REM have, over time, proven to be one of the most popular rock bands on the music scene. However, many modern fans have yet to realize the real impact that the band had on the music scene during their early years. Before they became a globally popular rock band and succumbed to the pressures of signing a record deal they released all of there music on the independent IRS label. The compilation is titled “And I Feel Fine” and will not only be available in single and double disc format but will also feature a bonus DVD disc with footage of live tours and clips of live appearances. The band has put the footage and clips together themselves, so it is set to be a real treat for the millions of REM fans, new and old. REM relentlessly toured and played live gigs during their independent days, determined to hit the spotlight but it wasn’t until the release of “The One I Love” that the band broke onto the scene. They subsequently released several more records on IRS, including “What’s The Frequency Kenneth”, before signing with Warner Brothers Music. The album isn’t due for release until September 12th, when the band will also be inducted into Georgia’s Music Hall of Fame in Atlanta. These early albums greatly influenced a lot of punk and rock bands and are a superb sign of what can be done by independent musicians. Whether you like REM or not, they are an excellent addition to the independent music collector’s collection.

July 23rd through July 30th is going to see one of the greatest and most influential of rock concerts in South Africa for some time. The Party in the Car Park is being held at the Fourways Mall and looks set to showcase some of the finest talent in the area. Niemand, The Finkelstiens, The Parlotones, Wickhead, and Cutting Jade are among some of the bands that will be appearing. The Parlotones were given the prestigious Best Rock Album award earlier this year at the South African music awards. They have gained huge following in the past twelve months and join a long line-up of massively popular rock and punk indie bands at the Car Park. Wickhead are another band of note having gained recognition as being one of the best live bands that South Africa has to offer. Having been playing and touring since 2000, they’ve honed their performances even further to bring fans a true musical extravaganza. The good news for anyone reading this in South Africa is that entry is free to everyone, and the bands are generally more than happy to meet their fans before and after they’re on stage. Band merchandise is also available from numerous stalls set up around the venue.

The name Les Paul has become synonymous with music. As well as being an incredible guitarist himself, he invented and manufactured incredible instruments and recording instruments. Virtually every musician will have had their musical lives touched in some way by this musical genius. Today, June 9th, he turned 91. The first Gibson Les Paul was produced in 1952 that brought an entirely new and unique sound and feel to guitar playing that was unbelievable in it’s day. New models of Les Paul guitars continued to make guitarists salivate for decades to come. The invention and introduction of the first electric guitar, however, was only one of Les Paul’s accolades but an intriguing one nonetheless. The first prototype he created was a hideously heavy piece of solid wood. This was christened the log and while it was unfeasible to use it as an instrument itself, it did give Paul the foundation for his first playable and, more importantly, lighter electric guitar. Inventing the first 8 track recorder also rocketed Paul into the record books and enabled him to record tracks with his wife that were heavily reliant on overdubbing. This had previously been impossible to achieve until Les Paul himself invented multi-track recording. He is also accredited with the discovery of various effects. Despite being 91 years of age and suffering from debilitating arthritis that has rendered almost his entire left hand useless he can still be seen and heard playing at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York. Happy 91st Birthday Les Paul.

MySpace, owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, has hit the headlines again. This time, though, it isn’t for giving independent musicians the chance to have their music heard, or even for dubious content or spamming. No, this time, the British singer and songwriter Billy Bragg who had formerly touted his music on the pages of myspace like so many other artists, has removed all of his material from the pages of their site.

A spokesperson for Billy Bragg stated that a certain term within the MySpace terms and conditions gives MySpace full rights and ownership of the music once it is on the site. The clause in question dictates that artists will give MySpace “a non-exclusive, fully-paid and royalty-free, worldwide license”. This, in effect, means they can do as they like with the content of the site (including songs) without having to pay the artist or even ask their permission.

MySpace claim the clause exists only to ensure that the site can publish it exactly as the artist wishes on the pages of the MySpace website. MySpace are working to alter the terms of their site in order to help clear up what they describe as a “misunderstanding”.

MySpace has quickly found fame and become on of the most popular and most widely used websites in the world. The social networking site allows users to create and update their very own page and allows them to include virtually any content they choose. For this reason, it has become popular with aspiring and discovered artists alike. The news of these worrying terms may be a mistake but MySpace needs to act quickly to avoid being labeled as just another website looking to make money from musicians.

The disparate rules that govern capital gains and income tax on the sale of a songwriter’s catalog is due to change. New laws have been passed, that mean that any songwriter wishing to sell a catalog of their work can now do so at the same capital gains rate as their publisher.

Currently when a song is included on a CD or other publication, the writer of that song receives a royalty. This attracts the usual income tax rates that can be as high as 39%. The new bill will not change this. The average songwriter only earns around $5,000 per annum so they are unlikely to be faced with the higher rate anyway. However, a songwriter can choose to sell a catalog of their popular creations to a third party. This means that all royalties are then paid to that party instead of the songwriter in exchange for a reasonable fee. Previously, this had attracted capital gains tax for publishers but the higher income tax rates for songwriters.

While this all sounds positive news for the songwriter, there is as ever some debate over how useful it will be for the average songwriter. It will certainly help the popular songwriter that earns large amounts of royalties because it will reduce the tax they pay by about half. However, a lesser-known songwriter is less likely to sell a catalog of their work. Even if they do, this would not always push them to the highest level of tax.

All in all, the movement is a positive one that looks out for songwriters in preference to labels and producers. However, some songwriters are worried that it will have little or no effect on them if they are not already established with a strong royalty claim.