| CMU Daily - on the inside Thursday 13th July |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- EU says no to SonyBMG merger, albeit two years too late
- UK music bodies propose new copyright
- MTV chief stresses music still at his network's heart
- Cuomo writing songs, but not for Weezer
- Wallace family want to expand lawsuit
- Foxy Brown trial delayed
- Leann Rimes has leg surgery
- Single Review: The Patty Winters Show - People Like Us Aren't Meant To Win Things
- Air man reveals album tracklisting
- Borrell on the new Razorlight album
- Tapes n Tapes plan second album
- New Junior Boys album
- Tim Burton wants to direct Killers promo
- Single Review: King Creosote - 678
- Glasgow music fans encouraged to go underground
- Rolling Stones begin delayed tour, joined by World Cup winners
- Glasto still hopeful for Kylie headline set
- CBGBs to move to Las Vegas
- Pearl Jam donate cash to environmental groups
- Thomas Truax dates
- Tiscali showcase tomorrow
- Rooster instore postponed
- Live Review: Wall Of Sound/Kill 'Em All, Let God Sort It Out
- NPG shutdown not due to trademark
- Google Video launches in UK
- Zomba buy Strongsongs
- Robbie to be broadcast live across the world
- Billboard combine radio monitoring titles
- Lily Allen loves drugs
- Automatic say Kasabian are pathetic
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TOP BIT>>
Well, it feels like it's time to expand the CMU Directory again, so let's add a music media section shall we? Yep, we are planning on launching a media section to our online directory in September. This will have two strands - one in the Music Network site including editorial contacts for labels, artists and PRs, the other on the CMU Beats site aimed at music fans including links to music media websites. If you want your media to be listed, just email the following info to [email protected]:
Media Name
Media Type (newspaper, magazine, website)
Publication frequency (how often you publish or update)
Positioning statement (describe your media in 20 words!)
Genres covered
Region covered (editorially and in terms of distribution)
Main music editorial contact name
Editorial phone number
Email address for press releases
Mailing address for press releases / review CDs
Website
Inclusion in the directory is free, though we can offer a premium listing (including logo, latest issue updates etc) in return for a contra ad in your media. To discuss that kind of deal contact [email protected]. And look out for details of the CMU media directory, launching at the start of September.
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JOBS N STUFF>>
Warner Music - Graduate Finance Trainees
Competitive salary + bonus + study package - West London based
As the world's largest privately held independent music company we are constantly striving for competitive advantage. Not just in finding and developing new artists but also building the careers of bright, ambitious graduates. Although it's a tough, often demanding environment where you will be expected to tackle several jobs at once, you'll find it one of the most exciting and rewarding businesses to be in. Join us on our 9 month training programme starting October 2006 as a Graduate Finance Trainee
The Role: You'll receive development in one of three key areas within the finance function - Financial Planning, Royalties and Financial Control. Working for the business as a whole, including our record labels, you will work alongside experienced, qualified Finance Managers gaining valuable knowledge of the music industry. And we'll offer you a generous study package to encourage you to obtain CIMA/ACCA qualifications.
Interested? Then please email your CV and covering letter to: [email protected]. Your covering letter should address the following questions: Why do you want to work for Warner Music? What have been your main achievements to date? What skills/attributes can you bring to Warner Music? And What vocational activities, related to music, have you been involved with during your education? Closing date Wednesday 19th July 6:00pm.
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HOT OFF THE PRESS>>
ALOUD FESTIVAL GUIDE IN ASSOCIATION WITH SONY ERICSSON
Can't be arsed to research festivals this summer? The Aloud Festival Guide has got the info on over 60 events taking place, written by music-lovers for music-lovers. As well as news and updates, we've got on-site blogging from the festivals, features, photos and advice from the illustrious Professor Portaloo - don't shag Anne Widdecombe scores quite highly. You can also win tickets to Lovebox, Belladrum and Bestival by sending in your photos, and feature in our summer podcast - brilliant!
www.aloud.com/festivals
www.myspace.com/aloudfestivals
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RIGHT NOW IN THE CMU BEATS BAR>>
MySpace Of The Day: One-Two
My basis for nominating One-Two for MySpace Of The Day today may be quite shallow. For one reason or another, I was thinking about Paris this morning, and it put me in mind of these guys (they're from Paris you see). For another, I was feeling a little grey and uninspired, and 'Oh Yeah, Alright' is the kind of chirpy pop song that I find can cheer me up and put a whole new complexion on the day. I've got their debut album, 'Love Again', in front of me and I'm presently listening to it, and as a rule, it's generally all pretty upbeat, and I'm really enjoying it. The MySpace page isn't hugely informative, but the important thing is that you can listen to the aforementioned 'Oh Yeah, Alright', so I'd like you to do that. You could read through all the comments of course, but I warn you, they're pretty much all in French.
