Friday 29 November 2013, 12:27 | By Paul Vig

Approved: Circus at Egg London

Club Tip CMU Approved

This monthly exploration into underground dance music sees Yousef and his Circus team welcome two of the best cutting edge women in the genre, Monika Kruse and Nicole Moudaber.

A fascinating character in dance music, after studying in London, Moudaber returned to Lebanon, introducing house music to Beirut and growing a successful scene there until gaining the unwanted attention of the government. Moving back to London, she has since grown in stature, thanks in part to early support from Carl Cox, and has run her own successful nights in the capital and well as label MOOD Records, and releasing her own music. Tonight she’ll be hitting the crowd with some drum-driven techno that’s sure to be epic.

House DJ Kruse, meanwhile, started out running illegal parties in Munich before going on to more legit nights, touring the world and, like Moudaber, performing with Carl Cox at Space in Ibiza. She also runs her own label, Terminal M, which recently celebrated its 100th release.

As ever, Circus founder Yousef will also appear in tonight’s bill, playing out the best in underground house, building a hypnotic set to round things off.

Across five rooms there will be even more great music to choose from. Should be a cracking one at Egg!

Friday 29 Nov, Egg, 200 York Way, Kings Cross, London, N7 9AX, 10pm-8am, £10-£22, more info here.

IPCC investigating whether police failed to act quickly enough over Ian Watkins

Artist News Legal Top Stories

A detective sergeant is being investigated by the police watchdog, it has been confirmed, after allegations that warnings about former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins were ignored.

As previously reported, the Independent Police Complaints Commission confirmed back in February this year that South Wales Police had put itself forward for investigation over the matter, but could not then provide any further details due to the ongoing proceedings against Watkins.

Now a former girlfriend of Watkins has told reporters that she informed police more than once that her ex-partner had confessed to being a paedophile, but that no action was taken until the investigation began into the sexual assaults against very young children to which the musician pleaded guilty earlier this week.

In addition to the information provided to police by Joanne Majic, it is thought South Wales Police received information from four other police forces around the UK after complaints were made about the singer.

Following Watkins’ guilty plea earlier this week, which came after a year of the singer insisting he was innocent of the charges against him, the Commissioner For Wales of the IPCC, Tom Davies, re-confirmed that the matter had been referred to him in late January, a month after the singer was arrested.

Davies told reporters this week: “We received a referral from South Wales Police on 25 Jan 2013 relating to Ian Watkins. Following a thorough assessment I have decided that we will carry out an independent investigation. Our investigation will determine whether or not South Wales Police failed to take appropriate and timely action in relation to information they were in receipt of in advance of Mr Watkins subsequent arrest”.

The Commissioner added: “The referral from the force was into the alleged inaction of one officer, who is also being investigated in a separate case over similar allegations”.

Speaking to the tabloids, Majic said she believes that Watkins may have abused hundreds of young fans over the years, while the former boyfriend of another girl allegedly targeted by the singer when she was fifteen told reporters: “He used his fame to win impressionable girls over and used his glamour to make them do unspeakable things. My girlfriend was about fifteen when he found her on a Lostprophets chat forum and started to seduce her. She told me he enjoyed making her dress like a little girl and enjoyed humiliating her”.

In other developments following Watkins’ guilty plea on Tuesday, HMV has told NME that it is now removing Lostprophets releases from its shelves. A spokesperson for the retailer said that staff had been told to remove all music by the band, and that their tracks would also be taken off the company’s download store. At the time of writing, a profile for the band is still live on hmvdigital.com but it is not possible to purchase their music.

Elsewhere, H from Steps, real name Ian Watkins, has confirmed he is consulting his lawyers after an American website used his picture alongside a report on the Lostprophets man’s crimes. The pop singer had already been subjected to a torrent of abuse on the social networks from confused bystanders, both this week and when his namesake was arrested just under a year ago, but the inclusion of his photo on a story posted by E! Online only furthered the case of mistaken identity.

Although E! corrected its error once aware of it and said it “deeply regrets” the mistake, a spokesman for the former Steps star confirmed he was taking legal advice about the matter.

The rep told reporters: “Ian is deeply upset at being linked by E! Online to these awful allegations. Clearly he has nothing whatsoever to do with this matter and E! Online has confirmed that it used a photograph of Ian ‘H’ Watkins by mistake. This is an extremely serious and damaging mistake to have made and this matter has been referred to our lawyers”.

A spokesman for the US celebrity site said: “E! Online deeply regrets originally publishing an image of Ian ‘H’ Watkins of the band Steps, rather than Ian Watkins of Lostprophets, and the error was corrected immediately. We are investigating the matter and will take appropriate action. Additionally, E! Online has reached out to Ian ‘H’ Watkins, via his management, to apologise directly”.

The Watkins case may also cause problems for other celebrities, as legal experts warned social networkers against publishing the names of the two women also involved in the sexual abuse crimes committed by the Lostprophets man. Because it was the children of the two women who Watkins abused, the defendants’ identities need to stay confidential to protect the victims in the case.

However, the two women’s names have been published in the past – initially via online court case schedules – even though media reporting the case this week have been careful not to reveal the other defendants’ names. Though not all social networkers were so careful, Peaches Geldof being the most prominent tweeter to reveal the women’s identities online.

It’s not clear what action, if any, will be taken against Geldof and others who tweeted the names, though if the matter is investigated further it will again test how conventional media law, including libel, privacy and in this case court reporting rules, impacts on social media. Geldof seemingly discovered the names of the defendants on a US website and was not aware on the restrictions in place in the UK preventing disclosure.

Responding to activity online since Watkins’ court appearance on Tuesday, the office of the UK Attorney General tweeted yesterday: “We understand that the names of the co-defendants in the Ian Watkins case have been posted online”, adding: “Victims of sex offences have lifetime anonymity. Publication of info which could identify them is a criminal offence and a police matter”.

Cheryl Cole settles with X-Factor USA

Business News Legal Media

Cheryl Cole has agreed to accept an undisclosed out-of-court settlement with the producer of the US version of ‘X-Factor’, Blue Orbit. The singer sued for lost earnings earlier this year, having been dropped from the show in 2011.

As previously reported, a judge on the UK edition for three years, Cole moved to the then new ‘X-Factor USA’ with Simon Cowell to reprise the position there. However, she was kicked off the show after filming one episode (reportedly because it was feared her accent would be too difficult to understand) and her contributions were never aired.

Nonetheless, Cole was paid the $1.8 million fee she had agreed for appearing in the full first series, so she wasn’t out of pocket. Except she was, she and her lawyers claimed, because her contract stated that she was also entitled to a further $2 million for the second series whether she appeared in that or not. And she didn’t. If you remember, she didn’t even appear in the first one.

So, Cole sued for that second series fee and for expenses – a $100,000 wardrobe allowance, $25,000 for her stylist, $15,000 for rent, and a $2,500 living allowance – relating to the brief period she spent working on the show.

