This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:42 | By Andy Malt
Approved: Susanne Sundfør
CMU Approved
It’s been a while since I’ve fallen for an artist the way I’ve totally fallen for Susanne Sundfør. Suddenly I don’t feel like listening to much else.
Her eponymous debut was released in 2007 and became a huge hit in her native Norway, so much so that her second effort was a recorded version of the same album with a more stripped down sound. However, it’s on her second album proper, ‘The Brothel’, released in 2010, that she becomes really interesting. Here she moves from being a well above average singer-songwriter to a truly exceptional artist. ‘The Brothel’ sees her mixing jazz, classical and electronic influences to create truly astounding music, with dark, smart lyrics that see her inhabit a variety of characters.
The follow-up, ‘The Silicone Veil’, is due for release digitally on 26 Mar and, if first single ‘White Foxes’ is anything to go by, will develop the ideas seeded on ‘The Brothel’ yet further. “You gave me my very first gun”, she sings. Which, as a hook, is a line that stays with you.
READ MORE ABOUT: Susanne Sundfør
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:42 | By Chris Cooke
Q&A: Chris Pattinson, Black Cab Sessions
Business Interviews Media
Launched in 2007, the ‘Black Cab Sessions’ has grown into one of the music community’s most popular web-based programmes. The concept is simple: An artist jumps into the back of a black cab, plays a song and gets out again. With them, handily, is a camera crew to catch it all as it happens.
Over a hundred artists have now been featured on the show, from First Aid Kit to Brian Wilson, and tonight Black Cab Sessions makes the move from the web to our TV screens, with the first of six half hour shows airing at 12.10am on Channel 4.
The TV version of the show will see the black cab visit six cities across the USA, meeting a variety of artists from each. Included in the series are Spank Rock, The Morning Benders, Washed Out, Caitlin Rose, Jack White, Those Darlins, Courtney Tidwell, Sharon Van Etten, Suzanne Vega, The Roots, Phosphorescent, John Legend, and more.
Ahead of the first programme, CMU’s Chris Cooke caught up with one of the people behind the venture, Chris Pattinson, to find out more.
CC: Where did the original idea for the Black Cab Sessions come from?
CP: Originally we wanted to find a way to showcase upcoming London talent in a way that hadn’t been done before, while the production company that films the sessions, Just So Films, specifically wanted to find a way to use the then relatively new YouTube platform to give people a chance to see these bands play. Our first session was with Johnny Flynn, who had literally just performed a show we were promoting and filming at the Old Blue Last. A cab came past us and Johnny jumped in with his guitar and two of us with a camera and microphone. It became a bit of a YouTube hit and Black Cab Sessions was born.
CC: There are a few people involved – who are they, and what are your respective roles?
CP: There are five of us involved – Jono Stevens (director and founder), Jonny Madderson (director and editor), Will Evans (editor), Gen Stevens (producer) and me (director of music and producer).
CC: What’s your background?
CP: My background is based in music. A&R, PR, marketing and product management.
CC: At the outset, was it difficult to persuade artists to take part? Are any artists put off by the ‘one take’ rule?
CP: No. They loved it and still do. It’s different and doesn’t involve any interview. Plus we can actually work as a real life taxi! We’ve been known to pick up and drop off to help fit into a band’s busy schedule. We recently picked up Charlotte Gainsbourg from a radio show in Soho and took her back to her Shoreditch hotel. We can be useful! And I think the bands are keen to take on the ‘one take rule’. It’s their chance to shine. Some get in and nail it. For others there can be a few nervous false starts but most of them get through it in one straight take.
CC: How did you come by the black cab? Do you own it, or just hail one?
CP: We hail it. That’s the good thing about them – they’re everywhere. And they sound great. Those high roofs that were initially built to accommodate a gentlemen wearing a top hat offer some great acoustics! We also ask each cab driver to present the session, so we now have a montage of over 100 London cabbies introducing the bands.
CC: Why do you think the Sessions have captured the imagination of so many music fans?
CP: It is one of the most intimate ways to experience music on the web – I think people enjoy the fact that we don’t have make up, lighting, amplification etc. Each performance is unique and engaging. People also enjoy coming to the site and finding bands they have never heard before. Average time on the site is almost ten minutes per person, which suggests people are watching three or four sessions. We want to showcase the very biggest bands we can get, but fundamentally we want to discover the next big things in music. We have been instrumental in the careers of bands like Dry The River and Lianne La Havas and many more.
CC: What have been the challenges of making a show for a web audience?
CP: Sometimes demand for new sessions can be greater than we can actually cope with, but I think we do a good job of providing a regular stream of excellent music. We also try to keep on top of all the social aspects of a modern website. Sharing sessions among users is a huge part of what we do, so we are very keen to be able to give our viewers the tools to interact with the site. This is something we’ll be focussing on a lot more in the future.
CC: Are there any other music-based web TV shows that have impressed you?
CP: In my view, there are too many of them out there now. Not having a dig at anyone in particular, but there are a lot of the ‘something sessions’, which just gets a bit dull. But there are some fantastic sites – including our friends at Blogoteque in France, and Daytrotter and Yours Truly in the US, who all keep on supplying some amazing content.
CC: The Channel 4 show sees you take the format to the US – why did you decide to do that?
CP: This is the second time we have been across the Atlantic. The first time we were there, we took a cab to SxSW and filmed 50 sessions in three days – that was hardcore, but it showed the concept worked outside of London. We then wanted to take the cab into different US cities as we had picked up a lot of contacts through the London sessions, and so we wanted to use these and have the bands show us around their hometowns. We chose a route that took in some of the best musical cities in the US – Philly, Athens, New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville and New York. Obviously, these places each boast a huge musical heritage, and we wanted to document what it’s like to be a musician in these towns today.
CC: How does the TV show differ from the sessions people have seen online?
CP: The session format stays the same as it always has done. It’s just that we spend more time with each artist, who show us around their hometown and talk about the places and faces that have helped them get to where they are today. For example, in Nashville, we picked up Jack White and Wanda Jackson outside his Third Man record store. They performed a duet in the cab and then Jack told us why he moved to Nashville, and also who he thought would be next big thing to come out of there. We then go and film a session with that band and so on. It’s a great way to discover new music and get a real snapshot of the city’s musical pulse.
CC: Are there plans to now do a UK-based TV series?
CP: Not at the moment. But we do plan to take the cab out of the UK again – we want to put it in territories all over the world to discover the best new music we can, while showcasing some of the biggest names we can. This is a global thing!
CC: Will you still keep posting new sessions online?
CP: Absolutely, this is core to our development and allows us to give the new bands a platform to showcase their talents. The website will become bigger and better in 2012.
CC: Who has been your favourite Black Cab Sessions artist so far?
CP: Oh wow, difficult question. I have loads… For me personally, it was a real triumph to get Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy in the cab. He is my personal hero so it was a real thrill to finally have him involved! He was our 100th London session. I think people were expecting us to get Prince or someone HUGE, but we were very keen to get the guy we had been after for ages.
Also, the new bands. When we filmed Lianne La Havas, we just knew she would go on to be a star. She has that quality that so many artists strive to possess. It was from that cab performance that Jools Holland’s producers saw her and booked her – now look where she is! It’s very exciting.
