Friday 28 September 2012, 13:47 | By Chris Cooke

CMU Digest – 28 Sep 2012

Business News Week In Five

The five biggest stories in the music business this week…

01: Universal’s acquisition of the EMI record company properly began, after regulators in both the European Union and the US approved the deal, after long investigations, last Friday. Ownership formally transfers today, with EMI CEO Roger Faxon exiting as it does so. No remedies were required in America, but in Europe Universal will have to offload up to 60% of EMI’s assets, including the Parlophone label. Various parties have expressed interest, with BMG still thought to be leading the way, though it may take a little time to work out the specifics of what exactly is on the table in terms of rights and artist relationships. Universal will also sell some of its periphery divisions as part of its deal with the European regulator, including indie label services business Co-op Music. Rumour has it independent distributor [PIAS] hopes to acquire that, something several Co-op clients have written to Music Week about, expressing opposition to the proposal. CMU timeline | Music Week report on Co-op Music

02: Lyor Cohen announced his departure from Warner Music, where he has headed up the major’s recorded music operations for sometime, in North America since 2004. It’s thought Cohen had disagreements on the strategic direction that the wider Warner music company should be taking with Stephen Cooper, the man appointed CEO by newish owners Access Industries last year. No word yet on a replacement, though EMI’s outgoing top man Roger Faxon denied rumours he’d been approached. Some wonder if Cohen will be replaced at all, or if label division heads might not just stay reporting into Cooper directly. As for Cohen’s future, the most believable rumour is that he has ambitions to launch a management and brand partnerships agency. CMU report | New York Post report

03: Music Festivals plc and Guilfest called in the administrators, bringing a very shaky UK summer festivals season to a close with a thud. Music Festivals plc, created by British live music veteran Vince Power just last year, and operators of the Hop Farm and Benicassim, had been issuing gloomy shareholder statements for much of the year, so it going into administration didn’t come as a huge shock. Guilfest, one of the UK’s longest running festivals, was hit by incredibly bad weather and a very crowded events calendar in and around London, resulting in debts making the future of the festival unviable without new ownership. Music Festivals plc report | Guilfest report

04: Two more artists sued over digital royalties, this time targeting Sony Music. This week it was REO Speedwagon and William ‘Boz’ Scaggs arguing that the major should be paying them the higher ‘licensing deal’ royalty on download revenue, rather than the lower ‘record sales’ royalty cut. They join a long line of heritage artists with pre-iTunes contracts suing on this issue, all citing the ruling in the much previously reported FBT Productions v Universal Music case. Sony is hoping that it can circumvent the growing pile of such litigation via a deal struck up in response to an earlier class action on the digital royalties point a few years back. That deal, basically offering heritage artists a 3% royalty increase on downloads if they shut up and go away, is still awaiting court approval. Presumably REO Speedwagon and Scaggs reckon they can get quite a bit more than 3% by suing directly. CMU report | Hollywood Reporter report

05: Megabox and the new look MySpace both posted preview videos. Kim Dotcom has been tweeting about his direct-to-fan platform, which was in development before the rest of the MegaUpload empire was shut down by the Feds, with increased frequency of late. And this week he posted a little video to prove it’s real. Meanwhile the owners of MySpace, including that Justin Timberlake dude, posted a video of their all new website, which will see the once uber-social network starting from scratch with what they hope might become the social media platform of choice for creative types. Neither preview video told us much about what the two services will actually offer. Megabox report | MySpace report

Also in CMU this week, Andy Malt wrote about the woes of the UK festival market this summer in his Editor’s Letter, and he also had a chat to Kid Koala about his new album. The CMU Podcast returned after a bit of a break too, and in the Approved column we had Lianne Le Havas remixed by Laurel Halo, Nadine Shah, Cold Cave, and Scarlet Soho.

CMU Beef Of The Week #129: Marina v 679

And Finally Artist News Beef Of The Week

Earlier this week, a new Marina And The Diamonds video was supposed to hit the internet. The song it would accompany, ‘How To Be A Heartbreaker’, was featured as an extra track on the US edition of her latest album, ‘Electra Heart’, and is due to make its way to the UK by way of a standalone single release. But all did not go to plan.

As fans waited for the video to appear, Marina took to Twitter to announce: “So, someone at my record label won’t let me release the video [because] I look ugly in it apparently and we need more $/time to paint out [the] ugly parts”, adding: “The video will be out end of the week. If not, I am happy to leak the ‘minger’ version for my fans”.

Addressing the comment, her UK label, Warner’s 679, tweeted: “For the record, we think M’s a babe”.

As it seems that the order for the video rework came from somewhere higher up the Warner Music chain (possibly in the US), 679’s comment was presumably just an offhand message of support, possibly addressing messages from fans who had been questioning the company on the decision. It became quite difficult to check this though, as a large number of Marina’s fans, in misguided attempts to ‘defend’ the pop star, then started sending death threats to 679, which is no fun at all.

