| CMU Daily - on the inside Thursday 16th February |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- Kaisers are the Chiefs of the Brits
- Lynden David Hall dies
- Line up for Insomniacs Ball announced
- Fully Comprehensive launch new night
- Student Music Awards kick off tonight
- Victory Records boss hits out at iTunes
- IFPI welcome Danish ruling on P2P
- Album review: Giant Drag - Hearts And Unicorns
- Jackson fails to exclude ex wife
- Streets tracklisting revealed
- New acts added to Download bill
- Franz Ferdinand play T In The Park
- Lollapalooza gets extra day
- Kano set for Newsnight appearance
- Fall Out Boy announce UK tour dates
- Primal scream play one off London show
- Elbow chaps perform with kids
- Coyne talks Bush in MTV interview
- Album review: Various Artists - Soul And Jazz In The House
- Keating says Walsh is a bit of a shit
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TOP BIT>>
Phew, so busy this week, and a huge backlog of stories to run! But not to worry, I'm in a good mood. Why? Well, Kaiser Chiefs and Green Day were named Best Bands at the Brits last night (UK and international respectively) as they should have been. Delays' new single is out on Monday and I've got tickets to their Shepherds Bush Empire show next month. I'm getting to see The Streets this weekend. And I've just acquired a load of Ben Folds music my record collection was lacking. Hurrah. Add to that the fact we can today let you know about two great projects CMU is supporting at the moment. First up, the 3 Student Music Awards, which kick off tonight in Edinburgh. Organised by the SUBtv guys, thirty student bands have been shortlisted. They will all play at one of ten showcase events at colleges across the UK over the next month, meanwhile you can hear and see them all play at http://www.studentmusicawards.co.uk/ - and while you're there vote for your favourites. Secondly, check out all the details about the Insomniacs Ball given below. This is a storming new event taking place at the SEOne club in London at the start of the Easter weekend - the capital's first all-night indoor festival featuring a stack of fantastic DJs and bands over three live stages in five rooms underneath the arches of London Bridge station. We'll be running interviews with all the finalists in the Student Music Awards, and a load of the acts playing at the Insomniacs Ball, on the CMU Beats website in the coming weeks - watch this space for more. Meanwhile, back to reasons why today is great - the guys at Fully Comprehensive, who programme the ground floor at Kill All Hippies, are launching their own night at the Winchester on Islington Green tonight. Details of it, and how you guys can get in for free, are here in today's Daily. Enjoy.
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KAISERS ARE THE CHIEFS OF THE BRITS
Well, if Brits were awarded based on a clap-ometer on the night then Madonna would have been the big winner this year, she getting by the far most applause, from the punter audience at least, although she was closely followed by American Idol Kelly Clarkson in terms of audience appreciation. As it was Madonna took one gong - Best International Female - while Clarkson left the awards empty handed.
In the end, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the Brits 2006 really belonged to Kaiser Chiefs who won in three of the five categories in which they were nominated. They took the awards for Best Live Act, Best Rock Band and over all Best Band at the West London awards bash last night. During the first of three somewhat disorganised acceptance speeches, the band's Ricky Wilson told the awards event: "This is our first Brit. We weren't meant to win this one so I don't know what to say. This means the world", while during their third visit to the stage they were, without explanation, joined by one Vic Reeves who told the awards audience: "I am the ambassador for Leeds, and this is the best band in the world from Leeds".
The other big performers on the night were Coldplay who took two of the flagship prizes - Best Single for 'Speed Of Sound' and Best Album for 'X&Y'. Hinting they now planned to take some time out of the spotlight, Coldplay's Chris Martin said: "It's hard for us sometimes because we are English and we do not like to admit that we think we are great - so tonight we would like to agree with you for giving us this award".
Martin also had something to say about the other multiple winner of the night - Mr James Blunt (Best Pop, Best Male) - who, as previously reported, has been getting a particularly unfair amount of stick in certain parts of the press (especially the music press) in the last few months. The Coldplay man told those critics to stop giving Blunt a hard time, adding "Be proud, he's British". He's right of course, and we should stress we've never dissed poor old James here in CMU, mainly because we're too busy dissing Coldplay (best album of 2005 my arse), but that's not the point. That Chris Martin quite often makes a good point you know - it's a shame his music's so dull.
