Digg founder Kevin Rose recently sat down with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails (NIN). Kevin asks the most popular questions as submitted by Trent’s fans on Digg.

In the interview, Trent talks about how the music industry is in between business models. He says in the end, hopefully more power will be put in the hands of musicians. He also talks about when he tried the option of letting people name their price for downloading his music. He said that only 18% of people actually paid for it. Thus now he feels all music on the net is free, so now he doesn’t charge for it. He claims that all traditional music channels are irrelevant and most people find new music on other channels like blogs.

Watch this interesting interview.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcZNfLhXwPg

Nickelback’s album Dark Horse was released almost two years ago, but it is still cranking out hits. I was at the brink of hearing Nickelback on the radio and then they release “This Afternoon”. I actually like the song, it’s perfect for summer.

Do you like this tune?

Tunesmate turns 1 year old today. Thanks for all the suggestions and feedback on the blog posts. We know that we love music as much as you do.

In the next year, we will be focusing on:

• hot new emerging artists
• interviews with musicians
• retrospectives on classic artists

What would you like to see more on Tunesmate?

llustration: Rob Kelly

I am big fan of Bret Michaels. I personally think the lead singer of Poison is a strong song writer and made the soundtrack of 80s and 90s. “Rock of Love”, Bret’s version of the dating game for the millennium, brought something to talk about around the water cooler. However, recently Bret has been in the spotlight for two things, the big win on the Celebrity Apprentice and his recent brain hemorrhage.

I first have to say I have no evidence of a scam regarding Bret Michaels’ health. However do you think there is a coincidence between the announcement of Bret being hospitalized and the final episode of the Celebrity Apprentice? It just makes you wonder was Donald Trump behind the recent publicity? I was personally caught up in the ordeal and was wishing for speedy recovery for Bret. Then all of a sudden in less than week, right as the final episode aired, Bret was out on tour again?

http://www.myspace.com/bretmichaelsofpoison

Today (June 25) marks one year since Michael Jackson passed away.  Can you believe that it’s already been a year?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P94tzjG2lAE

I don’t know what it is about Giant Eagle, but the other day I was waiting in line and they had a little video monitor playing ads. All of a sudden, the above Mentos Ad came on and I had a flash back. For a second, I thought I was back in 1994. I remember this ad vividly because I always thought wouldn’t it be cool to have a car phone. I am surprised when old ads continually get played. A few others that come to mind are always around the holidays like the Budweiser Clydesdales and Folger’s Crystals ads.

Why do old ads still get played, are they that good?

Word is that Debbie Gibson and Tiffany will be co-starring in an upcoming movie on Syfy called Mega Python vs. Gatoroid.  Seems like a far cry from “Shake Your Love” vs. “I Think We’re Alone Now” in the Fall of 1987 or “Lost in Your Eyes” vs. “All This Time” in Spring 1989 when the two pop music queens were co-starring on the Hot 100 charts.  Nothing against Tiffany, but I was partial to Debbie Gibson back in the day.  I even had a big Debbie Gibson poster on my bedroom wall.  Where do/did you stand on the what has seemed for the most part to be a friendly rivalry?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru2tsT32pHA

Summer is officially here and if you are looking to put together a playlist that fits the season then look no further. See what made Tunemates’ Top 40 Summer Song list. Bertie Higgins is an honorable mention with his 1982 hit “Key Largo”.

I was at Giant Eagle on Saturday afternoon, when they started playing “You Should Hear How She Talks About You” by Melissa Manchester. It had been a while since I heard this song; it had been on a1982 compilation album,  a two-tape pack that my parents bought for me along with my first Walkman. It really did “take me back” to that Christmas.

Can you remember where  you were when you heard a particular song or album for the first time? Do you associate a particular song to a very specific place and time? When you hear a tune on the radio, or in a store, does it “take you back?”

Share your stories!

If you’re in the Toledo, Ohio, area some time between now and September 12, you might consider checking out “The Psychedelic 60s:  Posters from the Rock Era” at the Toledo Museum of Art.  The exhibit features 150 posters that illustrate the use of visual art in the late 1960s as a means of promoting rock concerts.  The posters provide insight into not only the rock acts they promoted, but also the major artists and promoters who played significant roles in the culture of popular music. 

Though there is a charge for parking in the museum lot, admission to the museum and the exhibit are both free.