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The Brighton Festival has entered its third week with another five days of fine theatre, comedy, cabaret, dance, art and debate on the agenda. Plus lots of music. Our sister publication, ThreeWeeks, is covering it all - check out the coverage at www.threeweeks.co.uk. Meanwhile, Team ThreeWeeks/CMU provide some reviews from the big music bit of the Brighton Festival, last week's The Great Escape.
Ida Maria
The Great Escape
'Oh My God! I Think I'm in Control!' screamed Ida Maria as she left the stage. I don't know about that, but she does give an amazing, if slightly insane, live performance. Although Ida confessed that the months of touring had taken its toll, the fusion of grungy Carl Barat style riffs and a siren-like voice, coupled with infectious melodies and catchy hooks made for a winning formula. Ida is a true 'frontperson', commanding a stage presence that seems a rarity in a music industry now dominated by bright colours and the 'next big thing'. From Thursday's performance, it would be safe to assume that Ida Maria definitely have a triumphant 2008 ahead of them.
Audio (Downstairs), 15 May, 7:30pm
tw rating 4/5
[sfw]
Laura Marling
The Great Escape
Too shy for the expectant crowd, Laura Marling takes the stage and, with the briefest of introductions, begins 'Shine'. Total silence descends over the Sallis Benney Theatre, broken only by her tremendous voice. Diminutive and beautiful, she is a captivating performer. Her band provides a rich texture and demonstrates a command of traditional folk arrangements beyond its members' years. Special mention must be made of the ever present Marcus Mumford for economical and totally complimentary percussion. The most impressive dynamics come from tonight's crowd though; hushed awe gives way to raucous, resounding approval as final cadences are sensed. However embarrassed she is at the prospect, the crowd clamour for an encore and traditional folk ballad 'Alas I Cannot Swim' closes the show perfectly.
Sallis Benney, 10:15pm (10:45pm), The Great Escape pp. 42
Tw rating 4/5
[jg]
Nathan 'Flutebox' Lee and Friends
The Great Escape
If there's a market for beatboxers, and there's a market for flautists, then there will certainly be
a market for up-and-coming beatboxing flautist and Internet sensation, Nathan 'Flutebox' Lee.
It may seem like a gimmick to some, perhaps akin to other YouTube musical oddities, but the show Lee put on Thursday night at Pressure Point did not bore. Playing what seemed to be turntables thrown into the middle of an Arabic or Saharan desert jam, or at other times a somehow quasi-medieval hip-hop tromp, Lee showed off his talents. His guests included a fellow beatboxing prodigy, an Indian percussionist, a classical guitarist and a freestyle rapper, all who gave Lee's music very unique twists. Gimmick or no gimmick, it works.
Pressure Point, 15 May, 12:45am (1:30am)
tw rating 4/5
[cp]
VILE, DISTURBING AND DISGUSTING SEX ACTS: R KELLY TRIAL UPDATE
I can't help thinking that the prosecutors in the R Kelly trial might have peaked early on in their case against the R&B star – certainly in terms of entertainment value.
The long awaited trial against Kelly, who is accused of filming himself having sex with an underage girl, kicked off in Chicago yesterday and, with opening remarks delivered, lawyers for the prosecution quickly wheeled in their TV sets and aired the video around which the case centres, promising the jury footage of Kelly performing "vile, disturbing and disgusting sex acts" with an underage girl. "You will see the sex acts he commands her to do", prosecutor Shauna Boliker said, "acts you have never seen before. Vile, disturbing and disgusting sex acts, actions that were choreographed, produced and starred in by Robert Kelly".
We're far too easily shocked to even consider watching this kind of filth ourselves, but fortunately a chap at the Associated Press did it for us. He reports that it lasts for about 27 minutes and features a man having sex with a young female who is naked for most of the film except for a cross on a chain around her neck. It starts with the man – who is not immediately identifiable – giving the girl money, who says "thank you". The camera then focuses on her dancing to songs by the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys – urinating on the floor as she goes, like you do – before the man reappears on screen to have sex with her. Towards the end of the video he urinates on her.
According to reports, both jurors and Kelly himself watched intently as they saw the video. Boliker claims the prosecution have identified the girl in it, and claim that she could have been as young as 13 when it was filmed – she is currently 23 and the prosecution reckon the video was taped at some point between 1 Jan 1998 and 1 Nov 2000.
