Monday 31 August 2009, 16:46 | By Andy Malt

Album Review: Squarepusher – Solo Electric Bass 1 (Warp)

Album Reviews

Squarepusher, aka Tom Jenkinson, is of course known mainly for his brain melting jazz-influenced drum n bass (or possibly drum n bass-influenced jazz), but he is also known as something of a bass guitar virtuoso. This live album, recorded at the Cité de la Musique in Paris in September 2007, collects some of his work in that field on record for the first time – as the album’s title would suggest. So, with nothing more than a bass guitar and an amp, Jenkinson spends 40 minutes creating sounds that frankly aren’t human, but at the same time have a warmth and accessibility often lacking on things like this. It’s not all blistering slap bass, either (although there is a lot of that). He keeps the volume and texture varied to stop the listener from drifting into a trance induced by continuous thwapping sounds. One of the highlights of the album is a reworking of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Castles Made Of Sand’, here listed as ‘SEB 8’, on which he spends five minutes drifting in and out of recognisable riffs. This release is a strictly limited edition affair, so if you have any interest in hearing those distinctive Squarepusher bass lines stripped of the harsh electronics, or are a lover of impressive bass playing, you should snap this up fast. AHM

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Album Review: Saint Etienne – So Tough/Sound Of Water (Universal/Heavenly)

Album Reviews

Following ‘Foxbase Alpha’ and ‘Continental’, this is phase two of the Great Saint Etienne Reissue programme, with both albums accompanied by the obligatory treasure trove bonus CD. 1993’s ‘So Tough’ remains the group’s highest charting album but it was also a frustratingly unfulfilling listen at times, especially given the high standard set by the album’s singles (the epic poignancy of ‘Avenue’, tear-stained ‘melodrama’ on ‘Hobart Paving and the kitsch ‘You’re In A Bad Way’). ‘Mario’s Cafe’ and ‘Calico’ show the trio at their best (sonic adventurers with a pure pop heart) but too much of the rest is simply filler. The bonus disc is a real treat though, comprising non-album singles (‘Join Our Club’ and ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ are worth the entrance fee alone) alongside wondrous b sides (Saint Etienne, like Pet Shop Boys, Suede and The Smiths, have always been a group whose b-sides offer an essential secret history) and improbably glorious covers of everyone from Teenage Fanclub to Right Said Fred. Whilst the trio had flirted with electronica before, 2000’s ‘Sound Of Water’ marked the first time the group embraced their more experimental side on a whole album, working with German post rock group To Rococo Rot on an album that remains their least overtly poppy. It’s a strangely anodyne affair at times, but still offers up some compelling music in places, with one classic slice of St Et social commentary married to precision-tooled electro-pop in ‘Heart Failed’. The eclectic bonus disc is arguably even more interesting than the parent album, with the melancholy ambience of ‘Roseneck’ and ‘Shoot Out The Lights’ sitting alongside further diversions and experiments, including the whole of the ‘Places To Visit’ EP (whose ‘We’re In The City’ is the closest thing to the trio’s perfect pop from this era). Two quite different albums then; each worth exploring if you’re a fan, but if you’re new to the group ‘So Tough’ should be your first port of call out of these two. Roll on the next batch, then. MS

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Single Review: Florence Rawlings – A Fool In Love (Dramatico Records)

Single Reviews

Though on the same label as Katie Melua, Florence Rawlings has more in common with the watered down blues of Joss Stone or Nell Bryden than the fey strums of her labelmate. And it’s not as hugely awful as the more discernable music lover may think – Rawlings certainly has the voice to grab a fair share of the Radio 2 audience’s attention. There’s no originality though, and it’s a kind of jazz that boils down to ‘credit crunch dinner party’ – all prawns from Iceland and booze from Lidl. So, nothing like the sort of Little Richard and Gladys Knight her hopeful PR compares her too, but harmless enough to stem the urge to rip your ears off. As middle of the road as a dead hedgehog. TM

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Mercury co-founder dies

Business News Obituaries Top Stories

Mercury Records co-founder Berle Adams has died at the age of 92. He died in LA after battling a long illness. Adams worked in an assortment of music business roles over the years, as well as enjoying success in the TV industry and acting as an agent for the likes of Jack Benny and Alfred Hitchcock.

