Music News & Notes

Dhani Harrison Suggests Standalone Beatles Download Site

George Harrison’s son, Dhani Harrison, believes that starting a standalone website for digitally distributing The Beatles’ music is a practical option. Selling the Beatles back catalogue through iTunes isn’t satisfactory, and an online store could be revealed in the future. Harrison explains:

“We’re losing money every day. So what do you do? You have to have your own delivery system, or you have to do a good deal with Steve Jobs. But he says that a download is worth 99 cents, and we disagree.”

Ironically, the Beatles’ songs are on the verge of being made available to gamers before iPod users in Rock Band: Beatles, due September 9. Harrison claims it was he who “took the project to Apple Records and sort of convinced everybody to have a presentation.” The game will even have “never been released” tracks, he said.

One dollar a song isn’t enough it seems, for a Beatles song. So, what is the proper sum? The delay for online Beatles availability has drawn out for a ridiculously long time, and many labels are already comfortably self-distributing. This much quibbling over a few cents only loses them money every second the music continues to be unavailable to fans.

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Living with Lions

Vancouver, B.C., Canada's Living With Lions recently joined the roster of the venerable Adeline Records, who will re-release the band's 2007 debut EP, as well as it's 2008 full-length. On April 7th, Dude Manor will be released on 10" vinyl and digitally while Make Your Mark will be reissued on 12" vinyl, CD and digitally later this summer (July 21st). Both albums were originally released in Canada by Black Box Recordings.

Living With Lions cranks out passionate, anthemic hardcore fueled by grit, determination and ridiculously catchy melodies by the barrelful. Giving nods to their influences – Lifetime, Hot Water Music, A Wilhelm Scream to name a few - the five piece still manage to establish a foundation for their own unique take on the genre while embracing the raucous attitude and communal spirit of punk rock.

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Billy's Favs

Billy Joel told Rolling Stone who he considered the top rock bands of all-time after the Beatles.

"The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC -- still an ass-kicking band to this day -- and the Who. I'd say Jimi Hendrix and Cream, but they were only around for a few years. You have to have service time to be in the top five."