But Kelly, who faces 15 years in jail if found guilty of the charges against him, continues to proclaim his innocence. At the crux of the defence's case, which kicked off immediately after Boliker had completed her opening, is the authenticity of the tape, which showed up at the offices of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper back in 2002. That the tape exists and shows two people having sex is undeniable, but defence attorney Sam Adam Jr told the jury that the man in the video is not his client. Pacing around the court room, he told the jury: "You know what they have to connect Mr Kelly to this tape? [dramatic pause] Nothing". He added that an FBI investigation into the tape had failed to conclusively identify the man in it, and then showed a photo of Kelly's back, complete with a small mole, which, he said, could not be seen on the back of the man in the vid.
He also threw doubt on the prosecution's claims as to who the girl in the video was, her identity being important, of course, so that it can be ascertained for certain what her age was when the thing was filmed. The defence's claims that the 23 year old girl the prosecution have lined up is not actually the girl in the video is aided by the fact the 23 year old girl the prosecution have lined up also denies it is her. The defence argue that the girl must, in fact, be a prostitute because the man is seen paying her at the outset.
The identity of the girl also came up after the video had been shown when the prosecution brought forward their first witness - Chicago police investigator Dan Everett, who was called to the Sun-Times offices in February 2002 when the video first surfaced. He described what he and his colleague saw in the video, and then claimed that they immediately knew who the girl was in the video, and that she was underage, because they had interviewed her as "part of an earlier investigation". That last remark pissed off the judge somewhat because he had instructed Boliker and Everett that the word "investigation" must not be used in relation to the police man's previous contact with the alleged girl in the video. Quite how Everett had come to previously question the alleged girl, and why the circumstances should not be considered to be an "investigation", wasn't really explained.
And that was it for day one. The case continues.
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JACKO SECRET FILMING CASE BACK IN COURT, BRIEFLY
Elsewhere in the pop courts, and one last stage to a side case relating to a previous mega-trial in planet pop – the civil case in regard to the filming of Michael Jackson and his then lawyer as they flew back to California to face then new child abuse allegations back in November 2003.
As much previously reported, private charter firm XtraJet, its owner Jeffrey Borer and his associate Arvel Jett Reeve arranged to secretly film Jacko and lawyer Mark Geragos as they flew to California to formally face the child abuse charges of which the singer was subsequently acquitted. They then tried, unsuccessfully, to sell the footage to various media organisations. Both Borer and Reeve were found guilty of criminal charges of conspiracy in relation to the filming, while Geragos also sued Borer and his company.
Earlier this year XtraJet were ordered to pay Geragos £10.25 million in damages, and this week the now defunct company and its owner returned to court to ask for a retrial on the basis the original ruling ignored the fact the video had no soundtrack, a fact which, Borer's lawyers argue, should have reduced the damages. Geragos' lawyers said that wouldn't have made any different anyway – because the lack of soundtrack was a mistake, they had intended to record the conversation.
Either way, Superior Court Judge Soussan Bruguera quickly rejected Borer's motion. After the hearing his lawyer, Lloyd Kirschbaum, said he would still appeal the damages offered to Geragos, while adding that XtraJet was now bankrupt anyway so Geragos would struggle to get any money. He told reporters: "It's like trying to get money from Enron".
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ANOTHER SENIOR EMI EXEC QUITS
Yet another senior exec has quit EMI UK – are you keeping count of all this? Following the recent departure of former Virgin Records chief Ferdy Unger-Hamilton – despite EMI boss Guy Hands previously announcing he would stay at the major in charge of one of the new A&R divisions – plus reports in Music Week that former EMI Records boss Terry Felgate and Angel Records top man Mark Collen were both leaving, now news via Billboard that Mike Allen has vacated the building. He was VP of international marketing at the major's London HQ. As has become the norm with these exec departures, EMI have not commented.
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RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS ON HAITUS
Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Keidis has announced that the band are taking an extended break, while they rest and recoup. It does look they'll be back, though. So, let's just enjoy it while it lasts.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Keidis said: "We actually took a very long time to make the 'Stadium Arcadium' record, because we wrote a lot of songs and then got way too married to them and decided we needed it to be a double album, which was a great experience, but it took forever".
He added that, because of time spent recording their previous two albums 'Californication' and 'By The Way', and lengthy world tours, the band haven't had any time off since 1999: "We were all emotionally and mentally zapped at the end of that run. Cooler heads prevailed and the discussion at the end of our last tour was, 'Let's not do anything Red Hot Chili Peppers-related for a minimum of one year, and just live and breathe and eat and learn new things".
