• There's a report that Amazon.com has begun the paperwork for a music download store. The store, said to be slated for an early 2007 launch, will reported offer (1) only MP3s and (2) variable pricing. This would be another -- and strictly indie -- download store to offer MP3s. Yahoo! Music has convinced a few majors to make small MP3 experiments, but currently MP3s are the domain of indie-leaning sites and thus are kept at arm's length from mainstream consumers. (Read post at Hypebot)

• Several rock legends -- Grateful Dead Producgtions, Carlos Santana, members of Led Zeppelin and The Doors -- have sued online music memoribilia retailer Wolfgang's Vault. Wolfgang's Vault operator William Sagan purchased an archive of live recordings from the late Bill Graham. The plaintiffs allege the site streams live performances to generate sales of other items. Said Bob Weird in a statement, "We have never given permission for our images and material to be used in this way. What Sagan is doing is stealing. He is stealing what is most important to us -- our work, our images and our music -- and is profiting from the good will of our fans." Recently, Norton LLC, the owner of Wolfgang's Vault, obtained the Tower.com domain as well as the retailer's 33rd Street Records and Pulse magazine. (Read article at Billboard.biz, Hollywood Reporter and Variety)

• Los Angeles mourns the news that Go Boy Records in Redondo Beach will close its doors the day after Christmas. "Six months ago it seemed that everyone at once decided to stop buying CDs," said owner Scott Dallavo. "It's almost like someone flipped a switch." (Read article at The Daily Breeze)

• Billboard magazine's Brian Garrity has a top ten list...the top ten music industry stories of 2006. Topping the list are Universal Music Group's buck-a-Zune royalty, the hardline positions of UMG's Doug Morris and Tower Records' fall. Garrity didn't mention the year's biggest non-story: The inability of EMI and Warner Music Group to figure out how to merge or acquire the other. (Read article at Billboard.biz)