| CMU Daily - on the inside Thursday 3rd August |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- Murder investigation after Korn concert assault
- Lil Kim house arrest over
- Meat Loaf ends Bat Out Of Hell lawsuit
- Jackson 'parts company' with more lawyers
- Thom Yorke wants Blair out shocker
- Should hip hop museum celebrate the gangstas?
- Gnarls success changes duo's plans
- Universal to re-release Costello
- Happy Mondays finish recording album
- Art Brut stuff
- Lambchop tour
- Acts added to Bestival
- The Horrors just too buzzy to play
- Eagle Rock sell Spitfire
- TV bosses concerned by Zune ads funded content ideas
- Rifkind reacquires Loud name
- Napster financials, losses down, but still losses
- ITV boss negotiating departure
- Xfm rejig
- Classic FM rejig
- In The City moves into October
- Beyonce on Bidet album
- ELO cool to be uncool
- Lily Allen, dissing people, again
- Morrison mad at Blunt comparisons
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PRESS ROOM>>
KILL ALL HIPPIES AUGUST
Take note, the next Kill All Hippies will take place at the 333 Club in Shoreditch this Friday, 4 Aug. On the bill live wise will be band of the moment Humanzi plus Apartment in support, while Gavin Nugent will be joined by Mark Beaumont, Syrinx and very special guests Engineers and the Freelance Hellraiser on the decks. Guest list in advance at http://www.leylinepromotions.com to enjoy a special five pound entry fee.
More info: http://www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/pressroom/killallhippies
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MURDER INVESTIGATION AFTER KORN CONCERT ASSAULT
Following on from yesterday's leading story, police in the US have now a launched a murder investigation after that assault at a Korn concert in Atlanta. As previously reported, Andy Richardson was assaulted by two fellow audience members, reportedly after asking them to be careful to not collide with his pregnant girlfriend and a mentally ill child who was accompanying him.
Richardson was rushed to a local hospital but was declared brain dead on Tuesday, and yesterday his life support machine was turned off. Local police have said that they have identified what they refer to as "persons of interest" in relation to the case, but as yet they have not made any arrests.
In a statement released yesterday, the band told reporters: "Korn are appalled at the actions of these men and are imploring anyone who witnessed this senseless act or has any information about the attack to please immediately come forward by contacting local authorities".
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LIL KIM HOUSE ARREST OVER
Lil Kim's month long period of house arrest is over, following the rap star's previously reported early release from prison on 3 Jul. Originally handed a 366 day sentence for perjury, Kim was allowed to leave the Philadelphia facility where she was incarcerated after ten months due to good behaviour, with a thirty day period of house arrest to follow, according to the conditions of her parole.
Kim is now developing a prisoner outreach initiative via her Lil' Kim Cares Foundation. Career wise, she is presently looking for a new record deal, getting business training and working on a second season of her reality series, 'Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown'. Although presumably, she's not planning a second actual lockdown. Or maybe she is. It didn't, after all, do her album sales any harm.
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MEAT LOAF ENDS BAT OUT OF HELL LAWSUIT
Meat Loaf has ended those legal proceedings against songwriter Jim Steinman relating to the Bat Out Of Hell trademark.
As previously reported, Steinman, who conceived the original Bat Out Of Hell album, successfully trademarked the name in 1995, but earlier this year Meat Loaf said that he would look for the courts to overturn that trademark on the basis that he had had a stronger claim to the name. The dispute came to ahead now because Meat Loaf is about to launch a third instalment of the Bat Out Of Hell trilogy without Steinman's involvement and, presumably, it was felt Steinman's ownership of the name could make that release difficult.
But yesterday Meat Loaf and his label, Virgin Records, confirmed he had called off the trademark lawsuit. At a press event to promote the upcoming third Bat Out Of Hell release, he seemed to be keen to build bridges with Steinman (who reacted angrily to Meat Loaf's lawsuit), telling reporters: "If it was not for Jim Steinman and his brilliance and his ability to turn a phrase and his concepts, we wouldn't be here tonight". On the new project he continued: "He [Steinman] really liked the record - that's really important to me. We tried to show him as much respect and loyalty as we could because we're doing Bat Out of Hell III. It's his concept."