Anyway, back to the Brits. The full list of winners checked out like this:
British Male Solo Artist: James Blunt
British Female Solo Artist: KT Tunstall
British Group: Kaiser Chiefs
British Album: Coldplay - X&Y
British Single: Coldplay - Speed Of Sound
British Breakthrough Act: Arctic Monkeys
British Urban Act: Lemar
British Rock Act: Kaiser Chiefs
British Live Act: Kaiser Chiefs
Pop Act: James Blunt
International Male Solo Artist: Kanye West
International Female Solo Artist: Madonna
International Group: Green Day
International Album: Green Day - American Idiot
International Breakthrough Act: Jack Johnson
Outstanding Contribution To Music: Paul Weller
The live bit of the awards show somehow lacked the stand-out-Scissor-Sisters type set of recent years, though a performance of Gorillaz' 'Dirty Harry' involving a stage full of school children, and a set from Kanye West featuring 77 models clad in bikinis and gold paint, possibly got close. Brit winners Kaiser Chiefs, James Blunt and Jack Johnson turned in performances of their big hits, Prince proved he's still got it with a three track set (even if the decision to book him for the Brits this year in particular wasn't really apparent) while Paul Weller closed the show having picked up his Outstanding Contribution To Music award. My personal highlight though was probably KT Tunstall, but that's because I'm a sucker for a drum solo.
The Brits will be aired on the telly tonight on ITV1 at 8pm.
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LYNDEN DAVID HALL DIES
Soul singer Lynden David Hall has died after a two year battle with cancer. The London born singer, who rose to fame in the late nineties, winning the Best Newcomer prize at the Mobo's in 1998, had been suffering from the rare cancer Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He died on Tuesday.
Trevor Nelson, who signed Hall to Cooltempo Records back in 1996, told reporters yesterday: "It's the loss of a great talent unfulfilled. At the time, in my capacity as an A&R man, he was one of the biggest talents of his time, and ahead of his time in many ways. He was a very unassuming guy, very quiet and introverted, not your typical wannabe pop star. It's a sad day for British black music, but knowing Lynden as I do, I hope the attention that this brings him will make people go and re-visit his music."
Hall's third studio album 'In Between Jobs' was released via Random Records last year.
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LINE UP FOR INSOMNIACS BALL ANNOUNCED
British Sea Power, Art Brut, Mando Diao and Dogs have all been confirmed for London's first all-night indoor festival, The Insomniacs Ball, which will take place at the SEOne Club beneath London Bridge station on 13 Apr, just ahead of the Easter holiday weekend. The event will run from 8pm to 6am and will feature three live stages and a stack of great bands and DJs.
The event is a collaboration between London club and gig promoters Kill All Hippies and Stylish Riots. Andy Peyton of the latter told CMU: "The summertime festival scene has taught us that there is a growing appetite for large and eclectic live music bills in unusual settings. This is certainly one of those. We've worked hard to put together an unbeatable bill at a decent price, in a comfortable and exciting venue. The morning after is a bank holiday, which is nice, and by the time you come outside the trains will be running again."
The full line up for the event looks like this:
Room 1: British Sea Power, Mando Diao, Battle, New Rhodes, The Pipettes
Room 2: (Xfm Remix Room): Eddy Temple-Morris, Mary-Anne Hobbs
Room 3: Art Brut, Dogs, The Rifles, Komakino
Room 4 (Frog): Vincent Vincent and the Villains, Black Wire, Cazals, Dustins Bar, Mitzvah, The Holloways, Captain Black
Room 5 (VIP Arena): White Heat DJs Matty and Olly plus guests.
More info from http://www.insomniacsball.co.uk.
Press info from Andy Barding - [email protected] or the CMU Press Room:
http://www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/pressroom/insomniacsball
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FULLY COMPREHENSIVE LAUNCH NEW NIGHT
Talking of Kill All Hippies related things, Fully Comprehensive - the guys behind the ground floor programme at KAH - launch their own night tonight at the rather nice Winchester on Islington Green (2 minutes from Angel tube). FC residents Alex Donald and Gavin Nugent will be playing lots of fine music - Goldfrapp to Gorillaz, Kylie to The Killers, you get the picture - through to 2am. It should be a really good night, and if you email your names to [email protected] with the word CMU in the subject line you'll get in for free. Sorted!
More info at http://www.fullycomprehensive.com.
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STUDENT MUSIC AWARDS KICK OFF TONIGHT
The 3 Student Music Awards 2006 formally kick off in Edinburgh today. Organised by students' union TV network SUBtv, thirty student bands have been picked out from all the demos submitted from artists at colleges across the UK. You can listen to tracks and watch performances from each of them, and vote for your favourites, right now at http://www.studentmusicawards.co.uk.
