| CMU Daily - on the inside Monday 24th April |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- More EMI Warner merger reports
- Jobs stands firm on iTunes pricing model
- US court dismisses RIAA P2P case against teen file sharer
- 6200 individuals sign copyright petition
- Barat on the Libertines collapse
- Doherty, out of jail, for now
- Rapper Swift, in jail, for now
- Snoop Dogg sued over on stage altercation
- Stapp / Rock sex tape update
- Jacko juror sells court notes
- Red Hot Chili Pepper calls for Bush to be impeached
- Bell X1 join Oxfam's anti-arms trade campaign
- Album review: Trabant - Emotional
- Smashing Pumpkins confirm reunion
- Test Icicles play final gig
- Athlete start work on album number three
- B-52s pull out of European dates
- Dire Straits not playing Glastonbury 2007
- Single review: Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken
- Roth kicked off Stern slot on CBS
- Former GWR man likely to take over Capital PD job
- Embrace reveal World Cup song
- Vivendi drop the Universal
- MySpace UK site goes live
- Single review: Infadels - Love Like Semtex
- Chart update
- Subshot playlist
- CMU radio show playlist
- George, Elton, soap operas, stuff
- Aussie X-factor judge calls the show unethical
- Church defends her man
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TOP BIT>>
For reasons I don't quite understand I am in a good Spring-like mood this morning, despite the fact an eerie and rather damp mist is linger over the Isle Of Dogs. I think it's because it was warm enough this weekend to dump my coat and depend, instead, on my increasingly ragged hooded top (it really is ragged - if anyone has a promo hoodie lying around the office, I could give it a very good home). But perhaps my good mood is, in fact, nothing to do with the increase in temperature, and everything to do with the fact that another edition of the CMU radio show goes live today. No, come to think of it, it's the temperature. But don't let that put you off this latest edition of top web radio listening, featuring a stack of great music, all the music news chatter you could possibly require and a special bit previewing the upcoming Carling Live 24 proceedings. As always, it will go live this afternoon at http://www.thebeatsbar.co.uk/cmuradio - once it is there you can listen to it whenever you like (well, assuming you have an internet connection and Windows Media Player). Hurrah.
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JOBS & STUFF>>
Successful North London based entertainment PR agency seeks Senior Account Executive to work on music accounts. Applicant must have broad range of media contacts, be highly literate and like working under pressure and to deadlines. You should have a minimum of 2 years PR experience. Starting salary of £20k plus bonuses and health plan. Apply to [email protected] in writing only. Please check your application for grammatical errors or typographical mistakes before applying or you will be immediately rejected.
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PRESS ROOM>>
SOUND STATION FESTIVAL... A brand new music festival is launching in Birmingham in May. The Sound Station Festival will be the first UK festival to offer equal weighting to the live dance music genres. The format of Sound Station is a ground breaking collection of styles, with a clear focus on new, exciting indie/rock talent and credible, leftfield dance DJs and acts.
More info:
http://www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/pressroom/soundstation
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ON AIR>>
TODAY ON TOTALROCK
Another chance to hear Lacuna Coil presenting their own show on TotalRock (2-3pm). Listen live at http://www.totalrock.com
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RIGHT NOW IN THE CMU BEATS BAR>>
MySpace Of The Day: ThreeWeeks
Yeah, OK, this is what is known in the trade as a blatant plug. Some might call it an abuse of power, but those people would be wrong. Blatant, yes. Abusive, no. Anyway, CMU's sister title ThreeWeeks celebrates its tenth birthday this month and, as we may have mentioned before, is expanding with it. ThreeWeeks has been covering the Edinburgh Festival for a decade - providing simply the most comprehensive coverage and ensuring that the grassroots and alternative shows and performers ignored by the mainstream media get the attention they deserve. It also provides 80 odd students with unrivalled media training opportunities. Next month, for the first time, we will be taking that ethos to Brighton, where the Brighton Festival is celebrating its 40th anniversary, where the Brighton Festival Fringe is getting ever bigger, and where two new music festivals are being launched - the previously reported Great Escape and an exciting new songwriting festival called The Carousel. A team of 30 odd students and young journalists will be reviewing as much of all of that as possible, with their reviews published in a weekly ThreeWeeks magazine distributed free with Brighton's Latest 7 magazine, plus online at http://www.threeweeks.co.uk. How do I justify all this plugging here in the MySpace Of The Day slot? Well, the ThreeWeeks MySpace page went live this weekend! So, if you want to stay in touch with all things ThreeWeeks, or you want to confess your friendship to our sister title to the wider world, then you know where to go.