CC: Who would most like to do a Black Cab Session with?
CP: We can strike off Bonnie Prince now, but we each have our own personal act that we want – don’t want to jinx it though!
CC: What’s the most people you’ve ever had in the black cab?
CP: I think it was when Brian Wilson took part. I think there were seven of us in total… Oh hang on, perhaps that was one my favourites too. Like I said, there are so many!
Black Cab Sessions USA trailer:
READ MORE ABOUT: Black Cab Sessions | Chris Pattinson
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:41 | By CMU Editorial
Prosecutors fail to have Mega chief’s bail revoked
Digital Legal MegaUpload Timeline Top Stories
MegaUpload founder Kim ‘Dotcom’ Schmitz is still free on bail today after prosecutors in New Zealand failed to convince the courts in Auckland that the digital man should be returned to jail.
As previously reported, Schmitz was arrested in New Zealand last month at the request of the US authorities, who accuse him and six of his MegaUpload colleagues of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering. The other three Mega execs arrested at the same time as Schmitz were given bail, but initially the Mega empire’s top man was kept in prison over fears he might have access to secret stashes of cash which he could use to flee to his home country Germany, where it would be much harder for America to extradite him. But last week a New Zealand judge ruled there was no credible evidence of any such secret cash funds, so Schmitz was bailed on similar terms to his colleagues.
Prosecutors returned to court this week to try and have that ruling overturned, but failed. Earlier today the judge hearing the case said he remained convinced the risk of Schmitz fleeing wasn’t substantial, and that keeping him under strict bail terms outside prison was satisfactory while America goes through the motions of extradition, which could take until August to be completed.
Elsewhere in the Auckland courts, legal reps for Schmitz were requesting some of their client’s assets be unfrozen so that he can cover some of his routine expenses. According to TVNZ, those routine expenses reportedly include rent, security guards, a butler, a nanny, some existing debt repayments, and a telephone line so Schmitz can talk to his lawyers. That would come to a mere NZ$220,000 (approximately £116,000) a month.
Prosecutors have objected to Schmitz being given access to those kinds of sums, arguing that the Mega man’s fortune has been amassed via illegal businesses, and that the average New Zealand family lives on an income of NS$6000 (just over £3,000) a month, and therefore the Schmitz clan should adapt to live a more modest lifestyle while the defendant prepares for his court battle.
The court reportedly approved a one-off payment from Schmitz’s bank accounts of NZ$100,000 (just under £53,000), to cover some debt repayments that were due, and medical expenses incurred by the Mega chief’s heavily pregnant wife. But a decision on a monthly allowance was postponed, with the judge requesting that prosecution and defence reps try to reach an agreement on that matter outside of court.
READ MORE ABOUT: Copyright | Kim Dotcom | MegaUpload | New Zealand
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:38 | By CMU Editorial
ACTA petition delivered to European Parliament
Top Stories
Online campaigning organisation Avaaz has delivered a petition to the European Parliament with the names of over two million people who have backed an online call for a rethink of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, the global intellectual property treaty that has become particularly controversial of late, despite being years in the making, and having been signed by a number of countries already, including many European Union member nations.
As previously reported, ACTA was mildly controversial from the start, but most opposition has risen in the last month, in the wake of the anti-SOPA protests in the US, even though most EU countries, and the European Union itself, signed the agreement last month, and several other countries, including America, put their signatures on the treaty last year.
But not every European country has as yet signed the document, and those which haven’t are now – amidst growing opposition – having second thoughts. And some of those already signed up are also now publicly expressing reservations about the IP agreement. And at an EU level, the whole thing is still to be approved by the European Parliament, which is creating a tangible protest forum for those against ACTA, hence the petition.
Supporters of ACTA insist it is essential for ensuring the survival of copyright and trademark based industries, and that in Europe all the provisions in the agreement are already part of European law, so it won’t actually result in any new intellectual property rules. But opponents criticise the way much of the agreement was negotiated in secrecy, and say that some of the treaty is worded ambiguously, and might enable nations signed up to it to introduce, via the back door, draconian new IP laws that hinder people’s internet freedom rights.
The opponents do have some friends in high places within the European political community. The French MEP who reviewed the agreement for the European Parliament, Kader Arif, said “I want to denounce in the strongest possible manner the entire process that led to the signature of this agreement”, while the parliament’s current President, Martin Schulz, said he didn’t think ACTA was “good in its current form”.
And the Scottish MEP who will oversee the treaty’s passage through the European legislature, David Martin, has now also said he is concerned ambiguities in the agreement could have negative consequences. He said yesterday: “I have no interest in criminalising individual consumers. I think you have to distinguish between the consumer and the producer of illegal content. I have no interest in the teenager sitting in his room deciding to download a piece of music for free because he finds there’s an internet service, that there’s a site providing that music for free”.
Martin recently welcomed the decision by the European Commission to have the European Courts Of Justice review the agreement to check nothing in it breaches basic EU rights. He’s also said the Parliament might put its own ACTA-related questions to the European courts. The European Parliament is due to discuss the IP agreement in June, and protests are likely to continue between now and then, though there may not be any speedy resolution on any of this, as Martin reckons it could take the ECJ a year to rule on the legalities of the treaty.
Meanwhile, Eminia Mazzoni, Chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee, welcomed the Acaaz petition, telling reporters: “Receiving a petition supported by more than two million people places an even bigger responsibility on us to listen to the European people and offer them a place to express their views to the European institutions”. She did, however, add that the Parliament had also received letters from individuals and organisations in favour of ACTA.
READ MORE ABOUT: ACTA | Copyright | David Martin | EC | EU | European Parliament | Kader Arif
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:30 | By CMU Editorial
Justin Bieber sued over beaver game objections
Digital Legal
The maker of the previously reported Joustin Beaver game has seized the agenda, and is suing Justin Bieber after his people issued a cease and desist saying the smart phone app breached the pop star’s rights.
As previously reported, Bieber’s people said the game was trying to rip off the pop teen’s name and identity, and requested that tech firm RC3 stop distributing the app, and hand over an account of any revenues generated by it so far.
But RC3 says that Joustin Beaver – an animated beaver with something approximating the classic Bieber hair cut – is allowed under the American Constitution’s First Amendment, which protects parody.
Presumably keen to assure Team Bieber don’t pressure iTunes to stop distributing the game, according to TMZ, Team Beaver have responded to the pop star’s cease and desist by launching their own lawsuit, to get legal clarification form the courts. The Biebster is yet to respond.
READ MORE ABOUT: Joustin Beaver | Justin Bieber | RC3
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:26 | By CMU Editorial
Young Turks to curate free Converse night
Gigs & Festivals
Last heard taking over Australia’s FBi Radio, London label Young Turks is to host roster affiliates Chairlift, Jack Penate and Sampha at a sparkling evening’s worth of Converse-sponsored goings-on at London’s 100 Club. The show, which takes place on 5 Mar, will also feature DJ sets by Bullion, The Shining and CMU approved house producer John Talabot. It’s free to apply for tickets, so do that at www.converse.co.uk.
