By Cortney Harding 44 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Given the radical image changes that Panic at the Disco has undergone in the past year, it's hard not to read the lyrics to its new album's opening song as a pre-emptive strike against critics.

"Oh, how it's been so long/we're so sorry we've been gone/we were busy writing songs/for you," bassist Jon Walker sings, by way of apology for the two-and-a-half-year lag between 2005's "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" and the new "Pretty. Odd.," due March 25 via Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic.

Then, he launches into lines meant to comfort fans who have no doubt noticed that their favorite band now looks less like Queen and more like the Kinks: "You don't have to worry cause we're still the same band."

Lyricist/guitarist Ryan Ross describes the song as "a lighthearted way to make an important statement." But despite Ross' insistence that things in Panic-land are business as usual, the fact is, a number of things have changed since the band burst on the scene in 2005, resplendent in layers of makeup and surrounded by circus performers.

The band shed one member (bassist Brent Wilson) and replaced him with Walker. The members traded their Hedi Slimane-style black suits for vests, cravats and floral patterns.

And perhaps most crucially, they toned down the bombastic, glammy sound of their first record, replacing it with a stripped-down approach that, at times, recalls the Beatles and Bright Eyes.

But it was that bombastic, glammy sound that made them stars in the first place. And with Panic at the Disco's history being so tied to it, will it be easy to shed?

MAKING THE BAND

John Janick, president of independent label Fueled by Ramen, was introduced to Panic by Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, who has his own imprint, Decaydance, through Fueled by Ramen.

"(Wentz told) me I had to come to L.A. to check out this new band that had contacted him online," Janick says. "I went and hung out with them, listened to some songs and signed them. At that point, they had never even played a show and were still in high school. We waited until they graduated, then flew them to (Washington) D.C. to make the record."

Realizing that he was dealing with a band that had almost no fan base, Janick sent it on the road with Fall Out Boy and set about coordinating an online campaign. Using sites like MySpace and PureVolume, both of which are popular with Fall Out Boy's key demographic, he started to build a grassroots effort, aligning the new band with the more established one.

The strategy seemed to pay off — Fueled by Ramen shipped 15,000 copies of Panic's first record; 10,000 sold in the first week. Modern rock stations began spinning the band's songs, although the label didn't actively promote the record to radio. "I didn't want them to be thrown in everyone's faces," Jannick says. Instead, the band took its time and shot its first video, for the song "I Write Sins Not Tragedies."

That clip, an over-the-top production that featured the Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque, premiered January 17, 2006, on MTV's "TRL." The video was the first time many viewers saw Panic, and it was crucial in establishing the visuals that would be associated with the band. For the remainder of 2006, the band sold out theaters before embarking on an arena tour. The accompanying stage sets and visuals were splashy and intricate; shows featured ballerinas and acrobats, while Panic's members went through so much makeup that MAC Cosmetics offered to set them up with a supply of eyeliner in exchange for an endorsement.

They released a series of big-budget videos, again depicting the members as something straight out of the Moulin Rouge, culminating in the band taking home MTV's video of the year award for "Sins" in 2006. Two months prior, "Fever" had peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200, before being certified platinum a month later. To date, it has sold 1.67 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

INTO THE WOODS

After its banner year in 2006, Panic retreated to a cabin in the woods in early 2007 to begin work on its follow-up. Ross describes the initial effort as "a short story set to music. I was mostly working on it by myself, and while the other guys liked it, it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be."

Janick says the band did some rough recordings in April and May, but by June, it was clear that it wanted to change direction. "Those recordings are on the shelf," Janick says when asked if they would ever be released as B-sides or fan specials. "And because the quality of the recording isn't that great, they will probably stay on the shelf."

Wentz, who describes his role in the band's development as "Obi-Wan living in the desert," says he heard the lost record and that it sounded like "a bizarre musical about wolves. It felt a bit forced."

The death of that project, Ross says, "gave me a lot of insight. It became easier to move forward after that was done." Ross adopted the Beatles as his new role models for the next take on the second Panic album. "They weren't afraid to try things and do what they wanted to do," he says.

"We wanted to grow, and we were really over the circus theme at that point," he continues. "We went out in the woods and got new clothes and all grew beards. Jon and (frontman) Brendon (Urie) wrote songs for the record, and it became more of a band effort and less about me."

