Friday 29 January 2016, 11:55 | By Chris Cooke

Government taskforce proposals could reduce mega-damages in US copyright cases

Business News Digital Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories

A report from the US Department Of Commerce has recommended that more guidance be provided when statutory damages are awarded in copyright infringement cases in America, the result of which would likely be a curtailment of the mega-damages you often see awarded, especially in online piracy litigation.

Rather than being directly linked to the infringer’s gains, or the copyright owner’s losses, under US copyright law courts can award damages anywhere between $750 and $150,000 per infringement.

It’s not unknown for damages at the top end of the scale to be awarded, which means – where you have online infringement cases that will usually list tens if not hundreds of tracks that have been infringed – you end up with defendants facing damages bills of many millions.

This might make sense for corporate defendants, but there have been some key cases where individuals who will never be able to afford such sums were nevertheless faced with having to pay millions in damages.

The Department Of Commerce’s Internet Policy Taskforce, which has been reviewing three key areas of copyright law, isn’t proposing changing the damages scale in infringement cases, but says that more guidance should be provided to judges and juries when damages are being considered.

The proposed list of considerations includes the plaintiff’s actual losses as a result of the infringement, the value and nature of the infringed works, whether the total sum is “commensurate with the overall harm”, and the defendant’s ability to pay. The need to deter future infringements is also on the list, as is the need to “punish” the infringer, though most of the points raised would probably be more likely to lessen than increase overall damages.

Commenting on the report, US Secretary Of Commerce Penny Pritzker said: “Through extensive public consultations, the Internet Policy Taskforce has produced a detailed analysis of important policy issues raised for copyright in the digital age. Its recommendations will maintain strong and balanced copyright protection while preserving the free flow of information required for innovation and our digital economy to thrive”.

The other two issues considered by the taskforce were the licensing of remixes and the so called ‘first sale doctrine’, which says consumers are entitled to resell CDs they legitimately buy (which limits the copyright owner’s ‘distribution control’).

On the latter point, the key question was whether to expand the doctrine to digital, while on remixes there was talk of compulsory licensing or more copyright exceptions. On both issues, the taskforce ultimately decided current copyright law is just fine. Though making things a little bit simpler for remixers when it comes to licensing would be nice.

Both of these latter decisions were welcomed by the US National Music Publishers Association, whose boss David Israelite told reporters: “After working with the US Patent And Trademark Office extensively to prevent the creation of new compulsory licenses and exceptions for remixes, we are glad to see that the IPTF has agreed that these new regulations would be damaging to creators. Additionally, we applaud the USPTO’s decision not to support the radical expansion of the first sale doctrine to digital transmission, which could prevent music creators from being fairly compensated for the resale of their works”.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Israelite did express some concerns on the proposals around statutory damages, though he was basically upbeat about the taskforce’s report. He concluded: “While we are concerned that the report’s recommendations on creating a framework to guide statutory damages could unnecessarily limit the proper damages awarded to rights holders, we are ultimately encouraged by the report’s findings and hope it leads policymakers to enhance protections for creators in the digital age”.

Of course it remains to be seen what those policymakers make of the proposals, which are set out in full in this here white paper.

READ MORE ABOUT: US Department Of Commerce

Friday 29 January 2016, 11:52 | By Chris Cooke

MU forms taskforce and initiates consultation on US visa issues for British artists

Business News Live Business

The Musicians’ Union has announced that a taskforce it set up with British Underground to look into issues around American visas is now consulting artists and managers to inform future lobbying activity on the issue.

Problems and costs related to the visas required by British artists performing in the US have long been debated, though the MU was motivated to launch its taskforce last year to tackle the ongoing issues after it “received horrendous reports of cancelled tours and rearranged flights due to failures in the US work visa processing mechanism”.

The organisation says that “one of the priorities for the taskforce will be lobbying for greater parity between UK and US visa costs and processes. The cost of a four-piece band requiring [US] work visas and petitions can cost in the region of £6000, and that’s before any crew costs are also factored in plus before any flights and accommodation are sourced. Whereas in the UK a tier five visa can cost just £900 or a sponsored work permit just £84”.

Noting the issue had been already been raised in Parliament by Conservative MP Nigel Adams, the MU says it has now written to culture minister Ed Vaizey to propose a meeting to discuss the issues and possible solutions. It’s as part of that lobbying work that the MU and British Underground are now seeking input from the wider music community.

The MU’s Dave Webster, who is chairing the taskforce, told reporters: “This longstanding issue remains a huge concern to the MU. The aim of the taskforce is to persuade the US authorities to work with us to find workable solutions to the problems musicians encounter. UK musicians have always fared well in the US and it’s a significant market for our members”.

READ MORE ABOUT: Musicians Union (MU)

Friday 29 January 2016, 11:48 | By Andy Malt

Inflyte launches new mobile apps

Business News Digital Marketing & PR

Launched two years ago at the Amsterdam Dance Event, music promo delivery service Inflyte has just launched a major update to its mobile apps.

The company already claims to be the first mobile promo application (although I’m pretty sure I’d deleted PlayMPE’s woeful app from my phone long before 2014), and now says that v2.0 offers an even better service. Features include: dashboard previews, smart search, sorting tools, endless paging and Dropbox integration. All of which probably means something.

Explaining further, co-founder Paul Hamill – the former presenter of BBC Ulster’s ATL Dance Show – says: “V2.0 ports all the amazing features of our web platform into a beautifully designed mobile app so users can enjoy the same degree of functionality however they choose to access their promos”.

He goes on: “What’s fascinating to see is how mobile promo access has grown since we launched Inflyte, with increasingly more users opting to go straight to their phone or our unique web-based promo dashboard as opposed to email. This multi-channel access has really helped a lot of our labels significantly increase their response rates and engagement levels. On average, Inflyte subscribers listen to nearly ten promos per session and that number is continuing to grow month-on-month”.

PR companies and labels already using the service include Your Army, Renegade Music, DJ Voice, Ultra Music, Ram Records, Defected and Cygnus PR.

READ MORE ABOUT: Inflyte

Friday 29 January 2016, 11:47 | By Andy Malt

Zeitgeist expands into Europe

Business News Marketing & PR

PR firm Zeigeist has announced the launch of a new European division, Zeitgeist Europe, which arrives with a roster of three festivals to represent: Roskilde, Flow and Horizon. The new unit will be headed up by Aimi Lewis-Mattock, and will help events on mainland Europe reach UK consumers.

“The UK is an untapped but potentially very lucrative market for many overseas events with UK audiences keener than ever to travel for their experiences”, said Zeitgeist co-founder Jamie Stockwood. “Competition is fierce, and Zeitgeist Europe have very well established relationships with our engaged network which enables our European clients to tap into key media, tastemakers and in turn audiences here”.

