Mail Call

Disappointed: As a musician and former resident of the Houston area — and as a devout reader of the Houston Press — I was really disappointed by the inaccuracies of John Nova Lomax's article on SoundExchange ["SoundExchange Wants to Kill Internet Radio," Racket, May 17]. The insinuation that SoundExchange has some ulterior motive in not finding artists owed royalty money so it can fatten its own bank account is patently absurd. The organization is not-for-profit, and any uncollected moneys are redistributed to other artists, thus effectively lowering administrative costs. By law, any money not claimed after three years is subject to forfeiture, but SoundExchange is still trying to pay artists whose recordings were played over a decade ago. Compare this to other performance-rights organizations both here in the U.S. and around the world, which will only pay for performances surveyed within the past year.

SoundExchange has engaged in extensive outreach efforts to try and find artists who are owed royalties, and we certainly appreciate John's offer to help find Houston-area performers. We urge all artists to come register with us at www.soundexchange.com. Registration is absolutely free.

Willem Dicke
SoundExchange
Washington, DC

The Truth about Tony?

Online readers respond to Steven Devadanam's HouStoned blog entry about theSopranos finale, "Tony Soprano Ain't Dead. Now Shaddup and Pass the Cold Cuts," June 13.

I think you're right: To expect a happy ending would be anti-David Chase. The ending made sense if you thought about it.

Adil, June 13

Being Tony: Essentially, we've been having a Being Tony Soprano experience for the last few years, and we all just got spit out on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike.

RB, June 13

You got it: The only interpretation that makes sense from the final scene is that life goes on for Tony (as Steve Perry sings, "oh the movie never ends, it goes on and on and on and on"). And life for Tony Soprano is about always looking over your shoulder while dealing with a dysfunctional family. That shady-looking guy at the counter, is he a hitter? That guy in the trucker hat, is he an FBI agent? It's all foreshadowing Tony's future, facing FBI indictment and constant danger as the head of an organized crime family. Like Tony tells Bobby B. on the lake, a boss ends up dead or in jail.

When the screen cut to black, it wasn't Tony getting whacked. It was the viewer.

MarkB, June 13

What really matters: The greatest repercussion of the Sopranos ending? Holstens Diner is going to have to add "onion rings" to their lunch menu...

franger, June 14

Tony is dead: If there is a movie, which I highly doubt, it will be about Tony's father.

Foreshadowing is poignant after the fact. Why show us the scene with Bobby at the lake? Twice? Once in the first episode of the season, the other in the second-to-last. Obviously, Chase believes it to be an important clue to Tony's demise.

I take Chase at his word, that he is not messing with us. He would not include that scene twice before the finale, if it had no meaning.

pistola, June 14

He's a survivor: Ya know, I thought the same thing — I thought that the action really began after we were plucked out of T's world. More importantly, T is a survivor always on the alert (he would never have just sat there and let all the signs/observations we were seeing through his perspective just roll by him). I was distracted by the reference to the "it all goes black / you never see it coming," but I'm glad everyone is finally remembering how we were introduced to T and removed from his world the same way.

Chris, June 15

Shrink wrap: Has anyone thought about how Dr. Melfi would feel if Tony ends up dead? Horrible — it would ruin her life. She would feel that she gave in to the elitist intellectuals at the dinner table who convinced her that therapy for a sociopath just doesn't work. She went with it (albeit with discomfit). Now just imagine her reaction when she reads about Tony's assassination. Her life work — saving people — is all for naught. She cut this man loose, and then he dies. Why else would Chase have Melfi end the relationship? It wouldn't have much impact if Tony lives. But, with Tony's death, Melfi spends the rest of her life much like Tony, grappling with her good and evil sides, questioning her intentions, trying to find where she fits in the world.

Aside from the immediate Soprano family witnessing Tony's death, she is the biggest victim of this final episode.

4score, June 19Upon Further Reflection

We triple-checked Dune-Micheli Patten's video, part of the "LU" exhibit at the Art Car Museum, and we found that contrary to our capsule review of the show [by Sean Carroll, May 31], the artist does not appear in blackface in the video.

The Houston Press regrets the error.

Water Break

School's out for summer, and the absence of pencils, books and teachers' dirty looks means the arrival of the sweltering Houston heat. We're big fans of keeping cool, so the theme for this month's high school photo contest is water. Fresh water, salt water, bath water, fish water — anything that's wet, really. Send all entries to studentphotos@houstonpress.com. Visit blogs.houstonpress.com for more details and to vote on last month's entries