Born in Chicago, Adams’ first experience of the music industry was as a band booker, first for school parties, and later for a string of community events. His first proper job was as a sales rep for Varsity Records, persuading jukebox owners to include the label’s music alongside those of much bigger record companies.

In his mid-twenties he took an office job at the General Artists Corporation and began working towards becoming a fully fledged agent, gaining credibility in that domain through his representation of bandleader Louis Jordan. He also booked dates for the likes of Glenn Miller, Nat King Cole and the Andrews Sisters via GAC, before quitting in 1943 to set up his own Berle Adams Agency, with Jordan his main client.

Soon after, he became involved in the launch of the Mercury Radio & TV Company, which subsequently became Mercury Records, and he helped steer some of the record company’s early success stories. That said, he only worked with Mercury for a few years, moving to LA in 1947 and returned to the life of a booking agent.

His big career leap came three years later when he was hired by MCA, where he continued to work as a booking agent for music acts, but also became a mover and shaker in the world of US television, and later the film industry following MCA’s acquisition of Universal Pictures. He subsequently helped MCA expand its music interests, and launched a new label within the entertainment conglom, UNI Records, which signed, among others, The Who, Neil Diamond, Elton John, and Olivia Newton-John.

He was essentially pushed out of MCA in the early seventies after an internal power struggle, leading to the creation of another Adam’s led company, BAC Inc, through which he pursued a wide range of music and TV projects for much of the rest of his life, particularly specialising in the creation and distribution of one-off TV specials for big time music stars.

He retired from both the TV and music industries some years before his death this month.

Spotify iPhone app approved by Apple

Business News Digital Top Stories

Spotify’s long-awaited iPhone app will appear on iTunes in the next few days after making it through Apple’s review process, seemingly without any significant changes from the original submission.

A spokesperson for Apple told paidContent yesterday afternoon: “The current status as of right now is it’s been approved and we hope to add the app to the more than 65,000 apps on the app store very soon. We’ve been in constant communication working with the developer and have already notified Spotify that the app will be in the app store very soon”.

Spotify chief Daniel Ek added via Twitter: “Yes, I can confirm that Apple has approved the app. We’re happy but have had a great dialogue with Apple all the way. They’ve been great!” And, although it’s not yet available to the public, he posted ‘I Gotta Feeling’ by Black Eyed Peas to Twitter using the app. It’s not clear if this is because he was hinting that there’s more news on the horizon, or if he just has terrible taste in music.

As previously reported, the app will allow Spotify premium subscribers (that’s the seven or so people who’ve opted to pay £10 a month to get the service ad-free) in the UK, Sweden, France, Spain, Norway and Finland to not only stream music, but also cache playlists for offline listening. This latter feature led some to call the app an “iTunes killer”. But as we all know, people who use that phrase are usually idiots who don’t know what they’re talking about.

While it’s unlikely that it will topple iTunes’ dominance in the music download field, it is likely to sell a lot of iPhones, which is good news for Apple. It’s even better news for Spotify, as this, and its other forthcoming mobile apps, are likely to be the key to convincing more people to sign up for their paid service.

Take a look at the app here.

So, what’s going on with the Pirate Bay sale then?

Business News Digital Top Stories

There’s much speculation and doubt still surrounding the plans by Swedish tech firm Global Gaming Factory to buy rogue BitTorrent tracker The Pirate Bay.

As previously reported, GGF have said they will buy the copyright infringing music search engine for $8 million, with plans to turn it into a legit royalty-paying service funded by advertising and the resale of network members’ bandwidth.

But, in addition to various criticisms of GGF’s proposed business model for the Bay, there have been reports that the tech company won’t be able to raise the money required to buy the tracker, and that some of its own shareholders are opposed to the acquisition anyway, scared of the liabilities that might come their way if they buy such a controversial web property. With so much speculation doing the rounds about GGF’s plans, and their ability to go through with the controversial acquisition, the Swedish stock exchange suspended trading in the company’s shares.