He added: “Our roster will be represented by a dedicated team, lead by Head of Zeitgeist Europe, Aimi Lewis-Mattock, who has grown through the ranks over the past four years and is unrivalled in her campaign results”.

READ MORE ABOUT: The Zeitgeist Agency

Friday 29 January 2016, 11:46 | By Chris Cooke

Beatport launches localised version for the Netherlands

Business News Digital

Those with super good memories might remember that time in 2011 when Deezer announced plans to expand its operations into “over 200 countries”, which was ambitious, given the world has 196 countries (and even if you add in disputed territories, it’s hard to get above 200).

It turns out that Deezer simply wasn’t ambitious enough. Not compared to the EDM kids over at Beatport, whose store has apparently “operated in over 220 countries, including the Netherlands, for years”. Perhaps it’s that kind of maths that got parent company SFX into the mess it is currently in.

Anyway, the Netherlands didn’t get its little namecheck there, in and amongst the 220 “countries” of Earth, just because it’s the mecca of modern dance music. Though that is presumably why the Dutch are getting their own local version of Beatport, in their language and with localised content. Which is what Team Beatport announced yesterday.

“The Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, is a massively influential market with a rich and diverse history in the world of electronic music”, notes Beatport boss Greg Consiglio. “Many of the most popular DJs, festivals, and labels are based here, and the fans here are some of the most dedicated in the world. So it was an easy decision for us to launch our first localised expansion of Beatport here”.

Meanwhile the MD of Beatport Netherlands, Joost Geurts, reckons that: “Localising services to a specific market increases traffic, engagement, and trust. Not only can local labels and artists now better reach their hometown fans, but labels and artists from other regions interested in reaching Dutch music fans now also have a platform to do so in a more direct and meaningful way”.

And you can’t argue with that, however many countries there may or may not be.

READ MORE ABOUT: Beatport

Friday 29 January 2016, 11:43 | By Andy Malt

Tiggs Da Author releases new single with Lady Leshurr

Artist News Releases

Rapper Tiggs Da Author has put out the video for new single ‘Run’, which features Lady Leshurr.

Says Tiggs of the track: “The song is about escaping your troubles and just getting away from certain situations and not letting life’s little dramas bring you down. Sometimes it’s better to just run! It’s always great to collaborate with an amazing artist like Lady Leshurr but it’s even better when you’re friends. We’ve known each other for a long time and she nailed it”.

Lady Leshurr adds: “This song makes me happy! I love that it can be played to all ages. It’s a feel good vibe and I love that. Working with Tiggs felt so natural, his smile is infectious just like this song”.

Watch the video here:

READ MORE ABOUT: Lady Leshurr | Tiggs Da Author

Friday 29 January 2016, 11:39 | By Andy Malt

The Last Shadow Puppets announce tour dates

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Having recently confirmed that they’ll be releasing their second album, ‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’, on 1 Apr, The Last Shadow Puppet this week threw some tour dates into the mix. When will it end? I can’t cope.

Tickets for the shows went on sale first thing this morning. Here are the dates:

26 Mar: Edinburgh, Usher Hall
1 Apr: London, Hackney Empire
2 Apr: Liverpool, Olympia
3 Apr: Sheffield, City Hall

Here, yet again, is new single ‘Bad Habits’:

READ MORE ABOUT: Last Shadow Puppets

Friday 29 January 2016, 11:37 | By Andy Malt

Steve Mason announces tour dates

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

The recently approved Steve Mason has announced some tour dates. And I can’t see how you could possibly see that as a bad thing.

The album, ‘Meet The Humans’, is out on 26 Feb, but you can throw money at him sooner than that because tickets for the tour are on sale RIGHT NOW.

Dates:

10 Feb: Southampton, Engine Rooms
11 Feb: Brighton, Concorde 2
24 Apr: Manchester, Academy 2
25 Apr: Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
26 Apr: Edinburgh, Liquid Rooms
28 Apr: London, Electric Brixton

READ MORE ABOUT: Steve Mason

Friday 29 January 2016, 11:36 | By Andy Malt

CMU’s One Liners: Zayn Malik, Official Charts Company, Dean Blunt, more

And Finally Artist News Business News Deals Labels & Publishers Live Business One Liners Releases

Other notable announcements and developments today…

• European digital distributors Phonofile and Finetunes are coming together under one parent company, SendR, which constitutes “one of the most significant mergers in the history of the independent digital distribution market”. Say Phonofile and Finetunes. The two firms will continue to operate autonomously, but will actively collaborate.

• The Official Charts Company has launched itself a brand new Americana Albums Chart, to chart albums of the Americana variety. But what exactly is “the Americana variety”? Well, duh, it’s “contemporary music that incorporates elements of various American roots music styles, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues”. Good times.

• Your good friend Ticketfly has bought Canadian ticketing firm TicketBreak, which basically constitutes Pandora further expanding its ticketing business, it having bought Ticketfly last October of course.

• Poliça have released the video for ‘Wedding’. The track is taken from new album ‘United Crushers’, which is out on 4 Mar.

• Hey everybody, you do know that Zayn Malik’s “evocative debut single” is out now right, with its raunchy video and everything? I think we’re meant to call him just “Zayn” now by the way. I must remember to memo the CMU Style Guide committee about that.

• Dean Blunt opened a new art exhibition to the public yesterday. It consists of a single stock photo in a frame and a high pitched noise pumped over the gallery’s sound system. Amazing. Catch it at London’s Cubitt gallery until 28 Feb.

READ MORE ABOUT: Dean Blunt | finetunes | Official Charts Company | Pandora | Phonofile | Poliça | SendR | Ticketbreak | Ticketfly | Zayn Malik

Friday 29 January 2016, 11:20 | By Andy Malt

CMU Beef Of The Week #291: Ghostface Killah v Martin Shkreli

And Finally Artist News Beef Of The Week

It’s been quite a beefy week, all told. People falling out left, right and centre. Perhaps dry January is starting to take its toll. Just hang in there, guys. We’ve almost made it to the end.

Contender number one for Beef Of The Week was Kanye v Wiz Khalifa. Kanye misunderstood something Wiz said on Twitter, and then launched into an epic rant before realising his mistake and retracting it all. But some things you can’t take back. Kanye claimed ownership of Wiz’s child, and wrote these actual words: “Maybe I couldn’t be skinny and tall but I’ll settle for being the greatest artist of all time as a consolation”.

He also managed to piss off his ex-girlfriend, Amber Rose, the mother of Wiz Kahlifa’s child (that Kanye apparently owns) in the process. She then made claims about West’s sexual preferences. This led to Kanye today posting probably the greatest tweet of all time (OF ALL TIME): “Exes can be mad but just know I never let them play with my ass… I don’t do that… I stay away from that area all together”.