READ MORE ABOUT: Converse | Young Turks
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:23 | By CMU Editorial
Spector announce Spectour
Gigs & Festivals
Though they’re even as we speak spanning the British isles on a sold-out tour, Spector have seen fit to share details of a third headlining outing, Spectour III, in honour of a debut album due out this summer.
Spectour III dates are as here listed:
1 May: Nottingham, Bodega
2 May: Glasgow, Oran Mor
3 May: Edinburgh, Circus
4 May: Manchester, Sound Control
7 May: Dublin, Whelans
8 May: Belfast, Limelight
11 May: Brighton, The Great Escape
12 May: Guildford, Boiler Room
13 May: Cambridge, Union Society
14 May: Birmingham, Temple Bar
15 May: Bristol, The Fleece
17 May: London, Electric Ballroom
READ MORE ABOUT: Spector
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:20 | By CMU Editorial
New Order add tour dates
Gigs & Festivals
The Peter Hook-less New Order have tacked a couple of extra dates onto their previously reported springtime jaunt, which begins at Manchester’s Apollo on 26 Apr.
Momentous news for New Order fans based in the North, then, since the new dates are thus:
6 May: Edinburgh, Usher Hall
8 May: Newcastle, Academy
READ MORE ABOUT: New Order
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:16 | By CMU Editorial
Team Me to tour
Gigs & Festivals
Intrepid Norwegians (and curators of this CMU Playlist) Team Me are to make the British motorway network their temporary home during a forthcoming four-date tour, which should serve in continued support of the band’s debut album ‘To The Treetops’.
With that very LP slated for release via Propeller Recordings on 5 Mar, Team Me are also down for festival appearances at Live At Leeds (5 May), North London’s Camden Crawl (5 May) and Bristol-based Simple Things (6 May).
‘To The Treetops’, by the way, is available to stream in its entirety via The 405, just beneath these dates:
1 May: Birmingham, Rainbow
2 May: Lancaster, Library
3 May: Manchester, Soup Kitchen
4 May: Newcastle, The Cluny
READ MORE ABOUT: Team Me
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:14 | By CMU Editorial
Festival line-up update – 29 Feb 2012
Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals
BLOC WEEKEND, London Pleasure Gardens, Royal Victoria Docks, London, 6-7 Jul: New York producer Nicolas Jaar is confirmed as the latest jewel in Bloc’s electronic crown, lining up against newcomers Surgeon and Monolake on a billing that also co-stars Orbital, DOOM, Battles, Flying Lotus, Ricardo Villalobos, Apparat, Carl Craig, Four Tet, Scuba and Actress. www.blocweekend.com
CAMDEN CRAWL, various venues, Camden, London, 4-6 May: Brand new features of a sprawling Crawl roster-to-be include Swedish alt-pop duo Icona Pop, Dublin dark-rock clan Funeral Suits and dubstep collective Engine Earz Experiment, all of whom happen to be joining headliners Death In Vegas at the festival’s opening night party at Koko. Besuited indie types Spector lead out an additional stack of acts also set to perform, as includes Charli XCX, Baxter Dury, Kwes, Rolo Tomassi, Iceage and Arrows Of Love. www.thecamdencrawl.com
DOT TO DOT, various venues, Bristol/Nottingham/Manchester, 2-4 Jun: The Drums, Pulled Apart By Horses, Willy Mason, Summer Camp and Dog Is Dead are amongst those appearing first on the bill of this triple-barrelled Midlands bash, which alternates a single line-up between assorted venues in Manchester, Nottingham and Bristol. dottodotfestival.tumblr.com
DOWNLOAD, Donington Park, 8-10 Jun: Download has added a further 22 bands to its tenth anniversary line-up, amongst them Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor, Dropkick Murphys, Cancer Bats, Rise To Remain, Saxon, The Quireboys, Seabstian Bach, Soil, and We Are The Ocean. They join headliners The Prodigy, Metallica and Black Sabbath. www.downloadfestival.co.uk
FIELD DAY, Victoria Park, London, 2 Jun: Julia Holter, Zomby, Com Truise, Laurel Halo and Peaking Lights are all newly set to play on a special stage hosted by electronic promoters BleeD, and now accompany aforementioned Field Day guests Franz Ferdinand, SBTRKT, Beirut, Rustie, Blood Orange, Blawan, Friends, Korallreven, Liars and Modeselektor on the Field Day bill as it stands thus-far. www.fielddayfestivals.com
GLADE, Houghton Hall, Norfolk, 11-17 Jun: Dillinja, Daedalus and Jimmy Edgar represent recent add-ons to an all but complete Glade line-up, as also hosts lauded electronic types Bodikka, SL2, Ceephax, Koan Sound, Mosca, Alex Jones, Appleblim, Throwing Snow and Si Begg. Objects of prior line-up revelations include Sven Vath, Andy C, Rusko, Vitalic, Pretty Lights, Foreign Beggars, Dub Pistols and Avalon. www.gladefestival.com
GREEN MAN FESTIVAL, Glanusk Park, Powys, Wales, 17-19 Aug: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Tune-Yards, Of Montreal, Michael Kiwanuka, Friends, Cold Specks and Three Trapped Tigers make up part of the most recent supplement to Green Man’s hallowed 2012 roster. This latest lot pitch up beside Feist, The Walkmen, Yann Tiersen, Cass McCombs, Slow Club and Ghostpoet on a bustling existing bill. www.greenman.net
LOUNGE ON THE FARM, Merton Farm, Canterbury, Kent, 6-8 Jul: The Wombats, Emeli Sande, Mystery Jets, Roots Manuva, David Rodigan, Goldie and Chic feat Nile Rodgers form LOTF organisers’ first update to the festival’s 2012 line-up, with extra bookings to be revealed very soon. www.loungeonthefarm.co.uk
MAGIC LOUNGEABOUT: Broughton Hall, Skipton, North Yorkshire, 27-29 Jul: An initial Loungeabout line-up missive places Chic feat Nile Rodgers atop the Yorkshire fest’s Friday night programme, with Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Cashier No 9, Jenny O and Lucy Rose also getting an early billing. www.themagicloungeabout.net
OFF FESTIVAL, Katowice, Poland, 3-5 Aug: Organisers confirm spanking new names including Shabazz Palaces, Converge, Atari Teenage Riot and Charles Bradley for Poland’s premier music event, with Kurt Vile & The Violators, Battles, Death In Vegas, Iceage, Nils Frahm, Swans and Ty Seagall making up a rearguard of longer-standing bill fixtures. www.off-festival.pl/en/
PLAY FEST, Eccles Hall, Quidenham, Norfolk, 1-3 Jun: Headliners Ash are to chair proceedings at Play Fest this summer, with The Pigeon Detectives, and Reverend And The Makers, The Big Pink, Spector, The Correspondents and Tellison also listed to play live. www.playfest.co.uk
SUMMER BREEZE, Warren Farm, Liddington, Wiltshire, 14-15 Jul: Overall headliners KT Tunstall and Vintage Trouble are joined by the all-performing likes of The Destroyers, Backbeat Soundsystem, Corky, Elliot Mason, Gaz Brookfield and Jake Morley at this family-focused festival happening. www.summerbreezefest.co.uk
READ MORE ABOUT: Bloc | Camden Crawl | Dot To Dot Festival | Download Festival | Field Day | Glade Festival | Green Man Festival | Lounge On The Farm | Magic Loungeabout | Off Festival | Play Fest
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:10 | By CMU Editorial
Japanese Popstars to soundtrack Caterham F1 team
Brands & Merch
The Japanese Popstars have announced an interesting brand partnership with the newly named Caterham F1 team. The Northern Irish dance trio will soundtrack the Formula One racing team’s 2012 season. A series of EPs containing tracks featured in promotional videos for the team will be released throughout the year, beginning with ‘RS27’ in the near future, and the band’s logo will appear on the company’s cars.