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ESTELLE TELLS EVERYONE TO GET SCREWED
Singer Estelle has said that being "screwed" by her former label V2 was a positive experience. She was dropped by the label after her first album failed to make a big impact and the single, '1980', missed the top 10. However, she was quickly snapped up by John Legend's Homeschool label and recently had her first number one single 'American Boy', which featured guest vocals from Kanye West.
The singer said: "I look at it like building a mountain. If you get placed at the top at the start, you'd fall down quickly. You have to be confident to survive in this industry. You have to be screwed greatly by one label to prosper".
Estelle has also just signed up to Hugo Urban Rules, a music programme set up by Hugo Fragrances to discover and invest in new talent. The singer will head to Manchester on 5 Jun to help select an artist who will then perform with her on a special MTV showcase.
More info: www.hugofragrances.com/urbanrules/
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AL SHARPTON DENIES SOME STUFF
In confusing hip hop news, Reverend Al Sharpton has issued a statement to AllHipHop.com, through his civil rights organisation The National Action Network, denying claims made in a new book, 'Rollin' With Dre' by Bruce Williams, that he demanded $500,000 from Dr Dre in order to end the feud between rappers The Game and 50 Cent. Williams alleges that Sharpton threatened Dre with a NAN march and a boycott if he refused.
How that $500,000 was supposed to help anything I'm yet to understand, but Sharpton isn't happy about the allegations. The statement issued to AllHipHop said: "The National Action Network and Reverend Al Sharpton were not involved with and did not attend a press conference held by Hip-Hop artists The Game and 50 Cent to announce their truce and donation to charities. At no point has Reverend Al Sharpton or an authorized representative of National Action Network met with Dr. Dre".
The statement continues: "To state that National Action Network and or Rev. Sharpton threatened to march is almost laughable because the first question would be whom would we have marched upon, since this was reportedly a clash between two black artists and there was no civil rights questions involved, and for what reason would we have marched?" Which is exactly what I was thinking.
This all seems to relate to a Hip Hop Town Hall meeting, organised by the NAN, which Interscope Records participated in. The statement says: "If someone gave donations to offset our movement, that would have precluded Reverend Al Sharpton's personal participation in standing with the teenager James Rosemond and his family at a press conference calling for an end to the kind of street violence that scars the hip hop industry. The press conference was widely reported to be taking issue with the artist 50 Cent, Yayo and G-Unit. It would also have precluded our marching on record companies, many of whom sponsored events with us, for using the 'N', 'B' and 'H' words, and withdrawing an award from record executive L.A. Reid for those same reasons".
Confirming that The Game attended this meeting, but denying this was due to threats against him by the NAN, the rapper's manager Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond told AllHipHop: "I am 100 percent positive that the Game did not come to the conference in fear of Al Sharpton marching and Rev. Sharpton had nothing to do with that conference or donations affiliated with it. The Game has worked with the community and National Action Network in the past and it has never been affiliated with a donation. The Game recently did a song in support of Sean Bell and has been vocal about his support for Nicole Paultre-Bell and the victims involved in the case".
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MEL GIBSON HELPS BRITNEY BACK TO HEALTH
Mel Gibson has taking Britney Spears on holiday in a bid to help her get over her recent, much publicised, problems. The pair, who have homes in the same Malibu neighbourhood, met after Britney's spell in a psychiatric hospital in February.
The singer and her father, Jamie, were apparently seen boarding a plane for Gibson's Costa Rican holiday home (or, at least, an airport near it) last Thursday.
What she probably doesn't want to see on her return is a new sex tape, featuring her, wearing nothing but a pink wig, and ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib. The paparazzi photographer, who had a three month relationship with Spears earlier this year, is apparently trying to sell the two hour video to the highest bidder.
A source, who has apparently seen the tape, said: "The video starts with Britney undressing. She was wearing some cheap clothes. The sex wasn't particularly kinky but Britney wears a pink wig throughout. At one point in the tape Adnan asks Britney to remove the pink wig but she refuses, saying 'Take what off? There's nothing left to take off".
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NAS EXPLAINS NEW ALBUM IN SONG
Following the announcement that Nas has decided to change the title of his new album from 'Nigger' to 'Untitled', the rapper has given AllHipHop.com an exclusive track, in an attempt to once and for all explain the album's former title.