“Wasn’t our decision, stop sending death threats, etc etc”, came 679’s first slightly nonplussed reaction to this, and then a day later: “Just to reiterate; 679 did not make the decision to hold [back] the Marina video for further edits. And we don’t think Marina’s ugly, we’re not blind”.

All’s well that ends well, eh? Except that it still seems that someone somewhere did decide that Marina appeared so unsightly in one of her videos that it should never been seen by public eyes. Which you might say is gross misogyny on the part of her label, though (if you were feeling more forgiving) you might suggest it was an overly cautious executive decision to protect an artist from possible public reactions in that cruel world out there. After all, another female pop star, Lady Gaga, spent much of this week in the press just because she put on a small amount of weight and because a US politician called her a slut.

Over in another part of the Warner empire (Atlantic), another musician was making an appeal to the label, but in this case it was to delete something from the internet rather than putting it up there. In a bid to promote the band’s new EP and current tour, Atlantic asked Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchinson to start posting short audio blogs to SoundCloud.

After getting off to a faltering start on Wednesday, Hutchison decided to give it another go later that evening. Unfortunately, later that evening he was very drunk. Hungover the next morning he apparently pleaded with the label to remove it, but the team there refused on the grounds that it was funnier not to.

So, in lieu of a Marina And The Diamonds video to show you, here is the sound of Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison quite drunk:

NOTE: As has been pointed out in the comments, originally part of this article referred to tweets from (it turned out) a fake account designed (annoyingly well) to look like Marina’s real Twitter account. We apologise for this error. But, hey, the video in question is now online, so go and watch it here.

Approved: Groove Odyssey Third Birthday at Great Suffolk Street Car Park

Club Tip CMU Approved

After a recent change of venue to Suffolk Street, for its third birthday party Groove Odyssey is bringing in US-based Louie Vega, one half of Masters At Work, who is teaming up with his fellow countryman Kerri Chandler to play back-to back sets for the first time in London. One of the sound maestros of DC10’s summer sessions in Ibiza, Chandler continues to rock all kinds of parties and events with his unmistakable bass-heavy house sound, brimming with soul.

Joined in the main room by vocal star Julie McKnight – best known proper classic ‘Finally’ and also ‘Diamond Life’ – Vega will headline a main room bill featuring resident DJs Bobby and Steve Zoo, House FM’s DJ Leo, while DJ Bigger and UK diva Pauline Henry (The Chimes) will head up an 80s soul and rnb room alongside Sammy Confunktion and co. There’ll also be more from House FM on site, with the latest grooves and beats from its in-house crew DJ Fiddla, Brockney C and friends.

Saturday 29 Sep, Great Suffolk Street Car Park, Borough, London, SE1 0NS, £17.50 adv, more info via this link.

Live Music Act comes into effect on Monday

Business News Legal Live Business Top Stories

The grass roots live sector is feeling optimistic today that the Live Music Act, which comes into effect in England and Wales on Monday, could have a quick, tangible, positive results. As much previously reported, the live music legislation removes some of the bureaucracy introduced by the 2003 Licensing Act, forms and paperwork which many grass roots musicians said led to many smaller music venues, especially cafes and bars that used to host live music, to stop doing so, reducing the opportunities for artists to play live.

As the act – which stemmed from a private members bill put forward by Lib Dem Lord Tim Clement-Jones, and which was approved by parliament in March – goes properly live, the Musician’s Union has launched a ‘Live Music Kit’, which aims to encourage and enable smaller venues that are now able to stage live music without any tedious form filling to do just that. Available online and in print, it outlines how the provisions of the act work, presents the business case for staging music, and offers tips on how to stage music events.

MU General Secretary John Smith told CMU: “The implementation of the Live Music Act signifies an exciting time for both venues and musicians, who can use the opportunity to work together to create a growing audience and profile, and long-term success. As research undertaken by PRS For Music has shown, live music can be hugely beneficial for pubs – pubs without featured music being three times more likely to close than pubs with featured music. At a time when many working musicians are struggling, and events such as the Olympics and Jubilee celebrations seem to have brought about only unpaid gigs, this exemption is great news for them because I am confident that it will bring about a real resurgence in live music in pubs and other small venues”.

He continued: “Small venues are, after all, the places where most musicians start their careers and so promoting opportunities for live performance in small venues protects the career progression of musicians in the UK. We also believe that live music performance is an essential aspect of culture in the UK and that it should be promoted in its own right. This is why the Live Music Act is so important, and we hope that the Live Music Kit will help venues to make the most of the new exemption”.

Earlier this month cross-sector trade body UK Music published research that said that up to 13,000 British venues could stage live music for the first time as a result of the Act, and that a further 20,400 might step up their output. Though the research, by The Market Research Group at the University Of Bournemouth, said that awareness of the Act amongst the people and companies running premises that could now stage music without the red tape was relatively low, hence the need for initiatives like that just announced by the MU.