http://www.myspace.com/threeweeksguide
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MORE EMI WARNER MERGER REPORTS
Monday morning merger news, which is nice, if only for the alliteration. The Sunday Times this weekend reported that both EMI and Warner Music are preparing to start fresh merger talks. Citing unnamed sources, the paper says that talks could begin between the two companies "within months".
The reports follow those previously reported rumours regarding the possibility of an EMI Warner merger. Both major record companies are now dwarfed by their rivals SonyBMG and Universal Music, leading some to suggest a merger is all but inevitable. However, others point out that it is not a foregone conclusion that any merger would get past competition officials at the European Commission, especially given that those officials are currently facing a legal challenge from the independent sector to their decision two years ago to allow Sony and BMG to merge. Some reckon that, given the fact a previous attempt by EMI and Warner to merge hit problems at the EC approval stage, executives might not be willing to risk the cost of a failed attempt at merger.
However, the Sunday Times yesterday said that senior players at both companies are currently working independently on potential structures for a merged operation, although the paper says neither side has yet approached the other with their proposals. However, investment banks have been approached, the paper reckons, with EMI likely to appoint the services of Citigroup and UBS, and Warner, Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers.
Should a merger take place it will be interesting to see what form it takes. Insiders say the investment community would lobby against a deal that saw a new company owned 50/50 by EMI Group and Warner Music given the highly public executive tensions that have resulted from the 50/50 deal struck by Sony and BMG. However, whether one side would be able to essentially takeover the other remains to be seen - some wonder if a merger with EMI would provide Edgar Bronfmann Jnr and his financial backers the opportunity to leave the music space with a sufficiently healthy profit from their dabblings in Warner Music.
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JOBS STANDS FIRM ON ITUNES PRICING MODEL
Newspaper reports this weekend also regarding the ongoing negotiations between Apple and the major record companies regarding iTunes. As previously reported, the existing deals between Apple and the majors are running out fast, and the record companies are keen to use the opportunity to push for variable pricing on the download platform - a move which would enable a variable pricing model to be adopted across the digital music space. Word is Apple boss Steve Jobs remains adamantly opposed to such a move, and he has reportedly been bullish of late on the matter, as if to suggest the major record companies are likely to fall in line with his mission to continue with the established iTunes pricing system.
That said, some insiders at the record companies are saying that they are standing their ground on this one too, even going as far as to suggest one or more of the majors might withdraw their catalogue from the download platform if Jobs doesn't budge. The problem is, though, that iTunes remains so dominant in the increasingly important digital music space that withdrawing from the platform would be a commercial risk - and that's before you consider the PR damage such a move could cause (Jobs would be sure to position the record companies as the greedy corporates in this battle - he has already said as much in the past).
What might happen is that no new contracts are signed, but things continue as normal, without contract, while negotiations continue. Meanwhile the record companies will hope a new major download player will materialise (Google? Amazon? A mobile company?) to break Apple's dominance in the space and in doing so increase their standing in these negotiations.
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US COURT DISMISSES RIAA P2P CASE AGAINST TEEN FILE SHARER
Fun in the Michigan courts last week, where judges dismissed that previously reported lawsuit being pursued by the Recording Industry Association Of America against teenager Brittany Chan, who was accused of illegally sharing copyright music via P2P networks. The US District Court ruled that the industry organisation had failed to deliver a functional proposal for the appointment of a 'guardian ad litem' for the defendant.
