s highly-anticipated comeback began late last week when London-based PR firm Murray Chalmers PR – who represent Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue, among others – invited journalists to “a special press conference for a very important announcement.”

Since disbanding in 1996, demand for the Manchester-formed four-piece to reform has grown with each successive year. A long-standing animosity between former song writing partners Brown and Squire, dating from when Squire quit the group via a phone call, was previously believed to be the main stumbling block to the group reuniting.”

I for one cannot contain my excitement about this reunion, which many many people thought never would happen but all secretly hoped would.  The Stone Roses album, the ‘Second Coming’ was a pivotal album in my life as a teenager (I got into them a bit late into the game, but due to my older brother I didn’t miss out on them completely).  It’s still in rotation on my iPod, amongst their other albums.  I truly look forward to these upcoming shows, and hope that they’ll schedule some international dates near me.  That is a concert that I couldn’t miss out on.  Their music has helped shape me and my musical tastes, and set me up to be a life long Britpop fan.

It’s great to know that the guys have mended their relationship and are interested in giving it another go.  Thank you from all of your fans, and we look forward to making new memories at your concerts and possibly even getting some new music!

Who else can’t wait till next summer for this highly anticipated, yet so unexpected reunion?

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To start this off right, have you seen the little Indie film “Once?”

No?!? Ok, fine.  Go watch it and then come back and read this.

If you fell in love with the characters and songs of “Once,” like I did, you’ll be ecstatic to learn that a documentary on their life, love, and music – after the movie is now out and playing in theaters… in Los Angeles at least.

The documentary depicts how:

“Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova ascended from little-known musicians to beloved pop culture couple in the briefest of moments at the 2007 Academy Awards. Hansard, guitarist and vocalist of the Irish rock band the Frames, and Irglova, a Czech singer-songwriter, won the Oscar for best song for “Falling Slowly,” a ballad from their indie musical “Once.” Their heartfelt acceptance speeches — and blossoming offscreen romance — immediately won over audiences.

A new documentary, “The Swell Season,” which opens in Los Angeles today, picks up where the Oscar ceremony left off, as filmmakers Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis follow Hansard and Irglova on tour with their band, the Swell Season. Shot in black and white over a period of three years, the documentary includes performance footage and intimate moments of the duo grappling with their newfound fame and evolving relationship.”

-24 Frames writer Rebecca Keegan

I for one, cannot wait to see this beautiful and poignant tale along with all of the music and concert footage.  This insider view of Glen and Marketa, their love, and their music is too good to miss.  Even in “Once” you could already see the connection that they had, and that a romance entwined with their music was inevitable.  After the original film, the duo has gone on a whirlwind tour sharing their music and being forced to live their relationship very publicly.  I’m sure that this shot to fame was a huge contributor to the eventual demise of their relationship.  However, they both seem to love each other still, love the music they make with each other, and truly wish the best for them.

To see the trailer of the film, click on the link below and enjoy!

The Swell Season

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Last Wednesday evening we held our first (of hopefully many to come) Speed Networking event.  It was a blast and a great success.

What is Speed Networking you ask? Well, it’s a bit like Speed Dating (without the eternal match making).  We had 15 tables set up for two people at each table – one person was the stationary person, and the other moved with each session in a clockwise motion.  So 15 tables, with 3 minutes for each session.

The entire Speed Networking portion took about an hour and each person met 15 new people, exchanged business cards and information, and made a future connection that just might come in handy down the line.  We also had a half hour mingle before and afterwards so you could meet anyone you didn’t get to, or follow-up/continue with any conversation you had started but not finished.

While it was just members, not necessarily employers, who came to the event – there are so many people who know people, or are freelance and switch between being an employee and an employer, that it’s still quite a beneficial networking event.  You never know where your next recommendation might come from…

We also provided each attendee with their very own Music Jobs shot glass and shot to match - to loosen everyone up a bit and get them ready to network!

Promoting yourself with your peers is a great way to make connections and begin, or continue, to build future industry relationships that you might not have had access to otherwise.  Plus our team always loves being able to meet our members, provide you with additional resources, and be there for any questions you may have for us.

