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THEY SAID IT “The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." Pane 8 llr5J J c _ U 11 inn/1 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Wednesday, September 22, 2004 author TAYLOR SOCK/THE GAMECOCK Second-year mechanical engineering student Luke Matthews looks through the growing number of used CD aisles at Manifest, located in the Boozer Shopping Center on Broad River Road. Manifest and Papa Jazz, on Greene Street in Five Points, let customers trade in their old CDs for either store credit or cash back. Most used CDs are bought for about $4, and many are sold for under $10. ■ Thrifty music fans get cash, store credit for old CDs at Papa Jazz and Manifest By MEG MOORE THE GAMECOCK Among the wooden shelves at Papa Jazz sit stacks of old LPs and boxes of contemporary CDs. As in a large retail store, all types of music are represented. Make a purchase, however, and there is a notable difference. Many CDs are priced under $10. Care for a copy of Britney Spears’ newest album, “In The Zone?” Papa Jazz has it for $6. Alicia Keys’ latest effort, “The Diary of Alicia Keys,” is only $8. Papa Jazz, located on Greene Street in Five Points, participates in a sort of “musical recycling.” Customers can sell their CDs to the store for about $4. In return, shoppers at Papa Jazz can choose between used CDs and brand new copies. Where new CDs sell for around $14 and can cost as much as $18, many students buy used CDs to save a few bucks or are happy to clean out their CD collection and pocket some cash. Case in point: former USC student and frequent Papa Jazz customer Anthony Charles made $40 last week by trading in some of his CDs. Manifest Music on Broad River Road also has an influx of used CDs to choose from. Manifest employee Josh Hogan estimated their collection contains between 3,000 and 4,000 previously owned CDs. Some in the music industry worried that giving customers money for old CDs would promote piracy. In effect, it would be easy to buy a new CD, burn a copy of it and then make money by selling the CD to a used-CD retailer. “I think that happens,” Hogan said. But Papa Jazz owner Tim Smith feels like that kind of behavior is not such a threat or cause for worry. “It isn’t any different from when people started putting their LPs on tape. I Usually catch on to that and won’t buy their CDs back,” Smith said. It may just be more of a space issue. Charles simply got rid of his CDs, not because he had burned copies, but because he put them on his iPod and had no use for the actual disc anymore. There seems to be a link between selling used CDs and the growing popularity of uploading songs onto digital players and computers with CD burners. “I think (the availability of CD burners and MP3 players) has “When radio came around people thought they’d never sell another record. But within a year business increased 10 times over. It’s free advertising.” TIM SMITH PAPA JAZZ OWNER something to do with it,” Hogan said. However, it is not entirely responsible. “We’ve always had a lot of used CDs,” he added. Smith has noticed he has been buying more used CDs since last year, but unlike the music industry, Smith said he thinks new music technology has only helped business in the new and used-CD markets. “I have customers come in all the time that say ‘Someone burned this CD for me, or I downloaded this song, and I want a copy,” Smith said. “The hard-core fans will always want a real copy. Smith cites durability and sound quality as the main reasons why manufactured CDs prevail over burned copies. Instead of looking at the used-CD business as a lower cost option for customers interested in obtaining a legal copy of albums, the music industry took a different .and greedier approach. In June 2002, the San Diego Union Tribune reported on the growing presence of stores buying and selling new CDs. For the recording industry, this trend came at a time when record sales were low and stagnant. Label executives debated over federal legislation that would require used CD retailers to pay royalties on secondary sales of CDs. Instead of reacting unfavorably toward customers, Smith believes the recording industry should get its answers from history. “When radio came around people thought they’d never sell another record. But within a year business increased 10 times over,” Smith said. “It’s free advertising.” Hogan observed that perhaps the music industry has responded because used CDs are readily available. “A lot of the major labels have dropped their prices,” Hogan said. For customers that aren’t trying to build a music library, trading in used CDs can be an incentive to give the music industry more money. Many used-CD retailers offer more store credit than cash in exchange for CDs, prompting customers to buy more music, which only furthers the main goal of musicians: to be heard, no matter how much money was spent. Comments an this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edit John Moossa, Jim Fabricatore, Ryan Davis and Scott Lewis make up the roots rock band Moossa. This Virginia band will play at New Brookland Tavern on Friday with MikenPike and Sterling Y. Moossa melds roots rock with funky blues, reggae By SHANA TILL THE GAMECOCK <! # Hailing from Richmond, Va., roots rock band Moossa will take the stage Friday night at New Brookland Tavern, promising a smorgasbord of blues, reggae and funk. In an interview, lead singer JoHn Moossa said he prefers Stevie Ray Vaughn over Jimmy Cliff, and Robert Johnson over Trey Anastasio. Fans would say this is a good, even if inadvertent, indication of Moossa’s sound. The blues and electric roots ring clear, but the underlying elements of jam band and reggae still leave an indelible impression. John Moossa began his music career as a singer/songwriter, performing solo acoustic gigs. Around three years ago, John started to collaborate with longtime friend, Jim Fabricatore, who contributes electric guitar and vocals. They soon got together with bassist/vocalist Ryan Davis and drummer/percussionist Scott Lewis. ♦ Please see MOOSSA, page 9 MOVIE REVIEW Bettany serves up lovable talent in ‘Wimbledon’ alongside Dunst “WIMBLEDON” STARRING KIRSTEN DUNST, PAUL BETTANY ★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ By LESLIE DENNIS THE GAMECOCK The previews for “Wimbledon” have nothing to do with the movie, except for the fact that it does actually involve tennis. “Wimbledon” deceives audiences by dangling Kirsten Dunst as the star of the film and advertising itself as a romantic comedy. But Dunst is merely a figurehead for the film, a face for audiences to identify with and a star for the studio to capitalize on. The real star of the film is Paul Bettany, the underrated, unknown actor mainly recognized for his roles as the charismatic Chaucer in “A Knight’s Tale” and the sidekick to Russell Crowe in “A Beautiful Mind” and “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.” And no matter how hard “Wimbledon” attempts to make itself a romantic comedy, the movie really revolves around Peter Colt’s (Bettany) inner struggle with his falling stardom and declining athleticism. Bettany, a British import, has quietly worked his way from supporting roles to leading actor in “Wimbledon.” Although brilliant • PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Paul Bettany joins the ranks of fellow Brit actors Hugh Grant and Jude Law with his performance as conflicted tennis star Peter Colt. and amazingly adept as Tom Edison in Lars von Trier’s original film “Dogville,” Bettany was overshadowed by Nicole Kidman; in “Wimbledon,” however, Bettany is the main attraction and convincingly plays the self-doubting tennis player. His performance ranges from self-deprecating humor to unabashed vulnerability in slow subtle nuances that make the part seem specifically written for Bettany. However, the life Bettany breathes into Colt, the 30 something tennis player who believes he has reached his prime, cannot resuscitate the dying plot and save the movie from the unoriginal cliches of the predictable combination of sport and romance. “Wimbledon” follows the formula by using conventional characters and stale story twists in the hopes of attracting the usual crowd of teenagers and couples. There is Lizzie’s overbearing father, Dennis Bradbury (Sam Neill), who only wants what’s in his daughter’s best interest, which ♦ Please see WIMBLEDON, page!9