Nevertheless, GGF boss and majority shareholder Hans Pandeya remains optimistic about the planned Bay acquisition. Although admitting that the original financial backers of the deal had got cold feet, and that some of his own shareholders were against the transaction, he has told reporters that he yesterday got shareholder approval for the takeover and that he now has new sources of money in place to go through with the deal.

But the sceptics remain, well, sceptical. Pandeya seemingly got support from his minority shareholders by accepting personal liability for any losses the deal may cause. But some question whether Pandeye – who allegedly owes back taxes and is facing a lawsuit from a former CTO – can actually afford to take on such liabilities. Plus the aforementioned Swedish stock exchange remains angry that Pandeya has not revealed the names of the original financial backers who withdrew from the deal, nor the new backers he claims to have secured.

All of which tells us very little really. Though Pandeya is saying his takeover could now be completed in as soon as eight days. We’ll see I guess. Certainly this attempted takeover is as pleasingly dramatic, chaotic and comical as pretty much every other development in The Pirate Bay’s history.

Madonna booed for Gypsy support

Artist News Top Stories

Madonna was booed by a large portion of her audience at a show in Romania on Wednesday after she spoke out against discrimination of the Roma people, Eastern European Gypsies. Prejudice against the Roma is strong in many Central and Eastern European countries, with six murdered and several injured in a recent series of attacks in Hungary.

As part of her current tour, Madonna is joined on stage at one point by Roma musicians and a dancer. After they had performed on Wednesday night, Madonna announced to the audience: “It has been brought to my attention that there is a lot of discrimination against Romanies and Gypsies in general in Eastern Europe. It made me feel very sad. We don’t believe in discrimination, we believe in freedom and equal rights for everyone”.

This was met with boos and jeers, with more when she went on to mention discrimination against homosexuals too.

One of those who booed, Ionut Dinu, told Associated Press: “I jeered her because it seemed false what she was telling us. What business does she have telling us these things?”

Radu Motoc, from the Romania branch of the Soros Foundation, which funds volunteer socio-political projects added on Thursday:”There is generally widespread resentment against Gypsies in Eastern Europe. They have historically been the underdog. Madonna is a pop star. She is not an expert on interethnic relations”.

However, the singer’s publicist Liz Rosenberg told reporters: “Madonna has been touring with a phenomenal troupe of Roma musicians who made her aware of the discrimination toward them in several countries, so she felt compelled to make a brief statement”.

Peas vs Perez delayed

Legal

Black Eyed Peas’ tour manager Polo Molina will have to wait until next month to face charges of assaulting celebrity blogger Perez Hilton earlier this year. At a hearing on Wednesday, which Molina did not attend, the case was adjourned until 16 Sep.

As previously reported, Perez Hilton got punched by someone at the Cobra nightclub in Toronto after the MuchMusic Video Awards on 21 Jun. Hilton says it was Will.i.am. Will.i.am says it wasn’t. Whether or not Will.i.am threw any punches or not is still not clear. However, Molina, who Hilton also says hit him a few times, was charged with assault after the attack and promptly sued for damages by Hilton.

Fall Out bloke discusses arrest

Legal

Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump has been talking about his previously reported arrest for driving without a valid licence.

He told MTV: “All I really have to say is ignorance of the law isn’t innocence. I didn’t want to give up my Illinois driver’s license and was unaware that was a crime. It is, by the way, in the state of California. Lesson learned. I technically broke a law, so technically I deserve whatever I get. But man, is my mom gonna be pissed”.

Stump was released on $15,000 bail on Wednesday morning. If convicted, he could face six months in prison, or a $1000 fine.

Basement Jaxx dropped by XL

Artist News Business News Labels & Publishers

Basement Jaxx’s forthcoming new album, ‘Scars’, which is released next month, will be their last for Beggars label XL Recordings. The duo signed a five album deal with the label just over a decade ago, releasing their debut album, ‘Remedy’ in 1999. That deal has now come to and end an will not be renewed.

