| CMU Daily - on the inside Tuesday 27th June |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- Supreme Court knocks back TVT appeal
- Boy George warned again
- Choice FM DJ gets damages over gay romp implications
- Arif Mardin dies
- Pharrell to be face of Vuitton
- Album Review: India Arie - Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship
- Beck goes hippedy hoppedy
- Killers album news
- Charlatans releasing stuff via website
- Bowie, Roxy, Iggy contribute to Curtis film soundtrack
- Jay-Z records new album
- The return of Dr O
- Andrew WK working on three albums
- Avalanches delay album release
- Fan funded plaque for the Triffids to be unveiled
- Album Review: The Remote - Too Low To Miss
- EMI seeking private equity for BMG songs offer
- Universal UK launch TV division
- MusicBrigade expands
- Live review: Jeremy Warmsley at Borderline
- Muse cancel show due to weather
- Foxy Brown for AIDs awareness gig
- Strummer festival announced
- Electric Gardens launch party
- Tokyo Dragons play Tapestry Goes West
- Lionel Richie does proms thingy
- Lytle solo tour
- Mornng After Girls dates
- Radiohead/Cameron spoofy thing online
- Spears changes her look quite significantly
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TOP BIT>>
OK, a logistical Top Bit today. We're often asked about the best places to send stories and CDs to CMU - so consider this the one stop guide to getting in touch.
For corporate announcements, artists news stories, tour dates, release info, Doherty sightings and non-libelous gossip - email all the info to [email protected] This is by far the best email (ie rather than the emails of any team members) because the musicnews inbox gets searched daily for stories, where as emails in personal inboxes normally get lost among a barrage of other stuff and are often unearthed during one of those very occasional inbox spring cleans, when said news story is no longer news.
CDs for review should be sent to Music Reviews, UnLimited Media, Fl 3 Grampian House, Meridian Gate, London, E14 9YT - again no individual name needed, every jiffy bag gets opened by Mary oblivious of who it's addressed to. She then forwards CDs to relevant members of the CMU college review team (who are based all over the UK) who write our reviews. Any PRs out there, if you can double check you have our up-to-date details that would be cool.
Music you want to be considered for the CMU radio show should go to Chris + Caro, CMU Radio, UnLimited Media, Fl 3 Grampian House, Meridian Gate, London, E14 9YT - if possible it's good if you can send stuff to the review team and radio show separately - otherwise a record is in danger of getting a radio play and no review, or vice versa!
If you want to offer any feedback, ask questions, discuss advertising in the Daily, or finalise that incredibly good sponsorship deal we've not been talking about, then email [email protected] If you just click reply to the Daily your email goes to our mail-out server - we do often spot them, though they will be sitting in amongst 300 out-of-office replies and 25,000 spam emails, so there's a chance we won't.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is enough logistics, for now anyway.
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JOBS N STUFF>>
Up-Comms - PR Account Manager
Up-Comms, the PR division of content/research agency Ramp Industry (http://www.rampindustry.com), is looking for an account manager to join our team. Around half of the projects will be music-related; around half covering fields elsewhere in lifestyle/entertainment. We need someone who's massively organised, has at least two years experience in offline or online music PR; who's confident, creative and, as importantly, who's capable of implementing the PR/awareness themselves. Salary circa: £22k. Location: London. Preferred start date: early July. Please send your CV to [email protected]
Outpost PR - Online & Press Officer
Outpost PR is seeking a new online and press officer to join our fast expanding team. This is a unique, joint role covering all aspects of online promotion and traditional PR. Some online experience is a pre-requisite for this role, either in the form of HTML, web design, or other online knowledge. No direct press experience is required, though would be advantageous. Creative, motivated and enthusiastic, you will also be able to demonstrate exceptional writing and communication skills as well as an eye for detail. Please send your application, including CV, via e-mail to [email protected] stating 'Outpost Vacancy' in the subject line. No calls please!
