Via Large Hearted Boy, I noticed that the Shins front man James Mercer made a great observation about the music industry that a lot of young bands seem to not get: you don't have to be a superstar to be a star or more importantly make a living playing music. Mercer is quoted saying: "You can have a real niche audience these days. A small percentage of the population is buying your records, but you can make a living off that. We sold out Madison Square Garden theater and the caterers don't know who the hell we are!"

The University of Nebraska has sent a bill to the RIAA seeking reimbursement for their troubles in helping the record labels track down alleged illegal downloading on campus. The RIAA tells them to go jump in a lake.

Aquarium Drunkard takes a look at Bob Dylan: Dont Look Back - 65 Tour Deluxe Edition. The DVD set includes includes the remastered classic film by D.A. Pennebaker, a brand-new, hour-long look at Dylan, and the original 168-page companion book to the film. AD says: "65 Revisited allows Pennebaker to efficiently paint a parallel universe of the tour illuminating, what, in my opinion, constitutes a more lighthearted side of Dylan than how he was ultimately portrayed in the '67 release of Don't Look Back. This makes perfect sense as dark, brooding, characters, whether it be fiction, documentaries or "reality tv," always make more compelling/interesting viewing."

Mp3 Offerings:
Fair to Midland: Vice Versa
Ruby Isle: Teenage Riot (Sonic Youth cover)
Dead Heart Bloom: Chelsea Song
U-Melt: 415
Pawnshop Roses: Fadin' Out

Black Crowes brothers Chris & Rich Robinson will be performing two "Brothers Of A Feather" shows in Atlanta: Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007 at Center Stage & Wednesday, April 4th, 2007 at Variety Playhouse. For tapers, be warned that these are NO TAPING performances. The Crowes new studio record is set for an April release as well.

Blabbermouth reports that Guns 'N Roses are now in the "mixing stage" for their Chinese Democracy release. How long that will take, only Axl Rose knows. Meanwhile, the current version of Guns is scheduled to headline South Africa's My Coke Festival in Johannesburg on April 27 and Cape Town on May 1. Just think it wasn't that long ago when it wasn't cool to play in South Africa.

Labels: Bob Dylan, Guns N' Roses, The Black Crowes, The Shins