| CMU Daily - on the inside Friday 27th October |
|
In today's CMU Daily:
- Danish courts add to allofmp3.com woes
- MU and BACS call for more government action
- Man says he wrote American Idiot
- Single Review: Dr Octagon - Trees
- Townshend walks out of Stern interview
- New Juliette And The Licks single
- Keane gig ends in lighting crash drama
- New Sonic Youth compilation
- Blur artwork sold for quite a bit of cash
- Wainwrights join family tour
- Jeremy Warmsley single news
- Timberlake confirms UK dates
- Tom McRae adds date to tour
- Carey Hong Kong gig cancelled
- Raconteurs help pay tribute to Peel at Proms
- Album Review: DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid - Riddim Come Forward
- SonyBMG revenues static, losses down
- Court not impressed with Hummer Winblad email deletion
- EMI team up with Yahoo maps on chip shop vote
- Warner partner with Brightcove for enhanced video delivery
- IPC revamp uncut site
- Organ celebrate birthday with Resonance fundraiser
- Worship with Bono
- It's okay everyone, Razorlight love each other
- Robbie Williams talks about sex
--------------------------------------------------
TOP BIT: UPPER STREET INTERVIEW>>
When your first stint of pop stardom was intrinsically linked to a TV show, and the offer of a second stint linked to a new telly programme comes along, it might seem logical to take it. But then again, if you're busy working on a solo album project that is in some ways a departure from your teen pop past, you might be a bit suspicious of a new pop TV project, especially one that's essentially a reality show. After all, reality TV does not have a particularly good record when it comes to forming or reforming bands. But despite those reservations, former S Clubber Bradley McIntosh decided to put his name forward for MTV's Totally Boyband venture - a reality show that gets together five members of teen bands of old, puts them in the same room, and sees if a brand new successful boyband comes out the other end. Whether it does we should see this Sunday, when debut single 'The One' is expected to chart. If it does gain some success it seems that the four members of what is now known as Upper Street (one of the five, Lee from Steps, famously quit of course, providing MTV with the kind of TV entertainment they presumably desired) are seriously considering turning this project into a fulltime job. "We have a great connection, and we're definitely up for making an album" Bradley says. "That was never our intention at the start, but it's something I really want to do now. This is my priority, and I'll put the solo project on the back burner to make it happen". Find out why he got involved in the first place, and get his take on the whole Lee from Steps thing, in our interview with him, online right now.
http://www.thebeatsbar.co.uk/ccinterviews
--------------------------------------------------
CLASSIFIEDS>>
TICKETWEB IS A SELF-SERVICE, FULLY FUNCTIONED BOX-OFFICE SYSTEM available for use by venues, record companies and event organisers at potentially no cost. Once you've set up an account with us, you can use our state-of-the-art tools to easily add your own events, access and manage your data and benefit from our marketing support. We have an expert team on hand to guide you through all stages of the process. For more information, contact [email protected]
--
OFFICE SPACE TO LET
Space to let in bright open plan office on top floor of building in London's famous Denmark Street area (West End/Soho), sharing with office of internet radio station with approx 4 staff. Suitable for 1 or 2 people max. Rent £135 per week (or nearest offer), incl insurance, bills & all office facilities (internet/own phone line/fax/printer/desk etc). Available now. Call 020 7240 6665
--
INTERESTED IN SELLING YOUR RECORD LABEL?
Music Gain is acquiring record labels and catalogue. If you are thinking of selling, or are interested in a long term capital partner, please contact us. Introduction and spotters fees also paid. Please visit us - http://www.musicgain.com
--
ADVERTISE YOUR SERVICES & PRODUCTS here for just £50 a week, or £150 for two weeks in the Daily and four weeks on the web. Email [email protected] for details.
--------------------------------------------------
JOBS N STUFF>>
LABEL MANAGER
!K7 label group is an independent record company operating worldwide since 1985 whose labels include !K7, Rapster/BBE and Ever Records. We also offer a press and distribution service to partner labels Ghostly/Spectral, BBE/R2, Bubbles (Whitest Boy Alive) and Rush Hour/Kindred Spirits.
TO EXPAND OUR TEAM IN BERLIN WE ARE LOOKING FOR A P&D LABEL MANAGER
Responsibilities include development of all releases on P&D labels, communication to distributors and overseeing marketing/promotion. A good, varied working knowledge of music and minimum two years relevant label management experience required. German language skills are helpful, but not essential.
