Grand Theft Auto + Music = Big Money?

The release of Grand Theft Auto IV on Tuesday is going to mean big things for the music industry. Music has always played a big part in video games and the GTA series is no exception. If anything it is more important to the series than it is to other video games. The music that is captured within the game sets the mood the way that music plays a part in movies. Without it the game would have less life to it. The "Grand Theft Auto" crime series has used music to establish the tone for each installment's storyline, setting and era. "Vice City" just wouldn't be the same game without the 80s music found within the game, "San Andreas" wouldn't be the same without the 90s hip-hop, and now the game will take place in NYC with various genres players can choose to listen to.

According to a Reuters article today big things are happening with the relationship between GTA IV and the music industry. "First, it will have the largest soundtrack of any videogame. Second, it will be the first game that lets players tag songs in the soundtrack for subsequent purchase online." "Taken together, these feats make 'Grand Theft Auto IV' the most important videogame release for the music industry since "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero III" on promotional and financial levels. 'Grand Theft Auto IV' is a more traditional game, but still one in which music plays an important role."

In the NYC based game players will be able to tune in to various radio stations within the game. Each station will be like a soundtrack of its own. Several NY DJs have lent their voices and talents to the game and play host for the stations in the game. "Fans of dance/electronica have Electro-choc, hosted by Francois "K" Kevorkian. Punk fans have Liberty City Hardcore hosted by Murphy's Law vocalist Jimmy Gestapo. Nigerian artist Femi Kuti spins international funk on IF99, while Ukrainian superstar Ruslana hosts the Vladivostok FM channel of Eastern European pop music."

So, how many songs will be in the game? The article says that, "'Grand Theft Auto IV' features a record 16 music-based stations that generally hold 10-15 songs each. So expect more than 200 songs in the new title." With that many songs in the game the money going to the music industry is also incredible. It is said that, "Rockstar is paying as much as $5,000 per composition and another $5,000 per master recording per track. If that deal applied to all songs, Rockstar's soundtrack budget may exceed $2 million." That is a lot of money that goes to the music industry. And that is just for the use in the game. There are around 200 songs in the game (supposedly) but word is that only about 15% of those songs will be songs that are easily recognized. A lot of unknown or little known acts will be present in the game.

Let us not forget the new addition to the game...the ability to tag songs for purchase. "In an industry first, "Grand Theft Auto IV" includes a feature that allows players to tag any song in the soundtrack for later purchase on Amazon. Each tagged song is added to a custom playlist that gamers registered with the Rockstar Social Club social networking service will then find waiting for them on the Amazon site. The deal with Amazon, allows for single-song sales and is the first time that the industry will be able to track the direct cause-and-effect relationship between including a song on the soundtrack and its subsequent sale."

These are exciting things for the music industry and for the video game industry. Perhaps this will be the beginning of a new trend in video games and music.

The NorVa has become a winner

The May 1st edition of Rolling Stone has declared The NorVa, in Norfolk, VA "one of the nation's five best rock clubs." Rick Mersel, a partner in NorVa Productions LLC, says that musicians regularly tell him that the 1,500-capacity venue is their favorite place to play. And why wouldn't it be? There is a hot tub, as well as a basketball court, sauna, a fully equipped game room. What act wouldn't want that?

Mersel said that, "Before The NorVa was built, a lot of the northern tours ended in Washington, D.C. and Southern ones would end in Raleigh or Charlotte," and that "Oftentimes we were skipped over. We had to make it better than anywhere else, so artists would demand to come here ... They want to come back and they spread the word."

The NorVa opened 8 years ago. It didn't take very long for them to become one of the best. I have only been there once but it is a great establishment. The same company has recently opened a downtown concert space in Richmond, VA. The National sports a Jacuzzi, a sauna and a steam room backstage as well as a well-stocked theater room. Even though both of these clubs have amazing amenities for the performers the audience has not been forgotten. The National has the same high-fidelity V-Dosc sound system at that impresses music fans at The NorVa. Both venues provide a great location for both performers and audience members.