Twitter beefs though. They’re so easy. Anyone can have a Twitter beef. You need to make it out into the real world to do this beefing thing properly. Rapper B.o.B and scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson did a better job of it, their Twitter beef spilling over into trading diss tracks over whether or not the Earth is flat.

But sometimes you have to take it old school. And what could be more old school than a rapper and a hedge fund manager trading threats in a series of videos? Yes, that’s right, Martin Shkreli is back in the music news again.

When it was announced last year that Shkreli was the buyer of Wu-Tang Clan’s single-copy-album ‘Once Upon A Time In Shaolin’, there was criticism that the group had become involved with the man who bought the rights to a drug used to treat cancer and AIDS and then massively ramped up the price.

At the time, RZA issued a statement saying that he and the rest of his team had been unaware of Shkreli’s business practices when they had agreed the sale in May. Although those business practices possibly explained why the Clan didn’t seem keen to name the buyer of their record when the deal was finalised in November. It was Shkreli who confirmed that fact in an article published by Bloomberg.

Beyond the RZA statement, which stopped short of offering any real opinion about Shkreli, the Wu-Tang Clan have stayed pretty silent. Until this week. When Ghostface Killah was stopped on the street by TMZ.

“That shithead. You don’t take some AIDS pill you have for like $7 and then make it like $800. You know? You don’t do it like that. I don’t care if you bought the Wu-Tang whatever, whatever, whatever. I don’t even know him, but when I heard what he did with the AIDS like that, that’s not right”.

He added that he doesn’t think there should be just one owner of ‘Once Upon A Time In Shaolin’, and that “the people” should own it.

Shkreli, clearly contravening the rules I laid out very clearly earlier in this article, then took the beef to Twitter, saying in response: “Ghost [is] mad that ‘Shaolin’ outsold his last five albums… dude’s a non-profit rapper. Calls himself Ironman, but sounds rusty [as fuck]”.

Bold words. So TMZ – never one not to fuel a fire – went and found the rapper again. In a second video, Ghostface referred to Shkreli as “the Michael Jackson nose kid”, adding: “Come on brah, you don’t even wanna do it. I’ll break your heart in four days. We could play. We could do that. We could get it in. You know, I’m just laughing off of the dude’s face”.

I really hope there are opportunities for me to use “I’ll break your heart in four days” in the future, because that is gold. But all this talk about his nose clearly riled Shkreli, who realised that he was going to have to come out from behind Twitter if he was going to gain the upper hand here. But rather than wait around for TMZ to find him, he made his own video and sent it over to the website.

Flanked by three “goons”, he claims that if he doesn’t receive a written apology from Ghostface Killah, he will erase him from the ‘Shaolin’ album, and from “the record books of rap”. Not really sure how he plans to do either of those things, but I guess that’s not the point.

“Every one of my enemies, they try to stay anonymous”, he says. “You’re trying to reclaim the spotlight from my spotlight … You’re my son, you have to listen to me. I butter your bread, you understand me?”

That’s all fine, but none of it has the beautiful simplicity of “I’ll break your heart in four days”, does it?

Shkreli also did an interview with TMZ Live about the beef, in which he showed that he was using the Wu-Tang album as a coaster, adding that it’s “100% none of your business” if the record is any good or not. “I paid the money so you won’t know”, he said.

He added that he’s not worried about the repercussions of the beef if people take it seriously, saying: “No, they’re worried about the repercussions. You saw the video … At the end of the day, I react to things how I react. It’s not an act. You know, Ghost is in trouble”.

So, we’ll see about that. Those four days aren’t up yet. But at least all of this confirms that Shkreli’s copy of ‘Once Upon A Time In Shaolin’ wasn’t seized by the FBI when he was arrested on charges of fraud late last year.

READ MORE ABOUT: B.o.B | Ghostface Killah | Kanye West | Martin Shkreli | Neil deGrasse Tyson | Wiz Khalifa

Friday 29 January 2016, 11:08 | By Paul Vig

Vigsy’s Club Tip: Scuba, Kenny Larkin and Ryan Elliott at XOYO

Club Tip CMU Approved

Earlier this month, Hot Flush boss Scuba launched his Twelve Weeks Of Techno residency at XOYO, which runs up to the end of March. Tomorrow night he ropes in Detroit techno legend Kenny Larkin, who’s been on the scene for well over two decades now.

Scubes (do we call him Scubes?) will also appear on the decks, as will Ryan Elliott, who you should recognise from his releases on OstGut Ton, the label owned by Berghain in Berlin – where Scuba held some acclaimed parties, of course.

Over in Room Two you’ll find South London disco crew Love Glove, who’ll be hosting a night of choice disco and funk cuts, if all that techno gets too much.

Saturday 30 Jan, XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, London, EC2A 4AP, 9pm-4am, £13.50. More info here.

READ MORE ABOUT: Kenny Larkin | Ryan Elliott | Scuba

Friday 29 January 2016, 10:48 | By Chris Cooke

CMU Podcast: Spotify, T In The Park, Cür Music, B.o.B

Artist News Business News Digital Live Business Setlist

CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review the week in music and the music business, including Spotify adding video and raising more money, T In The Park’s “teething problems”, the launch of Cür Music and B.o.B’s scientific beef. The CMU Podcast is sponsored by 7digital.

Subscribe to the CMU Podcast

Listen to the CMU Podcast and sign up to receive new episodes automatically each week through any of these services…

iTunes | audioBoom | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Spreaker | TuneIn | Mixcloud | RSS

Stories discussed this week

• Video coming to Spotify this week
• Spotify seeking another $500 million
• Local council lays into T In The Park 2015, demands changes if 2016 edition is to go ahead
• Cür Music launches bid for the streaming middle market
• Amazon launches Prime Stations personalised radio service in the UK
• B.o.B and Neil deGrasse Tyson battle over flat Earth theory

CMU Approved

• PJ Harvey
• Colour
• Jibóia
• Three Trapped Tigers

What we didn’t have time to talk about

• Creative industries generating £9.6 million an hour for British economy
• Former Life Or Death staff unveil new PR firm Liberal Arts
• Chris Price named BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s new Head Of Music
• Rihanna releases Anti as free download
• Gary Barlow rallies 80s popstars for Eddie The Eagle movie soundtrack

Please subscribe, like and share after you’ve listened!

READ MORE ABOUT: Amazon Prime | B.o.B | Colour | Cür Music | Jibóia | Neil deGrasse Tyson | PJ Harvey | Spotify | T In The Park | Three Trapped Tigers

Thursday 28 January 2016, 11:35 | By Chris Cooke

New York Attorney General to publish ticket touting report, promises crackdown

Business News Legal Live Business Top Stories

With secondary ticketing a top talking point once again in UK music circles this last year, a new report due out later today from New York Attorney General Eric T Schneiderman is likely to put the pesky touts fully back on the agenda in the US as well. Though they’ll do that thing where they insist on calling the touts ‘scalpers’. You crazy Americans, you. You’ll be making Donald Trump your president next.