Email applications to [email protected] or post to: !K7 Records, attn. Marie Clausen, Heidestr. 52, 10557 Berlin, Germany
--------------------------------------------------
CMU RECOMMENDS>>
BREAKING GROUND
Another storming night for your diaries - the second edition of breaks fest Breaking Ground. All the big names are going to be on the bill - Planet Pendulum (Live), Stanton Warriors, Rennie Pilgrem with MC Chickaboo, Splitloop (Live), Precision Cuts, Janette Slack, Breakfastaz, Deekline & Wizard with MC Ivory, Cltr-Z, Freshold, Si Begg, General Midi, Soto, Merka, Symmetrik, Dirtpop, Mr Sushi and Fyoog. Phew. It will all take place at London's seOne Club on Saturday 2 Dec, from 9.30pm to 6am. Tickets are £18.50 in advance - from http://www.ticketweb.co.uk - press info from Leyline.
Full info>> http://www.leylinepromotions.com/breakingground
--------------------------------------------------
CMU FRIDAY TIPS
CARO'S LIVE TIP #1: The Go! Team at Brighton Dome
The Go! Team are playing home turf this weekend, with a show at Brighton's Dome venue. Sadly, I can't make it, but I bet some of you can. You all know who they are by now. They are, after all, CMU favourites.
Saturday 28 Oct, Brighton Dome, doors 7.00pm, £16.50 advance.
VIGSY'S LIVE TIP: Guida da Palma and Jazzinho at Jazz Cafe
Sorry, again back to the Café for long term CMU favourites Jazzinho, whose self titled album in 2004 was really top notch. Today they will be showcasing tracks off the recently released album 'Atlas', made in conjunction with the Brazilian mover Ed Motta. Front lady Guida da Palma, a brilliant singer and great entertainer too, will be on deluxe lush Latin vocal duty, alongside Motta and Hamish Stuart. And then there'll be a bit of a shake down afterwards with a kinda of double header from Jazz Juice: DJ Graham B with production partner Alain Eskinasi will be rinsing out a "superbly refreshing sound that connects old school with future jazz", if the blurb is to be believed.
Saturday 28 Oct, Jazz Cafe, 5 The Parkway, Camden, NW5, doors 7pm-2am, £15 in advance, more on the door, info at http://www.jazzcafe.co.uk
CARO'S LIVE TIP 2: Barefoot at Jazz Café
And even more Jazz Café. And even more CMU favourites. You've heard me go on and on before about Barefoot - they're the duo, comprising Sam Obernik and Tommy D, who cover club classics in a deliciously loungey, jazzy manner. You may have even heard me declare that their version of 'Born Slippy' is the greatest cover I've ever heard. Well, it's certainly in my top ten. These chaps are so worth checking out, and here's your opportunity.
Sunday 29 Oct, Jazz Café, 5 The Parkway, Camden, NW5, doors 7.00pm,£12.50 advance, info at http://www.jazzcafe.co.uk
--------------------------------------------------
DANISH COURTS ADD TO ALLOFMP3.COM WOES
Pressure on everyone's favourite rogue Russian download site, allofmp3.com, grew yesterday after a Danish court made a potentially precedent setting ruling that ordered internet service provider Tele2 to block access to the digital music service. The order came following litigation from the Danish branch of the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry, and may lead to other branches of the IFPI, or affiliated trade bodies, taking similar action.
Assuming Tele2 comply with the court order, customers who access the internet via its servers will now not be able to reach the cut price download platform which claims to be operating according to Russian copyright laws but which, the IFPI says, is operating illegally.
The Danish ruling follows decisions by credit card firms Visa and Mastercard to not accept payments from the Russian music service, and efforts by US officials negotiating Russia's entry into the World Trade Organisation to ensure the authorities there close any loopholes in their copyright laws that allow allofmp3.com to trade legitimately domestically.
Welcoming the ruling yesterday, IFPI chief John Kennedy told reporters: "This judgment is one more step along the road to getting this rogue site closed down. Allofmp3.com illegally offers for sale copies of music that it has no right to reproduce or distribute. It provides unfair competition to the nearly 400 legal sites worldwide that respect the rights of composers, artists and record producers".