Blue Orbit maintained that it owed Cole nothing more, because she hadn’t made it to the end of her first series. But yesterday a spokesperson for the one time Girl Aloud told the BBC: “Cheryl’s dispute with Blue Orbit has been resolved amicably”.

Hesse could soon depart Bertelsmann

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

Thomas Hesse

According to Billboard, Thomas Hesse, the record industry veteran who is currently President Of Corporate Development & New Businesses for BMG parent company Bertelsmann, is set to exit the German media firm.

The US trade mag reckons that Bertelsmann’s supervisory board will today discuss a request by Hesse to be released from his contract. It follows reports earlier this year that the board had indicated it would be unlikely to renew its current agreement with the exec once it expired. The media firm has not commented on any of these reports.

Hesse worked at the original BMG business, and then spent a time in a senior digital role at Sony Music, following the merger of the BMG and Sony record companies. He returned to Bertelsmann at the start of 2012 and, although not specifically in a music post, is believed to have played a key role in supporting the new BMG business, both in its ongoing expansion, and in bringing the music rights company back into the complete ownership of Berteslmann.

Independent Venue Week to launch next year

Business News Live Business

Independent record shops have Record Store Day, independent record companies have the Independent Label Market, but what about independent venues? Where’s their celebration? It’s like you don’t even care.

Actually, it’s alright, because on 28 Jan next year the first Independent Venue Week will take place, where eighteen small venues around the UK will be celebrated by having gigs put on in them. Over six days (because The Bible says there must be a day of rest), there will be a series of shows at the various participating venues, curated by artists, promoters, labels and blogs.

The event’s co-founder Sybil Bell told CMU: “The struggle to compete with large, sponsor-backed venues makes it a tough and challenging time for independents. Combine this with bands finding it harder to tour due to limited revenues and rising on-the-road costs and we can all see what a difficult climate [smaller] live venues find themselves in. There’s never been a more important time to highlight the importance of these treasured places; getting people excited about discovering new music up close and personal and reigniting fans passion for gig-going”.

Exact details of the shows and their curators are still to be announced, but the involved venues will be:

King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut (Glasgow)
Half Moon Putney (London)
Norwich Arts Centre
The Cluny (Newcastle)
Clwb Ifor Bach (Cardiff)
Sugarmill (Stoke-On-Trent)
Zanzibar (Liverpool)
The Louisiana (Bristol)
Oh Yeah Centre (Belfast)
The Library (Leeds)
The Joiners (Southampton)
Boileroom (Guilford)
The Leadmill (Sheffield)
The Jericho (Oxford)
Tiki Bar (Plymouth)
Soup Kitchen (Manchester)
The Forum (Tunbridge Wells)
Fibbers (York)

BT launching new music service with Universal

Business News Digital Labels & Publishers

BT is having another go at music, launching its own streaming and karaoke service via its BT TV platform, what was previously known at BT Vision.

Seemingly in cahoots with Universal Music, BT’s new service will be available for free to its TV customers on the Unlimited package, and for £3 a month to other users of the phone giant’s television set up.

BT TV actually already offers some music content, including videos, so it’s not entirely clear how this new service will differ, though it seems to be more focused on offering full albums for streaming on-demand, rather than individual videos or tracks.

That said, at launch its catalogue will only include 150 albums, presumably all from Universal, and while the plan is to get that up to 1000 pretty quickly, that’s still a fraction of the content offered by online and mobile streaming services like Spotify and Deezer.

More info is expected soon as the new BT music offer goes out of beta.

Vaizey says radio stations won’t be forced to go digital

Business News Media

Although the government isn’t due to reveal its current thinking of a timetable for making the DAB network, rather than the FM network, the primary home of British radio, the minister responsible for the matter, Ed Vaizey, passed comment on the topic in parliament yesterday.

Responding to Buckinghamshire MP Cheryl Gillan, who expressed concern that a FM-to-DAB switchover was going to be forced on the radio industry, despite opposition from many smaller radio firms, and concerns about the reach of the DAB network, Vaizey said he was aware of the issues and wouldn’t be prematurely forcing a digital switchover in radio”.

Said Vaizey: “We have never said we will require small stations to go digital, and FM can work in tandem with DAB. Let me make it clear, I am a fan of digital radio and I think digital radio is the future, but my criteria has always been about coverage. I want it to be the same as FM, and we will not be pushed into a switchover date”.

Of course that statement doesn’t really reveal anything new about government thinking, given that, unlike with TV, it’s never been the plan to switch off the analogue radio networks as soon as key stations have made the shift to digital (indeed there are proposals to make more of the FM network available to community stations and such like after switchover).

Though some smaller radio groups are still against the analogue-to-digital switch, arguing that once the BBC and big commercial stations become DAB only, FM will become an after-thought, putting those stations forced to stay on the analogue network (for budgetary or licensing reasons, or because DAB doesn’t reach their area) at a disadvantage.

Which means that Vaizey’s announcements on 16 Dec should still be interesting to read, despite yesterday’s remarks.

ITV commissions live-voted singing show, Rising Star

Business News Media

ITV has acquired an ‘X-Factor’-style rival in ‘Rising Star’, a cut-throat singing franchise that’s been a massive hit in its native Israel.

The series’ interactive premise, devised by Israeli media firm Keshet International – which will co-produce the UK version – is that viewers can cast their votes in real-time via a special app integrated into the show. Auditions are termed “screen tests” and, if contestants win 70% approval from those watching – and from four judges, who only have a minority vote – they’ll move on to the next round.

In short, it’s going to be horrific.

Playing devil’s advocate, ITV’s Entertainment & Comedy Director Elaine Bedell says: “It’s rare that you find a genuinely innovative new entertainment format – but Keshet have come up with one and I’m very pleased that it will now be on ITV. The bold real-time voting element means that viewers’ votes control every twist and turn of the live programme – and that makes for an incredibly dramatic, emotional and exciting show”.

CMU:DIY coming to the Roundhouse

Business News Education & Events

CMU:DIY

The team from CMU Insights have announced more details about two upcoming CMU:DIY events, educational sessions aimed at the grass roots music community, both being staged at the Roundhouse in Camden.

The first session takes place on 7 Dec, and concludes the latest instalment of the Roundhouse’s 30/30 programme, which has seen fifteen artists working on recordings in the London venue’s in-house studio throughout November.

Hosted by CMU Business Editor Chris Cooke, the CMU:DIY Artist Toolkit Day will provide insights on how new artists can build and engage a fanbase, including the importance of gigging, social media and direct-to-fan channels, before considering when and how grass roots talent should connect with the wider music business, including managers, labels, bookers and the media.

Amongst the industry experts on hand to offer insights will be AMP Publicity’s Louise Minter, Absolute Marketing’s Adam Cardew, Believe Digital’s Hannah Donovan, AR Management’s Anna Russell, Holy Roar’s Alex Fitzpatrick and Will Cook from The 405. Artists interested in attending the event can find out more info and enrol here.

There will then be another CMU:DIY session during the just announced Roundhouse Rising festival next February. That full day event will include interviews, panels and insight sessions about getting started in the music business, including how to make money from music, building and analysing audience, setting up a music company and where labels fit in. More info here.