In the summer of 2007, Panic took the opportunity to try out new songs, performing them at several festivals around Europe. For a band whose garish live show had been its staple, it also took a risk by performing, as Wentz puts it, "wearing flannel shirts and jeans. They looked like they were coming out to do covers of the Band."

PUNCTUATION MATTERS

Performing looking like Pearl Jam circa 1993 was the band's first airing of its new self, and the next step it took was dramatic in its own way. After two years of being officially known as "Panic! at the Disco," the band removed the exclamation point from its name.

"We ruined a lot of MySpace names with that move," Urie says sarcastically. "You look silly now if your MySpace name is John! at the Disco."

The fans who haunt the band's MySpace and Facebook pages noticed the change and took to the forums to engage in some grammatically incorrect debates, with an even split between those calling the band a sellout and those writing off the minor change as harmless. Wentz compares the change to "when Kentucky Fried Chicken changed their name to KFC. At the end of the day, it's still chicken."

For the band, at least, the decision was seeped in meaning. "Dropping the exclamation point was our way of drawing a line in the sand," Ross says. "We have a new record and we feel like a new band. We were all tired of it, and we went ahead and got rid of it."

"This is going to be like when Kiss took of their makeup," Wentz says. "At the end of 2006, Panic had really just become too known for their look and the circus visual.

"As artists, they had to reinvent themselves," he continues. "Otherwise you hit a glass ceiling. When I signed them, Brendon was 17 and he didn't have much life experience. He came to see me in California and stayed up all night because he was so excited about not having his parents tell him to go to bed."

"I have spent time thinking about how our fans will respond to this," Ross says. "But a lot of them are close to our age, and they have also changed between being 18 and 22. I honestly believe our fans are going to grow with us. They will see that this is a natural evolution and not something calculated."

Noting that "it's important for us to reinvent our sound and our visual," Urie adds, "We were really young when we wrote the first record, and that teenage angst paid off well. But we are happy with the music and with the place we are in. In a weird way, this feels like another first record."

Reuters/Billboard

33 minutes ago

DOWNEY, Calif. - Owners of The Carpenters’ former home aren’t feeling on top of the world about the legions of fans who keep stopping by to pay tribute.

The five-bedroom tract house, where siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter lived and penned some of their greatest hits, was featured on the cover of their 1973 hit album “Now & Then.” It was also where an anorexic Karen Carpenter collapsed in 1983 before dying.

Owners Manuel and Blanca Melendez Parra have apparently grown weary of the parade of fans paying homage.

The couple have submitted plans to officials in Downey, a city about 15 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, to raze the 39-year-old main house, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. The Parras have already torn down an adjoining house and have begun construction on a larger home.

The proposal to level the rest of the residence has angered fans.

“This house is our version of Graceland,” said Carpenters aficionado Jon Konjoyan. “When they photographed the ‘Now & Then’ cover here in 1973, the house was instantly immortalized.”

The 57-year-old musician and promoter is heading a campaign to save the original home from the wrecker’s ball. Some fans have proposed that Downey officials declare the house a historic landmark.

The entire Carpenter family lived in the main house. The adjoining section was used as an office, rehearsal studio and recreation room.

The Carpenters’ parents lived in the residence until Harold Carpenter’s death in 1988 and Agnes Carpenter’s in 1996. Richard Carpenter sold the house a year later.

After the Parras bought the house, Jessica Parra, said that at first her parents invited fans into the home and gave away items left by Richard Carpenter.

“In the beginning, we let everybody in. But honestly, it became horrible, not only for us but for the neighborhood,” Parra said. “People peek in windows and take pictures. They leave flowers on the front porch.”

Downey officials said that they received plans for a new residence, but that no demolition permit has been issued.

Konjoyan is holding out hope. He wants the home to be bought and rehabilitated. If that is not possible, he wants the structure to be moved.

“They were such a huge American act in the ’70s,” Konjoyan said of the duo. “So many people loved them.”

By Jennifer Netherby 52 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - When the Mars Volta put out its latest album, "The Bedlam in Goliath," in January, the act gave its hardcore fans an option that is becoming increasingly popular — and creative.

