Dub dot dash

Bullets
• Sounds music stores go into voluntary administration - "The company that operates Sounds and some Blockbuster stores has gone into voluntary administration - the first in New Zealand to do so [under new legislation]. Icon Digital Entertainment runs seven Blockbuster video chain stores and 50 Sounds music stores nationwide." They owe bank and creditors $20m. More here.

ADDED: sighted at the Dominion Post... "Music store sales have slumped from more than $50 a person each year in 2000 to $34 a head last year. Total music sales topped $200 million in 2001, but were down to $147 million last year. Other retailers blamed reduced prices at The Warehouse, which sells CDs for at least $5 less than prices in music chain stores.

Auckland-based Real Groovy music store manager Chris Hart said competition from The Warehouse was "huge", the discount chain selling CDs for about $22 when the full markup price for a music store was about $35."

• Congratulations to Moana Maniapoto, one of five winners of $50,000 Arts Foundation awards. Link.

• Late last year, Robyn predicted on my 2006 round-up that "To help steer people back to albums, I reckon we’ll see more concept albums, with bands (and record companies) trying to convince us that all the album tracks are equally important, and, like, we must respect their artistic vision and go on a musical journey."
Turns out, Jermaine Dupri thinks she has a point, and mouths off about it at Huffington Post, in reference to the new Jay Z album, only sold as a complete album, no single track downloads allowed. Robyns 's reaction? "You know who needs to shut up? Jermaine Dupri needs to shut up." Read it here.
Or, as Idolator puts it... "Jermaine Dupri Is Willing To Screw You Over For The Sake Of A Good Album" More here.