[Granite-and-tumble] Three Interesting Things in Music News

Sun, 7 Nov 2004 17:14:45 -0600

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A number of strange things happened the last couple days that I thought
would be of interest....

The Postal Service Gives Up!! (Great title, but I cannot take the credit;
this is from pitchfork media)
It was just about this time last year that we heard that The Postal Service
(aka the collaborative musical efforts of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello)
had received a cease-and-desist letter regarding their bandname from the
United States Postal Service (aka the giant government-controlled entity
that delivers your mail). Now, with a year of negotiations-- and no doubt, a
little grumbling-- behind them, the war is over. According to advertising
industry observer AdAge.com, Sub Pop executives, conjuring the amazing
powers of persuasion they invoked during Nirvana's signing to DGC in the
early 90s, have managed to turn the potential lawsuit into a mutually
beneficial cross-promotion campaign. Like magic! 

Says Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman: "We found a place in the middle
where all our interests can be served... There's a real spirit of
cooperation." With the Postmaster General? Of course! The USPS is no
stranger to cross-promotion, with animated characters like Shrek, Daffy
Duck, and the Cat in the Hat making regular appearances on stamps and USPS
advertising materials. Those brands, however, are owned by super-studios
that virtually hemmorhage cash and lawyers, not an (admittedly sizable)
independent record label whose band was biting the USPS's precious
trademarked brand. But that may be precisely the point: "It's a great way
for us to extend our brand into new areas," remarks USPS's manager of
communication services Gary Thuro. "They reach a young audience that's very
important to our future, and music is such a powerful medium." 

To that end, part of the deal involves the possibility of Postal Service
tunes being used in USPS ad campaigns and promotions. In turn, Sub Pop is
considering, under the auspices of their newly minted licensing deal, using
local postal outlets as distribution points for Give Up. Additionally,
Tamborello and Gibbard will be tapped to play a gig at an annual USPS
conference. No, we are totally not kidding. Stop laughing. If you're somehow
fortunate enough to legitimately attend this conference, or crafty enough to
impersonate one of the 800 senior executives who will be present, please do
us a favor and bootleg that sucker. Surreal events like this one don't
happen every day, and they must be documented for posterity.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A coctails boxset, strangely released the same time as whispers grow that
they will be opening for the Pixies here in Chicago.    

http://www.carrottoprecords.com/artists/coctails/index.html

Three CD box set includes material from their entire oeuvre including many
studio songs that never found a place on an album, like the incredible,
jazzy <http://www.carrottoprecords.com/media/coctails/skeleton.rm> Skeleton
Bones with Robert from QUINTRON and MATH. Many much-requested tracks from
their first two vinyl albums, Hip Hip Hooray and Here Now Today that were
not included on The Early Hi-Ball Years. Songs from their singles on
Hi-Ball, Telstar, SOL, and Insipid Vinyl, including their live favorite,
<http://www.carrottoprecords.com/media/coctails/penguin.rm>
Penguin/Powerhouse Raymond Scott medley, their version of the Devo Corporate
Anthem, and their cover of the garage rock nugget
<http://www.carrottoprecords.com/media/coctails/why.rm> Why used to close
their live sets. Also includes the entire Hello Records EP, which held some
of their most alluring work, previously only available to subscribers of the
short-lived service from They Might Be Giants. 56 songs over 3.2 hours, all
lovingly remastered, almost all from original source tapes! 52pp perfect
bound book full of liners & memorabilia wrapped in eye-popping popcorn box!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A legendary rock club closes in Minneapolis.

Lights go out at legendary rock club

Bankruptcy shutters First Avenue, the venue that drew national acts and
nurtured the region's vibrant alternative music scene.

BY ROSS RAIHALA

Pioneer Press

At 2:09 p.m. Tuesday, First Avenue general manager Chris Olson locked the
doors of the legendary Minneapolis club, after the corporation that runs it
filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. For the immediate future, First Avenue is
closed for business.