Instead of a CD or digital version of the Universal album, fans could buy a $30 USB drive designed like a Ouija board planchette. The device comes with a digital-rights-management-free version of the album and the promise of more bonus materials in coming months. Users simply plug it into their computer's USB drive and then listen to the album or download it into their music library.

The Mars Volta joins a growing number of recording artists who have experimented with USB releases in recent months, among them Jennifer Lopez, Ringo Starr and Matchbox Twenty.

More are expected in coming months. Austin-based All Access, the company behind USB releases from Matchbox Twenty and Starr, has signed deals with EMI, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group to make USB bracelets for other artists.

"The selling point to the labels is a really good one — it's a marriage between merchandise and music so that people will at least buy it instead of stealing it because they want the merchandise," All Access CEO Chris Guggenheim said. "It's the only for-sure non-stolen product."

HIGHER MANUFACTURING COSTS

At this point, the releases are offered more as collectibles to build fan loyalty than as sources of revenue.

The cost of putting an album out on a USB drive is pricier than releasing it on a CD, partly because bands aren't placing bulk orders and partly because flash drives cost more than discs. Guggenheim said that bracelets generally cost $5 to $7 per unit. But costs can rise to $17 per unit or more for flash drives with more memory and other additions.

Universal doesn't expect to make money on the 2,000 USB units it put out for the Mars Volta release or on the 2,000 USB units it will put out for Erykah Badu's February 26 release, "Nu AmErykah," Universal senior vice president of digital business development Cameo Carlson said.

But it does expect to keep fans connected to both acts. Those who buy the Mars Volta USB stick get a new extra on the 29th of each month, ranging from bonus tracks to wallpaper. Badu will create new bonus features throughout the year for those who buy "Nu AmErykah" on USB.

"It's not for everybody," Carlson said. "It's for the hardcore fan that wants tons of pictures, who really wants something more and the opportunity to get new stuff every month."

For bands, USB drives offer a cooler way to get their music to fans in a souvenir package that fans can wear or carry with them, giving the band free promotion.

Starr wore a wristband containing his latest album, "Liverpool 8," to the Grammy Awards, getting attention for the release that a CD jewel case certainly wouldn't. Guggenheim said that about one wristband is sold for every three CDs of Starr's album.

In October, Matchbox Twenty released its latest album, "Exile on Mainstream," on USB bracelets, putting out an initial 25,000 units. Manager Michael Lippman said that "tens of thousands" have been sold.

ROOM FOR EXTRAS

"USB is going to be the future," Lippman said. "You don't have to download it on a computer, you put it in and it comes up, (and) there's plenty of room to add additional material."

Some indie bands have turned to USB drives for releases because they can order fewer units and spend less money than they would for an order of 1,000 CDs, said Ed Donnelly, president of Los Angeles-based Aderra, which makes drives for Barenaked Ladies, Jars of Clay and indie bands like Los Angeles' Killola. Acts can place orders for as few as 100 USB drives preloaded with their album and other goodies.

Along with the songs from the album, Matchbox Twenty included its first video, behind-the-scenes footage, pictures and an Internet link to the band's site.

Based on the success of its album sales on USB, the band is selling bracelets of its live show at concerts during its current tour. All Access replicates the bracelets after a concert in minutes. The bracelets are quickly sent to the merchandising booths, where fans can buy a recording of the show they just saw as they leave. Each bracelet costs the same as one of the band's concert T-shirts.

Barenaked Ladies, considered the pioneers of USB releases, put out "Barenaked on a Stick" in 2005, a 128 MB flash drive loaded with 29 previously released songs plus videos and other content. The band followed it up with souvenir flash drives at its 2006 concerts in support of "Barenaked Ladies Are Me." The concert USB keys came loaded with the new album, live tracks, ringtones and videos for $25.

Willie Nelson, Jars of Clay and the Black Crowes also have sold USB bracelets at concerts.

Bands typically sell the drives to 5 percent of their audience at a show, depending on how tech-savvy the crowd is.

Reuters/Billboard

By TOBY STERLING, Associated Press Writer 22 minutes ago

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Several dozen people protested outside a theater Saturday where a 104-year-old singer who once performed for Adolf Hitler took the stage in the Netherlands for the first time in four decades.

