Sunday 31 March 2013, 19:00 | By

Ant & Dec score Easter number one

Artist News Top Stories

Ant & Dec

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have won the all-important race to the Easter Number One spot with their nineteen year old single ‘Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble’, following an Oxford v Cambridge-style battle against Pink. Only without oars.

As previously reported, the song was originally released in Ant and Dec’s guise as PJ & Duncan (the characters they played in BBC children’s series ‘Byker Grove’) back in 1994. It began to rise up the iTunes chart last week after the pair performed the song on their ITV show ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ as the finale to a medley featuring the stars of ITV2 series ‘The Big Reunion’.

By midweek the duo had taken the lead in the chart race, and the telly duo announced they’d pass any royalties they earned onto Childline, of which they are patrons. In total the single shifted just under 84,000 copies in the last seven days – 64% of the number the track sold in its previous nineteen years in existence. Pink, meanwhile, sold around 80,000 copies of her new single ‘Just Give Me A Reason’.

After receiving confirmation that the song was indeed number one, Ant told the Official Charts Company (as the duo were presented the duo with a number one trophy and snapped for the occasion): “Wow. This week has been crazy! We never expected such an amazing reaction to us performing the song on the show. To be number one in the Official Charts is just unbelievable!”

Dec added: “To get a number one single with this song nineteen years later is very surreal, but we’re genuinely chuffed! Thank you to everyone that has bought the single, as you are helping Childline, a charity that we are very passionate about”.

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Friday 29 March 2013, 12:47 | By

CMU Digest – 29 Mar 2013

Business News Week In Five

Copyright Hub

The five biggest stories in the music business this week…

01: The UK government confirmed that it was providing £150,000 to fund the first stage of development of the Copyright Hub, the information exchange that aims to make it easier for individuals and companies to licence copyright material. The Hub was initially proposed by Ian Hargreaves in his 2011 review of copyright law, with Richard Hooper outlining how the venture might work in a report last year. Backed by UK Music and collecting societies PPL and PRS, as well as reps from other content sectors, the initial government investment will be used to develop an online resource making it easier to navigate the copyright industries (throwing a spotlight on it all – hence the lightbulb on the Hub’s holding page I assume). CMU report | Billboard report

02: The German and American record industries confirmed that revenues were down in 2012, despite the slight rise in record sales worldwide. In Germany, where CD sales still account for 71% of revenue, income overall was down 3.2%, though the digital market, both download and streaming, is now starting to gain momentum in the country. In the US digital continued to boom, now accounting for 59% of revenue, and with streaming and subscription service income up 58%. Overall, though, the US record industry saw its recorded music revenue slip by 1%. CMU report

03: AEG’s deal to manage the Wembley Arena was referred to the Competition Commission. The live music giant quietly won the rights to run the North London venue late last year off rivals Live Nation. Competitors have raised objections to the deal, though, because AEG also operates the O2 Arena, meaning one company will control the capital’s two major live entertainment spaces. The Office Of Fair Trading reviewed the deal and this week said that there were sufficient concerns the deal “may substantially reduce competition in the live entertainment venue sector”. The Competition Commission should make a decision about the deal by September. CMU report | Guardian report

04: Blockbuster came out of administration and revealed ambitions in music. While there was no news on the future of HMV, which remains in administration despite insiders saying a deal to sell the flagging company to Hilco is imminent, it was confirmed restructuring specialists Gordon Brothers Europe had bought Blockbuster. The all new version of the video rental firm will operate about half of the former Blockbuster UK stores, with former HMV exec Gary Warren in charge. The company will put more of its rental business online where it can better compete with Netflix and LoveFilm, with increased shelf space in its shops for tech and music products. CMU report | Sky news report 

05: Spotify launched its first TV ad campaign in the US, an obvious bid by the streaming service to reach a mass mainstream audience. Few operators in the digital music space have staged their own TV ad campaigns, preferring instead cheaper below-the-line marketing methods. It remains to be seen if Spotify’s rather pretentious ad spots pay off. Meanwhile Spotify boss Daniel Ek denied his company had any imminent plans to launch a video-on-demand sister operation, after new rumours such a service was in development. Elsewhere in digital, Aussie radio firm Southern Cross Austereo launched a new streaming service in Australia called Songl with backing from Sony and Universal. Though the indie label community hit out because the new set up had failed to licence its catalogues. Spotify report | Songl report

On CMU this week Editor Andy Malt chatted to Susanne Sundfør and revisited some recent CMU Approveds in the form of a playlist, plus there was a brand new edition of the CMU Podcast. Newly approved were Anna Von Hausswolff, Fuzz and Dan Le Sac.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 12:10 | By

Approved: Vigsy’s Easter Club Tips

Club Tip CMU Approved

We Fear Silence

So it’s the Easter weekend, and presumably you’re all looking for three nights worth of clubbing fun, which would give you Friday night to hoover the living room and Monday to recover ready for back to work. Yes, here are three highly tipped Easter Weekend nights.

Push Play – Sonia Akow benefit at Egg
Actually last week’s tip, but a brilliant line-up and for an awesome cause, so it deserves a second plug. A festival-level array of acts including the likes of Shy FX, B-Traits featuring Elisabeth Troy, Dub Pistols, MJ Cole, Deekline & Ed Solo, Congo Natty, Freestylers and Shut Up & Dance will take over Egg London for a benefit night in aid of Sonia Akow, aka Soto, a much loved London DJ and music PR who was diagnosed with Leukaemia last year. The aim of the night is to raise funds for Sonia’s treatment and for The Anthony Nolan Trust, and awareness of the need for more stem cell donors to come forward. Check out my full tip from last week here.

