• Based on first-day sales, Hits predicts a big week for Keith Urban. Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing (Capitol Nashville) could sell in the area of 350,000. Sony's Now 23 is expected to do abou the same. (Read article at Hits)

• Hidden Beach Records has inked a distribution agreement with Universal Music Group Distribution. The first album of the new agreement will be by TribalJazz, a jazz group led by Doors founder John Densmore. (If you have time, go to the band's MySpace page and listen to its version of The Doors' "Riders On The Storm.") Jill Scott, who was the label's first hit, will release a new album in 2007. (Read press release)

• Mark Wright, currently an executive VP of A&R, will take over as president of Universal South Records. He replaces the label's founders, Tim Dubois and Tony Brown. (Read article at Variety)

• The String Cheese Incident, a touring workhorse and its own in-house cottage industry, posted a message on its website that said the band "has no plans - beyond summer of 2007" and added it "would like to extend a heartfelt than you to our friends and fans for all your support." (Read article at Pollstar)

• One last Tower Records eulogy: Stories from Tower's Sunset Strip store, where employees were "mini-celebrities" in the '70s and Elton John was allowed to shop alone an hour before the store opened. (Read at Sacramento Bee)

• In honor of the new NBA season, I'd like to give you the first-week Soundscan total for My World (Tru Warier, through Lightyear) by Sacramento King forward Ron Artest: 250. Oh my. To be charitable, I'll add in the 91 street date violations. Let's call it 341. Here's an interesting note from Artest's website: "Ron originally had an offer from (Kings owners) the Maloof's record label, however the NBA informed the Maloofs that if they signed Ron to their label they would be fined 2.5 million dollars and would have a first round draft pick taken away as well."

[music jobs] Brand and Online Marketing Manager at The Ascot Club/Am Only; Brooklyn, NY.