DAILYSESSION

By Greg Sandoval-Cnet News

LOS ANGELES–For anybody wondering why Microsoft and the top record labels continue to promote subscription music services, the answer was revealed Thursday.

David Ring, executive vice president of business development for Universal Music Group’s digital arm, said at the EconMusic Conference that the recording industry simply can’t sustain itself with download sales alone. [Read More]

By Nate Chinen-The Newyork Times

At a recent 70th-anniversary reception for Blue Note Records at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, the alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson played his trademark hit, “Alligator Boogaloo,” from 1967. Norah Jones, who made her multiplatinum debut in 2002, mingled at the bar. And presiding over the evening was Bruce Lundvall, who has run the label for the last 25 years. [Read More]

By BBC News

Epic Records, the home of stars like Michael Jackson and George Michael, has named British singer and songwriter Amanda Ghost as its new president. [Read More]

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS-Associated Press Write

BOSTON – Fourteen news organizations, including The Associated Press and The New York Times Co., are urging a federal appeals courtto allow online streaming of a hearing in a music downloading lawsuit the recording industry filed against a Boston University graduate student.

The brief filed Thursday in the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals argues that allowing webcasting of the Feb. 24 hearing is in the public interest, and is in keeping with camera access already granted in the courts. [Read More]

By Neda Ulaby-NPR Music

The days of waiting patiently for a favorite music video to appear on MTV are long over, swallowed up by the instant gratification of the smaller screen. But as MySpace, iPhones and Youtube allow music videos to be seen anywhere and anytime, directors are discovering that viewing habits aren’t the only things changing. [Read More]

By LAUREN JOHNSTON-DAILY NEWS

Cause this is Thriller – Thriller matinee?

It looks like the zombies of Michael Jackson’s legendary album and hit single “Thriller”are shifting dayside and trading the graveyard for Broadway.

Get ready for “Thriller the Musical.” [Read More]

By JIMMY WANG-The Newyork Times

BEIJING — A week before Americans tune in to the Super Bowl, another televised mega-event will kick off on the other side of the globe. On Sunday more than half a billion people here are expected to watch the annual Chinese Lunar New Year gala. Organized by the state-owned China Central Television, the marathon event showcases the country’s musical diversity with an extensive lineup of Chinese pop stars performing hit songs. But one genre audiences are unlikely to see is Chinese hip-hop, despite its growing popularity among the country’s urban youth. [Read More]

By Mr. Bordash-internetdj.com

Welcome to a truly chic adult clubbing experience. Ministry of Sound the world’s most recognized and respected name in Dance Music begins its flagship US Residency in New York Friday January 30th. Be prepared for a night of aural and visual amazement with top performers from around the globe. This is the first fully produced residency by the UK brand which will include costumes, visual design and music programming. “We are super excited to be partnering with Ministry of Sound to bring New York a incredible clubbing atmosphere.” says Mark Baker, renowned nightlife aficionado & Co-Director of the evening.”We are combining the worlds best music with a sexy entertainment in a chic environment.”  [Read More]

By Ian Youngs –BBC News, in Cannes

The music business has finally come to terms with file-sharing, according to executives at the Midem conference in Cannes. But now they have a different problem. [Read More]

By JOHN ELIGON-NY Times

It would be easy for most people to walk past the green, boarded-up, graffiti-laden storefront on Bedford Avenue, near Quincy Street, in Brooklyn without so much as a second look — or the stoop in front of 918 Fulton Street, or the bodega half a block away at the corner of Washington Avenue.

[Read More]

By  Jamie Coomarasamy -BBC News, Detroit

If you didn’t know it was the 50th anniversary of Motown, you would find it hard to tell from a casual drive around Detroit, the city which gave the pioneering record label its name.

There are no signs indicating that this is a year of celebration.

But Detroit has not been Motown’s headquarters since 1972, when founder Berry Gordy’s ambitions to break into Hollywood led him to relocate to Los Angeles.

He had success there, but it was nothing compared to the label’s 1960s heyday when it produced a string of hits.

Its spiritual home has remained at 2648 West Grand Boulevard, the house where the Gordy family lived and where Mr Gordy – as most Motown artists still call him – built one of the most successful empires in musical history, kickstarted by an $800 loan from his father.

Gordy decided to call the label after a nickname for Detroit. Motown – or motor town – reflected the city’s then flourishing motor industry.

“The day he started, he asked us to join him – we casually said no,” reflects Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original member of one of Motown’s most popular bands, The Four Tops.

“We knew him, but we didn’t think a black man could have a chance in the music industry in Detroit.”

[Read More]