Wednesday 31 July 2013, 11:21 | By CMU Editorial

The Edinburgh Festival is go!

Media

The world’s biggest ever festival of arts and culture is kicking off right now in Edinburgh, with over 4000 shows and events taking place in hundreds of venues across the Scottish capital in the next month. Every genre is represented – comedy, theatre, dance, musicals, spoken word, visual art, cabaret, literature and lots and lots of music – making it simply the most exciting place to be in the world throughout August. You really ought to check it out.

Though with so many shows and performers and venues and things to see, how do you know where to start? Well, CMU’s sister magazine ThreeWeeks covers it all; and this is the title’s eighteenth festival, so it’s safe to say the editors know what they are talking about. And as a starting point, ThreeWeeks Co-Editor Caro Moses has already tipped 90 shows taking place this year.

If you live in Edinburgh, you can access all this coverage via the ThreeWeeks weekly magazine. The first issue is out now, available from venues, cafes and bars across central Edinburgh, and being pushed through the letterboxes of thousands of homes. Further issues will follow each Wednesday over the next, well, three weeks, packed with interviews, guest columns and loads of reviews.

ThreeWeeks has a massive review team – all young culture fans and future journalistic talent taking part in the magazine’s media-skills programme. Their reviews of hundreds and hundreds of shows will also be available via a daily reviews sheet, published in Edinburgh every day from this weekend, and – for all of you wherever you are – online at www.ThreeWeeks.co.uk, the hub of all things Edinburgh Festival.

And for those who prefer to listen, there is a ThreeWeeks podcast hosted by CMU Business Editor and ThreeWeeks Co-Editor Chris Cooke, the first edition of which is online now. Plus audio-recordings of performances galore are available as ‘podcast extras’. Do check them out – and get a little closer to what is officially the world’s biggest culture event.

Approved: Mogwai – Les Revenants

CMU Approved

Mogwai are really flying of late, mainly thanks to a pair of scores: the first, an OST to 2006’s ‘Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait’, and, more recently, one featuring the eerie themes and scene-backing tracks you may have heard on Channel 4’s glacially-paced new French thriller ‘Les Revenants’ (trans ‘The Returned’).

Beautifully timed to fit each crack in the storyline’s slow thaw – which, as an eerily realist trip into death and bereavement, is less kin to ‘The Walking Dead’ than it is like ‘Six Feet Under’ – ‘Les Revenants’ the score (like the show) drips in hostile doom from the off.

By baring itself in varying lights and shades – for instance the brittle click-clack of main theme ‘Hungry Face’; to the swarming ditchwater guitars in ‘This Messiah Needs Watching’; to a wintry, straight-faced take on the ‘What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?’ (ha ha ha) – it avoids the one-note monotony that was always a risk, given the series’ relentlessly ‘dark and drear’ aesthetic.

Hear all of ‘Les Revenants’ via this Spotify link and, while you’re at it, give the show’s first season a go (possibly, again) via 4OD.

Min-Jin Kym reunited with stolen 300 year old violin

Legal Top Stories

Acclaimed violinist Min-Jin Kym has described “an incredible feeling of elation” after her 300 year old Stradivari violin was returned over two years after it was stolen.

As previously reported, Kym’s violin was taken from a London coffee shop in December 2010. The theft was featured on the BBC’s ‘Crimewatch’ the following year, and a man and two teenagers were convicted for the crime. But the violin wasn’t recovered.

There was hope that a violin discovered in Bulgaria earlier this year might have been Kym’s instrument, but it was shown to be a fake. The real thing actually showed up in a property in the Midlands.

Det Chief Inspector Simon Taylor, who led the hunt for the violin, told the BBC: “I always maintained that its [the violin’s] rarity and distinctiveness would make any attempt to sell it extremely difficult, if not futile, because established arts and antiques dealers would easily recognise it as stolen property”.

On the find, Kym herself said: “Every moment of the day – even when I was sleeping – the loss of the instrument, the feeling of responsibility, was there. This had been the instrument I had been playing on since I was a teenager so it was a huge part of my identity for many years. [When I heard it had been found I had] an incredible feeling of elation. I’m still feeling the butterflies in my stomach”.

The instrument will be passed by police to Kym’s insurer, which paid out after the theft. But they then intend to return it to the musician herself.

Bernard Sumner braves New Order tour, even with fractured leg

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Despite revealing last week that he’d fractured his leg, Bernard Sumner has decided to limp on with the remainder of New Order’s summer tour of North America.

Writing via the band’s official site this past Sunday, Sumner explained he’d sustained a fracture relating to an earlier injury, saying: “Don’t worry, I’m not going to cancel the North American tour. I wouldn’t do that. It just means that when I go on stage I am in pain and physically unable to give it my all”.