A statement from Virgin added: "The two came to an amicable agreement that ensured that Jim Steinman's music would be a continuing part of the Bat out of Hell legacy".
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JACKSON 'PARTS COMPANY' WITH MORE LAWYERS
It can't be easy representing the legal affairs of Michael Jackson - I know for a fact I've lost count of how many lawyers have "parted company" with him over the years. The latest lawyers to "part company" with the singer are law firm Wachtel & Masyr who were preparing his defence over a lawsuit from Prescient Acquisition Group, who claim Jacko owe them $48 million relating to past financial, loan and debt services.
Wachtel & Masyr this week asked a New York judge for permission to quit the case, saying that they themselves were now owed money by Jackson, and that they had had huge difficulties getting in touch with their client. William Wachtel told the court that his company had been dealing with Jackson via various intermediaries, most of whom either quit or were fired. Promises at their sole face to face meeting with Jacko back in June that the singer and his people would become more communicative with the lawyers had not been fulfilled, Wachtel said, adding: "Unfortunately, Mr Jackson has failed to respond to every e-mail and telephone message left for him over the past four weeks".
Having given the law firm permission to drop the case, US District Judge Kevin Castel ordered Jackson to ensure that either he or new legal representatives were in court on 5 Sep so the Prescient Acquisition Group case could continue.
No word from Jackson's people as to whether that order will be complied with - although they are saying that they had already fired Wachtel & Masyr before the law firm made any efforts to dissociate themselves from the case.
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THOM YORKE WANTS BLAIR OUT SHOCKER
According to a few different reports, Thom Yorke has posted a statement in the Dead Air Space section of the Radiohead website, saying that Tony Blair has to go, over his stance on the current Middle East situation. The thing is, though, I've looked at the Dead Air Space section and I can't find a trace of this alleged post. So I don't know what's going on.
Anyway, according to those reports Yorke, with an apparently uncharacteristic approach to grammar and spelling, wrote: "I've had enough of this. Our government sitting on the fence with the US while World War 3 appears to be breaking out in Lebanon and Northern Israel. We must throw Tony Blair out of office NOW. He does not represent the views of British people. He does not represent the views of his foreign office and officials. He does not even represent the views of those in his cabinet. He cares too much about his relationship with Bush and Murdoch. This man is not fit to be our Prime Minister."
Thom Yorke has a single 'Harrowdown Hill', coming out on 21 Aug.
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SHOULD HIP HOP MUSEUM CELEBRATE THE GANGSTAS?
Bronx District Council are trying to influence what can and cannot go in to a new Hip Hop Museum being planned for the New York borough. Having received an £800,000 commitment from the New York City Council, the new museum dedicated to the genre should open in late 2008, however local councillors are currently arguing over what the exhibition should include, with some wanting some or all of the 'gangsta rap' scene left out, because of its links with gang culture. Of course, if you exclude gangsta rap completely you end up leaving out some of the biggest names in the wider genre, with 50 Cent, Lil Kim and The Game among the list of rappers causing some concern among the councillors. Explaining their concerns, Bronx council member Larry Seabrook told reporters: "We're not talking about gangsta rap. We're talking about hip - hop. Anybody can be a thug".
But Adam Matthews, Senior Music Editor at hip hop mag The Source, said that the councillors should be careful not to view the gangsta rap scene in an overly negative light, observing: "You have to consider the statistics. As hip hop has become progressively violent, the streets have become safer."
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GNARLS SUCCESS CHANGES DUO'S PLANS
Gnarls Barkley duo Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse are being forced to alter their schedule for other projects, due to the surprise success of their joint album 'St Elsewhere'. Cee-Lo told Billboard: "A lot of things have been pushed on the back burner by the success of Gnarls - which is a good thing. It's bittersweet, a double-edged sword. We didn't plan on touring for the album, but here we are, three months into a tour. The dominoes are falling just as they should."
Cee-Lo adds that he and Danger Mouse are thinking of doing a second album, despite the fact that Gnarls Barkley began only as a casual collaboration, saying: "now, with what it's become, I'd like to see what we could do if we really, really focused. It's surpassed both of our expectations."