The ruling may, of course, have wider implications in that it essentially makes ISPs responsible, to a certain extent, for policing the net. Ib Tolstrip, the leader of an industry group who represent the Danish telecommunications industry, told Computerworld Denmark that that was a role the internet service providers did not want to take on: "We are horrified over this judgment, to say the least. It means that we must now keep an eye on what our users are doing online. And blocking user access to certain websites will never be a perfect solution. This can spread anywhere. Next time we might be asked to block pages with illegal software or something like that. But we will always demand a court order before acting on these requests".
--------------------------------------------------
MU AND BACS CALL FOR MORE GOVERNMENT ACTION
The Musicians' Union and the British Academy Of Composers & Songwriters yesterday co-launched a new report on the status of the 'artist' in Britain today.
The report, called 'Status Quo?', says that while the UK government recognises the importance of the creative sector in the country's overall economy, it doesn't do enough to support the individual creators that feed that sector. The paper makes a number of recommendations for policies and practices that government should introduce to increase the contribution of music creators to the creative economy, including the creation of sustainable careers, the rewarding of research & development and the disseminating of knowledge, the stimulation of the market, the safeguarding of intellectual property and the further development of music education and skills.
Launching the report, British Academy chair David Ferguson told reporters: "The [Department Of Culture's] Creative Economy Programme and the Treasury's Gowers Review of Intellectual Property, clearly show that the government recognises that the creative industries are major contributors to the UK economy with a significant potential for further growth. However, as far as the music sector is concerned, that growth will simply be unsustainable unless the Government and other relevant agencies address the key issues which affect the current plight of the majority of composers & songwriters [and artists] as revealed in this 'Status Quo?' report. Those who write [and make] music need to do so within an environment in which they can flourish. They need quality training at the beginning of their careers, continuing support as they adapt to and take on new skills, effective protection of their intellectual property and a fair reward for work undertaken. Failure to address these issues will only lead to a general decline in the quality of UK music as our creative talent drifts off to alternative and better rewarded careers. "
--------------------------------------------------
MAN SAYS HE WROTE AMERICAN IDIOT
According to Gigwise, an American chap has filed a lawsuit against Green Day which claims that he wrote their 'American Idiot' album. Paul McPike from Oregon allegedly claims that he wrote the songs when he was in college, and reckons that a pissed off friend 'leaked' the material to Green Day, who promptly used the tracks to make the long player.
But don't expect to see Billie Joe defending himself on this one - a judge has ruled that McPike has insufficient evidence to proceed with his case.
--------------------------------------------------
SINGLE REVIEW: Dr. Octagon - Trees (Buttercuts)
The second single from the much hyped 'Return Of Dr Octagon' may not convert listeners to Kool Keith's technique, but it will convince them of his weirdness. 'Trees' consists of yelped platitudes that may or may not be poetical genius, may or may not be nonsense. And why not? It worked brilliantly for some of Captain Beefheart's oeuvre. And it's been picked up by MTV for an environmental campaign, presumably because of the central exclamation: "trees are dying", which is possibly as much of a message as MTV viewers can handle. One Watt Sun's production is perfectly-catchy in an avant-funk-electro kinda way, and the single comes with two remixes. The Quemists's drum'n'bass take is formulaic at best, and hardly deserving of a Dr Octagon a cappella, but much more satisfying is Spankrock's version, which adds spangly guitars, glitter and enough groovy dance moves to warrant heavy rotation. AM
Release Date: 27 Nov
Press Contact: Outpost [all]
--------------------------------------------------
TOWNSHEND WALKS OUT OF STERN INTERVIEW
Pete Townshend walked out of an interview on the Howard Stern US radio show earlier this week after Stern's co-host, Robin Quivers, brought up The Who guitarist's run in with the police after accessing a child pornography website back in 2003.
Townshend was due to be interviewed on Stern's show alongside bandmate Roger Daltrey via a satellite link from a studio in London. Townshend was waiting at the studio with his girlfriend Rachel Fuller and Daltrey when he heard a link on the Stern show pre-empting The Who interview. Quivers reportedly brought up the "child pornography stuff", as well as Townshend's claims that he was abused as a child, to which Stern replied: "Oh yeah, we could ask him about that".