Meanwhile, each shortlisted band will perform at one of ten showcases at students' unions around the UK, the first tonight in Edinburgh. Each showcase will feature three bands plus a set from guest headliners Dogs (or the marvel that is Max Sedgley at the LSE date). Dates for the showcases, and bands on show, as follows.
16 Feb: Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh - Icarus Down, Thee Comrades, Very Almost
21 Feb: Swansea University - Joe Seager, The Haze, Cath Lewis
22 Feb: UCLAN, Preston - InFlightMovie, Reism, Trans-Amp
24 Feb: Liverpool University - Vagabond Son, Whiskycats, Karmen Vega
3 Mar: Nottingham Trent University - E-Mission, Ugli, Tortion
4 Mar: Staffordshire University, Stafford - Blueside Circle, Hips Like Cinderella, Sophia Humphreys
9 Mar: LSE, London - Dan Priddy, Wiservice, Mr Mouth
9 Mar: Thames Valley University, Ealing - Lola Edun, The Know, Stoyic
15 Mar: King's College London - National Snack, Livid, Olympus Mons
16 Mar: Old Market Theatre, Brighton - Decoder, Miss Al Brown, Wailing Jacks
We'll be running interviews with all thirty finalists on the CMU Beats website in the next few weeks - meantime press info on the awards from Slice.
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VICTORY RECORDS BOSS HITS OUT AT ITUNES
The boss of leading American independent label Victory Records has again spoken out against Apple's iTunes, this time via an opinion piece on US music industry website HitsDailyDouble. It is not the first time Tony Brummel has criticised the market leading download platform - a digital music service which he has refused to supply with his music.
In the new piece Brummel presents his grievances with iTunes in four sections. Firstly he claims that Apple has no real interest in music and that they are abusing the music industry's assets to sell computer hardware - why, he asks, hasn't the music industry demanded a share on iPod revenues given that their music is being used to sell the technology?
Secondly he objects to Apple's insistence that consumers should be able to buy albums on a track by track basis - he writes: "If you were buying a painting from Picasso, would you have said, "Look Pablo. I like this painting man. But I only like that corner part with the tree and the guy's finger. How about you chop off that corner and I give you $1 instead of $10 for the painting? Is that cool? I really do not care about the rest of what you were trying to convey in that piece of work".
Thirdly, he criticises Apple's unwillingness to negotiate, especially with independent labels, saying: "I have and will never sign a deal with any company that tells me, "The deal is non-negotiable. Go to our site, download the Agreement, sign it and fax it to us. Everyone is paid the same amount (really...) and has the same terms".
And fourthly he argues that while iTunes may be the big digital music player just now, the whole digital music market is too small for that to be as significant as some suggest: "If only 4% of this business is iTunes, who cares? Focus on the 96% which is traditional retail. Traditional retail supports music 1,000 times more than iTunes does. People are using iTunes because they like the iPod. When Dell or Samsung makes a better device, iTunes will lose relevancy".
You can read the full article at:
http://www.hitsdailydouble.com/news/newsPage.cgi?news06061m01
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IFPI WELCOME DANISH RULING ON P2P
Ah well, the Danes can take some comfort in knowing that the major record labels like them. The International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry has welcomed a decision by the Danish Supreme Court which will potentially put more responsibility onto internet service providers across Europe in policing the illegal sharing of copyright content online.
The case in question related to two individuals who operated FTP servers used for the illegal sharing of music. Denmark's AntiPiracyGroup, representing various content owners, argued that internet company TDC were obliged to cancel the accounts of the customers who were using their internet access to illegally share copyrighted music, and the country's Supreme Court yesterday agreed.
The decision was based on EU copyright laws, so the ruling possibly strengthens the case for content owners against internet service providers in other EU jurisdictions. The IFPI has already said that it wants internet service providers to take a more proactive role in policing the sharing of music online, and cases such as this show that the trade organisation may be able to force its will via the courts if necessary. To what extent the courts would be willing to extend the principle - ie what level of copyright violation would have to be proven before an ISP was obligate to act - remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, IFPI General Counsel and Executive Vice President Geoff Taylor told reporters yesterday: "This decision is good news for artists, record labels and copyright owners across the EU. It makes it clear that, in future, ISPs will be expected to play a much greater role in fighting copyright theft on the internet. It sends a strong message to ISPs across Europe."