http://www.myspace.com/powerpopuptothetop
This and more at http://www.thebeatsbar.co.uk
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EU SAYS NO TO SONYBMG MERGER, ALBEIT TWO YEARS TOO LATE
Oh, oh, stop the presses. Well, don't press the send button I suppose. The EU Court Of First Instance has ruled that the European Commission should not, yes, should not have allowed the SonyBMG merger to go ahead (you'll remember pan-European trade body IMPALA was appealing the decision by EC officials to approve the merger). Quite what this means I'm not sure - quite how you would go about unmerging a totally merged entity I don't know - did anyone at Bedford House hold on to their old business cards? And whether this decision means an end of EMI and Warner's hopes of merger, we're not sure either. Needless to say - more on that tomorrow.
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UK MUSIC BODIES PROPOSE NEW COPYRIGHT
Yay, just what everyone wants on a cloudy Thursday morning, complicated copyright news. A consortium of UK music industry bodies, led by the Association Of Independent Music, yesterday called for a change in British copyright law which would enable artists, songwriters, labels and publishers to claim a 'Value Recognition Right' over their work. That call came at a 'round table discussion' on the future of copyright in the digital age, timed to coincide with the release of an AIM report on the topic.
Now, I'm no expert on this Value Recognition Right malarkey, but from what I can make out it would enable content owners to charge a licence fee of some sort to any company that commercially benefits from the distribution of their music. The main target here are the internet service providers (who seem to be target number one for the music business this week) who, under the proposed new law, would have to pay for a VRR licence because copyright music is moving across their networks, even though they themselves might not be moving it.
That is to say, while the ISP might not be distributing music via its own portals or channels, because its customers are using its network to 'move' music, possibly via P2P networks, they would be liable to pay a licence fee anyway. The logic behind the idea is that internet companies have benefited greatly from the movement of music over their networks, because it is the facility to move and share music that has persuaded many people to sign up to broadband services. Therefore, the content owners say, the ISPs should have to pay in 'recognition of the value' they get from music.
The ISPs would, of course, pass that cost on to their customers, but that's the point - the aim isn't to make ISPs hand over a share of their profits to the music business, rather to force them to take commercial responsibility for what their customers do with copyright music. If the ISPs took on this responsibility, advocates of the system argue, then the music business would no longer need to sue individual music fans for P2P usage (a practice long opposed by AIM), because those individuals would be able to legally share music under their ISP's VRR licences - which they would be funding through their internet connection fees.
Of course, this proposed model isn't entirely new. The emerging legit P2P companies, like Mashboxx and iMesh, while not ISPs, would essentially operate in a similar way - licencing music from the content owners that can then be shared by their customers, who will pay a subscription fee that pays the licencing costs. And there have been previous proposals to merge the legit P2P concept in with an ISP service - so that a user gets to legally share music via P2P as part of their standard internet service provider package, their ISP having a VRR licence so to offer such a service. The most prominent UK player in that domain is PlayLouder MSP, which is backed by a number of key players in the UK indie sector (in fact it's possible to interpret yesterday's copyright consortium as the lobbying strand of a movement for which PlayLouder is the commercial strand - though formally that's not the case).
Speaking after yesterday's round table event, AIM boss Alison Wenham confirmed the consortium's support of VRR, and said she would be passing on the group's findings to Andrew Gowers who, as previously reported, is currently reviewing UK copyright laws. Wenham: "We believe the Value Recognition Right is the most innovative potential answer to problems which current applications of Copyright Law cannot properly deal with".
Among the other organisations supporting the proposals is the always mysterious British Music Rights, whose chief, Emma Pike, told reporters: "Copyright law currently does not provide us with the complete set of tools we need in order to enter into a commercial relationship with the new breed of music distributors. The Value Recognition Right is a groundbreaking new approach which we look forward to developing further together with our industry partners"
British Academy chair David Ferguson also supported the move saying: "For too long the ISPs and telcos have shirked their responsibilities, using music as a tool to sell their own services, whilst making little effort to ensure fair payment to its creators. A Value Recognition Right would be an eminently sensible step in at last addressing how creators can earn a living in a digital world."