The resale of tickets by touts or scalpers online has been a hot topic at various points since the rise of internet auction sites and the emergence of standalone platforms for ticket reselling. At various points there has been a rally call to ban, restrict or regulate the resale websites, though usually those calls ultimately fade away and the touts get on with the reselling of tickets for in-demand events at considerable mark ups.

As much previously noted, while the live industry was initially against the rise in ticket touting allowed by the web, some artists and promoters have since embraced the secondary market, either reselling tickets for their owns shows or forming official partnerships with specific resale sites. Meanwhile the biggest live music company, Live Nation, is very much in the secondary ticketing game, owning various resale site operations via its Ticketmaster subsidiary.

Plenty of critics remain in the music community. In the UK, the whole debate has become loud again in the last year or so, mainly after two MPs successfully snuck a little bit of regulation of the secondary ticketing market into the UK’s new Consumer Rights Bill, and in doing so also forced the government to review the whole touting business anew.

That review is now underway, and many artists have stepped forward to express distain for the touts who buy up tickets to their shows – sometimes using so called ‘bots’ to grab a load of tickets early on – and then sell them at a massive mark up.

Schneiderman’s report on secondary ticketing in New York – which is called ‘Why Can’t New Yorkers Get Tickets’ – is based on a three year investigation, and could result in a new crackdown against online touting.

The regulation of ticket reselling in the US generally sits at a state-level. Rules in New York were actually relaxed in the early days of online touting, though the use of those bots to buy up large numbers of tickets is still banned there, and much of the new report – and possibly any resulting crackdown – is focused on the continued illegal use of such technology.

According to the New York Times, the new report will also include various touting claims, including that as many as half the seats for many popular concerts are not offered to the general public, that a single high-tech tout bought more than 1000 tickets to a U2 concert in a single minute, and that free tickets that had been distributed for an appearance by Pope Francis in the city were resold for thousands of dollars on the secondary market.

The Times also quotes the Attorney General as saying: “Ticketing is a fixed game. My office will continue to crackdown on those who break our laws, prey on ordinary consumers and deny New Yorkers affordable access to the concerts and sporting events they love. This investigation is just the beginning of our efforts to create a level playing field in the ticket industry”.

Other recommendations in the report will include demands that promoters are more transparent about how tickets are being released to the public, and that secondary sites police their systems more thoroughly, ensuring touting rules specific to New York are complied with when reselling tickets in the state.

Schneiderman is also set to suggest that restrictions on so called ‘paperless ticketing’ should be removed from the state’s laws. Although the locking of tickets to credit cards or smartphones is seen as one way of limiting touting, such approaches have caused their own consumer rights problems, with New York state in particular restricting such practices. But it seems the AG sees paperless ticketing as the lesser of two evils.

It remains to be seen how the operators of secondary ticketing websites respond to Schneiderman’s report. They always argue that by keeping touting on their sites, consumers actually get more protection. Meanwhile, most of the resale site companies support laws against the touting bots, so will be pleased that’s a central issue in the report, while Live Nation’s Ticketmaster – as a provider of paperless ticketing solutions – will like the removal of those regulations in New York.

READ MORE ABOUT: Eric T Schneiderman | Secondary Ticketing

Thursday 28 January 2016, 11:33 | By Andy Malt

Signature Brew aims to improve gig attendance with ale

Brands & Merch Business News Live Business

Beer company Signature Brew, best known for its collaborative ales with various musicians, has partnered with Independent Venue Week to launch a range of canned beers. The company is apparently hoping that offering better beer at small gigs will convince more people to attend them.

“Independent venues are under threat with many of music’s most iconic sites pushed to the brink”, says Signature Brew co-founder Sam McGregor. “Drinkers are more discerning than ever and we believe Signature Brew’s ethos of pairing music and brewing offers the perfect opportunity to put quality beer in the hands of fellow music lovers”.

He continues: “That’s why we’ve partnered with Independent Venue Week for the exclusive launch of our new range of canned beers. The 330ml cans are allowed into venues that our bottles aren’t, plus they’re safer and they keep the beer fresher. If venues offer high-quality beer, fans will arrive earlier, and stay longer – and, let’s face it, who doesn’t want to watch their favourite band with a delicious beer in hand?”

Independent Venue Week is happening RIGHT NOW, by the way. We are totally in it.

READ MORE ABOUT: Independent Venue Week | Signature Brew

Thursday 28 January 2016, 11:32 | By Chris Cooke

Former Life Or Death staff unveil new PR firm Liberal Arts

Business News Industry People Marketing & PR

Former staffers from US music PR agency Life Or Death PR have announced details of their new company, which will be known as Liberal Arts. A number of Life Or Death clients have already confirmed that they will be hiring the services of the new entity.

As previously reported, the operations of Life Or Death came to an abrupt halt last week after Amber Coffman of Dirty Projectors made allegations of sexual misconduct against the agency’s CEO and owner Heathcliff Berru, in relation to an event that took place a few years back. After Coffman had spoken, a number of other women with whom Berru had worked likewise came forward with similar allegations.

Although not responding to each specific allegation, Berru quickly announced he was stepping down as CEO of his company, adding that he was “deeply sorry for those who I have offended by my actions”, and that he was now seeking help for drug and alcohol addiction.

Initially it was stated that Life Or Death would continue under the direction of Nick Dierl, but a day later – with various clients announcing they would no longer work with the agency – Dierl and all other employees of the PR firm announced that they had quit and were planning on forming another company instead. The implication was that Life Or Death would be wound up.

In a new interview with Billboard, Dierl and Duncan Will, a senior publicist at Life Or Death, say that, while they knew their boss had addiction issues, which they had tried to take up with Berru in the past, they were unaware of the incidents that were revealed after Coffman’s initial tweets last week. Though the revelations did explain why a number of clients had previously dropped the agency’s services out of the blue, including Coffman’s label Domino.

Dierl says that he called Berru as soon as the allegations started to appear online, and asked “about the validity of the Amber story, and he told me that he was ‘blackout drunk’ that night. I couldn’t judge Heathcliff’s level of sincerity, either”. Will adds: “We believed all of those stories and chose to operate accordingly instead of contesting those statements. I applaud all of the women who came forward and brought these conversations to the public sphere. I hope that it’s a conversation that doesn’t end this week and continues to be talked about in the industry”.

Even though Berru quickly agreed to stand down – and, say Dierl and Will, he had been increasingly hands off at the agency anyway – the Life & Death staff felt issues would remain if their former boss was still the owner of the company, and therefore benefiting from the profits of each campaign. Hence the decision to start a new business.

Liberal Arts will be backed by Knitting Factory Entertainment – the live, label and management business – which also had an “investor profit share” in Life Or Death.

