“More than two-thirds of all paid-for downloads are bought from iTunes, and the store is now the biggest music retailer in the US, eclipsing Wal-Mart and other retail chains.” But “beleaguered record labels are stepping up their campaign to undermine iTunes, and rumours are swirling about a dramatic U-turn from Apple’s chief executive, Steve Jobs, over the way the iTunes store operates.”
Tag: 08.29.08
After A 57-Year Run, Wagner Steps Down At Bayreuth Festival
The 88-year-old blinked back tears as the annual music festival, founded by his grandfather – composer Richard Wagner, came to a close on Thursday.
Banksy’s Political Gift Rejected Becauswe He’s Anonymous
When Banksy offered one of his highly sought-after canvases to Britain’s Labour Party to auction for Ken Livingstone’s ill-fated re-election campaign, the party’s high command was jubilant. Then they realized that the true identity of the artist would have to be declared under the law. And that was a deal breaker…
Should The Public Give Money To Rich People For Their Art?
Two Titians might leave the UK if they are sold at auction. The owners want £100 million for them. ” If the paintings are not secured by the galleries, it is likely that they will be lost to the British viewing public and head overseas to richer galleries. Worse still, they could end up hanging in the hallway of a plutocrat’s mansion, hidden from view. They have only been on display in the National Galleries in London and Scotland for so long because of a loan deal agreed in 1945.”
Lit Prize Disqualifies Publisher For “Cowardly Self-Censorship”
Random House had decided not to publish Sherry Jones’s novel The Jewel of Medina. The Langum Charitable Trust, which awards two yearly $1,000 (£550) prizes, has said that until the novel is published, it “will not consider submissions of any books, for any of our prizes, from Random House or any of its affiliates”.
Olympic Fake – Sydney Orchestra Admits It Faked Performance
“Eight years after Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics, officials with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra acknowledged their stirring performance at the opening ceremony was entirely prerecorded. And perhaps even more cringe-inducing for Sydney residents: some of the music was recorded by the symphony of rival city Melbourne.”