Felix Buxton told Teletext’s Planet Sound that he’s not worried about the idea of being without a label, saying: “XL haven’t offered us a new deal, but I didn’t imagine they would. You don’t need a record company now – they aren’t so relevant. All you need is someone to distribute your music. Besides, you only make money through touring now”.

Mr Hudson album release delayed

Releases

The release date of Mr Hudson’s second album (and first since he dropped The Library), ‘Straight No Chaser’, has been pushed back to 19 Oct.

A message to the Mr Hudson mailing list yesterday read: “The release date of Mr Hudson’s hotly-anticipated new album ‘Straight No Chaser’ has been pushed back to 19 Oct. But we promise it’ll be more than worth the wait!”

Hyperdub announce birthday compilation

Releases

Dubstep label Hyperdub, owned by producer Kode9, has announced a compilation to mark the company’s fifth birthday. The first disc of the two disc set will feature new material, most notably from Burial. Disc two will be a best of sort of affair, celebrating some of the label’s finest moments. In the run up to the 19 Oct release date, a series of 12″ samplers will be released for DJs and suchlike.

Here’s the full tracklist:

CD1:
King Midas Sound – Meltdown
Kode9 & The Spaceape – Time Patrol (feat. Cha Cha)
Darkstar – Aidy’s Girl’s A Computer
Samiyam – Roller Skates
Flying Lotus – Disco Balls
Black Chow – Purple Smoke
Burial – Fostercare
Cooly G – Weekend Fly
Zomby – Tarantula
Martyn – Mega Drive Generation
LV – Turn Away (feat. Dandelion)
Mala – Level Nine
LD – Shake It
Quarta 330 – Bleeps From Outer Space
Ikonika – Sahara Michael
Joker & Ginz – Stash

CD2:
Kode9 – 9 Samurai
Burial – South London Boroughs
Kode9 & LD – Bad
The Bug – Money Honey Remix (feat. Warrior Queen)
LV – Globetrotting (feat. Erol Bellot)
Burial – Distant Lights
Kode9 & the Spaceape – Ghost Town
Kode9 & the Spaceape – Fukkaz
Samiyam – Return
Darkstar – Need You
Zomby – Spliff Dub (Rustie Remix)
Ikonika – Please
Zomby – Kaliko
2000F & J Kamata – You Don’t Know What Love Is
Joker – Digidesign
Kode9 – 9 Samurai (Quarta 330 Remix)

2562 announces new album

Releases

Sticking with dubstep, and Dutch producer Dave Huismans has announced that he will release a second album from his 2562 project, ‘Unbalance’, the follow-up to last year’s ‘Aerial’, on 2 Nov via Tectonic.

Mixing dubstep and techno, ‘Aerial’ received high praise and featured in a number of end of year lists last year. However, Tectonic boss Pinch says that ‘Unblanace’ blows it out of the water. He told Resident Advisor: “I’ve worked closely with 2562 over the last few years and I can honestly say that ‘Unbalance’ is an incredible album – it’s one of the most exciting releases that Tectonic has seen to date – it vastly exceeds the already high standard he set himself with ‘Aerial'”.

Here’s the tracklist:

Intro
Flashback
Lost
Like A Dream
Dinosaur
Unbalance
Superflight
Yes / No
Who Are You Fooling?
Narita
Love In Outer Space
Escape Velocity [digital release only]

Kylie joins Abba tribute line-up

Gigs & Festivals

Kylie Minogue has joined the line-up for that previously reported Abba tribute concert that Radio 2 are putting together. The show will be the singer’s only UK live appearance this year, and will see her perform two songs – ‘Super Trooper’ and ‘When All Is Said And Done’ – the latter of which she will be joined for by Abba’s Benny Andersson.

Says Kylie: “The opportunity to perform classic Abba songs on stage with members of Abba really is a dream come true. Their music has played such a great part in my life from a very early age and I’m thrilled I’ll be able to share that with them personally”.

