Follow-up: Maybe Coldplay copied Satriani, after all

In our most recent episode of Sac in Stereo, we discussed songs that sound similar to each other (click here to listen). One of the similarities we mentioned was Coldplay's megahit "Viva la Vida" and the two other songs that sound suspiciously like to it - Creaky Boards' "The Songs I Didn't Write" and Joe Satriani's "If I Could Fly."

Maybe Satriani's lawyers were listening. The day after our podcast was posted, Satriani officially sued the British band for copyright infringement.

The guitar icon said hearing Coldplay's song was instantly very painful for him.

"I felt like a dagger went right through my heart. It hurt so much," Satriani told MusicRadar.com. "The second I heard it, I knew it was (my own) 'If I Could Fly.' "

He said the most painful thing about Coldplay's alleged ripoff was the fact that his song took over 10 years to craft, and was a love song dedicated to his wife, Rubina.

During, the podcast, we played the following mashup track, courtesy of YouTube user Matt Bethel, aka iGotSpaceLikeNasa:




During the podcast, I suggested that maybe all these musicians just happened upon this fairly simple melody in a bit of coincidence. Satriani and Bethel seem to disagree, and more and more people have been hearing their case: Bethel's original video comparing the two songs has been viewed almost 1.5 million times.

Coldplay hasn't officially commented on the lawsuit, although frontman did "promise" in a recent Q&A session (video at the bottom of the page - skip to 3:30) the band didn't borrow the melody from anyone whose name "rhymes with Moe Batriani."

Oh, and Joe, if you'd like to tell us what you think of our comparison, our e-mail address is podcasts@statehornet.com.

[photo courtesy flickr user Giandomenico Ricci] Continue Reading>>

Follow-ups: Free Dr Pepper for all, Pandora spiraling downward, full Obama mix released

Somewhere, a marketing exec is losing his job

Last semester on Sac in Stereo, we discussed the long-delayed Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy," and Dr Pepper's promise to give each and every person in the United States a free soda if the album is released before the end of 2008.

Well, apparently Axl Rose (the only remaining founding member of the group) really likes Dr Pepper, because he kicked into high gear and now the album is slated for a Nov. 25 release date. But what about our soda?

This week MTV News finally answered the question everyone has been murmuring, and yes, everyone in the country is indeed getting a free soda. Here's a snippet:

According to a spokesperson for the company, full details of Dr Pepper's rollout plan won't be released until Guns N' Roses go on the record about the release date, despite the fact that Best Buy has already begun taking online preorders for the disc. Best Buy will be the sole retail purveyor of the set, as part of an exclusive deal announced late last month.

. . .

The Dr Pepper spokesperson told MTV News that, while additional details will be forthcoming, the company's plan to distribute free cans of its product will involve some sort of an online coupon system. "People will go on Dr Pepper's Web site and we will send them a coupon for a free one," the spokesperson confirmed. "It's going to be real easy."

I, for one, am getting thirsty already.

Internet radio staff manning the lifeboats?

In the most recent episode of Sac in Stereo (listen here!), we discussed the shaky future of Internet radio icon Pandora. Right now, the site is battling to reverse a March 2007 court ruling forcing the site to cough up 70 percent of its revenue to record execs [note: In the podcast, we incorrectly stated that the change in revenue was being delayed - it is, in fact, already in effect. Our bad. -CK].

Pandora top gun Tim Westergren has already said the change could force the site out of business, and Thursday he announced 20 of the site's 140 employees were being shown the door.

He blamed the cuts not so much on the fight over royalty fees, but the slowing economy. Then he went on to say that ad revenues are growing quickly. Huh?

Wired writes:

Indeed, despite the news, all is not gloom and doom for the webcaster. "There are tough times ahead for the economy, but our listenership is growing rapidly, the Internet radio royalty rate resolution seems finally near, and the explosion of mobile devices like the iPhone are opening up a world of opportunity for internet radio to expand off the desktop," added Westergren. "Moreover, our ad sales are growing so well that, not only did we not make any reductions there, we need to continue to hire more. It's just hard to be excited about all that today."

But, of course, all this goes out the window (along with the other 120 employees) if the royalty fees aren't changed soon.

Full political party mix released


Just a couple weeks ago, the Sac in Stereo crew made its picks for a soundtrack for the campaigns of Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama (Sac in Stereo No. 14, if you're curious). Jake mentioned a sort of stump remix DJ Z-Trip was performing at fundraising jam sessions, with proceeds going to the Obama campaign. The mix takes snippets of Obama speeches and various political statements and, simply put, sets them to a sweet mashup beat.

With the election looming closer and closer, Z-Trip finally released an mp3 of the full duration of his mix. The almost-85-MB and 55-minute-long .zip file is available at his website, along with this message:

I encourage you to download it and pass it along to anyone you think should hear it. Feel free to burn copies, share it with friends, family, co-workers, strangers, and especially anyone you know is on the fence about this election. I'm also putting out a radio friendly version, in case anyone wants to broadcast it.