Artist and label manager Harry Maloney dies

Business News Industry People

British music industry veteran and former BPI Council member Harry Maloney has died after a long battle with cancer.

Maloney worked in both artist and label management through his long career. Starting out in artist management in the early 1970s, he worked with the likes of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Uriah Heep and Eddie & The Hot Rods. He moved into the label side of things by joining BMG in 1993, and later became Chairman of music distributor the Apex Music Group.

His involvement with record label trade body the BPI began in 2004 when he worked for the organisation as Independent Members Manager, putting in place many of the initiatives that specifically service the association’s indie label members. And although he stepped down from his staff role at the BPI two years later, he subsequently joined the trade body’s Council after setting his own indie record company.

Paying tribute to Maloney yesterday, BPI Chairman Tony Wadsworth told Music Week: “Harry will be greatly missed by his many friends at BPI and the wider music community. Generous in spirit and always happy to oblige, Harry was a real music fan, loved by all and known for his sunny outlook that always lifted everyone around him”.

Maloney retired from the BPI Council earlier this year, and was presented with a commemorative disk at his retirement party in honour of his work for the record industry.

MTV Brand New tips Elyar Fox, Royal Blood, Banks and Sam Smith

Artist News Awards

MTV has made known its Brand New shortlist, whereby it tips ten artists it thinks will be ‘big’ in the next year, in this case 2014.

In addition to already quite big names like Bieber-alike Elyar Fox, boyband The Vamps, Brighton two-piece Royal Blood, R&B lady Banks and Sam Smith, aka the voice of Disclosure’s hit ‘Latch’, the list also features “cynical globophobic” (and Virgin signee) Ella Eyre, Bristol’s blonde answer to Jake Bugg George Ezra, ‘the English The Weeknd’ Joel Compass, London singer-songwriter Kwabs, and lone unsigned artist Marie Naffah.

So, there they all are, the final ten. Fans-of-tipping-acts can back their fave via a vote that’ll go live on 16 Dec via the MTV site. The overall winner, who’ll join Tom Odell, Haim, Lady Gaga, Tinie Tempah and last year’s defining Brand New artist Ebony Day on the list of most hotly-tipped-by-MTV new acts from recent years, will be revealed in early February.

Here’s MTV’s UK & Ireland Head Of Talent And Music, Paul Hourican, with the standard spiel: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be once again embarking on our MTV Brand New campaign and couldn’t be more excited to introduce this outstanding group of new talent to the MTV audience. 2014 promises to be yet another stellar year for UK music and MTV UK”.

Queen find ‘lost’ Freddie Mercury tapes

Artist News

Brian May says Queen might release some old, pieced-together Freddie Mercury recordings he discovered recently, perhaps enough to make an LP a la 1995’s ‘Made In Heaven’, which was made after Mercury’s death and incorporated vocals he’d laid to tape in his last days.

Referring to finding those previously reported ‘lost’ duets between Mercury and Michael Jackson, which he’s seemingly still working on finishing, May told Mojo: “There’s more in there than we thought, in the Queen source archive. We’ve found some Freddie vocals, some demos. If we find an analogue 24-track of Freddie singing something that never got finished, the first thing we do is transfer it into the digital domain”.

He continued: “We make the copy at the highest resolution you can. Then we start weaving our tapestry… I’m a little nervous of saying there’s an album there, but there’s certainly a few tracks”.

And: “So at the moment we’re working on spinning some new music around those, which is what we did for the ‘Made In Heaven’ album, which was possibly the best Queen album we ever made”.

Guided By Voices confirm 2014 LP

Artist News Releases

Rock-solid indie-ites Guided By Voices have given fans a window into what, when it’s released 17 Feb, will officially be their new LP, ‘Motivational Jumpsuit’.

The pretty speedy sequel to their last LP ‘English Little League’, which came out this summer, its short and direct lead single ‘Littlest League Possible’ is, says GVB chief Robert Pollard, his way of saying he doesn’t care about trying to match what other bands are doing.

It’s as he informs Rolling Stone: “No competition, no pressure, no rules. The way I do things now is an absolute blast. I think one earns it when entering one’s golden years. It also means that you don’t necessarily have to act your age”.

See what he means by listening here:

Throwing Snow’s Ross Tones to release EP as Alight

Artist News Releases

Ross Tones, aka Throwing Snow, will release an EP as his new alias Alight, later this year via Local Action.

The title track on the four-song ‘Iridis’, according to FACT’s Tom Lea, who owns Local Action, is a live adaptation of ‘Too Polite’ a “brittle jungle single” dating back to 2011.

The full four tracks will be available as a whole on 16 Dec, but for now you can play the EP’s title number on SoundCloud:

Festival line-up update: Roundhouse Rising, Hideout, We Are FSTVL and more

Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals

Roundhouse Rising – the London Roundhouse’s annual four-day programme of music, masterclasses, workshops and creative projects tailored to 11-25 year olds – has announced its line-up of artists.

Mariam The Believer, Letherette, Dems and the CMU approved Shopping are amongst those playing live, whilst on the educational side of things, after a day of artist development masterclasses hosted by Generator, CMU:DIY will present a series of interviews, panel debates and insight sessions on getting started in the music biz.

Oli Kluczewski, Roundhouse Rising’s Festival Producer, delivers these words: “Rising Festival 2014 is our biggest and boldest to date, showcasing even more fantastic new music than ever. We really want people to come to the festival and experience the building and discover something new, take part and be inspired”.

He adds: “In addition to the all the great music, the programme features loads of practical advice sessions for emerging artists and young people looking to get ahead in the creative industries. The Roundhouse aims to make Rising an essential event on the festival calendar for anyone looking to break into the music business”.

With that said, stay tuned for updates to the line-up at Bloodstock, plus momentous first announcements c/o big-deal Croatian dance fest Hideout and Essex EDM weekender We Are FSTVL:

BLOODSTOCK, Catton Hall, Walton-On-Trent, Derbyshire, 7-10 Aug 2013: Lacuna Coil, Carcass, Primordial. www.bloodstock.uk.com

HIDEOUT, Zerce Beach, Pag, Coratia, 30 Jun – 3 Jul 2014: Disclosure, Rudimental, Loco Dice, Solomun, Sasha, Ame, Andy C, Apollonia, Bicep, Bondax, BrEaCh, Cassy, Davide Squillace, Dusky, George Fitzgerald, Guti, Heidi, Jackmaster, John Talabot, Joy Orbison, MK, Redlight, Scuba, Skream, Tale Of Us, tINI, Wilkinson, Artwork,Ben Pearce, Boddika, B Traits, Camo & Krooked, Daniel Avery, David Rodigan, DJ EZ, Ejeca, Fred V & Grafix, Friction, Gerd Janson, Gorgon City, Huxley, Hype, Justin Martin, Laura Jones, Mano le Tough, Oneman, Ryan Elliot, Shy FX, Subb-an, Ten Walls, Waze & Odyssey, FunkinEven, Kowton, Last Magpie, Matt Long, Mike Jones, North Base, PBR Streetgang, People Get Real, Ralph Lawson, Route94, Simon Baker, The Sonic Emporium, Tom Grainger, Trevino, Waifs And Strays. www.hideoutfestival.com

