Merlin CEO Charles Caldas Is Stepping Down After 12 Years

Charles Caldas is stepping down as Merlin’s CEO. Caldas has served as the CEO of Merlin, a nonprofit advocate of independent record labels’ digital rights, since 2007, when the agency was founded. Per the statement he made at this year’s Indie Week, wh…

Pandora Faces Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over Unlicensed Lyrics from Tom Petty, The Doors, Others

Pandora is the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit regarding lyrics from a range of artists and publishers, including Tom Petty, The Beach Boys, The Doors, and others. Wixen, a music publisher that represents The Beach Boys, Tom Petty, The Door…

Nas Is Releasing a Children’s Book Called ‘I Know I Can’

World-famous rapper and investor Nas is taking his talents to the world of book writing. Specifically, Nas, whose birth name is Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, has authored a motivational children’s book entitled I Know I Can.  The book’s title derives from …

Megadeth Fans Show Outpouring of Support as Dave Mustaine Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

Former Metallica guitarist and current Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine revealed that he has been diagnosed with throat cancer. The beloved musician took to Twitter to inform fans of the news.  The offered support has been nothing short of extraordinary…

Lil Nas X Is Dropping a 7-Song EP Titled ‘7’ on June 21st

Lil Nas X and Columbia Records are preparing a cameo-heavy EP to build on ‘Old Town Road’. Columbia Records will release 7 on June 21st, Lil Nas X recently confirmed.  Lil Nas X’s unique blend of country and rap elements will be further spiced up by se…

Jason Bentley Is Stepping Down as KCRW Music Director and ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic’ Host

Longtime indie curator Jason Bentley is stepping down as KCRW’s music director and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic. We’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Jason Bentley in the past, and exploring some of his philosophies on building everything from pl…

Lil Durk Faces Charges of Attempted Murder After Surveillance Footage Surfaces

With new surveillance footage available, prosecutors have charged Lil Durk with attempted murder. Popular rapper Lil Durk, signed to Interscope/Universal Music Group, experienced a potentially devastating career setback this week, as Georgia law-enforc…

T.I. Tapped to Star In Flint Water Documentary Produced by Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment

Rapper/actor T.I. just secured a significant film role. The multidimensional rapper will star in a feature-length work about Flint, Michigan’s water crisis. The movie is (tentatively) entitled Flint, and it will be produced by Will Smith’s studio, Over…

Woodstock 50 Lost Its Venue After Failing to Pay a $150,000 Deposit

It seems that there was a bit more to Woodstock 50’s removal from the Watkins Glen International Speedway than the event’s organizers initially claimed. Rather than resulting from a complex contract disagreement, the deal collapsed because Woodstock 50…