Johannes Heesters was never accused of being a propagandist or anything other than an actor who was willing to perform for the Nazis, and the Allies allowed him to continue his career after the war. But in his native country he is viewed by some as irredeemable.

“He kept singing for the Nazi regime, for the Wehrmacht, and he earned millions,” said Piet Schouten, representative of a committee formed to protest Heesters’ performance at De Flint theater in Amersfoort.

“Those are facts and we have a problem with that on behalf of all the victims” he told national broadcaster NOS.

In 1964, Heesters was booed off the stage in Amsterdam when he tried to appear as Nazi-hating Captain von Trapp in “The Sound of Music.”

No disturbances were reported during Saturday’s concert in Amersfoort, where Heesters was born in 1903.

Heesters, who lives in Germany, has been a popular figure in German-language cabaret since the 1930s. On Saturday, he performed “The Merry Widow,” the German song that made him famous, and “There by the Windmill,” a Dutch classic, among others. At times he asked his wife, on stage with him, to remind him of lines but his voice was steady.

Around 50 demonstrators gathered outside. A handful of neo-Nazis also turned up — uninvited — to support Heesters, and several were detained by police after throwing eggs at the demonstrators.

Concertgoers were forced to submit copies of their passports and undergo airport-style security scans before being allowed to enter the theater, which seats 800.

Many of Heesters’ critics focus on a visit his theater company made to Dachau in 1941. He had never disclosed the visit, but it became known when photos of him with Nazi soldiers were published in 1978.

One of the protesters carried a banner reading “my grandfather was in Dachau too.”

Heesters says he didn’t perform for the soldiers and didn’t know about conditions at the concentration camp.

After the war “I was ashamed of myself and I still haven’t stopped feeling this way,” Heesters wrote in his autobiography. “I am angry with myself for being gullible, credulous and naive.”

In an editorial, Dutch newspaper Trouw wrote Saturday that “the stain will always remain, but Heesters is welcome home in the Netherlands — it’s nice that he’s appearing here 104 years after his birth.”

“It’s all too easy for people today, most of whom grew up after the war, to pass judgment on the collaborators then,” the paper wrote. “What would we do under comparable circumstances?”

By Christa Titus 23 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - When Black Tide's members were barely out of high school, they landed an Ozzfest date on the second stage.

Another act dropped out of the lineup, so Black Tide was invited to join the rest of the tour. But second-stage sponsor Jagermeister balked because it didn't want to look like it was promoting underage drinking. Black Tide's fans swarmed Internet message boards demanding that the judgment be reversed. And then a miracle occurred: Ozzfest's organizers asked the band to open the main stage, and it rocked the crowd accordingly.

Such have been the formative years for Florida's Black Tide, a quartet that merges classic rock with a modern style. Debut album "Light From Above" (Interscope, March 18) reflects the influence of such genre heavyweights as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, whose catalog is older than Black Tide's members. In fact, guitarist/lead singer Gabriel Garcia just turned 15.

Black Tide's youth hasn't hindered its progress, which has been swift. The band formed just a few years ago and picked up a demo deal with Atlantic before signing with Interscope in 2006. Its triumph at Ozzfest indicated a victory on another level. Teen acts are more readily accepted in pop and R&B, but metal audiences have little patience for music that seems contrived. Black Tide earned major credibility by proving it can perform.

Asked what he'd like people to know about "Light From Above" or Black Tide, bassist Zakk Sandler says with a laugh, "(That) it's not bull—t. That it's actually real. I know a lot of people are like, 'Oh, this is going to last a week because they're young and whatever.' That's not the case at all. We don't plan on treating it like that, either."

Revolver magazine is one of the first media outlets to support Black Tide in a big way; its current issue features a four-page spread on the band.

Although Interscope is targeting a rock audience, Black Tide is also gathering coverage in such mainstream magazines as Spin, Blender and Entertainment Weekly. Interscope product manager Dyana Kass says the crossover press happened organically.

"They're such an interesting concoction of old school meets new school, and we're really doing a two-prong approach," she says. "We're making sure we're getting more of that kind of classic-metal-audience-slash-rock, and then additionally getting that youth audience and the (Vans) Warped tour audience."

