• It's official: Fat Joe has left Atlantic. His album Me Myself & I will be released independently (through a yet-to-be-named distributor) on October 17th. (Billboard.com)

• The LA Times' Geoff Bucher trumpets last week's album sales slump. It was the worst week since January of 1994, and Januaries tend to be really, really slow. Summers can be slow, too...obviously. (LA Times)

• Reuters picked up Coolfer's post on Snocap's Linx beta. (Reuters)

• Lori Ricscher, who formerly worked in promotion for Arista, Columbia, Island and RCA, has been hired by The Firm for promotion and marketing duties related to its recorded music business and in-house clients. (The Hollywood Reporter)

• Phyllis E. Grann, a senior editor at Doubleday and former CEO and president of Penguin Publishing, was elected to the Warner Music Group board of directors. She will sit on the audit committee. (Press Release)

• EMI chairman and CEO Alain Levy was appointed chairman of the Film Business Academy’s Advisory Board at Cass Business School, London. (4RFV)