Thursday 28 Mar, Egg, 200 York Way, Kings Cross, London, N7 9AX, 10pm-6am, £10-£20, more info via this link.

We Fear Silence at Cable
The London team We Fear Silence provide some Easter Saturday goodness at Cable. They’ve put on some sterling nights of late, and this one looks likely to match that record. In the main room we get Metalheadz D&B legend Goldie, plus Cambridge duo Commix, Bristolian DJ Die, Fabio, Technimatic, Koncept and Tomek. Meanwhile in room two the decks will be controlled by Baratone, Katie’s Ambition, Mr A, L’Amour, Sounds Of London and Tetraplex vs Whippy.

Saturday 30 Mar, Cable, 33A Bermondsey St, London SE1, 11pm-6am, £10-£22, more info here and here.

Groove Odyssey Sessions Album Launch Party at Ministry Of Sound
London’s biggest soulful house night Groove Odyssey launches its Sessions Album via this Easter Sunday special at Ministry headlined by one of my all time favourites, DJ Louie Vega, with a live PA from vocal legend Barbara Tucker who will be performing some of her biggest anthems, like ‘Beautiful People’, ‘Deep Inside’ and ‘Most Precious Love’, plus the Groove Odyssey theme song. Following Vega will be Groove Assassin and Garage City stars DJ’s Bobby & Steve.

In the Bar the cracking Dave Lee, aka DJ Joey Negro, makes his debut for Groove Odyssey, alongside original Ministry Of Sound residents CJ Mackintosh and Jazzy M playing the best in disco and house classics. And as if that wasn’t already plenty to be getting on with, The Baby Box delivers 80s soul and boogie headlined by Urban Essentials main man DJ Bigger whilst The Loft is hosted by HouseFM.net.

Sunday 31 Mar, Ministry Of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, London SE1, 10pm-6am, £17.50-£20, more info via this link.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 12:09 | By

German and US industries see record sale revenue slip, despite booming digital sector

Business News Labels & Publishers Top Stories

German Flag

In 2011 Germany was one of the few markets that bucked the trend of decline in the global record industry by scoring a 0.1% increase in revenue. But following the news that record industry revenues worldwide were up 0.3% in 2012, contrary Germany has posted a 3.2% decline.

Which probably tells us very little in terms of the big picture, though all those people who got very excited last month about the first worldwide record industry growth since Napster will be hoping global figures don’t follow Germany’s lead and slip back 3% this year.

A further slide in CD sales in the German market was behind the overall decrease in 2012 revenues, such declines having a sizable impact because physical product still accounts for nearly three quarters of record sale income in the country. Though the German digital music market – despite being some way behind that in many other key European territories – is now gaining momentum.

8.4 million Germans downloaded music from legit digital stores last year according to the latest stats from the country’s record industry trade body BVMI. Over half of those purchases were of digital albums, with downloads generating about 250 million euros in revenue, up 24.4% on the previous year. Streaming services are also gaining traction in Germany (many arriving late in the market, mainly because of the hard bargaining of publishing rights collecting society GEMA), and generated about 36 million euros in revenue last year, a 40% increase on 2011.

Despite the overall decline, Berlin-based Universal man Frank Briegmann, who heads up the mega-major’s Central Europe operations, managed to be upbeat when speaking to Billboard, remarking that: “It will still take some time for a genuine economic turnaround to emerge in the market as a whole. Even so, an important turnaround has occurred in people’s heads; we are in a completely new climate, music is back in. There is hardly a technology provider or platform operator which can afford not to have an attractive range of music. And the fact that the two global players, Apple and Microsoft, are placing store on music content clearly demonstrates the potential in this market. Content is king again”.

The US recorded music market also saw a slip in 2012, according to stats released this week by the Recording Industry Association Of America, with a 1% decline overall, despite substantial digital growth, especially in the streaming and subscription service space.

And while digital still only accounts for 29% of revenues in Germany, it now brings in 59% of the US record industry’s recorded music income, the American market having been at the 50/50 point in terms of digital v physical in 2011.

Download service revenue grew by $235 million, a more substantial increase than the previous year, so that it totalled $2.8 billion. Which puts it someway ahead of the money being made from ad-funded and subscription-based streaming services, though that is where the most growth occurred. In fact streaming service revenue was up 58% to $571 million.

Which is all fab, though the decline of CD sale revenue quickened in 2012, resulting in a 17% fall, meaning the digital boom didn’t compensate for the physical sale slide Stateside last year. Though it’s not far off.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 12:08 | By

IMPALA presents outstanding contribution award to Merlin boss

Awards Business News Labels & Publishers

Charles Caldas

The boss of indie label digital rights agency Merlin, Charles Caldas, has been given this year’s Outstanding Contribution Award by pan-European indie labels trade body IMPALA. The award comes as Merlin approaches its fifth anniversary, and, says the trade organisation, recognises Caldas’s “successful and dedicated work [at Merlin, which] has turned the organisation into the virtual fourth major in the digital space”.

Confirming the latest winner of IMPALA’s annual award for indie label people and initiatives, which was launched in 2011, the group’s Executive Chair Helen Smith told CMU: “Before 2008, it was all too common for digital services to consider independent music as something of an afterthought. Not any more. Charles’ tireless work with Merlin has put our sector firmly on the digital map and helped ensure that the enormous value of our members’ repertoire is recognised by those in the technology sector and wider music industry. Five years on, and for independent labels and independent artists it is difficult to imagine a world without Merlin”.