Black Tide is staying on the road for the rest of the year, and will do dates on the Rockster Energy Mayhem tour and possibly Warped.

Reuters/Billboard

By Leila Cobo 31 minutes ago

MIAMI (Billboard) - In a world where name recognition is everything, A.B. Quintanilla has flipped conventional wisdom by regularly tinkering with his group's moniker.

What began as A.B. Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia Kings evolved into A.B. Quintanilla III Presents Kumbia Kings, and finally A.B. Quintanilla III Presents Kumbia All Starz.

The mutations are not in name only. Possibly no other group in contemporary Latin music has produced as many offshoots as Quintanilla's Kumbia Kings and Kumbia All Starz, with a roster of alumni that includes Frankie J, DJ Kane and K1.

Through it all, Quintanilla's fan base has remained stable, a remarkable feat for a bandleader who is not a lead singer.

But as arranger/producer/composer/bassist, Quintanilla is the architect of a particular urban cumbia sound that has managed to transcend years, names and vocalists. (Traditional cumbia is the music for a dance of short sliding step that originated among African slaves on Colombia's Atlantic coast.)

"In the end, I think I can change the name to A.B. Quintanilla and whatever," Quintanilla said on the phone from Argentina, where he's filming three videos for new album "Planeta Kumbia." Due March 4 on EMI/Televisa, the 15-track set is his sophomore album with his new group, Kumbia All Starz, following his much-publicized breakup with longtime musical partner Cruz Martinez.

"The thing about it is, when people are buying Coca-Cola or Tide, it always has to be new and improved. Stronger-smelling, fresher," Quintanilla said. "But even though the chemicals may change, it's still the same brand. I believe when people hear 'A.B. Quintanilla,' they know they're going to buy a quality cumbia album."

Caught up in an ongoing dispute with Martinez over the rights to the Kumbia Kings name, Quintanilla is now focused on Kumbia All Starz. The group's debut album, 2006's "From KK to Kumbia All Starz," has sold nearly 200,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

ACCENT ON SPANISH

"Planeta Kumbia" is a continuation of Quintanilla's distinctive mix of traditional beats, pop, hip-hop, loops and synthesizers. But the album is more dance-oriented and Latin-leaning than other Quintanilla productions. While all previous albums have included English-language tracks, this time, everything is in Spanish.

"I definitely have more Spanish-speaking consumers now than the bilingual crowd," said Quintanilla, who has concentrated much of his promotional efforts in Mexico during the past two years. "Now, it's very important to be Spanish-conscious."

Despite the changes, the blend remains defined by Quintanilla's touch. First single "Por Ti Baby" features a guest singer, new EMI Televisa artist Flex, whose debut album, "Te Quiero," is No. 4 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart.

The band will perform the song on Univision's Premios lo Nuestro Awards telecast, marking Quintanilla's first U.S. TV performance since the 2005 tribute to his sister Selena, the Tejano singer who was murdered in 1995.

The second single features newcomer Melissa Jimenez on vocals, and the third features Spanish rapper Mala Rodriguez and Argentine rocker Vicentico. Kumbia All Starz singer Ricky Rick handles lead vocals on most of the other tracks.

Rick remains with the band, but two other singers departed after the album was recorded. Sources say former Kumbia Kings singer DJ Kane could reteam with Quintanilla in the All Starz.

Quintanilla plans to tie in promotional efforts for "Planeta Kumbia" with his search for new singers, and he's in conversations with two major TV networks about doing a reality show that doubles as a talent search, with the winners landing slots in his group.

In the States, Quintanilla has been a consistent top seller, with his early albums nearing the half-million sales mark, according to Nielsen SoundScan. All of his studio sets have topped 200,000 copies.

Quintanilla maintained the momentum even after his split with Martinez, a testament to his appeal.

"If you go from the first Kumbia Kings album to Kumbia All Starz, you notice there is a continuous flow of hit after hit on each album," Quintanilla said. "And each time, there are different vocalists interpreting the songs."

Reuters/Billboard

By Susan Visakowitz 42 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The New York Giants weren't the only ones to come away from Super Bowl XLII with a storybook ending. Artists who were tied to the game through live performance or inclusion in advertisements also notched impressive victories, especially on the digital front.

