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Big Brother of Music Exposed
FortWayne.com reports: A little-known company in a nondescript office park hold a big influence over the international music industry. 

Few people this suburban Detroit community know what Handleman Co. does, let alone realize the impact it has on retailers, major record companies and musicians ranging from Kid Rock to Toby Keith to Luciano Pavarotti. 

Handleman plays a key role in determining what music sellers such as Kmart and Wal-Mart stock on their shelves and which ones are banished to the bargain bin, The Detroit News reported Sunday. 

"If you know music at all, you know what Handleman does. Mick Jagger knows what Handleman does," said Geoff Mayfield, director of charts and a senior analyst for Billboard magazine. 

Handleman's business is deceptively simple. Retailers pay the Troy-based company to manage their music departments, keeping them supplied with best-selling titles. 

In all, Handleman services more than 4,000 stores on three continents. With more consumers turning to mass merchants to buy music, Handleman-managed stores sold 11 percent of all music in the United States this year. Click Here for the Full Story 

Black Temple Crowes
MuchMusic reports: According to the rumour mill, aka, the New York Post's Page Six, Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson is forming a new group with Robert and Dean DeLeo and Eric Kretz of Stone Temple Pilots and some ex-members of Guns N' Roses. Just to recap, Axl Rose left Guns'n'Roses, Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland left his band to sing for the remaining members of G'N'R calling themselves Velvet Revolver and Chris Robinson disbanded The Black Crowes over a year ago to pursue a solo career. The test will be next week. Click Here for the Full Story 

Viva Lee Roth
Blabbermouth reports: The adult revue "X" co-producer Angela Sampras tells The Las Vegas Sun that she and partner Bobby Boling are not looking to incorporate former VAN HALEN frontman David Lee Roth into their existing show, as the paper had earlier reported. "We are creating a whole new show for David," Sampras said. And regarding Roth's poorly received 1995 Bally's headline gig? "That was not the right time for David to appear on the Strip," Sampras said. "Now, with our creative genius and his talent for comedy, I think we can have yet another hit show." Click Here for the Full Story 

Incubus Extras
Billboard reports: A limited-edition version of Incubus' hotly anticipated new album will feature video clips from the band's performances on this summer's Lollapalooza tour and at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit, as well as a variety of off-stage footage. 

"A Crow Left of the Murder," due Feb. 3 via Epic, is the follow-up to 2001's "Morning View," which debuted at No. 2 on the U.S. pop charts and has sold 2.14 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.  Click Here for the Full Story 

Epitaph For Converge
RIFTrock reports: In the spirit of challenging yourself for the sake of creative growth, of creation from chaos and inspiration from change in the face of stagnation, Converge have recently signed with one of the most respected and important independent labels in the underground, Epitaph Records. 

After returning from a January European tour, Converge will begin recording their long-awaited follow-up to 2001's critically acclaimed Jane Doe, tentatively entitled You Fail Me, in March and April. Slated for a mid-2004 release through Epitaph, vinyl duties will be handled by Tre McCarthy and Jacob Bannon's Deathwish Inc. imprint." Click Here for the Full Story 

Harrison Estate Sues Doc
AP reports: A doctor forced a weakened George Harrison to autograph a guitar for the physician's teenage son two weeks before the ex-Beatle died of cancer, a lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges. 

Filed by Harrison's estate, the suit alleges that the musician tried to resist the request by saying, "I do not even know if I know how to spell my name anymore." 

The suit alleges that Dr. Gilbert Lederman responded by saying, "Come on, you can do this," and held Harrison's hand as the musician wrote his name on the guitar "with great effort and much obvious discomfort." 