Please share the message. Educate those who may not know what is really going on. There is still time.

If you, or anyone you know, isn't registered to vote, I encourage you to make it a priority and fix that before it's too late. This election is WAY too important for anyone to not get involved. If you need more information on how and where to register, vote, or participate, please check the links below.

And in the interest of equal coverage for both sides, here's an update on the musical aspirations of the McCain camp: Add the Foo Fighters to the list of musicians angry at the way the GOP candidate is using their songs.

Turns out McCain is blasting "My Hero," an iconic (and awesome) Foo Fighters jam, at rallies. Like some of the examples we discussed in the podcast, the Republicans are in fact paying all the appropriate royalties, but the band never signed off on the use.

Here's what frontman Dave Grohl had to say (via Wired):

"The saddest thing about this is that 'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential," the politically active rock outfit said in a statement, which at this writing had not yet been posted to its official site. "To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song."

What do you think? Should campaigns use whatever songs they can afford to pay royalty fees for, or should the original artists be consulted first?

[Dr Pepper photo courtesy Flickr member Darwin Bell]
[DJ Z-Trip photo courtesy Flickr member evoque]
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Don't call it a comeback!

LISTEN TO MORE ON THESE TOPICS ON THIS WEEK'S SAC IN STEREO PODCAST AT STATEHORNET.COM/PODCASTS

It seems 2008 is the year of the musical comeback for a few well-known artists, as legends Metallica, AC/DC, Journey and LL Cool J are all releasing new albums. But how do they stack up against the originals?

Metallica

then - Master Of Puppets (released 1986; performance from 1989)




now - The Day That Never Comes (2008)




Does it stack up? Well, when you take into account their most recent album, 2003's St. Anger (which was a travesty), there's really nowhere to go but up. Surely the band's newer material must be better than that, right? Right?

Death Magnetic, which was released Tuesday, is a definite throwback to Metallica's older material. It's a step in the right direction, but like so many other artists in this genre, after a few tracks all the chugging guitars start melting together and it all starts to sound the same.

Journey

then - Faithfully (1983, sung by Steve Perry)



now - Faithfully (2008, sung by Arnel Pineda)



As many drunken karaoke participants have probably found out, Journey is not a band most men can sing along to. It takes a special kind of vocal talent to hit the highs that Steve Perry made famous in the formative years of the band. But by some unexpected aligning of the planets, Journey happened upon 41-year-old Arnel Pineda, who was fronting an '80s cover band in the Philippines when he was called up to the big leagues.

Journey's first new album with Pineda, Revelation, was released in June. In case this is the first you've heard of it, there's not much need to worry. The band hasn't had any recent revelations in its songwriting, so the only thing fresh about the two-disc set is the addition of Pineda's strong vocals. Long-time fans should be delighted by the second disc, a live recording of the band doing justice to Journey's classic back catalog. So, let's review. The only good things about this album are a singer who sounds just like the original singer and covers of the band's old songs. Hmm.

AC/DC

then - Back in Black (released 1980; performance from 1981)




now - Rock 'N' Roll Train (2008)



From the first instant someone hears Rock 'N' Roll Train, that person is going to know it's AC/DC. That person will bob his head, nodding along to the familiar, jagged guitar sound. Then he'll be surprised when tries to sing along and realizes it's not a song from 1980. AC/DC has never really been known for its diversity, but that's OK. AC/DC is a one-trick-pony, but it's a hell of a trick. No matter how many times I hear the raunchy guitars and driving drums in the 1980 album Back in Black, I still nod my head and air-drum along. Now the band seems to be on the path to recreating the attitude from that same album - except many years later. Turns out we'll have to wait until Oct. 16 to find out whether the stylistic rehash is worth Angus Young squeezing back into his school uniform.

LL Cool J

then - Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)



now - Baby ft. The Dream (2008)



Over the years, rap pioneer LL Cool J has produced a steady stream of albums constantly changing and evolving with whatever is popular at the time. His songs almost always seem up-to-the-times and relevant, but they don't stay that way for long. He quickly adapts to the next type of style to dominate the airwaves, all while focusing his lyrics mainly on making women swoon while still maintaining his claim as the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT). The Greatest What could be debatable, though - LL Cool J has definitely been a force in hip-hop over the years, but at this point in the 40-year-old's career, he may just be the Greatest Chameleon in hip-hop, struggling to blend in with the hottest flavors of the month. The only sticking point is that he earns his title with his 13th studio album, Exit 13 - a radio-friendly, club-ready compilation of songs split between the two major subjects of women and his elder status in the hip-hop community. So while it's true that LL Cool J's "been here for years," Mama told him to knock out any attempts at being profound in his lyrics a long time ago.

LISTEN TO MORE ON THESE TOPICS ON THIS WEEK'S SAC IN STEREO PODCAST AT STATEHORNET.COM/PODCASTS

What do you think? Are these artists washed up or just getting warmed up? Post your thoughts in a comment below or send them to podcasts@statehornet.com!
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