Minutes later, Olson was hugging one of the newly unemployed First Avenue
staffers as both fought back tears.

"It's like part of the family died," Olson said. Behind him, the silver
stars painted on First Avenue's famous black facade revealed three decades
of local, national and international musicians to play the venue: Prince,
the Replacements, R.E.M., U2, Soul Asylum, Husker Du, the Jayhawks, Bjork
and so on.

The closure of First Avenue was the latest move in a war between the club's
founder, Allan Fingerhut, and its landlords, two of whom are former managers
Steve McClellan and Jack Meyer. In June, Fingerhut fired Meyer and
McClellan. McClellan - who has refused to comment - worked at First Avenue
for 31 years. He is widely credited for booking superstar acts long before
they were household names and helping foster the fertile Twin Cities
alternative rock scene.

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<BODY>
<DIV>A =
number of strange=20
things happened the last couple days that I thought would be of=20
interest....</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The Postal=20
Service Gives Up!! (Great title, but I cannot take the credit; this is =
from=20
pitchfork media)</DIV>
<DIV>It was just about this time last =
year that=20
we heard that The Postal Service (aka the collaborative musical efforts =
of Ben=20
Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello) had received a cease-and-desist letter =
regarding=20
their bandname from the United States Postal Service (aka the giant=20
government-controlled entity that delivers your mail). Now, with a year =
of=20
negotiations-- and no doubt, a little grumbling-- behind them, the war =
is over.=20
According to advertising industry observer AdAge.com, Sub Pop =
executives,=20
conjuring the amazing powers of persuasion they invoked during Nirvana's =
signing=20
to DGC in the early 90s, have managed to turn the potential lawsuit into =
a=20
mutually beneficial cross-promotion campaign. Like magic!=20
Says Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman: "We found a place in the =
middle=20
where all our interests can be served... There's a real spirit of =
cooperation."=20
With the Postmaster General? Of course! The USPS is no stranger to=20
cross-promotion, with animated characters like Shrek, Daffy Duck, and =
the Cat in=20
the Hat making regular appearances on stamps and USPS advertising =
materials.=20
Those brands, however, are owned by super-studios that virtually =
hemmorhage cash=20
and lawyers, not an (admittedly sizable) independent record label whose =
band was=20
biting the USPS's precious trademarked brand. But that may be precisely =
the=20
point: "It's a great way for us to extend our brand into new areas," =
remarks=20
USPS's manager of communication services Gary Thuro. "They reach a young =

audience that's very important to our future, and music is such a =
powerful=20
medium."=20
To that end, part of the deal involves the possibility of Postal =
Service=20
tunes being used in USPS ad campaigns and promotions. In turn, Sub Pop =
is=20
considering, under the auspices of their newly minted licensing deal, =
using=20
local postal outlets as distribution points for Give Up. =
Additionally,=20
Tamborello and Gibbard will be tapped to play a gig at an annual USPS=20
conference. No, we are totally not kidding. Stop laughing. If you're =
somehow=20
fortunate enough to legitimately attend this conference, or crafty =
enough to=20
impersonate one of the 800 senior executives who will be present, please =
do us a=20
favor and bootleg that sucker. Surreal events like this one don't happen =
every=20
day, and they must be documented for posterity.
<SPAN=20
class=3D803012721-05112004>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</FO=
NT>
A =
coctails boxset,=20
strangely released the same time as whispers grow that they will be =
opening for=20
the Pixies here in Chicago.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.carrottoprecords.com/artists/coctails/index.html">http=
://www.carrottoprecords.com/artists/coctails/index.html</A>=