The estate seeks possession of the guitar and two cards it says Harrison signed as he was treated by Lederman, a Staten Island-based expert in treating large tumors with high doses of radiation. Harrison died in November 2001 after battling lung cancer and a brain tumor.  Click Here for the Full Story 

Six Tours Under
siN's metal news reports: Florida death metallers SIX FEET UNDER have announced the following tour dates on their 'Kings Of The Roadkill US Tour'. No support acts have been announced yet: 

SAT 1/31 - HARTLEY'S HOUSE OF ROCK - HIGH POINT, NC
SUN 2/01 - CLUB EASTCOAST - WOODBRIDGE, VA
MON 2/02 - CBGB - NEW YORK CITY, NY
TUE 2/03 - THE KAVE - BUCKSPORT, ME
WED 2/04 - WEBSTER THEATRE - HARTFORD, CT
THU 2/05 - CLUB EXCESS - VIRGINIA BEACH, VA
FRI 2/06 - THE SANCTUARY - STROUDSBURG, PA
SAT 2/07 - RECHER THEATRE - TOWSON, MD
SUN 2/08 - THE PALACE - SOUTH BEND, IN
WED 2/11 - ROCK ISLAND - DENVER, CO
SAT 2/14 - ENGINE ROOM - HOUSTON, TX
SUN 2/15 - VINO'S - LITTLE ROCK, AR
MON 2/16 - THE RIOT - MEMPHIS, TN
TUE 2/17 - HEADLINERS - LOUISVILLE, KY
Click Here for the Full Story 

Dillinger Lost Timberlake?
siN's metal news reports: Wales' LOSTPROPHETS and DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN could be turning pop! Both bands at recent London outings have been throwing out a cover of JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE songs! The latter, at their recent London show covered 'Like I Love You' and the former belted out 'Cry Me A River' from their recent BBC session. Click Here for the Full Story 

Crystal Method Parties
Press Release reports: The Crystal Method Record Release Parties 

1.8 - Seattle, WA - Neighbours Nightclub: 1509 Broadway 
1.8 - Phoenix, AZ - Panic @ Anderson's Fifth Estate: 6820 E 5th Ave, Scottsdale 
1.9 - Houston, TX - Numbers Nightclub: 300 Westheimer 
1.9 - NYC - Webster Hall: 125 E. 11th Street 
1.16 - Los Angeles, CA - Synthetic @ Blue: 1642 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood 
1.16 - Orlando, FL - Tabu Nightclub: 46 N. Orange Ave. 
1.23 - NYC - Sullivan Room: 218 Sullivan Street. (Between Bleecker and West 3rd Street) 
1.25 - San Francisco, CA - Ruby Skye: 420 Mason Street Click Here for the Full Story 

Coming Orgy
Press Release reports: Multi-platinum alt/techno-metal band Orgy will release their first studio album in over two years on February 24, 2004. Punk Statik Paranoia was produced by lead singer Jay Gordon (Linkin Park, Coal Chamber, Korn) and will be the inaugural release on the band's new D1 Music label. The D1 Music label will also act as a resource for up-and-coming, cutting edge bands, musicians and songwriters trying to break into the music recording industry. D1 Music will be distributed through Innovative Distribution Network (IDN). 

The first single, "The Obvious" from Punk Statik Paranoia was shipped to radio in early December and is already getting major airplay on WKQX in Chicago and KKND in New Orleans as well as others. Lead singer and producer Jay Gordon says "we want to make people stop in their tracks. We may have gone a little bit out there musically on our first two records, but this time we focused on the songwriting. It's just time to really connect with our fans."  Click Here for the Full Story 

Telsa Reignite
Blabbermouth reports: TESLA will release their eagerly anticipated new studio album, "Into the Now", on Sanctuary Records on March 9, 2004. The original lineup of vocalist Jeff Keith, guitarist Frank Hannon, guitarist Tommy Skeoch, bass guitarist Brian Wheat and drummer Troy Luccketta spent more than two years writing and recording "Into the Now". TESLA co-produced the album with Michael Rosen. "Into the Now" track listing: 

01. Into the Now
02. Look @ Me
03. What a Shame
04. Heaven Nine Eleven
05. Words Can't Explain
06. Caught In a Dream
07. Miles Away
08. Mighty Mouse
09. Got No Glory
10. Come to Me
11. Recognize
12. Only You 
Click Here for the Full Story 

Good Lola Charlotte
Punkbands.com reports: When Benji Madden asked to borrow an acoustic guitar from a friend, he got more than he bargained for. Not only did he wind up with the guitar in his possession, but an entire band to go with it. So goes the story of New York's Lola Ray, the second band signed to D.C. Flag, the record label founded by Good Charlotte's Benji and Joel Madden. When Benji phoned friend Peter Robinson for a spare guitar to play an impromptu acoustic show, Robinson's friend John Balicanta came along for the ride and managed to hand Benji a demo tape. 

