| CMU Daily - on the inside Wednesday 13th February |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- More Britney
- Isley Brother fails to reduce jail sentence
- Rihanna in post-Grammy car crash
- Natalie Cole says Amy doesn't deserve those Grammys
- Camden Crawl will go ahead, hopes to support those hit by fire
- Peel's grave stone up
- New Adam Green tracks previewing on MySpace
- Forward Russia album news
- Gallows delay live release
- iLiKETRAiNS YouTube and tour
- Gossip live album release
- Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip tour
- Presets tour and album news
- Paul Weller tour
- Fuck It this Friday
- iTunes live sessions announced
- Nickelback could score quirky chart record with number one single
- Album review: Nada Surf - Lucky
- Blogged about albums sell more
- Jay-Z co-founds multi-cultural ad agency
- DRM chatter at mobile convention
- Mobile TV network to pilot in west London
- Original MD steps down
- Hollywood writers' strike over
- Holy Moly to censor pap pics on his site
- Single review: Sheryl Crow - Love Is Free
- Ronson keen on being British
- Osbourne says Kills man is grumpy
- Franklin on Tina and soul queenery
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TOP BIT
Remember CMU's Same Six Questions? No. Well, you've a very bad memory. This is where we ask bands, artists and producers the, erm, same six questions. And we publish the answers here in the Daily and on the CMU Music Network website. We've not done it for ages, but we're going to do it again, and we've already got CMU favourite Sportsday Megaphone's answers ready for you next week. If any of your artists fancy getting some exposure through the SSQ tell them to email the answers to the following six questions - the same six questions - to [email protected]
Q1> How did you start out making music?
Q2> What inspired your latest single?
Q3> What process do you go through in creating a track?
Q4> Which artists influence your work?
Q5> What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Q6> What are your ambitions for your latest single, and for the future?
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JOBS N STUFF
JUNIOR PRODUCT MANAGER - BAUER MUSIC (FORMERLY EMAP)
We are looking for an enthusiastic music fan to work in Bauer's music department, overseeing commercial music projects across our extensive portfolio of brands and platforms, which include Kiss, Magic, The Hits, Q, Mojo and Kerrang! As Junior Product Manager, you will be responsible the product cycle of a record release or music project, overseeing a product's creation and delivery, developing marketing campaigns, and will hold responsibility for the project's financial accounting. You will have strong communication and time-management skills, a love of music and an understanding of the broadcasting and publishing environments. You will be able to adapt easily from working with programme directors and magazine editors, to looking after routine administrative tasks, and will be exceptionally organised, with the ability to deliver a project on time and within budget. Please send a CV and covering letter to: [email protected]
MARKETING ROLE AT NINJA TUNE
Supporting Ninja Tune, Big Dada & Counter Records marketing team. Organising marketing activities and materials inc merchandise, adverts, events, appropriate brand hook-ups etc etc. Chasing publicity people and compiling weekly reports, writing sales notes. Tenacious, intelligent, likeable. Starting salary £18,000. Contact [email protected]
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CMU CLASSIFIEDS
OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE IN CREATIVE HUB IN LONDON DOCKLANDS
We have desk and office space available at our spacious, newly refurbished base in London's Docklands. You'd be sharing with a company operating in the creative, cultural and marketing space, and the facility would best suit individuals or SMEs operating in those sectors. We are just minutes from South Quay DLR station, and ten minutes walk from the main Canary Wharf complex and Jubilee Line station. Rent includes broadband internet access and meeting room facilities. Spaces available immediately. For more information contact [email protected]
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CMU RECOMMENDED
REMIX ALL-NIGHTER
The next CMU recommended Remix All-Nighter takes over the seOne Club at London Bridge next month for a brilliant pre-Easter party.
