A Journal of Musical Things

Streamlining the music scene to help you save time, money, and energy.

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Where are we at this week with vinyl and CD sales? (29 May 2025)

1 week ago | ajournalofmusicalthings.com | Alan Cross

Vinyl continues to outsell CDs in Canada by a comfortable margin. Here’s the lastest from Luminate. CDs sold in Canada last week: 26,743 (up 0.1% from last week.
Neil Peart: Bringing Canada and the US together again

1 week ago | ajournalofmusicalthings.com | Alan Cross

The relationship between Canada and the US has deteriorated mightily since Trump took office back in January. However, there are good people in America who realize that we, Canada, are longtime friends and allies and aren’t going to let swampy Washington politics get in the way. And the late Rush drummer Neil Peart seems to be the guy who’s going to help. Shredd & Reagan, the hosts of the morning show on Buffalo’s 97 Rock, are behind The Great North American Rush Off, a tribute to Neil and Rush.
An interesting statistical analysis of rock stars and substance abuse.

1 week ago | ajournalofmusicalthings.com | Alan Cross

Stat Significant is an informational website that uses the power of numbers to prove or debunk certain things within the entertainment industry. Their latest, “How Common is Drug and Alcohol Abuse Among Music Stars? A Statistical Analysis,” is another interesting case study. First of all, musicians don’t live as long as regular folk. The good news, is that abuse of drugs and alcohol among musicians is better than it was back in the 60s and 70s. But it’s also on the upswing again.
Jony Ive, former Apple designer, is now deep into AI. Here's what he has planned with AI man Sam Altman

1 week ago | ajournalofmusicalthings.com | Alan Cross

Jony Ive has earned a reputation as one of the great designers of consumer products. Many of Apple’s greatest successes–including the iPod, iPhone, and the MacBook Pro–were made real by Jony. He’s now teamed with Open AI CEO Sam Altman to reimagine what the consumer computer experience. The plan is to create a family of devices that will use AI that will let people do all kinds of cool stuff. What, exactly? That’s still…unclear. But their vision–a tease, really–is interesting.
If you're a nazi, stay in your basement. And NEVER go to a punk rock show. Otherwise...

1 week ago | ajournalofmusicalthings.com | Alan Cross

“Nazi punks f**k off!” was a rallying cry of the Dead Kennedys in 1981. Some messages never age. Look what happened to this nazi idiot who showed up at the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival in Las Vegas last weekend. He thought it would be fun if he wore a T-shirt featuring the logo of Hitler’s SS. The rest of the crowd did not approve. He got what he deserved. Each week, the podcast looks at something from the alt-rock universe, from artist profiles to various thematic explorations.
Ongoing History Daily: How your body and brain sync to music

1 week ago | ajournalofmusicalthings.com | Alan Cross

A new international medical study started at McGill University in Montreal adds more credence to the idea of Neural Resonance Theory or NRT. It suggests that our enjoyment of music is rooted in “natural brain and body oscillations that sync with rhythm, melody, and harmony.”Our brains somehow physically resonate with music. It gives us pleasure, shapes our sense of timing, and triggers an instinct to move with it.
Random music news for Thursday, May 29, 2025

1 week ago | ajournalofmusicalthings.com | Alan Cross

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Great. About 200,000,000 passwords have been leaked across Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Google accounts. Time to change all your passwords.

1 week ago | ajournalofmusicalthings.com | Alan Cross

Word is coming down that nearly 200,000,000 passwords are now out in the wild after a digital breach. The platforms affected are:GoogleFacebookMicrosoftAppleSnapchatRobloxPayPalNetflixDiscordPayPalHealth platformsGovernment platformsAccording to Website Planet, the cybertheft was carried out by using an “infostealer,” malware that infects devices and then steals all the saved passwords, autofill data, emails, documents, and browser cookies. Whenever you’re online, you’re vulnerable. Great.
RIP guitarist and producer Rick Derringer

1 week ago | ajournalofmusicalthings.com | Alan Cross

Rick Derringer is gone. And he was just 77. If you’re unfamiliar with Rick’s resume, he began his career with a band called The McCoys, who had a hit in the 60s called “Hang on Sloopy. He also worked as a Los Angeles session musician before achieving a hit with this song in 1973 when it was a including on his All American Boy album.
Another rock star went after Trump. Is something building?

1 week ago | ajournalofmusicalthings.com | Alan Cross

Following the lead of Bruce Springsteen and his anti-Trump rants this month (which REALLY got under Trump’s skin), Tom Morello has also gone after the Orange Man. At a performance at an event called Boston Calling on Saturday (May 25), Morello (a Harvard grad, by the way), expressed solidarity with his old school as well as with Springsteen and Taylor Swift, another target of Trump’s insane Truth postings.