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UMG (not to be included in the NBC-Universal merger) has slashed their CD prices – this is exactly the right move: In a move intended to stem illegal file-sharing and drive consumers back to retail, the world’s largest record company has instituted a $12.98 MSRP list price on all front-line …

The 2003 Shortlist Finalists have been announced: Black Keys, Bright Eyes, Cat Power, Cody Chestnutt, Floetry, Interpol, Damien Rice, Sigur Ros, The Streets and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. INTERPOL, BRIGHT EYES, CAT POWER, DAMIEN RICE AND BLACK KEYS CONFIRMED TO PERFORM AT 2003 SHORTLIST CONCERT ON OCTOBER 5TH MTV2 TO BROADCAST …

TechTV is looking for “people of various opinions and from various demographics” for a televised debate September 12. Does this mean mixed-race schizophrenics are most likely to get in? From the rise of Napster and the hottest P2P apps to the Recording Industry Association of America’s subpoenas, TechTV brings you …

With the second anniversary just a week away, I find myself reluctantly starting to think about the horror once again. Whether you agree with the wisdom of the war in Iraq or not, this is a fascinating reexamination of the Western left intelligensia’s response to 9/11 by Geoffrey Wheatcroft in …

There has been all kinds of blather from the left and right that Arab countries cannot sustain democracy. This is smug, lazy, and even racist or at least “culturalist,” thinking. George Will pooh-pooh’ed it in the Washington Post last month: Bush and Blair and many people called neoconservatives believe that …

GE’s NBC snags the bride Universal in deal with Vivendi: NBC and Vivendi said they intend to combine the assets into a new company, which would most likely be called NBC Universal, though a final deal has yet to be worked out. The companies expect to complete the last phase …

George: heave the hypocritical horseshit. I sit absolutely right on the fence regarding the presidency of GW Bush: all for the war on terror and in agreement with its prominence on the presidential agenda, but I have all kinds of problems with his handling of other issues, and his steel …

Continuing my stomp through musical history in oversized muddy boots, I hereby declare Blonde On Blonde the greatest Dylan album EVER! Not much controversy there, but it’s still true. Bob Dylan is the most important American songwriter of the last 50 years and, arguably, the greatest white blues singer of …

Blazingly keen mind, excellent writer, blogger to the stars, and internationally known hottie, Virginia Postrel has a new book out today (thanks for the reminder InstaGlenn), The Substance of Style. In addition to a nice book description here: From airport terminals decorated like Starbucks to the popularity of hair dye …

ABC News’ political blog “The Note” has some provocative thoughts today governing politics and the media over the next six weeks or so: Since there’s that whole Labor-Day-kick-off thing, and it’s the beginning of a very big month, let’s clear the air with a very big a-hem of reality: the …