Included in the lyrics to 'N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave & The Master)' are the lines, "In the land of the blind, the man with one eye is the king / They say we N-I-double G-E-R / We are much more / but still we choose to ignore the obvious / Man, this history don't acknowledge us / we were scholars way before colleges / People afraid of criticism / But I always put myself in this sacrificial position / Anytime we mention our condition, our history or existence, they calling it reverse racism".
It's not clear if this track will appear on the new album, or if it is purely a response to criticism of the album's now changed title. Whichever it is, you can hear it here.
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COURTNEY LOVE DENIES SCRAPPING ALBUM
Courtney Love has denied reports that she has scrapped her new album. As we reported last week, the singer was rumoured to have scrapped songs written and recorded with songwriter Linda Perry for her forthcoming second solo album, 'Nobody's Daughter', in order to start again with former Larrikin Love guitarist Micko Larkin, who has been a member of her live band since last summer. However, Love says, via two lengthy blog posts on MySpace, that this is not true.
She said: "I have nothing but 100 per cent positive things to say about Linda, and that doesn't change under any circumstances. It's really not up to me to figure out how to respond the any of this nonsense but I have not 'scrapped' any record".
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TILLY AND THE WALL FOR SESAME STREET
When musicians talk about "the kids", I always thought that they meant those in their late teens, at least. However, it seems that pre-school is the market to go for these days. Following on from Kimya Dawson's previously reported announcement that she is writing songs for US kids' TV show 'Sesame Street', Tilly & The Wall are set to make an appearance on the show. The band revealed that they have recorded their own version of 'The ABC Song', which will feature in the programme at some point in the future.
Tilly & The Wall's new album, 'O', is set for release on 17 Jul, via Team Love.
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MEL B RECORDING SOLO ALBUM
Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham may have announced their retirement from singing, but let's not forget that there are three more Spice Girls who have made no such announcements. 'Scary' Mel B has revealed that she is currently in the process of recording a new solo album, her third. The singer is apparently working with producers JR Rotem and Scott Storch, who have previously worked with such top singers as Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and, erm, Paris Hilton. She said: "I'm seven songs into it and it's going very well".
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MCFLY ANNOUNCE EDGY NEW ALBUM
Following their departure from Universal/Island Records, which we talked about at length on Monday (more on that in a sec), McFly have announced that their future albums will be released via their own label, Super Records. And they've promised that, without the prying eye of a major label over their shoulders, their new songs will be edgier than before.
The band's Tom Fletcher said: "When we recorded our albums before they'd always come back sounding miles different from what we wanted. We'd write lyrics and be told to change them".
Drummer Harry Judd added: "We've got closet fans and I think now they won't be so ashamed to admit they like us".
This leads us nicely back to Monday's Top Bit, where we asked if McFly could really make the move towards being a credible act. Have your say on that here.
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COLDPLAY GET POLITICAL IN NEW VIDEO
Coldplay have released a politically charged video for new single 'Violet Hill', which shows edited clips of political figures, including George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Boris Yeltsin and Saddam Hussein, dancing and playing along to the song. The name of democratic candidate Barak Obama is also shown on a woman's underwear.
Watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WqQL5WFN20
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DAVE STEWART SLAMS REALITY TV
The Eurythmics' Dave Stewart is the latest artist to diss the current trend for finding artists through TV talent shows. He said: "These days, kids go straight from TV shows such as 'Britain's Got Talent' to performing in vast arenas. The TV shows shoot them into the charts and create instant stars. But it's all so fast-paced and manufactured that the kids aren't prepared. And if we're relying on talent shows to produce our stars, we won't have music that endures. We won't have bands like Pink Floyd that have lasted for a quarter of a century".
