| CMU Daily - on the inside Wednesday 9th August |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- CMU at the Edinburgh Festival
- Video downloads might be included in singles chart
- Warner enter global deal with American Recordings
- Man arrested over Korn killing
- Following OD2 purchase, is Napster next?
- Eavis has some headliners confirmed
- Bedingfield to record Rocky song
- Doherty and Skinner collaborate
- Kinks man to be honoured by BMI
- Former BBC 3 boss finds new job
- Billboard axe staff
- Paul and Heather hire Charles and Diana divore lawyers
- U2 reportedly move business interests for tax reasons
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CMU AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL>>
Oh dear, really rather late again today. We experienced some severe technical problems here at the Edinburgh Festival this morning. Chris and Caro both oversleeping counts as a technical problem, right? Yep, some oversleeping, having to transfer 30,000 newspapers from a van into the UnLimited office (on a little trolley, because the grumpiest maintenance man in the world wouldn't lend us his bigger trolley) and the now daily task of having to present a two hour radio show on the Edinburgh Festival radio station means that neither of your good editors could get to work on your CMU Daily until lunchtime, hence the late delivery. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow, promise, I mean, there's nothing to distract us here at the largest arts festival in the world. Nothing at all. Apart from a plethora of top comedy, theatre, music, musicals, talks, debates and bars. And, of course, T On The Fringe, one of the most impressive music programmes of the year, at which we have already enjoyed the following...
New Young Pony Club at Cabaret Voltaire at T on the Fringe on 4 Aug
They really got me. The New Young Pony Club have been described as possessing strip club vocals as well as having influences such as The Stooges, Grace Jones and Talking Heads, but NYPC are a truly unique blend of sex-rock, Deborah Harry antics and all-out, floor bashing rhythms. Young and energetic, this 5 piece from London are not for the sweat-band-toting, new-age fringe renegades. Their music is abundantly confident, and had the crowd moving by the second piece due to the fact that they so clearly enjoy doing what they do. Even the keyboard managed to integrate, instead of hanging in the air playing space invaders. Totally non-prescriptive, very original, and very British rock. This band is one to watch out for. KR
tw rating: 4/5
Mark Ronson at the Liquid Room at T on the Fringe on 6 Aug
A message to you Rudi: Mark Ronson and his gang of uptown rockers are in town. British party hip-hop's production boy wonder leads an eight piece band (avec brass) through a storming set of covers. Radiohead's 'Just' is transformed into a heavyweight reggae stomper, the Jam's 'Pretty Green' turns into a floor-bashing funk monster and Kaiser Chiefs' 'Oh My God' was rinsed through in a soul, funk and upfront ska style. A few less covers would be nice, but that aside it's still a glorious celebration of the best music of the last 30 years, all crammed together into one rawkus hour. Run tings, as they say. There's a series of guests, including Amy Winehouse, who all succeed in whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Some hip-hop fans even do more than head-nod! Golly. CJ
tw rating 4/5
The Beautiful Girls/Dropkick at Cabaret Voltaire at T on the Fringe on 7 Aug
The Beautiful Girls sound like a lovechild fathered by Ben Harper, Reef, Sublime and Finley Quaye, and mothered by the land of Australia-a healthy brand of down-under reggae rock with rough edges, a funky soul, and hints of gospel. It's rare to find an opening act that so well compliments the headliners. Dropkick were that act; a Scottish group with a dynamic combination of ballsy country twang, wry lyrics and luscious pop harmonies. The key ingredient to both bands' success and what ultimately made the night such a joy was their underlying honesty; perhaps a result of separating the musical wheat from the chaff and not being afraid to draw inspiration from many different styles. BRH
tw rating 4/5
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VIDEO DOWNLOADS MIGHT BE INCLUDED IN SINGLE CHART
Video downloads could soon be included in the UK singles chart - or at least that's what Music Week are reporting, and they're reliable sorts (I mean they never sleep in and deliver their Daily six hours late, do they?). Apparently the good old Official Chart Company are talking to record label chiefs about including video sales stats from iTunes et al into the main chart mix.
It will be interesting to see how label execs respond to the suggestion - it would be a move that would certainly seem to favour those artists with the kind of fanbases who will buy both the audio and video release, or those artists with the budgets to produce the kind of pop promos that will sell oblivious of the music that accompanies them.
Omar Maskatiya from the Chart Co tells Music Week: "It's up to us to start talking to the retailers and getting an idea of how many are selling from all the labels. Initial indications are really good and we hope that, by October, we will have enough data and analysis to take to the labels, which will then make a decision about when it's incorporated into the chart."
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WARNER ENTER GLOBAL DEAL WITH AMERICAN RECORDINGS
Warner Music International has forged a deal with Rick Rubin's American Recordings, which means that Warner will now distribute and administrate the label's recordings worldwide. Warner have always distributed American Recordings releases in the US, but elsewhere it was a job done by one Universal division or another (Mercury in the UK I think, but don't go quoting me on that). The deal means Warner's global teams will now be working with the likes of Johnny Cash, the Black Crowes and Slayer. Well, I say "working with", I should say "working with recordings from the likes of". I don't think there's going to be much working with Johnny Cash going on.
Anyway, here's the words that John Reid of WMI used to describe the new deal: "We believe extending our relationship with American represents a unique opportunity to explore exciting new ways to package and deliver this music to a global audience across a variety of digital and physical platforms".
