Bookmarks: Somethings to read on the internet

David Bowie launches a "career as an online musical agony uncle" with the help of The Times and his memory:

It was at Furlongs that I got my first real taste of how things could be. Furlongs was owned and run by a man in his forties who was the perpetual jazzer/college type. New Orleans was his thing.

Furlongs was the record shop. For absolute integrity and a huge stock of jazz, R&B and pure blues, there was nowhere else like it until you reached London itself.

It was here that the power of recorded music struck home. I don’t mean it was where I discovered music (I had already discovered that power through Little Richard and Elvis) — no, it was more how those bits of black plastic could affect other people’s behaviour.

Stylus explores how the internet has made it possible to be indie again:

But it’s Cherry Red’s dalliances in the diverse multi-media market that have many regarding the label as a model for independents looking to make web-fueled modifications and survive in today’s industry. A book division opened in 1997, while the label began issuing DVDs in late 2006 (over 50 releases are slated for this year). Cherry Red’s site, which is updated daily, also features a download shop with over 17,000 songs.

“We still see ourselves as a ‘physical’ label,” McNay says, “but there’s no question we have embraced new products, and new ways to distribute and market old products. It’s a matter of adapting. If you look at many of the independent labels that formed around the time Cherry Red did, you’ll see many haven't survived. Adapting has involved making some radical changes, but without those changes we might not still be here.”

Lou Barlow tells Nashville Scene about being back with Dinosaur Jr, and crowd reactions:

You can’t hear people anyway, so it doesn’t matter. At a Dinosaur Jr. show, they can yell whatever they want, they’re not gonna be heard or responded to at all. Dinosaur is not about communicating with an audience on any level. As the reunion has kind of evolved, I’ve realized—not that I didn’t know it already—that the majority of Dinosaur fans came to Dinosaur long after I left. It’s similar to the Eric thing in Sebadoh.

Jack Marin posts to his LiveJournal about why he quit Cute Is What We Aim For:

At first when I joined the band everything was great and everyone seemed happy. But shortly after, I started having some personal issues with another member. I've tried to just ignore the problems, but the truth is, I'm just not happy at all.

This is a decision that I've been debating for weeks. Even as I was getting ready to tell the guys, I was still wondering if I was making the right decision. But I've finally decided that it's in my best interest to leave this band as soon as possible. It's a matter of principle and to me, being in the band just isn't worth what I have to deal with.