InfoAnda - Merge Records: 20 years of glorious noise |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Assange backers in cyber retaliation over arrest | | 8 December 2010
Costume designer dies during film shoot | 9 September 2010
Amy Winehouse duet with Tony Bennett going to charity | | 4 August 2011

Asian markets buoyant ahead of US Fed announcement | 3 November 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Merge Records: 20 years of glorious noise |

Edition: U.S. Article Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared Russia to work on new nuclear missiles: Medvedev 24 Dec 2009 Japan PM under fire over budget scandal 24 Dec 2009 Pope dragged to floor but unharmed at Mass incident 12:33am EST Military to scrap pregnancy punishment 24 Dec 2009 Venezuela's Chavez threatens to oust Toyota 24 Dec 2009 SCENARIOS-JAL seeks bailout; juggles offers from Delta, AA 24 Dec 2009 Banks with political ties got bailouts, study shows 21 Dec 2009 Blizzard warnings for central U.S. before Christmas 24 Dec 2009 Pictures Pictures of the year: Entertainment A look at the year's best entertainment photos. Slideshow Merge Records: 20 years of glorious noise Derek Caney NEW YORK Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:18pm EST Related News Susan Boyle set to beat Blige on next album chart Thu, Dec 24 2009 Vinyl's comeback makes musicians want to sing Tue, Dec 8 2009 Famous but poor: Sheryl Crow revisits first album Fri, Nov 20 2009 NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the summer of 1987, 19-year-old Mac McCaughan and his bandmates stumbled on an idea as old as rock 'n' roll itself. Entertainment | Music Rather than sending demo tapes to major record companies, they followed in the do-it-yourself footsteps of punk-rock idols such as the Buzzcocks and Minor Threat and started their own label. But more than promote their own band, they wanted to document the local music in the college town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. That label evolved into Merge Records, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Along the way, the label has garnered mainstream hits by Arcade Fire and Spoon, attracted critical praise for bands like Magnetic Fields, and enjoyed smaller successes with Lambchop and McCaughan's own band Superchunk. Its history was been documented in "Our Noise: The Story Of Merge Records" (Algonquin Books), which McCaughan wrote with Merge co-owner and Superchunk bassist Laura Ballance and Gawker.com scribe John Cook. In an industry where success is measured in the millions of records sold -- or used to be, until sales starting slumping a decade ago -- Merge has thrived with sales figures in the thousands. The label's biggest seller, Arcade Fire's 2007 album "Neon Bible," sold 420,000 copies in the United States. Spoon's Merge label debut, "Girls Can Tell," sold more copies in six weeks than the band's previous album sold for a major label in a year. Guided by McCaughan and Ballance's eclectic tastes and fiscal discipline, the label has succeeded where many others -- independent and major -- have failed. "We operate in a conservative way," Ballance told Reuters from her office in Chapel Hill. "We were never in a position where we've had to say, 'We need a hit' or 'Oh crap, we have to sell some records really quick.'" Consequently, they have managed to sign and retain their favorite acts even as major labels offered deals that seemed more generous. DEFYING CONVENTION Merge eschews large upfront advances in favor of generous royalty rates, and allows bands own their master tapes. Acts on big labels often stay indebted to their record companies for years, because the money lavished on advances, marketing and distribution is all recoupable from the band's royalties. For its first 10 years, Merge operated only on a handshake basis. There were no contracts. It was a model that several indie labels used, such as Factory Records and Touch & Go Records. But after a couple of such deals turned sour, the label had to go the more-conventional route. The handshake model backfired for Merge when a band wanted to jump to a major label. ... And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead ... had a verbal agreement with Merge to record two albums. After recording the critically-lauded "Madonna," they signed with Jimmy Iovine's Interscope Records (owned by Universal Music Group) without delivering Merge a second album. "We started to feel like a farm league," Ballance said. "We always had an emotional attachment to bands when we start working with them. People don't necessarily have the loyalty you thought they did." Some of the label's roster were simply friends of McCaughan and Ballance's. Canadian alternative band Arcade Fire was introduced to Merge because its drummer at the time, Howard Bilerman, allowed McCaughan to crash at his place while on tour. The label pressed 10,000 copies of the band's full-length 2004 debut "Funeral." After a favorable review on the Pitchfork website, the first pressing sold