Leading the charge, perhaps unsurprisingly: halftime show stars Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, who performed four of their best-known songs in a well-received 12-minute set. With more than 97 million viewers tuned in to the game — the most in Super Bowl history — Petty and his band dominated the ultimate platform for reaching consumers.

This week the group finds itself at the summit of Billboard's Top Pop Catalog chart with its "Greatest Hits," which shot up 196 percent in the week following the Super Bowl with sales of 33,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The band's "Anthology: Through the Years" jumped 240 percent to 7,000, taking the No. 6 spot on the same chart.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Petty collects his biggest trophy this week for halftime show entry "Free Fallin"': The track shifted 63,000 digital copies, a gain of 305 percent, and bows at No. 10 on Hot Digital Songs. "I Won't Back Down," "American Girl" and "Runnin' Down a Dream," which made up the rest of Petty's halftime set, all registered similarly notable climbs in the digital realm.

Mike Davis, executive vice president/general manager of Universal Music Enterprises, which controls Petty's early catalog, said that advance preparation — especially online — was key to ensuring the best possible sales outcome.

INTERNET PUSH

"A huge part of our marketing was online-based," Davis said. "With big television events, the online aspect is so important because people can see (the performance) happen onscreen and then immediately react and buy it online. With so much music being bought online now anyway, it's an easy bull's-eye to market to."

Davis said iTunes accounted for the most sales of "Greatest Hits" and noted that 12,000 out of the 33,000 units shifted this week (or 36 percent) were digital.

"Greatest Hits" actually broke the top 10 on Top Pop Catalog several weeks before the game, and Davis said those results were "mostly driven by retail and Super Bowl bumpers telling people that Tom Petty would be performing." In the past 10 weeks, the set climbed the chart 98-83-79-40-34-19-6-6-2-1.

Of course, not all the glory went to the Giants and Petty. An edge-of-your-seat matchup on the field meant viewers stayed glued to their TV screens for the duration of the game, only intensifying the attention already paid to that other major player on Super Sunday: commercial spots.

Although results on the retail side were generally underwhelming, several artists scored big with digital consumers thanks to prominent ad placements.

Haddaway's 1993 Billboard Hot 100 hit "What Is Love" soundtracked a star-studded Diet Pepsi Max commercial that came in at No. 8 in USA Today's Super Bowl Ad Meter results, a real-time consumer rating of the ads. The spot, which also earned mostly positive reviews in the media, propelled digital track sales of 22,000 in the week after the game, an increase of 200 percent, and secured the song a No. 68 entry on Hot Digital Songs.

Karin Hartmann of Germany-based Coconut Music, which owns the master recording, said that since the game she's received offers from U.S. labels "to release the track again" and expects "compilation requests" to rise. She added, "It was a wonderful feeling to see the ad in the Super Bowl."

MIXED RESULTS

But even artists featured in spots that weren't as well received came away with digital sales wins. Doritos spotlighted "Crash the Super Bowl" contest winner and virtual unknown Kina Grannis in a 60-second ad that had lots of pregame buzz but ultimately fell flat with viewers and industry execs.

The spot, really a segment of a video for the new Grannis single "Message From Your Heart," finished dead last on the Ad Meter. But Grannis, who won not just the airtime but also a recording contract with Interscope, moved 15,000 downloads of the track this week, a 118 percent increase from the previous week.

The song is also getting early airplay on mainstream top 40 stations in Boston and New Orleans, which helped it break the Pop 100 at No. 93.

The secret to its success? Multiple online promotional touch-points. Grannis and the winning song were promoted on a Doritos microsite for the contest, a related Doritos MySpace page, Grannis' own Web site and MySpace page, and a Grannis blog dedicated to her participation in the consumer-judged contest. The iTunes page dedicated to the track also provided a detailed background on the contest and its winner.

In contrast, up-and-coming Seattle rock band the Boss Martians, whose "Hey Hey Yeah Yeah" was featured in not one but two eTrade commercials aired during the game (both of which scored big points with consumers), saw little immediate sales impact.

MuSick Records owner/president Art Bourasseau said he only found out the song was going to be used in the spots on the Wednesday before the game. "We rushed to get it up on iTunes as a single by that Friday evening," he said, "but we've only promoted it on the band's MySpace page."

Reuters/Billboard