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UNIVERSAL TO RE-RELEASE COSTELLO
Universal Music Enterprises has acquired eleven Elvis Costello albums, and has plans to for "definitive reissues" with deluxe editions, compilations and box sets set to be released. The early albums, beginning with 1977's 'My Aim Is True' through to 1986's 'Blood and Chocolate', have already seen expanded re-releases in recent times, with Rykodisc re-issuing them back in 2001.
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HAPPY MONDAYS FINISH RECORDING ALBUM
Happy Mondays have announced that they've finished recording their new album, the first in fourteen years. The group have been working on the record with U2 producer Howie B as well as hip-hop producer Sunny Levine.
Howie says: "It's a mental project. It's really exciting, quite incredible. It's Shaun back on it. Shaun's a diamond. He's singing well, he's rapping well, his lyrics are just right on it. His language, which was always unique, has got even better. And he looks great. I wouldn't say he looks sexy, but he looks great."
No release date set as yet, nor a title. We'll let you know if we find out.
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ART BRUT STUFF
CMU favourites Art Brut have spoken to NME about that online petition that fans set up asking for the band to appear on Top Of The Pops before it finished - you may or may not know that those fans were inspired to do so by the lyrics of the band's debut single 'Formed A Band', which makes a reference to appearing on the show: "I'm gonna take that song, and we're gonna play it, eight weeks in a row on Top Of The Pops"
Frontman Eddie Argos said: "Apparently there were about six and half thousand fans who signed a petition to try and get us on there. Some kid started it and it just went from there. If we'd have had the chance we definitely would have done it and we'd given it our best shot and had loads of fun. I reckon I'd have thrown some sort of breakdance in there."
Argos hasn't given up hope of appearing on his favourite TV programme, however. He continued: "It's gonna come back though I reckon. Dr Who disappeared for a while and he came back eventually so I reckon it'll be back on in four years time."
Elsewhere, the band have revealed that they are well on their way to finishing a new album, planned for release early next year. The band's Jasper Future told Pitchfork: "We've got the music done, and we're just waiting for Eddie to write the words. That takes a bit longer. Eddie's an artist. He needs time to think...We'll be, 'Have you written the words?' And he'll say, 'The best way for me to write is on this sofa with my eyes shut.'"
Argos added: "One time, I was 'writing' with my eyes shut, and I woke up and they had four new songs."
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LAMBCHOP TOUR
Lambchop have announced a UK autumn tour to follow the release of new album 'Damaged' on 14 Aug, dates as follows:
23 Oct: London, Shepherds Bush Empire
24 Oct: Liverpool, Philharmonic
25 Oct: Bristol, St Georges
26 Oct: Dublin, Vikar St.
27 Oct: Belfast, Mandela Hall
28 Oct: Glasgow, ABC
29 Oct: Reading, Concert Hall
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ACTS ADDED TO BESTIVAL
Gogol Bordello and the rather buzzy Guillemots are the latest acts to join this year's Bestival line-up. They join the likes of Scissor Sisters, The Pet Shop Boys, Mystery Jets, Jim Noir and Devendra Banhart on the bill for the event, which, you must all surely know, takes place from 8 -10 Sep on the Isle Of Wight. For more info see http://www.bestival.net.
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THE HORRORS JUST TOO BUZZY TO PLAY
Buzz band The Horrors have pulled a free gig because of concerns that too many people would show up, making the whole thing a bit dangerous. The band had been due to play a mini-gig at London independent record shop Puregroove Records last night. However, as the buzz has grown on the band (apparently fans queued up around the block for nearly five hours before a recent 100 Club gig), it was feared simply too many people would show up to make the gig viable. So, instead, the band did a signing session, signing copies of their single 'Death At The Chapel'.