Its President, Ian Wheeler, told Billboard: “I will serve as Managing Director for the new entity, which will be 100% owned by Figure Eight Publicity, a subsidiary of Knitting Factory Entertainment. An equity position will also being carved out for the founders of the new entity in the coming months. Life Or Death PR has now been dissolved. Mr Berru is no longer a party to our organisation and will not take part in our new venture, nor own an equity position. All ties have been cut”.

You can read Billboard’s full interview with Dierl and Will here.

READ MORE ABOUT: Duncan Will | Heathcliff Berru | Liberal Arts | Life Or Death | Nick Dierl

Thursday 28 January 2016, 11:29 | By Andy Malt

Spotify seeking another $500 million

Business News Digital

Spotify is looking to raise new funding of $500 million. And yes, it did just do that in June. But where does half a billion dollars get you these days? Hardly anywhere.

Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reports that the streaming service is hoping to raise the new funding in the form of loans from existing investors. Those creditors would then have the option to convert their loans into equity at a later date, with a discount of 17.5% if the company does its long-awaited IPO in the next year, according to the Financial Times.

Exactly what Spotify plans to do with all this cash isn’t yet clear, though with all streaming services currently focussed on driving growth, and the large-pocketed Apple now a direct competitor, increasing userbase (and especially premium userbase) would seem the most likely plan. Though Spotify has also been attempting to develop and launch a series of product innovations to differentiate its service from those of rivals, and further acquisitions to build on this are a possibility too.

Debt financing is all the rage in digital music at the moment, of course. What with SoundCloud confirming earlier this month that it had pulled in $32 million through such a scheme last year. Oh how people were up in arms about that $32 million! It doesn’t seem like so much now, does it?

Investors could be quids in once IPO time arrives. Although if the naysayers are right and all this somewhat more risky new financing means that several of the big streaming services are going to fall down the toilet, we might get that consolidation of the market people like to talk about. How about a future where the choice is YouTube, Apple Music or Amazon Prime?

Spotify’s proposal, drawn up by the company’s financial advisors at Goldman Sachs and Nordea, will apparently be put to investors at a meeting at the latter’s offices in Stockholm next week.

READ MORE ABOUT: Spotify

Thursday 28 January 2016, 11:27 | By Andy Malt

Amazon launches Prime Stations personalised radio service in the UK

Business News Digital

Amazon has added its Prime Stations personalised radio service for subscribers to the free-delivery-with-added-content set-up in the UK. It expands on the Prime Music on-demand streaming service, which has also just had a new lyrics feature added to it as well.

It means customers who pay the £79 annual fee for Amazon Prime now have access to the ad free online radio service, which like most similar services will play a continuous stream of music related to an artist or genre the listener tells it they like.

“With Stations we’ve introduced another feature for Prime members to discover great music at no additional cost to their membership”, said Steve Bernstein, EU Director of Digital Music at Amazon. “Whether customers are on the move, at work or entertaining, there’s no shortage of choice with hundreds of Prime Music Stations to choose from. And with the skip, thumbs up and thumbs down functions, customers can take full control of their stations and adapt them to their music tastes”.

As I said, basically the same as all the others. But with Pandora still not available in Europe (yet), maybe this is the closest alternative currently available here.

READ MORE ABOUT: Amazon | Amazon Prime

Thursday 28 January 2016, 11:24 | By Andy Malt

Chris Price named BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s new Head Of Music

Business News Industry People Media

BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra have a new Head Of Music in the shape of Chris Price. No, not a cardboard cut out. The actual Chris Price, who was previously Head Of Music for Last.fm. It apparently needing such a thing.

Ben Cooper, Controller of Radio 1 and 1Xtra, says: “Chris brings unparalleled experience across music radio, TV and digital broadcasting to BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra. His passion and knowledge is key to our future plans for young audiences to continue to discover the music they will love. I’m delighted to welcome him to the team”.

Chris Price adds: “Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s Head of Music is the greatest music discovery job on the planet. I’m THRILLED to be joining the BBC to continue the incredible work it does breaking new music, as well as steering the networks’ music strategy into the next phase of its digital future”.

Price will take up his new role in March when George Ergatoudis leaves the building to join Spotify. As previously reported, he was announced last year as the streaming service’s new UK Head Of Content Programming, after a decade in the Radio 1 job.

READ MORE ABOUT: BBC | BBC Radio 1 | BBC Radio 1Xtra | Chris Price

Thursday 28 January 2016, 11:22 | By CMU Editorial

CMU to ask whether clickbait and branded content are the future of media at this year’s Convergence Sessions

Business News Education & Events Media

The team from CMU Insights have announced details of a session they will run as part of the Convergence festival in London in March.

Kicking off this year’s Convergence Sessions programme at the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch, CMU Business Editor Chris Cooke will put the spotlight on media in an insight session called ‘Making Money From Media? You Won’t Believe What Happens Next!’

The event will look at how, even though it’s easier than ever to publish content, making money from media is an increasingly big challenge today. With social media competing for both consumer attention and the advertising pound, and loyalty to newspapers and magazines on the wane, many publishers have looked to clickbait to drive new traffic and branded content to drive new revenue. But is either really a desirable solution?

CMU Insights will ask – whether you’re a legacy title, an upstart or a start-up – how can media make money in 2016? And what does that mean for the content they create, and the role of journalism in monitoring, analysing and informing the world? Publishers, editors and journalists from leading news, culture and music media will all join the debate.

Tickets for the two hour session, which takes place at midday on 17 Mar, are just £8.70, including booking fee. Click here to book your ticket. And click here for full information on this year’s Convergence Sessions programme.

CMU Insights has a packed programme of seminars, masterclasses and conference sessions coming up, and you can check the full list here. Don’t forget the next masterclass will focus on all the latest developments in music rights, taking place on 10 Feb in London. More here.

READ MORE ABOUT: CMU Insights | Convergence

Thursday 28 January 2016, 11:19 | By Andy Malt

Rihanna releases Anti as free download

Artist News Digital Releases

Alright, calm down everyone. Rihanna’s new album is out now. And contrary to what you might have thought after listening to new single ‘Work’ yesterday, it’s actually quite good.

The fairly shoddy Drake-featuring ‘Work’ was aired on Radio 1 and Capital FM yesterday afternoon, after being made available on iTunes and Tidal. The release was in line with details published by Billboard earlier this week, which also said that the album was on its way this week too. And here we are.

As you might have guessed, ‘Anti’ is a Tidal exclusive. As you might not have guessed, ‘Anti’ is also being made available as a free download. Presumably this is as a result of the singer’s Samsung sponsorship, though it’s mainly pushing a 60 day free trial of Tidal that comes with it. But with FLAC as well as MP3s available in the download bundle, you don’t need to take the streaming service up on that offer to experience the album in high quality.