On publishing that research, UK Music CEO Jo Dipple said: “The results of this baseline research are very exciting. The act, as we had hoped, has a potentially huge impact on the live music scene. The purpose of this legislation is to encourage more live music performances. Small venues will no longer have to apply to their local authority to stage live music. The act will mean that the staging of live music will be cheaper and easier for venues up and down the country. UK Music has committed to working with the Musicians’ Union on an awareness campaign for venues and artists to ensure that the act has the biggest impact. We also look forward to working with government on the implementation of the act”.

BASCA to present Gold Badges next month

Awards Business News

The British Academy Of Songwriters, Composers And Authors recently announced this year’s winners of its Gold Badge Awards. Now in its 38th year, the badge scheme recognises people from across the music industry who have been particularly supportive of songwriters and composers.

BASCA Chairman Sarah Rodgers told CMU: “BASCA is immensely proud of the Gold Badge Awards. It is a unique and genuine occasion when songwriters and composers show their appreciation of exceptional individuals from the panoply of music-making. These are the people who make our music come to life”.

This year’s winners will receive their prizes at a ceremony at The Savoy in London on 17 Oct. And those winners are:

Paul Carrack
Mark Cooper
Jude Kelly
George Martin
Nick Mason
Fran Nevrkla
Mandy Oates
Nigel Ogden
Caroline Redman Lusher
Chris Welch
John Williams

Lil Wayne out-charts Elvis

Artist News

Popular courtroom satirist Lil Wayne has just surpassed Elvis Presley’s record for the solo artist with the most ‘hits’ (ie appearances) on America’s Billboard Hot 100 chart since it began in 1958.

Weezy’s present hit-rate became 109, one higher than The King’s, by virtue of his having guest-MC’d (his phenomenal number of ‘featured artist’ credits being the reason for his Hot 100 supremacy) on rapper Game’s new single ‘Celebration’. And if that isn’t cause for a celebration, what is?

I should probably also commend the cast of ‘Glee’ – the ‘group’ of sorts that provide the TV show’s many, many, many ‘musical numbers’ each week – since they officially reign over the Billboard shortlist with 204 charting hits. But I won’t because the cast of ‘Glee’ just don’t count, in any given context whatsoever.

Classic Bad Brains line-up releasing new LP

Releases

The four men being billed as Bad Brains’ most defining line-up – HR, Darryl Jenifer, Dr Know and Earl Hudson – are to release a new long player titled ‘Into The Future’.

Out via Megaforce on 19 Nov, the new album also features a remix of ‘Peace Be Unto Thee’, a track from the band’s last record ‘Build A Nation’, in tribute to the 2007-dated LP’s late producer Adam Yauch.

Bassist Daryl says this about ‘Into The Future’: “It’s the purest Bad Brains recordings since the ROIR cassette [Bad Brains’ eponymous 1982 debut]. Our self-produced record shines with a true sense of freedom and musical experimentation, with blends of soulful backgrounds meshed with blistering hardcore and metal riffs, with classic dub”.

Crystal Castles detail LP III

Releases

Au fait with the craze for literal and numerical LP titles (Beyonce and Bloc Party’s newest, to name but two), Crystal Castles have officially given their third LP the title ‘(III)’. As well as that, they’ve also revealed that it’ll be released on 5 Nov.

CC’s Ethan Kath – who imposed a “strictly no computers” ban on all ‘(III)’ sessions, meaning every track was recorded straight to tape – voices his views on the project: “We wanted the new album to sound like a completely different and new experience. We’d limit ourselves to one take on each song because we believe the first take is the rawest expression of an idea”.

After its radio premiere on Wednesday, the band’s new single ‘Wrath Of God’ is now playing on an infinite loop via SoundCloud:

As noted way back in August, Crystal Castles will also begin a headlining tour on 22 Nov at the Birmingham Institute.

Busdriver returns to Big Dada, gives away EP

Releases

In order to celebrate his return to Big Dada, Busdriver is giving away a new seven track EP ahead of his new album, which is due early next year. The rapper’s last long player for the label was 2005’s amazing ‘Fear Of A Black Tangent’.

Featuring guest appearances from Das Racist, Terra Lopez, Open Mic Eagle and Nocando, the ‘Arguments With Dreams’ EP showcases Busdriver’s MCing talents in style, as he tackles topics such as “the viciously competitive job market”, and “the idea of using Wernor Herzog as an adverb” and “being under-qualified yet incredibly motivated to make money asap”.

You can download the EP in exchange for an email address here.

By the way, Busdriver’s most recent album, ‘Beaus$Eros’, released through Fake Four in February, is hands down one of the best records released this year. Here’s an interview he did with CMU back in January discussing it.