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CMU SUPPORTS >>
LONDON CALLING 2006 29th Thursday - 30th Friday, June: At London Calling you can meet with the people who are steering the new music industry to its future, crack open a beer and enjoy the vibe from the two live stages hosting great new bands. Plus there are a whole range of off-site gigs and parties where the hottest acts on the circuit are turning up the volume to 11. Courtesy of CMU (an official media partner of London Calling) you can register now to visit the Exhibition strand for only £25 (instead of the current ticket price of £45 + VAT) - just click here www.londoncalling2006.com/register.htm, select the 'exhibition only' option and enter E48672C in the promotional code box. This pass allows you entry to the trade show floor, workshops, showcases and some of the evening events at London Calling.
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PRESS ROOM>>
PAY DAY JUNE
Eddy TM and Barry Ashworth's PayDay returns to Neighbourhood this Friday, 30 Jun. Live on stage will be buzz bands Vatican DC and Devils Gun, plus the guys from Cooper Temple Clause will be on the decks, alongside Eddy TM and Barry Ashworth. It kicks off a 9pm and runs till 2am, tickets are £10 on the door, or £8 in advance from http://www.ticketweb.co.uk. Press information from Get Involved.
Full press release at: http://www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/pressroom/payday
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ON AIR>>
TODAY ON TOTALROCK
Feebz will be talking to US band The Shocker, who include Jennifer Finch, formerly of L7 ('Helldrive', 3-6pm). Maz Star's special guests are Breed 77, who will presumably be promoting new album 'In My Blood' (6-9pm). Listen live at http://www.totalrock.com.
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RIGHT NOW IN THE CMU BEATS BAR>>
MySpace Of The Day: Rocco DeLuca
This guy is probably more famous at the moment because of the company he keeps - the co-owner of his label is none other than Jack Bauer himself, Kiefer Sutherland. The question is, is Kiefer as lucky at signing talent as his onscreen alter ego is good at getting into terrorist-related scrapes? By way of that incredibly unwieldy sentence, I'd have to say...I'm not that sure. Given Deluca's background opening for the likes of Taj Mahal, John Mayall and John Lee Hooker, I was expecting something a lot more bluesy, a bit rootsier than his current single, 'Colorful', which you can hear on the MySpace page. There's more of a pop element to the song, though that's probably due to the production of the track, plus the sheer jauntiness of the chorus. I've come to quite like that single, but it doesn't really strike me as being blues, which seems to be more the type of music he's being marketed as. Either way, have a look at the MySpace. There are a few upcoming tour dates, if you like what you hear, plus, he's quite cute, if you fancy that kind of thing (hot boys) and there are a fair few pictures in the gallery.
http://www.myspace.com/roccodeluca
This and more at http://www.thebeatsbar.co.uk
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SUPREME COURT KNOCKS BACK TVT APPEAL
The US Supreme Court has refused to hear a petition by independent label TVT Records regarding last year's appeal court ruling on the long running TVT v Island Def Jam case.
As previously reported, TVT records sued the Universal division over allegations surrounding the two labels' dealings with Ja Rule and his Cash Money Click outfit. The latter was signed to TVT, but the independent allowed Ja himself to sign to IDJ while the group was on hiatus, but on the condition they could continue to release Cash Money Click albums.
But TVT alleged that when they tried to launch a new Cash Money Click long player the major label and its then chief Lyor Cohen were guilty of a string of "unsavoury business practices" that aimed to prevent the release - actions that, they claimed, amounted to breach of contract and fraud.
The US courts originally found in favour of TVT, awarding them $132 million in damages, $56 million from Cohen personally. But a later court ruling cut the damages to $53 million, while a further hearing last year ruled that the independent's fraud allegations were without merit, cutting the damages payment down to just $126,720 relating to breach of contract charges that neither Cohen nor IDJ appealed.
TVT had hoped to take their case to the Supreme Court to have those later decisions reversed, but they have been told their case to appeal is not strong enough to warrant a hearing. It is a ruling that possibly brings to an end a long running legal battle, one that will leave the independent considerably out of pocket despite their compensation win because of the high costs of pursuing the lawsuit.
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BOY GEORGE WARNED AGAIN
Boy George has been warned by Judge Anthony Ferrara that if he doesn't complete his five days of community service by 28 Aug, he will go to prison. The singer, as previously reported, was not present at a court date last week at which his lawyer explained that George didn't wish to do the community service handed to him - sweeping pavements - saying that he felt it would turn into a "media circus".