It may not be Rihanna’s ‘Chinese Democracy’, but the ups and downs in the creation of ‘Anti’ have long been reported. Previously released tracks ‘FourFiveSeconds’, ‘American Oxygen’ and ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’ are all missing, with only interlude ‘James Joint’, released last April, remaining. This news may or may not please you.

What is on the album is a slightly mixed bag, with occasionally confused tone, but a lot of good tracks. Lighter moments should appease fans turned off by the darker, occasionally experimental turns she takes.

Weirdly, the record features a cover of ‘New Person, Same Old Mistakes’, the closing track from Tame Impala’s fairly recently released ‘Currents’ album. They say you should make a cover version your own, which Rihanna has done by changing the title to ‘Same Ol Mistakes’. Other than that, it’s basically exactly the same track with Kevin Parker’s lead vocals removed and Rihanna’s dropped in their place. It’s a good track, but mainly because the original is a good track.

But, for all its odd quirks and moments of corner-cutting – which really do seem odd for an album that took so long to make – it does feel like Rihanna is making a statement and a play for longevity. As her tweet earlier this week suggested, it’s an album that requires attention and some serious listening on the part of the fan. Though perhaps not in those headphones.

Anyway, have a free copy of the album on us.

READ MORE ABOUT: Rihanna | Tidal

Thursday 28 January 2016, 11:16 | By CMU Editorial

Hundred more acts added to Great Escape line-up

Artist News Business News Education & Events Gigs & Festivals

The next batch of acts set to play this year’s Great Escape festival in Brighton was unleashed yesterday, including news on the second of this year’s ‘spotlight shows’, which will present key acts in key venues, and which are open to both TGE wristband holders with a ‘top-up’ and standalone ticket holders too.

Oh Wonder had already been confirmed for the first of those, playing All Saints Church, and now it’s been announced that Songhoy Blues will headline the second, this time at Brighton’s Old Market.

Originally from Timbuktu in Northern Mali, Songhoy Blues actually formed in the country’s capital, Bamako, after they were forced to leave their homes in the North due to a civil war and the imposition of Sharia Law. With a mission to “recreate the lost ambience” of their home region, the band released their debut album on Transgressive Records last year, and will share that sound with the TGE audience, with support from another Malian singer, Fatoumata Diawara.

The spotlight shows are just the tip of the iceberg at TGE, of course, with 450 acts set to play across the three days of the festival in May. A hundred more were added to the line-up yesterday, including, in something nearing alphabetical order: AJ Tracey, Actor, Alec Benjamin, Alice Phoebe Lou, Anna Meredith, Anna Of The North, Anteros, Anthonie Tonnon, Ariana & The Rose, Astrid S, Avelino, Babe, Band Of Skulls, Banners, Beaty Heart, Black Peaches, Bleached, Blossoms, Bo Rocha, Callum Beattie, Cameron Ag, Catholic Action, Causes, Chastity, Chastity Belt, Cigarettes After Sex, Coves and D Double E.

But there’s more! Don’t forget Dead!, Depresno, Diet Cig, Dolores Haze, Dreller, Egyptian Blue, Elf Kid, Elifantree, Fatoumata Diawara, Frisco, George Taylor, Georgie, Grumble Bee, Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS?, Her, Iglooghost, Inheaven, Jacob Collier, Jain, James Canty, Jammz, Joseph J Jones Jr Green, Kate Jackson And The Wrong Moves, Khruangbin, Kiko Bun, K-X-P, Lady Leshurr, Lewis Del Mar, Little Hours, Logan Sama, Lusts, Mabel, Mai Kino, Makeness and Man & The Echo.

And if you thought that was it, fools! Look at this lot: Matthew Logan Vasquez, Michael Kiwanuka, Mossy, Mumdance, Muncie Girls, Nadia Reid, Nadia Rose, Ouzo Bazooka, Pink Oculus, Postaal, Postiljonen, Rømans, Royce Wood Junior, Ruth Koleva, Ry X , Samm Henshaw, Shannon & The Clams, Søren Juul, Spring King, St Lucia, Stephanie Rainey, Sudakistan, Teleman, Ten Fé, The Big Moon, The Prettiots, Tim Vantol, Transviolet, Type Two Error, Uniiqu3, Viola Beach, Vitamin, Wesley Gonzalez, William Singe, Willie J Healey, Yorkston Thorne Khan and Youth Club.

TGE 2016 takes place from 19-21 May and, of course, in amongst all that lot there is the convention for music industry delegates, which includes the 2016 edition of CMU Insights @ The Great Escape. Two rooms, two days, putting the spotlight on four key areas of the music business in 2016: CDs and merch; data and transparency; training, diversity and mental health in the industry; and bloody YouTube. Get top line info here, book your delegate passes here, and look out for more info on the CMU strands very soon.

READ MORE ABOUT: CMU Insights | The Great Escape

Thursday 28 January 2016, 11:08 | By Andy Malt

CMU’s One Liners: Jay-Z, British Summer Time, Syco, more

Artist News Brands & Merch Business News Deals Digital Education & Events Gigs & Festivals Industry People Labels & Publishers Legal Live Business Media One Liners Releases

Other notable announcements and developments today…

• Fragrance firm Parlux is suing Jay-Z for $18 million for failing to promote their ‘Gold Jay Z’ range in the manner he had agreed to, or so they allege, according to TMZ.

• Pleased that this year’s programme includes both Take That and Kendrick Lamar, the Queen has decided to allow AEG Live to present its British Summer Time bash on her second back lawn until 2019, a two year extension of the live firm’s original five year deal to stage gigs in London’s Hyde Park. Which is managed by the Royal Parks, see?

• Syco has hired former Executive Producer of ‘The Voice’ Tim Van Rongen to be a Senior Vice President of the firm. “I am really THRILLED that a television executive of Tim’s calibre has chosen to join Syco Entertainment”, said its Global Head Of Television Nigel Hall.

• So, the bloody blockchain. Got your head around that yet? Well, Pledge Music’s Benji Rogers and the marvellous Imogen Heap will be talking through it all at an event for BPI members at the trade group’s London offices next Monday at 4.30pm. Admission is free. There are a limited number of spaces for non-members also. Email becci.abbott@bpi.co.uk to reserve a place.

• Lafawndah has just put out a new track, ‘Town Crier’, which you can listen to here.

• Here’s new Starchild & The New Romantic track ‘Slammin Mannequin’, taken from the ‘Crucial’ EP, out through Ghostly International on 18 Mar.

• Tim Hecker has announced his first 4AD album, titled ‘Love Streams’, will be out on 8 Apr. Catch him live in the UK at St John At Hackney on 5 May.

• Susanna will release new album ‘Triangle’ on 22 Apr. Here’s the first single, ‘Burning Sea’.