Dr Martens festival to feature Ash, Kids In Glass Houses, Tribes

Gigs & Festivals

Shoe and boot brand Dr Martens is paying a ton of bands to play what it terms its ‘First And Forever Festival’, but which is really a series of live shows and in-stores spanning seven British cities. For convenience’s sake, however, I guess we’ll call it a festival too.

Anyway, the festival will feature headline sets by Tribes (15 Nov, London Barfly), Kids In Glass Houses (23 Nov, Birmingham Institute) and Ash (26 Nov, Manchester Ritz). Live in-store appearances by Stealing Sheep, The View’s Kyle Falconer, Marmozets, Feed The Rhino and Sharks are also part of the overall programme.

All info via this link.

Death Cab frontman to tour solo

Gigs & Festivals

Death Cab For Cutie’s Benjamin Gibbard has just promised to promote his first solo LP ‘Former Lives’ via a European tour, as features just one relevant Britain-based date at London’s Union Chapel on 3 Dec.

‘Former Lives’, which Gibbard describes as “a side story, not a new chapter” in his professional life, is released via City Slang on 12 Nov. Taken from it, this is ‘Teardrop Windows’ his ode to Seattle’s most sidelined skyscraper, the Smith Tower.

White Fence sets London date

Gigs & Festivals

The justifiably CMU approved White Fence – aka Tim Presley and band – are playing a show at the Dalston Victoria on 29 Nov, and chances are they’ll be reciting tracks from ‘Family Perfume’, the two-volume LP set they released this year.

You can buy tickets via this link, and see/hear a pretty exceptional rendition of live fave ‘Swagger Vets And Double Moon’ here:

Strangers announce London show

Gigs & Festivals

CMU approved electronic trio Strangers are currently working on their debut album for release next year. However, they’ve managed to make time for one more London gig before the year is out. The band will headline the Queen Of Hoxton on 15 Nov.

You can find more info on the show via its Facebook event page.

And check out their last single, ‘Safe/Pain’, here:

Festival line-up additions – 28 Sep 2012

Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals

DOWNLOAD, Donington Park, Leicestershire, 14-16 Jun 2013: Slipknot. www.downloadfestival.co.uk

Radiohead and Ticketmaster accused of unfair ticketing

Business News Live Business

Radiohead fans who bought tickets for the band’s upcoming Manchester Arena and London O2 Arena shows have accused them and Ticketmaster of running an unfair system.

In a bid to stop ticket touting, ticketholders are only able to pick up tickets at the venues on the day of the show and must present the credit or debit card with which they were purchased as well as some form of photo ID. However, fans who have subsequently found themselves unable to attend the October shows since tickets went on sale in March have discovered that, not only can these tickets not be resold (or given away for that matter), they are unrefundable too. Meaning such fans are out of pocket.

And more than that, because the problem actually manifests itself in various forms. For example, if the ticketbuyer is unable to attend, then anyone else they bought tickets for is also unable to go. And the system also means that anyone who was bought their ticket as a gift can only attend if the buyer goes with them to the show to pick it up.

One ticketholder, Paul Chambers, wrote to the Guardian saying that he had purchased £288 worth of tickets which he was now unable to use or get a refund on: “I can’t go due to being away at work. The tickets are in my name and I can’t pick them up. My wife isn’t keen on going to the concert without me but couldn’t anyway due to my name and bank card being on the bill. I would gladly sell the Radiohead tickets to fans for face value but I can’t due to the restrictions”.

Ticketmaster spokesman Jon Wiffen responded: “Terms and conditions relating to the purchase of paperless tickets are clearly outlined to customers at multiple stages during the purchase process, including the initial purchase page, the shipping page and the billing page. Information relating to their purchase of paperless tickets is also conveyed on the confirmation email they receive”.

He added: “Paperless tickets aren’t transferable because this prevents those tickets being offered in the resale market. However, our dedicated customer services team are happy to work with both customers and our clients, be that the venues or promoters, if a customer’s circumstances change”.

Many critics of the secondary ticketing marketplace that has boomed in the eBay age have long suggested that technology – mobile and/or paperless ticketing – was a possible solution, though such systems have taken a while to get off the ground, partly because the technology needed refining, but partly because of the issues experienced by these Radiohead fans. Such issues have so far been reported more widely in the US, though as customer dissatisfaction with such systems spreads, it may well turn out that technical measures aren’t so good at combating the touts after all.

Commenting on the Radiohead story, Joe Cohen from secondary ticketing website Seatwave told CMU: “The fiasco around paperless tickets for the Radiohead gigs shows exactly why a safe and transparent secondary ticket market is vital. Fans who can no longer go to a show have the right to sell their ticket on to someone else in the simplest and safest way possible. Trying to control any market and restrict competition ultimately works against fans, costing them more and allowing fewer people access to the events they want to go to – as was illustrated by all the empty seats at the London Olympics this summer”.