‘Thank You For The Music… A Celebration Of The Music Of Abba’ will take place in London’s Hyde Park on 13 Sep.

Live recording download store launches in Australia

Business News Digital Live Business

A new online store, offering artists the ability to upload and sell live recordings straight from the mixing desk has been launched in Australia.

Owned by Sony Music Australia, BandIt.fm Live (an offshoot of music discovery and etail site BandIt.fm) opened for business yesterday, with a five track EP by Newton Faulkner, recorded at his gig at the Oxford Arts Factory in Sydney the night before.

Sony Music Australia’s GM digital and brand development Gavin Parry told Billboard: “The reality is that any recording can be uploaded and distributed via the service. It doesn’t have to be live, but that’s where we think the market is going in the future. We feel we have something here of real interest. A lot of artists no longer tied to labels will want to use this service. There’s nobody in this space”.

New editor for Zoo

Media

Bauer Media have announced that Tom Etherington will take over as Editor of their weekly lads mag Zoo. Etherington, who has been helping launch the Australian edition of Zoo mag, will take over from outgoing editor Ben Todd on the UK version of the magazine.

Look, here’s what he said about his new job: “There are some very exciting plans for Zoo, and I can’t wait to be a part of them. It’s going to be hard to leave Australia, especially at the start of summer, but there’s only so much sun a pasty Englishman can take – and only so much Ashes-gloating the Aussies will bear”.

Presumable, those “exciting plans” mean looking somewhere else for vaguely recognisable ladies willing to take their clothes off now that Channel 4 have axed ‘Big Brother’.

Etherington has been with Bauer (well, EMAP originally) since 2005, and worked on the Australian editions of FHM and Zoo. Prior to that he worked on Zoo’s IPC-owned competition Nuts.

As previously reported, the lads mags are among those print titles to see their circulations nose dive in the last year. It’s certainly a tricky time to be taking one over.

Your Media buy old South West Radio stations

Media

Newly formed radio firm Your Media has acquired the business assets of the defunct South West Radio Ltd, which gives them a network of stations including 3TR, Bath FM, Brunel FM and Quaywest FM. The new firm also have plans to launch four internet radio stations in addition to their local FM outlets.

The acquisition, though, is not without controversy. A rival bidder for the four FM licences claims that Your Media had an unfair advantage because they have a director in common with the defunct SWR Ltd. That, the boss of Glastonbury Broadcasting Ltd claims, means that Your Media would have had knowledge of his rival bid via the administrators of South West Radio.

Glastonbury Broadcasting’s Ross Hemsworth has told Radio Today that he has lodged a formal complaint with both the administrators and media regulator Ofcom.

Weezer just one long Metallica rip-off

And Finally

Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo has revealed that the band’s entire career stems from one unintentionally ripped-off Metallica riff, which slipped into the band’s first song while he was intentionally trying to rip off The Velvet Undergound.

Cuomo told Rolling Stone: “‘The Sweater Song’ was the first Weezer song I ever wrote, back in 1991. I was trying to write a Velvet Underground-type song because I was super into them, and I came up with that guitar riff. I just picked up that acoustic guitar and the first thing I played was that riff. And it just feels so classic to me, even now when the band starts to play it, it just takes over the energy in the room and you’re just transported into the world of Weezer. It wasn’t until years after I wrote it that I realised it’s almost a complete rip-off of ‘Sanitarium’ by Metallica. It just perfectly encapsulates Weezer to me – you’re trying to be cool like Velvet Underground but your metal roots just pump through unconsciously”.

Q&A: The Heavy

Artist Interviews

After hearing The Heavy and their sound, which kicks blues, garage punk and rock n roll at each other, it’s hard to believe that they were formed in a tiny hamlet just outside Bath. But they were, I assure you. They released their debut album, ‘Great Vengeance And Furious Fire’, via Ninja Tune’s Counter Records sub-label in late 2007. On 12 Oct they release the follow-up, ‘The House That Dirt Built’, again through Counter, and on Monday they release a double A-side single featuring remixes of album track ‘How You Like Me Now?’ by Joker and Solo. And you can catch them live all over the place between now and the end of the year. We spoke to vocalist Swaby to find out more.