Caldas himself added: “I care very deeply about the work that we do at Merlin, and am truly honoured that the leaders of our sector, whom I admire and respect immensely, have chosen to recognise that work in this way”.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 12:07 | By

Ant & Dec on course for number one

Artist News

Ant & Dec

So, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are currently on course to have the coveted Easter number one single this weekend, with a song they originally released nineteen years ago, ‘Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble’. As previously reported, the boost in sales comes after the duo reprised their past life as pop duo PJ & Duncan with a performance on their ITV show ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ last weekend.

So far this week, the single has shifted over 46,000 units, and the duo have announced that they will donate all royalties received to Childline. Ant told the Official Charts Company: “‘Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble’ kinda changed everything for us. Though I never thought we’d be performing it nineteen years later on a Saturday night TV show! People are still buying the track, so we’ve just decided that any money we make out of it will be put towards Childline”.

Psych.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 12:06 | By

Johnny Borrell switching off Razorlight to go solo

Artist News Gigs & Festivals Releases

Johnny Borrell

Okay, I’ll play this straight. Johnny Borrell has placed ‘the band Razorlight’ on ice, but will, he says, release a solo single and LP. Borrell and his new backing band – that’s Razorlight guitarist Freddy Stitz plus saxophonist Joao and keyboardist Darren (Joao and Darren, like Madonna and, er, Pope Francis, don’t need surnames) – have been playing live already, with extra dates added in April, whilst Razorlight will play (as Razorlight) one last time at the Paris Olympia on 3 Apr.

Talking to France’s Oui FM, Johnny recalls the scene that led to the making of his still-TBA first solo LP: “We had gone to the South Of France to a small house in the Pays Basque last year and the music just came very naturally. It’s an album that was born in the spirit of a party, and the arrangements for the songs come from that atmosphere. When music works its like love, you can’t force it and that’s what happened with this”.

He rants on: “I’m so happy that it’s come about this way, I’m just very removed from all the commerciality and the circus of rock n roll and I’m really happy that this record has come about in this way, and happy to have made the record”.

Johnny (and co’s) first single will be a double seven-inch vinyl, featuring tracks titled ‘Dahlia Allegro’ and ‘Pan-European Supermodel Song’, to be released on 8 Apr.

He’ll also make an ‘intimate’ live PA at London’s Servant Jazz Quarters – which really is quite intimate – on 1 Apr, and again on 5 Apr at London’s Rough Trade East, which is a shop.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 12:05 | By

Lucy Spraggan signed by Columbia

Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

Lucy Spraggan

‘X-Factor’ ladette Lucy Spraggan will release her first ever LP in 2014 via a new deal she’s signed with Sony/Columbia.

Spraggers – who, despite being a favourite to win 2012’s ‘X’, resigned mid-way through the series after falling ill – says: “I’m really excited to be working with Columbia, it is such a respected label with an incredible heritage. To be signed to the company who have worked with great icons like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen and the newer generation of artists like Calvin Harris and Rita Ora is amazing – I can’t wait!”

Ah yes; Cash, Dylan, Ora… all the greats.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 12:04 | By

King Midas Sound sign to Ninja Tune

Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

King Midas Sound

Adding to Ninja Tune’s rapidly expanding roster, King Midas Sound, aka producer Kevin Martin and vocalists Roger Robinson and Kiki Hitomi, have signed to the label. They follow Machinedrum, who announced he had switched from Planet Mu earlier this month.

King Midas Sound have previously released music through Hyperdub, though Ninja Tune is already home to Martin’s alter ego The Bug, as well as his Acid Ragga label.

Announcing the trio’s arrival yesterday, Ninja Tune said that an album will emerge later this year, with a new single, ‘Aroo’, due to be released for Record Store Day.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 12:03 | By

New Kanye track potentially titled I Am A God

Artist News

Kanye West

Immortal rap divinity Kanye West’s new single is to be named ‘I Am A God’, or so says The Huffington Post. A slight (but vital) variant on BBC-based-blather that West was to release a new LP by the title ‘I Am God’, ‘I Am A God’ the single has since been verified (kind of) by Kanye collaborator Malik Yusef, who claims via Twitter it’s based on the first lines of Psalm 82 in the Bible (“I said, ‘You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High'”).

Referring to the supposed album title as reported in the original BBC story, The HuffPo credits a “reliable” West associate as saying: “We would never be so presumptuous or sacrilegious to call ourselves the supreme being”.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 12:02 | By

Tom Odell, Vampire Weekend LPs delayed

Releases

Tom Odell

Regrettably, the releases of Tom Odell and Vampire Weekend’s (not at all related) new LPs have been set back to alternative dates.

Vampire Weekend’s ‘Vampires Of The Modern City’ is postponed by seven days from its original 7 May date (aka, to 14 May) because of, say the band via Facebook, “unanticipated delays in the production of physical copies of the record”.

“We all worked very hard on this record and promise it will be worth the wait”, they swear.

Meanwhile Odell’s ‘Long Way Down’, initially meant to be available on 15 Apr, now won’t be till 24 Jun. He says it’s because “things are going so well” in America and Europe that he’d prefer to have a synched international release so that it isn’t leaked online.

“I’m really sorry to keep you waiting longer. Hope you understand it’s for the right reasons”, writes a contrite Odell, who’s compensating fans via this free demo of the ‘Long Way Down’ title track.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 12:01 | By

Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Michael Bolton feature on Kid Cudi LP

Releases

Kid Cudi

Kid Cudi’s still “appallingly titled” (as we’ve been saying since June) third LP ‘Indicud’ is set to feature guest indi-viduals like Kendrick Lamar, RZA, A$AP Rocky, ex-Fleet Fox Father John Misty and Haim. Oh, and Michael Bolton, whose name is attached to track seventeen, ‘Afterwards (Bring Yo Friends)’.

