Notes: A Weekly Music Column (4/11)

Hello everyone,

What a week in the music industry to close out this column! Let's waste no time: here goes!

RECAP:

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced this week that he will propose legislation that will attempt to stop concert ticket scalpers from elevating prices upon resale. The legislation will implement a two-day waiting period from when tickets become available from authorized sellers before agencies can buy them for resale. It will also require ticket resellers to obtain a license from the Federal Trade Commission. The bill will be presented once the Senate goes back into session in two weeks, but has already been met with support from Ticketmaster head Irving Azoff.

Apple's iTunes Music Store officially changed its pricing system this week, from the standard, 99-cent flat rate to a new, three-tiered model. Under the new system, songs will be priced at $0.69, $0.99 or $1.29, depending on their popularity. (For example, A.R. Rahman's "Jai Ho," from the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, will now sell for $1.29, but special discounted classics like The Clash's "London Calling" will go for $0.69.) Apple also abandoned its digital rights management (DRM) technology, allowing for users to burn and re-format their music in any way.

And finally, hard rock legends AC/DC have announced a run of summer stadium shows in the U.S. in continuation of their current Black Ice world tour. The band has currently confirmed nine shows, which will begin July 28 in Foxborough, Mass. Other shows include East Rutherford, N.J., Detroit and San Jose, Calif. So far, the 36 North American dates on the tour have grossed more than $49 million and drawn roughly 561,000 fans. The band's most recent album, Black Ice, has sold more than two million copies in the U.S. alone.

COMING UP: New music releases for the week of April 14

• The Datsuns - Headstunts
– 2008 album from New Zealand-based hard rockers finally gets North American release

• Death Cab for Cutie - The Open Door EP
– Five-song EP comprises songs recorded during sessions from Seattle indie-rockers' last album, Narrow Stairs

• Fastball - Little White Lies
– First album in five years for Texas alt-rockers famous for 1990s hit "Out of My Head"

• Silversun Pickups - Swoon
– Second album from Los Angeles indie-rockers, featuring lead single "Panic Switch."

WORDS OF WISDOM:

"I'm interested in anything about revolt, disorder, chaos, especially activity that appears to have no meaning. It seems to me to be the road toward freedom."
-Jim Morrison

That's all, folks! It's been fun writing this column, and I hope you've liked reading it! Enjoy the rest of TheCelebrityCafe.com!

-Dan