He added: “It’s frustrating and makes performing very difficult but I’m doing the best that I can and ask for your understanding of the situation. As I was leaving a hotel one of the doormen said, ‘break a leg’. Apparently that’s just what I have done… ouch! Thank you I hope y’all still enjoy the shows”.

New Order, by the way, still have three US dates to brave, the first tonight at Boston’s Bank Of America Pavilion.

JJ Cale 1938-2013

Obituaries

Singer-songwriter JJ Cale died on Friday at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, California after suffering a heart attack, a statement on his website announced.

Born John Weldon Cale in Oklahoma on 5 Dec 1938, he moved to LA in the early 60s and began working as a studio engineer while carving out a career as a recording artist for himself – taking on the moniker JJ to avoid confusion with The Velvet Underground’s John Cale. After finding little success he was about to give up and go back to Oklahoma when Eric Clapton recorded a cover of his song ‘After Midnight’ in 1970.

Clapton’s endorsement of his work gave Cale the boost he had been looking for, and later covers by artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Santana, Johnny Cash, Captain Beefheart and, more recently, Spiritualized, helped to bring his songs to a wider audience. Many other artists have cited him and the ‘Tulsa Sound’ – the mix of blues, country and jazz that he is credited for creating (though he himself played down his role) – as a major influence.

Cale also worked with Clapton, recording an album in 2006 called ‘The Road To Escondido’, for which they won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. However, perhaps because other people’s version of his songs were always better known than his own recordings, he continued to see himself more as a songwriter than a recording artist.

In the biography produced to accompany his last album, 2009’s ‘Roll On’, he said: “Basically, I’m just a guitar player that figured out I wasn’t ever gonna be able to buy dinner with my guitar playing so I got into songwriting, which is a little more profitable business”.

Music brings $9.7 billion into Nashville annually

Business News Labels & Publishers

Nashville is, of course, known for its music. But according to a new study by the Nashville Area Chamber Of Commerce, the Tennessee city has over four times the number of music industry jobs that are found in other areas of the US. Plus, overall the music industry contributes $9.65 billion to the area’s economy each year.

The city’s mayor Karl Dean told The Tennessean: “The music business is such an important part of the city’s identity and its economy that having concrete information about its true impact is important to us”.

Of course, with the music industry rapidly changing, Dean says the challenge now is to continue bringing musical investment into Nashville, something he is committed to supporting.

He went on: “Whether it all comes to fruition while I’m mayor or afterwards, I think it’s a worthy endeavour. We don’t have a specific goal. I think my job, and the chamber’s job, is to create a city that has economic opportunity for our citizens and that is dynamic and has an expanding tax base”.

Maroon 5 start work on new album

Artist News

Bad news everyone, it looks like Maroon 5 are going to make another album. It’s still in the very early stages though, so there’s always the chance that they might just give up. Fingers crossed, eh?

The band are currently still touring to promote last year’s monstrosity ‘Overexposed’, but guitarist James Valentine tells Billboard: “We definitely have a couple of amazing [new] songs that will be on the record. I think we just really like making music now, and I think we’re more prolific than ever. But at the same time it’s going to be awhile before the record comes out, so maybe some of the stuff we’re doing now will fall by the wayside by the time we actually put it out. But we’ve got some great stuff started, and we’re all very excited”.

As for how the new material might sound overall, that’s apparently still up in the air. Valentine continued: “I thought I had a handle on that, but it kind of keeps changing. There was a first batch of songs that seemed like they were darker and maybe a little more organic-sounding, but now there’s some other songs that… it’s hard to describe, and I think we’re going to really find out where it’s going in the next few months”.

Could it maybe go in the bin?

In Utero reissue due

Releases

Nirvana’s zenith-era 1993 LP ‘In Utero’ is to have an anniversary re-release this year, via Universal Music Enterprises on 23 Sep.

As with many (okay, all) re-releases, it’ll feature ‘remastered, remixed, rare and unreleased’ extra material in the shape of over 70 B-sides, compilation tracks, demos and live recordings, notably a start-to-finish film of the band’s ‘Live And Loud’ show at Seattle’s Pier 48, which will also be available as a separate DVD released on the same day.

This is its trailer:

Katy Perry dispatches LP details via lorry

Releases

Katy Perry

Katy Perry has given her new LP a name, and that name is ‘Prism’. K-Pez advertised the title, and its release date (21 Oct) earlier this week via delicate means, charting a massive gold lorry emblazoned with the facts to drive through LA.

She later asked fans to take photos of the “‘Prism’ semi” in exchange for an ‘RT’, adding that LA was only the “first stop on the map” for the truck.