‘Indicud’ and its flammable cover art shall be released on 13 Apr, apparently.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 12:00 | By

Laura Marling scores RSC’s As You Like It

Artist News

Laura Marling

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s new staging of ‘As You Like It’ will feature an original score by Laura Marling. The play, which will… well, play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford (12 Apr – 28 Sep) and Newcastle’s Theatre Royal (29 Oct – 2 Nov) is directed by Maria Aberg who, by the look of its ‘Mumford & Sons go to a rave’-style trailer, has devised a ‘contemporary’ take on Shakespeare’s classic script.

Meanwhile, Laura Marling’s non-Shakespearian new LP ‘Once I Was An Eagle’, her fourth to date, is released on 27 May. Taken from it, this is ‘Where Can I Go’:

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 11:59 | By

Festival line-up update: Glastonbury, Bestival, Camp Bestival and more

Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals

Glastonbury

So, to the festivals! Wait, I didn’t mean that literally… I mean gather round to hear today’s FLUUs. Don’t all rush off to the nearest festival to where you are right now.

As expected, The Rolling Stones are playing at the pinnacle of Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage this year, and Mick Jagger has his wellies ready. Glasto’s vast artist reveal yesterday also features Arctic Monkeys, Mumford & Sons, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The xx, Cat Power, Dizzee Rascal, The Vaccines, Smashing Pumpkins, The Weeknd and Azealia Banks – to name but a fraction – so that is nice.

But what else? Well, first in a deluxe Rob Da Bank featurette, I have news on his original and ‘best’ (says its title) fest, Bestival. New passengers aboard Bestival’s ‘HMS’-themed tenth birthday bash, the likes of James Blake, Courtney Pine, London Grammar, Savages, Willy Moon, Parquet Courts and The Child Of Lov, all RSVP to a party-and-a-half starring Elton John, Snoop Lion/Dog, MIA, Franz Ferdinand and Wu-Tang Clan.

Rob Da Bank has also added a parade of pop acts – many of whom hit their chart zenith in the 1980s – to his Camp Bestival cache. Heaven 17, The Proclaimers and Nik Kershaw join existing CB artistes like Richard Hawley, Levellers, Labrinth, The Polyphonic Spree and DJ Fresh.

“As a child of the 80s”, Da Bank says, “I love that era. One hit wonders sit happily alongside some of the most visionary pop and electronic records ever made in my record collection. It’s time for some serious leg warmers, rah rah skirts and fingerless lace glove action… well that’s what I’ll be wearing anyway!”

Oh great, so now I’m imagining that. To take my (and now, probably, your) mind off it, let’s take a look at the following fest memos via Manchester/Bristol/Nottingham-based Dot To Dot, Dalston’s Land Of Kings, and the made-in-Herefordshire Nozstock:

BESTIVAL, Robin Hill Country Park, Isle Of Wight, 5-8 Sep: James Blake, Savages, Courtney Pine, Max Romeo, Willy Moon, The 1975, Clean Bandit, London Grammar, The Child Of Lov, Musical Youth, Evian Christ, Parquet Courts, Molotov Jukebox, Moulettes, Introducing, Filthy Boy, Wheelchair Sports Camp, Ady Suleiman, Hudson Taylor, Champs, Woodpecker Wooliams, Lloyd Yates, Barbarossa, The Keepsakes, Isaiah Dreads, Parlour Flames, Charley Macaulay, Devilman Tweakaholic feat Jackmaster & Spencer, Bicep, Hieroglyphic Being, Addison Groove, Oneman, Psychemagik, Happa, Chris Coco, Pbr Streetgang, DJ Scotch Egg, Misty Conditions, Bill Brewster, Copy Paste Soul, Krysko, Applescal, Pete Gooding b2b Danny Whitehead, Pathaan, Johnno, Sunday Best Forum Allstars, Flying White Dots, March Hare, Gutterslut. www.bestival.net

CAMP BESTIVAL, Lulworth Castle, Dorset, 1-4 Aug: Heaven 17, The Proclaimers, Nik Kershaw, The Cuban Brothers Present, Barry Peters, Sam Lee & Friends, Molotov Jukebox, Ady Suleiman, Hudson Taylor, Lloyd Yates, Isaiah Dreads, Craig Charles, Sunday Best Forum All Stars, DJ Dapper Dan. www.cambestival.net

DOT TO DOT, various venues, Manchester/Bristol/Nottingham, 24-26 May: Tom Odell, Deap Vally, Swim Deep, Chlöe Howl, Beans On Toast, London Grammar, Ruen Brothers, A Plastic Rose, Ady Suleiman, Best Friends, Bipolar Sunshine, Billy Lockett, Blackeye, Blue Hawaii, Candy Says, Chlöe Howl, Dan Croll, Findlay, Heart-Ships, Houndmouth, Indiana, Matthew & Me, Mausi, Middle Class Rut, Random Impulse, Snakadaktal, Syron, The Family Rain, Wildflowers. www.dottodotfestival.co.uk