ROUNDHOUSE RISING, Roundhouse, London, 21-23 Feb 2014: Kirk Spencer, Letherette, Mariam The Believer, Tim Exile, Dems, Midnight Davis, Blessa, Fe, Prides, Shopping, Honningbarna, Fear of Men, Gaps, Wildebeats, and The Brother Moves On, Little Simz, Fatu, Joel Baker, Cynikal, Ruby Goe, DJ Edott, Santino, Ophelia, Rayon Nelson, Whitney Williams, Juliyaa, Amarni Keller, Vanessa Gimenez, Jide Kuti, Saachi Sen, Fran Lobo, Laekyn, The Energy, Urban Development Vocal Collective, Shift-Static, Phoenix Martins, Midnight Davis, DJ Fauxlo, Cynikal, Tawaiah, Cudroid, Primitive Parts, Moon Gangs, Skinny Girl Diet, Sexbeat DJs, Roundhouse Choir, Hella Better Dancer, Kaitlyn Haggis, Jessica Carmody, All Too Animal, Henry Webb J. www.roundhouse.org.uk/rising

WE ARE FSTVL, Damyns Hall Aerodrome, Essex, 24-25 May 2014: Fatboy Slim, Richie Hawtin, Sven Vath, Disclosure, Maya Jane Coles, The Martinez Brothers, Hot Since 82, Maribou State, Chuckie, Eddie Halliwell, Cazzette, Luciano, Kryder, MK, Amine Edge & Dance, Beckwith, Detroit Swindle, Kevin Saunderson, Lee Foss, Ninetoes, Route94, Shadow Child, Jamie Jones, Cassy, Deetron, Infinity Ink, Richy Ahmed, Robert James, Waff, Russ Yallop, Kenny Dope, Huxley, Sam Divine, Copyright, GotSome, Sonny Fodera, Franky Rizardo, High Contrast, Camo & Krooked, London Elektricity, Fred V & Grafix, Danny Byrd, Spy, Metrik, Nu:Tone, Logistics, Etherwood, Solomun, Doorly, Duke Dumont, Friend Within, Riva Starr, Tiga, Tom Starr, Sven Vath, Ricardo Villalobos, Adam Beyer, Ilario Alicante, Julien Bracht, Andrea Oliva, CircoLoco, Apollonia, Black Coffee, Clive Henry, Davide Squillace, Kerri Chandler, Matthias Tanzman, Tania Vulcano, Timo Maas, Luciano, Carl Craig, Guillaume & The Couto Dumonts, Mirko Loko, Cesar Marveille, Gianni Callpari, Nina Kraviz, DJ Koze, Levon Vincent, Jus Ed, The Organ Grinder, Marino Canal, Javi Bora, Johnny Bloomfield, Ram, Andy C, Loadstar, Calyx & Teebee, Delta Heavy, DC Breaks, Hamilton, Mind Vortex, Frankee b2b Chords. www.wearefstvl.com

CMU Beef Of The Week #185: Moby v Thom Yorke

And Finally Artist News Beef Of The Week Digital

Ever since Nigel Godrich re-ignited (or perhaps fanned the flames of) the Spotify debate a few months ago, everyone has come out and had their say. Dave Stewart is for it, David Byrne is against it, Billy Bragg is for it, Foals’ Yannis Philippakis is against it, Liam Gallagher is confused.

But Thom Yorke has become the poster boy for the anti-Spotify brigade, joining his Atoms For Peace bandmate Godrich in denouncing it as a service that does more harm than good for new artists. And in that role as Chief Spotify Disser, Yorke came in for some fire from the latest musician to come out as pro-Spotify this week, Moby.

Moby is giving his latest album, ‘Innocents’, away for free as a BitTorrent bundle, as well as selling it on traditional formats. That’s arguably a move that continues a trend started by Radiohead in 2007 when they handed out their ‘In Rainbows’ album on a pay-what-you-want basis. But if you think that means Moby and Yorke are going to see eye-to-eye on digital music… well, let’s just say you weren’t reading the last paragraph properly.

Asked if he thought Spotify was a sustainable business model for artists, Moby said: “Artists who are adaptable are doing fine. A musician who makes records, tours, DJs, remixes, does music for video games and films is doing fine. If you can learn how to adapt [you’re fine]. It’s really weird and unhealthy when people talk about restricting progress to accommodate the inability of people to adapt. Every industry has been impacted by [changes in technology] in both negative and positive ways, but I feel like to complain is pointless”.

He continued: “I love Thom Yorke, but when I heard him complaining about Spotify, I’m like, ‘You’re just like an old guy yelling at fast trains’. I love anything that enables people to have more music in their lives”.

Yorke responded to this on Twitter, saying: “I am a 45 year old Luddite and proud of it… yawn”. He later linked to a Spin article, which referenced a Baffler piece on the original Luddite movement, picking out the quote: “But they weren’t anti-machine – they were against low-paying bosses, against being put out of a job in the name of efficiency”.

Moby, ruining the premise of this column, just wants everyone to get along. He took to Twitter to reiterate his point, saying: “To be clear, I love Thom Yorke and David Byrne – [they’re] creative geniuses. I just don’t see the point in fighting a future that’s already here”.

Retweeting Yorke’s original tweet, he added: “There’s no feud between Thom Yorke and I, at least not on my side. How could I feud with a genius who’s made some of my favourite records?”

Then Yorke responded: “Likewise, ain’t no feud on my side either. Except maybe about fast trains! These peeps have nothing else to write about?!”

Yeeeeeeeeah! Oh… wait a second. Damn you, Yorke!

Approved: Bright Works

CMU Approved

Self-styled ‘mafrobeat’ quartet Bright Works formed in 2011, slipping their first recorded output up on SoundCloud earlier this year in the form of ‘Houses’. The track opens their debut EP, ‘Explorers’, which is due for release through Tiny Little Creatures on 8 Dec.

‘Explorers’ is an apt title for the release, it finding the band not fearing to tread down routes that might seem unwise but ultimately pay off. With influences sitting somewhere between math-rock and afrobeat (mafrobeat, see?), Liam Amie’s unusual vocals both tie their songs together and force them away from accidentally stumbling into sounding too smooth or clean.

The EP is a truly intriguing listen throughout, and you can hear its aforementioned lead track ‘Houses’ here:

YouTube app provides hints about planned music service

Business News Digital Top Stories

Google has just pushed out an updated YouTube app for the Android operating system, and website Android Police has taken a sneaky look at the code and discovered various bits n pieces that are seemingly linked to the audio-based music service that the video site is busy developing behind closed doors.

As previously reported, it’s thought that YouTube is plotting a new music set-up that will sit inside its video platform, which is, of course, already the world’s biggest streaming music service, even though it’s never officially positioned as such.

