So many bands and music fans are concerned about the future of the Manium - an all ages venue in downtown Olympia that the city is trying to shut down. If you have ever been involved with an all-ages venue in any city in the US, you know the kind of problems they face. Instead of being appreciated for getting kids off the streets and away from the television, they are viewed as sources of illegal activities and the corruption of society. Maybe there are a few rare cases where this happens, but usually the venue is a boon to society, especially a culture that neglects its youth more and more and fails to provide healthy gathering spaces. ([More →])

Stereogum, has a hilarious report from a reader about the “secret show” that White Stripes fans searched for in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Having heard reports of these surprise performances from every Canadian town that the pair had played in already, St. John locals were ready for a hot pursuit to find theirs. ([More →])

Yesterday I reported about Clear Channel’s latest crime involving independent musicians and the payola agreement. In a nutshell, the FCC decided that it was unlawful for Clear Channel to use a pay-per-play structure that ensured the Big Record Companies would get plenty of airtime while independent and local music would be economically excluded. After a bit of research, I can see why the people at Future Of Music and various independent musicians/independent record labels are furious with the outcome of this agreement. ([More →])

Anyone paying attention to the situation with independent music on terrestrial radio will recall that the FCC was investigating Clear Channel over payola issues. Not long ago, they reached an agreement that included the broadcast of 8,400 half-hour blocks of independent music on all of Clear Channel’s commercial radio stations. ([More →])

Grime, meet Indie Rock. Pop, meet Grime. And so on. New albums on the horizon that are blending, mashing, and redefining musical genres.

There is a great article on the genre crossing between grime music and indie rock in The Independent today. I find it interesting that, for me anyway, it has raised more questions than answers about music today.

It lists a few examples, such as Statik remixing the Bloc Party and The Rakes last year, putting a grime sound to each. It was Statik that coined the term “grindie” for such combinations. He also made a few mashups, placing grime mc’s over Ladyfuzz and Larrikin Love with Pete Doherty in the mix. ([More →])