GLASTONBURY, Worthy Farm, Somerset, 26 Jun – 1 Jul: The Rolling Stones, Arctic Monkeys, Mumford & Sons, Dizzee Rascal, Primal Scream, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Vampire Weekend, Elvis Costello, The Vaccines, Kenny Rogers, Ben Howard, Rita Ora, Rufus Wainwright, Jake Bugg, Professor Green, Laura Mvula, Billy Bragg, Rokia Traore, First Aid Kit, Haim, Portishead, Chase & Status, The xx, Foals, Example, The Smashing Pumpkins, Alt-J, Two Door Cinema Club, Public Image Ltd, Tame Impala, Alabama Shakes, Editors, Azealia Banks, Of Monsters & Men, The Lumineers, Enter Shikari, I Am Kloot, The Hives, Amanda Palmer, Chic feat Nile Rodgers, Public Enemy, The Weeknd, Seasick Steve, Major Lazer, Tom Tom Club, Maverick Sabre, Lianne La Havas, Toro Y Moi, Ondatropica, Sergio Mendes, Dub Colossus, The Orb & Indigenous People (The Orb & Kakasitsi Master Drummers of Ghana), The Child Of Lov, Alice Russell, Goat, BadBadNotGood, The Bombay Royale, Matthew E White, Riot Jazz, Crystal Castles, Hurts, Phoenix, Bastille, Everything Everything, James Blake, Johnny Marr, The Courteeners, Jessie Ware, Tyler, The Creator, Frightened Rabbit, Miles Kane, Local Natives, The Strypes, Savages, Tim Odell, Peace, Villagers, Toy, Jagwar Ma, Sonic, the Wow Stage, the Gully & more with Nas, Hot Natured, Disclosure, Rudimental, The Family Stone, Skream & Benga, Sub Focus,Charles Bradley, SBTRKT, Netsky, Dog Blood, The Congos, The 2 Bears, AlunaGeorge, Eats Everything, Julio Bashmore, Wiley, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Gold Panda, David Rodigan, Cat Power, The Horrors, Fuck Buttons, Django Django, Rodriguez, Dinosaur Jr, Calexico, Steve Mason, Palma Violets, Devandra Banhat, Michael Kiwanuka, Solange, King Krule, Stealing Sheep, Tim Burgess, Melodys Echo Chamber, Ed Harcourt, Half Moon Run, Jospehine, Teleman, Steve Winwood, Sinead O’ Connor, Lucinda Williams, Glen Hansard, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, Gabrielle Aplin, The Proclaimers, Martha Wainwright, Seth Lakeman, KT Tunstall, Gretchen Peters, Martin Stephenson & The Daintees, Ben Caplan, Beverley Knight, Crowns, Evan Dando, Gary Clark Jr, JJ Grey & Mofro, Josh Doyle, Lucy Rose, Mad Dog Mcrea, Molotov Jukebox, Newton Faulkner, Oysterband, Penguin Cafe, Shooglenifty, Stornoway, The Destroyers, The Staves, The Urban Voodoo Machine, Vintage Trouble, Xavier Rudd, Gene Hunt, Tyree Cooper, Maurice Faulton, Greg Wilson, Mosca, Bill Brewster, Grant Nelson, Youngsta, Digital & Spirit, MC Chickaboo, Randall, Flight, Kerri Chandler, Horse Meat Disco, Brawther, Robert Owens, Underground Paris, Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3, Slim Chance, Simian Mobile Disco, Terakaft, System 7 vs Eat Static, Don Letts, DJ James Monrpo, Gypsy Hill, Electric Swing Circus, DJ Tristan, Mixhell and others. www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

LAND OF KINGS, various venues, Dalston, London, 5 May: Andrew Weatherall & Sean Johnston, Babe, Boxed In, Brownswood DJs, Casual Sex, Darkstar, Drums of Death, Faze Action, Fimber Bravo, Five Easy Pieces DJs, Flako, Friendly Fires DJs, Gaggle, Gang Colours, Gentlemen, Great Waves, The Lovely Jonjo, Kiwi, Moshi Moshi DJs, NYPC, Rhosyn, Reggae Roast, Rompa, Rory Phillips, Sega Bodega, Stevie Neale, Sweet Baboo, Tayo, To The Lazer Cave, Tropics, Troumaca, The Wave Pictures, Week of Wonders, William Adamson. landofkings.co.uk

NOZSTOCK, The Farm, Bromyard, Herefordshire, 26-28 Jul: Mr Scruff, DJ Yoda, Resonators, Heymoon Shaker, S.P.Y, Kasra, By The Rivers, Backbeat Soundsystem, Coda, Octp Pi, Koncept, MouthMaster Murph, Goldseal, More Like Trees, Gypsy Unit, Cazal, Too Spicy, Duncan Disorderly and The Scallywags, Gaz Brookfield, Wyynona Ryyder, Caolin Claby,Johnny Kowasaki and The Sexy Weirdos, Captain Accident and The Disasters, Sarah Joy, Jennifer Booton, The Inexplicables, The Cadbury Sisters. www.nozstock.com

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 11:58 | By

Hendrix pop-up store to open to promote recent rarities release

Brands & Merch Business News Labels & Publishers Retail

Jimi Hendrix

A Jimi Hendrix themed pop-up store will, well, pop up on Ganton Street just off Carnaby Street in London on Monday to promote the recent release of the previously reported album ‘People, Hell, And Angels’, which contains a number of previously unreleased tracks from the late guitarist.

As well as selling the new record and other Hendrix back catalogue, plus official merch, the special shop, open until 12 Apr, will also host an exhibition of work by rock photographer Gered Mankowitz and, in the basement, a Fender space where fans will be able to practice their guitar skills and attend ‘Jimi Hendrix Master Classes’.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 11:57 | By

Exec changes at Planet Rock

Media

Planet Rock

As digital station Planet Rock moved into the London HQ of its new parent company Bauer Media yesterday, a few new executive appointments were made at the rock service.

Most notably, the station’s long-time Programme Director Trevor White departed, with Planet Rock’s Senior Producer Liz Barnes taking over day-to-day scheduling in a new role as Programme Manager, and Bauer’s Music And Content Director Ric Blaxill becoming ultimately responsible for programming on the digital service moving forward.