out in a week and the album went on to sell 400,000 copies. The band's 2007 follow-up "Neon Bible" debuted at No. 2 on the U.S. pop chart. Asked if the label has received any buyout offers, McCaughan said, "People have intimated that they would be interested, but it's never clear what they're interested in. So discussions never really get too far. "It's usually couched in this language of, 'How can we work together?' And you just know they don't have any idea about the label," he said. "Because if they had, they would know that it's not going to be as simple as, 'Hey, how can we work together?' It's not insulting, as much as it is ignorant." (Editing by Dean Goodman and Bob Tourtellotte) Entertainment Music More from Reuters Pictures of the Year A look at the best photos of 2009. Slideshow PICTURES What a wacky year it's been... Um, what's up the Dalai Lama's nose? "Oddly Enough" editor Bob Basler rounds up the goofiest photos of the year. Full Article The year of all things moronic Stories that got the biggest laughs Headlines that turned your heads Oddly Enough Political Risk in 2010: Don't say we didn't warn you With the financial crisis (mostly) in the past, U.S. investors are eying a fresh start to the coming year. Here's a look at what speedbumps lie ahead. Full Article Tougher investment choices ahead Will investors embrace "risk" trades? Global Markets © Copyright 2009 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts.com Buyouts Europe: Buyouts Conferences: Venture Capital Journal ECVJ International Financing Review International Securitisation Report Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Friday, 25 December 2009
Iraq attacks kill scores on eve of Christmas, Ashura
Officials rap Eurostar, Eurotunnel over Channel shutdown
Iran security clashes with cleric mourners: website |
US-TECH Summary
U.S. military to scrap pregnancy punishment
Pilgrims crowd Bethlehem on warm Christmas eve |
Follow Santa Claus, courtesy Google and NORAD
Israeli PM asks opposition leader Livni to join govt
US durable goods up 0.2%, led by computers
US jobless claims dip to 15-month low
Suicide bomber in southern Afghanistan kills eight: police
U.N. assembly condemns Myanmar rights record |
Threats, Ashoura bring blue Christmas in Iraq
Chavez threatens to expel Toyota carmaker |
Blasts kill 27 Iraqis before solemn Shiite holiday
Suicide car bomb kills 8 in Afghan south |
German Protestant leader calls for Afghan pullout |
Iran bans memorials for cleric in wake of violence
Two-time Venezuelan president Caldera dies at 93 |
Attacks kill at least 23 across Iraq
Apple shares hit new high on tablet excitement |
Doomed China restaurant hires live-in protester
No time for Christmas for US troops in Afghan east
Sex offender charged in Md. girl's disappearance
Ex-aides to Japan's PM charged in funding scandal
Afghan police: Suicide bomb kills 8 in Kandahar
Massive storm disrupts last-minute holiday travel
China signals no clemency for British drugs mule
Donor walks into motel, rents rooms for homeless
Report: NKorea lauds soldiers who nabbed reporters
LA sees 10 percent drop in violent crime in 2009
Indonesian police arrest top militant's relative
Carbon monoxide suspected in 9 Pa. YMCA illnesses
Police arrest terrorist Noordin's father-in-law
U.S. Senate passes landmark healthcare overhaul
Indian committee recommends autonomy for Kashmir
Prisons: Madoff had dizziness, high blood pressure
US Senate passes 'historic' health reform bill
EMTs say they weren't asked to examine ill woman
China to execute five more for Xinjiang unrest
US dad flies home with son after Brazil custody win
Japan skaters face rich gold bonus
Pakistan's forex reserves rise to $13.72 billion
A Minute With: Daniel Day Lewis on Nine |
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
A Minute With: Daniel Day Lewis on "Nine"
Singer Feliciano protests 'Feliz Navidad' parody
Tennis champ Djokovic to play Yugoslav king on TV
Michael Moore, Jeff Garlin announce MI comedy fest
Netanyahu asks Livni to join Israeli government
Classic books to US rock: Medvedev's private passions
Pope dragged to floor but unharmed at Mass incident |
Apple up sharply on tablet computer reports
Saab to shut as GM won't consider Spyker bid: report
Bin Laden's daughter "in Saudi embassy in Tehran"
Twitter buys geolocation startup Mixer Labs
China jails dissident Liu Xiaobo for 11 years |
Medvedev pledges Russian prison overhaul
Iran police clash with dissident cleric's mourners: website
Pilgrims crowd Bethlehem on warm Christmas eve |
Deadly storm snarls holiday travel in central US
Suicide bomber in southern Afghanistan kills eight: police
Japan PM under fire over budget scandal |
U.N. website details peacekeeper sex abuse claims |
Venezuela's Chavez threatens to oust Toyota |
Tsunami early warning must start at community level |
Black pioneer journalist Dale R. Wright dies in NY
Senate OK's health care bill in victory for Obama
Huge US storm curtails Christmas celebrations
Donkeys escape from live nativity scene in Colo.