While Jazz Summers, chairman of the Music Manager Forum said, "The music industry is becoming increasingly important to the prosperity of the UK economy and yet creators, performers, record companies and publishers are finding themselves increasingly exposed to widespread illegal uses of their works. New regulations are urgently needed to bring ISPs into the value chain and give them real responsibility as an important and valuable partner in the process of online distribution."
Quite how the VRR system would work isn't entirely clear. Whether blanket licences akin to those in broadcasting would be made available, and whether the major labels would sign up to such blanket licences, and whether that would impact on legit download platforms by essentially legitimising P2P, and whether the whole system could operate within existing EU copyright structures, and whether anyone can stay awake long enough to answer all those questions is not clear.
Certainly the quite well connected internet companies are not likely to welcome any moves that force them to acquire new licences to operate. A spokesman for the Internet Services Providers Association yesterday told the BBC: "ISPs bear no liability for illegal file sharing as the content is not hosted on their servers. Although such files may be transmitted across an ISP's network, ISPs are 'mere conduits' of information, as per the E-Commerce Regulations 2002. ISPs are no more able to inspect and filter every single packet passing across their network than the Post Office is able to open every envelope."
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MTV CHIEF STRESSES MUSIC STILL AT HIS NETWORK'S HEART
Well, when we reported that MTV Network International boss William H Roedy was to address the AGM of the BPI, we might have implied that MTV didn't have a great deal to do with music anymore. And it seems he took that to heart, because the bulk of Roedy's thirty minute speech was dedicated to demonstrating that MTV is still very much about the music (OK, given that he even had a seven minutes clips package to show on that very issue, it's possible that quite a lot of people have been criticising MTV for filling its flagship channel with non-music based programming).
Posing himself the question "is MTV still music TV?", Roedy joked that he'd like to answer "is the pope catholic?" but instead waxed lyrical thus: "If you have been around for as long as I have, you'll remember when MTV was a single channel in Europe and Top Of The Pops was the number one UK music show. TOTP was a great programme, and it became part of the fabric of British life. But times change. In a world where you can get music 24/7, a weekly pop chart show no longer has the impact it once had, and you could say the same about a single music channel that showed pop videos".
But, while their flagship channel is now dominated by what Roedy calls "youth-orientated entertainment", the MTV chief insists that "music is in our lifeblood, it's in our DNA, we remain committed to music". Stressing that, between them, MTV's nine UK channels show over 1000 hours of music a week, Roedy said that his network had an impressive record in championing new and established recorded and live music, and especially British music.
While acknowledging MTV was not perfect as a champion for the UK music community, he told his music industry audience: "We remain committed to breaking new artists, dedicated to supporting live UK music and flying the flag for music on TV".
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CUOMO WRITING SONGS, BUT NOT FOR WEEZER
Weezer's Rivers Cuomo has said that he doesn't think that the band will ever make another record, even though he's writing songs at the moment, telling MTV: "For the moment we are done. And I'm not certain we'll ever make a record again, unless it becomes really obvious to me that we need to do one."
He continued: "All this year, I've been feeling pretty creative and excited, so I've been writing a lot. I don't know what'll happen with these songs - if anything - I just sort of write them and I can't stop. I certainly don't see them becoming Weezer songs, and I don't really see the point of a solo career. So we'll just have to wait and see."
On the subject of a possible hits album, he added: "I'm not convinced that we have a greatest hits album that is worth putting out at this point. I'd like to include two more amazing songs on there. And anything else would just seem lazy to me. We'll see, though. I don't really feel comfortable with it now."
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WALLACE FAMILY WANT TO EXPAND LAWSUIT
The family of Notorious BIG, aka Christopher Wallace, has asked the judge in their ongoing wrongful death lawsuit for permission to expand its case, in order to add the contention that police officer Rafael Perez was on duty at Petersen Automotive Museum when Biggie was shot and killed on 9 March 1997 - a fact crucial to their current case. This request was part of the submitted 94 page motion in which the Wallace Family detail a list of incidents linking police to crimes involving rap stars, including Snoop Dogg and Tupac.
Perez himself is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, and neither are other people previously alleged to have had ties to the killing of Biggie - including Suge Knight, former suspect Amir Muhammad and police officer David Mack. As previously reported, this suit is directed at the city of Los Angeles over their mismanagement of the investigation in to Notorious BIG's death, though as part of that case it does allege that police officers working for Death Row had some involvement.