While there is no sign as yet that Bauer might merge Planet Rock with its existing rock radio channel Kerrang! Radio, Blaxill isn’t the only existing Bauer exec who will have influence over the new acquisition. The media firm’s Alex Baker, currently Commercial Programming Manager for Kerrang!, will become Head Of Commercial Programming for both rock stations.

Confirming Planet Rock would fall under Blaxill’s remit, Bauer Radio MD Steve Parkinson told CMU: “Ric is a passionate programmer with extensive rock credentials who really cares about music and the radio industry. He is a chair of The Ivor Novello songwriting awards, strums a mean bass and has even played for Iron Maiden’s football team. With such great all-round experience, we are confident that he will continue to increase the success and popularity of Planet Rock by providing quality music and the best possible listening experience for rock music fans”.

Meanwhile on the departing White he added: “We’d like to put on record our thanks to Trevor for all his hard work in turning Planet Rock into the successful digital station it is today”.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 11:56 | By

4Music aims for older audience with new Vice show

Media

Vice

4Music has commissioned a new post-watershed six episode series from Vice in the hope of attracting an older audience to the Channel 4-owned music TV station.

Due to air from mid-May, the 30 minute show, entitled ‘Vice World’, will mix news, politics and entertainment commentary, as well as repurposing content from Vice’s online video archive.

Vice publisher Matt Elek said: “It’s not only about commercially exploiting the content we own but finding new audiences to broaden our reach. The deal with 4Music makes sense in lots of different ways”.

[Update – 3pm, 28 Mar 2013: The title of the show has now been confirmed as ‘Vice World’ (like ‘Spice World’), rather than ‘The World According To Vice’, as previously stated.]

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 11:55 | By

Pixie Lott joins Inspector George Gently cast

Media

Pixie Lott

Pixie Lott has been cast in the role of a singer for a new feature-length episode of BBC One’s 60s detective drama ‘Inspector George Gently’, filming for which is due to begin in Northumberland next month.

Says ‘Inspector George Gently’ producer Matthew Bird: “We were casting the second film of the new series and were looking for someone to play Megan, an entertainer at the Blue Bird Holiday Camp in 1969. We were looking for an actress that could act, sing and dance and then I saw Pixie acting so brilliantly with Rowan Atkinson in their performance of ‘Goodness Gracious’ for the NHS Organ Donation ‘From The Heart’ campaign”.

He goes on: “It was a brilliant remake of the classic 60s song performed by Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers – and that was it! Pixie was very excited about joining the cast and we are delighted that Pixie is to make her TV acting debut in ‘Inspector George Gently’ – we know she will bring something very special to the role”.

Pixie Lott herself added: “I love the fact that ‘Inspector George Gently’ is a period drama set in the 60s and I can’t wait to play the role of Megan. It will be great to be filming in the North East, and getting to play a role that gives me a real feel for the period”.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 11:54 | By

Marvin JLS joins Capital

Media

Marvin Humes

Capital FM has announced the recruitment of one quarter of JLS to present a weekly mix show on a Friday night. Marvin Humes will kick things off with a special preview tonight from 8pm to midnight, before settling into what will become his regular slot on the Capital network from 7-10pm tomorrow night. So, that’s something for you all to look forward to.

Confirming Capital’s newest recruit, Global Radio’s Director Of Broadcasting Richard Park told reporters: “We recognised Marvin’s talents as a DJ, and approached him some months ago. JLS are one of the UK’s biggest groups so it’s a great fit for Capital. Each week he’ll be playing the hottest hit-music, remixes and latest upfront club songs to provide the most pumping start to the weekends”.

Humes himself added: “It’s an absolute honour to become part of the Capital family, the JLS boys and I have always had a close relationship with the team and it only felt right to grab this opportunity with both hands. My DJing is going incredibly well and having my own Friday night show on the UK’s number one hit music station is the icing on the cake!”

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 11:53 | By

Olly Murs falls over, again

And Finally

Olly Murs

Hey, remember that time accident-prone pop character Olly Murs slid down the side-of-stage stairs at Guilfest 2012 as he sang Stevie Wonder’s ‘Signed, Sealed Delivered’? All-time classic, 20 carat slapstick gold, wasn’t it?

Well, he’s since gone and ‘ripped and tripped’, as they say, once again, this time at a show in Cardiff. “Hilarious”.

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Thursday 28 March 2013, 10:14 | By

The CMU Podcast – April 2013

Setlist

It’s that time again. Time, if you were wondering, for an audio round-up of some of the biggest stories in the music business over the last month. As such, in the latest edition of The CMU Podcast, Chris Cooke and Andy Malt discuss HMV (a bit), Universal’s merging of Virgin and Mercury to create Virgin EMI, the rapid expansion of Robert FX Sillerman’s new SFX company, AEG’s decision not to sell up and pending legal battle with the Jacksons, plus Justin Bieber’s eventful trip to the UK.

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

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Wednesday 27 March 2013, 11:41 | By

Playlist: CMU Re-Approved

CMU Approved CMU Playlists

Steve Mason

Let’s take a moment once more, shall we, to look back through some recent CMU Approved columns, to pick out a selection of tracks that have since been properly released. This time we’re looking at artists who have featured in the column since late last year, with a playlist of the tracks originally featured. Though, with these tracks now attached to an album or EP release, you can delve further into the artists’ work if you wish. Or just take in the one track as it slips past on this playlist.

CMU’S RE-APPROVED TEN
Subscribe to this playlist on Spotify, and then read on to find out more about our choices.

01 Steve Mason – Fight Them Back
Taken from Mason’s new album, ‘Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time’, first single ‘Fight Them Back’ sees him, in line with the rest of the album, pull the difficult balancing act that is sending a message through an accessible song – laying angry, confrontational lyrics over laid back music.