The judge, however, doesn't care, and the former Culture Club star, real name George O'Dowd, will have to spend some time picking up leaves in a New York Park. With George in court in person this week, Ferrara pointed to the courtroom exit and said: "If you do community service, you go out that door. I'm going to make you a promise. If you don't do this community service, you go through the back door. I'm not going to give you another chance."
George later told the Press Association: "I don't care about doing cleaning up. My mum was a cleaner. I was worried I would have to wear an orange boiler suit, but apparently I can wear what I like. I'm going to dress up - I'll wear something loud." Which won't inspire a media circus at all.
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CHOICE FM DJ GETS DAMAGES OVER GAY ROMP IMPLICATIONS
Choice FM DJ Ian Thompson, aka Masterstepz, has accepted substantial libel damages over those previously reported claims that stories in the Sun and News Of The World newspapers implied, wrongly, that he had been involved in a "gay romp" with two Premiership football players. The paper has also formally apologised.
The high profile stories in the tabloid didn't name Thompson, referring instead to a "well known DJ", but Masterstepz lawyer's claim the paper allowed their readers to assume their client had been involved through "insinuation and innuendo". As such, they say, Thompson was subjected to "intense harassment", including a stream of phone calls, e-mails and text messages - many "very offensive".
A similar settlement has also been reached with footballer Ashley Cole, who was similarly linked to the story through implication. A statement from the two tabloids has been issued admitting that some readers may have "understood" that its gay romp story referred by implication to Thompson and Cole but that: "We are happy to make clear that Mr Cole and Masterstepz were not involved in any such activities. We apologise to them for any distress caused and we will be paying them each a sum by way of damages."
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ARIF MARDIN DIES
Arif Mardin has died at his home in New York at the age of 74. The legendary music producer, who worked with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, The Bee Gees and Carly Simon, was suffering from pancreatic cancer.
Born in Turkey in 1932, Mardin studied in Istanbul and at the London School Of Economics, and did not originally intend to forge a career in music, but later became the first recipient of the Quincy Jones Scholarship at the Berklee College of Music, and by 1963 was beginning his long career at Atlantic Records, where he rose to become senior vice president before leaving to set up his own imprint at EMI, where he worked with Norah Jones. Producing hits like The Bee Gees' 'Jive Talking', Aretha Franklin's 'Respect', and Bette Midler's 'Wind Beneath My Wings', Mardin was responsible for more than forty gold and platinum albums, and more than 15 Grammy nominations. In 1990, he was inducted into the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.
Mardin will be buried in Turkey, but a memorial service is expected to take place in New York. He is survived by his wife, playwright Latife Mardin, and two children.
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PHARRELL TO BE FACE OF VUITTON
Pharrell Williams is to star in Louis Vuitton's forthcoming ad campaign for the fashion company's line of Italian bags and luggage. He will appear alongside supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell in images for the ads.
Louis Vuitton artistic director Marc Jacobs says: "We brought to this campaign a touch of the street, elevated to a rich, modern chic that embodies the message of our ready-to-wear, accessories and bags. Working with beautiful, iconic and powerful faces, we created compositions that boldly display Vuitton's exquisite, super-luxe style."
Pharrell's debut solo album 'In My Mind' is out on 25 Jul.
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ALBUM REVIEW: India Arie - Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship (Universal/Island)
There must have been high expectations for this third album - the result is no less than seventeen intimate ballads that are confident and individual. This is subdued soul - similar to her earlier work - quality song-writing and vocal ability. This is, without a doubt, an ambitious record in length and choice of theme. It is a kind of personal diary for every woman, accounting the highs, lows and heartbreaks. For others this may be a little grating and too emotional - and perhaps a little risky for an album that is over an hour in listening time. There are glimpses of hope though. 'The Heart of the Matter' is inspiring in its naive openness, while 'Private Party' is up-tempo acoustic that celebrates everything about womanhood. Just when the pace threatens to stagnate, Arie surprises with a funkier feistiness that is almost shout-along on 'There's Hope' and 'I Choose'. A couple of tracks are perhaps guilty of self indulgence, but their effect is minimised by feel-good power ballad 'Better People' and the obvious stand out song 'I Am Not My Hair' which joyfully returns to the strongly feminine, lyrical tone that got fans hooked on 'Brown Skin'. RM
Release Date: 27 Jun
Press Contact: Island IH [all]
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BECK GOES HIPPEDY HOPPEDY
Beck has told MTV that his new album will feature some hip-hop, which is nice. He's been working with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, which is also nice. He said: "Before we started, Nigel said he wanted to do a hip-hop record. And in a way it is, and in a way it isn't. It has hip-hop songs, and my previous work with him was 'Mutations' and 'Sea Change', these sort of introspective records, and so this new one is sort of bringing those two worlds together."