Three CD box set =
includes=20
material from their entire oeuvre including many studio songs that never =
found a=20
place on an album, like the incredible, jazzy <A=20
href=3D"http://www.carrottoprecords.com/media/coctails/skeleton.rm"><F=
ONT=20
size=3D2>Skeleton Bones</A> with Robert from =
QUINTRON and=20
MATH. Many much-requested tracks from their first two vinyl albums, =
Hip Hip=20
Hooray and Here Now Today that were not included on The =
Early=20
Hi-Ball Years. Songs from their singles on Hi-Ball, Telstar, SOL, =
and=20
Insipid Vinyl, including their live favorite,<A=20
href=3D"http://www.carrottoprecords.com/media/coctails/penguin.rm">=20
Penguin/Powerhouse</A> Raymond Scott =
medley, their=20
version of the Devo Corporate Anthem, and their cover of the =
garage rock=20
nugget <A=20
href=3D"http://www.carrottoprecords.com/media/coctails/why.rm"><FONT=20
size=3D2>Why</A> used to close their live =
sets. Also=20
includes the entire Hello Records EP, which held some of their most =
alluring=20
work, previously only available to subscribers of the short-lived =
service from=20
They Might Be Giants. 56 songs over 3.2 hours, all lovingly remastered, =
almost=20
all from original source tapes! 52pp perfect bound book full of liners =
&amp;=20
memorabilia wrapped in eye-popping popcorn box! 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A =
legendary rock club=20
closes in Minneapolis.<FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2>
<H1 style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 3.75pt"><SPAN=20
style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Lights go =
out at=20
legendary rock club<o:p></o:p></H1>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><IMG=20
height=3D5 src=3D"cid:803012721@05112004-2D57" width=3D1=20
v:shapes=3D"_x0000_i1025"> <SPAN =

style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><FONT =
color=3D#666666>Bankruptcy=20
shutters <st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">First=20
Avenue</st1:address></st1:Street>, the venue that drew national acts and =

nurtured the region's vibrant alternative music=20
scene.<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <FONT=20
color=3D#666666><IMG height=3D10 src=3D"cid:803012721@05112004-2D5E" =
width=3D1=20
v:shapes=3D"_x0000_i1026"> <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">BY =
ROSS=20
RAIHALA<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <FONT=20
color=3D#666666><IMG height=3D1 src=3D"cid:803012721@05112004-2D65" =
width=3D1=20
v:shapes=3D"_x0000_i1027"> <SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Pioneer=20
Press<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <FONT=20
color=3D#666666><IMG height=3D1 src=3D"cid:803012721@05112004-2D65" =
width=3D1=20
v:shapes=3D"_x0000_i1028"><o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">At 2:09 =
p.m. Tuesday,=20
<st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">First=20
Avenue</st1:address></st1:Street> general manager Chris Olson locked the =
doors=20
of the legendary <st1:City w:st=3D"on"><st1:place=20
w:st=3D"on">Minneapolis</st1:place></st1:City> club, after the =
corporation that=20
runs it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. For the immediate future, =
<st1:Street=20
w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">First =
Avenue</st1:address></st1:Street> is=20
closed for business.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Minutes =
later, Olson=20
was hugging one of the newly unemployed <st1:Street =
w:st=3D"on"><st1:address=20
w:st=3D"on">First Avenue</st1:address></st1:Street> staffers as both =
fought back=20
tears.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"It's like =
part of=20
the family died," Olson said. Behind him, the silver stars painted on =
First=20
Avenue's famous black facade revealed three decades of local, national =
and=20
international musicians to play the venue: Prince, the Replacements, =
R.E.M., U2,=20
Soul Asylum, Husker Du, the Jayhawks, Bjork and so =
on.<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">The closure =
of=20
<st1:Street w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">First=20
Avenue</st1:address></st1:Street> was the latest move in a war between =
the=20
club's founder, Allan Fingerhut, and its landlords, two of whom are =
former=20
managers Steve McClellan and Jack Meyer. In June, Fingerhut fired Meyer =
and=20
McClellan. McClellan &#8212; who has refused to comment &#8212; worked =
at <st1:Street=20
w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">First =
Avenue</st1:address></st1:Street> for 31=20
years. He is widely credited for booking superstar acts long before they =
were=20
household names and helping foster the fertile Twin Cities alternative =
rock=20
scene.<o:p></o:p>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

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class=3D803012721-05112004>
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