DATE: 23 Oct 2008, 6:45 pm / MOOD: Anti-MySpace (SonicJive Radio)

Imeem is now cutting staff and exploring a sale, according to multiple sources.  In conversations with Digital Music News on Wednesday, an Imeem executive confirmed  that cuts are indeed happening, and exiting staffers reaffirmed the information.  "Imeem laid off a lot of people today," one source emailed, without offering additional details. 

In terms of numbers, paidContent estimated reductions approaching 25 percent on a group of 80.  Those chops are likely to happen within technical and service areas of the company, according to the report. 

A sales process is also underway, and guided by investment banker Montgomery and Co., also according to paidContent.  That was independent verified, though a successful sale remains a difficult challenge in the current climate. 

The Montgomery process may represent an attempt at a quick exit, especially for a company still cultivating its revenue streams.  Imeem backers include Sequoia Capital, Morgenthaler Ventures, and Warner Music Group, among others, and funding has pushed past $50 million over the past two years. 

Imeem has secured the rights to the catalogs of all four major labels, though executives continue to point to a massive licensing overhead.  Meanwhile, larger funds like Sequoia are pushing for greater financial discipline from their portfolio companies.  According to one Sand Hill insider, bigger funds are now attempting to extend the lives of their bets, though near-term acquisitions remain feasible.

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DATE: 24 Jun 2007, 7:32 pm / MOOD: Instant Karma

Check out the SonicJive Live Mini-Blog, updated today, for all the latest SonicJive Information. The SonicJive Live profile page features news about upcoming broadcasts on SonicJive Radio, the latest in cinematic releases, a DVD of the week, SIX FEATURED SonicJive Artists, and the 411 on what is going on in and around SonicJive.com

It is too cool to miss, so check it out BY CLICKING HERE, and say hello to our Jive Babe Of The Day, Kendra Wilkinson, plus get the scoop for the upcoming blockbuster release "Transformers", the current release "Ocean's Thirteen", and our DVD Stash Pick Of The Week, "Smokin' Aces".

Also listen to our featured Songs For This Week, all SonicJive Member Artists!

1. "Bochum" by Six By Seven

2. "Pavement" by The Eclective Collective

3. "Another Me" by PJ Pacifico

4. "Ain't It A Shame" by Down Lo

5. "Without A Doubt" by The Spencer Durham Group

6. "Nowhere Near A Saint" by Casey Frazier

Now, if you missed the last episode of "The Sopranos", do NOT read any further. If you have seen it, follows is Mike's review of the episode. We think he is just a little flighty and slightly egregious.......Just don't tell him we said so, we'd like to get our paychecks this week if you don't mind.

Don't Stop Believing (Hold On To That Feeling)

No....this is not a White Sox blog or a plea for support for a rapidly fading team or an homage to the 2005 World Champs who I predicted would go 72-90 this year by the way, and I am a FAN.....

I just FINALLY watched the final episode of The Sopranos. I have to say - I had no clue what to expect, I had deftly avoided all conversation regarding the episode. The end was utterly magnificent. But what really happened?

First off, it was not a "fade" to black. It was a cut. If the ending was supposed to be unresolved there would have been a fade, and the Journey song "Don't Stop Believing", would have rolled over the credits.

It was a cut. Tony's brain stopped. He was shot in the head and his story ended and, hence, the series. It was a brilliant conclusion. The tedium of his everyday life and family displayed in the last episode was the exact contrast to his lack of existence at the end. He died, nothing was resolved. That's the message. His life was essentially empty.

We don't know what happened to everyone else, or who it was that definitely shot him or who ordered the hit. But this was Tony's story ultimately.

His end is THE END.

There was no other reason to put the flashback to Tony and Bobby fishing in the penultimate episode. It was inherent in the foreshadowing which literally explained the ending.

(If you don't remember the scene, Tony asks Bobby what he thinks it's like when you get whacked. Bobby tells Tony you probably don't see it coming, then it just goes black. ) Too subtle? That's EXACTLY the ending!

Why do people refuse to understand this? They are so used to having to have their hands held and told like children what's going on. This "make up your own ending" tripe is ridiculous and juvenile. The ending wasn't a cop out, it was the ending, and it was sheer, bold poetry.

People are so self-centered and complacent that, of course, they're going to think they're getting pissed on when somebody does something unexpected.

You're going to turn your back on David Chase and the show now?!? C'mon!!

Tony Soprano paid for his lifestyle with a bullet to his head.

For more fact - consider this:

1. As I mentioned, during episode 2 of this season when Tony got into the fist fight with Bobby up at the lake house, there was a scene where the two of them were out on a boat fishing and were talking about what it would be like to get shot. Bobby said , "I bet you don't hear anything. Everything just fades to black."

This scene was replayed in the next-to-last episode when Tony realized that Bobby was actually dead and that he too, was a target....this after refusing to believe speculation from FBI Sgt. Harris that there was in fact, a hit out of Brooklyn on Tony's head.

2. This, taken with the fact that in the final restaurant scene, every time someone would come in the door, Tony would look up and a bell would chime. The last time he looked up (apparently when Meadow was coming in), there was just the chime and everything ceased to exist from that exact moment.

3. The white male who appeared to be eyeing Tony in the restaurant, and who got up and went into the bathroom, was Nicky Leotardo, Phil's nephew. He had only appeared in one or two earlier episodes, but was in a sit-down scene with both Tony and Phil a while back. This was a clear homage to the movie HOFFA starring Jack Nicholson, right down to the bad 1970's "fake wood" paneling and the Member's Only jacket; that allusion alone would have been enough to convince me he was killed, having seen HOFFA. This created (for me) incredible tension during the final five minutes.

4. The two black guys who also appeared to be acting suspicious were from a prior hit ordered by Tony which never came to fruition. (I can't recall this episode, but I have heard that it's been verified and it's worth researching)

5. The camera angles used in the final scene alternate between Tony's perspective and that of a third person. Chase does this very clearly and methodically, so that when the final cut-to-black scene comes, we are to assume that it is Tony's perspective. The look on Tony's face was not that of someone who looked up and saw his daughter, it was more shocking surprise, as if he thought to himself, "this is it."

As you recall, the immediately preceding scene is a third-person view of Tony looking up from his menu.

6. Although one argument against Tony being shot is the unwritten rule that you don't whack a guy in front of his family, this went out the window when Phil was hit, right in front of his wife and grandchildren, (the SUV rolling over his head was a magnificent touch), and in fact is more of an argument in favor of why they would whack Tony in front of his family…an eye for an eye. What I question is the grand jury subpoena on the firearm case.........Carlo "the little guy" obviously flipped or did he?  Was that an Fed or hi-tech mob surveillance? (and it's possible someone from Tony's own "family" ordered the hit on Tony or a higher-up...read on) - there is plenty of mystery surrounding Patsy Parisi - and his son (Meadow's fiance) knew where Meadow was going that evening so he could have mentioned something to his father - when Sil was shot, he somehow got away, and never looked back. Was he fearing his life or did he fear being exposed as a rat? Continue reading..............

7. Phil's underlings sold him out by attending the private sitdown with Tony where it was agreed that Tony would take Phil out. It is not unreasonable to assume that Tony's guys would do the same thing, especially when taken in light of…

8. …Paulie's odd behavior throughout the last episode. After every conversation with Tony, especially where he voices "I live but to serve you My Liege", Paulie winces somewhat and appears to be emotionally rattled or rueful. There is something beneath the surface there, AND….why did Patsy call for his son , whom was in trouble for selling exstacy with the "Little Guy's" son, mysteriously away from everyone at Bobby's after-funeral gathering? AND..........

9. …When you consider that Paulie refused to take the last assignment from Tony for no good reason, it becomes clear that he knew ahead of time that Tony was going to be hit, and that Paulie was going to advance to the head of the family, especially with both Bobby and Silvio (and possibly AJ) out of the way. Paulie knew what was coming and couldn't say anything

10. I personally think Little Carmine had basically had enough of the bullshit and ordered the hits on both Phil and Tony to bring sanity and profitability back to the organization. His only dialogue in the final episode was simply, "It didn't have to be this way."

We Have a Winner!!!!!

That's it........the show's over. There is no need to speculate on the ending.

Just watch the expression on Tony's face in the final scene. It says so much more than the Cut-To-Black, which everyone seems to be reading into. I don't think it is quite that cryptic.........

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DATE: 30 May 2007, 9:04 pm / MOOD: Bringin' Sexy Back

Hope some of the Sonic Jive members got to check out the debut of Sonic Jive Live tonight on one of our syndicaters BZOO.org. If you missed any or all of it, please check it out during its Sonic Jive debut on Friday (presented at a crystal clear 128kbps for all you audiophiles out there) by visiting www.sonicjive.com/sonicjivelive and clicking on the "Tune In" link on the right hand side of the page. If you can't wait until Friday, you can preview 4 different segments of the show on the music player on my personal page www.sonicjive.com/pooch. Please leave feedback on both pages as if it were going out of style. I'd really love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks --- Pooch

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DATE: 28 May 2007, 11:43 am / MOOD: Bell Bottom Blues

Damn!

Damn I say!

Well, we hit a little speed bump trying to get the first show up.

 

Apparently these things happen, but Mike, being the perfectionist that he is, hasn't taken this too lightly. AND IT'S HIS FAULT (though you did NOT hear that from the SonicJive Live staff!!)

Anyway - we will let you in on a little secret. Mike feels so badly that he has ordered us to run a ten-week contest and he is giving away a Coby PSP to the winner!! All because, well, he, ummm, goofed up (teensy weensy bit).

Details, Man! Give Me Details!

Pooch will ask a trivia question on his show each week for TEN WEEKS. Write down the correct answer (if ya know it) and after ten weeks submit your answer list with all the correct answers to us via email at SonicJiveLive@SonicJive.com. For those who miss the show it is rebroadcast each Wednesday at www.BZoO.org and we will post the previous week's question in our new MiniBlog & ShowNotes section.

ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PLEASE

All entries with the correct answers will be entered into a drawing with the winner being announced on Pooch's show in week ELEVEN.

 

For More Details check out our page located RIGHT HERE where we have added a new MiniBlog & ShowNotes section just to the left of our comments section.

And don't be too hard on Mike. He could use some words of encouragement or at least an invite to a Memorial Day Barbecue. He's had a rough weekend, but again, you didn't hear it here.

READ THE MINI-BLOG!!!!!!!

Peace y'all,

SonicJive Live

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DATE: 10 May 2007, 11:58 am / MOOD: Head Like A Hole

Myspace/Fox can use ANYTHING of yours you post to your site [music, videos, photographs, art work, etc.]. This means they can alter it, edit it, sell it, etc. WITHOUT giving you credit

SONIC JIVE HAS NO SUCH LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

MySpace/Fox can use ANYTHING of yours you post to your site [music, videos, photographs, art work, etc.]. This means they can alter it, edit it, sell it, etc. WITHOUT giving you credit, giving you royalties, basically without giving you jack shit. Please be aware of this and use caution when sharing your creative works on MySpace. I love being a networking junkie like the rest of you and I adore seeing everyone’s new work - but I’d hate for it to be violated and taken out from under your control by a media company that’s much bigger than you.

If you think this is as frightening as I do, please repost and warn your fellow artists/friends about this. Direct quote is below.

Proprietary Rights in Content on MySpace.com.
By displaying or publishing (”posting”) any Content, messages, text, files, images, photos, video, sounds, profiles, works of authorship, or any other materials (collectively, “Content”) on or through the Services, you hereby grant to MySpace.com, a non-exclusive, fully-paid and royalty-free, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense through unlimited levels of sublicensees) to use, copy, modify, adapt, translate, publicly perform, publicly display, store, reproduce, transmit, and distribute such Content on and through the Services.

This license will terminate at the time you remove such Content from the Services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a back-up or residual copy of the Content posted by you may remain on the MySpace.com servers after you have removed the Content from the Services, and MySpace.com retains the rights to those copies.

You represent and warrant that: (i) you own the Content posted by you on or through the Services or otherwise have the right to grant the license set forth in this section, and (ii) the posting of your Content on or through the Services does not violate the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, contract rights or any other rights of any person. You agree to pay for all royalties, fees, and any other monies owing any person by reason of any Content posted by you to or through the Services.

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