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One Liners: Kobalt, Warner Music, PJ Harvey, more

By Chris Cooke and Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 6 December 2017

Other notable announcements and developments today…

• Kobalt has signed Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tash Sultana and will administrate her song rights globally. Sultana represents “the new paradigm of artist and songwriter” reckons Kobalt Music Australia MD Simon Moor. And that’s one of my very favourite paradigms, so good news there.

• Warner Music was able to stick to the usual current template for major record company financial announcements when it unveiled its fourth quarter figures yesterday. Revenues and profits were up, fuelled by the streaming boom, with digital now accounting for more than half the business. Woo!

• Michael Alexander has been promoted to the role of EVP International at the Universal Music division in the US that brings together Republic Records, Def Jam Recordings and Island Records. He will continue to oversee marketing campaigns beyond the US for artists signed to the American labels.

• Rough Trade Records has appointed Melanie Sheehan to be its new US label manager. Sheehan was previously a product manager within the Beggars Group of which the Rough Trade label is part, and before that worked at the Secretly Group.

• Proper Music has officially opened its previously reported new warehouse in Dartford and has celebrated by launching a new website and logo, which you can check out here if you so wish.

• Administrators for music distributor Cinram – which fell into administration in August – have announced that the business and some of its assets have been acquired. Music Week reports that Patriot Group Investments are behind the acquisition, which involves the creation of a new company to be called Cinram Novum.

• A cover of trad folk song ‘An Acre Of Land’ by PJ Harvey is used in the trailer for new movie ‘Dark River’. The film is due out next February.

• Rae Morris has released the video for her new single, ‘Atletico’. She’s also announced tour dates in March, which will finish up at Heaven in London on 28 Mar.

• LA Wise Man – the festive alter-ego of LA Priest – has released a Christmas single. It’s called ‘All I Want For Christmas Is Rock & Roll’.

• The ever prolific Wednesday Campanella have released a new single, ‘Gala’.

• Angel Olson has announced a one-off solo show at Union Chapel in London on 30 Apr. Tickets are on sale at this very moment.

• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.