Today In Music News: Bono's Frightened, Eminem's Angry, Faith No More's Back and Fred Durst Has A Fan.

• Hello there, thank you for a excellent article, a truly great opening to the new year, keep up the great work, Tonia.

• I've been against the media consolidation for 16 years - Eminem should have known better. Anyone dumb enough to sign with the majors deserves what they get. Coldplay is awful. They sound like someone who sounds like someone who sounds like someone and so forth back generations. Gum without the flavor. All mainstream corporate bands sound like 60 year old music played in a 60 year old style. Rock has become everything it started out opposing. Most bands try to fit in not stand out. It's the most established and mainstream music the world has ever known. What innovative musician would be in another clone 60 years out of touch, safe band, format? Not me. PS if you are over 25 so is your musical career unless you oppose corporate art too. Time for musicians to wake up. Corporate art doesn't sign older musicians, or musicians who stand out in any way. Look at Coldplay. Trendy and twenty and look like a model? You've got a slim chance for them to sign you - though in these times not very much.. Lance I agree with you that the internet is now giving more fairness to many. That's why I searched through hundreds of musicians to find what I think is the very best. The 100 best from myspace and youtube. check out the big list. (Some bands but they are indies and innovative and none sound like Coldplay.) 100 Plus Favorite Music from YOUTUBE and MYSPACE

• Tom, I think you need to stick to your You Tube artists and your 'zine. Kings of Leon are a great band, and as much as I hate to admit it, so is Coldplay (to some people). But, it's a little off base to slag Eminem for signing with a major when the majors didn't start collapsing until two years after his first album. When he signed with them everyone figured that was the way to stardom and riches because they were the ones with the deep pockets. Now, I think pretty much every high school band knows they have just a good a chance of going on their own than signing with Atlantic. They know they can be heard and get their music out on this new thing called the internet (thank you Al Gore!). But, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. They are like noses, ya know.

• Who isn't playing better than U2 - they are doing 60 year old music in a 60 year old style - the bands Bono is worried about aren't any better. One clone worrying about another clone. Universal is one of the Big Four. Their attempt at controlling the entire music business (they have 80% now) is probably coming to a close. For innovative musicians these behemouth record companies are no longer of any interest - who wants to record for such out of touch dinosaurs - Eminem needs to learn what U2 needs to learn - dullness and out of touchness is not a music business plan that works anymore. Sign with the Big four and you've lost your career. Oppose the Big Four and you've built a career. Long live the revolution in the arts.

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