As previously reported, this has been a long running case which began when the RIAA sued Chan's mother Candy who, the trade organisation claimed, should be help liable for copyright violation committed by her daughter. Candy Chan successfully defended herself saying that she could not be held liable for her daughter's actions, leaving the RIAA facing the prospect of suing the 14 year old Brittany directly. However, in order to do that, Michigan law says a 'guardian ad litem', or 'legal guardian for the proceeding', must be appointed. As the girl's mother had already successfully removed herself from the equation it was up to the RIAA to propose how that should be done. In last week's ruling the District Court was basically saying the trade association had failed to come up with a suitable proposal.
In a written statement, the court said on Friday: "The court finds [the] plaintiffs' failure to respond to the order [to make a suitable proposal] inexplicable in light of the efforts of the court to work with the plaintiffs in advancing this case and the fact that plaintiffs were ordered to provide a proposal. Accordingly, the court concludes that plaintiffs' failure to comply with an order of the court justifies the dismissal of plaintiffs' action".
It is unclear if this case sets any dangerous precedent for the RIAA - ie that teenagers who are guilty of illegally sharing music online can avoid litigation because they cannot be sued directly and their parents cannot be held liable for their actions. The industry association will be hoping that the intricacies of this case will prevent such a sweeping and potentially damaging precedent being adopted by other courts considering its anti-P2P lawsuits.
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6200 INDIVIDUALS SIGN COPYRIGHT PETITION
Petitions from some 6200 individuals were presented to the Treasury on Friday ahead of the deadline for submissions for that previously reported government review on copyright.
The signatures were assigned to one of two submissions to the so called Gower Review Of Intellectual Property, one from royalties body PPL essentially representing performers, another from trade magazine Music Week essentially representing industry executives. Both submissions call for an extension in recorded music copyrights, which currently last for 50 years in European countries. According to Billboard, 4300 of those signatures came from artists, including U2 frontman Bono, the Shadows' Bruce Welch, Cliff Richard and Tom Jones.
As previously reported, the music industry is keen to increase the length of recorded music copyrights in Europe, which are generally shorter than those awarded to performers elsewhere in the world, and which are somewhat out of sync with the copyrights enjoyed by songwriters, which last for 70 years after a composer's death. The issue is becoming increasingly important as key recordings from the early history of rock 'n' roll start to reach their fiftieth anniversary, and industry execs hope that the UK government's review of copyright will be a starting point for persuading the European Commission to act on increasing recorded copyright lengths.
Confirming the high number of signatures on their petition, Fran Nevrkla, CEO of PPL, told reporters: "We have been absolutely astounded and very touched by the response we have had from performers on this".
Meanwhile Tom Jones said in a statement: "When you make music, you want to be able to leave it for your family. I don't understand why you don't own your music forever. When I first started out making music, I wasn't thinking about what was going to happen in 50 years time."
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BARAT ON THE LIBERTINES COLLAPSE
Ex-Libertine Carl Barat has spoken to the Guardian about the collapse of his former band, insisting that he didn't fire Pete Doherty.
Talking ahead of the release of his new band's debut album next month (Dirty Pretty Things' 'Waterloo To Anywhere'), Barat told the paper: "I never kicked him out of the band, I said to Pete, 'You're in a state, you're not turning up for things, you're doing terrible things, which we won't go into - don't come to play this gig. You've missed half the tour anyway - don't come and play this gig. I don't think you're well enough'. He went nuts, and he wasn't well enough anyway, so we continued without him and the long and short of it is that afterwards I said, 'Don't come and play with us till you sort yourself out'. He took that as a massive 'up yours', got angry about it and rather than rectify the problems we were talking about he went and formed a band that would put up with his problems so it wouldn't be an issue."
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DOHERTY, OUT OF JAIL, FOR NOW
And talking of Doherty, I believe when we pressed send on Friday's Daily he was still banged up in an East London police station having been arrested on drugs charges just hours after a judge at the Thames Magistrates Court commended him for his attempts to kick his druggy ways. Well, he was released on bail later that day, ordered to return to the police station in June when charges may or may not be made.
He may return to jail before then however, because Doherty is reportedly talking about playing a gig at London's Pentonville Prison in a bid to ape Johnny Cash's legendary performance at Folsom Prison.