Q1 How did you start out making music?
I remember always enjoying, hearing and dancing to music. Singing along to artists like The Coasters, Frankie Lymon and Al Green used to be commonplace in our family home. I think it was when I started digging in the crates independently, wherever I was, that I started to get a little more inspire, and booking studio time to get ideas down with my last pennies was how it was when I was 14 or 15.

Q2 What inspired your latest album?
‘The House That Dirt Built’ is influenced by the I-can’t-seriously-believe-what-I’m-seeing-and-hearing-let-alone-feeling blues. A meander through the corridors and rooms in our heads while we’ve been touring ‘Great Vengeance…’ is a lot to do with it.

Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
Tracks come in a number of ways. From beaten up drum machines being pushed through seriously abused amps, a bass line that refuses to play clean or a melody sung into your phone, while waiting for your vice to arrive. They all get taken into the kitchen and seasoned with what’s necessary. To talk process would compromise our special recipe.

Q4 Which artists influence your work?
The likes of Little Walter, Howling Wolf, The Sonics, The Specials, King Jammys and Hi Records would be a good place to start…

Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Breathe.

Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
There’s still a lot of fuel in the tank, so I guess for this album to round up even more of a pack than we do already would be something that I would like to see from this offering. The future is still harbouring a whole heap of dirt for us to get under the fingernails of this beast. With that in mind, we keep on keeping on and continue to change the shape of the rooms.

MORE>> www.theheavy.co.uk

Ellie Greenwich dies

Obituaries Top Stories

Songwriter Ellie Greenwich has died aged 68 from a heart attack, following a bout of pneumonia, her niece told reporters yesterday.

Born in Brooklyn in 1940, Greenwich, with her husband Jeff Barry, became known as one of the most successful pop songwriters of the 60s, working out of the Brill Building in Manhattan, which also provided working space for other songwriters, including Carole King, Burt Bacharach, Hal David and Phil Spector.

Amongst a string of hits, she and Barry penned songs such as ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ and ‘Then He Kissed Me’ for The Crystals, ‘Chapel Of Love’ for The Ronettes (written with Phil Spector), ‘Doo Wah Diddy Diddy’ for Manfred Mann, and ‘River Deep, Mountain High’ for Ike & Tina Turner. One of the couple’s most famous songs was ‘Leader Of The Pack, a collaboration with producer Gordon ‘Shadow’ Morton, which was a hit for The Shangri-Las in 1965. The couple were inducted into the US Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 1991.

Greenwich had begun writing songs as a teenager, and her first commercially released work was ‘Silly Isn’t It’ in 1958, which she performed herself under the name Ellie Gaye for RCA. She released her first solo album, ‘Ellie Greenwich Composes, Produces And Sings’ ten years later, as an early project for Pineywood Music, the writing and production company she set up with Mike Kashkow in 1967, following her divorce from Barry. She also provided backing vocals for artists such as Dusty Springfield, Bobby Darin and Frank Sinatra in the 60s and 70s and continued to produce other artists, including Neil Diamond.

In 1984, many of her 60s songs were given a new lease of life by the musical ‘Leader Of The Pack’, written by Anne Beatts, with a story based on Greenwich’s life.It transferred to Broadway’s Ambassador Theater in 1985 and ran for 120 performances.

Greenwich is survived by a sister.

Fall Out Boy man arrested

Legal

Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump was arrested in LA on Tuesday night for driving without a licence. He was released on $15,000 bail on Wednesday.

The arrest is not expected to affect that band’s appearance at this weekend’s Reading and Leeds festivals.

Cyrus stalker “a danger”, says judge

Legal

A man accused of stalking pop star Miley Cyrus has had a request to lower his bail bond refused at a court hearing in Georgia.

As previously reported, Mark McLeod, who is 53, was arrested after trying to get onto a film set in Savannah, Georgia, where Cyrus is filming a new movie for Disney, called ‘The Last Song’. McLeod was previously arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction after trying to gain access to the same set in June.