The Japanese Popstars told CMU: “It’s great to be involved with Caterham F1. They are a young team on the grid which makes it so exciting for us to be involved with something so fresh. There are relative similarities that resonate with us and the race team. The sheer crowd pleasing power they are achieving at each race is what we try and do with every track we produce and festival we play. To be able to write music for something totally unique as this is equally a pleasure and an honour”.
Tom Webb, Caterham F1 Team Head of Communications, added: “We are delighted that we have been able to unveil the partnership between The Japanese Popstars and our team. We think it’s probably a first for F1, showcasing a band on our car and in the content we use to take our fans into the heart of our team, and it is down to a good idea being made possible by the commitment and energy of a lot of very good people”.
A portion of ‘Shells Of Silver’, a track taken from the ‘RS27’ EP, can be heard here:
READ MORE ABOUT: Cateram F1 Team | The Japanese Popstars
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:08 | By CMU Editorial
IMPALA reaffirms opposition to Sony/ATV’s EMI deal
Business News EMI Sale Timeline Labels & Publishers
As expected, pan-European indie labels trade body IMPALA yesterday reaffirmed its opposition to Sony/ATV’s planned acquisition of EMI Music Publishing, as the Sony Corp led music publisher finally submitted its bid plans to the European Commission for approval.
As previously reported, Sony/ATV, a joint venture between Sony and the Michael Jackson estate, is leading a consortium of investors in its EMI publishing acquisition. It’s thought EMI Music Publishing would stay an autonomous company if the Sony deal goes ahead, but ultimately reporting into Sony/ATV boss, and former EMI Music Publishing chief, Marty Bandier.
IMPALA opposes both Universal’s bid to buy the EMI record labels and Sony’s bid for the publishing catalogues, arguing that the two deals together are the worst possible outcome for an EMI sale, making the two biggest music firms even bigger, so they both dwarf nearest rival Warner.
That would result in a duopoly controlling the mainstream music industry. Both Universal and Sony, though, are confident their bids will be approved by regulators in the US and Europe, who in theory both have the power to block the takeovers, or to insist on remedies, such as the resale of some of the EMI assets the buyers will acquire.
Reconfirming its position yesterday, IMPALA said: “The concerns raised by the European Commission the last time it looked at music publishing concentration centred around the ability of large publishers to control prices and other terms, even in negotiations with much bigger players such as iTunes. This is because they control so much repertoire, making them an indispensable trading partner. These concerns are likely to have even more relevance today”.
It continued: “The independents are also concerned that the deal would give Sony too much power over collecting societies as well as vital industry negotiations, such as the Cannes Agreement, which sets operating terms for societies. They also point out that the deal would reinforce the duopoly effect with Universal, who itself is currently under regulatory scrutiny over its attempt to buy EMI on the recording side”.
Meanwhile IMPALA Exec Chair Helen Smith told CMU: “However this deal is structured in terms of finance and ownership, the result is the same – Sony would increase its negotiating power to an unacceptable extent. We expect the regulators to block both Sony and Universal’s bid to buy EMI”.
It’s thought the European Commission’s consideration of both takeover deals will require full two phase investigations, making any decision unlikely before June at the earliest.
READ MORE ABOUT: EMI | EMI Music Publishing | Helen Smith | Martin Bandier | Sony Corp | Sony Music Publishing | The Independent Music Companies Association (IMPALA)
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 11:06 | By CMU Editorial
[PIAS] PR launches new digital agency
Business News Industry People Marketing & PR
Music PR Tasha Anderson has announced she is leaving [PIAS] to launch her own digital agency, to be called House Of 27.
Anderson began her PR career in the fashion sector, before moving into music publicity at Anorak London in 2007. She then took an in-house role at [PIAS] last year.
At launch the new company will be working with the likes of Lana Del Rey, De La Soul, Girls and The Jezabels. Info will be posted at www.houseof27.co.uk.
READ MORE ABOUT: House Of 27 | Tasha Anderson | [PIAS]
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 10:59 | By CMU Editorial
Pies and records together at last
Business News Retail
Rejoice! For “Southsea’s only new music store and pie café” is here. Or almost here. Currently being fitted ready for launch next month is a new shop called Pie & Vinyl. As you may have gathered from the previous three sentences, it will sell pies and music. And it will be in Southsea. Never have I been so close to moving to Southsea.
The owners say via their Facebook page that the shop is “created by music and pie lovers, for music lovers, who maybe also like to do pie”. They add: “You’ll find the latest eclectic music releases on CD, vinyl and MP3, if we don’t stock it we’ll order it. Our cafe area will be serving a wide range of pies sourced from Buckwells of Osbourne Road, and Pie Minister, as well as hot and cold beverages. A highlight to our cafe will be listening pods on tables to preview new and forthcoming releases”.
You can find them on Facebook here, and Twitter here.
I really hope this doesn’t turn out to be an elaborate hoax, I’m not sure I could take the disappointment.
READ MORE ABOUT: Pie & Vinyl
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 10:53 | By CMU Editorial
MOG not for sale, says boss
Digital
The boss of US-based streaming music service MOG has denied reports on C-Net yesterday that the company is struggling and is actively looking for a buyer to take it over.
David Hyman told Reuters that while he was always “engaged in conversations with our shareholders about all possible options”, he was not proactively shopping the company at the moment. It’s not clear exactly how well MOG is doing, though obviously no one is making money out of streaming music services yet. Certainly Hyman’s previously promised global expansion, including to the UK, hasn’t yet materialised, though rushed expansion isn’t necessarily a sensible strategy in a tricky, loss-leading market.
Various reports reckon MOG has so far raised $24.9 million in investment, and that among its investors to date, both Universal Music and Sony Music are minority partners.
READ MORE ABOUT: David Hyman | MOG
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 10:51 | By CMU Editorial
Apple working on “adaptive streaming” format
Digital
Following his recent criticisms of the sound quality of modern music formats, Neil Young spoke at last month’s D: Dive Into Media conference in the US about his efforts to improve the audio quality of digital music, and was quoted by Rolling Stone as saying: “Steve Jobs [was] a pioneer of digital music, and his legacy is tremendous. But when he went home, he listened to vinyl. And you’ve got to believe that if he’d lived long enough, he would have done what I’m trying to do”.
And according to The Guardian, he may have already started the ball rolling prior to his death last October. The paper claims that Apple is developing an “adaptive streaming” audio format, which would vary the quality of audio delivered to iCloud users based on bandwidth available and the type of device being used, allowing better quality sound when bandwidth and device allow.