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FOXY BROWN TRIAL DELAYED
US rap star Foxy Brown has had her trial relating to that alleged assault of two nail salon workers delayed until next month.
As previously reported, Brown, real name Inga Marchand, is charged with attacking the two salon employees on 29 Aug 2004, allegedly kicking one, and hitting the other in the face with a mobile phone during an argument over payment for a manicure. Brown almost settled the case with a plea agreement back in December, but that arrangement fell apart, because the judge in the case, Melissa Jackson, was unsatisfied with Brown's plea statement.
In court yesterday, Jackson delayed the trial, due to begin next week, until 28 Aug, also extending an order of protection for the salon workers against Brown.
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LEANN RIMES HAS LEG SURGERY
US country star LeAnn Rimes has undergone surgery for a leg infection in Los Angeles. The 23 year old singer had a "tear in the tissue of her leg that had become seriously infected". Which sounds a bit grim. Anyway, she is said to be doing fine, and surgery is described as "minor", but it did necessitate the cancellation of three concerts. She is scheduled to get back on tour by the 19 Jul, when she is scheduled to play a concert in Wisconsin.
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SINGLE REVIEW: The Patty Winters Show - People Like Us Aren't Meant To Win Things (Tigertrap Records)
This is the debut single from Londoners The Patty Winters Show. The music sounds remarkably like early Taking Back Sunday or Audio Karate but the vocals highlight that they are a) British and b) bored. Singer Tom sounds like he'd rather be anywhere else, that is, until the female vocalist (or very feminine male band member - I'm not sure) joins in and he perks up a little. Again, this harmonic duet style sounds like any given track from TBS's 'Tell All Your Friends' (or 'The Shortwave Set' for that matter), but TPWS restrain from a) shouting and b) crying. Apparently they've already had attention from Xfm and 6 Music, which is definitely where TPWS audience would lie. AW
Release Date: 10 Jul
Press Contact: Tigertrap Records [all]
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AIR MAN REVEALS ALBUM TRACKLISTING
One for tracklisting fans, Air man Jean-Benoit Dunckel has revealed details of his debut solo album. Entitled 'Darkel', it will be out on 18 Sep, and will comprise the following tunes:
Be My Friend
At The End Of The Sky
TV Destroy
Some Men
My Own Sun
Pearl
Earth
Beautiful Woman
How Brave You Are
Bathroom Spirit
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BORRELL ON THE NEW RAZORLIGHT ALBUM
Razorlight's Johnny Borrell says that the band's new album is better than the first. He told Metro: "I was determined to make a positive record. It's all autobiographical, but I hate it when bands release a gloomy second album about how tough it is being famous. Actually, there's a lot about belief on this record. And yeah I'm very proud. Do I think it's better than 'Up All Night'? Fuck Yeah!"
He added that his recent success has had an effect on the way he views the competition, adding: "I've lost respect and gained respect for various people. Before you've actually created a band, you can think it's very easy. If you'd have asked me about Coldplay when I was 18, I'd have said 'Fuck off, I hate them.' But seeing them perform, it occurred to me they're great."
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TAPES N TAPES PLAN SECOND ALBUM
Tapes N Tapes' debut album 'The Loon' only gets its European release this month, but the band say they're already ready to record a second long player. The band's Josh Grier told Billboard: "I think the goal right now is to keep on touring through the fall, and then hopefully in the winter we'll get back in the studio and start working on another record. Because by that time, we'll all have been playing the same songs for a good year-and-a-half and we'll be ready for some new stuff."
On the band's new material, he continued: "We have a couple new songs that are almost ready for us to actually play out and about, but they still need a few tweaks. We were running one in sound check pretty much all of last tour and it's getting closer. There's definitely new material, and hopefully we'll get some time when we're all in town to actually start fleshing it out as a band."
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NEW JUNIOR BOYS ALBUM
Critically acclaimed techy-pop Canadians Junior Boys are set to release a new album via Domino 'So This is Goodbye', due out September, the follow up to 2004's 'Last Exit'. The new long player will be preceded by a first single, 'In The Morning', available on 12" and download only, on 14 Aug. They're in London for a one-off live show at the lovely Luminaire on 10 Aug.