And if this isn’t digital PR innovation in motion, I don’t know what is.

Metallica to release Through The Never LP

Artist News Releases

Metallica are releasing a live LP to go with their new 3D feature, ‘Metallica Through The Never’, as was filmed when the band played Canada’s Rexall Place and Rogers Arena in 2012.

It’ll be available digitally, and physically (on vinyl and as a dual-disc CD pack) via Vertigo and Metallica’s label, Blackened Recordings, on 23 Sep. Yells Lars Ulrich: “Let’s hear it for the old school soundtrack! Not only are we beyond psyched about our movie coming your way shortly, but the fact that we get to share the music directly in all these formats is way fuckin cool”.

Directed by Nimród Antal and billed as “a bracing, raw and visceral cinematic experience” part driven by a fictional narrative, the film itself will hit British cinemas later this year.

Secret Garden Party comments on Clean Bandit cancellation

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Secret Garden Party chief Freddie Fellowes has commented on the decision to cancel Clean Bandit’s Sunday night set at his festival. Initially it was reported that this had been at the request of headliner Regina Spektor, though that was seemingly not the case.

Fellowes told CMU: “After such an amazing, life affirming and love filled party in the garden I am very sorry and sad to read the commentaries online regarding Regina Spektor and Clean Bandit. It’s even more regrettable, as they are based on a misunderstanding. Quite simply, the events did not happen as reported online and I am here to set the record straight”.

He continued: “Regina Spektor was not aware of the decision to ask Clean Bandit to step down. We made the decision ourselves. The reason we took this awful choice was based on the duty of honour we undertook once we booked Regina to headline Sunday night. Namely, as an artist who performs on grand piano we owe it to her and her festival audience to ensure that her performance is presented in the manner and quality we all deserve”.

Finally, he concluded: “Regrettably, despite all advance planning and consultation, unexpected meteorological conditions on the day meant we wouldn’t be able to fulfil our obligation without taking the drastic steps of having to ask Clean Bandit to step down. Both Regina Spektor and Clean Bandit have a long history of support from us at the SGP (both dating back to almost the very first years) and we are sincerely sorry that one of them had to be asked to give way to the other. This wasn’t a situation we ever thought would arise and a position I’d never want to put one of our artists in”.

With that matter resolved, early bird tickets for next year’s SGP have already gone on sale. More details here.

Festival line-up update: Amsterdam Dance Event, Glasgow Summer Sessions, Elevate and more

Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals

As Glasgow Summer Sessions add Steve Aoki, Chance The Rapper and The Courteeners to what’s really quite a sizeable bill, and place tickets to its Eminem-headlined final day (20 Aug) back on sale, so too are tickets available to Latitude – the 2014 iteration, that is – as a limited sale of early bird weekend passes starts at the Latitude site.

Also worth noting (and constantly adding to its vast listings) is the Gothenburg Culture Festival, the city’s free-to-see arts fixing spanning all of August, which has Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and his opera ‘Ça Ira’, and Martha Wainwright, amongst its attractions. Info on that at this link.

And with that, please prime your FLUU-based faculties to take in additions info via Amsterdam’s eighteenth ever ADE festival and conference and news of the latest signees to Buma Rotterdam Beats; Austrian alt-dance event Elevate; Liverpool’s almighty Psych Fest; never-ending Shropshire story Shrewsbury Fields Forever; Maidstone one-dayer The Social; Croatia-based beach party Terraneo; niche Poland party Unsound; and, lastly, a varied rabble of artistes (Idris Elba, Seasick Steve, Lawson and the like) new to V’s twin peaks…

AMSTERDAM DANCE EVENT, various venues, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 16-20 Oct: Calvin Harris, Carl Cox, Danny Tenaglia, Laurent Garnier, Loco Dice, Maceo Plex, Paul Oakenfold, Richie Hawtin, Tiësto, Yellow Claw, Adam Beyer, Adana Twins, Aeroplane, Agoria, Alan Fitzpatrick, Andy C, Anja Schneider, Awanto 3 , BoeBoe, Buraka Som Sistema, Carl Craig, Danny Avila, Danny Daze, Clarke, Dem Slackers, Dennis Ferrer, DJ Tennis, Dosem, Dubfire , Eelke Kleijn, Egbert, Fritz Kalkbrenner, Gaiser, Gomes, Gui Boratto, Guy J, Hobo, Joel Mull, John Digweed, Joran van Pol, Joseph Capriati, Karenn, Kenny Larkin , Kölsch Live, Kraak & Smaak, Maetrik, Magda, Mathew Jonson, Maya Jane Coles , Michael Mayer, Mirko Loko, Moderat, Nic Fanciulli, Nicole Moudaber, Noir, Oliver Schories, Pachanga Boys, Paco Osuna, Pan-Pot, Patrice Bäumel, Pete Tong, Prosumer, Ricardo Villalobos, San Proper, Schlachthofbronx, Sebo K, Secret Cinema, Tale Of Us, Technasia, The Flexican, Timo Maas, Vato Gonzalez. www.a-d-e.nl