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| ALBUM REVIEW: Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles (Different) This have been out for a while I realise, but we haven't reviewed it yet and it deserves some attention because Crystal Castles, an achingly hip male-female duo from Toronto, have backed up their hype with an excellent album. The closest point of reference I suppose would be The Knife, with Alice Glass's distorted vocals supplementing the electronic wizardry of Ethan Kath. Crystal Castles' crucial cutting edge is their heavy use of samples, most notably from old computer games. The band takes its name from a popular Atari arcade game of the early 1980s. It sounds a bit of a gimmick, sure, but the results speak for themselves. There's barely any filler here, just a run of vibrant and diverse material. Where to start with stand out tracks? 'Untrust Us', 'Crimewave', 'Air War', but it's pretty churlish classifying individual tracks for quality. Even at sixteen tracks, it holds its own and doesn't outstay its welcome. Interestingly though, Crystal Castles have recently encountered accusations of plagiarism, with some of the tracks on this record reportedly 'borrowing' from other artists. How that's going to develop, I don't know, but what's certain is that this eponymous album is one of the best I've heard this year so far. What could have been a one-trick has developed into a daring and experimental album that's positively buzzing with ideas and imagination. KW Release Date: 14 Apr Press Contacts: Toast Press [CP, RP, NP], Motion PR [O] back to top |
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FRATELLIS LAUNCH TEEN CANCER APPEAL
Barry and Jon Fratelli from The Fratellis have returned to their home city of Glasgow to launch an appeal to raise £350,000 for The Teenage Cancer Trust. The money will be used to build a new unit for teenage cancer patients aged 13-16 in The Royal Hospital For Sick Children in the city's Yorkhill area.
Bassist Barry said: "It's such fantastic news that a second Teenage Cancer Trust unit is planned for Glasgow, but we really need to see the money start rolling in. The charity needs £350,000 to go ahead with their plans, all of which they have to raise in Scotland. We've seen first hand the difference that a Teenage Cancer Trust unit makes to the lives of teenagers and young people - the facilities on offer are amazing. Every young person with cancer in Scotland should have access to a unit, so I, and the rest of the band, would like to ask everyone to put their hands in their pockets and get involved. Every penny counts".
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STELLA POLARIS ANNOUNCES LINE-UP ADDITIONS
The Stella Polaris festival, which takes place in the grounds of Denmark's National Gallery in Copenhagen on 3 Aug, have announced new additions to this year's line-up. City Reverb (live), Chris Coco (DJ), Aura (live), System (live) and August (live) join Trentemoller, Pete Gooding, Lulu Rouge, Buda, and more.
More info from www.stella-polaris.dk
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WAX:ON? WAX OFF!
The Wax:On Live festival, due to take place at the end of this month with headline sets from Hercules & Love Affair, Reverend & The Makers and Primal Scream due to financial problems.
In a statement, the organisers said: "The festival fell victim not to poor ticket sales or lack of support and dedication, but to the credit crunch that has the UK in the grip of an economic stranglehold. On forming the company there were two streams of investment scheduled in order to ensure the event was viable in year one. This morning we have been informed that due to circumstances in the global financial market place and its knock on effect, the event has become unsustainable".
Ticket holders should seek refunds at point of sale.
Wax:On club nights will continue to take place in Leeds, Newcastle and Brighton. More info here: www.waxonlive.com
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PENDULUM RETURN TO THE UK
Australian drum n bass types Pendulum enjoyed their recent UK tour so much they've already announced their next one. The group will be back on these shores for various festivals over the summer, but return for a proper tour in November.
Tour dates:
27 Nov: Newport Centre
28 Nov: Portsmouth Guildhall
29 Nov: Swindon Oasis
30 Nov: Plymouth Pavilions
2 Dec: Leeds Carling Academy
3 Dec: Birmingham Carling Academy
4+5 Dec: London Brixton Carling Academy
7 Dec: Manchester Apollo
8 Dec: Liverpool University
9 Dec: Glasgow Carling Academy
10 Dec: Sheffield Carling Academy
12 Dec: Bournemouth BIC
13 Dec: Llandudno Venue Cymru
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SPIRITUALIZED ANNOUNCE UK TOUR
Jason Pierce's Spiritualized will hit the road in October to promote the forthcoming album, 'Sons In A&E'.
Pierce has also been telling XFM how he nearly dropped new single 'Soul On Fire' from the album. He said: "I had a problem with something like 'Soul On Fire' - I had a thing that it's a pop song. I feel that sometimes I shouldn't be writing songs like that, that I should be pushing the boundaries into this improvised world. So, for a long time I resisted and to be honest I couldn't find a single person that would back me when I said I wanted to take it off the album. It became what it is and it now makes sense within the album".
Tour dates:
9 Oct: Newcastle Academy
10 Oct: Leeds University
11 Oct: Manchester Academy
13 Oct: Oxford Academy
14 Oct: Portsmouth Pyramids
15 Oct: Birmingham Academy
16 Oct: London Roundhouse
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TINA TURNER ANNOUNCES UK TOUR
She may have officially retired from performing live eight years ago, but Tina Turner seemingly can't stay away from the stage. The singer has just announced four UK shows next March, following a string of previously announced US dates.
Announcing the UK dates, Turner said: "After performing with Beyonce at the Grammy awards in Los Angeles, the response was overwhelming. Everywhere I went people were asking me when I was going back on tour. So after a lot of thought and planning we announced an American tour. Now Europe beckons and I don't want to let down all my loyal fans over there. See you in the New Year".
Tour dates:
3+4 Mar: London, O2 Arena
30+31 Mar: Manchester MEN Arena
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| SINGLE REVIEW: Hot Club de Paris – Hey! Housebrick (Moshi Moshi) 'Hey! Housebrick' is the first single to be taken from HCdP's second album 'Live At Dead Lake', and shows they've really honed a brilliant sound, a kind of twee-indie-pop-punk. The humble house brick wouldn't ordinarily be something I'd expect a song to be about, but it works. This is an uplifting and fruity little track, filled with bouncy guitars and great vocals, with extra female backing vocals that lift it perfectly. 'Hey! Housebrick' is a fine cheery number and makes me think of Los Campesinos! and their infallible exuberance. While it's not going to be dragging them to number one in the charts, Hot Club de Paris have churned out a track that is so easy on the ears that I'm listening to it over and over again and I like it even more each time. DH Release Date: 26 May Press Contacts: Create Spark [All] back to top |
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CHUCK D BRINGS TOGETHER HIS BUSINESS VENTRUES
Our old friend Chuck D has launched yet another business venture, which "aims to revolutionize the way the Hip-Hop community conducts business across the globe". With the not very catchy name of The Bring The Noise Eastlink Media, Management & Music Group (or BTNEastlink for ease), this new company brings together all of the Public Enemy's man's previous ventures, seemingly so he can offer his clients, whether they be artists or corporates, the 360 degree thing that companies like Live Nation are touting – ie services in all areas of music
Chuck D told AllHipHop.com: "Basically, it's like putting all my diversified people under one roof. [We will offer] what Live Nation has promised Jay-Z, [though] to a lesser degree".
Explaining his wider ambitions for the future of the hip hop business, he continued: "Business could stand, in hip hop, to be a little more organized and less cut-throat. I've seen some individual achievements over the years that basically did not look back or did not pave the road for other ways to follow. That doesn't work worldwide. Domination does not help here. The NBA has 30-some odd teams, and the NFL has 30-some odd teams that all need each other to exist. In Hip-Hop, I've often seen that, if this was a Thanksgiving table, everybody got food all over their face, scrambling and running out the back door with the turkey".
Make of that what you will. The new company has a website at www.btneastlink.com.
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MORE ON SONYBMG'S NEW DOWNLOAD RELATIONSHIP
A little more information on the innovative way SonyBMG are selling their digital music via Amazon and the new Napster MP3 store, something we briefly mentioned yesterday. The major has adopted a new kind of relationship with these two download outfits that differs from the kind of relationship they have with, say, iTunes. It's what Billboard call the "agency" or "commission" model, and means that SonyBMG essentially sell their music direct to the consumer, using Amazon and Napster as an agent, rather than licensing their music to the download company and them selling it. To the end user it makes no different, but the US trade mag says it gives the record company more control over what is charged for their music, and in theory would let them introduce the variable pricing that the majors have been hankering after for a while now. Whether other majors are planning on negotiating similar relationships with download firms, and whether market leader iTunes would ever consider such a relationship, remains to be seen.
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RECALL FOUNDERS LAUNCH THE:HOURS
Another new cross-discipline company for you all now. Alexandre Sap, Leslie Dubest and Fabien Mareau, formerly of Recall, are setting up a new music firm called The:Hours, which will launch in Cannes this week and which will operate as a record label, publishing firm, event production outfit and consultancy. Many of Recall's artists will move to the new company, which will also sign new talent – distribution will be via a partnership with Universal. The whole venture will launch at a part at the Cannes Film Festival on 23 May.
Confirming the new venture, Sap told CMU: "There has never been a moment in history where running an independent music label has been any tougher than the present. Major labels are investing less money into developing artists and more money into proven pop stars, while digital downloading is turning the industry upside down. Despite the ever-changing record label model, one thing does remain constant: good music. There will always e good music and the need for truly ambitious and creative entrepreneurs to help spread the message".
As well as looking for new opportunities in the music space, the new company will also support the Pure Project Amazon reforestation programme, with a commitment to use only recyclable material on the label's releases, and to plant a tree for each record sold on selected releases.
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SHOCK RECORDS MERGES PROMO, MARKETING AND DIGITAL DEPARTMENTS
Shock Records, Australia's largest indie record label, and a distributor for many European and US indies in the territory, has announced it is merging its promo, marketing and digital departments into what it will call its Media Department, which will be headed up by the company's National Marketing Manager Scot Crawford. Shock CEO Marcus Seal told Billboard: "The idea is to give a unified approach to our CD and DVD releases, and make sure both our mainstream and niche titles get equal focus. The realistic forecasts we set last year are being exceeded on both domestic and international fronts for music. Coupled with a very strong DVD catalog, which is getting stronger by the day, we're very confident of continued growth in the year ahead".
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MYSPACE LAUNCH RADIO SHOW, LOOK FOR PRESENTERS
MySpace are launching a new web radio show, to be sponsored by Mars and presented by the only slightly irritating Alex Zane. He'll be joined each week by a co-presenter selected from the MySpace community. I don't know whether they'll be slightly irritating. The show will air weekly from 12 Jun. MySpace UK Marketing And Content Director Dom Cook says this: "There is so much talent and creativity within MySpace that we're always looking for ways to bring it to the surface. MySpace Mars Planets Radio gives our users the chance to get on the air while also connecting them with all the latest on what's happening within the site".
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RADIOCENTRE SAYS COMMERCIAL RADIO REVENUES UP
Commercial radio may be losing market share to the BBC, but ad sales are up anyway. Commercial radio body RadioCentre has announced that the sector enjoyed revenues of £159 million in the first quarter of 2008, up 7% year on year. Radiocentre boss Andrew Harrison says this: "This is great news for our sector and these revenues show that there is an increasing understanding of radio's role in the digital age – including its effectiveness when used alongside online advertising. As these excellent results show, although we are aware that uncertainties in the economy will be a challenge for all media, we are confident that radio is well positioned to withstand a downturn".
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XFM AND NME ENTER INTO SPONSORSHIP PROGRAMME WITH ORANGE
Xfm have entered into a six-figure deal with Orange as part of a new music sponsorship programme also involving Viacom Brand Solutions and IPC ignite. It will see Xfm and NME both participating in a Orange enabled gig ticket giveaway promotion, which is interesting given NME are in the process of launching their own radio station to compete with Xfm. The promotion will run on Xfm in London, Manchester and Scotland, the Welsh version of the station not being including on account of parent company GCap being in the process of flogging it.
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LAVERNE GETS SHOW ON 6MUSIC
Talking of Xfm, sort of, former Xfm presenter Lauren Laverne is getting a regular show on rival station BBC 6 Music. Laverne's appointment is one of a number of schedule revamps at 6 Music, which will also see Marc Riley getting a daily evening show, Gideon Code moving to late nights and Tom Robinson moving to Friday nights. 6 Music fans everywhere will be thrilled to know George Lamb remains in his morning slot. Lesley Douglas, 6 Music controllers says this: "The new schedule simplifies and strengthens 6 Music's evening programming and continues to keep music firmly at its heart."
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PETE DOHERTY IN MILLWALL TOILET BLUNDER
Pete Doherty was asked to leave Millwall football club's offices on Sunday, after he was found urinating in a trophy. The singer was apparently given special access to the chairman's office in the New Den stadium to escape the media after he took part in the Soccer Six charity football tournament.
A source told The Sun: "[Pete] decided to play a prank but overstepped the mark. One of the security guards was tipped off that Pete was trying to take a trophy. When he checked it out he found that Pete wasn't nicking it, he was filling it up. He is a huge QPR fan and thought it would be a laugh to leave a little surprise".
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LILY ALLEN THROWN OFF YACHT
Lily Allen was thrown off Formula One boss Flavio Briatore's yacht (onto land, rather than sea, as far as I can tell) during her latest bought of partying in Cannes. Briatore apparently became embarrassed by the singer's drunken antics and asked her to leave. Reports claim that she tore off her bikini top, leapt into the sea and had to be rescued by the yacht's crew, who feared she was drowning.
This is the latest in a string of events that have had the gossip columns working overtime, as Allen takes a break from recording her second album to join her father Keith at the Cannes Film Festival, where he is promoting his new film.
A 'friend' said earlier this week: "Lily doesn't give a damn. She just wants to have fun. She couldn't care less what people think, she's just a young girl having a good time".
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