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TIM BURTON WANTS TO DIRECT KILLERS PROMO
Director Tim Burton, of Edward Scissorhands/Sleepy Hollow/constantly directing films with Johnny Depp in them fame, is apparently also a huge fan of The Killers and has offered to direct a video promo for one of the songs off their new album, 'Read My Mind'. It's not clear whether this offer was accepted.
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SINGLE REVIEW: King Creosote - 678 (Warners/679)
This song is one of those that you just don't want to end; I must have played it five times in a row when it first entered the CD player. For me, King Creosote, aka Kenny Anderson, seems to do no wrong. There's a lot of good - actually, make that great - folk music around at the moment, and Anderson, along with the Fence Collective, has been at the forefront of that scene for a while. The song here is a new, re-recorded version of a track that featured on his debut album 'KC Rules OK' (released as a special edition on 12 Jun through 679/Names). It subtly grows from an understated intro all the way through to a conclusion that somehow manages to be epic whilst still retaining that understated feel. The fact it's all done in 3.17 demonstrates Anderson's talent for crafting perfectly formed little gems; he manages to say and achieve more in such a short space of time than some bands do in entire albums. His music is original, heartfelt and fast becoming indispensable. TH
Release Date: 3 Jul
Press Contact: APB [all]
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GLASGOW MUSIC FANS ENCOURAGED TO GO UNDERGROUND
450 music fans in Glasgow are being invited to join a gig crawl around the city's underground system. The Going Underground event will take place on 25 Sep, a bank holiday in Glasgow, and will include gigs in at least six different venues, each on a different stop on the city's underground line (which runs in a circle around the city centre).
Among the bands confirmed to play during the day are Data Panik, The Hussys, Pop-Up, Pilotcan, Glasvegas, The Low Miffs, The AMs, Bela and the Ten To Five Project - with the line up for the final gig at Oran Mor on Byres Road still to be announced. £20 tickets which get you into every gig will go on sale this weekend, while additional tickets to the final show at Oran Mor will be released over the summer.
The event is being promoted by Xfm presenter (and, if I remember rightly, CMU co-founder) Fraser Thomson via his Scenester Promotions outfit. He told CMU: "It's a unique chance for Scottish music fans to enjoy a day out, see some unique venues and so many bands. It's better than a festival because you won't miss any of the acts".
Scenester's Thomas Henderson added: "I think the line up superbly reflects the rich and diverse vein of talent running through Scotland at the moment"
More info at http://www.myspace.com/scenesterunderground, press info from [email protected]
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ROLLING STONES BEGIN DELAYED TOUR, JOINED BY WORLD CUP WINNERS
The Rolling Stones began their delayed European tour in Milan on Tuesday, and were joined on stage by Italian World Cup squad members Marco Materazzi and Alessandro Del Piero after their final song. Materazzi led the crowd in an a capella version of the White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army', but substituting the lyrics with the Italian for the words 'we are the champions', which sounds a little odd, but I'm sure it went down very well.
As previously reported, the band's 'A Bigger Bang' world tour was delayed due to Keith Richards' accident in Fiji, and subsequent brain surgery. Reports suggest that he was initially looking a bit frail at the gig, but he joked "It's good to be here, it's good to be anywhere," before putting in an energetic performance. Incidentally, Richards has reportedly recently admitted that the fall that led to his illness was not from the much reported coconut palm, but from an embarrassingly small tree. For your information.
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GLASTO STILL HOPEFUL FOR KYLIE HEADLINE SET
Glastonbury's chief booker Martin Elbourne, talking at the aforementioned BPI AGM event yesterday, confirmed that he is still hopeful to secure Kylie as a 2007 headliner. As previously reported, Michael Eavis has already said he'd like to see Kylie, who had to pull out of last year's festival after being diagnosed with breast cancer, headline the next event.
While stressing that nothing has been fully confirmed as yet, Elbourne told the AGM yesterday: "If Kylie wants to do it then we want it to happen".
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CBGBS TO MOVE TO LAS VEGAS
Following the news last week that the legendary New York club CBGB will finally close its doors in September after that much reported dispute between the club and its landlords, who wanted to put up their rent significantly, owner Hilly Kristal has confirmed previously reported rumours that he will re-open the club in a new home in Las Vegas.
Kristal says he hoped to recreate the New York venue as closely as possible in its new home. He told reporters: "I am taking the bars with me, I am taking the stage - I'm taking the urinal that Joey [Ramone] pissed in with me. I going to take a lot of things - anything that makes this place CBGBs".