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ALBUM REVIEW: Giant Drag - Hearts And Unicorns (Kickball Records)
Blimey, this takes me back. To the rather barren musical landscape of 1992, to be precise. With its MBV-meets-Mazzy-Star sound and general Breeders/Belly 'college indie' attitude, 'Hearts And Unicorns' would have sounded like the best thing ever in the early 90s. In those dark pre-Britpop days, guitar music was a tepid battlefield fought over by grunge, shoegazing and t-shirt indie/fraggle rock, whilst the proper pop charts were full of just utter shite. In 2006, this is not quite the oasis in a barren desert it would have been a decade and a half back, but instead it's actually something quite refreshing. A band not in thrall to angular post-punk choppiness or that produces lowest common denominator Arctic Monkeys-style puke rock seems quite a novel idea these days, but then this type of music has never really sold much. The guitars are pure Kevin Shields; as for the songs; think the Jesus And The Mary Chain without the tedious skag vocals, or The Kills on a hot sunny day, having fun pretending to be Lush. It's patchy in places and tails off a bit towards the end, but for the most part Annie Hardy and Micah Calabrese have made an album that compares favourably with its influences, yet strikes out on its own in a confident and single-minded way. MS
Release date: 27 Feb
Press contact: Bang On [all]
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JACKSON FAILS TO EXCLUDE EX WIFE
An appeal court in California has rejected an attempt by Michael Jackson to bar ex-wife Debbie Rowe from contact with their two children. The decision is the latest twist in the ongoing custody battle between Jackson and his ex, which began when Rowe began legal action to regain charge of the children shortly after the star's arrest in 2003 when he was accused of child abuse.
The decision invalidates a 2001 ruling when a judge granted Rowe's request to terminate her parental rights. The five appeal court judges yesterday backed a lower court's ruling that the aforementioned 2001 agreement to give up her right to custody was invalid, because the judge in that case had made a procedural error.
Rowe's eagerness to get her children back and remove them from the sphere of Jackson's influence seems not only to be based on worries over the child abuse accusations. Court documents also show that she has worries about Jackson's possible involvement with radical black religious group The Nation Of Islam. Rowe sought temporary exclusive custody of the children, "because of concerns arising from Michael's criminal prosecution and press reports Michael had associated with the Nation of Islam, whose members Deborah believed do 'not like Jews'," according to those documents.
Neither Jackson's lawyers nor US spokeswoman Raymone Bain have commented on the decision, which could, of course, lead to an all out custody battle between Jacko and his ex.
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STREETS TRACKLISTING REVEALED
You know that new Streets album we were talking about yesterday? Well, now the tracklisting for said album has been revealed. 'The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living', due for release on 10 Apr, will consist of eleven tracks, with the following names. So there you go, you can start imagining what they sound like.
Pranging Out
War of the Sexes
The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
All Goes Out the Window
Memento Mori
Can't Con an Honest John
When You Wasn't Famous
Never Went to Church
Hotel Expressionism
Two Nations
Fake Streets Hats
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NEW ACTS ADDED TO DOWNLOAD BILL
More acts have been added to the line-up for this year's Download. Korn, Deftones and Clutch have been confirmed to appear at the rock festival, joining headliners Metallica as well as The Prodigy, Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine on the bill.
As previously reported, the fourth Download Festival will take place at Donington Park from 9 - 11 Jun. More acts are expected to be confirmed soon.
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FRANZ FERDINAND PLAY T IN THE PARK
Franz Ferdinand are the latest band to be confirmed for T In The Park. They join a line-up, which, as previously reported, already features The Who, Kaiser Chiefs, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Arctic Monkeys, Sigur Ros and The Ordinary Boys.
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LOLLAPALOOZA GETS EXTRA DAY
The Lollapalooza Festival, as previously reported, is set to grace Chicago's Grant Park once again this year, but this time organisers have added a third day to the formerly mobile festival.
The festival is also expected to double in size; no acts have been announced for this year's event, which will take place from 4 - 6 Aug, but it will reportedly see 130 artists performing on eight different stages. Perry Farrell, formally of Jane's Addiction and festival co-founder, says: "Lollapalooza is a place where young upstarts become legends, and legends return to claim their fame. For three days this summer, people will come to Chicago to witness musical history in real time."