02 Angel Olsen – Sweet Dreams
Following on from folk artist Angel Olsen’s ‘Half Way Home’ LP, released last September, on ‘Sweet Dreams’ her voice lights a glade of grey, thorny guitars.

03 Veronica Falls – My Heart Beats
New LP ‘Waiting For Something To Happen’ has a greater clarity of tone than releases preceding it and a new sense of space and panoramic sound, of leaving what’s really the best feature of any Veronica Falls track, its stepped boy-girl harmonics, to breathe.

04 Parquet Courts – Stoned And Starving
‘Stoned And Starving’ is, ironically given half its title, a sober story of having no money and nothing to do, something many other young Americans can sympathise with in this, the era of the ‘fiscal cliff’.

05 The Men – Electric
‘Electric’ is less manacled by the sheer incessant noise of The Men’s early LPs, thus leaving space and time between bars to realise it for what it is, a formidable chip off the ‘classic rock’ block.

06 Retro Stefson – Glow
Their first album to be released in the UK, the eponymous ‘Retro Stefson’ sees this band’s sound really reach maturity, mixing an eclectic range of influences from rock to house amazingly successfully.

07 Elliphant – Down On Life
‘Down On Life’ from Elliphant’s debut EP is nothing but exemplary alt-pop, a lurching, dancehall-furred leviathan birthed via Icona Pop/Niki & The Dove MDs Company Ten.

08 Lapalux – Guuurl
Soulful but experimental, ‘Guuurl’ carries on the same twisted R&B feel of Lapalux’s previous releases, though with perhaps more rounded edges.

09 Kate Boy – Northern Lights
Production team Rocket Boy’s slick but often understated music and Kate Akhurst’s voice wrap themselves around each other, one occasionally slipping loose and dancing over to the listener to make sure you know they know you’re there.

10 Dream Tiger – A Lover’s Regret
The first solo single from WHY? multi-instrumentalist Liz Wolf, ‘A Lover’s Regret’ is a dark, pulsing and atmospheric synth-based track, featuring dubstep-like pacing.

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Wednesday 27 March 2013, 11:40 | By

Approved: Dan Le Sac – Four Thousand Thumbnails

CMU Approved

Dan Le Sac

Dan Le Sac’s ‘Space Between The Words’ album was one of my favourites of last year, a record of varied influences and sounds with perfectly selected guest vocalists lifting Dan’s instrumentals yet further. Almost nine months since the album’s release, last week 6music’s Tom Robinson and Xfm’s Eddy Temple-Morris debuted a brand new instrumental from the Le Sac cannon, entitled ‘Four Thousand Thumbnails’.

Released seemingly for no other reason than it’s Dan’s birthday this Sunday (many happy returns), it’s more frantic in pace and feel than any on ‘Space Between The Words’. This speed, perhaps by design, matches the theme of the accompanying video, in which we speed through 4000 images of Dan and friends from the past few years featuring a plethora of people, not least one Scroobius Pip.

And speaking of Pip, he and Dan have just announced their first headline show together in eighteen months at Birthdays in Dalston on 18 Jul. The pair will also be playing the Camp Bestival, Y Not and Truck festivals this summer.

Anyway, that’s all in the future. Let’s get back to this solo Dan Le Sac track, the video for which you can watch here:

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Wednesday 27 March 2013, 11:39 | By

New copyright rules in Spain will target advertisers on piracy sites

Business News Digital Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories

Spain

Perhaps noting that, of late, the music community’s second favourite piracy gripe (behind the high scoring of piracy sites in Google) has been the presence of adverts for sizable companies on websites that host or link to unlicensed content, the Spanish government is proposing new laws that would include sanctions against advertisers who are providing pirates with ad revenue.

Spanish politicians have been trying to crack down on rampant online piracy in the country for a while now, mainly under pressure from the American government.

Opting for a web-blocking approach rather than three-strikes with their Sinde Law in 2011, in theory Spanish law now makes it easier for rights owners to force net providers to block access to piracy websites, though no one has been especially pleased with the results. Opponents say the law gives too much control over the net to shady copyright bodes, while rights owners say the web-blocking provisions have been ineffective.

New anti-piracy measures proposed by Spanish political types last week include increased fines for websites that fail to remove unlicensed content from their sites after receiving takedown notices similar to those used in the US under America’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and, possibly more interestingly, sanctions against advertisers who place ads on sites widely believed to be piracy operations.

Quite how the ad crackdown would work isn’t clear, ie who decides that a site is a dodgy piracy set-up that advertisers should avoid, and what happens when advertisers claim – as they routinely do – that if their ads are showing up on copyright infringing websites, it’s because that site has quietly signed up with an otherwise legitimate ad network, meaning a brand’s ads are appearing without its knowledge.

According to Reuters, Spain’s Education & Culture Minister Jose Ignacio Wert said the bill, revealed last week, constitutes a new effort to “increase copyright protection” in the country by “going after large-scale distributors of illicit material”.

The proposals will now be subject to a consultation before legislation is put to the Spanish parliament later in the year.

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Wednesday 27 March 2013, 11:38 | By

Motown hit writer Deke Richards dies

Business News Industry People Top Stories

Deke Richards

American songwriter and producer Deke Richards has died, Universal Music has confirmed, he was 68.

Born Dennis Lussier, Richards was best known as part of the hit making team The Corporation, the in-house song-writing and production team at Motown Records in the 1960s and 1970s, who together wrote and produced many of the label’s biggest hits, perhaps not notably the Jackson 5’s first three number ones: ‘I Want You Back’, ‘ABC’ and ‘The Love You Save’.