BUMA ROTTERDAM BEATS, various venues, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 14-16 Nov: Boaz van de Beatz, Hiatus Kaiyote, Oddisee, Ryan Hemsworth, Dream Koala, Zebra Katz, Mount Kimbie, Gorgon City, Quadron, Watsky, WAX, Sevdaliza, D E N A, SirOJ, Roses Gabor. www.buma-rotterdam-beats.nl

ELEVATE, Graz, Austria, 23-27 Oct: Dorian Concept, Daedelus, James Pants, Felix Kubin, Bibio, Peverelist, Vakula, Stellar Om Source, Ninos You Brasil, Nico Vascellari, Ogris Debris, Clement Meyer & Tomas More. elevate.at

GLASGOW SUMMER SESSIONS, Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, Scotland, 15-20 Aug: Steve Aoki, Chance The Rapper, The Courteeners. www.glasgowsummersessions.com

LIVERPOOL PSYCH FEST, Camp & Furnace/Blade Factory, Liverpool, 27-28 Sep: Charlie Boyer And The Voyeurs, Lola Colt, Mark Riley, Andy Votel. www.liverpoolpsychfest.com

SHREWSBURY FIELDS FOREVER, West Midlands Showground, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, 13-15 Sep: Athlete, Roni Size & Dynamite, Joker, Shy FX & Stamina Dumb, Pixel Fix, Portlights, B Traits feat Juma, Rockwell feat Mantmast, K90, Darren Styles & MC Storm, Sc@r & MC Energy, EHD, Jay Robinson, ADK, Johnny Flash, Emerson Da Silva, Shaun Price, DanZ – Dad, Adam B, DJ Toddie D, Amais, Red & Trickett, Call Me T, Bare Roots, True & False, Andy Phillips, Dirty Lookin Mobile Disco, Sammy J, DJ Housescratt, Bazland, Taylor J, Digital Mafia, Plump DJs, Gemma Furbank, Kate Naylor, The Taste, Doppleganger, MK Zero, The Lucidity, Social Confusion, The Cosmic Rays, Thin Vision, Conspire, Jay Dubz, Tim Ryan, Rapture, Pixle. www.shrewsburyfieldsforever.com

THE SOCIAL, Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent, 28 Sep: Alex Tepper, Dixon, Guti, Guy Gerber, Russ Yallop. www.thesocialfestival.com

TERRANEO, Terrane Beach, Sibenik, Croatia, 7-9 Aug: Dubfire, Rob Garza, Emiliana Torrini, GusGus, Hot 8 Brass Band. www.terraneofestival.com

UNSOUND, Krakow, Poland, 13-20 Oct: Underground Resistance, Dean Blunt, Julianna Barwick, James Ferraro, Mykki Blanco, Gobby, Rhys Chatham & Charlemagne Palestine, Mika Vainio, Anthony Naples, I-F, Svenghalisghost. unsound.pl

V FESTIVAL, Hylands Park, Essex/Weston Park, Staffordshire, 17-18 Aug: Idris Elba, Naughty Boy, Seasick Steve, Lawson, Vox Empire. www.vfestival.com

Global Rock Summit planned

Business News Education & Events

UK-based booker and manager Seven Webster has announced an alliance with MUSExpo man Sat Bisla to launch a Global Rock Summit in Hollywood in April 2014. The rock-focused conference will aim to bring “together all aspects of the multi-billion dollar global rock music industry in one annual, focused gathering with a view of helping to further stimulate a very buoyant but often much overlooked sector of the music industry”.

The first event will take place from 4-5 Apr at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, with a mix of panels, showcases and networking opportunities. Webster told CMU: “If it’s heavy and it rocks and you want to network, trade and expand your business opportunities, then the Global Rock Summit will be the perfect community for you to connect with the world of rock!”

Bisla added: “After a meeting with Seven early last year in London, we discussed the idea of working on a rock music conference, as there seemed to be no central rock conference with a global vision. It also seemed obvious to us that its natural home had to be in Los Angeles due to its long and close association with rock music culture. After discussing this idea with influencers in the worldwide rock market, it was evident that there was an immediate need for a Global Rock Summit”.

More at this URL.