Those comments caused Townshend to walk out of the studio before the interview began. Daltrey and Fuller continued with the interview, during which Quivers suggested that Townshend would have probably have walked out of the interview even "if we didn't bring that [the child pornography] up" because "he's a real testy guy".
But Daltrey spoke up for his bandmate, accusing Stern of "sniffing dirty underpants", and adding: "Can you imagine you're accused of this stuff and then you're found not guilty? If you had to defend yourself through this stuff? The wounds are so deep on the man, and it's just tragic because he's got so much to offer".
Those comments led to an apology from Stern, who said: "Tell Pete I am very sorry. We would have had a great interview with him. I really wish he'd reconsider this. We adore him."
Townshend and Daltrey were, of course, on the Stern show to promote the upcoming release of 'Endless Wire', The Who's first new album in 24 years.
--------------------------------------------------
NEW JULIETTE AND THE LICKS SINGLE
Juliette and The Licks are to release a new single next month. The band release 'Sticky Honey' on 26 Nov. Frontlady Juliette Lewis says of the track: "This is about the relationship between men and women, and the metaphor is sticky honey - something sweet and good, but complicated. The lyrics are abstract. They mean something to me but they'll mean something different for everybody."
--------------------------------------------------
KEANE GIG ENDS IN LIGHTING CRASH DRAMA
Okay, it's not as exciting as I made it sound in the headline. Keane's recent gig at the Brighton Centre ended early because a lighting rig fell on to the stage. Actually, it could have been pretty dramatic, someone might have been under it. But they weren't. And, to be fair, they'd got through most of the concert before the incident occurred. The band had been playing for well over an hour and had just begun an encore.
An audience member told thisisfakediy: "They started the encore and they had a big lighting rig on a stand which was lifted up into the gantry. It got caught on another bit of equipment and it fell over down the back of the stage. No one got squashed or anything, but the band left the stage and an announcement was made saying everyone had to leave immediately due to health and safety".
--------------------------------------------------
NEW SONIC YOUTH COMPILATION
Sonic Youth are to release a new compilation album, 'The Destroyed Room: B-sides and Rarities', featuring, er, B sides and rarities, on 11 Dec. Speaking to Billboard about the new long player, and recent studio album 'Rather Ripped', bassist Kim Gordon said it was likely they will move on from label Geffen after the release.
Gordon: "I don't really think they want us to stay. They fired a few key people working on ['Rather Ripped'] a week before it came out, [including] our A&R person - he worked on our last record with us, and that was the first time we had an A&R person in five years, but we liked him. Also a marketing person who had really good ideas. So, I don't know."
--------------------------------------------------
BLUR ARTWORK SOLD FOR QUITE A BIT OF CASH
The original art work that featured on the cover of Blur album 'Think Tank', by notorious guerrilla artist Banksy, has sold at auction for £62,400. Sold at Bonhams on Wednesday, the piece went for ten times its estimate - perhaps not that surprising, given the artist's rising profile.
The anonymous buyer said: "I'm delighted to purchase this particular work from the Think Tank group of works by Banksy. This work will remain in a private collection of Pop Art here in England".
--------------------------------------------------
WAINWRIGHTS JOIN FAMILY TOUR
Rufus Wainwright and sister Martha are both to join their mother and aunt, Kate and Anna McGarrigle for the McGarrigle Family Christmas Tour for six dates in December. So, if you're planning a North American trip this December, the following dates might just be of interest to you.
1 Dec: Montreal Outremont
2 Dec: Montreal Outremont
3 Dec: Philadelphia Kimmel Center
4 Dec: Toronto Massey Hall
6 Dec: Los Angeles Royce Hall
7 Dec: Seattle The Paramount
13 Dec: New York Carnegie Hall
--------------------------------------------------
JEREMY WARMSLEY SINGLE NEWS
CMU favourite Jeremy Warmsley releases his next single - 'Dirty Blue Jeans' / 'Photograph Of A Hospital' on 4 Dec on limited 7"/DVD and download. Now, 'Dirty Blue Jeans' is a great song, but the interesting thing about this is the second track, 'Photograph Of A Hospital'. As you may remember, because we reported on it, the singer-songwriter ran a competition for fans to provide the story for the song's lyrics. Jeremy says: "We had a lot of entries, but in the end the one I went for was called 'Photograph of a Hospital', a funny little story with a brilliant twist at the end."
