Friday? Drop By for Music News Day

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Music News

  • OiNK founder Alan Ellis posted bail after his arrest on Tuesday and gave a defiant interview to the Daily Telegraph, saying “I haven’t done anything wrong… there is no music sold on the site,” adding, ominously, that the music download directory was “no different [than] something like Google.” Really, so I’m a moron for not buying OiNK stock too?

  • The B-52’s are inspired enough by my collecting of a few of their videos here on the Riff that they’ve decided to record a new album, their first in 15 years. “Hey,” they said to each other, “if the Riff likes us, I bet we still got it!” Well, actually, no, that’s not how it happened, they say was a vacation in Maui or something that inspired them, but still, maybe we helped.

  • 1,730 guitarists strummed in unison at a stadium in Guwahati, India today in an attempt to break the world record for most guitarists playing together at a stadium in India. Or just “biggest guitar ensemble.” Their song of choice? “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.” An organizer told Reuters, “Though we set a new world record, we are sad as we were expecting more than 2,000 guitarists.” Talk about a negative Nelly.

  • San Francisco officials have withdrawn a planned honor for Snoop Dogg. What? No! Apparently a representative from mayor Gavin Newsom‘s office was supposed to present a proclamation for the rapper and a party promoter at the Exotic Erotic Ball, an annual Halloween- and sex-themed event this weekend, but the Newsom administration is a little jumpy after all the bad publicity they received for “Colt Studio Day.” So this probably nixes my idea of an official “Fuck with Dre Day?” That settles it, I’m voting for Quintin.
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    It is astonishingly hard keeping a newsroom afloat these days, and we need to raise $253,000 in online donations quickly, by October 7.

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    Readers also told us to just give it to you straight when we need to ask for your support, and seeing how matter-of-factly explaining our inner workings, our challenges and finances, can bring more of you in has been a real silver lining. So our online membership lead, Brian, lays it all out for you in his personal, insider account (that literally puts his skin in the game!) of how urgent things are right now.

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