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KANO SET FOR NEWSNIGHT APPEARANCE
Kano is apparently set to appear on Newsnight this Friday to explain to confused news junkies just what this 'new-fangled Grime scene' is all about. Kano's new single, double A side 'Brown Eyes'/ 'Signs In Life' is released on 13 Mar, and he's also touring round about then, dates as follows:
8 Mar: Sheffield, Leadmill
9 Mar: Edinburgh, Venue
11 Mar: Liverpool, Academy
12 Mar: Oxford, Zodiac
14 Mar: Leicester University
16 Mar: Cambridge, Junction
17 Mar: Exeter, Vibraphonic @ Lemon Grove
18 Mar: Bournemouth, Old Firestation
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FALL OUT BOY ANNOUNCE UK TOUR DATES
Fall Out Boy have announced a series of UK tour dates. You know, Fall Out Boy. Yes, them. They've got a tour on. Here are the dates, tickets go on sale at 9am Saturday.
23 May: Manchester Apollo
24 May: London Brixton Academy
27 May: Leeds Millennium Square
29 May: Edinburgh Corn Exchange
30 May: Wolverhampton Civic Hall
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PRIMAL SCREAM PLAY ONE OFF LONDON SHOW
Primal Scream are set to debut material from their upcoming album release at a one off gig at London's Astoria on 6 Apr. The album is as yet without a title, but is expected to be released around the same time as the gig. The band have previously confirmed appearances at this year's Isle Of Wight Festival on 10 Jun and at T In The Park on 9 Jul.
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ELBOW CHAPS PERFORM WITH KIDS
Elbow chaps Guy Garvey and Richard Jupp are to give a performance accompanied by over a hundred children at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall later in the month. The pair will perform their track 'Grace Under Pressure' with the kids as part of a scheme set up by action group GMMAZ, called 'On Top Of The World', which aims to give musical opportunities to children.
Jupp says: "The GMMAZ project, On Top Of The World, is an amazing way to provide access to making music for kids that otherwise would not have the chance. Having seen the progress and the passion with which the kids and tutors approach the project, shows that all you need are opportunities and the rest will come naturally."
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COYNE TALKS BUSH IN MTV INTERVIEW
Flaming Lips frontman has told MTV "I'm an American and I feel like it's my duty to kind of remind people how much George Bush is an idiot," which is kind of what he said when he was presenting an award at the Brits last night, as it happens.
At the Brits, he left it at that. However, talking to MTV, he continued on the subject of his band's new single, 'Yeah Yeah Yeah Song', saying: "I think a lot of people read into the song that we're just bashing George Bush. And I think there's probably a little bit of truth to that. Sometimes we'd be in the studio and you can't help but be involved in current events, when you're watching news programmes. And you just get so outraged, you know?"
He continued: "I'd be the first to say that I don't think rock 'n' roll changes the world... it's never going to change any politician's agenda. But I think sometimes songs - and the 'Yeah Yeah Yeah Song' is one in particular - are where you get to say things that are just bugging the hell out of you. People think that rock songs change the world, and instead of really doing something that does change the world - something as simple as voting - people sit around listening to their iPods, and that doesn't change the world."
'Yeah Yeah Yeah Song' is out on 24 Apr, preceded by the release of the band's new album 'At War With The Mystics' on 3 April. Eeep. I'm so excited. I can't wait to hear it.
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ALBUM REVIEW: Various Artists - Soul and Jazz In The House (Slip N Slide)
Slip and Slide have assembled many compilations, and do rather well with this one, mixed by Parisian DJ Rico who has rounded up a good set, a tad schmaltzy at times but all in all a very solid package. Among the highlights are Mr V's 'Jus' Dance' which is deep, soulful, and brilliant if a touch abstract; a bit of gospel house from Allen Hoist's 'With Love'; Reggie Watts' 'Beautiful' remix; I Shead's 'Sincerement'; and massive vocal disco flecked house track 'Love is Better' from Frankie C. King Britt and Liz Fields' 'Time' is a killer, whilst Kemdi's 'Still A Dancer' is awesome, and much more poignant now I know this was the last track this 28 year old ex London lass made before she succumbed to MS. A good mix that sticks to what it says on the front cover - certainly Rico should be worth checking out when he crosses over La Manche. PV
Release date: 13 Feb
Press contact: Slip n Slide IH [all]
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KEATING SAYS WALSH IS A BIT OF A SHIT
Ronan Keating has told the Press Gazette that Louis Walsh tried to stymie his career, saying that he has not forgiven Walsh, as the X-Factor judge claims, and, seemingly, is in no mood to capitulate.
Keating said: "I have no respect for him, he tried to absolutely ruin my career. He was jealous. I had to sack him because he wouldn't manage me. He hurt me all right."
He continued: "He's trying to make up with me because he wants Boyzone to get back together. He says in the papers: "Oh, Ronan and I shook hands" but it's bullshit. He is very controlling and wants to have everything."