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PEARL JAM DONATE CASH TO ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS
Pearl Jam are set to donate $100,000 to environmental groups in an effort to compensate for the size of the band's 'carbon footprint' when they are on tour. Saying that 5,000 tons of carbon were emitted on the last Pearl Jam tour, guitarist Stone Gossard told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer "We can get a really relatively accurate picture of what that looks like over a year, and it's a considerable amount of carbon."
Amongst the organisations set to share the cash are the likes of the Cascade Land Conservancy and EarthCorps, which work on replenishing forests.
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THOMAS TRUAX DATES
The always quirky Thomas Truax, the guy who makes his own instruments (and who was MySpace Of The Day not so long ago) is in UK this weekend, playing at the Larmer Tree Festival at the Larmer Tree Gardens in Wiltshire on Saturday (15 Jul), and at the Windmill in Brixton on Sunday (16 Jul). He will also play at The Railway in Winchester on 18 Jul, and at the Lovebox Festival and Truckfest the following weekend.
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TISCALI SHOWCASE TOMORROW
There's another one of those Tiscali Showcases at the Islington Bar Academy tomorrow night (14 Jul), this time featuring The Rifles, Liam Front and CMU favourites Clearlake. As always, the gig will be filmed for streaming on the Tiscali music website. Info and tickets from http://www.tiscali.co.uk/music, press info from [email protected]
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ROOSTER INSTORE POSTPONED
FYI - the previously reported Rooster instore at HMV on Oxford Street, London, due to take place later this month, has been postponed. I think its because the event was to coincide with the release of new album 'Circles & Satellites', and that release has now been pushed back to September, though I have a feeling I'm interviewing the band tomorrow, so I guess I could ask for certain then.
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LIVE REVIEW: Wall of Sound/Kill 'Em All, Let God Sort It Out - Fabric on 7 Jul
Wall Of Sound's regular Friday night at Fabric Live never fails to wrap the queue round the block. With past events featuring sure-fire crowd-pullers such as 2Many DJ's, Jacques Lu Cont and Tom Middleton, we've often come home a few stone lighter, not to mention a good deal smellier. Nonetheless, not even the chronically claustrophobic can resist the appeal of an exclusive DJ set from the mighty Chemical Brothers, and with this being their only UK DJ date of the year, this was simply no time to demand space for ones elbow dancing. However, making matters a great deal worse was the Bros controversial decision to reject Fabric's larger and more accommodating main-room in favour of the dark, garage of a sweat-pit that is room two. Bearing in mind this was only to snub the chin-strokers that inhabit the VIP balcony overlooking room one, this was not only a little pretentious but bloody unfair to the paying fans. But not to worry, Fabric Live has never been about the big names, it's been about the new ones, and with the main space free of champagne and riders, some suitably hot new acts were free to hock their wares, as Kill 'Em All, Let God Sort It Out took over. Particularly striking were Shy Child - a keyboard-playing singer and a drummer who crammed more sound into that space than one thought possible. Throbbing electro basslines roared over hypnotic, thunderclap beats, while funky licks and riffs popped and fizzed like Red Bull. Dominating the stage as much as they filled the dance floor, Shy Child boasted an energetic and engaging stage presence to rival any superstar - Chemical who now? That said, however tempting it was to snub the snubbers and get lost in that heady electro and house of room one, the dynamic duo beckoned fiercely from the club's dark side. All the same, merely reaching the rooms' entrance was feat of endurance like no other, and once melted into cracks of the crowd this reviewer was subjected to a sardine-can effect that he shalt not soon forget. Bordering on the life threatening (I kid you not), it was literally impossible to move independently, let alone dance. Which was certainty a great shame as the Chems fired out some mesmerizing, primal techno and house; the raw, cavernous electronica a soundtrack to the murky and humid arches. Culminating their set in a climatic ego-boost, the glorious 'Out of Control' brought cheers from the tightly compressed block of clubbers, but undoubtedly came as a relief to the many who no longer felt obliged to honour their entrance fee. OG
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NPG SHUTDOWN NOT DUE TO TRADEMARK
A legal representative of Prince has denied the NPG Music Club is on hold because of a trademark legal dispute. As previously reported, Prince's award winning online fan community went on hiatus earlier this month. This followed a legal claim by British based HM Publishing Holdings that they owned the NPG trademark for its science-book subsidiary the Nature Publishing Group. But Princes' lawyer, David Schelzel, has told reporters that those two events are not connected and that the singer already has approval to use the NPG name from the US Patent and Trademark Office and that therefore the trademark legal action against him is "minor". He told the Star Tribune newspaper: "Prince's use of the NPG trademarks is no way in jeopardy". Asked why the site had gone down, Schelzel said: "Wait and see".
