The Nice Jenkins release follow-up
Following their excellent debut album was no easy task for The Nice Jenkins. Thankfully, they were up to the challenge, and have delivered an album that totally avoids the "sophomore slump." Elephant Twisters is a more concise and focused album, capitalizing on the band's strengths.
Terrible Hearts debut now available
Following the dissolution of Minus the Sidekick, frontman Jon Biscoe soldiered on. From the depths of his Richmond, VA basement, Jon recorded countless songs, snippets, ideas, and inspirations. After the dust settled, the fifteen best were polished and released under the Terrible Hearts moniker.
The Terrible Hearts debut album is available now.
Conspiracy Theory #18
Conspiracy Theory recovers from its week off.
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Stories
- Amazon MP3 Store to Go Global in 2008
- RIAA sees a 99.6% capitulation rate from students at UT
- First-ever electronica album released under Creative Commons with collecting society support
- Copy a CD, owe $1.5 million under “gluttonous†PRO-IP Act
- Italian Parliament To Mistakenly Legalize MP3 P2P
- Sony kills DRM stores—your DRM music will only last until your next upgrade
- A brave new world: the music biz at the dawn of 2008
- The RPM Challenge
Theme Music
All of Fifteen - "Tulsa" from Away Game.
Conspiracy Theory #17
Conspiracy Theory reviews its first album of 2008.
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Stories
- No “iPod tax†for Canada
- Music Industry, Souring on Apple, Embraces Amazon Service
- The RIAA speaks--and it gets worse
- Exonerated RIAA defendant scores double victory in court
- EMI cuts jobs, proposes “sponsored†bands
Review
Theme Music
Fire at Will - "Dark Blue Sky" from their self-titled album.
Conspiracy Theory #16
Conspiracy Theory powers in to 2008.
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Stories
- MTV calls 2007 “The Year The Music Industry Broke"
- FCC to investigate Comcast BitTorrent blocking
- Under pressure from EMI, RIAA could disappear
- Sony drops DRM - sorta
- Sony drops DRM - for real
Theme Music
The Stabones - "Didn't Get Laid at the Prom" from their album, Liver Let Die
Conspiracy Theory #15
Conspiracy Theory finally delivers on its promise and names the 10 best albums of 2007.
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Top Albums
- Battles – Mirrored
- The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour
- El-P – I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
- The Gaslight Anthem – Sink or Swim
- Odd Nosdam – Level Live Wires
- A Wilhelm Scream – Career Suicide
- Maritime – Heresy and the Hotel Choir
- Lifetime – Lifetime
- LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
- Chuck Ragan – Feast or Famine
Theme Music
Truman Sparks - "Egglore, The Dragon Mummy" from their free album, The Gentle Laxative Demonstration
Conspiracy Theory #14
Conspiracy Theory kicks off its countdown of the 20 best albums of 2007.
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Top Albums
- Sundowner - Four One Five Two
- Art Brut - It's A Bit Complicated
- The Playing Favorites - I Remember When I Was Pretty
- Bracken - We Know About the Need
- Cloak/Dagger - We Are
- J Church - The Horror of Life
- Fog - Ditherer
- Bomb the Music Industry! - Get Warmer
- Pissed Jeans - Hope for Men
- Defiance, Ohio - The Fear, The Fear, The Fear
Theme Music
Truman Sparks - "Green Machines" from their free album, The Gentle Laxative Demonstration
Conspiracy Theory #13
Conspiracy Theory returns this week with more stunning RIAA testimony, more forward-thinking Congressional ideas, and more confusing Microsoft news.
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Stories
- PRO IP Act Aims to Increase Infringement Penalties and Expand Government Enforcement
- Copy That Floppy, Lose Your Computer
- DOJ Blasts New 'Copyright Czar' Bill
- RIAA Argues That MP3s From CDs Are Unauthorized
- Microsoft rebrands PlaysForSure to Certified For Windows Vista, confuses world
Lightning Round
- Time for Luddite & Wanton Label Chiefs to go
- Remove iTunes DRM easily and quickly with iMovie HD
- The Moby Equation
Review
The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour
Theme Music
Truman Sparks - "Esophogalapagos" from their free album, The Gentle Laxative Demonstration
Conspiracy Theory #12
We're back (finally). Conspiracy Theory rises like a phoenix with the latest music news, an album giveaway, a new review.
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Stories
- Universal Music CEO: Record industry can’t tell when geeks are lying to us about technology
- NIN Remix Site Halted by Universal Music Group
- DoJ Sides With RIAA On Damages
- EMI cutting funding to RIAA, IFPI
- Radiohead explains donation plan as stunt thought up by management
- Radiohead Freeloading to End December 10
- Apple gives free iPods to kids affected by California wildfires
- Nokia: our Comes with Music service is not Universal’s Total Music
Review
Art Brut - It's a Bit Complicated
Theme Music
Truman Sparks - "Sysiphean Task" from their free album, The Gentle Laxative Demonstration
Free Demonstration of Gentle Laxatives
If you were lucky enough to see Truman Sparks on their recent jaunt, not only were you subjected to more rock that you were probably able to handle, you were also given the opportunity to purchase a limited edition tour EP. However, if you're lame like me, you might have missed out completely. But don't despair!
