• The Department of Justice cleared the Live Nation acquisition of House of Blues. (Read article at Billboard.biz)

• Martin Bandier, who just retired from EMI Music Publishing, is reportedly in talks with Warner Music Group to assume a similar position. The Times threw out a scenario in which Bandier would benefit from an EMI/Warner Music Group merger: "He may hope to position himself to lead a buyout of the Warner/Chappell publishing arm should it be offloaded in a merger with EMI." (Read article at The Times Online)

• EMI Classics signed British soprano Kate Royal and Swedish soprano Nina Stemme. (Read article at Playbill)

• The Rolling Stones have changed more concert dates due to Mick Jagger's throat problems. Three West Coast dates were delayed, and Hawaii's date was cancelled altogether. (Read post at Pollstar)

• Digital Music Group has added seven more labels to its catalog. Music For Little People, DM Records and The Cryptic Corporation signed long-term deals. Four labels signed short-term deals: ProgRock Records, Takeover Records, DRT Entertainment and FILMguerrero. (Read press release)

• Apple's next iPod Shuffle will be available this Friday. The device will have a 1 GB capacity and a $79 retail price. (Read post at Engadget)

• Japanese music download service Orion is ditching PC downloads for the greener pastures of mobile downloads. A spokesman put the company's ills on the iPod. "If iPod users could download music from our site, we may have waited to see if the tide turns from mobile phones to online downloads." Chalk up another vote for interoperability. (Read article at Reuters, via paidContent.org)

• An interview with Scott Cohen, founder and vice-president of digital distributor The Orchard. "Full track downloads will be massive as consumers discover MP3 capability in their mobile phones. This is the natural way that music will go. We just aren't there yet. Sure, there's money to be made today. But it's not the explosive opportunity today that many want to make it to appear." (Read article at eMarketer)

• Digital Music Group has added seven more labels to its catalog. Music For Little People, DM Records and The Cryptic Corporation signed long-term deals. Four labels signed short-term deals: ProgRock Records, Takeover Records, DRT Entertainment and FILMguerrero. (Read press release)