Live Nation and Rock Sound partner on tours

Business News Live Business Media

Music mag Rock Sound has announced that it has entered into a new partnership with Live Nation for the title’s future branded tours, starting with the Rock Sound Exposure Tour early next year.

Editor of Rock Sound Ben Patashnik told CMU: “I’m extremely pleased and excited to be working with Andy Copping and Will Blake at Live Nation, especially in the wake of some outstanding sales figures for the magazine. Having worked with Will in the past on some very successful tours, I’m looking forward to stepping things up a few notches and presenting great tours that capture the public’s imagination and promote the best bands around”.

Copping, Live Nation’s VP of Music in the UK, added: “It’s great that we have partnered up with Rock Sound to create a new touring brand. It gives the bands the opportunity to be part of a strong package tour as well as giving the fans the chance to see a variety of established acts, alongside up and coming artists”.

Vevo and Dailymotion extend partnership to Europe

Business News Digital

Online video platforms Vevo and Dailymotion have announced the extension of their partnership in the US to France, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the UK. The deal sees Dailymotion bring 75,000 ad-supported videos from Vevo’s catalogue to its users, covering music videos, live performances and original music programming.

As previously reported, Vevo recently renewed its partnership with Google to provide content to YouTube. There had been speculation, as the original deal between the two companies came to an end, that Vevo would look to sign a deal with an alternative platform. It’s possible that talks relating to the expanded Dailymotion partnership was a catalyst for those rumours.

Announcing the deal, Vevo’s Director of Business Affairs and Business Development, Eric Mackay told CMU: “We are delighted to announce the extension of our partnership with Dailymotion. It will allow Vevo to deliver our huge catalogue of premium music videos, live events and original programming to Dailymotion’s music-hungry users. This further strengthens Vevo’s platform offering and cements our position as the world’s leading all premium music video platform”.

Meanwhile Marc Eychenne, Dailymotion’s Head Of Content in EMEA added: “Dailymotion is committed to providing our users with great original content, and music is one of our most popular areas, so we are very excited to extend our partnership with Vevo on this. This will provide great content to our European users and a platform to help Vevo reach many more music fans”.

UKF announces alliance to develop YouTube channels

Digital

London-based AEI Media has announced an alliance with US-based firm The Collective Digital Studio, one of a number of companies set up to work with video makers to capitalise on the potential of online video content, YouTube revenue and brand partnerships. The two companies will collaborate to further develop AEI Media’s UKF Music brand, which operates popular dubstep and drum n bass channels on YouTube.

Confirming the alliance, UKF founder Luke Hood told reporters: “With UKF I’ve always had the goal of exposing independent electronic musicians to the world. With this partnership I wish to further support artists and labels by securing funding from brands in order to support new videos, albums, remix projects and live performances in a manner in which both the advertiser and musician wins”.

Independent On Sunday to radically cut its arts output

Media

The Independent On Sunday is to revamp its arts coverage, with a move away from extensive reviewing. The development will seemingly mean much less content from the paper’s various critics, including popular music writer Simon Price.

It’s thought the shift will lead to seven mainly freelance roles being axed at the paper, in addition to the 27 redundancies already due to take place across the daily and Sunday editions of The Independent.

The broadsheet’s owners have been busy instigating various cost cutting measures of late (and for some time, for that matter) in a bid to make the loss-making title commercially viable.

Tom Watson writes for the NME on music and politics

And Finally Business News Media

Tom Watson

Labour MP Tom Watson caused a bit of a stir recently when he recommended that Ed Miliband listen to new-ish band Drenge in a resignation letter to his party’s leader. For one, the band themselves weren’t exactly overjoyed to have his backing. This delicate balance between liking something, and appearing to be trying to score points by association, is something Watson says he recognises, in a new article written for the NME.

Watson writes: “I believe politicians need to reach out to young people and music makers. Some MPs still go to gigs. Should more of them go to see live music performances? Probably, but only if they’re fans of music already. Because the essence of the relationship between music and its fans is honesty – it can’t be forced or faked… We all squirmed when David Cameron tried to pose as a Radiohead fan. It just doesn’t wash. Don’t even go there with The Jam and The Smiths. I’m still cringing at the thought of my old boss Gordon Brown listening to Arctic Monkeys on his iPod”.

So, it’s not for everyone. But there’s also a lot that all politicians can learn from how music connects with people, he says: “The greatest musicians, songwriters and leaders can communicate in a way that the press release factory of modern politics has failed to do. Music does not alienate with jargon, but instead brings the world together. Good music, like good politics, responds to real people and real emotions, and is never afraid of being honest”.

Which reminds me, David Cameron’s a right cocksack, isn’t he?

