Twin/Tone, the record label known for breaking such acts as the Replacements, Soul Asylum, and Ween, has announced it has pressed its last new recording. But that doesn't mean it won't be releasing new material. The 21-year old Minneapolis-based label plans to begin selling songs as well as entire albums as sound files over the Net. The label says it will distribute works by 1,000 bands by the end of the year, in CD-quality Liquid Audio file format, for a buck and a half per song, or US$10 per album.
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So you wanna be a screenwriter?: Roughcut Online is teaming up with New Line Cinema to present the opportunity of a lifetime: Starting 17 July, Web surfers get a chance to co-author a movie screenplay with Hollywood screenwriter (and author of the upcoming film Blade) David S. Goyer. Visitors to the Roughcut site may read the first five pages of an original science-fiction thriller penned by Goyer, then post their own subsequent 10-page blocks. A panel of Roughcut judges will select one every week for eight weeks, each piece building on the prior submission. Goyer will then tie up the loose ends and write the concluding finale. The resulting screenplay won't necessarily be made into a feature film, but will be posted online. Expect other genre-specific screenplay challenges to follow.
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Fragapalooza: Most Quake fans are happy enough to shoot it out in multi-player cyberspace tournaments. Now fanatics can frag in person at the annual Fragapalooza, a four-day gaming event to be held 16-19 July in an airplane hangar in Edmonton, Alberta. Contestants must bring their own computer, monitor, controllers, and Quake software, as well as camping gear. Free lodging is provided in the hangar for those who want immediate access to their gaming every morning. Registration costs CN$30 on or before 30 June; $40 thereafter. Last year, more than 100 gamers made the trek. This year, organizers expect 300 players, plus sponsors: Activision, Bioware, H3D, and Sierra, among others. To learn more, visit the Fragapalooza homepage.