He told police that he met the singer 18 months ago, and that she then accepted a proposal of marriage from him. He added that her father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, approves of the relationship and that she sends him “secret messages” via her TV show.

McLeod is currently in prison awaiting trial, as he is unable to pay the $55,200 bail bond set at an earlier hearing. Judge Steven Scheer refused a request to reduce the bond at Tybee Island Municipal Court on Tuesday, saying: “I can’t deny him bond, but if I could I would, because I do feel he’s a danger”.

Outside the court, his lawyer James Byrne said: “He’s not a danger. He’s been painted as this monster, but he’s got a family. What he said I understand was unsettling to a lot of folks. But it doesn’t make him a stalker”.

The case will now be heard at the Chatham County State Court in Savannah at a later date.

Howie Goodman dies

Business News Obituaries

Prominent US music promotions man Howard ‘Howie’ Goodman died earlier this month after losing his battle with cancer, Billboard has confirmed. He as 59.

Goodman first started dabbling in the music industry while studying at the University Of Memphis in the early seventies, where he worked at two clubs. Using the connections he built there, he set himself up as an independent record promoter, subsequently launching his company Good Choice Promotion. He continued with his promotions work within the record industry at the same time as setting up a restaurant business.

Paying tribute to Goodman, Sony Music’s Senior VP of A&R told Billboard: “Howie Goodman promoted music with such great energy. When he got hold of a good song he never let go”.

Beyonce named woman of the year by Billboard

Awards

Beyonce has been named Billboard’s Woman Of The Year for “inspiring the music business with her success”.

The magazine’s editorial director, Bill Werde said: “Beyonce is a multi-platinum artist and a multi-talented woman who clearly embodies the qualities of excellence and achievement the award was created to honour. She has inspired women everywhere with her unique style and business savvy”.

She will collect the award at a ceremony in New York on 2 Oct.

Slipknot not splitting, drummer not dead

Artist News

Slipknot have cancelled all remaining US tour dates in August and September. This follows the previously reported cancellation of shows last weekend after drummer Joey Jordison was admitted to hospital due to a “severe medical emergency”.

Although a statement on the website of the band’s label, Roadrunner, says that the cancellations are “due to illness”, it is not entirely clear if this relates to Jordinson’s condition, or if it is in fact the whole story. Nonetheless, the band have assured fans that they will still complete their October tour, with frontman Corey Taylor urging fans to hold onto tickets for the cancelled shows in Seattle and Kennewick “because we are coming back to do this”.

Of course, there’s nothing like a tour cancellation to spark rumours that a band are about to split up (except perhaps a greatest hits package, or an official statement insisting a band isn’t splitting). So bassist Paul Gray has taken to his MySpace blog to deny any such rumours, as well as any wilder rumours that Jordinson has died, but he did hint that there might be some other “personal issues” that were to blame for the cancellation.

He said: “We are very sorry we had to cancel this leg of the tour. As you know touring is our life. Getting in front of you guys and playing keeps this band alive, so it hurts us and much as you that we had to do this. There are personal issues in the band that need to be taken care of for us to continue touring. Let me emphasize Joey is not dead/dying, he is fine. We have been working hard for the last year and a half on the ‘All Hope Is Gone’ touring cycle and it catches up to you”.

He added: “We are not cancelling our October tour, the band is not breaking up, we are all alive. I am setting the record straight, if you don’t hear it from one of us in this band then it is bullshit. We are human and shit happens and that’s how life goes but we are making the best of it right now as should you”.

Madonna announces greatest hits tracklist

Releases

Madonna has announced the tracklist for her forthcoming greatest hits compilation, ‘Celebration’. Amongst the likes of ‘Like A Virgin’, Like A Prayer’, ‘La Isla Bonita’, ‘Hung Up’ and her 1982 debut single, ‘Everybody’, is a new track featuring Lil Wayne called ‘Revolver’. News of the greatest hits package has prompted rumours that Madonna is about to split up. Expect the official statement denying it any day, then we know it’s true.