Playlist: Alela Diane

CMU Playlists

Alela Diane came to many people’s attention with her third album, ‘Alela Diane & Wild Divine’, which was released by Rough Trade in 2011. This week, she returns with the follow-up, ‘About Farewell’, on Believe Recordings, the title track of which was released as a single earlier this month.

Much of the initial recording of the album took place in late 2011 and early 2012, before Diane enlisted the help of multi-instrumentalist Heather Broderick (Horse Feathers, Efterklang), drummer Neal Morgan (Joanna Newsom, Bill Callahan) and string arranger Holcombe Waller to flesh it out, finally completing the record earlier this year.

In the run up to the album release, we asked Alela to put together a playlist for us. Taking us through some of her influences, she brings the playlist to a close with a track from JJ Cale, who sadly died at the weekend.

ALELA DIANE’S TEN
Listen to this playlist on Spotify, and then read on to find out more about Alela’s choices.

01 Sandy Denny – Who Knows Where The Time Goes
Sandy’s is one of my favourite voices, and this song has been a companion throughout my travels over the past few years.

02 Graham Nash – I Used To Be A King
‘Songs For Beginners’ is one of my all time favourite albums, and this song in particular is amazing.

03 Michael Hurley – Troubled Waters
Michael is a friend of mine who lives outside of Portland, and he’s been making his special brand of music since well before I was born. He’s always been under the radar, but in actuality is a living legend.

04 Daniel Rossen – Saint Nothing
I tend to be fairly out of touch with what is going on in music these days, but I got my hands on Daniel Rossen’s EP and fell in love with it. It’s always refreshing when I stumble upon something being made today that resonates with me.

05 Roy Harper – Another Day
This song has a line that says, “I’m feeling so sad that I never had one of your children”. I can’t think of a more devastating thing to say about heartbreak…

06 Ryan Francesconi & Mirabai Peart – Parallel Flights
These two are cut from the highest tier of musical cloth and the sound they make is simply beautiful.

07 Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou – The Homeless Wanderer
There is a gal in Portland named Mary who has dedicated her recent days to transposing the music to all of Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou’s songs. She plays the songs on an old piano at an Ethiopian restaurant in town, and from the moment I heard her play, I new I needed to track down the original recordings. Fortunately, they are available on iTunes.

08 Townes Van Zandt – I’ll Be Here In The Morning
Townes sure knows how to write a sad song. And you know, I do love a sad song.

09 Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Mariee Sioux – Loveskulls
Mariee is one of my oldest, dearest friends from childhood, and when we were teenagers or shortly thereafter, we’d listen to Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. As you can imagine, she and I were both very excited when she had the opportunity to make an EP with Will Oldham! This is one of my favourites off the album.

10 JJ Cale – After Midnight
This song, and the album from which it comes, it’s an absolutely perfect soundtrack for long drives in wide open spaces.

Approved: Charisma.com

CMU Approved

There’s been a trend for bands to having ungoogleable names over the last few years, but today’s approved act takes things one step further by naming themselves after a website that they don’t actually own.

It took several permutations of Charisma.com plus a carefully selected keyword to finally track them down. At which point, Google Translate’s piss poor attempt to translate their website from Japanese to English made the whole thing fairly pointless anyway. But, hey, I do know a few things, so let’s get on with it.

MC Itsuka and DJ/MC Gonchi formed Charisma.com in 2011. Gonchi both likes and dislikes herself, while Itsuka hates “a fool” but likes insects. That’s pretty much all the information I gleaned from their website that I’m certain of.

I’m not a massive fan of Japanese rap, on the whole, but Charisma.com have found a way to deliver rhymes in their native tongue that is more appealing than most. Operating at the pop end of the spectrum, they lay their lyrics over bouncy dance beats, and when they sing their melodies stop just before they become too sugar coated.

The duo’s debut album, ‘I I Syndrome’, is available on iTunes in the UK now. Here they are performing a karaoke version of one of the album’s tracks, ‘George’, and here’s the decidedly odd video for recent single ‘Hate’:

Bauer buys Absolute Radio

Media Top Stories

Bauer Media has bought Absolute Radio, bringing to an end over two years of speculation about the future of the national rock station.

As previously reported, current owner TIML Radio has been toying with the idea of selling the loss-making UK radio business for a while, though initially withdrew from active sale talks until John Pearson, who previously led the station when it was still Virgin Radio, arrived with a new offer late last year.

Pearson’s bid ultimately failed, but seemingly led to new talks between TIML and Bauer, the radio division of which owns the likes of Magic, Kiss and Kerrang! Radio. Though word had it for a time that those talks were faltering too, most likely over price. But yesterday morning Bauer confirmed a deal had now been done.

