column: Best of Times, Worst of Times
Everythingrock editor John Vining documents his travels through the world of weekly music news. Each weekly installment (usually posted on Monday or Tuesday) sums up what happened in the music industry over the past week.
posted last Month
BOTWOT: The right to purchasing "My BFF" freely from home.
October 8 – Someone plans to smoke Kurt Cobain's ashes in a spliff, both Pandora and Apple get royalty wins, and more! by John Vining
BOTWOT: Hello, Mr. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator
October 1 – A new bill may install a Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator in Washington, Stereophonics get in a car chase by accident, a new hard copy format emerges, and more! by John Vining
September 2008
BOTWOT: "You can't be found guilty for being found innocent."
September 23 – R. Kelly says some beautiful things, McCartney says Lennon wasn't Gay, TRL calls it quits for now, and more! by John Vining
BOTWOT: Like a celebate.
September 17 – This week: Madonna fucks with the pope again, someone tries to take down Noel Gallagher, Jack White gets his 007 theme in a Coke advertisement to his dismay, and more? by John Vining
BOTWOT: I feel no pain.
September 8 – Beyonce talks about her other persona, The Music aren't into digital culture, The BBC preps its own download store, and more! by John Vining
August 2008
BOTWOT: 23/24 SUCK; 1/24 ROCK
August 31 – This week has been host to many a virtual happening, and a few things in RL, including Girl Talk's plan to play for 24 hours on the Mayan Apocalypse. by John Vining
BOTWOT: I don't want to rock. I don't want to rock. I don't want to rock. I don't want to rock. I want to rock.
August 13 – 1/5th of Brits wish they were rockstars, Chemical Brothers make video with help of Google Earth, Google brings legal downloads to China, and more! by John Vining
BOTWOT: On Irrelevant Bitches
August 5 – This week Alicia Keys isn't feeling smoking adverts at her shows, Yahoo! pays back its customers, Ludacris raps about Clinton, and more! by John Vining
July 2008
BOTWOT: In Russia, wrists cut you
July 28 – Timbaland looks to work with the Jonas Brothers, The FCC finally lets XM and Sirius get together, Avril Lavigne makes bank on YouTube, and much, much more! by John Vining
BOTWOT: Laser edition, apparently.
July 23 – Radiohead uses lasers to make a new video while lasers blind people in Russia; A burnt guitar is to be sold and Rush heads to Colbert. More, of course. by John Vining
BOTWOT: Snoop Dalai Dogg
July 15 – This week we've got more fun from Nine Inch Nails, some indie labels worried about the new Last.FM deal, Snoop Dogg going to Bollywood and more. by John Vining
BOTWOT: Noel Gallagher is a Bitch
July 1 – Jay-Z opens with an Oasis cover at Glastonbury, Aerosmith looks for old masters, New G'n'R is leaked, and more. by John Vining
June 2008
BOTWOT: "Man, I got abducted yesterday."
June 24 – Headline: Xzibit on aliens; Rolling Stones not off to Live Nation; Taco Bell asks 50 Cent to change his name; and more! by John Vining
BOTWOT: The EMI-gration continues
June 17 – More leave EMI, this time it's the Rolling Stones off to Live Nation; Metallica's management tells people to take down reviews; A bunch about Coldplay and their new record; and more! by John Vining
BOTWOT: "Artists," namely U2, are above ad-supported content
June 10 – Wu-Tang Clan starts a chess website, Moog reveals its guitar, U2's manager bitches about true "artists," or something, and more. by John Vining
BOTWOT: "A pink teddy bear-shaped bag"
June 3 – The ashes of Kurt Cobain are stolen from Courtney Love's house; Bono gets a fake law degree; Prince and Radiohead fight about rights to YouTube video; Bo Diddley dies; and more. by John Vining
May 2008
BOTWOT: Napter has 6 million DRM-Free tracks*
May 27 – *Number includes tracks which are not for sale. Other news: Steven Tyler still does drugs; T-Bone wants better sound, and Yoko fights over some raw video of her beloved. by John Vining
BOTWOT: Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi
May 20 – David Bowie-oriented musical on its way; A spider is named after Neil Young, Some more catholic priests ready to jam; David Byrne plays a big building as an instrument; and more. by John Vining
BOTWOT: The Arts and the Fetters of being a small label.
May 12 – Kylie Minogue gets French Arts and Letters award; The Office's Creed Bratton preps his new disc; A fifth major emerges, and more. by John Vining
BOTWOT: But I don't wanna pay!
May 6 – An overview of the stories from the past week, including Coachella news, Weezer's Rivers Cuomo being pissy about record labels, Radiohead telling everyone they'll have to buy the next record, and more! by John Vining
April 2008
BOTWOT: Priests get down.
April 29 – Priests start jamming; Metallica reintroduces themselves to the internet; The Game and 50 Cent almost battle with record-selling, and more! by John Vining
BOTWOT: Life is/of a bitch in Wormwood Scrubs
April 21 – Pete Doherty has trouble in jail; Gnarls Barkely releases The Odd Couple backwards; Most music in U.S. is not paid for; and more, perhaps! by John Vining
BOTWOT: Give him a damn Pulitzer!
April 14 – Bobby D. gets a Pulitzer; GNR manages to finish that record; EMI tries to save itself from sure death; and more. by John Vining
News for the week beginning March 31st, 2008
April 7 – This week: Mariah Carey, stupid album name and all, surpasses Elvis with more number ones; MySpace Music unveils itself; Positive drug references exist in rap music; and more! by John Vining
In the Footsteps of Ummagumma: This month's most outrageous, absurd and unexplainable album titles (April)
April 3 – Mariah Carey sciences it as Atmosphere, Elvis Costello and Whitesnake make this month's list of strange album titles. by Brett Bertucio
News for the week beginning March 24th, 2008
April 1 – A look at what R.E.M. is up to (well, mainly Stipe); Creepy over-the-hillers; The new oldest audio recording and more. by John Vining
March 2008
News for the week beginning March 17th, 2008
March 24 – ABBA drummer dies in freak accident, New, hip kicks rockstar Chucks, P. Diddy says neither he nor his "associates" killed Tupac, and more. by John Vining
In the Footsteps of Ummagumma: This month's most outrageous, absurd and unexplainable album titles (late March)
March 19 – Let's Get Physical – If an elephant man ever says this to you, run. Also the B-52's, Cavalera Conspiracy, and Danity Kane. by Brett Bertucio
News for the week beginning March 10th, 2008
March 18 – A girl is murdered for being goth, Presidential politics and musicians, NIN's sucess with free music, and more. by John Vining
News for the week beginning March 3rd, 2008
March 10 – Holocaust composers revisited, Clive Davis tells pop-stars to stop writing songs, John Denver tunes drive a man to killing 8, and more. by John Vining