A posting on their MySpace explains thus: "With great regret we have had to pull our live performance at Puregroove Records tomorrow, Aug 2nd - however, we WILL still be there, but it will be a SIGNING SESSION rather than having us plug in and play. The reason for this is that the initial feedback we've had about the possible numbers of people turning up has been sizeable, and if we play live, the store is worried about safety - especially given the reputation of you lot down the front row at our gigs...! So we're sorry, it's out of our hands we're sorry, the store's just too small. We hope you can still make it down, to get a free, limited poster, and pick up a single for us to sign for you as a memento. Furthermore, everyone who signs up to a list at the instore will be notified FIRST about our next London show, whenever that maybe. So you can at least make sure you can see us live the next time... Hope to see you down at the signing tomorrow, and sorry again for pulling the plug, The Horrors."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Puregroove told NME: "We got so many calls about The Horrors that we thought the safest thing to do would be to revert to a signing. Because of the size of our shop we were worried about safety. There's five guys in the band, lots of equipment and press, so when you bring it down to actual fans allowed in (to the store) you'd only get 40."
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EAGLE ROCK SELL SPITFIRE
US based Sheridan Square Entertainment, owners of V2 America and Artemis Records, have acquired the 200-album catalogue of rock label Spitfire from Eagle Rock Entertainment. The deal gives Sheridan Square, who recently re-branded under the name Redux Records, the rights to albums from the likes of Black Label Society, Twisted Sister, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Yngwie Malmsteen, Dio, Testament, Sebastian Bach and The Exploited.
Confirming the deal, Eagle Rock said that they would continue to operate in the recorded music space via their Eagle Records division, while looking to expand their other areas of business, which include a number of video and multi-media ventures.
Eagle Rock CEO Terry Shand told reporters: "We've had a great run with Spitfire Records. We will continue to key in on the acquisition of new multi-media projects, breaking new ground for the future, focusing already existing efforts into high-definition and alternate forms of new media."
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TV BOSSES CONCERNED BY ZUNE ADS FUNDED CONTENT IDEAS
There are concerns in TV land, apparently, regarding one of the plans being developed by Microsoft relating to its new iPod/iTunes type venture Zune. Word has it Microsoft are planning on offering a service where people will be able to download free video content that will come with advertising glued to it. The plan there is to compete with iTunes' growing video and TV content service by offering the same content for free rather than on a pay-as-you-go basis (though at the same time generating an ad income to compensate the content owners). However, according to the New York Post, TV bosses aren't happy at the thought of a new platform competing with their own networks for advertising spend, even if they ultimately get a sizable portion of any ads carried on Zune. If that is the case, then Microsoft might find it hard to persuade the TV content owners (many of whom own both content and networks) to licence their shows for the ad funded service.
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RIFKIND REACQUIRES LOUD NAME
This is interesting. Steve Rifkind, the founder of legendary hip hop label Loud Records, is getting the 'Loud' brand name back. Rifkind, who now runs SRC Records after Sony acquired Loud back in the nineties, forged a new alliance with a major record company, this time Universal, earlier this year. Quite how he has gone about re-securing the Loud label name isn't clear - though Sony themselves haven't used it for new signings for a long time now. Word has it SRC will be launching a new Loud website and mobile service sometime soon.
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NAPSTER FINANCIALS, LOSSES DOWN, BUT STILL LOSSES
Napster has released their first quarter finanicals - and with revenues up and costs down presumably there is some good news in there, although they still recorded an overall loss, albeit quite a bit smaller than the same quarter last year (down from $19.7 million to $9.6 million). Some in the investment community expressed concerns that there has been a fall in Napster subscribers, though that might have been down to some kind of seasonal variation, or even an impact of the launch of Napster.com, the ad funded free-to-access 'lite service' offered by Napster in the US. While the ad funded service is ultimately designed to recruit new people who can be upsold the full subscription package, it stands to reason that some casual subscribers might have dropped their full subscription once the free service became available. On all that stuff - well, time will tell.
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ITV BOSS NEGOTIATING DEPARTURE
The BBC is reporting that ITV boss Charles Allen is currently negotiating his departure from the TV network. As you'll remember, pressure has been mounting over his position there for a while now, with investment types increasingly concerned about various failures on ITV's part to battle with new commercial rivals. It is understood that while Allen is now definitely going, the ITV board ideally want him to stay on until a successor is found.