Bauer boss Paul Keenan told CMU: “We are looking forward to working with the award-winning team at Absolute Radio and have great respect for what they have achieved. We are excited about welcoming this complementary music radio business with renowned digital assets into Bauer. Absolute Radio and its sister brands are loved by millions of UK consumers and by advertisers. This acquisition will be an opportunity to learn and share across both businesses”.

Donnach O’Driscoll, current CEO at Absolute Radio, added: “The Absolute Radio business has never been in better shape as we approach our fifth birthday. Bauer Media UK is a business that really cares about building famous media and entertainment brands and music radio in particular. This brand will continue to thrive as part of the Bauer group”.

What the deal means for the future of Absolute, and its spin-off digital services, remains to be seen. Bauer, of course, also bought digital station Planet Rock earlier this year, subsequently giving the service the Midlands FM frequency previously occupied by the Kerrang! radio station. With Absolute, Planet Rock and Kerrang!, Bauer now owns three rock-themed stations, and it will be interesting to see how they will operate as part of one business.

Record shop discovery could lead to more Savile-related arrests

Legal

The criminal investigation into the crimes of the late Jimmy Savile has discovered a list of names scribbled on a wall in Manchester which is believed to record some of the victims of the shamed DJ.

According to the Mirror, the list potentially extends further the number of victims that suffered sexual abuse at the hands of Savile, and may provide evidence against a number of other celebrities, many still alive, who were also allegedly involved in abusing young girls. The list was written on a wall in a room above a record shop in Greater Manchester. Police seemingly discovered it after a tip off; the incriminating words having been hidden behind plaster and wallpaper.

Criminologist Professor David Wilson from Birmingham City University told the tabloid that the list suggested that the room was occupied by a paedophile ring who used the wall to document their crimes, basically as a way of boasting about the abuse they committed, in a way that today would occur online. The location, above a record shop, is also likely significant, Wilson said, as in the 1980s and 1990s a record store would attract a large number of young people.

Numerous men have been arrested since formal allegations about Savile’s conduct were made public last year; some former Savile allies directly linked to his crimes, others who seemingly acted independently, and others of Savile’s era also accused of past inappropriate behaviour, but not against minors.

Flavor Flav’s fried chicken dream is over

Brands & Merch Business News Legal

Flavor Flav’s third fried chicken restaurant has closed, after losing a battle with its landlord against eviction.

As previously reported, the Public Enemy member opened his first chicken restaurant as a joint venture in Iowa in 2011, but asked for his name to be taken off the eatery four months later, due to allegations of mismanagement. He then tried again in Las Vegas, that business lasting just six months. Finally, he opened Flavor Flav’s Chicken & Ribs in Michigan earlier this year, but now that has closed for good too.

Flav and his business partners were accused of being behind on the rent. Initially they claimed they were withholding rent payments because their landlord had failed to fix a faulty heater, but that didn’t seem to stop said landlord applying for an eviction order.

Last month a court delayed eviction to allow landlord and tenants to reach a deal over unpaid rent. But, according to TMZ, that did not happen, so the court has now allowed eviction to proceed, leading to the closure of Flavor Flav’s Chicken & Ribs.

Braxton loses copyrights in post-bankruptcy auction

Business News Legal

American R&B star Toni Braxton has lost the rights she owned in some of her biggest hits after being outbid at an auction for the copyrights, caused by her bankruptcy.

As previously reported, Braxton declared bankruptcy in 2010, with debts of somewhere between $10 and $50 million. Her assets were sold to pay off creditors, though the singer negotiated the rights to buy back some of her property.

The copyrights in songs like ‘You’re Making Me High’ and ‘Always’, however, were put up for auction. Braxton was allowed to bid herself, and offered $20,000 for the 27 copyrights on the block.

But, according to TMZ, a man called Ross M Klein offered twice as much, and walked away with Braxton’s rights. The singer is yet to comment.

Dotcom’s evidence dispute returns to New Zealand court

Business News Digital Legal MegaUpload Timeline

The increasingly tedious battle between MegaUpload founder Kim ‘Dotcom’ Schmitz and the American and New Zealand governments over what evidence the former should have access to, as he fights extradition attempts, is back in court.

As much previously reported, the US government is trying to extradite Dotcom and friends to face charges of money laundering, racketeering and copyright infringement in relation to the original MegaUpload enterprise, shut down by the American authorities in January 2012.

Extradition efforts, being led by the New Zealand government on behalf of the Americans, have been long drawn out because of various complications, including the fact the authorities in New Zealand raided Dotcom’s home with the wrong warrant, and then breached rules by allowing the Americans to take seized evidence out of the country.

Dotcom’s lawyers have also been pushing for access to all of the evidence the US government has against the former MegaUpload business, arguing that they need to see it in order to properly fight the extradition application.

The New Zealand authorities insist that it’s not standard practice to hand over all evidence in that way in extradition hearings, and a summary of evidence from the US authorities should suffice.

When the dispute first went to court, Dotcom’s people prevailed and the US was ordered to hand over all its Mega files. But then in May an appeals court sided with the authorities, so now Team Dotcom are taking the matter to Supreme Court.

Yesterday, according to The Press, lawyers for the New Zealand government again stressed that there was no precedent for the courts to order the authorities to share all their evidence in an extradition case, and that doing so would run contrary to national law, and also the country’s extradition agreement with the US.

The hearing on the evidence issue isn’t expected to last long, with five judges then due to rule on the matter. Dotcom’s much-postponed extradition hearing is now set for November, though even that might be looking ambitious.

Ricky Gervais may record album as David Brent

Artist News

Ricky Gervais has apparently been approached to record an album as his character from ‘The Office’, David Brent. The comedian has recently resurrected the character for a series on YouTube, called ‘Learn Guitar With David Brent’.

Gervais said on Twitter: “I’m getting offers of major record deals for a Brent album. Where the fuck were these people when I was trying to be a real popstar? Haha”.

Here’s Brent’s latest video, basically recycling jokes from ‘The Office’:

Gaga affirms Applause

Releases

As per all the pretty un-cryptic clues circulating last week, Lady Gaga has affirmed that her new single is, in fact, titled ‘Applause’. So, that’s nice if you like Lady Gaga, and clapping, and all that. Oh, and the ‘Applause’ ‘promo image’, which is, as this GAGAnalysis piece explains (in inconceivable depth) based on France’s masked panto clown Pierrot.

Talking up the new track, a co-write with DJ White Shadow, via WWD, Gaga has said: “I’ll tell you that it is very fun, and that it’s full of happiness, because what I’m saying in the song essentially is that I live for the applause. I live for the way you cheer and scream for me. Give me that thing that I love. Put your hands up, make them touch”.

She added: “They do that all the time for me; before I even open my mouth, the fans start cheering for me. And so this exclamation: ‘Give me that thing that I love. Give it to me. I’m ready, start the music’. I’m from New York. I’ve worked since I was a five-year-old to be a performer. All my life. I deserve to be here. I’m ready”.

Yeah, she’s ready all right. As is ‘Applause’, which will have its release party on 18 Aug, the same day links to pre-order the Lady’s fourth long-playing record/first long-playing app ‘ARTPOP’, out 10 Nov, will go live.

This, meanwhile, is a naked Gaga sitting astride a sofa made of microchips.

Michael Jackson/Freddie Mercury duets to be released

Releases

A sequence of ‘lost’ duets by Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury, recorded at Jackson’s Californian home studio 30 years ago, is set to be released later this year.

Hinting via The Times at a potential trio of tracks dating back to 1983 – when Mercury and Jackson collaborated for a time, but ultimately failed to make anything ‘official’ of it – Queen man Brian May told the paper that “something for folks to hear” will be available in the autumn.

Meanwhile Jim ‘Miami’ Beach, Queen’s then-manager, has revealed that the two pop stars’ collaboration ended when Mercury tired of Jackson’s eccentricities, and in particular when the king of pop let a llama into the studio. He recalled: “Mercury rang me and said: ‘Miami, dear, can you get over here? You’ve got to get me out of here, I’m recording with a llama'”.

Johnny Flynn unveils new LP, Country Mile

Releases

Timid folk type Johnny Flynn has shared his new LP’s ‘essential details’, aka its title and buy-date.

‘Country Mile’, as it’s called, will carry the somewhat Mumford-esque theme of “journeying, with the way as a teacher”, and is released 30 Sep.

Its lead single, ‘The Lady Is Risen’, sounds thus:

Tracklisting:

Country Mile
After Eliot
The Lady Is Risen
Murmuration
Gypsy Hymn
Fol-De-Rol
Einstein’s Idea
Tinker’s Trail
Bottom Of The Sea Blues
Time Unremembered

Lana Del Rey confirms Tropico film

Artist News

Lana Del Rey has confirmed that she will release 30 minute film ‘Tropico’ later this year. The singer recently tweeted the poster for the short, which informs us that it will be “a tale of redemption”, so that’s nice. Basically, it’s going to be a long music video, featuring three songs from last year’s ‘Paradise’ EP.

As previously reported, filming took place earlier this month with director Anthony Mandler.

Elsewhere in Lana Del Rey news, last week a new track apparently by the singer leaked, in which she seemingly disses Lady Gaga. So that’s fun.

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