In one of the biggest news stories of the day, the FBI raided the Megaupload file sharing site, alleging that users have cost copyright holders some half-billion dollars in lost revenue. In retaliation, the Anonymous group of hackers launched attacks on the Department of Justice, Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Industry Association of America, record labels and … the FBI. Here’s a statement attributed to them. Our take: we don’t support SOPA, but it’s even harder to get behind the hackers. They’re the heirs to the kids who showed up (early) to Woodstock and got pissed off because there was a fence set up. Their assertion, that the whole thing should be free, conveniently ignored the fact that once everything is free, there will be a lot less of it.
Speaking of piracy, No Age has accused Kings of Leon of stealing their T-shirt design.
Fleet Foxes drummer J. Tillman is leaving the band, and two other members are stepping aside temporarily for a side project called Poor Moon.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre release their 13th studio disc, Aufheben, later this year. The Heartless Bastards release their fourth album, Arrow, on Valentines Day. Check out the first single, “Parted Ways,” below:
John Mayer unveiled his $14,000 John Mayer edition Martin guitar. Mayer, on the sound of his new record: “What would it sound like if I wrote an album of cowboy songs on this guitar under the stars?” The rest of the world: “Please shut up.”
And in news straight out of 1982, AC/DC has gotten its own pinball machine.