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RAPPER SWIFT, IN JAIL, FOR NOW
In the US, meanwhile, D12 member Swift has been jailed on a probation violation after he missed a court hearing last week. The rapper faces 93 days in jail after breaking the term of a probation relating to a previous drink driving offence. To be honest, it all seems a bit tight if you ask me, given that he failed to make court because he was attending the funeral of late bandmate Proof who, has previously reported, was shot dead earlier this month at a Detroit club. The jail sentence was that high because when police caught up with Swift he tested positive for alcohol - a condition of his probation is that he keeps off drink and drugs.
Swift, real name Ondre Moore, was an honourary pallbearer at Proof's funeral where fellow D12er Eminem addressed the amassed mourners, saying: "I'm sure everybody who has ever met him, even just once, can testify to the fact that he illuminated a room when he walked in it. I believe that Proof loved people and people loved him". 50 Cent and Young Buck were also in attendance at the service at Detroit's Fellowship Chapel.
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SNOOP DOGG SUED OVER ON STAGE ALTERCATION
Snoop Dogg fan Richard Monroe has launched formal legal proceedings over that previously reported altercation that occurred on stage during a date on the How The West Was One Tour last May. Monroe claims that he was invited on stage at the gig, but was then set upon by Snoop's entourage - leaving him "ruthlessly ... dragged, kicked, punched, jumped and otherwise severely beaten". His lawsuit, which seeks a mere $22 million in punitive and compensatory damages for assault, battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, lists Snoop, the Game, Kurupt, Daz Dillinger and Soopafly among the defendants.
No doubt responding to claims from the Snoop camp that any members of the rapper's entourage involved in the altercation acted defensively after Monroe made threatening moves - the lawsuit says: "Monroe did nothing suggestive of hostility and nothing whatsoever to provoke the violent response that ensued".
No word from any of the defendants as yet - though a preliminary hearing in the case has been set for 31 Jul.
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STAPP / ROCK SEX TAPE UPDATE
More on that sex video featuring former Creed man Scott Stapp and Kid Rock which, as previously reported, the rockers have been trying to get permanently withdrawn from sale (so far they have managed to force World Wide Red Light District to suspend distribution of the tape temporarily).
A court has dismissed a separate lawsuit issued by one of the women in the video because she refused to file her court papers under her real name. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Gerald Hubbart told the unnamed woman's lawyer that the litigation could not proceed, but that she could refile her lawsuit within twenty days providing she did so under her real name.
The woman was suing both World Wide Red Light District and, for reasons I'm not entirely sure on, Scott Stapp but not Kid Rock. World Wide Red Light District continue to claim they are within their rights to distribute the video, telling reporters: "she's not a child, she's not abused, and she can't claim invasion of privacy because this tape was made in the presence of others".
But the unnamed woman's lawyer argued: "She's not a celebrity. She's not a public figure. She was promised there would never be any intentional commercial use or profit made from the tape".
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JACKO JUROR SELLS COURT NOTES
In kind of legal news, one of the 'alternate' jurors on last year's Michael Jackson child abuse court case is selling his notes, court ID badge and certificate of appreciation from the Judge Rodney Melville via eBay. Jeffrey Welbaum was on the reserve juror list, meaning he attended the court case but did not actually sit on the jury that acquitted the singer. Speaking to the New York Post about the sale, Welbaum said: "It's something that's probably more important to someone else, like a fan of Michael Jackson's."
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RED HOT CHILI PEPPER CALLS FOR BUSH TO BE IMPEACHED
Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers has called on George W Bush to be impeached for lieing about his somewhat dubious foreign policy. Writing on the RHCP website, Flea writes: "George W Bush should definitely be impeached, he is a liar and his lies have bought misery to millions of people and bought no good to anyone except for the corporate oil billionaires who are making huge profits. Bush has made the world a much less safe place. Before the war Iraq was not a place for terrorists. Saddam Hussein, brutal dictator that he was, was secular and had nothing to do with Al Queda. The people of Iraq are no better off at all. All those people want is for the Americans to leave decent families and people like you and I who never wanted America there in the first place".