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GOOGLE VIDEO LAUNCHES IN UK
Google has launched its video download service, Google Video, in the UK, mainland Europe and Canada. The UK version of the service, which launched in the US back in January, includes content from ITN, TalkbackThames and 250 matches from this year's Wimbledon. Users can also upload their own videos a la YouTube. There is currently no advertising on the site, with Google saying it plans to recruit a loyal audience before looking to monetise the new service.
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ZOMBA BUY STRONGSONGS
Zomba Music Publishing has announced it is taking over the Strongsongs Music Publishing catalogue from the Telstar Music Group and founders Anna and Mark Jolley. The deal will give Zomba ownership of music from the likes of Craig David, BBMak, Hearsay, Sash, Metallica, Danni Minogue, Plan B and East 17.
Zomba General Manager Tim Smith told CMU: "Strongsongs is a catalogue that we felt we could add real value to and we are delighted to have completed this acquisition. Anna and Mark, along with The Telstar Music Group, have built a solid publishing company on good foundations over the years and we are determined to do that legacy justice. In addition to the plans we have for the catalogue I am also looking forward to working with former BBMak frontman Christian Burns and his new band Inhaler who are also signed under this deal."
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ROBBIE TO BE BROADCAST LIVE ACROSS THE WORLD
A date on Robbie Williams' Close Encounters tour is set to be simultaneously broadcast live on radio stations in 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East after EMAP Radio Events signed the global broadcast rights to the gig.
They will broadcast Robbie's sell out show at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna to 19 EMAP (and additional GCap) stations in the UK, plus other stations around the world, including RTL2 in France, Cadena 100 in Spain, RTL 102.5 in Italy, ARD stations throughout Germany, O3 in Austria, Highveld Stereo in South Africa, Europa 2 in The Czech Republic and Radio Jerusalem in Israel. So wide is the broadcast that EMAP are dubbing the day of the gig - 19 Aug - as Robbie Day.
Announcing the venture, Siobhan Crampsey of Emap Radio Events told CMU: "We're delighted to be working with [Robbie's management company] ie:music to co-ordinate one of the biggest events of the year for international radio. The response we're getting from all territories testifies - as if proof were needed - that the 'Robbie Factor' is a phenomenon from Iceland to the Emirates"
Mike Allen, SVP International Marketing of Robbie's label EMI added: "The scale of this event serves to underline that on the continent of Europe there is no other star - British or otherwise - who eclipses Robbie Williams - it's been like that for some time and no doubt will long continue"
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BILLBOARD COMBINE RADIO MONITORING TITLES
Following the news earlier this week that Billboard publishers VNU had acquired US industry magazine Radio & Records, the company have confirmed that they will merge the title with its existing Billboard Radio Monitor title, to create a new magazine called R&R which will, like both the merging titles, track the music being played on US radio. The new look combined magazine will launch on 11 Aug.
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LILY ALLEN LOVES DRUGS
Lily Allen has said that she's a big fan of drugs, and, when asked in an interview this week how she would celebrate getting to number 1, reportedly responded with a single word: "gak".
She also recalls her first experiences with drugs at Glastonbury 1998, apparently, when she would have been all of thirteen: "I got stuck in a K-hole in The Glade at Glastonbury about three years ago. It was the biggest nightmare of my entire life. Nothing actually happens. You're just sitting there going mental in your own brain, but you can't move your body at all."
She adds: "Not that drugs are good but if you do them in moderation then they're fine."
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AUTOMATIC SAY KASABIAN ARE PATHETIC
The Automatic have criticised Kasabian, after the Leicester band said some rude things about the likes of Pete Doherty, Bloc Party and of course, The Automatic themselves. Asked who he hated in the world of pop, keyboardist Pennie said: "Well I'm not going to be as pathetic as Kasabian and slag other bands off... there's just no need for it."
This courteous principle, apparently, only extends to 'bands', presumably consisting mostly of boys, and not to solo girls with hit singles, because he went on to say: "But I have to say that Lily Allen is a bit annoying running round squeaking 'I've got number one, I've got number one!' I don't care who's at number one... she'll only be there a week or so anyway!"