Comback Crüe

It must be the year of the comeback for 80s bands because yet another band has announced a summer CD release and tour. Mötley Crüe announced yesterday that they are heading "Crüe Fest". According to Yahoo News, "the heavy metal band announced the launch of the first-ever Crüe Fest. The summer rock festival will feature the four original members of Mötley Crüe — singer Vince Neil, bassist Nikki Sixx, guitarist Mick Mars and drummer Tommy Lee — as well as Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Sixx:A.M. and Trapt."

The tour kicks off on July 1st, just a few weeks after their CD "Saints of Los Angeles" is released on June 17th. This will be the ninth studio album for Mötley Crüe , the first since 2000. In 2006 the Crüe released the CD Carnival of Sins, a live album.

Mötley Crüe's latest single "Saints of Los Angeles" was released on April 11th, and can be found on the video game Rock Band as of yesterday.


For more information and tour dates visit http://www.motley.com or http://www.myspace.com/motleycrue

Bumbershoot 2008

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Beck, Stone Temple Pilots, Lucinda Williams and Neko Case are among the first acts confirmed for the 2008 Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival. The event will be held Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Seattle's City Center.

Also set to perform during the 38th annual event are Ingrid Michaelson, Jakob Dylan, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, !!!, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Saul Williams, M. Ward, the Walkmen, Blitzen Trapper, John Vanderslice, Dan Deacon, Tim Finn, Bedouin Soundclash and Final Fantasy.

There will also be nonmusical offerings at Bumbershoot. Some of those that have been announced are: "Wonderboy," a collaboration between San Francisco-based choreographer Joe Goode and New York-based puppeteer Basil Twist, plus appearances by authors William Gibson, Dan Clowes and Adrian Tomine. Performers for the comedy program have not been announced.

Bumbershoot three-day passes are on sale now via Bumbershoot.org. Single-day tickets go on sale July 15.

Last year's Bumbershoot marked the first partnership between organizers One Reel and AEG Live to bolster talent buying and sponsorship resources.

Bob Dylan -- a Pulitzer Prize winner

CNN says, "Thanks to Bob Dylan, rock 'n' roll has finally broken through the Pulitzer wall. Dylan, the most acclaimed and influential songwriter of the past half century, who more than anyone brought rock from the streets to the lecture hall, received an honorary Pulitzer Prize on Monday, cited for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power."

It was the first time Pulitzer judges, who have long favored classical music, and, more recently, jazz, awarded an art form once dismissed as barbaric, even subversive."

I never knew that a Pulitzer could be awarded for such a thing. Way to go Bob!

Virgin Fest

Some of the initial players at the 2008 Virgin Mobile Festival in Baltimore, MD have been announced. The list will be much longer but the bill, according to Pitchfork Media, is thus far made up of: "Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails, Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson, and, for your nostalgic bemusement, Stone Temple Pilots". Virgin claims that within the next few weeks they will announce the rest of the lineup for the Festival.

"Virgin Festival is also making a note of its efforts to go green, with the goal of minimizing carbon emissions. Says Virgin Group Founder and Chairman Richard Branson, 'Virgin Mobile USA will again host a wonderfully eco-friendly event that's light on carbon impact but heavy on the rock and roll.'"

The festival will take place at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course the weekend of August 9-10.

Drumming = Heartbeat

Bobby Alt of Street Drum Corps posted this in his blog. I found it beautiful and wanted to share.

Heart Beats
"Drumming that rhythm renews us; it is no secret. Drumming is the oldest form of music on the planet. Virtually every culture that exists or has existed on earth has practiced some form of drumming. In Africa, the beating of a drum continues to be an important part of significant ceremonies and holiday celebrations. Native American cultures use drumming as a means to reconnect an individual’s mental and physical selves. Throughout history, drumming has been a part of performing rituals, marking significant transitions, and celebrating life’s cycles. Our lives are infused with rhythm beginning at the very moment we first sense our mother’s heartbeat in her womb.