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BELL X1 JOIN OXFAM'S ANTI-ARMS TRADE CAMPAIGN
Also getting political are CMU favourites Bell X1, who are supporting Oxfam's Control Arms Campaign. Having donated a song to the charity's Generation Why? website, the band's Paul Noonan has criticised the world's arms trade, saying: "Governments spend huge portions of their budget on arms, from the American super-power to the poorest third world countries. Many arms manufacturers were once at least partly state-owned, and retain cosy ties with governments that pay them huge amounts of money for their arms, and also facilitate the export of arms. Western governments must be called to task for granting arms export licenses in cases where doing so fuels tyranny and oppression, such as in Israel and Indonesia".
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ALBUM REVIEW: Trabant - Emotional (Southern Fried)
Trabant's founding members came from a circus band and started out making late-90s dance music on computers. The keyboard player comes from a Death Metal band and composes symphonies for the Helsinki Symphony Orchestra in his spare time. Their DJ is Iceland's most spectacular turntablist, DJ Magic. All very impressive sounding, but doesn't that mix make for a horrible mashing of styles? Well, in short: yes. Synth intro 'Overture' sounds like Iceland's more famous export, Sigur Ros. Last year's single release 'Maria' is a funky riff-led slice of Rock and Roll. 'Nasty Boy' just sounds like a less entertaining Har Mar Superstar. 'Pump You Up' sounds like a slow Prince b-side. 'Galdur' is just glitchy computer game sounds. 'Emotional Meltdown' sounds like Muse, if Muse just wrote power ballads and nothing else. Forthcoming single 'The One' is expansive electronic pop, and finally closing track 'Arms' recalls an 80s U2 track, played very, very slowly. Wow, what a mess. The overall impression is more like a compilation CD than an album, albeit an eclectic and enjoyable one. Making sense of it all is difficult, but that's not to say it's not fun - after all the utter mixture of styles is a refreshing change and prevents lazy dislikers moaning that "it all sounds the same". Drummer Doddi says "Our initial goal was to upstage Queen by 2007". Given that they held Coldplay's 'X&Y' off the number one spot in Iceland, they might make that deadline in their home country, but odds are that elsewhere in the world they probably won't. DG
Release Date: 19 Jun
Press Contact: Darling [all]
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SMASHING PUMPKINS CONFIRM REUNION
A statement on the Smashing Pumpkins website has confirmed those reports that the band are reforming to record a new album. Well, I say reforming, it's not yet clear which band members will be joining Billy Corgan in the reunion, though drummer Jimmy Chamberlain seems certain to be involved. Anyway, the statement on the band's website reads thus: "It's official, The Smashing Pumpkins are currently writing songs for their upcoming album, their first since 2000. No release date has been set, but the band plans to begin recording this summer."
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TEST ICICLES PLAY FINAL GIG
Talking of, erm, stories that mention the Smashing Pumpkins (yep, the links a pretty tenuous today), Test Icicles played their final show together at the Astoria on Saturday night, with Rory Atwell telling his enthusiastic audience: "I saw Smashing Pumpkins here when I was 14. It was the first time I ever crowd surfed; people touched my arse - it was beautiful".
Saturday's gig was something of a raucous affair by all accounts, even by Test Icicles' standards, which was kind of fitting for their final show. Test Icicles RIP badges were distributed to the crowd.
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ATHLETE START WORK ON ALBUM NUMBER THREE
Athlete have been taking about their next album on their website. Bass player Carey Willetts reports that preparations are underway for album number three, writing: "It's been a good week all round. Joel, Tim and I got together to play each other our ideas and do a little recording. We've booked into a rehearsal studio for two days next week so we can all start playing over ideas together".
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B-52S PULL OUT OF EUROPEAN DATES
Now, this has ruined my Monday. The wonderful B52s have pulled out of their upcoming European tour dates, which includes their Shepherds Bush Empire gig and their set at the Wireless Festival on 22 Jun. Damn.
The band have issued the following statement: "The B-52's have had to make the very tough decision to withdraw from their European summer touring plans. At present they are deeply involved in the writing of their next album, and they have become so excited with its progress that they now feel quite strongly about not wanting to disrupt their momentum. The band is sorry to disappoint all their fans and the promoters who have been eagerly anticipating their return to Europe. They are very much looking forward to presenting and touring behind their new album in early 2007."