We hope you had a blast if you were able to join us next time we look forward to seeing you!

The Music Jobs Team

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Did you catch the Emmys last night?

It was quite a show, and quite an array of musical performances tossed in.  I never knew half of those actors/actresses could sing.

A favorite highlight of mine was when the SNL boys of Lonely Island performed along with Michael Bolton.  It was hilarious on SNL and still hilarious on the Emmys.  Although, I was secretly hoping for a new routine by the guys – they’re always so good!

You can see a few of the highlights as noted in the Washington Post, click here to check out what you missed!

I think I’d have to say Akon and LL Cool J’s  performances were the oddest of them all for me.  They didn’t quite seem to fit…

What were your favorite highlights and lowlights of the 63rd Annual Emmy awards musical performances?

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I’ve always battled with deleting tracks from my iTunes library.  Similar to clothing, I feel like once I delete it (or give it away as the case may be) I will find some amazing use/need for it and then I won’t have it.  With my very first iPod I uploaded every CD I could get my hands on.  I’d been to MIDEM in Cannes that year, and had brought home loads of foreign sampler CDs – because they were free of course!  I got them all uploaded onto my iPod, and then when one of them would come up during a shuffle of all of my songs – I’d wonder what the heck this song was and why was it on my iPod.  Forgetting that I’d done this to myself.

I have finally deleted these tracks, but I have many others that I never listen to and they become part of the grey area of “I love that band, but don’t like that song.”  And again I struggle with officially deleting these types of tracks.  However, iTunes has a great skip feature to help people like me figure out what tracks really are safe to delete and that I won’t miss.

Christopher Breen, of Macworld.com discusses in his article The point of iTunes’ Skip feature how this feature actually works and is indeed helpful:

“Last Skipped can be used in a couple of different ways. Within iTunes, Control (right) click on iTunes’ column header, and choose Last Skipped in the contextual menu that appears. Click on that Last Skipped header to take a gander at the tunes you’ve skipped and the date and time you last skipped them. This hints that these tracks may be among those that you don’t really care for and are therefore candidates for culling. Control (right) click on that same column, choose Skips in the menu that appears, and then click on that Skips column and you’ll see how many times you’ve skipped a particular track. This provides even more compelling data on which tracks you can delete without regret.”

Check out the full article for all the tips and be sure to read the comments as well.  Quite a few interesting and helpful hints provided from other iTunes users.

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In the latest sad attempt by record companies to try and sue everyone, primarily all music fans and music technology forward companies, of copyright infringement – they appear to have won A battle in a long drawn out war.

According to Timothy B. Lee, in his article: Record labels get hollow victory in MP3tunes infringement case -

“A federal judge today found the online music locker service MP3tunes and its founder Michael Robertson liable for copyright infringement. On paper, that’s a victory for lead plaintiff EMI and its fellow record labels. But the judge’s decision leaves them with little else to cheer about.”

What this all apparently means is that Michael Robertson (owner of MP3tunes) got busted for not removing the songs that record labels notified him of as being infringing material from his users personal music lockers.  He removed them from the search results, but not from the lockers of individual users who had already gotten the material – or from his own music locker, which he was also busted for.

However, MP3tunes was able to get protection from the DMCA:

“Under the DMCA, websites are immune from copyright liability if they promptly take down infringing material when notified by copyright holders and meet certain other criteria. MP3tunes argued it qualified for this safe harbor. EMI tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade Judge Pauley otherwise.”

All in all it was pretty monumental for MP3tunes and other similar companies, as EMI desperately tried to argue against allowing MP3tunes to be protected by the DMCA – and lost, which I think this is the most important piece of this battle.  If the ruling continues to hold throughout the appeal process, this will definitely be a precedent setting case for other music locker companies.

I also think this article touches upon a really interesting turn of events for the big record labels.  Hopefully the music industry will someday start working with the fans and technology instead of going against it, and suing all of their customers.

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