The Sparks' tour EP, The Gentle Laxative Demostration, is now available for FREE download! This EP features 4 new songs, a live version of "Trog," and a remix of "Enters Trog," both from Truman Sparks' self-titled debut. Though you missed out on the physical product, we've meticulously scanned the limited edition artwork and included it in the .zip file.
Truman Sparks will be entering the studio in January to record their follow-up LP "Esophogalapagos," including re-recordings of some of these demos, so this is your chance to learn the songs in advance and sing along at shows. Everyone loves that guy.
Conspiracy Theory #11
Time to bust out the stuffing and gravy -- it's Conspiracy Theory's Thanksgiving preview! This week we update old stories, tell some new ones, but mostly read the title and say, "yeah."
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Stories
- Corrupt Congressmen say no financial aid to schools that don’t send money to DRM services and bust file-sharers
- RIAA: Jammie Thomas has “no basis†to complain about damage award
- Infringement in perspective: major movie bust fine dwarfed by RIAA tab
- Warner CEO: “We were wrong to go to war with consumersâ€
- Comcast Sued Over P2P Blocking
- At UN meet, worries about US Internet control, free flow of information
Theme Music
- Minus the Sidekick - "Treading Water" from their album, The Mineral EP
Conspiracy Theory #10
Get ready for contests, prizes, and a very special guest for Conspiracy Theory's 10th anniversary bonanza!
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Stories
- OiNK’s new piglets proof positive that Big Content’s efforts often backfire
- Sub Pop Opens Digital Download Store 7
- MLB rips off fans who bought DRM videos
- Prince to fan sites: No pictures, no artwork, no album covers 4 U
- PIRATE Act dons eye patch, swashbuckles back into Senate
- Larry Lessig: How creativity is being strangled by the law
Review
Theme Music
- The Nice Jenkins - "Sweet & Filthy" from their album, The World Famous Hallelujah Cotton Candy Rent Party
Conspiracy Theory #9
Conspiracy Theory goes financial, discussing the rebirth of vinyl, the death of Napster, and reviews another free album.
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Stories
- Vinyl May Be Final Nail in CD's Coffin *Vinyl Collective's Response to Wired’s “Vinyl Maybe Be Final Nail in CD’s Coffinâ€
- Robert Fripp lays in to music industry rip-off merchants
- Napster: Needs A New Business Model
- UO refuses to ID people accused of music piracy
Review
Theme Music
- The Stabones - "Rock" from their album, Liver Let Die.
Conspiracy Theory #8
This week’s Conspiracy Theory goes international with news from Canada and England, and nearly gets shut down by Comcast back in the states.
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Stories
- Viacom CEO Dismisses Google (YouTube) Antipiracy Plan
- Canada to tax legal digital music downloads
- Illegal Torrent Site OiNK Busted by Police
- Comcast Bittorrent Round-Up
Lightning Round
- Download “Punknews.org Presents the Fest 6†compilation right now
- Happy Sixth Birthday, iPod
- Hot Water Music together again
Review
Maritime - Heresy and the Hotel Choir
Truman Sparks Tour
Nov 9, 8pm–Millcreek Tavern, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nov 10, 9pm–Piano’s Manhatten, New York
Nov 11, 9pm–Goodbye Blue Monday w/Titus Andronicus Brooklyn, New York
Nov 12, 9pm–The Ivy Mansion New Brunswick, New Jersey
Nov 13, 9pm–700 Club Wilmington, Delaware
Nov 14, 8pm–TBA, Baltimore, Maryland
Nov 15, 9pm–Club Sandwich w/Dear Dear & Meneguar, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Nov 16, 9pm–TBA, Richmond
Nov 17, 8pm–The Spazzatorium Galleria, Greenville, North Carolina
Nov 18, 9pm–DUST, Charlottesville, Virginia
Nov 19, 8pm–TBA, Charlottesville, Virginia
Theme Music
Truman Sparks - “Death at a Swamp” from their self-titled release
Conspiracy Theory #7
Another week, another Conspiracy Theory. This week we dissect Universal's latest ploy to destroy iTunes, celebrate iTunes' step in the right direction, and only mention Radiohead in passing.
Tell us how we're doing, or leave a comment below!
Stories
- Universal Music Takes on iTunes
- Court Upholds Internet Deregulation
- Apple officially cuts DRM-free track prices to $.99
- YouTube Filtering Is On-Line
Lightning Round
- Appeal in RIAA case to focus on “unconstitutionally excessive†punishment
- Weezer’s Cuomo Compiles Demos for Release
- Name-Your-Cost Radiohead Album Pirated More Than Purchased
Review
A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide
Theme music
The Nice Jenkins - "Melk" from The World Famous Hallelujah Cotton Candy Rent Party!