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DIRE STRAITS NOT PLAYING GLASTONBURY 2007
Talking of things not happening (told you the links were tenuous), a statement on the Glastonbury website has ruled out the chances of Dire Straits playing the festival next year. As previously reported, rumours that the band might appear at the 2007 festival followed remarks made by Glasto man Michael Eavis on Xfm. When presenter Shaun Keavney joked about Dire Straits playing, Eavis said: "Funnily enough, I'm talking to them at the moment you know. Yeah, not for the Main Stage but for something else".
However, a statement on the Glastonbury website has subsequently clarified matters: "To set the record straight, Dire Straits will not be playing next year's Glastonbury. We apologise to anyone who had their hopes up, and of course, to the band and their management for the misunderstanding."
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SINGLE REVIEW: Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken (Elefant Records)
How many Campbells are there in Glasgow? Probably quite a lot, I'm willing to bet. I am, however, wondering if it's a coincidence that Tracyanne Campbell, singer in Camera Obscura, shares a surname with Isobel Campbell, one-time singer in Belle and Sebastian. They certainly share a lovely voice, and I wonder if crafting beautiful intelligent pop music runs in the genes. Camera Obscura do share more than a passing similarity with Scotland's favourite indie-pop act. From the church-organ synths, to the string backing over the guitar, this song could have come straight off one of the more recent Belle and Sebastian albums, and in fact if it were on one of them, it would certainly be one of the highlights. Camera Obscura share a lot of ground with Stuart Murdoch and friends, but it's very pleasant ground to be on. DG
Release Date: 15 May
Press Contact: Triad [all]
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ROTH KICKED OFF STERN SLOT ON CBS
David Lee Roth has been sacked as presenter of the post-Stern show on US radio network CBS. As previously reported, Roth replaced Howard Stern on certain, though not all, CBS stations when the shock jock finally left the terrestrial network at the end of last year. Rumours had been circulating for several weeks that the new show wasn't working out and that CBS bosses were ready to swing the axe. Roth started his show on Friday by telling his listeners "it's official, today is my last day" - before revealing that he had been told he was being fired "in the car on the way to work today". Needless to say, the departure is not a happy one, except, perhaps, for the lawyers who represent the former Van Halen man and the radio network who can expect some healthy fees in the coming months. Roth told his listeners: "I was booted, tossed and it's going to cost somebody", adding that he was meeting with his lawyers later that day - the same legal firm who are representing Stern in his wranglings with CBS.
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FORMER GWR MAN LIKELY TO TAKE OVER CAPITAL PD JOB
No one, presumably, will be surprised to hear that a former GWR man is being lined up to take on the Programme Director job at Capital Radio, a job that became vacant last week when the London station's MD Keith Pringle and PD Nik Goodman were kicked out by the top guard at GCap, the GWR dominated parent company created by the merger of GWR and Capital.
The Guardian reports that favourite to take over the PD job is Scott Muller, formerly a GWR exec who helped launch the radio company's digital division, and currently PD at music radio station Nova in Sydney. That gossip is aided by the fact that Muller was over in the UK recently, and that Capital is already known to have copied some advertising tactics off the Australian station.
According to the Guardian, GWR chief Ralph Bernard highly regards Nova's advertising strategies which some say helped the relative newcomer to Sydney's radio sector achieve quick ratings and commercial successes. However some in the Australian radio community question the real value of that strategy - claiming that Nova's early successes were down to its position as a newcomer in a stagnant market and that the station is starting to struggle now that it has settled down to a format more akin to its competitors.
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EMBRACE REVEAL WORLD CUP SONG
Is it just me, or are there going to be about 312 England World Cup songs this year? Ah well, the official one, you know, the one recorded by Embrace, was officially revealed on Friday.
Most commentary on the track has focused on the fact there is no mention of the word 'football' in its lyrics, nor any obvious reference to the team or its players. But frontman Danny McNamara has been keen to point out all the subtle football references contained within, telling the BBC: "There's 'You lift it up with one proud kiss', which is obviously about lifting the cup. Then there's 'You're the first in my life to think we might just go all the way'. I wasn't born in 1966 but I think they have got every chance."