The format will, seemingly, be used as part of the iTunes Match service. Launched earlier this year, Match scans a user’s music library, giving access to any track also available in the iTunes store as 256kbps AAC audio files, which can be downloaded to replace the local copy of the file, regardless of its encoding quality or source. It is thought that Apple’s new format could offer users access to files in much higher quality still.
“All of a sudden, all your audio from iTunes is in HD rather than AAC. Users wouldn’t have to touch a thing – their library will improve in an instant”, a source told The Guardian.
Although Apple refused to comment on the matter, Ars Technica last week reported that the company is now encouraging rightholders to deliver music to iTunes as 24-bit/96KHz studio quality files – higher than that delivered by a CD.
Read The Guardian’s article here.
READ MORE ABOUT: Apple | iTunes Match | Steve Jobs
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 10:48 | By CMU Editorial
Greg James promoted in Radio 1 schedule rejig
Media
Radio 1’s recently appointed new Controller Ben Cooper has done some more tinkering to his station’s schedules, the biggest tinker being the swapping of Greg James and Scott Mills, so that the latter will move to the early afternoon slot, and the former to the more prestigious drive time show.
While the rest of the BBC is facing allegations of too readily favouring youth, at Radio 1 the criticism has been the opposite, that the nation’s favourite is failing to engage its target youth demographic, with many longstanding programmes and DJs now appealing more to the 25+ audience.
While Radio 1 bosses might argue that its critics exaggerate the problems, and that the station’s music policy and news programming is specifically geared towards the teen audience, the average age of its DJs does provide critics with ammunition, and it’s been expected since former Deputy Controller Cooper took over the top job from his long entrenched predecessor Andy Partfitt that a bit more youth would be injected into the schedules, albeit by evolution rather than revolution.
Hence the 26 year old James taking the prime time slot from the 38 year old Mills. Meanwhile two other 26 year old DJs – T4 presenter Jameela Jamil and 1Xtra DJ Gemma Cairney – will both get off-peak slots in the latest rejig, and 24 year old Danny Howard, discovered via a Radio 1 talent search, will get a Saturday afternoon show. Meanwhile another 38 year old, Edith Bowman, will see her hours cut by being shifted from Weekend Breakfast to the one hour weekly review show.
Of course the elephant in the room remains the Chris Moyles breakfast show, a real dilemma for Cooper in that it has been operating outside Radio 1’s core remit for years now, but is still one of the country’s most popular radio shows, despite a recent wobble in listening figures.
It is widely thought Moyles is nearing the end of his Radio 1 career, though he will likely go on his own terms while Cooper is in charge, whereas had an outsider been given the top job post-Parfitt there might have been a more sudden axing of the show. Needless to say, speculation of a successor has already begun, with some interpreting James’ promotion this week as a sign he might be a contender. But I’m still quietly lobbying to give Matt Edmondson the job.
READ MORE ABOUT: BBC Radio 1 | Ben Cooper | Chris Moyles | Greg James | Scott Mills
Wednesday 29 February 2012, 10:44 | By CMU Editorial
Plan B too busy for punk bands and bed clothes
And Finally
Amongst the self-confessed ‘middle aged man style critiques’ delivered by CMU Editor Andy Malt about this year’s BRIT Awards (along with “Florence Welch is just shouting” and “what exactly it this Olly Murs meant to be doing?” – see this week’s CMU podcast for more, was the observation: “Plan B looks like he’s slept in his suit”. Well, Andy Malt, perhaps he had.
The rapper has told the Daily Star he’s so flippin busy at the moment, what with all his music and acting projects, that sometimes he finds himself sleeping in his clothes. Yes, with his acting role in the movie remake of ‘The Sweeney’, his own movie venture ‘iLL Manors’ and various other music ventures, Plan B, real name Ben Drew, simply doesn’t have time to take his clothes off before going to bed. Nor, for that matter, to set up a punk band.
Admitting to the tabloid that plans to record a punk-influenced album with a new band were on hold, Drew said: “I’ve had to knock the band on the head. There are only so many hours in the day and to keep the quality levels up I’ve had to put a halt to some projects, including the band. It’s sad but I have to give my all to the things I can do. So I’m working on ‘The Sweeney’ and making a new [solo] album”.
He continued: “Life is so busy that I’m sleeping in my clothes some days. I can’t stop and I don’t want to. There’s so much I want to achieve and I owe it to the people around me to keep going. The kids around me, like the cast you’ll see in ‘iLL Manors’, have worked so hard to escape their problems. And they look up to me for what can be achieved with graft, so I can’t slow down now”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Plan B
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 12:01 | By Eddy Temple-Morris
Eddy Says: Nice guys finish first too
Eddy Says
The music industry is sometimes seen as one fuelled by angry, money-grabbing cokeheads. Is this really true? And if it ever was, are we now seeing a shift? Could it be that the nice guys are taking over? This week Eddy Temple-Morris asks if you really need to be a bastard to get ahead, and suggests that being supportive towards each other could improve everything for everyone. 2012 is, says Eddy, the Year Of The Nice Guy.
Classic nice guy Steven Gerrard lifting the League Cup on Sunday was a proud personal moment for me. I’m not a Liverpool fan. My mum is, but I’m a faithful Spurs supporter. However, the pride I felt was nothing to do with football. Did you notice, that behind the Liverpool captain’s smile, underneath the ecstatic roars of the jubilant crowd, ‘Hot Right Now’ by DJ Fresh was playing? This delighted me, at a very deep level, and in a number of ways. When Dan (Dan Stein – DJ Fresh) reached number one last week, not only was I elated because Dan is my friend, I was ecstatic because Dan is one of the nicest guys I’ve been lucky enough to meet.
I’ve been thinking about ‘niceness’ a lot these past few weeks. For too long I’ve heard the ‘nice guys always finish last’ mantra, and I’ve seen plenty of evidence to support this cynical theory, but I’m hearing and feeling a huge swathe of evidence to leave that weary adage to one side, at least for a while. Every dog has its day, and I’ve seen enough arseholes win in my day, but there is an overwhelming sense of niceness about music at the moment, and I am bloody loving it.
It really does seem like 2012 is the Year Of The Nice Guy (this applies to girls as well – I’m using the word ‘guy’ in a genderless way).
This week sees the release of Utah Saints ‘What Can You Do For Me?’ and I began my co-host hour with them over the weekend by saying: “The nicest guys in dance music are here”. Straight away, Jez Utahs played this down and questioned whether they’d qualify for that title outside the Xfm Remix studio. This just reinforced my point. Only a truly nice guy would say that.
We’ve talked about this since, and Jez has an interesting theory that because the music business has condensed and shrunk and become less rich, a higher proportion people are now in it for the right reasons, for the love of music, rather than a love of cocaine – the sex-drugs-rock-n-roll thing is just not the norm any more. Excess was a reflection of the 90s and the austerity that prevails now is reflected in the type of people that occupy the business of music today. I think that’s very astute and there is some truth in it.
After my rejoicing at the comeback of ultimate nice-guys Utah Saints, and nice-guy DJ Fresh topping the charts, I found myself punching the air for exactly the same reason when I found out that Adele, and therefore Paul Epworth, had clean swept the Grammy Awards. Paul is another great example of nice guy that’s reached the top of the tree. There is nobody better than Paul at what he does, and there is nobody nicer than Paul either.
