Link-O-Rama …
Warner Music Group 2 quarter loss widens - Associated Press
Have you ever wanted to see a guitar containing part of Wayne Gretzky's hockey stick? - SooToday.com
Exploring the culture that is Emo - The Times Online U.K.
Kent, U.K., police say they are powerless to break up illegal raves because it's often too dark to disperse crowds safely - The Mail U.K.
Hollywood emerges victorious over TorrentSpy as judge orders torrent spot to pay studios $111 million - Associated Press
Researchers say music helps stroke victims recover - NaturalNews.com
Dates, Dates & More Dates …
The folks from Blondie updated today with new dates for Europe. New on the schedule is Bristol, United Kingdom (July 6), St. Peterburg, Russia (July 8), Helsinki, Finland (July 10), Zottegam, Belgium (July 12), Zurich, Switzerland (July 13), Luxembourg (July 15), Amsterdam, Netherlands (July 16) and Dublin (July 25). The band also plays Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 3.
STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) adds new ones for the west coast - July 11 in St. Louis, MO; August 15 in San Francisco, CA, August 16 in Berkeley, CA;, August 22 in Troutdale, OR, and August 23 in Redmond, WA.
London After Midnight plays the clubs in June and July. Recently added shows include June 5 in Portland, OR, at Mt. Tabor Pub, June 13 in Chicago at Metro / Smart Bar, June 29 in New Orleans at the Howlin' Wolf, and July 2 in El Paso at Club 101.
And Ted Nugent updates with August 13 in Chicago at the House Of Blues.
During the past two hours we also updated the schedules for The Boxing Lesson, Tally Hall, The Bellamy Brothers, The New Pornographers, The Rumours, The Legendary Shack Shakers, Nick Gilder, Phil Stacey, Israel Vibration, Ian Brown, Chris Rock, Billy Bob Thornton, Ashlee Simpson, Umphrey's McGee and Ying Yang Twins.
And that is what we've been doing during the first half of today. Find out how the second half is going by checking out Your Latest Update, coming up around 3 pm (PDT), from Pollstar.com!
This Day In Music History … (from Associated Press)
In 1940, singer Rick Nelson was born in Teaneck, New Jersey. His parents, Ozzie and Harriet, had a popular radio show, and Ricky joined the cast at the age of eight. The show moved to T-V in the 1950's, and its popularity helped land Ricky a recording contract. He had more than 35 records, including "Poor Little Fool" and "Travellin' Man."
In the late '60s, he became Rick Nelson and turned to a more country-oriented style. His autobiographical song "Garden Party" was a top-10 record in 1972. Nelson, his fiancée and five of his band members died in a Texas plane crash on New Year's Eve, 1985.
In 1962, Jamaican Chris Blackwell launched Island Records in London. Island became famous as the label that spread reggae, and particularly Bob Marley's music, around the world.
In 1972, keyboards player and singer Billy Preston became the first rock performer to headline at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
In 1974, Graham Bond, a pioneer British R-and-B musician, died after jumping in front of a London subway train. He formed the Graham Bond Organization in 1963 with drummer Ginger Baker and guitarist Jack Bruce, later members of the super-group Cream. Fusion guitarist John McLaughlin is another Bond Organization alumnus.
In 1982, Neil Bogart, former head of Casablanca Records, died of cancer at 39. He helped guide the careers of Donna Summer, Kiss and Joan Jett.
In 1990, a Los Angeles judge ordered Frito-Lay and an advertising agency to pay singer Tom Waits almost $2.5 million dollars for hiring a Waits imitator to sing a jingle praising Frito-Lay's corn chips.