McNamara admitted the band were "very, very nervous" about unveiling their song, especially to the England team, who were due to hear it over the weekend. Speaking before that unveiling, McNamara continued: "They haven't heard it yet, but we are playing the PFA awards so we'll get a chance to play it to them then. We hope they like it. We did it wholeheartedly so we hope they like it."
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VIVENDI DROP THE UNIVERSAL
One for those who like to get their company names right. Vivendi Universal, the parent company of the Universal Music Group, will from this point onwards be known simply as Vivendi. The change, confirmed last week, fulfils a commitment made to NBC when Vivendi sold them the Universal film and TV business back in 2004.
The change will effect the group's gaming division, formerly Vivendi Universal Games, and now known as Vivendi Games. The Universal Music Group, however, will continue to use the Universal name - that 2004 agreement with NBC allowing the music division of Vivendi to do so until 2029, which is quite a long way away.
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MYSPACE UK SITE GOES LIVE
The UK MySpace site is slowly materialising, which means if you access MySpace from the UK you will start to see little union jacks and UK focused content. With that in mind, click on MySpace Music and you now see UK created editorial. Don't go saying we didn't warn you.
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SINGLE REVIEW: Infadels - Love Like Semtex (PIAS/Wall of Sound)
It seems like only yesterday I wrote 'I like your head' on a banner, and took it to V Festival with me. Infadels opened that performance with 'Love Like Semtex', just like every other time I've seen them. They also open their recent album 'We Are Not The Infadels' with it, and it's a great opener. It builds up and up and up over a mere 3 minutes before climaxing in a storm of drums and guitars in the last 20 seconds. Did I mention it also stomps on every other dance-rock band out there at the moment? Of course, no review of Infadels would be complete without a brief mention of their stunning live show. This is a band who thrive in the gig environment, and genuinely make people dance. If you get the chance to see them in their natural habitat, make sure you take it, and you won't be disappointed. DG
Release Date: 15 May
Press Contact: PIAS IH [all]
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CHART UPDATE
Yeah, that Gnarls Barclay, yeah, they're still number one in the singles chart. Boring, boring boring. New entries as follows: Deep Dish ft Stevie Nicks' 'Dreams' at 14, Michael Jackson's 'Leave Me Alone' re-release at 15, Flaming Lips' 'Yeah Yeah Yeah Song' at 16, Blaze ft Barbera Tucker's 'Most Precious Love' at 17, Soundbwoy Ent's 'Never Wanna Say' at 18, Trina ft Kelly Rowland's 'Here We Go' at 19, Richard Ashcroft's 'Music Is Power' at 20, Snow Patrol's 'You're All I Have' at 30, Juanes' 'La Camisa Negra' at 32 and A-Ha's 'Cosy Prisons at 39.
Albums wise, that Shayne Ward goes straight in at number one, beating the always wonderful Zutons, who go in at number two. Damn him. Other new entries: Peter Grant with 'New Vintage' at 8, Charlatans with 'Simpatico' at 10 and a Bowie best of thingy at 36.
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SUBSHOT PLAYLIST
The videos appearing on the SUBtv network in students' unions across the UK. New entries marked with a *.
A LIST
Blaze (feat Barbara Tucker) - Most Precious Love (Defected)
The Kooks - Naïve (EMI/Virgin)
*Primal Scream - Country Girl (SonyBMG/Columbia)
*The Raconteurs - Steady As She Goes (Beggars/XL)
*Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California (Warners)
*Soundbwoy Ent. - Never Wanna Say (MoS)
Stereophonics - Dakota (Live) (V2)
The Streets - When You Wasn't Famous (679)
*We Are Scientists - Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt (EMI/Virgin)
The Zutons - Why Won't You Give Me Your Love (Deltasonic)
B LIST
Akala - The Edge (Illastate)
The Boy Least Likely To - Be Gentle With Me (Too Young To Die)
*Coldplay - The Hardest Part (EMI/Parlophone)
*The Datsuns - Stuck Here For Days (V2)
*Director - Reconnect (Warner/Atlantic)
*Hot Chip - And I Was A Boy From School (EMI)
Infernal - From Paris To Berlin (Blanco Y Negro)
*Nerina Pallot - Everybody's Gone To War (Warner/14th Floor)
*The Spinto Band - Did I Tell You (Radiate)
*Tiga - Far From Home (Different)
*Undercut - Doing Fine (Distiller)
The Vines - Gross Out (EMI/Heavenly)
White Rose Movement - Girls In The Back (Independiente)
*Zero 7 - Throw It All Away (Warner/Atlantic)
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CMU RADIO SHOW PLAYLIST
Here it is then. It's what we played on our radio show this week. The very radio show you can listen to later today at http://www.thebeatsbar.co.uk/cmuradio.
Lucky Soul - Lips Are Unhappy (Ruffa Lane Records)
Mystery Jets - You Can't Fool Me Dennis (679)
Starsailor - Keep Us Together (EMI)
Seven Seals - Loose Ends (Pimp Millipede Recordings)
747s - Equilibrium (Ark Recordings)
Hey Gravity - Inside Out (Rise Recordings)
Lil Kim - Whoa (Warner/Atlantic Records)
The Notorious BIG - Spit Your Game (Bad Boy Entertainment)
Jimmy Screech - Attention (Trailblazers / Banana Klan)
CARLING LIVE 24 SPECIAL
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot (Warner/B-unique)
Ian Brown - My Star (Universal/Fiction)
Goldie Lookin Chain - Charm School (Warner/Atlantic)
The Cuban Brothers - A Million Stories (Sunday Best)
The Ordinary Boys - The List Goes On (B-unique)
Razorlight - Stumble And Fall (Universal/Vertigo)
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GEORGE, ELTON, SOAP OPERAS, STUFF
George Michael has told Michael Parkinson that he blames Elton John, in part at least, for the media's current obsession with his private life. The singer told Parkinson that comments made by Elton John eighteen months ago, when John said he was wasting his talent and should get out more, had had quite an effect on his life.
Michael: "Unfortunately every artist nowadays has a soap opera and it's decided where they're going to be in that. The trajectory of my particular soap opera launched from that statement Elton made about 18 months ago when he hadn't seen me for years. For some reason, from that point on, I've been trying to prove that I'm not [really miserable]. That unfortunately made me really vulnerable to the press".
Elton John hasn't responded to the interview, though one friend told the Daily Star Sunday that Michael's comments should not be taken to imply that the two pop stars are on bad terms. The friend apparantly said: "As far as Elton's concerned he is George's friend and there are no issues between them. They had dinner together nine months ago and get on fine with each other. There's nothing wrong with their friendship".
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AUSSIE X-FACTOR JUDGE CALLS THE SHOW UNETHICAL
Kate Ceberano, a judge on the Aussie version of X Factor, has hit out at the reality pop show, saying the programme is a sham. Speaking to Aussie newspaper Herald Sun, she described decisions made by the show's producers as "unethical" and "evil", adding: "Once I got on the show, and they started shifting the goal posts, it became absolutely frightening".
In particular she criticised producers for reshooting rejection scenes in a bid to get a better glimpse of misery from the evicted contestants. Ceberano: "That was completely unethical. You can't deliver bad news twice hoping for bigger tears the second time around. That's evil. It was humiliating to be a part of that show. I think most people felt sorry for me."
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CHURCH DEFENDS HER MAN
Charlotte Church has hit back at Pink for dissing her man. As previously reported, Pink criticised Church's other half, rugby player Gavin Henson, after appearing on the Johnathan Ross show with him. Pink said she'd never met a man so vain.
Church has responded thus: "She's desperate for PR, what with her new album. I think she said it because Gav turned down an offer to be in her next video. We were stunned because after the show, she posed for pictures with him and gave him loads of her CDs. Why do that if she didn't like him?"
In Pink's defence, I saw Henson's interview and he did come across as very vain. Though, to be fair, I was less surprised by his vanity, and more by how incredibly dull he was.