All manner of drumming has the ability to put us in touch with our own natural rhythms, the rhythms of the earth, and the rhythms of the people we choose to drum with. The drum can represent the heart, and drumming awakens the mind while stirring the soul. Drumming can take you to a place deep inside you where you are keenly aware of your mind and your body, as well as the vital bond between the two. Much like human beings, each drum has its own vibration and voice. Drumming alone can help you release tension, dispel stress and aggressive feelings, and restore your energy. It can also give you an opportunity to reestablish your connection to Mother Earth, as the beat of a drum can represent a crack of lightning, pounding ocean waves, or the tumult of an earthquake.

Drumming with others brings with it many benefits. Taking part in a drumming circle attunes us to the invisible energy that exists between us while uniting us in a common purpose. Drumming can be relaxing as well as energizing. It quiets mental chatter and can create a peaceful meditative state. In Navajo lore, the drum is the Great Spirit’s favorite instrument. It is said that this is why all human beings were given a heartbeat. The rhythmic beating of a drum can move us into new realms of consciousness. There is no right or wrong way to drum, and everyone has the innate ability to create rhythm. When you drum with intention, you’ll discover the rhythms that move you."

Watch Bobby do what he does best (with Shannon Leto).

NKOTB Reunite!

As a young girl I had dozens of friends that went crazy over New Kids on the Block...the precursor to N*Sync and Backstreet Boys. NKOTB were cool, they could sing and dance, and the songs were so much fun. I would spend hours dancing around my house to "Step by Step". We danced to their songs in dance class and listened to them on the playground at school. Well, according to CNN NKOTB are making a comeback.

In the article it says, "They may be pushing 40, but the New Kids are returning to the block. The boy band New Kids on the Block, which sold 70 million albums in the 1980s and early '90s, has reunited and plans to release a new album and go on tour. The reunion comes 20 years after the release of the group's multiplatinum album, 'Hangin' Tough.'"

The article also reports that, "Wahlberg said he was persuaded to get back together with his former bandmates -- Joey McIntyre, brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood -- when they decided to record new music. Wahlberg said he wrote 80 percent of the new material with McIntyre and Jordan Knight."I had no interest going out on a nostalgia tour and singing the same material," said Wahlberg, 38. But he added: "We absolutely will do the old songs for sure."

New songs, a tour, a new website. How fun. In a blog from yesterday posted by Joey McIntyre (Joey Mac) he says, "We happen to have a great time doing what we do. “Its like a constant cyclical interchange of emotions”…One fueling the other - The love for each other and the love for the game. 5 players never forgetting where they came from but knowing they could go all the way to the top. Nothings changed; every thing’s changed. Long live The Block!" I don't know about anyone else but I'm excited.

Totally.

MySpace and Facebook take on Music

According to Rolling Stone "MySpace announced today that it has deals in place with Sony BMG, Universal and Warner to create MySpace Music, a digital music service that will sell downloads, stream ad-supported music and videos and serve as a storefront to physical goods and concert tickets."

This is a HUGE move on the part of MySpace. I don't know how well it will go over but I think that it is a smart move. Facebook is also getting in on this music business. Rolling stone also reports that "Facebook, in its tireless campaign to dethrone MySpace as the social-networking king, is rumored to soon be launching either an iTunes-backed artist platform or its own digital music service that will challenge both Rupert Murdoch’s and Steve Jobs’ musical domains."

A major difference between the two sites is that MySpace Music will be it's own entity whereas Facebook’s hookup with iTunes is through the "iLike feature". Through this attachment users can purchase and stream music, post play lists and update concert information.

Will having these features on social networking sites increase music sales? Will venues such as iTunes and Amazon feel a decline in sales due to MySpace Music? It will be interesting to see what happens within the industry with these additions.