Seriously? OMG! WTF?

EMI Music Chairman and Chief Executive Alain Levy Friday told an audience at the London Business School that the CD is dead, saying music companies will no longer be able to sell CDs without offering "value-added" material. "The CD as it is right now is dead," Levy said, adding that 60% of consumers put CDs into home computers in order to transfer material to digital music players. EMI Music is part of EMI Group PLC (EMI.LN). But there remains a place for physical media, Levy said. "You’re not going to offer your mother-in-law iTunes downloads for Christmas," he said. "But we have to be much more innovative in the way we sell physical content." Record companies will need to make CDs more attractive to the consumer, he said. "By the beginning of next year, none of our content will come without any additional material," Levy said. CD sales accounted for more than 70% of total music sales in the first half of 2006, while digital music sales were around 11% of the total, according to music industry trade body the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. CD sales were worth $6.45 billion and digital sales $945 million, the IFPI said.

MarketWatch 

Personally I think CDs could have a fighting chance if they lowered price and actually released CDs with more than one good song…but that is just me.

Music shops across America are refusing to stock Ice-T’s new album because of the raunchy image on the cover. The 48-year-old rapper poses nude with his stripper wife Coco draped over him, barely covering his usually concealed weapon. Unless his record label places stickers over the album – which is titled Gangsta Rap and is his first in seven years – the legendary rapper faces a boycott by stores. He said: "What can I say, I have been doing these kinds of things for years. You should see the picture when Coco’s leg is not there."

Daily Mail 

That is not sexy it is nasty…ewww ewww ewww.

Bosses at Atlantic records put the kibosh on Weird Al Yankovic’s send-up of James Blunt’s runaway hit “You’re Beautiful.” Yankovic says he actually got permission from Blunt to sing the parody “You’re Pitiful” — but the suits at Blunt’s label wouldn’t hear of it. “It was originally supposed to be the lead single on [his new album] ‘Straight Outta Lynwood’,” Yankovic told Ain’tItCoolNews.com. “James had given it his blessing and we had a release date set, and then his label found out about it and told me that I couldn’t release the parody on my album under any circumstances. Now, I always respect the wishes of artists, but since it was just a bunch of suits — who were going against their own artist’s wishes, mind you — I had no problem offering the song as a free download on weirdal.com. It was a viral worldwide hit within a few days.”

Scoop 

That is so wrong, that is song is one of the most annoying songs of the year and so deserves to parodied. If you want to hear Weird Al’s version, you can do so at his MySpace!

Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Chris Stein are set to perform an acoustic set at CBGBs last ever Saturday-night this weekend (October 14). The pair will take to the stage before punk-rockers The Dictators at the legendary New York venue, which will close its doors for the last time on October 15, following a performance by CBGBs veteran Patti Smith.

NME 

It is so sad to think this place is closing. It is a music landmark where so many greats got their start.

Spankin’ New Music Week is MTV is allowing free downloads of exclusive tracks at MTV.com. The week is filled with new videos, performances, and behind the scenes look into what’s going on with some of the most popular artists right now. Here’s a break down of who’s on TRL this week at 3:30 ET/PT: 

*Tuesday 9/26*
The Killers Perform
Appearances by Ludacris & AFI

*Wednesday 9/27*
JoJo Performs
Appearances by Linkin Park, Vanessa Hudgens, & Jesse McCartney

*Thursday 9/28*
The Game Performs
Appearances by Chingy

*Friday 9/29*
Fergie Performs

Wow, I can’t wait to watch The Killers today and download some free tunes!

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