He also said the artwork for the new album is done, and that it's all rather cool. "It's really pretty amazing," he said. "The artwork is laid out in stickers, it's modular, the cover is blank and you get a sheet of stickers and you make your own cover." I love shit like that.
The album is expected some time in the autumn. Beck has also announced there's to be a re-issue of 1996 album 'Odelay', to mark the tenth anniversary of its release, which will feature rarities, remixes and B-sides.
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KILLERS ALBUM NEWS
It's not that exciting, though. As previously reported, The Killers are currently finishing their sophomore album in London with Flood and Alan Moulder, and it's expected to be out on 18 Sep. They've now, however, revealed details of some of the songs likely to appear on the long player. Whether these names mean anything to you at all probably depends on your fan-status. Here they are, whatever level you're at:
Why Do I Keep Counting?
Bones
When You Were Young
Uncle Johnny Took Cocaine
Sam's Town
Read My Mind
Bling
Brandon Flowers tells NME in the new issue: "For me, this is the album. I feel totally empowered by singing it. There's a spiritual element to the music that wasn't there before."
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CHARLATANS RELEASING STUFF VIA WEBSITE
The Charlatans are using their website to issue new tracks, live rarities and remixes. Fans need to sign up to the band's exclusive online fanclub in order to get access to the previously unreleased material, but only the first 5,000 will be eligible to receive the tracks. The first release is a remix of new single 'NYC (There's No Need To Stop)'.
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BOWIE, ROXY, IGGY CONTRIBUTE TO CURTIS FILM SOUNDTRACK
Roxy Music, Iggy Pop and David Bowie are all set to join New Order in providing elements of the soundtrack to the upcoming film about Joy Division's Ian Curtis. As previously reported, the film, 'Control', will also feature original tracks from Joy Division and the band's even earlier incarnation, Warsaw.
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JAY-Z RECORDS NEW ALBUM
I'm going to stop referring to Jay-Z as 'retired', because he is patently not. Not content with touring the UK, as previously reported, he is now, apparently, working on a new album, which is set to feature contributions from the likes of Kanye West, Dre and Scott Starch.
According to Rolling Stone, Starch said of his collaboration with Jay: "I'm working with Jay-Z on his new album. It's the first time we ever really worked together. We got some fire."
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THE RETURN OF DR O
A release date has been set for the long long awaited new Dr Octogan album, 'The Return of Dr Octogan', which will surface on 29 Aug. I'm kinda confused by this follow up to the 1996 long player which, unlike the 2004 unofficial (and ultimately recalled) release 'Dr. Octagon Part II', does involve Dr Octogan creator Kool Keith, though I'm reading in some places that he hasn't formally approved the final edit, which has been engineered by Fanatik-J. If anyone has the official line on it all, let me know.
What I do know is that a series of remixes are going to be released to DJs, media types and dedicated hip hop heads in the run up to the release, featuring reworks of tracks off the album from the likes of Prefuse 73, Kid Loco, Her Space Holiday, Rob Sonic and Skinny Man. The first remix is a 20 minute 'Octagynaemix' from West Coast DJ Mike Relm and you can download it here:
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php? action=download&ufid=7F50120608E14A5A
For the full lowdown you need to speak to Outpost. Which, come to think of it, is exactly who I should be asking about Kool Keith's involvement / stand on this album. If only there was a free-to-access website with PR company contact information for music journalists. If only.