• Former Race Horses guy Meilyr Jones releases his debut album, ‘2013’, on 18 Mar. From it, this is ‘Featured Artist’.

• “The music industry isn’t creating any new headliners” people like to moan. But what about Foals and Disclosure? I mean, they are both headlining this year’s Reading and Leeds festivals, and that makes them headliners, see? I hope it works. Because it’s more ammunition against the “where are the new headliners?” brigade.

READ MORE ABOUT: AEG | Benji Rogers | British Phonographic Industry (BPI) | British Summer Time | Disclosure | Foals | Imgen Heap | Jay-Z | Kendrick Lamar | Lafawndah | Leeds Festival | Meilyr Jones | Reading Festival | Starchild | Susanna | Syco | Take That | Tim Hecker | Tim Van Rongen

Thursday 28 January 2016, 10:58 | By Chris Cooke

Advertising Standards Authority rejects complaints over Radio X ad

And Finally Business News Media

If you thought that advert for Radio X last year which saw Chris Moyles walking down the street bumping into various people was offensive, well you can fuck off.

It was clearly a fucking parody of the fucking video for The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet fucking Symphony’ which fucking soundtracked the fucking thing, and you should all get yourself a fucking sense of humour. Not my words ladies and gentlemen. The words of the United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority. Well, my words. Its sentiment.

106 people complained about the Moyles ad, and not because they were offended that a rebranded Xfm thought it was a good idea to bring the veteran broadcasting ego back to the airwaves, but because they “believed it encouraged and condoned anti-social and violent behaviour”. I mean, he bumped into man holding coffee, someone in a costume, and a paramedic pushing someone on a stretcher. What a git. What if a child saw such outrageous misbehaviour on their telly screens?

But, said Radio X owner and Chris Moyles facilitator Global Radio, “the ad was a parody of The Verve’s iconic music video for the song ‘Bittersweet Symphony’, which [we] believed would have been recognisable to the majority of viewers”. And it was all just a “humorous play on Chris Moyles’ reputation” and “his determination to return to radio”. And let’s not forget, “scenarios, which included a charity worker dressed in a giant rabbit costume and a lady inexplicably holding a wedding cake in the street, were executed carefully to ensure a comical, and slightly surreal, tone”.

Yeah, all you 106 complainers, what about the comical and slightly surreal tone? As for anyone playing the “won’t somebody think about the children” card, Global would like to point out that “slapstick humour, such as that shown in the ad, is common in children’s programmes and family films”. And anyway, the ad was never shown during kid’s shows. Because Radio X, let us not forget, is the radio station for MEN. Not boys.

And so, says the ASA, “we understood the complainants’ concerns about the behaviour shown in the ad and we acknowledged Global’s intention to parody what they believed to be a well-recognised and iconic music video. Although we noted the ad used ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ as its soundtrack, we considered that some viewers were still unlikely to recognise the parody element of the ad.”

The regulator went on: “We considered the scenario in which [Moyles] found himself was likely to be seen as surreal and far removed from the mix of people many were likely to encounter when walking down a street. We acknowledged that his actions in the ad were likely to be seen as unpleasant, but we considered that the context in which it was shown meant viewers were unlikely to interpret it as realistic and as an acceptable way to behave”.

So, “in the particular circumstances of the ad, we concluded it was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence or be seen to encourage or condone anti-social behaviour or bullying”.

So fuck off complainers. If you still have a problem, take it up with Richard Ashcroft will you?

READ MORE ABOUT: ASA | Chris Moyles | Global | Radio X

Thursday 28 January 2016, 10:05 | By Andy Malt

Approved: Three Trapped Tigers – Silent Earthling

CMU Approved

“I think the problem for anyone striving to create their own sound is, once you – hopefully – have achieved that, how do you expand that whilst maintaining it?” So ponders Three Trapped Tigers’ Matt Calvert. And what better way to answer that question than with some music?

And so it was that yesterday the title track from the band’s new album ‘Silent Earthling’ was heaved onto YouTube. Unquestionably a Three Trapped Tigers track, but a fresh take on a very distinct sound.

Back in 2010, the band’s Tom Rogerson told us that their writing process consisted of “bashing our heads against a brick wall for about six months until something happens”. Though it seems that the pressure they place on themselves has only increased since then, leaving a five year gap between albums. In the end, Brian Eno stepped in to help out with his ‘oblique strategies’ method.

The full results of that will be revealed when the album is released on 1 Apr through Superball Music.

Listen to ‘Silent Earthling’ here:

Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column in 2016 by subscribing to our Spotify playlist.

READ MORE ABOUT: Three Trapped Tigers

Wednesday 27 January 2016, 11:41 | By Chris Cooke

Creative industries generating £9.6 million an hour for British economy

Business News Labels & Publishers Live Business Management & Funding Marketing & PR Media Retail Top Stories

The creative industries are now worth £84.1 billion a year to the good old UK economy, and if you don’t believe me, you’re going to have to go to Westminster, track down that nice Ed Vaizey, intrude on whatever waffley conversation he may be having at the time, get up close and personal, and shout “LIAR” into his face. Do let me know if you do that.

According to the latest stats brag from the UK government’s Department Of Culture, Media & Sport, the country’s creative industries – which, for the sake of this stat, includes film, music, gaming, design, crafts and publishing – are at an all time high, having seen growth at nearly double that of the wider UK economy. It means the creative industries now generate £9.6 million an hour for Britain. I do hope Britain is grateful.

Speaking for Britain, the aforementioned culture minister Ed Vaizey said: “The creative industries are one of the UK’s greatest success stories, with British musicians, artists, fashion brands and films immediately recognisable in nations across the globe. Growing at almost twice the rate of the wider economy and worth a staggering £84 billion a year, our creative industries are well and truly thriving and we are determined to ensure its continued growth and success”.

If you think all this growth and success is just a temporary blip, the government would like you to remember that “the next instalment of ‘Poldark’; the new album from Radiohead; the film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s ‘The BFG’; and the release of ‘Lego Marvel’s Avengers'”, all of which are going to continue this marvellous creative trend.

Anyway, I don’t know what all you creative types are doing still lingering here reading this nonsense, you’ve got another £4.9 million to generate to meet this hour’s target, so back to work everybody. Unless you’re heading off to Westminster to shout “LIAR” in Vaizey’s face. I’ll hold the fort while you do that.

READ MORE ABOUT: Ed Vaizey | Parliament

Wednesday 27 January 2016, 11:26 | By Andy Malt

Ninja Tune launches new offices in Germany and France

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

Ninja Tune has announced the expansion of its international department, with new staff hired in Germany and France.

Over in Berlin, the label will shack up with Domino and Mute, who have shared office space in the city since 2010. Max Brudi, who has acted as Product Manager for Domino and Mute there since 2011, will now become Label Manager for Ninja Tune and Mute.

