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Embedding a music player in a MySpace bulletin or using MySpace "robots" to increase plays to thousands per day is manipulation that fools no one. All one has to do is come to a concert and see only 32 people in the audience to see the band's actual popularity.

THIS WEAKEND PLANNER IS RIGHTEOUSLY OLD-SCHOOL

Everything Old Is New Again—Which Says Something About the State of the Present
CALENDAR
Fri, July 27th
7:30pm
Dream Theater w/ Into Eternity and Redemption @ Gibson Amphitheatre

8:00pm
Finger Eleven w/ Sick Puppies and Strata @ House of Blues Dallas

Lynyrd Skynyrd w/Shooter Jennings and Laidlaw @ The Greek Theatre
Violent Femmes @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas

Silverchair @ Roseland Ballroom, New York

9:00pm
Maximo Park @ The El Rey

Evergreen Terrace @ Jillian’s, Las Vegas

Sat. July 28th
7:00pm
Marilyn Manson and Slayer @ Hifi Buys Amphitheatre

8:00pm
Gladys Knight & Wayne Brady @ The Hollywood Bowl

Rush @ MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

Tesla @ House of Blues Las Vegas

9:00pm
Stoney Curtis Band @ House of Blues (Downtown Disney) Anaheim

Lee “Scratch” Perry @ House of Blues West Hollywood

Sun, July 29th
8:00pm
Incubus w/ The Bravery @ Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati

9:00pm
The Black Dahlia Murder @ The Basement, Columbus, OH

Monte Montgomery @ Safari Sam’s

Stanton Moore @ La Zona Rosa, Austin

The Subdudes @ Lincoln Park, Chicago

9:30pm
Eric Burdon & the Animals @ B.B. King’s Blues Club, New York

JE-C’S NEW-MOVIE RUNDOWN
The Simpsons Movie
Starring:
the voice talents of Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Yeardley Smith
Synopsis
: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and the rest of the cast hit the big screen with this feature-length version of the animated TV show. The movie is being helmed by longtime Simpsons director and animator David Silverman.
Thoughts: I really stopped liking The Simpsons years ago, so I don’t have a lot of interest in the movie, but I have a feeling it will be huge.

Also opening this week:
Arctic Tale:
From the people who did March of the Penguins, narrated by Queen Latifah. It’s about a bear and a walrus!

ARTIST EMPOWERMENT IN THE NEW MUSIC INDUSTRY
"Transparency"
By Barrett Yeretsian


"Transparency," a new buzzword that has emerged in the global marketplace, seems to be an important component of the new world order. In an age when "the truth" is only a Google search away, it is becoming more and more difficult for corporations and individuals to withhold pertinent information from the public. For those of us who are moral and forthright in our dealings with others, this new trend is a welcome one. Those who are deceptive and manipulative, fortunately, stand no chance. Today, I will argue that the artists and record labels of the future are the ones who are straightforward and open in their dealings with the outside world; the less transparent a company or individual, the less of a chance that person or company has toward empowerment.

The artist's mystique that I have referred to many times over the past several weeks becomes the most problematic in regard to transparency. Perpetuating the artist's mysterious persona was one of the assumptions that I ascribed to artists, which is great on the stage but does not work in real life. Since many artists are not gifted when it comes to clear, straightforward communication, being mysterious and vague in business dealings is well within their extremely narrow comfort zone.

Simply put, being vague and unclear entails withholding relevant information from those in front of you, which is manipulation. Open, honest communication about intentions, feelings and concerns is the only way that artists can actualize their potential. Artists have to be open with their fellow bandmembers, managers, producers, fans or anyone they come in contact with. Embedding a music player in a MySpace bulletin or using MySpace "robots" to increase plays to thousands per day is manipulation that fools no one. All one has to do is come to a concert and see only 32 people in the audience to see the band's actual popularity. Being passive/aggressive and resentful instead of dealing with problems and concerns head-on is unfortunately how many artists choose to deal with difficult issues. Entering into contracts with bad intent and then manipulating situations for self-serving ends is not only shortsighted, it is a sure-fire way to end one's career. The truth always comes out, often slowly, but it always comes out.

Record companies also have a lot of baggage to discard of if they are to become relevant entities in the new world order. Up until a year or two ago, the record companies held the reigns as gatekeepers of the music industry, subscribing to many practices that were not transparent, to say the least. The use of payola and other such backroom incentives, as well as the inclusion of antediluvian clauses in recording contracts to skimp pennies off of an artist's royalties, have no place in the record company of the future. Above-board partnerships that are mutually beneficial for all parties involved will be the new way, and transparency will be the great leveler that will bring down the great towering walls that once typified the record companies. Forward-looking record company executives must stress openness and transparency as institutional values if they are to be employed tomorrow.

As such, artist and label executives must embrace transparency and openness if they are to survive in the new global marketplace. In the coming weeks, we will go deeper into openness. Next week's article will be called "Partnerships."

Barrett is currently producing several very talented artists, composing for film and television, performing with and writing songs for several of his own projects and teaching the drums at all levels. He welcomes and encourages any and all feedback relating to his column. You can email him at: [email protected].

JE-C’S NEW-MUSIC REVIEW
Here’s a recap of some of the acts I’ve featured:
Digital Summer:
www.myspace.com/digitalsummer
Lennex:
www.myspace.com/lennex
Captiol Risk:
www.myspace.com/capitolrisk
Judge Jackson:
www.myspace.com/judgejackson


NEAR TRUTHS: SPRING BLOOMS
Here come the big guns. (3/28a)
THE COUNT: COLDPLAY IS HOT, COUNTRY'S COOKIN' IN THE U.K.
The latest tidbits from the bustling live sector (3/28a)
CITY OF HOPE TAPS MARCIANO FOR TOP HONOR
This year's philanthropic model (3/28a)
TRUST IN THE TOP 20
Hip-hop is no longer hibernating. (3/28a)
UMG BROADENS SPOTIFY OFFERINGS
Sir Lucian and Daniel are in harmony. (3/28a)
THE NEW UMG
Gosh, we hope there are more press releases.
TIKTOK BANNED!
Unless the Senate manages to make this whole thing go away, that is.
THE NEW HUGE COUNTRY ACT
No, not that one.
TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST
Now 100% unlicensed!
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