Motorhead...

Motorhead Reissued

by Tim Cashmere @ Undercover

November 14 2005

Motorhead may be one of the loudest and most rockin’ bands in the world, but they just sounded a little better as Sanctuary Records prepare to re-release five classic Motorhead albums to mark the 30th anniversary of the band.

The albums ‘Ace Of Spades’, ‘Overkill’, ‘Bomber’, ‘Iron Fist’ and ‘No Remorse’ are going to be re-released, re-mastered and repackaged with bonus vintage archive recordings from the BBC and beyond throughout the 70s and 80s.

‘No Remorse’ is the band’s best of and even that is getting a working over. It will now feature ‘Under The Knife’, ‘Masterplan’ and two tracks ‘No Class’ and ‘Stand By Your Man’ with guest vocals by rock icon Wendy O’Williams.

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Warner Music eLabel Kicks Off

by Tim Cashmere @ Undercover

November 14 2005

The Warner Music Group has officially started its first eLabel. Cordless Recording is an all-digital label with an all-digital strategy and no physical releases going into bricks and mortar stores.

Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr announced the label in August 2005 and hired Elektra Records veteran Jac Holzman to head it up. Holzman goes back to the 60s with the label and was the Executive Producer of The Doors albums.

The model for the label allows artists to release music regularly as they record new music and not have to wait for the album to be finished. In a way, it mirrors the Music Industry model of the 60s and 70s when artists released a new single every 6-8 weeks and 1-2 albums a year.

AC/DC released their first five albums in just two and a half years. The Beatles entire catalogue through EMI was recorded between 1962 and 1969. These days, even a first release artist may have to wait up to three years before the second album comes out because of marketing, touring and elongated and expensive recording sessions.

The unfortunate part of the music business today is that it near impossible for acts to maintain and build their fanbase. Three years down the track when a second album is ready, the fanbase, especially in the younger demographic has moved on.

The beauty of Cordless Records is that it skews back to the “music” part of the term “music business”.

Sales for artists on the label will come from downloads and ring-tones.

Initial artists on the label are Break-up Breakdown, Dangerous Muse, Human Wine, Nozzle, Koishii & HushJihad Jerry & The Evildoers. Downloads can be purchased for $0.99 from the Cordless Records website.