Here’s that tracklist:

CD 1:
Hung Up
Music
Vogue
4 Minutes
Holiday
Everybody
Like A Virgin
Into The Groove
Like A Prayer
Ray Of Light
Sorry
Express Yourself
Open Your Heart
Borderline
Secret
Erotica
Justify My Love
Revolver

CD 2:
Dress You Up
Material Girl
La Isla Bonita
Papa Don’t Preach
Lucky Star
Burning Up
Crazy For You
Who’s That Girl
Frozen
Miles Away
Take A Bow
Live To Tell
Beautiful Stranger
Hollywood
Die Another Day
Don’t Tell Me
Cherish
Celebration

Rival Schools announce second album

Releases

Post-hardcore band Rival Schools will release their second album next year, almost a decade after the release of their 2001 debut, ‘United By Fate’. This will be their second attempt at a follow-up to that debut; they began recording one in 2002 but split before it was released (it later appeared in unfinished form on the internet).

The band reformed last year and have recorded a new album, produced by guitarist Ian Love and Grammy-nominated producer Joel Hamilton, the latter of whom is now mixing the tracks for the as-yet-untitled album, which is due for release early next year.

You can catch the band live at this weekend’s Reading and Leeds festivals, and tonight at The Forum in London, supporting Deftones.

Speech Debelle announces UK tour

Gigs & Festivals

Mercury nominee Speech Debelle has announced her first full UK tour, which will wend its way around the UK and Ireland in September and October.

She will also release a new single, ‘Spinnin’ on 14 Sep, via Ninja Tune. You can watch the video for that here.

Tour dates:

25 Sep: Bristol, Colston Hall (supporting Roni Size)
26 Sep: Sheffield, Plug
27 Sep: Manchester, Night & Day
28 Sep: Leeds, University
1 Oct: Glasgow, Arches
2 Oct: Belfast, Stiff Kitten
3 Oct: Dublin, Academy 2
4 Oct: Liverpool, Masque
5 Oct: Morecambe, Library
7 Oct: London, The Scala
8 Oct: Brighton, Coalition

Gay For Johnny Depp announce UK tour

Gigs & Festivals

Gay For Johnny Depp have announced UK tour dates in November and December, which is very good news indeed. Let’s all just stop for a moment to celebrate. No, don’t read on yet, a moment longer please. Okay, now let’s carry on. Support will come from fellow hardcore types Outcry Collective and Blakfish.

Tour dates:

13 Nov: Plymouth, White Rabbit
14 Nov: Bristol, Louisiana
15 Nov: Southampton, Talking Heads
16 Nov: Birmingham, Flapper
17 Nov: Nottingham, Seven
18 Nov: Brighton, Engine Rooms
20 Nov: Oxford, Bullingdon Arms
21 Nov: High Wycombe, Nag’s Head
22 Nov: Southend, Chinnerys
23 Nov: Bournemouth, iBar
24 Nov: Derby, Royal
25 Nov: Glasgow, Ivory Blacks
26 Nov: Manchester, Satan’s Hollow
27 Nov: Luton, Sub Club
28 Nov: Sheffield, Leadmill
29 Nov: York, Fibbers
30 Nov: Newcastle, Cluny
1 Dec: Leeds, Cockpit
2 Dec: Cardiff, Barfly
3 Dec: Exeter, Cavern
4 Dec: London, Borderline

Peter Broderick live dates and album reissue

Gigs & Festivals

Folk musician and member of Efterklang’s live band Peter Broderick, who, if you didn’t already know, is some kind of genius and an amazing live performer, has announced some live dates. Yay! He’s also going to be reissuing his solo album ‘Home’ via Bella Union in a limited edition double disc style. Yay again!

Tour dates:

4 Sep: Electric Picnic
8 Sep: Brighton, Audio
9 Sep: Manchester, Academy 3
10 Sep: London, Bush Hall (Bella Union 12th anniversary show)
12 Sep: End Of The Road
13 Sep: Cardiff, The Globe

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