I’ve wrestled with this niceness thing all my life, but it really came into focus once I had a career. The UK doesn’t make it easy for people to be nice. I used to get hate mail for “smiling too much on telly” for “only playing stuff you love” on the radio. My view was always the same. If I can play whatever I want, why would waste time and energy playing something I hate?
It was something I argued about, incessantly, with my former management. I was constantly told I was “too nice”, “too approachable” and that if I wanted to be successful, I should cultivate more of an aloof public persona.
I understood where they were coming from, but it brought us into direct conflict on a deep level: I was admonished on an almost daily basis for answering emails, religiously listening to demos, giving free advice and help to bands or DJs that asked, giving A&R support to friends without charging their labels, and supporting charitable projects.
“Be more like Erol”, I was told, more than once. “How he treated you, that’s how you should treat strangers”.
I shuddered as I remembered the day I met Erol Alkan in the artists camping area of Glastonbury. “Nice set last night man, I thought you were awesome”, I said, with a sincere smile. Erol looked at me like I’d just stuck my finger up my own arse then asked him to smell it. He turned and walked away. (I forgot to mention this to him when he came on my show years later, mainly because it just came back to me as I write!)
To be fair to Erol, he didn’t know me from Adam, he had no idea that I’d been on the same bill the previous night, and that we had near identical taste in music at the time. I was just a nobody and he was a cool up-and-coming DJ who was probably quite hungover.
I endlessly pissed my manager off by stopping to talk to random people who recognised me. I just feel that if somebody asks a question, or for a picture, that if you can do it, you should do it: its polite, respectful and appropriately reciprocal. It takes guts to stop somebody you like in the street and engage with them.
When I asked cricketer Viv Richards for his autograph at Lords when I was a young teen, he blanked me and I was gutted. So when people started asking me for autographs in the 90s, as they recognised my face from MTV, I promised myself I’d never turn anyone down if I could help it.
“Justice wouldn’t do that”, my manager sniped one day.
I don’t know whether they would or they wouldn’t, they seem like very nice, funny guys to me, but whatever, the point is, I’m not sure I’d know how to go about turning off the whole niceness and approachability thing anyway. Perhaps I’m missing something obvious – but I feel it’s sort of ingrained, a mixture of genetics and upbringing.
Politeness is just a simple, old fashioned and much under-rated virtue. It costs nothing and it makes a whole world of difference. Specifically being nice to strangers is, I think, a peculiarly Iranian thing, and therefore just part of my genetic make up. Iran is a wonderful country to travel in, because its people are so kind, and so nice, you’d end up eating in people’s kitchens more than you would restaurants because Iranians are generally trusting and kind to the core.
Another thing I was berated for was “helping the competition”. My manager frequently told me that I should have spiked Zane Lowe’s career, rather than helped it. I was an idiot, apparently, for giving somebody I genuinely thought was brilliant a helping hand up the showbiz ladder.
I accept there are some, maybe many, people who would hinder the career of a supposed rival if they could, but I don’t know how those people sleep at night. I just couldn’t do it. I’ve always been unflinchingly honest with everyone and in everything I do, so I just couldn’t do that ‘look after number one above all else’ thing. I might find it hard to sleep because I’m worried about where next month’s mortgage payment is coming from, same as most people, but I’m not going to get insomnia over having fucked some poor colleague up the arse, professionally.
And, aside from peaceful sleeping, doing the right thing can be rewarding in more practical ways. One of the best bits of advice I was given was this: “Be careful who you piss off on the way up because you will meet them again on the way down”. If I’d listened to the likes of my old manager and, for example, burned Zane Lowe’s demo VCR tape, rather than pleading with my MTV boss on my knees to give him a job, then Zane would never have been there for me when I needed him – which he so was, when he got me a meeting with the then Xfm boss, Andrew Phillips, an immensely likeable and very able Aussie radio dude who originally commissioned ‘The Remix’.
What came around, went around, and I’d urge anyone starting out in music or media – or any career – to just be true to yourself. Not everyone is a nice guy – and I’m not really looking to convert anyone here. I’m just saying that you have a choice, and if you are one of the nice ones, there’s no reason why you can’t get through this business staying true to your core beliefs.
Another nice guy I’ve written about a lot in this column is Josh Harvey, or Hervé. He wrote to me last week saying: “I’ve always wanted to ask why you hate Damon Albarn?” Presumably I’d said something to that effect on Twitter. I told Josh, as I’ll tell you now, that – while I confess Albarn is a brilliantly gifted and heart-breakingly talented songwriter – it was something Damon said, to a dear friend of mine, which put him directly opposite me, and would keep him there forever, in conflict, in direct opposition, at war, as long as I draw breath. This is what he said, and it’s a direct quote, verbatim:
“I would hate for anyone to think of me as nice because nice people make shit music”.
There. I said earlier that I don’t know how certain people sleep at night. I guess that’s how – they live by that mantra, or something like it. That’s why I have such mixed feelings about Blur winning awards, and why a bit of me dies every time I hear Damon’s voice on the radio. That awful sentence, in one callous sweep, has dismissed every record made by Utah Saints, DJ Fresh, Paul Epworth, Hervé and all the other countless nice people I’ve been lucky enough to meet, play, support, appear alongside, or be fortunate enough to call friend. It makes me feel angry that a person like that has so much success when a man like Jon McClure (Reverend And The Makers), who is one hundred times more of a man, has a hundredth of the success.
But, like I said at the top, every dog has his day, and right now, it feels like that dog is the lovely, cuddly one that wags its tail when it sees you, not the one that bites your hand off when you go to stroke it.
Just before I started writing this column, on my way home, I heard one of those charity muggers (those guys in branded jerkins who are paid to collar you in the street, make you aware of a given charity and cajole you to sign a direct debit form to give a few quid a month) talking to another charity mugger. It was just a snapshot, a part of a sentence and I heard it out of context, but it stayed with me because it’s something I believe to the core of my being. He said to his female co-worker:
“I don’t want to be Darth Vader… I want to be Luke Skywalker. I want to use the force for good”.
So that’s what I’m saying to you. Don’t be ashamed of being a nice guy, don’t let those fuckers grind you down, or persuade you to act in a way that’s not natural for you. You do not have to cross over to the Dark Side to make it in this or any other business. There are enough people there, doing that, we need to keep the nice guys nice. A nice guy turned dark is the greatest victory for the forces of darkness. George Lucas knew this when he wrote Vader’s character, and look how that ended.
So, this is our time. All those bastards out there can kiss my arse this year. Every cunt like Damon Albarn can suck my balls, because this year, it’s our turn to shine, and we will shine brighter for our niceness, we will show them how it’s really done.
We’re going to celebrate nice-ness this year, not see it as a sign of weakness. Ayah Marar is going to make it nice. Maribou State are going to keep it nice. Barry Ashworth is coming to nice-it-up as Monkey Mafia nice up your area.
Or as my friend wonderfully encapsulated on her Facebook page last week: “It’s nice to be important, but more important to be nice”.