Richards died at the Whatcom Hospice House in Bellingham, Washington after losing a battle with oesophageal cancer.

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Wednesday 27 March 2013, 11:37 | By

Bieber returns to US to secure battery charge

Legal

Justin Bieber

So, Justin Bieber nips back to America for a couple of days off from his controversy-ridden European tour and is immediately saddled with accusations of battery from a neighbour.

According to TMZ, just hours after returning to his Californian home, Bieber found himself in a noisy argument with a neighbour. It seems said neighbour was complaining about the parties the pop teen’s mates have been staging at the singer’s house while he’s been away. The Biebster wasn’t in any mood to apologise, it seems, with the popstar’s security eventually escorting the angry local resident off their boss’s property. Said neighbour promptly filed a battery report with local police, alleging that Bieber had threatened him and “made physical contact”.

So that’s all fun for the pop teen, whose various antics while touring Europe in recent weeks have generated plenty of column inches in the newspapers.

And quite a word count on Bieber’s social networks too, where the singer has hit out at all the tabloid gossip, insisted that his behaviour is no different to that of any other nineteen year old guy (because male teens everywhere routinely opt to stroll through Polish airports topless in sub-zero temperatures), and assured his fans that he loves them and will continue to try harder to be a better person. I think God got a namecheck too.

Bieber will return to Europe imminently to resume his tour in Munich.

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Wednesday 27 March 2013, 11:36 | By

Dionne Warwick files for bankruptcy

Legal

Dionne Warwick

Singer Dionne Warwick has filed for bankruptcy to escape debts of $10.7 million – mostly relating to claims by the US Internal Revenue Service in relations to her tax affairs. Announcing the move, Warwick’s publicist Kevin Sasaki said the debts were mainly due to “negligent and gross financial mismanagement” by the singer’s reps from the late 80s to the mid 90s.

Sasaki also added that Warwick had actually paid off all of her unpaid taxes for the period in question, but that penalty fees and interest had continued to grow as she struggled to do so, and those charges now account for the outstanding debt.

He added: “In light of the magnitude of her tax liabilities, Warwick has repeatedly attempted to offer re-payment plans and proposals to the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board for taxes owed. These plans were not accepted, resulting in escalating interest and penalties”.

According to her filing with the US bankruptcy court, Warwick owes $10.2 million to the Internal Revenue Service. It also lists her gross monthly income as $20,950 with monthly expenses of $20,940.

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Wednesday 27 March 2013, 11:35 | By

Mercury Prize 2013 dates announced

Awards

Mercury Prize

Having moved back from September to November last year, Mercury Prize organisers have announced that this year the ceremony will move forward to October.

Though it’s only a very slight shift from 1 Nov to 30 Oct, so let’s not get all worked up about it, eh? That’s right, the Mercury Prize is moving forward by two days this year. I’m sure there must be a quicker way to say all of this. Oh well, too late now. Anyway, with the trophy-and-cheque-for-20-grand due to be handed over to 2013’s Mercury winner (Foals, if you were wondering) at the end of October, the shortlist announcement will take place on 11 Sep.

Any British or Irish artist who has an album release date which sits between 11 Sep 2012 and 9 Sep 2013 is eligible to enter. Submissions will be accepted between 3 Jun and 10 Jul this year. Further information available here.

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Wednesday 27 March 2013, 11:34 | By

Baroness bassist and drummer quit

Artist News

Baroness

Baroness bassist Matt Maggioni and drummer Allen Bickle have quit the band, frontman John Baizley has announced this week. This follows, of course, the US metal outfit’s near-fatal bus crash last year. As previously reported, the band’s tour bus fell 30 feet from a viaduct near Bath during a UK tour in August. The driver, one of the nine people injured in the incident, is due to appear in court on dangerous driving charges next month.

Writing on the band’s website, Baizley said: “For some of us, the accident necessitated a change that would prevent them from performing music or touring. It is with sadness that we must announce that Matt Maggioni and Allen Blickle will not continue touring with Baroness. The details of their departure are not sensational; they do not come with hard feelings. Nor are the details going to be public; suffice it to say we’d like to keep to ourselves the finer points of this situation, to respect the privacy of all involved”.

He continued: “While the nine of us must respect the significance of the bus accident in Bath, we must also move away from it and get back to our lives. Simply put, some of the effects and injuries were severe enough to prohibit further activity in Baroness. While we would never have asked them to leave; we have the utmost sympathy for this situation, and in earnest, we wish Matt and Allen the best in the future. In their stead, we have found two musicians who can approach our music with passion and vitality and help get us back out on tour to finish what was seemingly cut short last August”.

Read Baizley’s full update on Maggioni and Blickle’s departure and his own recovery, having had surgery to reconstruct his left arm after the accident, here.

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Wednesday 27 March 2013, 11:33 | By

Queens Of The Stone Age name new LP; Elton John, Alex Turner to feature

Releases

Josh Homme

So, it’s been all-change at Queens Of The Stone Age HQ of late – what with the hiring and firing that’s gone on, and the band’s moving to Matador Records from past label Interscope – and now, like clockwork, arrives a pay-off in the shape of info on Josh Homme and co’s new LP… erm, ‘…Like Clockwork’.

Fated for a TBC June release, this “audio documentary of a manic year” (says Homme) – and the band’s first long player since 2007’s ‘Era Vulgaris’ – features guest appearances by Trent Reznor, Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner, Mark Lanegan and ex-QOTSA bassist Nick Oliveri. And Elton John and Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears. Oh, and ex-Mars Volta man Joey Castillo, who will, it looks like, play drums in place of Dave Grohl if/when the Queens go on tour.

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