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XFM REJIG
To coincide with the return of Richard Bacon to Xfm drive time next week (you remember how he and current Xfm drive time host Lucio are swapping places, so that Lucio will move to Capital?), the London based alternative station has announced some other schedule rejigs. Long serving Ian Camfield will return to day time to present mornings, while current mornings guy Sean Keavy will take over the lunchtime show, which includes the X-List requests slot. Camfield's current Music:Response co-host, Sarah Darling, will take over that show in her own right. No word yet on where current X-List host Iain Baker will end up, though he is staying with the station.
Xfm boss Andy Ashton says: "Lauren Laverne, Ian Camfield, Shaun Keaveny and the re-joining Richard Bacon are all great talents to work with and I believe this is the most exciting daytime line-up we have ever offered our listeners".
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CLASSIC FM REJIG
Classic FM have also announced a bit of a schedule rejig which will see Henry Kelly return to the station. Kelly, of course, used to present the station's breakfast show, but was removed somewhat suddenly three years ago. He will return to present a Sunday morning show. Among the other schedule changes is the appointment of former Blackadder star come Time Team man Tony Robinson.
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IN THE CITY MOVES INTO OCTOBER
Music industry convention In The City has confirmed that its 2006 dates will be in late October, rather than the traditional late September. It's a move designed, among other things, to open up the public showcase dimension of the event to the local student population, many of whom are not back or settled in in time for the usual September dates. More info at http://www.inthecity.co.uk/
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BEYONCE ON BIDET ALBUM
Beyonce has been talking about her new album, 'B'Day', and how her boyfriend Jay-Z has influenced it. She says his approach to recording inspired her to work with the many different producers who will be credited on the new long player. "They usually have a bunch of producers in the studio at one time in different rooms," she said. "They get this positive competitive energy going. I rented the studio and had different producers in three different rooms. It was so much fun and no pressure."
Beyonce has also explained that Jay Z was not originally intended to appear on single release 'Deja Vu': "but once he heard it, I saw his lips start moving. So I was like, 'Would you like to go into the studio and record what you just did?' Now we joke about how we're going to have enough songs to put out a little compilation record."
The album is out on 4 Sep.
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ELO COOL TO BE UNCOOL
ELO hit 'Livin Thing' has come top in a poll of 'uncool' songs that it's okay to admit you love. I admit I love uncool songs all the time. All these and more. I even admit to loving 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart'. That's how hardcore I am.
Anyway, the poll was carried out by Q magazine. They say: "ELO may never be fashionable but, in terms of sheer aural elation, this betters more revered bands' entire back catalogues."
Here's your top ten:
1. ELO - Livin' Thing
2. Boston - More Than A Feeling
3. S Club 7 - Don't Stop Movin'
4. 10cc - I'm Not In Love
5. Gary Glitter - Rock'n'Roll Part 2
6. Foreigner - Cold As Ice
7. Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
8. Status Quo - Whatever You Want
9. Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
10. Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive
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LILY ALLEN, DISSING PEOPLE, AGAIN
Lily Allen has been saying negative things about people again, which should come as no surprise to any of you. This time Madonna is amongst those on the receiving end. To be fair, it was a bit of a loaded question. Asked by GQ Magazine who she thought was the most overrated person in pop history, she added "Madonna. I haven't got anything against her at all but I don't think anything she's done since the early Eighties has really been, like, 'wow'. She might have meant something once but I don't know many people my age who care."
On Pete Doherty, she added: "I do think he has to be exterminated. It is a bit dull, isn't it? I've always been surrounded by smackheads anyway. It's like, 'get over it'."
On James Blunt: "It rhymes with his surname."
Her favourite member of Girls Aloud: "Nicola, the ugly one. For that reason."
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MORRISON MAD AT BLUNT COMPARISONS
Talking of James Blunt, who we tend not to dis here at CMU, unlike everyone else in the world ever, apparently, James Morrison is bored of being compared with his fellow singer-songwriter.
Morrison is being widely tipped for a similar level of success, but says: "If there's one thing that does my head in it's being compared to James Blunt. It makes me want to scream. I don't see any similarity in our music. James Blunt? Come on! Just because I am a man, I play guitar and my name is James - that's the only similarity." Actually, that's three similarities.