Though, whereas only tracks accompanied by a video (or synced in a video file with a static image) can be uploaded to YouTube as it currently stands, the new platform will take complete audio catalogues from labels in much the same way as Pandora and Spotify. But, it’s assumed, the new YouTube service would do something with the artwork attached to each track so that there was still a visual element to the experience.

According to Android Police, code in the new YouTube app makes various references to something called ‘Music Pass’, which could be connected to this new platform.

Other bits of code suggest that the audio offer will allow offline listening on mobile akin to the smartphone apps operated by Spotify et al, that there will be some kind of upsell, and that at least one option – presumably a subscription-based one – will provide uninterrupted music with “no ads on millions of songs”.

Asked about what the Android app told us about any planned music service, a spokesman for YouTube told GigaOM: “We’re always working on new and better ways for people to enjoy YouTube content across all screens, and on giving partners more opportunities to reach their fans. However, we have nothing to announce at this time”.

As previously noted, any YouTube music service would compete with the Google Play streaming set-up. It’s not clear if there is any joined up thinking between the two Google-owned platforms, though indications suggest both services will be licensed via the same label and publisher agreements.

Marvin Gaye’s eldest son launches new ‘Blurred Lines’ litigation

Business News Legal

Another twist in the Gaye Family v Thicke dispute, you say? Well, alright then. Marvin Gaye’s eldest son, Marvin Gaye III, has launched a lawsuit against Robin Thicke, similar to but separate from the one launched by his siblings Frankie Christian and Nona.

As previously reported, following accusations that Thicke’s controversial summer hit ‘Blurred Lines’ borrowed from Gaye’s ‘Got To Give It Up’ and Funkadelic’s ‘Sexy Ways’, Thicke and his producer Pharrell Williams launched a pre-emptive legal attack on the Gaye estate and Funkadelic label Bridgeport Music seeking court assurance that there had been no copying going on when they wrote and recorded their song.

Frankie Christian and Nona Gaye then launched a countersuit saying that there were elements of their father’s music in not only ‘Blurred Lines’ but also another Thicke track, ‘Love After War’, which they claim takes elements of Gaye’s ‘After The Dance’.

With all that moving through the courts, Marvin Gaye III has now launched his own suit, in which he notes similarities between not two but four Thicke songs and works by his father. However, like his siblings, he is only actually claiming damages on ‘Blurred Lines’ and ‘Love After War’.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gaye III’s new lawsuit says: “Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’ (copied from Marvin Gaye’s ‘Got To Give It Up’), Thicke’s ‘Love After War’ (copied from Gaye’s ‘After The Dance’), Thicke’s ‘Make U Love Me’ (copied from Gaye’s ‘I Want You’), and Thicke’s ‘Million Dollar Baby’ (copied from Gaye’s ‘Trouble Man’) all serve as examples of songs so similar to Gaye’s songs as to leave no doubt but that they were each wholly dependent for their very creations upon Thicke’s brazen copying”.

Thicke would presumably not deny any similarity between his 2009 track ‘Million Dollar Baby’ and ‘Trouble Man’, given that in the credits of the album his song is taken from, ‘Sex Therapy: The Experience’, it is stated that the work “contains interpolations from the composition ‘Trouble Man’ written by M Gaye” (and is presumably paying royalties for it). Still, it does demonstrate that Thicke isn’t adverse to borrowing from Gaye’s music – though Thicke might also say that it proves he’d hold his hands up and admit it if he did it again.

Why exactly Margin Gaye III has chosen to sue separately from his siblings is unclear. The only major difference between their suits is that this new one does not also hold EMI Music Publishing responsible for not stopping this issue from arising – the company’s EMI April subsidiary (now owned by Sony/ATV) representing both Pharrell’s publishing rights in ‘Blurred Lines’ and the Gaye estate’s in ‘Got To Give It Up’.

It seems unlikely that this distinction is the reason for the split though, and there is now speculation of a Gaye family rift that could cause problems when it comes to negotiating settlements. All of which probably means this will drag on for months, perhaps years to come. So that’s fun.

Citigroup seeking to block Terra Firma’s latest EMI lawsuit

Business News EMI Sale Timeline Legal

Unsurprisingly, Citigroup is trying to stop take two of Terra Firma’s litigation relating to its 2007 acquisition of EMI from getting to court.

As so many times before reported, Terra Firma’s acquisition of British music company EMI in 2007 went horribly wrong, mainly because it was a debt-laden takeover completed just before the credit crunch, making it impossible for the Terra Firma-owned EMI to succeed financially, even after rapid downsizing.

Citigroup, which provided the multi-billion dollar loan to help fund the acquisition eventually repossessed the music firm and split it up for sale, selling the recordings side to Universal and the publishing side to a Sony-led group.

As its EMI adventure ran aground, Terra Firma sued Citigroup, which had advised on and helped fund its big music deal, but which also worked for the EMI Group before the acquisition. Terra Firma and its boss man Guy Hands said that the bank had had a conflict of interest, and had misled them about the EMI sale as a result.

Had Citigroup not provided the supposedly misleading information, Hands would probably have never bought EMI, he argued, and not lost the billions the takeover ultimately cost him and his backers.

But Citigroup denied any wrongdoing and when the case came to court the bank won, even though neither they nor Terra Firma came across particularly favourably during the hearing. But earlier this year that ruling was overturned on the basis the judge in the original trial gave the jury incorrect advice regarding some English law that was crucial to the case.

Hence Terra Firma is having another go at pursuing this vendetta. But in a court filing yesterday, according to Reuters, the bankers accused Hands of “legal tourism”, claiming that his private equity firm had already lined up separate litigation relating to this dispute to be pursued through the English courts.

This, Citigroup says, is “proof positive that Mr Hands and Terra Firma have no intention of accepting as final any decision of this court” – ie if the second court hearing in the US again sides with Citigroup, Hands would have a third try through the UK legal system.

Citigroup has already claimed in the past that this dispute should be heard in the English courts, because EMI was a British company, though previously Terra Firma has pushed for the case to be considered in America. But, given the apparent concurrent legal moves in the UK, Citigroup argued this week that the New York court “should not indulge Mr Hands’ and Terra Firma’s continuing legal tourism”.

GoldieBlox withdraws Beastie Boys parody song from advert

Business News Legal

Toy company GoldieBlox has responded to protests from the surviving members of Beastie Boys about a parody version of their song ‘Girls’, which was used in an advert for the company.

As previously reported, GoldieBlox makes toys aimed at encouraging girls to take an interest in science and technology. The sexist lyrics of the Beastie Boys’ 1986 track were rewritten with this aim in mind. However, they did so without seeking approval from the band. After being contacted by the Beasties’ lawyers, the company launched legal action asserting its right to use the song without licence under the ‘fair use’ provision for parodies under US copyright law.

Responding to this, surviving band members Mike Diamond and Adam Horowitz said in a letter to GoldieBlox published in the New York Times that they were “very impressed by the creativity and the message behind your ad [but] long ago, we made a conscious decision not to permit our music and/or name to be used in product ads”.