The guy must receive dozens of demos every day, Balicanta thought, so when he got a response it made it that much more unbelievable. 

"He said he loved it a whole bunch and was really excited," Balicanta recalled. "He was like, 'This is great ... the best thing in a long time. I want to do something.' And then he started talking about D.C. Flag." Click Here for the Full Story 

Fantomas Return
Blabbermouth reports: FANTOMAS, the band featuring former FAITH NO MORE vocalist Mike Patton, MR. BUNGLE bassist Trevor Dunn, MELVINS guitarist Buzz Osbourne and SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo, will issue their long-awaited third album, "Delirium Cordia", on January 27 through Ipecac Records. 

Patton had previously described the 55-minute "Delirium Cordia" (which contains only one track) as "my version of ambient music. It's dealing with larger blocks of sound and putting them together. Mood music, I like to call it. Obviously we still get around to making a lot of jarring sounds � there's a lot of nasty stuff on there but it's not like the band is attacking you with a chainsaw. It's more seductive." Click Here for the Full Story 

Geldof & Blair For Africa
AP reports: Prime Minister Tony Blair met Tuesday with Bob Geldof, the Irish pop star turned activist who drew attention to Ethiopia's 1984 famine, to discuss Africa and wider development issues, officials said. 

Geldof, organizer of the Live Aid concerts that raised millions of dollars for famine victims, wants Blair to make Africa the centerpiece of Britain's presidencies of the European Union and the G-8 nations next year. 

Together with Britain's International Development Secretary Hilary Benn, they held a private 45-minute meeting at Blair's Downing Street office Tuesday. 

"They had a useful discussion of development issues, including the situation in Africa, looking ahead to the UK's EU and G-8 presidencies in 2005," a Blair aide said on customary condition of anonymity. 

Geldof has accused the Group of Eight nations - Canada, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States - of not doing enough to tackle the crisis of HIV/AIDS in Africa. 

He wants them to forgive billions of dollars in African debt and lift agricultural subsidies that keep African produce like cotton out of important industrial markets. Click Here for the Full Story 

Goodbye 2003
A week late (on our part)but a good sentiment.. Tinfoil Music: There have been many ups and many downs in 2003's world of music. Fantastic new artists and exciting collaborations, legal battles won & lost, new technologies available, the loss of friends and idols, and much more. I'd like to take a brief moment amid our celebrations, though, for us to say goodbye. 

In 2003 we lost an incredible array of artists, including June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash, songwriter Felice Bryant ("Rocky Top" & "Wake Up Little Susie"), Sun Records producer Sam Philips (Elvis, Jerry Lee, etc.), country rogue Johnny Paycheck, indie king Elliott Smith, metal shred guitar god Shawn Lane, 80's legends from Power Station's Tony Thompson to Robert Palmer, Buena Vista Social Club giants Ruben Gonzales and Compay Segundo, Tom Petty bassist Howie Epstein, Righteous Brothers crooner Bobby Hatfield, Maurice Gibb (of the Bee Gees), Barry White (the MAN), Warren Zevon ("Lawyers, Guns, & Money" is still the coolest!), jazz legend Nina Simone, Jimi Hendrix bass player Noel Redding, and too many more. 

As we celebrate the coming of the New Year, let's raise a glass to these folks and their families. Then raise another for all the talent still with us and all the new talent coming around the corner. 

It's gonna be a great year!  Click Here for the Full Story