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ANDREW WK WORKING ON THREE ALBUMS
Andrew WK (remember him?) may have been out of the spotlight since his 2003 album 'The Wolf', but when he returns, probably next year, he will return with three new albums - 'Close Calls With Brick Walls', 'The Carrier' and 'Young Lord'. So don't go saying we didn't warn you.
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AVALANCHES DELAY ALBUM RELEASE
The Avalanches' second album, the follow-up to the band's 2001 debut 'Since I Left You', has had its release date put back, apparently because it wasn't up to scratch. The group's label Modular announced in a recent mail-out: "We finally took receipt of the long-awaited follow up to the smashing 'Since I Left You' the other week. We listened to it over and over, but to be honest, the whole thing sounded kinda rushed. Rather than push out a half-arsed, less than thought out sophomore album, we've sent them back to the studio to spend a little more time on it. Fingers crossed they get it right this time."
Rushed? They've had five years.
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FAN FUNDED PLAQUE FOR THE TRIFFIDS TO BE UNVEILED
Now, we kinda missed this one, sorry, but it still has a bit of newsworthiness. Earlier this month Domino celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of 'Born Sandy Devotional', the classic album from Aussie rockers The Triffids, by releasing a special edition reissue deluxe CD type thing.
With that anniversary in mind, the band's UK fan forum have clubbed together to raise the funds to get a plaque put up outside the Mark Angelo studios in Farringdon, where the album was recorded, and the surviving members of the band - Rob McComb, Alsy MacDonald, Martyn Casey, Jill Birt and Graham Lee - will be in town for the plaque's unveiling. Some 1000 fans all contributed a pound to cover the costs of making and installing the plaque, and some of those fans will join the band and other guests at the unveiling tomorrow afternoon, 28 Jun.
On that project, one of the band's fans, Paul Grundy, told CMU: "The idea of the 'Born Sandy Devotional' plaque came from the frustrations felt by Triffids fans around the world aired on thetriffids.com forum that this obviously great and historically important album by The Triffids has been criminally overlooked for too long by the world's mass media and that the person most responsible for crafting it's contents, David McComb, died several years past possibly believing his artistic vision had failed to reach the wider audience it deserved and without an appropriate public memorial to mark his astonishing achievement".
He continued: "As often happens, the original germ of an idea hatched by the fans a couple of years back was a more modest one: To undertake a Bill Drummond-style "agit-art" direct action stunt by a small group of Triffids fans traveling unannounced under cover of darkness to the building where the album was recorded with DIY commemorative sign, hammer, drill and screws in hand and leaving a "Born Sandy Was 'Ere" style sign behind to be discovered and puzzled over the next day when the sun came up and we had made good our escape. Then band member Graham Lee disclosed the co-ordinates of the studio where Born Sandy Devotional was recorded and, rather than being the envisaged industrial shed somewhere out in the sticks almost inviting an act of purposeful artistic graffiti, it turned out to be the dingy basement of a pretty Dickensian office building in the heart of London with artistic merits of its own to consider. So new plans were drawn up for a properly designed and permanent commemorative plaque for the album that suited the sheer quality and class of both its subject and the location."
For press info on the plaque or re-release, or to interview the band while they're in London, you need to speak to the good people at Hermana - 020 7733 8009.
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ALBUM REVIEW: The Remote - Too Low To Miss (Global Underground)
The nucleus of The Remote consists of dance DJ Ashley Casselle, who has also previously recorded as Ashtrax and former teen punk Ben Lost, who has apparently punched Joe Strummer while drunk. Given that Casselle had a residency at Gatecrasher it's not surprising that The Remote have an obvious modern dance influence but also there are echoes of 80's electro pop. There are some interesting moments here. The funky, glitchy beats of 'Pretty Girls' and the slick 80s disco of 'She's Going Out' get the record off to a great start. The elastic rhythms and New Romantic stylings of 'Big Design' are a particular highlight. The sugar sweet vocals and poppy beats of 'Play It Rosa' are a delight, whilst the moody keyboards and graceful spiraling sounds of 'Right Meat' also impress. Future single 'Like You' has much more of a rock feel but other tracks such as 'In Economy' are more rhythm based - on the whole, therefore, the album is perhaps not tune-based enough to appeal to those who appreciate the sound of not dissimilar artists such as Goldfrapp. However it's likely that several of the tracks will be big hits on the club scene. JW
Release date: 26 Jun
Press contact: Get Involved [all]
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EMI SEEKING PRIVATE EQUITY FOR BMG SONGS OFFER
According to reports from Reuters and the Times, EMI are seeking private equity backing for their bid to take over BMG Songs so that, should they be successful in acquiring the publishing firm, it won't stop them from their continuing with their efforts to acquire the whole of the Warner Music Group.