There'll be three rooms of fun. In the Remix room you'll get live sets from The Whip and Vitalic, plus Remix chief Eddy TM on the decks and VJ Fay Buzzard doing visual stuff. Next up will be a room hosted by Orbital co-founder and general dance music pioneer Phil Hartnoll, named for and showcasing his new venture Long Range. And then, to top off all that, there will be a whole room of all things Ninja Tune, featuring no less than DJ Food & DK, Coldcut (Jon Moore DJ Set), Bonobo, Daedelus, The Qemists and VJ Mox. Oh, and they've just added Busy P (Ed Banger) to the bill too. This night is going to be storming.
It all takes place on 20 Mar. Full info from: http://www.myspace.com/theremix
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SNAP OF THE DAY: BE YOUR OWN PET
Consistently exciting and aesthetically pleasing, Be Your Own Pet return next month with their second album, 'Get Awkward' (out 17 Mar), and from the sound of new single 'Black Hole' it should be every bit as successful as their first attempt. There's no Radiohead-aping musical shift as they work the same breakneck speed, sub-3 minute indie-punk formula, ticking all the usual cliché boxes of pounding drums, crashing cymbals, yelping lead singer and furiously catchy guitar licks. Yet by fulfilling these proverbial boxes with conviction BYOP become a musical tour de force and listeners will be hard-pressed to find a fresher, more enjoyable release in this genre this year. Furthermore, it comes Thurston Moore (of Sonic Youth) approved, being released through his label Ecstatic Peace in the States, though XL will be the guys in charge for the UK. Their MySpace link below should be you first point of call.
http://www.myspace.com/beyourownpetmusic
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MORE BRITNEY
Britney Spears' father James has reportedly moved to fire his daughter's business manager, that Howard Grossman fella.
As previously reported, when Spears Senior was given conservatorship over his daughter's affairs after she was sectioned he was told by Court Commissioner Reva Goetz that he could dismiss Grossman if he so wished. Reports overnight say Mr Spears has taken Goetz up on that offer, on the grounds that the manager arranged for Britney to hire a car and to meet with her lawyer Adam Streisand against his wishes. James Spears has reportedly now filed papers with Goetz asking for Grossman to be officially fired.
Streisand is another of Britney's advisors who has unsuccessfully attempted to re-establish his position since the sectioning. Earlier in the month he said the popstress had asked him to look after her affairs rather than James, but Goetz ruled Britney was not capable of choosing her own representation, and proceeded to give her father all responsibility. His status as Britney's conservator is due to be reviewed tomorrow.
Elsewhere in Britney advisor news, her friend and sometime manager Sam Lutfi, who Spears' mother has accused of contributing to her daughter's mental breakdown, has now been accused of making several demands for money off the popstress in the weeks before she was sectioned. Such demands, her family claim, will have added to the stress Britney was under at that time.
Britney, meanwhile, is said to have spent the last few days in a dance studio in North Hollywood rehearsing her dance moves, possibly with a view to returning to the stage (there are rumours that, despite everything, a world tour is being discussed). The owner of the studio has told reporters that while there the singer led a dance class for five year olds. He told Us Weekly: "She worked out this great little routine for them, they were dancing all over the place, she had them dancing in a circle like a choo-choo train. The kids loved it - they were having a ball. And Britney - she was just drinking it up. She totally enjoyed herself. It was an amazing class - she and the kids were certainly enjoying the process". The studio owner added that Britney had suggested she regularly run dance classes for kids.
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ISLEY BROTHER FAILS TO REDUCE JAIL SENTENCE
Isley Brother Ronald's attempt to appeal against a three year jail term for tax fraud has been rejected by a US court.
As previously reported, 65 year old Isley was convicted of tax evasion in 2005, among the charges against him being that he cashed royalty cheques belonging to his dead brother.
He appealed against his ongoing jail sentence on the grounds of age and poor health - he had a stroke last year and has suffered from kidney cancer. But judges ruled that he must see his sentence through to completion.