Radiohead have been vocal critics of secondary ticketing and the hiking up of ticket prices on resale platforms for sometime, and earlier this year they partnered with ‘ethical fan-to-fan ticket exchange’ Ticket Trust in order to allow fans to resell unwanted tickets at face value. In a statement at the time, the band’s management said: “In recent years, the band’s enjoyment of their own shows has been marred by the knowledge that a great many of their fans have been obliged to pay well over face value for their tickets. Secondary ticketing is wrong on so many levels and as management, with ultimate responsibility for the welfare of the band, we must ensure that their fans are treated fairly”.

Thom Yorke et al oppose secondary ticketing because of the negative impact it has on real fans, who may end up paying over the odds for tickets, though it seems that the paperless ticketing approach to combating that problem may just create new issues.

Tim Chambers leaves Live Nation

Business News Industry People Live Business

Live Nation’s SVP of International Corporate Development Tim Chambers has announced that he is leaving the company at the end of this week.

Chambers came to Live Nation via its Ticketmaster merger, having worked in business development roles at both Ticketmaster and its subsidiary TicketWeb UK for a number of years. Most recently he has been involved in Live Nation’s acquisitions of Ticketnet in France, Serviticket in Spain and the company’s expansion into Croatia.

Chambers told CMU: “Under the terms of my non-compete agreement I am unable to answer any queries, other than to state that I shall miss a number of colleagues and friends who I deeply enjoyed working with over the last fourteen years… However, I am looking forward to exploring new opportunities early next year”.

Spotify UK revenues up in 2011

Digital

The latest figures to come out of Spotify, reported by the Financial Times, show that the streaming firm’s UK company generated revenues of £95.5 million in 2011, up from £63.2 million the previous year.

Both subscription and ad revenues were up, despite Spotify generally pushing its subscription service more strongly over the freemium option these days (though subs money did account for more of the overall income in 2011 than 2010). Subscriptions made £72.5 million and ads £22.4 million. The increases meant that overall Spotify UK saw is losses fall, to £2.1 million from £26.5 million.

It’s worth noting that it’s hard to tell exactly how Spotify is doing from these figures, filed at Companies House in the UK, alone, not least because a lot of the streaming firm’s European operations used to be run through its UK business, but that seemingly stopped being the case half way through last year, meaning these financials include some but not all of the group’s European operations.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the digital firm’s Luxembourg-based holding company, Spotify Technologies, saw its losses increase from 28.5 million euros in 2010 to 45.4 million last year.

Pete Townshend discusses child pornography arrest

And Finally Artist News

The Who’s Pete Townshend has spoken about his 2003 arrest for accessing a website containing images of child abuse. As previously reported, the guitarist was cautioned and put on the sex offenders register by police, though he said at the time that he’d only paid for access to the website he was caught accessing as research for a book.

With that book, his autobiography ‘Who I Am’, now being serialised in The Times, he’s told the paper that actually it was part of a mission of his to prove that British banks were profiting from child abuse. In an interview with the broadsheet, Townshend said that he’d paid a £7 charge to access the website and then immediately cancelled it, hoping to prove that there was a financial chain running from Russian orphanages to banks in this country. A move he now admits was “insane”.

Townshend said: “I had experienced something creepy as a child, so you imagine, ‘what if I was a girl of nine or ten and my uncle had raped me every week?’ I felt I had an understanding, and I could help. What I did was insane. [And] I’ve had the misfortune to read online comments where I’m judged as a paedophile because I’ve got a big nose”.

Asked why he didn’t launch legal action to clear his name, he continued: “You know, I think I was exhausted. The police at Kingston station gave me half an hour to make a decision about whether to go to court or not. My lawyers were as surprised as I was because everyone thought I would be let off. And I thought that if I went to court they would fucking rip me apart”.

Noel buys NME to see what Liam’s saying about him

And Finally

If you were one of the ever-feuding Gallagher brothers, you might think it would be hard to keep up with who said what about whom. Not so, says Noel, he has a system.

“I buy NME whenever Liam’s on the front – cos I know he’ll be slagging me off”, said the former Oasis guitarist in this week’s 60th anniversary edition of the music weekly. “There was one point when [the] Beady Eye [album] was out, but I wasn’t doing anything, and Liam was on the cover of NME every few weeks, basically saying, ‘Noel’s a cunt'”.

He added: “I’d go into the newspaper shop and me two Asian mates, they’d be reading it under counter. ‘You come for this?’ I’d see them wincing: ‘It’s not a good one…’ ‘I know’. ‘I don’t think he likes you very much’. ‘Yeah, I don’t think he likes anyone very much'”.

The CMU Podcast – September 2012

Setlist

The CMU podcast is back in its all-new monthly format. By which I mean it’s almost exactly the same but will now come out monthly, rather than weekly. In this month’s edition, Andy Malt and Chris Cooke examine Universal’s purchase of EMI and what it might mean for the music industry, as well as discussing music festival woes this summer, recent Pirate Bay-related goings on and Amanda Palmer’s now reversed policy not to pay guest musicians.

Get the CMU Podcast each month by signing up via iTunes, RSS, or Stitcher, and listen to the latest edition via SoundCloud here:

Approved: Scarlet Soho – Solo KO

CMU Approved

Earlier this year, Scarlet Soho followed up their 2009 ‘Warpaint’ album with the first of a trilogy of EPs, ‘When The Lights Go Out’. The release saw them push their 80s synth-pop influences to the extreme – handclaps and vintage synth sounds were all out in full force.

Part two of the series sees them take a darker, more experimental turn (insert obligatory ‘Star Wars’ reference here) with the title track of new EP ‘Solo KO’. Driven by crisp drums and slow, bassy synth that swells and retracts like breathing, strings are used to wonderful effect. Add to this a great chorus and a middle eight that bursts open, revealing the emotional heart of the song, I’d argue that this is the best thing they’ve ever done.

With the EP due for release on 26 Oct, the video for the track (which you can see below) was premiered this week.

Cohen could launch management and brands agency

Business News Industry People Management & Funding Top Stories

Outgoing Warner Music recorded music chief Lyor Cohen is considering setting up his own music company, according to the New York Post, which cites sources as saying the record industry veteran is considering a return to artist management by setting up a new agency that would also work with brands on music partnerships.

As previously reported, Cohen will depart Warner Music tomorrow after eight years with the major. Joining the company from Universal in 2004, shortly after the Edgar Bronfman Jr led acquisition of the Warner music company off Time Warner, Cohen original oversaw the firm’s record labels in North America, before later being given a coordinating role over recorded music operations elsewhere too.

Since Access Industries bought Warner last year and installed its own man, Stephen Cooper, as CEO, Cohen has been seen as the major’s most senior record industry expert. The Post says that he is departing now, somewhat suddenly, because of strategic differences between himself and Cooper who, now over a year into the job, has a clearer personal vision for where the company should be heading.

The Post’s source says, simply: “They weren’t seeing eye-to-eye on the strategy. It was better to part ways; he didn’t see himself having a role going forward”.

Following the confirmation Cohen was leaving earlier this week, there has been speculation he may look to return to Universal, or to Sony Music, now being run by his former Universal boss Doug Morris, though both options would likely feel like a backwards step.

Others have speculated that he might team up with a private equity group to bid for the EMI assets being sold by Universal, though with those labels being European-based, and Cohen being very much part of the American record industry, that seems unlikely; so much so the management and brand partnerships start-up option sounds much more viable. Though if he did bid for Parlophone et al, he might find himself competing against his former employer, Warner reportedly also planning to bid for the EMI off cuts.

Talking of EMI, according to Hits Daily Double, the soon-to-be-defunct major’s outgoing CEO Roger Faxon, who also departs tomorrow as the Universal acquisition of his company completes, has denied rumours he has been sounded out by Warner as a possible replacement for Cohen.

Insane Clown Posse sue FBI over fanbase’s gang classification

Legal

Insane Clown Posse have told their fans that they have now begun legal action against the FBI over the bureau’s decision to add the hip hop duo’s fans, dubbed ‘Juggalos’, to its National Gang Threat Assessment list.

As previously reported, the FBI said in its gang report last year: “The Juggalos, a loosely-organised hybrid gang, are rapidly expanding into many US communities. Although recognised as a gang in only four states, many Juggalo subsets exhibit gang-like behaviour and engage in criminal activity and violence – law enforcement officials in at least 21 states have identified criminal Juggalo subsets”.

The Posse announced in August that they were considering taking legal action against the FBI for branding their fanbase a gang threat, and asked any fans who had suffered because of the gang classification to come forward with information.

And now, in a posting on their website, the outfit has confirmed litigation has begun. The post says: “Hertz Schram PC, by Howard Hertz and Elizabeth Thomson, on behalf of Insane Clown Posse and [their label] Psychopathic Records, has filed suit against the FBI in the US District Court for the Eastern District Of Michigan, alleging the FBI’s violation of the Freedom Of Information Act for its failure to produce any documentary evidence in support of the FBI’s classification of the groups’ fanbase, the Juggalos, as a gang in the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment: Emerging Trends”.

The post adds: “Really, this is the first time in the history of rock n roll that any music fans have been labeled as a ‘gang’ and that’s probably because it makes no damn sense! But no matter how fuckin cracked out it is there have still been a lot of ‘Ninjas’ [fans] who have been gettin shit for their Insane Clown Posse apparel, tattoos, and for showing support. That’s what happens when music fans are lumped in with the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, Crips, and the Latin Kings. Juggalos are fans of music – not hardened, organised gang members! And that is why the Insane Clown Posse, Psychopathic Records, and their legal team are fighting for YOU!”

Andy Williams 1927-2012

Obituaries

Singer Andy Williams died on Tuesday evening following a year long battle with bladder cancer, his family said in a statement yesterday. He was 84.

Born Howard Andrew Williams in Iowa in 1927, he first began singing professionally with his three older brothers – Dick, Bob and Don – as The Williams Brothers, when he was just eight years old. The group split in 1951 and Andy went solo, though he reunited with his brothers every Christmas on his TV show ‘The Andy Williams Show’ between 1962 and 1971, and that tradition continued into the 1990s after the television programme finished at his annual live Christmas shows too.

It was as a solo artist that he had most success, having his first US hit with ‘Canadian Sunset’ in 1956, which went to number seven in the US singles chart. The following year he had a number one in both the US and the UK with ‘Butterfly’. Though it wasn’t until 1962 that he had a hit album, his eighth (and only the third to chart), ‘Moon River And Other Great Movie Themes’, which went to number seven in the US. The title track of that album, of course, went on to become one of his signature songs, thanks in part to his performance of it at the 1962 Oscars, though it was never released as a single.

In subsequent years he enjoyed number one albums on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as more top ten records, releasing 42 studio albums in total over the course of his career – the last being 2007’s ‘I Don’t Remember Ever Growing Up’.

Also involved in the business side of music, Williams launched his own record label, Barnaby Records, in 1968, through which he initially released re-issues of his own early recordings on the Cadence record label, as well as releases by other Cadence artists, such as The Everly Brothers (Williams having become the owner of the label’s entire catalogue of master recordings in 1964). Barnaby also signed singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett to release debut album ‘Down To Earth’. Though the company ceased to release records in the late 1970s, Williams still licensed the catalogue to other labels.

In 1992, Williams opened his own venue, The Moon River Theatre, in Branson, Missouri. As well as putting on other artists, he also performed there twice a night, six nights a week, for nine months of the year, up until relatively recently.

He is survived by his second wife Debbie, and his three children, Robert, Noelle and Christian.

AIM Awards shortlists announced

Awards Business News

The nominations are out for this year’s Independent Music Awards, organised by the Association Of Independent Music, which will take place at The Brewery in London on 29 Oct.

We already knew that Edwyn Collins will take the Outstanding Contribution trophy at the second ever AIM awards event, while Mute’s Daniel Miller will take home the Pioneer Award. But now we also know the contenders for the other gongs.

AIM chief Alison Wenham told CMU: “We have doubled capacity for this years ‘Most Difficult Second AIM Awards (!)’ and the nominations are once again outstanding. These awards will recognise another great year for independents’ creativity and ingenuity, with Ninja Tune and Xtra Mile leading the nominations list. The companies and artists are all so special they should all get a medal, but a decent three course meal and an evening spent amongst friends is a prize in itself”.

The shortlists for this year’s AIM awards have been announced just head of the trade body’s first ever AIM Social networking event, which will take place at Shoreditch’s East Village tonight. And that, in turn, is part of Indies Month, a series of indie label themed events taking place in London in the run up to the awards.

Anyway, here are the noms…

Independent Breakthrough Of The Year: Alabama Shakes, Alt-J, Django Django, Grimes, Poliça.

Hardest Working Band Or Artist: 65daysofstatic, Cancer Bats, Enter Shikari, Frank Turner, Skinny Lister.

Best Live Act: The Cribs, Dub Pistols, Enter Shikari, The Prodigy, Frank Turner.

PPL Award For Most Played Independent Act: Adele, Arctic Monkeys, Caro Emerald, Madness, Travis.

Independent Album Of The Year: Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls, Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood Of Colour, Liars – Wixiw, Future Of The Left – The Plot Against Common Sense, Rustie – Glass Swords.

Best Difficult Second Album: Admiral Fallow – Tree Bursts In Snow, First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar, Speech Debelle – Freedom Of Speech, The Invisible – Rispah, The Skints – Part & Parcel.

Special Catalogue Release Of The Year: Amon Tobin – Amon Tobin, Madness – A Guided Tour Of Madness, Can – The Lost Tapes, The 13th Floor Elevators – Music Of The Spheres, Various Artists – The Original Sound Of Cumbia.

Genre Spotlight Award: Broadcaster Ft Peggy Seeger – Folksploitation, Lorn – Ask The Dust, Neil Cowley Trio – The Face Of Mount Molehill, Netsky – 2, Wiley – Evolve Or Be Extinct.

Best Small Label: Alcopop! Records, Black Butter Records, Brainfeeder, Pink Mist, Xtra Mile Recordings.

Independent Entrepreneur Of The Year: Alex Di Savoia – Aardvark Records, Chris Goss / Tony Colman / Tom Kelsey – Hospital Records, Louis Barabbas – Debt Records, Sam Dyson – Distiller Records, Simon Raymonde – Bella Union.

Independent Label Of The Year: 4AD, Bella Union, Hospital Records, Hyperdub, Ninja Tune.

Indie Champion Award: Olli Dutton – Obscene Strategies, Ian Evans – IME Music, Steve Lamacq – BBC 6music, Katie Parsons – Kerrang!, Shell Zenner – Amazing Radio.

Best Independent Festival: In The Woods Festival, Truck Festival, Y Not Festival, Leefest, Bearded Theory.

Ratking sign to XL, share tracks

Business News Deals Labels & Publishers Releases

NYC rap troupe Ratking, new signings to niche XL Recordings imprint Hot Charity, will mark their first release via the label with a debut EP titled ‘Wiki93’.

Since that won’t be available till November, have an immediate preview of it now in the twin shapes of ‘Wikispeaks’ and ‘Pretty Picture’:

Brian Eno to release unsurprisingly ambient new LP

Releases

Warp Records has announced a 12 Nov release date for ‘LUX’, Brian Eno’s first solo LP (notwithstanding his 2011 collaborations with poet Rick Holland) since 2005’s ‘Another Day On Earth’.

A 75 minute composition divided into twelve parts, the label defines it as a continuation in terms of “themes and sonic textures” of Eno’s long-playing ‘Ambient’ series – as began with 1978’s ‘Music For Airports’ and ended (temporarily, as the case may be) in 1982’s ‘On Land’.

Then again, Warp also says that Eno himself views the new record as a sequel to his ‘Music For Thinking’ project. Oh, and that it has “evolved from a work currently housed in the Great Gallery of the Palace of Venaria in Turin, Italy”.

So there you go. We assume it will resemble at least one, if not all, of those things.

And if you’re curious as to what the ‘LUX’ tracklisting looks like, it’s four tracks labelled ‘LUX’ 1-4. So, that’s that.

Azealia Banks stalls single amid sample fracas, blames Illuminati

Releases

Postponement-prone MC Azealia Banks was meant to officially release her new single ‘Esta Noche’ this past Tuesday, but didn’t – she tweeted at the time – because the track’s original author, one Dutch DJ Munchi, “thinks I’m in the Illuminati”. Hmm.

Apparently, the real-life reason for the track’s deferral was not an insidious cult conspiracy, but that Munchi hadn’t granted, or even been asked for, his permission for Banks to commercially release a remodel of his 2010 original (itself sampling Montell Jordan’s ‘Get It On Tonight’).

Actually, Banks has already rapped over Munchi’s instrumental as part of her ‘Fantasea’ mixtape, but as is often the case, no such permission was sought for that by the rapper or her people, and seemingly the DJ didn’t object to the distribution of the freebie mix. However, he is seemingly now pretty pissed that Banks and her label announced the commercial release of the rapper’s version of his track without even trying to licence his work.

He took to Twitter too after Banks confirmed the delay, writing: “Bitch trying to buy me off after trying to blame me on this shit, fuck outta here. ‘$25,000 and a public apology’? GTFO with this bitchshit”.

Now on a roll, Munchi had a lot to say about “puppet bitch” Banks, not least: “Good luck being a dickriding, trackstealing, sorry excuse for a artist. Have fun with the fame – it’ll get back at ya”.

Nice. So basically, The Illuminati, unauthorised sampling and whatever else aside, it doesn’t look like anyone’s going to hear the official ‘Esta Noche’ until (if ever) Munchi and Banks reach a resolution.

Saying that, the unofficial version is still available for free, so who really cares?

Savages preview live EP

Releases

Impossibly-hyped London band Savages have posted one quarter of their new live EP, ‘I Am Here’, on SoundCloud for all to hear. Titled ‘City’s Full’, and transposed from its initial recording at Nottingham’s Bodega in July, you should probably just skip to the player below and listen to it now.

Talking as one (and in the third person), Savages say: “Savages intention was to create a sound, indestructible and musically solid, written for the stage, designed with enough nuances to provide a wide range of emotions”.

The manifesto continues: “Savages are a self-affirming voice to help experience our girlfriends differently, our husbands, our jobs, our erotic life, and the place music occupies into our lives. Savages’ songs aim to remind us that human beings haven’t evolved so much, that music can still be straight to the point, efficient and exciting”.

‘I Am Here’ is released via Pop Noire on Monday.

Fabric to screen LCD Soundsystem film

Artist News

Night-clubbing establishment Fabric is to host a screening of ‘Shut Up And Play The Hits’, the documentary we all know was filmed at LCD Soundysystem’s last ever live set at Madison Square Gardens in 2011. It’s being shown in Fabric’s Room 1 on 4 Oct, and tickets/details are available here.

In the mean time, a ‘Shut Up And play The Hits’ trailer will have to suffice:

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