As previously reported, German media conglom Bertelsmann is selling BMG Songs in order to fund its recent buy back of equity from minority shareholder GBL. The German firm is said to have confirmed that EMI is one of 15 companies to have expressed an interest in buying the publishing outfit. The Times say that EMI would look to venture capitalists to fund that purchase, ensuring it has enough money in the bank to stage a Warner Music takeover, should Warner's owners ever accept one of their takeover offers (which they probably would were the price right).
Funding a purchase of BMG Songs in this way would not only aid a future Warner takeover, it would also possibly enable EMI to avoid any monopolies issues a purchase of the publishing firm might otherwise create. Because they already own EMI Music Publishing, if EMI was to buy BMG Songs outright the sale would need EU approval, an expensive process that might prevent Bertelsmann from making the London based major a preferred bidder. However, reports suggest, that if the majority of the purchase was funded by other backers then, although EMI would run BMG Songs on a day to day basis, they would not own it outright and anti-monopoly rules might not apply.
EMI are yet to formally comment on their intentions regarding BMG Songs or a new bid for Warner Music. At Bertelsmann insiders say that, despite EMI's bid, Universal Music remains the German group's preferred bidder for its publishing firm.
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UNIVERSAL UK LAUNCH TV DIVISION
If it wasn't confusing enough that the 'TV divisions' at major record companies release compilations rather, than say, house the TV promotions teams, now you're going to have major record companies that own TV companies, but whose TV companies can't be called the 'TV division' because they'll still be releasing compilations. Told you it was confusing.
But that's why when Universal Music UK decides to launch a TV company they can't call it Universal Music TV. So they've opted for Globe Productions instead - which conjures up pictures of Shakespearean shows to me, but which will actually specialise in making music based and factual programmes. The new venture, part of the slow move by the major labels out of a business concerned exclusively with recorded music, will create TV platforms around the company's artist roster, but also new TV based products. It will have an in house team but also work in partnership with independent production companies.
Confirming the new division, Universal Music Group International boss Lucian Grainge told CMU: "The launch of Globe is a natural progression for Universal Music. The opportunities for our artists in television are immense, and through Globe we are taking a more pro-active approach, closing the gap between artists and broadcasters. I hope we can find new ways of presenting music on television, and the promotional aspect is just the tip of the iceberg; my vision for Globe is to develop ground-breaking television formats which can be successful worldwide."
Globe will be run on a day to day basis by Iain Funnell, who will move from his current role as Director Of TV & DVD at Universal division Polydor over to Globe in September.
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MUSICBRIGADE EXPANDS
Swedish digital music distribution company Musicbrigade, who launched a London office last month, has announced three key appointments, two of whom will have a pan-European focus.
First up, Carl Lachmann has been appointed Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales. Based at the company's Stockholm HQ, he'll be responsible for developing and implementing the company's pan-European marketing initiatives, consolidating the company's sales base and developing new business strategy.
Next, Fredrik Söderström has been appointed European Sales Director. Also based in Stockholm and reporting to Lachmann, he'll be responsible for rolling out the company's online advertising strategy and all event related sales and marketing activities.
And finally, Mabel Mangnus has been appointed Regional Manager, Benelux, and will oversee the company's operations in the Netherlands and Belgium, working from a base in Amsterdam.
Confirming the new appointments, Musicbrigade co-founder and top guy Johan Englund told CMU: "I think that it is testament to the strength of the Musicbrigade brand that we are able to attract the services of exceptionally talented executives such as Carl, Fredrik and Mabel. This is an important year for us as we roll out our offering throughout Europe and we will be relying heavily on the expertise of our sales and marketing teams to maximize the huge potential of the European marketplace."
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LIVE REVIEW: Jeremy Warmsley at Borderline last Monday
I have been aware of singer-songwriter Jeremy Warmsley for a while now, I knew what he looked like, but was still shocked by how young he seemed when he took to the stage. I think, however, that this is a reflection on me and not him, ie, I think it's probably the fact that I'm getting older and that whole 'the bands are looking younger' thing is starting to kick in with some force. Anyway, enough about me. Back to Mr Warmsley. The other thing that surprised me was his speaking voice; it makes a pretty interesting contrast to his singing once he gets going. Anyway, he got going, initially by himself, joined intermittently by two musicians, one on drums, one on keyboard. I've been inclined thus far to describe him as 'quirky', which I would stand by, because he is, in fact, quirky, but to be honest, the quirks that I previously felt might be unpalatable to a more mainstream audience seemed somewhat ironed out by his live performance. He's not, in fact, mainstream, and this kind of music is never going to make the top ten, but what this performance proved to me, if I didn't realise it already, is that Jeremy Warmsley is clearly a very talented musician, and a very talented song-writer. Live renditions of tracks that I had previously only heard the recorded versions of took on new subtleties for me, gaining my faintly mesmerised attention, and, and this is quite an achievement, made me completely forget about my very sore knee. The only thing that really marred my fairly rapt hour at Borderline was the presence of a couple, next to me, who kept talking loudly through the whole thing. Why do these people go to gigs and talk through them? When Warmsley requested that people keep it down a bit for the low-key performance of his current, excellent, yet rather quiet single, 'I Promise' I think they did keep it down. A bit. But it's just not good enough. They should have a little more respec. CM
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MUSE CANCEL SHOW DUE TO WEATHER
Er, Muse had to cancel a festival appearance on Sunday because of adverse weather conditions at the aptly named Hurricane Festival in Germany. That's it, really. 40,000 music fans, some of whom may have been Muse fans, were denied the chance to see the band, due to a thunderstorm. I really don't think I can spin this item out any further. And that's despite my much documented skill of generating endless copy about the weather.
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FOXY BROWN FOR AIDS AWARENESS GIG
Rap star Foxy Brown is to appear at an HIV/AIDS awareness gig to be held as part of LIFEbeat's Hearts & Voices Benefit Concert Series in New York.
Reggae Gold Live 2006 Summer Jumpoff aims to bring awareness to the HIV/AIDS crisis throughout the Caribbean community and also features headliners such as Beenie Man, Wayne Wonder and TOK. Ms Brown says: "I feel that this is a very important issue, not only in the inner cities where I'm from, but across the entire world. I am just happy that I can be a part of something like this and bring awareness to my fans."
Beenie Man says: "HIV/AIDS is a serious threat to the Black and West Indian communities, and Hip-Hop and reggae is the voice that speaks to and for our community."
By the way, Foxy Brown has now regained 100% of her hearing - as previously reported, she suffered from sudden sensorineural hearing loss back in December, and underwent surgery in February of this year to correct it.
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STRUMMER FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED
A music festival organised by the Joe Strummer Foundation is set to launch next month, and will focus on new bands. Strummerville Nights will host established acts and showcase new acts at Stable Way in West London on 6 Jul. Bands set to appear include The Larry Love Showband (Alabama 3 unplugged), Flipron, The Barker Band, Attack The System, DJ Scratchy and DJ Statik.
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ELECTRIC GARDENS LAUNCH PARTY
The previously reported Electric Gardens Festival is having one of those launch party things at Herbal in London this weekend - Saturday 1 Jul - featuring some of the acts due to perform at the music festival, which will take place at Mount Ephraim Gardens, Kent, on 5 and 6 Aug. Launch party line up includes Duels, Simian Mobile Disco, Cagedbaby, Suicide Sports Club, Subbass and Roastgroove. Kicks off at 9pm, goes till 3am, tickets are £6 before 10.30pm, £7 after.