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RIHANNA IN POST-GRAMMY CAR CRASH
R&B chart topper Rihanna was involved in a car accident shortly after leaving a Grammy party in LA on Sunday night but fortunately no one was hurt. The Grammy winner attended the Def Jam party after the awards show with the label's former President Jay-Z. It was after that party that a car rammed into the side of the chauffeur driven car she was in. However, according to reports no one was hurt and the collision has been described as "minor".
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NATALIE COLE SAYS AMY DOESN'T DESERVE THOSE GRAMMYS
Natalie Cole has criticised the Grammys for giving so many awards to Amy Winehouse, saying that it rewards her bad behaviour and sets a bad example for the kids. Cole, a self-acknowledged former drug-taker and Grammy winner, told People magazine. "I don't think she should have won. It sends a bad message to young people trying to get into this business, trying to do it right and keep themselves together. We have to stop rewarding bad behaviour. I think she is gifted, her performance was fine. I just feel she's stepping into a place she hasn't earned yet".
She continued: "She could die. This isn't something that's cute and fun to throw around in the press. Those of us who have been in the business long enough know the sacrifice it takes. You don't just get to do your drugs and go onstage and get rewarded".
Well, you know. Rock n Roll wouldn't be what it is without a bit of rock n roll behaviour, would it?
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CAMDEN CRAWL WILL GO AHEAD, HOPES TO SUPPORT THOSE HIT BY FIRE
Organisers of the Camden Crawl have reassured fans of the mini-festival that this year's event will go ahead, despite the fire that hit part of the London borough's market area last weekend. As previously reported, the fire has badly damaged The Hawley Arms pub, a favourite drinking spot for many indie and pop types, and a hub for the Crawl event. But none of the actual venues used by the festival have been affected, so all will go ahead as planned on 18 and 19 Apr.
Camden Crawl's Lisa Poulson told reporters: "Central to last year's event, The Hawley was due to host various live events and parties, but will now unfortunately not be included within the festival. [But] no other venues have been affected by the fire and the Camden Crawl will go ahead as planned. We are currently looking into ways that the festival will be able to help those affected by the fire".
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PEEL'S GRAVE STONE UP
John Peel's gravestone has finally been put up, more than three years after his death in Oct 2004. The legendary DJ's wife Sheila Ravenscroft explained that she was the reason for the delay, telling BBC News: "I suppose that it was my fault really. I couldn't face it to start with."
The memorial, in St Andrew's Church in Great Finborough, has the Liver bird (emblem of Liverpool FC, who he supported) and the words "teenage dreams, so hard to beat" from Peel's favourite track 'Teenage Kicks' inscribed on it. Ravenscroft commented: "We have put the words on the stone that he would've wanted. I wouldn't dare do anything else!"
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NEW ADAM GREEN TRACKS PREVIEWING ON MYSPACE
Adam Green is to preview four tracks from his new album online, ahead of the LP's release. The singer's MySpace page will reveal a new track from the upcoming record 'Sixes & Sevens', every two to three days over a three week period. Green has also announced that he's staging a special show on 10 May at the Town Hall in New York, which will feature a string quartet and gospel singers helping to preview tracks from the new album.
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FORWARD RUSSIA ALBUM NEWS
Forward, Russia! have announced that they'll release their second album 'Life Processes' on 14 Apr, preceded by the release of a single, 'Breaking Standing', on 7 Apr.
Here's the tracklisting for the album, out on Cooking Vinyl.
Welcome To The Moment (The Rest Of Your Life)
We Are Grey Matter
A Prospector Can Dream
Spring Is A Condition
Don't Reinvent What You Don't Understand
Some Buildings
Breaking Standing
Gravuty & Heat
Fosbury In Discontent
A Shadow Is A Shadow Is A Shadow
Spanish Triangles
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GALLOWS DELAY LIVE RELEASE
Gallows have announced that they are to postpone the release of their new CD/DVD 'Live At The 100 Club' due to the fact that they are due to play four nights back at the 100 Club, and might want to include some footage from the new dates in the release. Originally intended for release on 10 Mar, it will now be out later in the Spring.
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ILIKETRAINS YOUTUBE AND TOUR
Those iLiKETRAiNS people have set up a YouTube channel and put some videos up there for everyone to sample, including a short film of the band's recent trip to Athens, a few live performances filmed overlooking Manhattan, a teaser trailer for an upcoming iLiKETRAiNS film and some pop promos. You can go see it all at this URL:
http://www.youtube.com/iLiKETRAiNSofficial
Meantime, have some iLiKETRAiN tour dates.
21 Apr: Brighton Barfly
Tuesday 22 Apr: London Bush Hall
23 Apr: Colchester Arts Centre
24 Apr: Oxford Academy
25 Apr: Nottingham Bodega
28 Apr: Lancaster Library
29 Apr: York Fibbers
30 Apr: Manchester Roadhouse
1 May: Leeds Brudenell Social Club
8 May: Galway Roisin Dubh
9 May: Cork Cypress Avenue
10 May: Dublin Crawdaddy
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GOSSIP LIVE ALBUM RELEASE
More live album news now. Gossip are to release a new album, 'Live In Liverpool' on 7 Apr, featuring live versions of tracks from their first two albums plus covers of Aaliyah and George Michael tracks. Beth Ditto et al are presently working on material for a new studio LP, but will launch the live record with a one-off live show at Shepherd's Bush Empire on 21 March.
Here's the Live In Liverpool tracklisting, info from Dog Day Press:
Eyes Open
Yr Mangled Heart
Swing Low
Are U That Somebody?
Fire/Sign
Coal To Diamonds
Jealous Girls
Keeping You Alive
Don't Make Waves
Yesterday's News
Standing In The Way Of Control
Listen Up!
Careless Whisper
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DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIUS PIP TOUR
Recently appointed CMU favourites Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip (celebrations all round on the 'favourite-ness' appointment) have announced a headline tour for April, which will follow a support slot on the upcoming Mark Ronson tour. Here are those dates for you...
1 Apr: Exeter, The Hub
2 Apr: Bristol, Thekla
3 Apr: Poole, Mr Kyps
5 Apr: Letchworth, Plinston Hall
6 Apr: Reading, South Street Arts Centre
7 Apr: Oxford, Zodiac Academy
8 Apr: Northampton, Soundhaus
10 Apr: Kingston, The Works
12 Apr: Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
13 Apr: Southend-on-Sea, Chinnerys
14 Apr: London, Koko
15 Apr: Brighton, Concorde 2
17 Apr: Sheffield, Union Fuzz Club
18 Apr: York, The Junction
19 Apr: Leeds, The Cockpit
20 Apr: Stoke, Sugarmill
21 Apr: Manchester, Club Academy
23 Apr: Glasgow, King Tuts Wah-Wah Hut
29 Apr: Cardiff, Barfly
30 Apr: Swindon, 12 Bar
1 May: Liverpool, Academy 2
2 May: Newcastle, Academy 3
3 May: Birmingham, Academy 2
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PRESETS TOUR AND ALBUM NEWS
Aussie electro-duo The Presets have announced that they'll tour the UK in March, ahead of the release of their forthcoming album 'Apocalypso', out via Modular in May. The tour dates are as follows:
6 Mar: Newcastle, Digital
7 Mar: Glasgow, Kings Tuts (Sold Out)
8 Mar: Edinburgh, Cabaret Voltaire
9 Mar: Aberdeen, Club Snafu
11 Mar: Nottingham, Bodega Social Club
19 Mar: London, Kings College (Sold Out)
20 Mar: London, Adventures In The Beetroot Field @ Fabric
21 Mar: Liverpool, Barfly
22 Mar: Middlesbrough, Empire
23 Mar: Manchester, Warehouse Project
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PAUL WELLER TOUR
Paul Weller has announced a UK tour, during which he'll be previewing tracks from his forthcoming album as well as playing a few old favourites from his back catalogue. The dates take place in May, as follows, ahead of the release of the LP, '22 Dreams', in June.
5 May: Halifax Victoria Theatre
6 May: Stoke Victoria Hall
8 May: Blackpool Empress Ballroom
9 May: Middlesbrough Town Hall
11 May: Doncaster Dome
12 May: Derby Assembly Rooms
14 May: Motherwell Concert Hall
15 May: Dundee Caird Hall
17 May: Bournemouth Opera House
18 May: Bristol Colston Hall
19 May: Leicester De Montfort Hall
21 May: London Hammersmith Apollo
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FUCK IT THIS FRIDAY
Looking for a Friday afternoon skive that can be justified as work? Well, Adam Foster of 70*SIX MUSIC and James Amner of Weekender Records this week launch a weekly Friday afternoon industry event that will be showcase new talent called Fuck It, It's Friday. It will take place at The Enterprise in Camden from 2-4.30pm, and the first one is this Friday, 15 Feb. On the bill will be buzzy American singer NiTasha Jackson, while booked for future weeks (albeit tbc) are Official Secrets Act (22 Feb) and The Author (29 Feb). More info at http://www.myspace.com/70sixmusic or email [email protected]
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ITUNES LIVE SESSIONS ANNOUNCED
iTunes have launched 11 nights of free concerts set to take place in the capital as of next week, going by the name of iTunes Live: London Sessions and taking place at AIR studios in Hampstead. The acoustic gigs have a collaborative theme; for example, KT Tunstall will appear with Billy Bragg, Roisin Murphy will appear with Tony Christie, and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds appear with Spiritualized. Other artists scheduled to appear include Jose Gonzalez, Nizlopi, Soweto Kinch, Laura Marling and Mystery Jets.
Oliver Schusser, director of iTunes Europe, says: "It's very different to what we've done before. We're bringing multiple artists together. We actually went out and spoke with artists directly and said: Who would you like to perform with? So every night is a collaboration with at least two, and sometimes four, artists on stage. For a singer songwriter event of acoustic collaborations, AIR Studios is perfect. It's just about the right size and the acoustics are fantastic".
Entry is free to competition winners - see http://www.ituneslive.co.uk - and live recordings will, of course, be available to buy on all the iTunes stores as of next month.
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NICKELBACK COULD SCORE QUIRKY CHART RECORD WITH NUMBER ONE SINGLE
Nickelback's 'Rockstar' could well be number one in the singles chart this Sunday which is fun for chart trivia fans because it will be the longest a chart topper has been in the charts before going top, if that makes sense. ie this will be the single's 18th week in the chart, and that's the longest a single has been in the chart before going number one. The current holder of that record is Celine Dion's 'Think Twice' which was in the chart for 14 weeks before going top. The Nickelback song is ahead of current number one Basshunter in the midweek charts.
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ALBUM REVIEW: Nada Surf - Lucky (City Slang)
Now I like a bit of American indie pop as much as the next man, and Nada Surf have long been on my radar as fine purveyors of a harmonic, intelligent brand of music. This album is a consistent and beautiful sounding record, with acoustic led songs fitting in nicely next to the more rocky numbers. Lyrically, it showcases a band growing up; they have been around since 1992 after all, and lead singer Matt Caws has had a child during that period, and that event would seem to have inspired a slightly more hopeful outlook. On one of the heavier sounding songs, 'Weightless', he sings "grown-up life/is like eating speed or flying a plane/it's too bright", while 'Beautiful Beat' is a prime example of an uptempo pop song with a bittersweet lyric "I believe our love can save me/Have to believe that it can/I want to redirect myself with you/Do you understand?/ Beautiful beat get me out of this mess". From a band who have only ever courted big success with 1996 single 'Popular' I wouldn't expect this album to become a massive smash hit, which is a shame, still, now you know. IM
Release Date: 18 Feb
Press Contact: Radar Maker [all]
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BLOGGED ABOUT ALBUMS SELL MORE
Not 100% sure on the methodology here, but it's an interesting bit of research nonetheless. Researchers from New York University have said there is a definite link between new albums being discussed on credible music fan blogs and record sales.
Professor Vasant Dhar and former NYU student Elaine Chang monitored how often 108 different album releases were blogged about in the first quarter of 2007, and tracked their Amazon sales figures in the four weeks before and after release. They found that albums mentioned in more than 40 legitimate blog posts scored album sales three times the average, or five times average if they were major label artists. Albums that were blogged about over 250 times scored sales six times average. They said that high numbers of MySpace friends also correlated with higher sales, though the correlation was not as strong as with blogging.
Of course these correlations do not necessarily mean the blogging is leading to the extra sales - the extra blogging is probably a sign an album has a higher profile, and that profile will result in higher than average sales. However, it's all interesting nonetheless.
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JAY-Z CO-FOUNDS MULTI-CULTURAL AD AGENCY
Well, we've been expecting a new Jay-Z business venture since he stepped down from his Def Jam president job, and this might be it. The hip hopper has announced he is co-launching a new advertising agency with a bloke called Steve Stoute. The company, Translation Advertising, will look to help mainstream brands reach multicultural consumers. It will be part of the Interpublic Group, which Stoute sold his Translating Consultation company to last year. Jay-Z will contribute "creative and entrepreneurial ideas" to the company's clients.
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DRM CHATTER AT MOBILE CONVENTION
And you thought the digital rights management debate was over - but it's not. I mean, firstly while all four majors have said they will sell DRM-free music through Amazon's US download store, the DRM-free revolution is yet to actually roll out around the world. Plus DRM is still very much part of the mobile music sector, which is why it's being discussed this week, it being the never dull Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Leading the debate was Real Networks' VP Global Product Management Larry Moores, who called on a la carte download services in the mobile space to overcome the current situation where songs bought via the services only work on a handful of handsets - ie the same old DRM issue that is now being slowly overcome in the online download space.
According to Billboard, Moores told delegates: "DRM remains important for subscription models but the issue is when you buy [an a la carte] track from Verizon or Vodafone it's very difficult to get it to play on something else. If you want to fully enjoy the experience [of that track on all devices] you have to buy it three times. Well, the market's voted [against that] by stealing music".
Brian Levy, a CTO at Hewlett-Packard, agreed the lack of interoperability in the mobile music space was an issue, but didn't think dropping DRM completely was the solution - though technology companies rarely do think dropping DRM is a solution, given DRM technologies give them a hold over the content companies. He called on the tech sector to come up with solutions that made digital music more user friendly, but without dropping DRM. He said: "We as an industry haven't developed formats that are transferable between networks. We've made a world of complexity and then say we want the people who create the content to take the risk [by getting rid of DRM]. It's our job to make this insanely simple".
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MOBILE TV NETWORK TO PILOT IN WEST LONDON
More mobile news, and Orange and T-Mobile have announced they will pilot a 24-channel mobile television service over their 3G networks later this year, though only in West London, which is lovely news for all you West Londoners. Less so for those of us in the East. Or anywhere else. The service will include Sky and BBC programming and ten digital radio stations. The London pilot follows a similar pilot in Bristol last year. The service is operated by a company called TDtv. No word on whether there will be music TV services, though its an obvious thing to include.
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ORIGINAL MD STEPS DOWN
The MD of local radio group Original 106, John Evington, has stepped down. It's possible that the former Wireless Group exec is simply keen to move on after two years with the Original business, though his departure will add to speculation regarding the future of the three Original stations, which operate in Southampton, Bristol and Aberdeen.
The stations are owned by CanWest, who were very eager to get into the British radio sector a few years back, but who now, some gossipers say, are increasingly disheartened by the sector.
Evington had a key role in launching the original Original in Southampton, and the two sister stations. But the Southampton station has struggled to build an audience, and was hindered a little by OfCom issuing a "yellow card" against it for playing many more Top 20 hits than their licenced format allowed. A revamped schedule was launched last month in a bid to turn things round.
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HOLLYWOOD WRITERS' STRIKE OVER
US film and telly writers will return to work this week after the Writers Guild of America reached an agreement with the Hollywood producers bringing to an end their three month long strike over digital royalties. The deal means this month's Oscars should no go ahead unhindered. As previously reported, the strike caused the Golden Globes to be cancelled. Concerns it may also impact on last weekend's Grammys were overcome when producers of the music awards show reached their own agreement with the WGA.
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HOLY MOLY TO CENSOR PAP PICS ON HIS SITE
The Holy Moly man has said he will self-censor the paparazzi photos he runs on his gossip website because he feels the pap pack is out of control. The anonymous gossip king says he thinks the pap's recent treatment of Britney and Amy has been unfair, and that his readers are increasingly concerned about overly invasive pictures. His self-censorship rules will mean the site won't run pictures of c'lebs being chased, in distress or with their children. However, "idiots who go to places like The Ivy" will be considered fair game. Unless they find their Ivy meal distressing, or they take their kids, I assume.
Speaking to the Guardian, the Holy Moly man said: "Both reader and the publisher alike are getting a bit uneasy about it all when you can clearly see two or three people have been driven to the brink of mental illness because of it. It's not funny any more and to get any sort of pleasure out of it feels a bit seedy. For me it was when Britney came out of rehab, that was the one that really worried me".
Moly says the recent decision by British photographer Nick Stern to quit LA photo agency Splash Pictures because of his concern regarding the paps' treatment of Britney was an influence on his policy change. Moly: "When one of the biggest names in paparazzi jacks it in due to ethics and morals and the world's biggest pop star gets her knickers photographed by 30 people an hour after being released from a mental institute, you know there's a problem on the shop floor".
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SINGLE REVIEW: Sheryl Crow - Love is Free (Universal/A&M Records)
Sheryl Crow is about to release her sixth studio album - 'Detours' - and this single is from it. And it's great - with a real happy vibe similar to 'Soak Up The Sun', a vibe which makes you long for a car ride with the top down on a hot day. 'Love Is Free' is very catchy, and I'm sure that even if you don't get yourself a copy of it you'll still hear it blaring on the radio everywhere very soon. The album is apparently the most honest and political album she has recorded to date, and if this single is anything to go by, I look forward to hearing the whole thing. JPR
Release Date: February 18th
Press Contact: Universal IH [CP, CR, RP, RR, NP, NR] Hyperlaunch [O]
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RONSON KEEN ON BEING BRITISH
Well, so am I actually, I don't like this modern trend where you're supposed to be ashamed of it. Or is that just the English that are supposed to be ashamed of their nationality? Well, anyway, Mark Ronson is bored of people thinking he's from the US because he lives there and sounds quite American. "Coming back to England really helped me to rediscover my roots and my music" he says. "It means a lot to me to be accepted in the UK. Despite living in New York, I've always been British".
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OSBOURNE SAYS KILLS MAN IS GRUMPY
Kelly Osbourne says that The Kills guitarist Jamie Hince, who is now walking out with Osbourne's mate and everyone's favourite former junkie-lover Kate Moss, is a bit of a grump, but that he and Moss are well suited. Kelly says, "I call Jamie the grumpy old man because he likes a good moan - but he and Kate do work well together".
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FRANKLIN ON TINA AND SOUL QUEENERY
Aretha Franklin has commented on the fact that Beyonce announced Tina Turner as the 'Queen Of Soul' at Sunday's Grammy ceremony, despite the fact that Franklin is usually the one to carry that nickname.
I expect some reporter asked her to say something - these comments don't often come from nowhere. And given that these 'queen of [insert genre]' type titles are generally pretty arbitrary and applied to more than one person at a time I doubt she was genuinely offended.
Or perhaps not. She does seem to think they did it on purpose to piss her off. Look, here's what she said: "I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyonce. However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy".