WQLZ Music Minute

STOP ACTA & TPP

Stop ACTA & TPP! - Never use trade agreements to mess with the Internet!

They tried to push internet censorship through Congress and we stopped them with our STOP SOPA/PIPA protests. But the companies behind SOPA & PIPA have a backup plan: secretive trade agreements like ACTA & TPP. If we can't stop these backroom deals, the internet's future belongs to SOPA's backers. DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO SPREAD THE WORD, CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES, YELL FROM THE STREET CORNERS, ALL OF IT! You can start by using the form below to send a message. Get more detail from KILLACTA.org

I urge you to vote no on ACTA and to communicate its severe problems to your colleagues. ACTA's vague language locks us into obsolete copyright and patent laws, preventing democracies from updating their laws to unlock new economic and social opportunities.It criminalizes harmless remixes by ordinary users if they achieve 'a commercial scale' (art 2.14.1) which many amateur videos do on sites like Youtube. And it criminalizes legitimate websites by making them responsible for user behavior ('aiding and abetting' art 2.14.4).Worse, it permanently bypasses the democratic process by empowering the 'ACTA Committee' to 'propose amendments to [ACTA]' without your approval. (art 6.4) In other words, it's impossible to know what you're voting for.The global movement against the US law SOPA showed that internet freedom is a crucial issue which belongs in the legislative process of each country. You should view ACTA as an attempt by a handful of companies to circumvent the democratic process, and you should vote against it.Thank you. Please reply if you have any questions.

February 25, 2010

Music News from the Rock Station, 92-7 WQLZ by Bishop

Drum tracks are finished

The drum tracks for Avenged Sevenfold are complete. Probably at about the same pace the songs are, Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy busted the recordings out quick! Portnoy accepted the invitation to record with the band just a few weeks after Avenged Sevenfold's drummer, Jimmy “the Rev” Sullivan, passed away. How did the band and Portnoy celebrate? Portnoy and guitarist Zacky got matching Death Bat tattoos in the studio. Portnoy also is grateful for how open the fans have been during this whole "exciting and emotional" ordeal. Sullivan was found dead in December. The cause is still unclear, but should be revealed with lab reports very soon.

Listening party

“He looked the best he's looked in a long time,” one reporter said about Scott Weiland. Stone Temple Pilots premiered their new album at an exclusive listening party Tuesday night in New York. The whole band was in attendance. A reporter from The Pulse of Radio commented on the album, saying there is some natural progressions, Beetle-esque tunes with plenty of rocking songs, guitar solos and great vocals. The 12 track album has yet been titled, but does have a new release date of June 1st.

Best of

If you've been hankering for some new Pantera, well ... that's just never going to happen. But, you can gear up for a greatest hits disc! Pantera's “A Decade of Domination” will be available before you know it. And, it will be available at Wal-Mart stores, the first time Pantera has ever been made available at the mega-stores. Get ready to pick up the best of March 30th. Shortly after the best of is released you'll be able to pick up some special release vinyls of Pantera's “Cowboys From Hell,” “Vulgar Display of Power,” and “Far Beyond Driven” albums April 17th.

Catch the Music Minute every weekday with the Free Beer and Hot Wings Show on 92-7 WQLZ, the Rock Station.