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MAN ARRESTED OVER KORN KILLING
A man has been arrested in connection with that previously reported incident at a Korn concert in the US which left a fan dead. Reports suggest a man called Michael Scott Axley has been charged with murder after the death of Andrew Johnson at the band's gig in Atlanta last week. Originally police were looking for two suspects in relation to the case, but more recent reports suggest police suspect Axley as being soley responsible for the attack on Johnson. As previously reported, Johnson was attacked after asking some fellow gig goers to be careful not to hurt his pregnant girlfriend and a disable child who were with him at the Korn concert. Johnson was pushed over and hit, sustaining fatal head injuries. In a statement the band urged any gig goers who witnessed the incident to come forward, and reports suggest it was such testimonies that have led to Axley's arrest.
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FOLLOWING OD2 PURCHASE, IS NAPSTER NEXT?
Following Nokia's purchase of Loudeye/OD2 yesterday, speculation is now rife that a major tech player, may be a mobile phone maker, may now attempt a take over of Napster. I'm still not entirely sure how Nokia owning OD2 helps them get a competitive advantage in the digital music player space, even if the mobile phone does become the mainstream music player of choice, but that seems to be the motivation for the takeover, and if other electronics firms feel they too need a major download platform in their possession in order to compete, then Napster would be an obvious target.
Napster boss Chris Gorog has always suggested he and his board are open to takeover offers, recently telling reporters: "We continue to receive a lot of interest in the company. We will always carefully weigh any valuation alternative against the opportunity and risk associated with continuing as a stand-alone company."
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EAVIS HAS SOME HEADLINERS CONFIRMED
Glasto man Michael Eavis says he now has confirmed some of the big names who will play next year's festival, but, as is the tradition, he's keeping it all to himself. He told reporters this week that reports Bruce Springsteen would headline Glastonbury 2007 were "absolute rubbish", that he remains hopeful that Kylie will play, and that "we do have acts confirmed but I can't tell you". So now you know. Or, rather, now you don't know.
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BEDINGFIELD TO RECORD ROCKY SONG
Natasha Bedingfield has reportedly recorded the theme tune for the new Rocky film, and at Sylvester Stallone's request.
One of those rent-a-sources told the Sun: "Sly went up to Natasha at a party in Los Angeles and personally asked her to get involved. Natasha was completely shocked. She found it hard to believe that a legend like Sly had heard of her."
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DOHERTY AND SKINNER COLLABORATE
Pete Doherty and Mike Skinner have collaborated on a reworking of The Streets track 'Prangin Out', with Doherty adding a new self-penned Streets style verse. The track might be Skinner's next single release, and the Doherty version might be featured on the release.
On the collaboration, Skinner told NME: "His style on 'Prangin' Out' reminds me of his early stuff. But I wouldn't call it 'rapping'. Pete's more of a poet, so it sounds really poetic."
The track is about Skinner's own "cocaine hell", so it is on a subject matter pretty familiar to Doherty. Skinner adds: "He makes my drug escapades look like schoolboy stuff. He's written the book on excess and tabloid problems."
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KINKS MAN TO BE HONOURED BY BMI
More music legends being honored for being music legends. Kinks frontman Ray Davies will be given an Icon Award by US royalty types BMI at their annual London gala on 3 Oct. And quite right too - The Kinks catalogue is far too underrated if you ask me. In fact, I'm going to go and find my Kinks greatest hits right now. Well, I better finish the Daily first, given how late we are already.
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FORMER BBC 3 BOSS FINDS NEW JOB
Former BBC-3-controller-come-former-RDF-director Stuart Murphy has joined indie TV producer Twofour Productions. As you'll remember, he left the Beeb's youth channel to take the high profile job at RDF at the start of the year, but then quit his new job within two months. On his new job he has told reporters: "I'm delighted to be joining Twofour - it feels like a creative sleeping giant. It's got the infrastructure and the ambition to go for the big commissions, and the right staff to make them happen". Yeah, he says that now, let's see what he's saying in two months time.
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BILLBOARD AXE STAFF
US trade mag Billboard have axed nine members of staff in a rejig caused by the previously reported acquisition of former rival trade mag Radio & Records, which has been merged with Billboard spin off Radio Monitor. 26 jobs are expected to go in the group wide restructure. I'd start with the slackers who sleep in and get their daily e-newsletters out six hours late.
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PAUL AND HEATHER HIRE CHARLES AND DIANA DIVORE LAWYERS
More from the Macca divorce file. Word has it the McCartneys have hired the same lawyers to represent them in their increasingly acrimonious divorce as were used by Prince Charles and Princess Diana in their divorce proceedings. Anthony Julius, representing Heather, previously represented Princess Diana, while Fiona Shackleton, previously Prince Charles' attorney, will represent Paul. Who'll be doing their respective PR we don't know - given the already rampant tabloid interest in the whole thing, that's possibly more important than the legal representation.
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U2 REPORTEDLY MOVE BUSINESS INTERESTS FOR TAX REASONS
According to the Daily Telegraph U2 have moved a portion of their multi-million pound business empire out of Ireland for tax reasons. Reports suggest that some of the band's publishing interests will now be run out of Holland where tax rates are more favourable.
Do you ever think that if millionaire celebrities stopped hiring accountants to dodge paying taxes, there'd be more government aid available to help all the poor people they seem so concerned about? Perhaps we should set up a Make Tax Dodging History campaign. I'll give Bob a call and suggest it. But not now - we're running so late on today's Daily, now I've got to go and start tomorrow's.