Warmsley is touring from the end of this month, as previously reported. Here's a reminder of the dates, press info from Sainted:
31 Oct: Lincoln Drill Hall
1 Nov: Manchester Night & Day
6 Nov: Leeds Cockpit
9 Nov: Oxford Zodiac
2 Nov: Brighton The Albert
13 Nov: Guildford The Boiler Room
16 Nov: Bristol Cube Cinema
18 Nov: Sheffield Plug
19 Nov: Cambridge Fez Club
21 Nov: London 93 Feet East
--------------------------------------------------
TIMBERLAKE CONFIRMS UK DATES
Justin Timberlake has confirmed 12 UK and Ireland gigs as part of the European leg of his Futuresex/Loveshow tour. As previously reported, earlier this week he was the first act to be confirmed to be appearing at the new The O2 arena, (or the Millennium Dome, as we're all still calling it, traditionalists that we are). When we reported on that we said tickets were already on sale for those dates, but that wasn't actually true. Some tickets (for the whole tour I think) do go on sale to fan club members today, but we're still not sure when they go on general sale.
Here are all the dates thus far - more dates are expected to be announced shortly:
24 Apr: Belfast Odyssey
27 Apr: Sheffield Hallam FM Arena
30 Apr: Newcastle Metro Arena
3 May: Glasgow SECC
8 May: Birmingham NIA
9 May: Birmingham NIA
14 May: Manchester MEN
15 May: Manchester MEN
30 Jun: Dublin RDS
4 Jul: London O2 Arena
5 Jul: London O2 Arena
7 Jul: London O2 Arena
--------------------------------------------------
TOM MCRAE ADDS DATE TO TOUR
Singer songwriter Tom McRae has added an extra date to his UK tour, which begins next month. He will now appear at KCLSU on 7 Dec. The full set of gigs is now as follows:
26 Nov: Manchester, Life Café
27 Nov: Bristol, Trinity
28 Nov: London, Islington Academy
29 Nov: Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
1 Dec: Newcastle, Academy 2
2 Dec: Glasgow, King Tuts
3 Dec: Leeds, Cockpit
4 Dec: Edinburgh, Cabaret Voltaire
5 Dec: Birmingham Barfly
7 Dec: London KCLSU
--------------------------------------------------
CAREY HONG KONG GIG CANCELLED
Promoters have cancelled a Mariah Carey gig set to take place in Hong Kong due to a poor response, as well as what they are calling "unreasonable demands" from the diva.
The promoters, Concerts Asia, posted a message on their website which reads: "As promoters of the Mariah Carey Hong Kong concert, we have decided to cancel the event effective immediately due to both the poor response of public ticket sales and also due to specific last-minute demands which we find wholly unreasonable and not with the best interests of Hong Kong, us and also the fans".
--------------------------------------------------
RACONTEURS HELP PAY TRIBUTE TO PEEL AT PROMS
The BBC's Electric Proms are currently underway, of course, and last night there was a special gig staged in honour of the late great John Peel. The Horrors, Squarepusher and The Raconteurs all took to the Camden Electric Ballroom stage as part of the proceedings, the latter finishing their set with a cover of Peel's all time favourite song 'Teenage Kicks'.
The Electric Proms continue over the weekend and into next week, and you'll find all the info you could possibly ever need at http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/whatson/
--------------------------------------------------
ALBUM REVIEW: DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid - Riddim Come Forward (Trojan)
A DJ whose turntable repertoire reaches far beyond mere scratch based tricks, DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid might not be as "out there" as Christian Marclay or Philip Jeck, but his cheeky sensibilities have made him the only DJ to remix free jazz with any meaning and reverence. Having spent his summers as a kid in Jamaica, he is obviously deeply influenced by that soundsystem culture. Being allowed 'full plunder' access to Trojan's archives, possibly one of the most expansive available, Spooky creates a mix that is full of surprises and twists and is all the more authentic for that. Liturgical organ, fax dial-up, and avant-DJ techniques all bob along to the primal rhythms, and elsewhere songs that draw upon the same plod crop up in the mix such as 'Green Onions' or the saccharine pop of Millie Small's 'My Boy Lollypop'. But 'Riddim Come Forward' is by no means a novelty record; indeed, it's more reggae than a barrel full of Bob Marleys. With history lessons and seminal tracks from Augustus Pablo, Big Youth, The Specials and Dennis Alcapone, DJ Spooky's only concern is for the psychedelic skank and keeping the good-time party vibes flowing. Reggae compilations often fall prey to their own theme and end up victims of their own stoned repetitiveness, something that the Trojan releases are not exempt from, but by drafting in a DJ who's not afraid to flirt with other genres and otherworldly sounds, Trojan might have released a genuinely fantastic reggae mix. AM
Release Date: 11 Nov
Press Contact: Espionage [all]
--------------------------------------------------
SONYBMG REVENUES STATIC, LOSSES DOWN
SonyBMG revenues remained more or less level in the most recent quarter at $948 million - there was a 1% rise mainly thanks to foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Losses were, however, down on the same quarter last year - $39 million rather than $60 million. That will be in part due to the fact that the costs of activity relating to the 2004 Sony BMG merger are easing, plus there were some big releases in the quarter from Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera.
While SonyBMG's performance was probably as expected, it didn't do much to help co-parent company Sony Corp, who have been having some financial difficulties of late. They did make a profit - but at 1.7 billion yen (£7.5 million) that's a 94% drop on profits made in the same period last year. A massive battery recall and problems relating to the launch of PlayStation 3 was blamed for the profits decline.
--------------------------------------------------
COURT NOT IMPRESSED WITH HUMMER WINBLAD EMAIL DELETION
More on that long long running legal case relating to the original Napster. As previously reported, EMI, Universal and a group of publishers are suing Bertelsmann and venture capital firm Hummer Winblad (well, Universal have settled with Bertelsmann) for putting money into the original Napster operation because, the plaintiffs claim, by doing so they helped keep the legendary P2P afloat for longer and in doing so enabled more copyright violation to occur.
Hummer Winblad are counter-suing EMI and Universal over allegations that the two majors used anti-competitive practices at the time of the original Napster in order to stop the P2P company from launching a legitimate business model (because, at the time, the majors had vested interests in their own developing but ultimately unsuccessful download platforms). You'll remember that earlier this year a court ordered EMI and Universal to hand over internal papers relating to the case that weren't seen during earlier investigations into Hummer Winblad's claims because they were protected by client-attorney privilege.
Well, the latest court ruling relating to the case is concerned with internal paperwork on the Hummer Winblad side - or rather, paperwork that no longer exists. A federal judge yesterday said that bosses at the venture capital firm were guilty of "gross negligence" when they told employees to destroy emails relating to its dealings with Napster back in 2000. According to the LA Times, if and when the EMI/Universal lawsuit against Hummer Winblad gets to court the judge will have to tell the jury that the missing emails could, and may be would have hurt the venture capitalist's defence - a statement that will, erm, definitely hurt their defence.
The ruling against Hummer Winblad came about after a 2000 memo to employees from Ann Winblad was unearthed that read: "As we have all been required to surrender our Napster e-mails, this should reinforce compliance with our long-standing policies. We do not retain e-mails, it is your responsibility to delete your handled e-mails immediately."
--------------------------------------------------
EMI TEAM UP WITH YAHOO MAPS ON CHIP SHOP VOTE
More online promotional shenanigans coming out of EMI (either they're doing a lot of this stuff just now, or they've just started PRing it more than before). Following on from Parlophone's online demo service and their partnership with Nabbr to promote Lily Allen, both announced earlier this week, sister label EMI Records has announced a tie up with Yahoo! Maps as part of that previously reported Badly Drawn Boy chip shop promotion.
As previously reported, Badly Drawn Boy will play an instore in a, erm, fish and chip shop, in order to promote his new album 'Born In The UK', which is out now on EMI. Ten local chip shops around in the UK have been shortlisted to host that gig, and fans can vote on which one it should be. To help them, if they go to http://www.badlydrawnboy.co.uk they can check out one of those aerial views of Britain maps courtesy of Yahoo with the shortlisted chip shops marked on it - should you want to you can zoom in to see those chippies close up because, obviously, you ought to check out a chip shop's roof before voting for it (OK, it is quite fun playing with these Google Earth style applications).
Commenting on the promotion, EMI Records Digital Media Manager Eric Winbolt told CMU: "Our objective was to use the online mechanic to complement and strengthen the offline promotion. Integrating with Yahoo! Maps allowed a strong creative execution to be married to the functionality of the Maps tool. A user can quickly and easily locate the shortlisted chippies. The competition's chip shop theme reinforces the overall creative which takes an affectionate look at and celebrates the idiosyncrasies of contemporary British culture".
--------------------------------------------------
WARNER PARTNER WITH BRIGHTCOVE FOR ENHANCED VIDEO DELIVERY
The Warner Music Group has announced a partnership with Massachusetts based Brightcove which will see the major make video content, including pop promos and artist interviews, available via the Brightcove video player.
That content will be available via Warner label and artist sites, but music fans will also be able to add the video player to their blogs, MySpace pages or websites, allowing them to legitimately share Warner promotional content with their friends. Some of the content will be available on a pay-per-view basis, while some will be supported by advertising, the revenues from which will be shared by Warner and Brightcove.
Confirming the new relationship, Brightcove boss Jeremy Allaire told reporters: "By using Brightcove, WMG will be able to bring their content directly to their fans in an experience that communicates their brands, takes advantage of powerful social networks and opens new sources of revenue".
Warner VP Digital Strategy Alex Zubillaga added: "We want to give music fans many different entertainment-rich ways to experience our extensive video catalog and the content artists are creating every day for the digital space".
--------------------------------------------------
IPC REVAMP UNCUT SITE
IPC has revamped the website - http://www.uncut.co.uk - for its music and film mag Uncut, which will now include an editor's blog and daily music news (ha, daily music news, that'll never catch on). The online revamp follows an overhaul of the magazine itself back in April.
Commenting on the revamp, IPC Ignite Digital editor-in-chief Anthony Thornton told reporters: "Uncut's passionate editorial team has delivered an excellent news service that's already proving to be required daily reading for thousands of readers. Uncut's no longer a monthly event: it's daily."
--------------------------------------------------
ORGAN CELEBRATE BIRTHDAY WITH RESONANCE FUNDRAISER
Organ magazine is 20 years old and they plan to celebrate by staging an eleven hour radiothon to help raise money for London grass roots radio station Resonance, which suffered some flood damage last week thanks to a hole in the roof and a nasty rain storm. The all night radio fest, 'The Eleven Hour Itch', will be a celebration of all kinds of great new music (as you'd expect from Organ), as well as an attempt to raise some much needed funds for Resonance.
--------------------------------------------------
WORSHIP WITH BONO
Now, if we weren't about as far away from 1 Apr as it is possible to be, I'd be suspicious about this one. But it seems a communion service based on the music of U2 is being conducted at a number of Episcopal churches across, yep, you guessed it, America. According to USA Today the special service was created by Maine based vicar Paige Blair and kicks off with 'Pride (In the Name of Love)'.
On the service, Blair says: "Bach and Handel were the popular music of their day, and they had trouble getting played in church. The Methodist hymn writers once wrote contemporary music. Are we worshiping Bono? Absolutely not. No more so than we worship Martin Luther when we sing 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God'".
--------------------------------------------------
IT'S OKAY EVERYONE, RAZORLIGHT LOVE EACH OTHER
Johnny Borrell has told The Mirror that there's no ongoing animosity between him and drummer Andy Burrows, despite the fact that the pair engaged in a bit of a fracas at the recent Vodaphone Live Music Awards.
Borrell is quoted as saying: "The fight was nothing. I'm sitting here right now in the best band in the world, with the best drummer in the world. In fact, Andy Burrows is the greatest in the whole of rock n' roll and if there's a better one, I don't believe it. Yes we have our fall outs but I love him like a brother."
Andy Burrows added: "Me and Johnny are very close and that's all there is to it. It's wicked between us at the moment. We are having the time of our life."
--------------------------------------------------
ROBBIE WILLIAMS TALKS ABOUT SEX
Robbie Williams has been talking about sex to More magazine. I seem to remember from my school days that More was always full of sex-talk so it's possibly not that surprising. Anyway, one of the things he apparently said is that he's done it "in public" quite a bit. So that's shocking. Honest, here's what he's supposed to have said: "When I used to take drugs, you lose your inhibitions. I've had sex in trains, planes and wine bars. And quite a few car parks."
Sorry if that's conjured up some disturbing images for you. If it's any consolation for you, I'm suffering too.