Category: Biz

Michael Jackson Sells 1.1 Million Albums In One Week

The King of Pop dominates the Nielsen SoundScan and Billboard charts yet again.


Electric Zoo Festival announced Francois K, Ben Watt, Cassy, Jason Jollins and more.

We've posted about this a few times already this summer. Sorry for the repetitive info, but Made Events keep announcing new acts for its huge, Electric Zoo Festival, an open air music festival taking place on Randall's Island Park over Labor Day weekend: Saturday, September 5th and Sunday, September 6th, 2009 - 12 noon to 11 pm both days!

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Lady GaGa Makes Mainstream Top 40 History

Lady GaGa becomes just the third artist in the 16-year history of the Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart to collect three No. 1 songs from a debut album.


Michael Jackson's Estate Open For Business

Two weeks after Michael Jackson’s death, administrators of his estate are temporarily authorized to reopen for business and negotiate, among other things, agreements relating to the singer’s ill-fated “This Is It” concert tour.


The impact of Michael Jackson's music on DJ culture

As we’re all now aware of, the music legend, recording artist Michael Jackson, passed away at the age of 50 from a heart attack in his rented LA home on June 25, 2009. Michael’s impact as a pop-superstar who affected millions, if not billions of music fans worldwide with his music will be felt for generations. Like the Beatles, Elvis Presely and Frank Sinatra, Jackson is an American icon who transcended race to make music for the masses that carved out a musical niche very few ever realize. In today’s music industry, a transformational entertainment icon is hard to come by. Because music has become disposable, artists like Michael Jackson are few and far between. It is now a question as to whether anyone can ever attain the stature Michael Jackson enjoyed throughout his 40-year musical career.

This post is not meant to be a retrospective on MJJ’s life. My intent is to simply convey the important Michale Jackson had on DJ culture in America and around the world. As a DJ since 1979, MJJ’s music played an integral role in my career development. Any DJ worth his salt understood that dropping an MJJ record, whether as part of the Jackson 5 or as a solo artist, would bring a lulled crowd to a dancing frenzy. In the midst of of a set, when you were looking for that perfect record that would help you build a rapport with your crowd, pulling out an MJJ record at the exact, right moment transformed you from just another DJ to everyone’s favorite DJ. Knowing when, where, why and how to play an MJJ record is an art within the art or music. It’s nothing you can teach, just something you understand as you watch other DJs ply their trade.

I could go through the list of MJJ records that were the primary drivers on and off the dance floor, but I won’t do that in this post, because everyone and their brother are running tribute shows on the radio, over the web and on television that testify to his musical legacy. What I will say is that through MJJ’s musical genius and the talent of the producers he worked with, DJs were handed instant hit records that built their careers. For that, all DJs should be grateful to Michael Jackson’s legacy, which gave us so much to use to fuel our careers, generate revenues and build on.

My favorite Michael Jackson record of all time: “Get On The Floor.” Why? It’s casual, laid back and smooth, simple cool gave you that simple enticement to move your body. The words themselves we’ve all heard in one way or another, but the way Jackson delivered them in such an innocent, boyish way made it possible for so many to say to themselves, “sure…how hard can dancing be?” As a young DJ at Spin-Off roller skating Disco in Boston, MA, “Get On The Floor” was my anthem. Every skate session I worked, that was the record I’d launch my set with. It was a call to humanity to just let yourself go and feel the rhythm. That’s what Michael Jackson represents to me. Just feeling the rhythm and going with it.

Later on, while working at an 80’s club, Culture Club in New York City, I’d pull out the 12″ version of “Smooth Criminal.” This record was the definition of cool. Who doesn’t want to be a “Smooth Criminal?” It told us, hey, you can be cool and get away with things, if you just do it in such a way that you don’t get caught. You just slide through it all.

I am forever grateful to MJJ for giving me the music ammunition on which to build my career. Despite his controversies, his hard work and dedication to the music and his understanding of how to create transformational experiences, whether live or recorded, can never be replicated or duplicated.

He will be missed.

— by Tony Z.

Celebrate the life of Octavia St. Laurent at Bar 13 – Thursday, June 25

Daryl Marcus' presents GROOVY at Bar 13. Tonight's event is a fundraiser to benefit the familes of Octavia Saint Laurent a fixture in the house music scene for over 20 years. Octavia passed away on May 17, 2009. As far as we're aware, no details have surfaced as to the cause of death.

The event showcases 20 different Guest DJs on 3 floors of music from house to hip hop. There will be surprise vocal performances all night on the Bar 13 rooftop (moved inside if it rains). DJs Jellybean Benitez and Hex Hector wlil be spinning with Andre Collins of The Warehouse and Better Days. More surprise DJs are in the works, but no news yet from the Daryl on who those will be. I guess you should show up to find out. Work!

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MySpace lays off 400, Echo Music goes the way of the dinosaur

Wow! How MySpace grew to over 1,400 employees, no one knows? Maybe that's the worldwide number. Regardless, the company, which was acquired by News Corp a few years ago for what was then thought as a steak, is trying to streamline operations and get back to the "start-up" mentality that helped to fuel it's growth. This blogger highly doubts putting senior executives from companies like AOL and Viacom in charge of anything at MySpace resembles anything close to stealth mode.

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NARIP at Fordham: Art of the Music Deal seminar, June 30th 2009

Tue, Jun 30, 2009
Fordham University (Lincoln Center)
New York, NY
7:00 p.m.

NARIP's Art of the Music Deal series continues, this time with top music attorneys duking out a 360 deal. Join this special program and mock negotiation with special guest speakers M. JAMES COOPERMAN, Esq., COO & EVP Business and Legal Affairs of
Wind-Up Entertainment and DINA LaPOLT, Esq. of LaPolt Law.

Also joining the panel is Lisa Van Zuidam - Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer,
Tenth Street Entertainment and The Eleven Seven Music Group.

Get more details and register now at www.narip.com

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Bacardi B-Live Turns Up the Heat In New York City

BACARDI® B-LIVE™ is an nnovative global concert series that is touring the United States, mixing today’s hottest music with the very best in BACARDI cocktails.

A-Trak, DJ AM, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Drop the Lime, and Steve Porter will perform in New York at BACARDI B-LIVE, Wednesday, June 17th, 2009. This national summer music series brings electro-pop and indie/electronic music to the masses and is taking place at the M2 Ultra Lounge (530 W. 28th St) at 9pm. The performers will take the stage where they will showcase their own, unique styles to produce a one-of-a-kind performance.

Tickets are $15.00 at WWW.BACARDI.COM/BLIVE. You must be 21+ to purchase and party.

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James Zabiela scratching @ Studio K (Miami WMC 2009)

Another video curated from the YouTube archive sees one James Zabiela cutting it up at Studio K during this year's Winter Music Conference. Check it out. We thought it was hot!

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