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TOKYO DRAGONS PLAY TAPESTRY GOES WEST
Another festival for your diaries, though it's this weekend, so if it's not already in there I'm guessing you might already be booked up. The Tapestry Goes West Festival takes place in Margham Park in South Wales. I don't know a great deal about it because their website requires me to update my Flash (I really must do that, it's happening more and more), but I do know Tokyo Dragons will be playing, because it's their PR who drew my attention to it - they play on Friday night. They also tell me that Circulus, Simple Kid, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Field Music, Rod Stern and Chrome Hoo are also on the bill, and that there'll be medieval theme to the whole proceedings which means "jousting knights, hog roasts, minstrels and buxom wenches serving big jugs of mead, we hope!" More info, flash updates permitting, at http://www.tapestrygoeswest.com. Press info on the Tokyo Dragons from Triad.
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LIONEL RICHIE DOES PROMS THINGY
Lionel Richie is set to appear at the Proms in the Park thingy in London on 9 Sep, performing with the BBC Concert Orchestra, and joining a bill that includes Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo, Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu and British trumpeter Alison Balsom. That line-up will appear prior to the screening of a live link-up with the Last Night Of The Proms at the Albert Hall. Similar events will take place in parks in Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester and Swansea on the same day, and highlights from all of the concerts will be shown as part of the Beeb's coverage of the Last Night.
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LYTLE SOLO TOUR
Former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle is going to go on tour by himself and play Grandaddy songs, including those from 2006 album release 'Just Like The Fambly Cat'. The band, as previously reported, split up ahead of that release, in January of this year. I'm going to tell you the tour dates. I don't know how useful they are to you, because they are all to take place in the US. But I don't know, if you're a big Lytle fan you might want to imagine his journey, or track his progress once he's on the road. You really weird, obsessive people:
18 Jul: Sonar, Baltimore
19 Jul: World Café Live, Philadelphia
22 Jul: Joe's Pub, New York
24 Jul: Joe's Pub, New York
25 Jul: Paradise, Boston
29 Jul: Schubas, Chicago
31 Jul: Fine Line, Minneapolis
3 Aug: Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City
7 Aug: Harlow's, Sacramento, Calif.
8 Aug: Café Du Nord, San Francisco
9 Aug: Café Du Nord, San Francisco
11 Aug: Hotel Café, Los Angeles
12 Aug: Hotel Café, Los Angeles
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MORNNG AFTER GIRLS DATES
The Morning After Girls, who just released their album 'Evolve', have announced a few live dates, mostly festival appearances, but here they are:
7 Jul: London - Koko (Club NME)
8 Jul: Dublin - Oxegen Festival
9 Jul: Kinross - T in the Park Festival
16 Jul: Suffolk - Lattitude Festival
23 Aug: London - Islington Academy (supporting Dandy Warhols)
26 Aug: Reading - Carling Weekender
27 Aug: Leeds - Carling Weekender
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RADIOHEAD/CAMERON SPOOFY THING ONLINE
A spoofy rendering of Radiohead's 'Creep' mocking David Cameron has appeared online, in response, presumably, to the fact that he likes Radiohead and recently appeared to claim that Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood played 'Fake Plastic Trees' specially for him at that benefit gig at Koko, a claim denied by Tom Yorke.
The song includes the lyrics: "Forget about Thatcher, she'll soon be in a box, and Brown's nothing special, but I'm fucking special, but I'm a creep, I'm a Tory, why the hell would you vote for me? If you think I'm in touch, I might get control... And I wish I was PM.... Whatever seems trendy, whatever seems, cool, see I'm fucking special."
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SPEARS CHANGES HER LOOK QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY
This has to be some of the biggest news we have ever reported on. Britney Spears has dyed her hair, and she is actually walking around in public with her now jet black hair. She's not the only one, actually, needless celebrity waste of space Paris Hilton had black hair when she appeared at Wireless last week. Some are speculating that Spears' choice of hair colour indicates something - I'm not sure what - about the state of her marriage. I never understand this hair-to-state-of-relationship thing. My hair looks pretty much the same, no matter what state I'm in. If you ask me, (and surely you do) she naively, or subconsciously, thought it might decoy some of the paparazzi. Sadly for Britney, she's going to have to do better than that if she really wants out of the public eye.