Official: Pakistan army kills 9 militants in NW
Obama asked to halt wild-horse roundup in Nevada
SKorea-Japan territorial dispute flares anew
Coast Guard suspends NJ search for 2 Va. fishermen
Japanese, Chinese historians fail to bridge differences
Taliban bomb schools in NW Pakistan
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 859
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
Rescuers hunt for missing in Philippine ferry sinking
China's Zhang Yimou back with Coen brothers remake
China dissident jailed for 11 years for subversion
Japan PM under fire on scandal as govt drafts budget
China dissident gets 11 years in prison: lawyer
China revises '08 economic growth
Toyota to recall 43,000 cars in China
Japan jobless rate up in November, prices fall
Taiwan dollar up in holiday trade, c.bank eyed
Taiwan keeps certificate of deposit rates unchanged
Japan's jobless rate rises to 5.2 percent in November: govt
Geely's Volvo bid highlights China's global car ambition
Brittany Murphy funeral service set for Thursday
India to boost warship production: official
Japanese buy Mexico power plants for 1.2 billion dollars
Bank of Japan ready to 'to act swiftly'
It's Complicated: a man's film in a woman's world |
Merge Records: 20 years of glorious noise |
Patriarch calls for peace as Bethlehem rocks Christmas
New fees stain welcome mat for filmmakers in NYC
Some struggles, a lot of hope, for tsunami orphans
Merge Records: 20 years of glorious noise
"It's Complicated": a man's film in a woman's world
More Bolivar, fewer presents for Christmas: Chavez
Asian Film Awards to honour director Zhang Yimou
Grinches robbing US poor at Christmas
Pope inaugurates Christmas creche
Brittany Murphy funeral service set for Thursday
Virgin Mary sighting a glimpse of hope for Egypt Christians
Five dead in Germany house fire
Britain's queen calls 2009 difficult year |
Palestinian groups claim killing Israeli in West Bank
Palestinian groups claim killing Israeli in West Bank |
New Taliban video shows captive US soldier
Tug grounds on same reef as Exxon Valdez tanker
Animal welfare victories prompt farmers to change
Pakistan police: Americans may face terror charges
NJ dad rejoices in return of son held in Brazil
Crew of NKorean weapons plane jailed 12 more days
Pregnant soldiers in war zone won't be punished
Boston cardinal wants help for older, sick priests
Philippines halts operations of boats that crashed
SKorea-Japan territorial dispute flares anew
China defends role at Copenhagen
Indian Kashmir Christians pray for peace
Gifts bring Christmas cheer to Filipino evacuees
Thailand firm on Hmong return despite US, UN calls
Christmas Eve funeral for Brittany Murphy
Japan unveils record $1 trillion budget
China stocks mixed on new share sales
Panasonic develops more powerful battery for EVs
China revises up 2008 economic growth
Small, private funeral held for Brittany Murphy
British dishes tickle French taste-buds
Christmas Eve funeral for Brittany Murphy
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01