X eddy
READ MORE ABOUT: Damon Albarn | Eddy Temple Morris | Erol Alkan | Herve | Utah Saints
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 12:00 | By Marc Samuels
Approved: Lone – Crystal Caverns 1991
CMU Approved
Last year’s ‘Echolocations EP’ by Lone (aka Manchester-based producer Matt Cutler) was one of the R&S label’s finest ever releases, which is heady praise when you consider the rich heritage of electronic classics in its catalogue.
‘Crystal Caverns 1991’ picks up where ‘Echolocations’ left off. It’s simultaneously brutal and lush, with its aggressive synth stabs (reminiscent of the burgeoning rave/hardcore sound from, well, 1991) juxtaposed with some tight programming and effortlessly interwoven melodies.
Released as a double A-side with ‘Vulcan Mill Acid’ on 26 Mar, it’s taken from the album ‘Galaxy Garden’ which is out in May.
‘Crystal Caverns 1991’ is streaming on Soundcloud now:
READ MORE ABOUT: Lone
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 12:00 | By CMU Editorial
Toto pull Sony Music into digital royalties debate
Business News Digital Royalties Timeline Labels & Publishers Legal
Good news for Sony Music, the major label too now has a potentially devastating digital royalties lawsuit all of its own, to do with what it likes -put it in an in-tray, pin it to a wall, share it with family and friends, maybe even shred it.
Not that doing any of that will make it go away. Though wishful thinking and some decent legal representation might; Sony, after all, has successfully fought off one of these before.
So yes, Toto have sued Sony over the royalties they are being paid on download sales. As much previously reported, many heritage artists are paid a larger royalty on licensing revenue than record sales. Record companies are treating downloads as the latter, but some artists reckon they should be treated as licensing income.
The Allman Brothers and Cheap Trick both sued Sony on this very issue a few years back and lost. But then early Eminem collaborators FBT Productions successfully sued Universal for the higher pay out on digital revenue, and in the wake of that ruling a plethora of old timers have filed their own litigation, hoping for a bigger cut of the loot.
Universal insists the ruling in the FBT case was unique to the production outfit’s contract, and all four majors will be hoping that’s correct, because if the US courts now decide there is a more general precedent on digital royalties, it will cost the big record companies millions.
Rob Zombie, Chuck D and the estate of Rick James are among those suing Universal on this issue, while Sister Sledge have targeted Warner, and Kenny Rogers has included the digital dispute in a more wide-reaching royalties lawsuit against EMI. Toto’s legal action, filed with the New York court yesterday, brings Sony back into the action.
Sony Music is yet to comment.
READ MORE ABOUT: FBT Productions | Sony Music | Toto
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 11:58 | By CMU Editorial
Sony/ATV files EMI Publishing bid with EC
Business News EMI Sale Timeline Labels & Publishers Top Stories
Sony’s publishing company has finally submitted its proposals to buy EMI Music Publishing to the European Commission, a week after Universal filed its paperwork with regard to its bid for the EMI record labels.
As much previously reported, Sony/ATV – a joint venture between Sony Music and the Michael Jackson estate – is leading a consortium of bidders to buy the EMI music publishing catalogue, one of the most prized catalogues in the music publishing domain. The deal needs regulator approval in both the US and Europe. Confirming the company had filed its proposals with the European Commission, a spokesman for Sony/ATV said yesterday: “[We] will continue to engage constructively with the Commission and are confident that the transaction will be approved”.
Some have speculated that the Sony deal might get through the regulatory process more quickly than Universal’s bid for the EMI labels, mainly because Sony does not own its publishing business outright, and Sony/ATV will not own EMI Publishing outright either. And early indications suggest EMI Publishing would continue to operate as a standalone company after the takeover, albeit reporting into Sony/ATV management.
That said, in Europe in particular, the publishing rights collecting society system is already under intense scrutiny, and some might worry that a duopoly in music publishing, where Universal and Sony/ATV/EMI totally dwarf their rivals, will give those two players far too much influence over the societies, and those concerns could complicate Sony/ATV’s bid. So a speedy resolution is not assured.
The independent sector and mini-major Warner Music are opposing both EMI deals. Officially they want both bids blocked outright, though Warner in particular possibly expects the deals to be approved, but wants the regulators to force Universal and Sony to sell off some parts of their new acquisitions, allowing Warner to step in and get some bargain catalogues to help it boost its own market share.
As previously reported, the initial phase of the EC’s investigation will take about a month, though it is likely a phase two will be required, which could delay a ruling by up to six months.
READ MORE ABOUT: EC | EMI | EMI Music Publishing | Sony Music | Sony Music Publishing | Warner Music
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 11:54 | By CMU Editorial
Church explains decision to settle over phone hacking
Legal Media Top Stories
Charlotte Church has apologised to those who are disappointed that she decided not to pursue her phone hacking litigation to court, explaining that she feared for her family’s mental well-being if she took the legal action all the way.
As previously reported, until last week Church was the one remaining person from the first batch of celebrities told that they had had their voicemail accounts hacked by the News Of The World to have not settled out of court with the paper’s publisher News International. With procrastination tactics from NI’s lawyers having failed, it looked like Church’s case might get a court hearing, but then last week it was confirmed she too had settled.
Those frustrated with the slow speed of the Metropolitan Police’s late-in-the-day investigations into illegal practices at News International had hoped that if a civil case actually came to court then some remaining questions could be answered about exactly what went on at the News Of The World, who within News International knew about the illegal activity, to what extent they went to cover it up, and why it took so long for the authorities to properly act.
With the criminal investigation ongoing, it actually wasn’t clear how much could be addressed in the civil courts, but if nothing else, a high profile celebrity court hearing on the issue would have been nice and embarrassing for the cover up merchants running Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspaper business. But it wasn’t to be. Church’s lawyers settled last week, for £600,000, half of which will cover legal fees to date.
Speaking about the settlement, Church says she felt her hand had been forced once it became clear that News International’s legal team would make any court case as emotionally damaging for her and her family as possible, by dragging up in detail those elements of her parents’ private lives that allegedly became public knowledge in the first place because of the NOTW’s phone hacking tactics.
Given much of Church’s anger over the whole phone hacking scandal is related to the mental distress the tabloid’s revelations caused her mother, she says she decided she couldn’t risk putting her family through another ordeal of that scale. However, while accepting an apology and compensation package in court, Church says she doesn’t believe News International’s management are genuinely sorry for its papers’ past illegal actions, and rather they are just sorry they got caught.
Speaking to The Guardian, Church said: “I really wanted to take it all the way as well. I am really sorry, I hope people don’t feel let down, but the thing is it’s not so black and white, it’s definitely not a case of money; it became totally irrelevant. [But it felt like I was] trying to fight with two hands and a leg tied behind [my] back, and you can just kick with one leg. You just have to look at the court room, look at News International and their 25 lawyers and then look at the individuals with maybe their three lawyers and one barrister and a couple of juniors. You are fighting a massive corporation with endless resources, a phenomenal amount of power and it is just made really difficult”.
Presumably unable to deny the actual phone hacking, and the sourcing of stories from that route, NI’s legal team – according to Church – planned to focus on the extent to which those stories caused distress to the Church family, and especially Charlotte’s mother. There are legal grounds for doing so – for the court to award damages, it needs to consider what damage the defendant has actually caused and is therefore obliged to put right through compensation – though that whole process would have the happy side effect, for the defence, of throwing Mrs Church’s private life and mental health back into the spotlight all over again, causing new distress.
Referencing NI’s chief legal rep and moral vacuum for hire Michael Silverleaf, Church continued: “In the pre-trial hearing, Silverleaf made it reasonably plain the way they were going to be playing it. They [wanted to subject] my mother to a psychological analysis, which is ridiculous. How are you going to get a psychologist for an hour to judge what happened seven years ago? It was just a totally pointless exercise. They were just going to drag my parents through the mud again and I couldn’t let that happen”.
She concludes: “I’ve seen what it’s done to my family the first time round and they were going to do it all over again, which just says to me they haven’t learned anything”.
At the same time Church’s settlement was confirmed, a whole new set of revelations about illegal activities at News International – this time involving The Sun – were revealed, as the government’s Leveson Inquiry moved onto the relationship between certain newspaper publishers and the police, government and the civil service. Nevertheless, Murdoch and his NI business were in a buoyant mood after the launch of a Sunday edition of The Sun this weekend seemingly sent the company’s new Sunday title to the top of the pack on its first outing. Shifting over three million copies, the Sun On Sunday immediately hit its red top rivals, which previously benefited in terms of sales from the NOTW’s sudden demise at the peak of the phone hacking scandal last summer.
READ MORE ABOUT: Charlotte Church | News International | News Of The World
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 11:53 | By CMU Editorial
Labrinth to collaborate with fan
Awards
Grime-pop sort Labrinth is inviting the more musically proactive of his fans to compete to join him in a one-off collaboration. Run as part of headphone manufacturer Sennheiser’s Masters Of Sound programme, the contest requires aspiring singers, songwriters, musicians, DJs or producers to submit an original composition; whether that be a beat, sample, or vocal line.
Entries will then be put to a public vote on Facebook and Twitter, with Labrinth’s personal favourite finalist securing studio time with the ‘Earthquake’ hitmaker to develop their idea, plus the opportunity to see the finished version performed live at a playback show at London’s HMV Oxford Street in May.
Says Labrinth, no doubt whilst modelling a shiny new pair of Sennheiser headphones: “A couple of years ago I was fighting to get my sound out there, so now I want to give people the chance to show the world what they can do. Opportunities like this can get you heard and change your life”.
Over eighteens have until 8 Apr to send in their pieces, and can do so at www.facebook.com/sennheiseruk
READ MORE ABOUT: Labrinth | Sennheiser
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 11:49 | By CMU Editorial
Sex Pistols sign to Universal for 35th anniversary bollocks
Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
The Sex Pistols have signed a new deal with Universal Music’s catalogue division for the release of a 35th anniversary edition of their ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ album worldwide, excluding North America.
Says John Lydon, in typically modest fashion: “Music can be great, when done by the great. The Sex Pistols are the greatest. Universal now has a trophy room. Music is the imitation of nature. The Sex Pistols are nature”. Karen Simmonds, MD of UMC UK added: “To be given the opportunity to re-evaluate The Sex Pistols catalogue is every music lover’s dream. We’re looking forward to working with the band and celebrating their impact on worldwide culture”.
Details of the anniversary release are due to be announced shortly, with other events and Sex Pistols releases apparently also in the pipeline.
READ MORE ABOUT: The Sex Pistols | Universal Music
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 11:48 | By CMU Editorial
EMI signs Rascals
Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
EMI has signed London-based pop outfit Rascals to its Virgin Records imprint, with their first release for the label expected later this year. Whether Virgin is still part of EMI when that happens remains to be seen. Fun.
Rascals’ co-manager Elias Bally told CMU: “We are very proud to have signed to EMI/Virgin. With experienced A&R players such as Jade Richardson, Glyn Aikins, Nick Burgess, Miles Leonard and EMI’s premiership marketing team, it made perfect sense. We believe and both hope we can justify their decision to sign us and look forward to forging a successful partnership”.
Virgin’s VP A&R Nick Burgess added: “The signing of Rascals is something everyone at Virgin is very excited about. We love that they are a unique band with four individual stars and great songs. Rascals are a breath of fresh air for the UK music scene and we have no doubt that fans of all kinds of music are going to connect with them”.
READ MORE ABOUT: EMI | Rascals | Virgin Records
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 11:42 | By CMU Editorial
Death Grips sign to Sony
Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
Abrasive hip hop outfit Death Grips have signed to Sony Music for their previously reported two album releases due this year. They will release through the Columbia imprint in the UK and Epic in the US.
The trio, consisting of rapper MC Ride (real name Stefan Burnett), producer Flatlander (real name Andy Morin) and drummer Zach Hill, will release the first of those two albums, ‘The Money Store’, on 23 Apr. A vinyl version of the record will be made available exclusively for this year’s Record Store Day on 21 Apr. The second album, ‘No Love’, is scheduled for release in the autumn.
READ MORE ABOUT: Death Grips | Sony Music
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 11:40 | By CMU Editorial
BMG Chrysalis signs Tame Impala songwriter
Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
BMG Chrysalis has signed a new publishing deal with Kevin Parker, songwriter for Australian band Tame Impala.
The band are due to return with a follow-up to their 2010 album ‘Innerspeaker’ later this year.
BMG Chrysalis A&R Manager Craig Michie said of the signing: “Tame Impala are ace. I’m so excited we are working with Kevin. I can’t wait for them to be back on tour with a new record!”
READ MORE ABOUT: BMG | Kevin Parker | Tame Impala
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 11:38 | By CMU Editorial
Azealia Banks sets date, title for debut album
Releases
Harlem-based MC Azealia Banks is poised to capitalise on her ‘212’ infamy with a debut album, which now bears the brand new title ‘Broke With Expensive Taste’.
Speaking in an interview with Nylon magazine, Banks described the LP’s overarching theme as being based on “a young girl trying to find it”, ‘it’ being: “Success! Herself! Her path! The young girl trying to make it! She needs to get what she can get! She needs to go out there and show people she knows how to work for it”.
Well, I might need a little time to react to all! That! Enthusiasm! Fortunately, Polydor-signed Banks isn’t due to release the LP, plus a ‘212’ EP, until 25 Mar.
READ MORE ABOUT: Azealia Banks
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 11:34 | By CMU Editorial
Keane discuss new LP
Releases
Keane have shared various details about their previously reported new album, which is nice if you like Keane. The band have christened their first post-hiatus LP ‘Strangeland’, a title that key Keane member Tim Rice-Oxley claims is akin to “an adventure… full of uncertainty, and the potential for mishap, as well as the possibility of amazing things and glorious discoveries”.
Adds Oxley of the long player, which is due for release on 7 May: “I love the idea of the journey through ‘Strangeland’ being a journey of redemption”.
With that sentiment in mind, lets all have a redemptive scroll through the ‘Strangeland’ tracklisting, shall we?
You Are Young
Silenced By The Night
Disconnected
Watch How You Go
Sovereign Light Café
On The Road
The Starting Line
Black Rain
Neon River
Day Will Come
In Your Own Time
Sea Fog
READ MORE ABOUT: Keane