The matter was of increased importance to Diamond and Horowitz because their former bandmate Adam Yauch, who died last year, had stipulated in his will that the band’s music may never be used in advertising.

In a letter back to the pair, published on the company’s website yesterday, GoldieBlox founder Debbie Sterling wrote: “We don’t want to fight with you. We love you and we are actually huge fans … Our hearts sank last week when your lawyers called us with threats that we took very seriously. As a small company, we had no choice but to stand up for ourselves. We did so sincerely hoping we could come to a peaceful settlement with you”.

She continued by saying that the company still believed that it was within its rights to use the song, but having not been aware of Yauch’s wishes previously, would remove it from the advert. “In addition”, she said, “we are ready to stop the lawsuit as long as this means we will no longer be under threat from your legal team”.

All of which is some interesting wording, particularly as no one on either side seems to have ever publicly mentioned that the advert was originally titled on YouTube as if it had not only the approval but the involvement of Beastie Boys. But let’s not get into that now, let’s just be pleased that there’s a happy ending. Well, except that the advert doesn’t really work with the music they’ve replaced ‘Girls’ with:

Facebook moves to shut down busker crowdfunding website

Business News Digital Legal

Busker crowdfunding website FaceBusks has launched a campaign to convince Facebook to withdraw a cease and desist order issued against it.

FaceBusks allows buskers to crowdfund money for related projects, like recording an album, as well as donating some of their donations to charity. Launched in 2009, problems arose for the company earlier this year after it applied to register the FaceBusks name as a trademark.

In a letter to the busker site’s founders Servais Louis and Jo’rel Mitchell, reported by Trademarks + Brands, Facebook’s legal team said that it was “obvious that the marks are similar and that relevant consumers may establish a link between Facebook’s earlier signs”. While stating that the social network hoped to reach an amicable solution, it would “use all of the means available to them to contest the registration”.

Mitchell told The Drum this week: “We’ve been told by our lawyers there’s no legal standpoint, Facebook is a massive entity, and has the ability to draw out the process to the point where we don’t even get in front of a judge and we’re already exhausted financially”.

So, unable to afford the fight via legal means, FaceBusks has instead launched a petition, hoping to appeal to Facebook’s better nature and drop the claim against it. View the petition here.

Crispin Hunt and Mark Kelly elected as PPL Performer Directors

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

So the Annual Performer Meeting of Phonographic Performance Limited took place at the Royal Institute Of British Architects yesterday (or it was the PPL APM @ RIBA if you prefer), and amongst the proceedings was the election of two new Performer Directors.

As previously reported, the record industry’s collecting society recently increased the number of performers represented on its board, meaning that whereas usually one performer director post comes up for election each year, this time round two seats were available. And in a four-way election both went to key players in the Featured Artists Coalition, Crispin Hunt and Mark Kelly, the latter having done the job before.

And now some quotes.

Hunt: “I am honoured to be a member of this board. I am extremely grateful to everyone who voted for me. And I will do my damnedest to properly represent those that this position was created for – the makers of new music”.

Kelly: “It’s great to see that more performers stood and voted than ever in this election and I will continue to look after performers interests at the board table at PPL”.

PPL CEO Peter Leathem: “I would like to offer my congratulations to both Crispin and Mark. I look forward to working with them both and know that they will help us to continue serving the needs of our performer members with even greater effectiveness and clarity”.

Former Warner/Chappell exec to lead MCPS

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

The good old Mechanical Copyright Protection Society has appointed former Warner/Chappell exec Jane Dyball to the newly created job of CEO, and she’ll start work in the new post from 1 Jan next year. The CEO role was created as part of a previously reported rejig in the never dull world of song right collective licensing earlier this year.

Traditionally the music publishers have had two societies to represent them in those areas where they collectively licence organisations who use their songs and compositions, one to provide licences to companies that want to make ‘mechanical copies’ of songs (MCPS in the UK), and another to provide licences to companies that want to stage performances of songs in public (Performing Right Society, or PRS). Though in the UK these two bodies have been allied for quite some time, and these days operate under one brand, PRS For Music.

But behind the scenes PRS and MCPS remain separate institutions; and while the former has seen the royalties it collects boom in recent years, the latter’s success is linked to that of the record industry (the labels being its main customers), so as the record industry’s income has declined, so has the money MCPS collects.

In a bid to overcome various financial challenges, earlier this year the PRS/MCPS alliance was restructured, so whereas the PRS For Music operating company was previously a joint venture between the two organisations, it is now basically a subsidiary of PRS selling its services to MCPS. You’re keeping up right?

Anyway, Dyball will be charged with the task of overseeing the new relationship between MCPS and PRS For Music, as well as “finding new opportunities to develop the business”. She will also oversee the running of the Independent Music Publishers’ European Licensing group, which offers multi-territory mechanical right licences for digital service providers on behalf of various indie music publishing firms.

Confirming hew new job, Dyball told CMU: “This is certainly an interesting time to be running a mechanical rights collection society but I relish a challenge and look forward to making sure no stone is unturned in looking for new ways to deliver value to our writer and publisher members, so that they can continue to invest in creativity. I also can’t wait to rejoin the world of the indie publishers where I started my career, and I know I will love helping them ride the ups and downs of the exciting digital roller coaster”.

AEG chief comments on Phillips’ departure

Business News Industry People Live Business

In case you were wondering where the customary “Randy is a brilliant, inspirational, wonderful genius, and that’s why we’re firing him” quote was when AEG announced it was axing the boss of its AEG Live business earlier this week, well it’s arrived via an interview given to Billboard by the overall chief of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, Dan Beckerman. It seems that Randy Phillips was the right man for ‘then’ but not for ‘now’.

Beckerman told the US trade mag: “I can’t say enough how thankful we are for all of [Phillips’] contributions in making AEG Live the strong company it is today, and the role he played in that. We’ve always had a great relationship with him, and I know that we’ll be working together in the future because he’s so strong in this business. I know that he’s going to continue in the music business and do great things”.

Adding that “Randy was absolutely the right CEO for that group of people for that period of time”, Beckerman goes on to use a basketball analogy to explain why it is now time for Phillips to step down, but I’m assuming that most of you, like me, know nothing about the NBA so there’s no point sharing his line (and the CMU Daily readers who would understand are likely busy eating turkey today). But to paraphrase slightly, Phillips did a great job leading the AEG basketball team, but it turns out they’re actually a concert promoter so they’re bringing in a baseball coach to run their operations instead.

As for the future of AEG Live, says Beckerman: “We will be as active, if not more so, and we will continue to invest capital, time, and people, and grow the live business, because it’s such a critical part of our overall company”.

Beyonce, Madonna, Bob Dylan and U2 donate songs to Philippines charity LP

Artist News Releases

‘Songs For The Philippines’, a charity compilation LP containing tracks by Beyonce, Madonna, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and U2, is to now available on iTunes, with all profits from its sales going to the Philippines Red Cross, to aid those at risk following the typhoon Haiyan disaster.

