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EMI sells historic Capitol Records tower

EMI sells historic Capitol Records tower

Over the past year there were frightening rumors about the historic and unique Capitol Records building being sold for the purposes of who knows what? Then a few months later we heard "confirmations" that the building wasn't going to be sold afterall. But it's a done deal folks, EMI has sold the tower. I mean how else are they going to pay for that Interpol advance?

The pricetag? Acording to Reuters it's 50 Million: Jeffery Goldfarb writes:

"EMI Group (EMI.L: Quote, Profile, Research) has agreed to sell its landmark Capitol Records Tower in Los Angeles, the world's first circular office building, for $50 million, and signed a long-term lease with the buyer to keep operations there. Opened in 1956 and designed to resemble a stack of vinyl 45 records on a turntable, the Capitol Tower is home to the Capitol Records label and the studios where label founder Johnny Mercer, Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys and Nat King Cole recorded."

"EMI, the world's third largest music company, said on Thursday it would retain the trademark and rights to the imagery of the building. The stylus atop the 13-story tower blinks out "Hollywood" in Morse code. Located near the famed intersection of Hollywood and Vine, the building has been shown being destroyed in several films, including "Earthquake" and "The Day After Tomorrow." Commercial property developer Argent Ventures agreed to buy the building from EMI, which is shedding a number of real estate ventures."

"Being able to become a stakeholder in Hollywood through the acquisition of such an iconic building, while preserving the operational presence of a landmark company is exactly how we had hoped to approach the Los Angeles market," said Michael Gargano, Argent's managing director. The deal also includes the Gogerty building adjacent the tower and a nearby parking lot." (Additional reporting by Miyoung Kim)

So there you have it. It's not like they're going to tear it down and build a Quizno's 2.0 or something. This is merely a sign of the times. If EMI has to sell their trademark building you know things aren't going well for the label, ot the industry in general. Just sayin'.

Tue Sep 26 2006 · Posted in Daily on littleradio.com

Little Radio presents: The Secret Machines, Autolux, & Giant Drag: Live @ the Palms Hotel (8/30/06)

Little Radio presents: The Secret Machines, Autolux, and Giant Drag: Live at the Palms Hotel, 8/30/06

I step off the plane after saying hello to one of my all-time Basketball idols Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and onto the pavement of Las Vegas, Nevada; his presence his intimidating. The weather is just as you’d expect it to be at this time of year; hot, dry, and windy. After arriving early to the Palms Hotel in Lost Wages I play some slot machines, win a little cash, and see some fellow Angelenos meandering around the casino waiting for check-in. Later on, before the first band goes on, the wind has died down significantly and allows for a better live mix from all three bands. Anyone who has ventured on to our site should already know how much love and respect we have for Giant Drag, Autolux, and The Secret Machines (who I haven’t seen in over a year). It was a perfect bill.

Giant Drag take the stage first and unfortunately their set time gets shaved to 20 minutes. They only played 4-5 songs, including my faves 'Kevin is Gay' and 'This Isn’t It'. But Annie is funny as always and they played a tight set. Autolux return for their first performance in several months opening with the amazing build-up of ‘Reappearing', which has always been one of my favorite live performances. The rise of metallic guitar sounds, delays and bass grooves comes to a hault as the band redirects the focus into a furious noise collage. Drummer Carla Azar puts on a live instructional showcase that every drummer should watch. They played other great tracks from Future Perfect like 'Turnstile Blues', 'Plantlife', the charging 'Robots in the Garden', and a new song I've never heard of before, which got me really excited for the next record. The Secret Machines played shorter than I thought, although a lot of their epic songs from Now Here Is Nowhere and Ten Silver Drops are quite long. The drumming sounded huge with vocalist/keyboardist/bassist Brandon Curtis easily switching instruments between and during songs. Brother Ben rocked adding layers of noise and riffs to the performance. The light show was bright and intense, fitting the spacey rock pieces perfectly. The sets from each band were spliced by young runway models showcasing clothing from Brown Sound, Tank Farm, and many others. I guess it’s nice to see young, hot models in fresh new clothes that look like something I would actually buy. The bands are what made the show special. I felt more at home during Autolux’s ‘Blanket’ and less like a visitor in “the city that never sleeps”.

-Scott McDonald

Fri Sep 1 2006 · Posted in Daily on littleradio.com

Little Radio presents: The Secret Machines, Autolux, & Giant Drag: Live @ the Palms Hotel (8/30/06)

Little Radio presents: The Secret Machines, Autolux, and Giant Drag: Live at the Palms Hotel, 8/30/06

I step off the plane after saying hello to one of my all-time Basketball idols Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and onto the pavement of Las Vegas, Nevada; his presence his intimidating. The weather is just as you’d expect it to be at this time of year; hot, dry, and windy. After arriving early to the Palms Hotel in Lost Wages I play some slot machines, win a little cash, and see some fellow Angelenos meandering around the casino waiting for check-in. Later on, before the first band goes on, the wind has died down significantly and allows for a better live mix from all three bands. Anyone who has ventured on to our site should already know how much love and respect we have for Giant Drag, Autolux, and The Secret Machines (who I haven’t seen in over a year). It was a perfect bill.

Giant Drag take the stage first and unfortunately their set time gets shaved to 20 minutes. They only played 4-5 songs, including my faves 'Kevin is Gay' and 'This Isn’t It'. But Annie is funny as always and they played a tight set. Autolux return for their first performance in several months opening with the amazing build-up of ‘Reappearing', which has always been one of my favorite live performances. The rise of metallic guitar sounds, delays and bass grooves comes to a hault as the band redirects the focus into a furious noise collage. Drummer Carla Azar puts on a live instructional showcase that every drummer should watch. They played other great tracks from Future Perfect like 'Turnstile Blues', 'Plantlife', the charging 'Robots in the Garden', and a new song I've never heard of before, which got me really excited for the next record. The Secret Machines played shorter than I thought, although a lot of their epic songs from Now Here Is Nowhere and Ten Silver Drops are quite long. The drumming sounded huge with vocalist/keyboardist/bassist Brandon Curtis easily switching instruments between and during songs. Brother Ben rocked adding layers of noise and riffs to the performance. The light show was bright and intense, fitting the spacey rock pieces perfectly. The sets from each band were spliced by young runway models showcasing clothing from Brown Sound, Tank Farm, and many others. I guess it’s nice to see young, hot models in fresh new clothes that look like something I would actually buy. The bands are what made the show special. I felt more at home during Autolux’s ‘Blanket’ and less like a visitor in “the city that never sleeps”.

-Scott McDonald

Fri Sep 1 2006 · Posted in Daily on littleradio.com