The new French office in Paris also gets its own Label Manager, in the shape of Zineb Benomar, who will continue to do the same for the French division of Cooking Vinyl, as she has since 2014. She also co-manages XL-signed duo Ibeyi.

Back in Ninja’s UK office, Anna-Mari Trlin joins as assistant to International Manager Nicky Wain, who tells CMU: “Germany and France are very important territories for us, we spend a lot of time working with our partners there to set up the best campaigns for our artists. Having our own people on the ground in Paris and Berlin will be an important step in improving that. Mute and Domino have been very welcoming, allowing us to come into their Berlin operation – it feels like a co-operation of likeminded labels. And in Max Brudi we feel like we’ve got a great label representative to move the label forward in Germany”.

As for the French market, Wain continues: “Zineb Benomar came highly recommended to us by a number of colleagues and her knowledge and experience is already proving to be a great asset to Ninja Tune as we strive to build bigger and bigger campaigns within France”.

READ MORE ABOUT: Anna-Mari Trlin | Domino | Max Brudi | Mute | Ninja Tune | Zineb Benomar

Wednesday 27 January 2016, 11:21 | By Chris Cooke

Cür Music launches bid for the streaming middle market

Business News Digital

We need a better range of streaming services, that’s what I said in the midst of my customary “digital year ahead” gubbins last month, so let’s see if this one works out.

Long-time-in-development digital service Cür Music went live in the US this week, aiming to sit between the personalised radio platforms of the Pandora kind and the fully on-demand streaming set ups like Spotify.

It’s mainly about playlists and radio-style channels, but with the option to store eight tracks in a snug little corner of the platform that are available at anytime on demand. That bit’s called your ‘Cür8’ profile (yeah, they really went there). Users can change their eight tracks daily, and there’s some sharing and messaging widgets thrown in too.

Pricing wise, there is a $2.99 and a $6.99 option, so very much trying to fill the gap between freemium and the current $10 premium.

Though, just like past efforts to do just that, the new service may find it hard to sign up subscribers when Spotify and YouTube are still pumping out the hits on demand for free, even with the promise of messaging, curation and offline listening tools. True, Spotify freemium has a handful of ads and slightly limited mobile functionality, but its free service is still pretty close to what Cür Music is offering.

Still, anything playing with the format is good. And, as Music Ally notes, the majors are all on board, with filings in the US confirming licensing deals with Universal, Sony and Warner, with all the usual advances, guarantees and equity flim flam.

READ MORE ABOUT: Cür Music

Wednesday 27 January 2016, 11:15 | By Andy Malt

Miley Cyrus to start in Woody Allen’s Amazon Prime series

Artist News Media

Amazon Prime Video has been lagging behind Netflix in the race to pull in subscribers with original content. I watched the first episode of Amazon’s flagship Philip K Dick adaptation ‘The Man In The High Castle’ the other night. The acting was a bit shoddy and, despite the strong premise, it wasn’t particularly gripping. If someone could let me know if it’s worth persevering with, that would be really great. OK, thanks.

Oh, actually, I did start writing this for another reason, didn’t I? Yeah, Amazon’s next big move is to hire Woody Allen to direct a new series for it to exclusively stream. And this is relevant here because Miley Cyrus has been cast in it. See, you thought I wasn’t going to bring this around to music, and I did. Because Miley Cyrus is a pop singer.

In an Instagram post confirming the news, she said: “Fuck yeah! Stoked to be in Woody Allen’s first series! I had claimed 2016 to be my year of ‘chillin the fuck out’ but next to my bed for a few years now has been this portrait of WA [pictured in the post] and I was looking into his eyes when I got the call to be a part of the cast and work alongside the bad a$$ Elaine May and da dude himself! 1960zzzz here I cummmmm”.

If you didn’t quite get that, the series is set in the 1960s and will also star Elaine May and Woody Allen himself.

Here is an artist’s impression of what the filming will look like:

My next few months look a lot like dis

A photo posted by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Jan 26, 2016 at 9:24am PST

READ MORE ABOUT: Miley Cyrus

Wednesday 27 January 2016, 11:10 | By Andy Malt

Colin Vearncombe dies

Artist News

Colin Vearncombe, aka Black, best known for his 1987 hit ‘Wonderful Life’, has died following a road traffic accident earlier this month. He was 53.

Vearncombe had been placed in an induced coma after sustaining a serious head injury in the crash, near Cork Airport, on 10 Jan. Although kept in a stable condition, scans revealed that his injuries were worse than initially feared and the musician passed away in the intensive treatment unit of Cork University Hospital yesterday.

His wife Camilla and three sons said in a statement: “Colin received the best possible care from the expert and highly professional staff [at the hospital] and we are deeply grateful for everything they did”.

The funeral is to be private, though details of a public memorial in Vearncombe’s home city of Liverpool are set to be announced in the coming days. Black’s final album, ‘Blind Faith’, was released last year.

READ MORE ABOUT: Black | Colin Vearncombe

Wednesday 27 January 2016, 11:09 | By Andy Malt

Kanye West changes album title, launch event details leak

Artist News Releases

Details of a promotional event to launch Kanye West’s new album and fashion line were seemingly leaked yesterday. The rapper responded by changing the name of the new record. Well, he changed it. I’m not sure it was actually a response to the leak. But you have to link things like this together to create a quick, easy-to-digest first paragraph in stories like this, don’t you? Have you quickly and easily digested it? Good, then we can get on with the rest of this nonsense.

West will seemingly unveil his new fashion line and new album at a Madison Square Garden event, which will be beamed to cinemas around the world, on 11 Feb. This information appeared on a now deleted listing on the Cineworld website yesterday.

“The world premiere of Kanye West’s ‘Swish’ album in its entirety, live from Madison Square Garden”, said listing promised. “This is your chance to be part of one of the great musical events of the year. [The album is] getting a suitably spectacular unveiling in its entirety at Madison Square Garden with a performance by his visual art collaborator Vanessa Beecroft”.

Given the hasty subsequent deletion of that listing, I think someone might be in trouble. It’s not quite that Adele leak situation though, is it? So at least there’s that. And Kanye himself didn’t show any signs of being too bothered. He’s still too excited about how good the album is. So excited that yesterday he changed its name to ‘Waves’ and added a new track to the tracklisting.

He also suggested that the record was so good, it could never be played before 2am. But that’s a time when cinemas are closed. So how is that launch event screening going to work? Does that mean the whole thing is cancelled? Probably not. I’m reading far too much into a throwaway tweet. But that’s how you’re supposed to end things like this, isn’t it? With a quick and easy-to-grasp cliffhanger that makes it all seem more dramatic than it actually is. I hope you’re all feeling suitably intrigued.

READ MORE ABOUT: Kanye West

CLICK FOR OLDER STORIES