Featuring 39 songs in all, the tracklisting carries a recording of Eminem doing ‘Stan’ live from BBC Radio 1, a remix of Katy Perry’s ‘Unconditionally’, and a non-‘Pure Heroine’ song from Lorde, titled ‘The Love Club’.

Info is via www.songsforphilippines.com

Matador Records releasing end-of-2013 compilation feat Kurt Vile, QOTSA and Savages

Artist News Releases

Matador has placed songs from a load of its on-side acts on a nine-track end-of-year review titled: ‘It’s Been A Business Doing Pleasure With You’.

It’s a bit of a mish-mash, carrying LP-quality tracks by Kurt Vile, Iceage, Majical Cloudz, Body/Head and Chelsea Light Moving, Queens Of The Stone Age’s ‘If I Had A Tail’ taped live at this year’s iTunes Festival, and recordings of KEXP radio sessions by Yo La Tengo and Savages. And, thirdly, an ‘edit’ of Lee Ranaldo And The Dust’s ‘Lecce Leaving’.

It’ll be available in both digital and twelve-inch vinyl formats on 2 Dec.

Olugbenga, Sam Duckworth, Shinhai Shoniwa to play live in tribute to Fela Kuti

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Olugbenga, Sam Duckworth, Shinhai Shoniwa of Noisettes, Afrikan Boy and the 25-piece Goldsmiths College Choir will all perform live in tribute to late afrobeat great Fela Kuti next month, in collaboration with The Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra.

Timely given the recent-ish release of ‘Red Hot + Fela’, a collection of covers of his songs by tUnE-yArDs, Questlove, Childish Gambino, Angélique Kidjo and the like, the ‘Felabration’ is happening at The 229 Venue in London on 14 Dec.

Tickets to it are available here.

Gigs & Tours round-up: Sophie Ellis Bextor, White Denim, Dan Croll and Supreme Cuts

Artist News Release Round-Up Releases

Rounding up the latest release news…

So, cat lookalike and serial pop-hit killer Sophie Ellis Bextor is going out on the prowl, or on tour as it’s more commonly known, in 2014. Following a sold out show at London’s Bush Hall on 21 Jan, the ‘Young Blood’ singer will return for eight springtime shows ranging from 7 Apr at Birmingham Institute to 18 Apr at The Ritz in Manchester. Find the necessary details here.

Having one-upped Sophie by selling out two London shows this month, crispy-fried psych types White Denim will, like her, be back playing live in Britain in the spring. They’ve set a series of eight live dates beginning at Bristol’s Anson Rooms (20 May) and ending at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire (28 May), this as a means of advertising that their latest LP, ‘Corsicana Lemonade’, is still on shelves.

Tickets and the specific dates are via this site.

And now, having done time as a support act for Bastille and Imagine Dragons, thinking man’s folk-pop star Dan Croll has confirmed his own headline listings, which consist of shows in mid-late March 2014. Find which shows exactly at this link.

And finally, Chicago production duo Supreme Cuts (pictured) will promote their new LP ‘Divine Ecstasy’, post its 27 Jan release date by playing London’s Old Blue Last, only the once, on 20 Feb. Get tickets to that here, and a taste of the pair’s new, Haleek Maul-featuring track ‘Isis’, which is taken off the long player, here:

Festival line-up update: Øya, Rock AM Ring, Other Voices and more

Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals

So, thrower-of-boutique-music-parties ATP has confirmed it’ll pitch again in Keflavik next July, for its latest Icelandic event.

Taking place between 10-12 Jul 2014 at Ásbrú, an ex-NATO base, the 5000-capacity ATP Iceland bash will feature a cinema, a range of “extra curricular activities”, and a pair of stages on which bands will play live. Which bands, I don’t know, ATP hasn’t said, but Nick Cave headlined last year, so that augurs rather nicely.

Prior to a first line-up announcement, the ATP old faithful can book advance-advance tickets via this link.

Elsewhere in festival news, best-selling men-of-steel Metallica, well-known friends to democracy, are handing over control of the content of their newly-set slots at Germany’s Sonisphere Hamburg, Rock Im Park and Rock AM Ring to ticket-holders. In short, they’re letting fest-goers vote for a top seventeen songs from their entire discography, which will then form the body of their setlist.

This is Lars Ulrich with more of the same: “We are once again psyched to break free of the four walls of the studio to get energised by our devoted European friends for a couple of weeks next May and June. On top of that, the fact that all our nutty fans will pick the songs we play should be some next level fun and take a big load off my shoulders as the guy who usually writes the set list!”

Isn’t democracy great. And in that spirit, read freely (or don’t) this list of itemised new additions to the following festival-type events…

CHELTENHAM JAZZ FESTIVAL, 30 Apr – 5 May 2014: Robert Cray Band, Gilles Peterson, Loose Tubes. www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz

EUROSONIC AIR, Groningen, Netherlands, 15-18 Jan 2014: Kensington, De Staat, Le Pegatina, Navarone. festival.eurosonic-noorderslag.nl/en

EUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG, Groningen, Netherlands, 15-18 Jan 2014: Broken Brass Ensemble, Kid Karate, Jungle By Night, Katadreuffe, MC Fit, Mr Probz, Sandra Van Niewland, The Silverfaces, Nigel & Thom. festival. eurosonic-noorderslag.nl/en

NORTHSIDE, Soren Frichs Road, Jutland, Denmark, 13-15 Jun 2014: Queens Of The Stone Age, Franz Ferdinand. www.northside.dk

OTHER VOICES, Dingle, Ireland, 6-8 Dec: Patty Griffin, Mogwai, John Grant, David Gray, Lulu James, Agnes Obel, Lisa O’Neill, Willis Earl Beal, Asgeir, Hozier, Josef Salvat, Rosie Carney, David Arnold. www.othervoices.ie

ØYA, Middelalderparken, Oslo, Norway, 5-9 Aug 2014: Neutral Milk Hotel, Nadine Shah, Jonathan Wilson, Deafhaven, Joey Bada$$, Omar Souleyman, Emilie Nicolas, Daniel Kvammen, Hanne Kolst, Spidergawd. oyafestivalen.com

ROCK AM RING, Nurburg, Germany, 5-8 Jun 2014: Metallica, Kings Of Leon, Linkin Park, Iron Maiden. www.rock-am-ring.com/en

WESTPORT FESTIVAL, Westport House, County Mayo, Ireland, 28-29 Jun 2014: Bryan Adams, Kool & The Gang. www.westportfestival.com

WYCHWOOD, Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire, 30 May – 1 Jun 2014: Boomtown Rats, Craig Charles, The Real Thing, Polly & The Billets Doux, Merry Hell. www.wychwoodfestival.com

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:27 | By Paul Vig

This monthly exploration into underground dance music sees Yousef and his Circus team welcome two of the best cutting edge women in the genre, Monika Kruse and Nicole Moudaber.

READ MORE ABOUT: Monika Kruse | Nicole Moudaber | Yusef

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:26 | By Chris Cooke

A detective sergeant is being investigated by the police watchdog, it has been confirmed, after allegations that warnings about former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins were ignored.

READ MORE ABOUT: Ian Watkins | IPCC | Lostprophets | South Wales Police

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:25 | By Andy Malt

Cheryl Cole has agreed to accept an undisclosed out-of-court settlement with the producer of the US version of ‘X-Factor’, Blue Orbit. The singer sued for lost earnings earlier this year, having been dropped from the show in 2011.

READ MORE ABOUT: Blue Orbit | Cheryl | X-Factor

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:24 | By Chris Cooke

According to Billboard, Thomas Hesse, the record industry veteran who is currently President Of Corporate Development & New Businesses for BMG parent company Bertelsmann, is set to exit the German media firm.

READ MORE ABOUT: Bertelsmann | BMG | Thomas Hesse

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:23 | By Andy Malt

Independent record shops have Record Store Day, independent record companies have the Independent Label Market, but what about independent venues? Where’s their celebration? It’s like you don’t even care.

READ MORE ABOUT: Independent Venue Week

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:22 | By Chris Cooke

BT is having another go at music, launching its own streaming and karaoke service via its BT TV platform, what was previously known at BT Vision.

READ MORE ABOUT: BT | BT TV | BT Vision | Universal Music

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:21 | By Chris Cooke

Although the government isn’t due to reveal its current thinking of a timetable for making the DAB network, rather than the FM network, the primary home of British radio, the minister responsible for the matter, Ed Vaizey, passed comment on the topic in parliament yesterday.

READ MORE ABOUT: Cheryl Gillan | Ed Vaizey

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:20 | By Aly Barchi

ITV has acquired an ‘X-Factor’-style rival in ‘Rising Star’, a cut-throat singing franchise that’s been a massive hit in its native Israel.

READ MORE ABOUT: ITV | Rising Star

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:19 | By CMU Editorial

The team from CMU Insights have announced more details about two upcoming CMU:DIY events, educational sessions aimed at the grass roots music community, both being staged at the Roundhouse in Camden.

READ MORE ABOUT: CMU Insights | CMU:DIY | Roundhouse Rising

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:18 | By Chris Cooke

British music industry veteran and former BPI Council member Harry Maloney has died after a long battle with cancer.

READ MORE ABOUT: British Phonographic Industry (BPI) | Harry Maloney

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:17 | By Aly Barchi

MTV has made known its Brand New shortlist, whereby it tips ten artists it thinks will be ‘big’ in the next year, in this case 2014.

READ MORE ABOUT: MTV | MTV Brand New

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:16 | By Aly Barchi

Brian May says Queen might release some old, pieced-together Freddie Mercury recordings he discovered recently, perhaps enough to make an LP a la 1995’s ‘Made In Heaven’, which was made after Mercury’s death and incorporated vocals he’d laid to tape in his last days.

READ MORE ABOUT: Brian May | Freddie Mercury | Queen

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:15 | By Aly Barchi

Rock-solid indie-ites Guided By Voices have given fans a window into what, when it’s released 17 Feb, will officially be their new LP, ‘Motivational Jumpsuit’.

READ MORE ABOUT: Guided By Voices | Robert Pollard

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:14 | By Aly Barchi

Ross Tones, aka Throwing Snow, will release an EP as his new alias Alight, later this year via Local Action.

READ MORE ABOUT: Local Action | Ross Tones | Throwing Snow

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:13 | By Aly Barchi

Roundhouse Rising – the London Roundhouse’s annual four-day programme of music, masterclasses, workshops and creative projects tailored to 11-25 year olds – has announced its line-up of artists.

READ MORE ABOUT: Bloodstock Open Air | Hideout Festival | Roundhouse Rising | We Are FSTVL

Friday 29 November 2013, 12:12 | By Andy Malt

Ever since Nigel Godrich re-ignited (or perhaps fanned the flames of) the Spotify debate a few months ago, everyone has come out and had their say. Dave Stewart is for it, David Byrne is against it, Billy Bragg is for it, Foals’ Yannis Philippakis is against it, Liam Gallagher is confused.

READ MORE ABOUT: Moby | Spotify | Thom Yorke

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:19 | By Andy Malt

Self-styled ‘mafrobeat’ quartet Bright Works formed in 2011, slipping their first recorded output up on SoundCloud earlier this year in the form of ‘Houses’. The track opens their debut EP, ‘Explorers’, which is due for release through Tiny Little Creatures on 8 Dec.

READ MORE ABOUT: Bright Works

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:18 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Google | YouTube

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:17 | By Andy Malt

Another twist in the Gaye Family v Thicke dispute, you say? Well, alright then. Marvin Gaye’s eldest son, Marvin Gaye III, has launched a lawsuit against Robin Thicke, similar to but separate from the one launched by his siblings Frankie Christian and Nona.

READ MORE ABOUT: Frankie Christian | Marvin Gaye | Marvin Gaye III | Nona Gaye | Robin Thicke

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:16 | By Chris Cooke

Unsurprisingly, Citigroup is trying to stop take two of Terra Firma’s litigation relating to its 2007 acquisition of EMI from getting to court.

READ MORE ABOUT: Citigroup | EMI | Terra Firma

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:15 | By Andy Malt

Toy company GoldieBlox has responded to protests from the surviving members of Beastie Boys about a parody version of their song ‘Girls’, which was used in an advert for the company.

READ MORE ABOUT: Beastie Boys | GoldieBlox

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:14 | By Andy Malt

Busker crowdfunding website FaceBusks has launched a campaign to convince Facebook to withdraw a cease and desist order issued against it.

READ MORE ABOUT: Facebook | FaceBusks

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:13 | By Chris Cooke

So the Annual Performer Meeting of Phonographic Performance Limited took place at the Royal Institute Of British Architects yesterday (or it was the PPL APM @ RIBA if you prefer), and amongst the proceedings was the election of two new Performer Directors.

READ MORE ABOUT: Crispin Hunt | Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) | Mark Kelly | PPL

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:12 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Jane Dyball | MCPS | PRS For Music

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:11 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: AEG | Dan Beckerman | Randy Phillips

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:10 | By Aly Barchi

‘Songs For The Philippines’, a charity compilation LP containing tracks by Beyonce, Madonna, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and U2, is to now available on iTunes, with all profits from its sales going to the Philippines Red Cross, to aid those at risk following the typhoon Haiyan disaster.

READ MORE ABOUT: Philippines Red Cross

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:09 | By Aly Barchi

Matador has placed songs from a load of its on-side acts on a nine-track end-of-year review titled: ‘It’s Been A Business Doing Pleasure With You’.

READ MORE ABOUT: Matador Records

Thursday 28 November 2013, 12:08 | By Aly Barchi

Olugbenga, Sam Duckworth, Shinhai Shoniwa of Noisettes, Afrikan Boy and the 25-piece Goldsmiths College Choir will all perform live in tribute to late afrobeat great Fela Kuti next month, in collaboration with The Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra.