UNLIMITED MEDIA - MARKETING EXECUTIVE London, £14-16K UnLimited is looking to expand its student marketing team. As well as getting involved in marketing CMU and its sister publications to the college market, you will also work on marketing projects for our other clients in this space. Tasks will include liaising with student media and unions, managing our extensive college databases and mailing lists, recruiting and maintaining contact with campus reps and contributors, writing and coordinating press releases, organising events and competitions, and coming up with great marketing ideas. This is an entry-level role and would suit a recent graduate with an aspiration to work in youth marketing. Good and proven writing skills are especially important. Some knowledge of student media and entertainments an advantage. Need to be Office and email savvy, obviously, and enjoy working in a team, and all that jazz. Passion for music always an advantage. To apply, send a CV and covering note explaining why you'd be great for the job to [email protected]
	GAME GROUP - GROUP UK PR MANAGER Basingstoke, Attractive salary "Video games are the new rock n roll" - even the Daily Telegraph thinks so! GAME Group plc is Europe's leading video games retailer. The popularity of our GAME and Gamestation brands has helped us grow rapidly to become one of the UK's largest retail groups. We are on the hunt for a Group UK PR Manager to create and deliver our PR strategy in the UK. It's a brand new position, so we need someone who can deliver outstanding campaigns in a creative, fast-paced environment. You'll need to use and grow your relationships with key UK media to manage day-to-day press enquires and implement proactive campaigns. You will also have to deal with senior management and manage a PR Exec, so strong interpersonal skills are required. You must be a PR practitioner with consumer and trade experience in either the retail or entertainment industries and have an eye for a good story. You should be calm under pressure and be self-motivated as well as having excellent attention to detail and a sense of humour. To apply, send your CV and a covering letter stating your current salary and why you are the right person for this role to jobsunicornjobs.com quoting reference SS27
Advertise your jobs in CMU Daily for just £100 a week (five editions) - more info at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/advertising, or email adsunlimitedmedia.co.uk to book.

BT REPORTEDLY THREATENING TO CUT OFF FILE SHARER
BT has reportedly threatened to disconnect a customer after it was shown she'd illegally downloaded a Girls Aloud song. Nothing to do with copyright infringement, BT just don't want anything to do with Girls Aloud fans.

No, not really. According to IT website The Register the unnamed girl received an email from BT, who are her internet service provider, telling her she had been spotted illegally acquired a Girls Aloud song via file-sharing programme Ares, and that doing so was in breach of the ISP's Acceptable Use Policy. It added that if she continued to acquire music illegally she may have her internet connection cut off.

The reported email follows those other reports that some internet service providers are starting to accept that they have a role to play in policing illegal file sharing on the net. The music industry has become increasingly vocal in calling on the ISPs to take a more proactive role in combating online piracy, mainly by distributing warning letters to those net users who access music illegally, and ultimately cutting them off if they don't cease and desist.

Some ISPs have been resistant to those calls - most prominently Talk Talk - but with government indicating it may force the ISPs to help if they don't do so voluntarily within the year, other net providers are starting to play ball. Virgin Media has already committed to send out the warning letters to customers that label trade body the BPI reckon are file-sharing, and the industry body has said it is in talks with other ISPs, including BT, about similar measures. The reported email from BT would suggest they have decided to adopt a similar policy to Virgin.

It remains to be seen if those resistant to taking on a piracy police role - in particular Carphone Warehouse's Talk Talk - eventually play ball, or whether they become the ISP of choice for naughty P2P users. If ISPs do start cutting file sharers off (Virgin haven't gone that far, they are just sending out letters warning users of copyright laws - the BT threatening email is so far unconfirmed) then presumably some kind of industry-wide system will be required to stop users simply switching to rival net providers if and when they are cut off by one on copyright grounds.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

P2P-LICENCED ISP PACKAGES MAY BE AVAILABLE THIS YEAR
Another Register story in a similar domain, and reports that an ISP package that allows P2P file sharing may be brought to market by the end of the year.

As much previously reported, ever since the original Napster got everyone in the record industry in such a stew, there have been talks of having a licensed P2P file sharing system whereby record labels allow the sharing of their music in return for a royalty fee paid to it by the P2P service provider and made through either subscription fees or ad revenues or both.

Despite much development in the technology required to monitor the sharing of files - which would be used to work out what cut of revenues each content owner was due - no one has really managed to bring a legit P2P to market - though, of course, Q-trax, which had a high profile false start earlier this year, is reportedly about to launch their service, with two major labels on board.

Q-trax will be primarily ad funded at launch, though a variation on the legit P2P service model that has also been long discussed is one where your ISP charges a levy on your net access subscription which is used to pay the content owners who allow customers of that ISP to share music. Making the ISP the controller of licensed file-sharing is arguably the best solution because the net provider can better monitor file-sharing traffic, and they already have a billing relationship with consumers.

A P2P licence bundled into an ISP package is also arguably the first step towards a more involved licensing system whereby net providers charge a TV licence style levy to all their customers, the revenues from which are distributed to content owners, like record companies and film studios, who make their music available for free over the net.

There has been lots of talk about such a system as being the future of content on the web - though how such a system works, how content use is monitored, how money is distributed, especially to smaller content owners, whether the ISPs would take on that role, and what it would mean for the pay-as-you-download content services that dominate the digital market at the moment are all questions that have been much asked but not often especially well answered.

Anyway, with reports some majors, in particular Warner, have expressed a willingness to proactively consider the kind of licensing arrangements that could get some kind of ISP-controlled content-access licence off the ground, The Register seems to think a label approved bundled ISP/licenced P2P package could be available in the UK by the end of the year. Whether that will be the ISP/P2P service that the Beggars Group and the Playlouder website have been trying to get off the ground for years I don't know.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

XM AND EMI PUBLISHING SETTLE OVER INNO
US satellite radio firm XM has settled an ongoing lawsuit with market-leader music publisher EMI Music Publishing relating to the broadcaster's Pioneer Inno radio set.

As previously reported, both labels and publishers objected to the device because it let subscribers store tracks played on radio services and listen back to them on demand. The music firms said such a service overstepped the functionality the radio firm was allowed to offer under its broadcaster music licences - it essentially offering XM subscribers, the music owners argued, a free download service.

Following lawsuits from the labels and publishers regarding the Inno, the former have in the main since reached out of court settlements with XM, but talks with the publishers have been ongoing. This week it said it had reached a settlement with the biggest music publishing plaintiff, EMI Music Publishing, who have settled with the satellite firm just weeks after its record company sister company EMI Music did likewise.

Terms of the deal, and details of how XM's negotiations with the other publishers are going, have not been disclosed.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

DEVO SUE MCDONALD'S
US new wavers Devo are suing McDonald's after discovering that the fast food chain are giving away with Happy Meals 'American Idol'-branded toys which resemble the band.

A statement on the official Devo website reads: "We recently discovered that Devo has once again unwittingly intersected with mainstream pop culture. McDonald's fast food restaurants are offering a series of 'American Idol' TV show themed toys in their children's Happy Meals. One of the toys is named 'New Wave Nigel', who sports an orange jumpsuit, punk shades, and an unmistakable Devo Energy Dome [that's a funny hat, if you were wondering]. Flipping a switch plays a Devo-esque song (which sounds a bit like a mutated version of Devo's 'Doctor Detroit'). Was Devo ever contacted by McDonald's, 'American Idol', or anyone else involved in making and distributing this toy wearing their trademark headgear? Of course not. Pioneers who got scalped... again".

Take a look at the toy for yourself here.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

JOHN MAYER PLANS EARLY RETIREMENT, MAYBE
John Mayer has said that he may retire from music after his summer tour - or at least do something else. What he said was pretty vague, to be honest, but he did imply that he wouldn't be looking to start work on a new album any time soon. The 30 year old singer-songwriter, currently on tour in Europe, told USA Today: "I'm not sure when I'll come back with another record. I feel like I've done everything I can do with this set of tools".

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

THE VERVE ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM DETAILS
The Verve have announced that they will release their fourth album on 18 Aug. It will be called 'Four', or maybe 'Fourth', or maybe even 'Forth', depending who you believe, no one seems certain. Basically they'll be some kind of 'four' thing going on. Even if it's spelt like the river rather than the ordinal number. The long-awaited follow-up to 1997's 'Urban Hymns' will be preceded by a single, 'Love Is Noise', which sounds like the kind of cheery, upbeat anthem we know and love The Verve for.

Look! Here's the tracklist!

Sit And Wonder
Love Is Noise
Rather Be
Judas
Numbness
I See Houses
Noise Epic
Valium Skies
Columbo
Appalachian Springs

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

TRICKY AND TOM WAITS TO RECORD ALBUM
Tricky and Tom Waits are set to record an album together after they were introduced by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, reports Teletext's Planet Sound.

Tricky says: "We talked on the phone six months ago. Tom's not usually a fan of other people, but Chris said he likes me. Tom invited me to chill out with him in San Francisco, and when I've got time, I will. It's almost like me and Tom were fated to work together. I can't imagine what will come out of it, but I know it'd be a brand new type of music, different to him or me. I was compared to 'Tom Waits on acid' when I first came out. I didn't know his stuff then, but it led me to checking him out and I love it".

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

SLASH AND BACH SECRET PROJECT
Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach has revealed that Slash recently contacted him to work on a top secret project. And before you say it, he's not replacing Scott Weiland as the vocalist of Velvet Revolver. Bach said that his friendship with Axl Rose, who provided guest vocals on Bach's 'Angel Down' solo album, would make that particularl job "awkward".

Bach told Billboard: "[Slash contacted me] out of the blue ... to talk to me about working together, but it was not Velvet Revolver. It was a completely different project, and I can't tell you what it is cause it's mind-blowing, but I've been sworn to secrecy on that. But nothing's happening right now with me and him".

When he'll actually be able to get to that project is anybody's guess, because he's got plenty of other stuff to be getting on with already. 'Angel Down' gets its UK release (and US re-release) in July, plus he'll be on the road with Poison and Dokken, working on songs with Hatebreed's Jamie Jasta and appearing on US reality TV show 'Gone Country 2'.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

NEW WELCOME TO OUR TV SHOW EPISODE ONLINE
Episode five of the Jeremy Warmsley and Fay Buzzard-fronted online TV show 'Welcome To Our TV Show' is up on MySpace and YouTube now, featuring Hot Club De Paris, The Wave Pictures and Slow Club.

View it at the following links:
www.myspace.com/welcometoourtvshow
www.youtube.com/welcometoourtvshow

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

SUPERGRASS TO RELEASE DIAMOND HOO HA DOCU
Supergrass are planning to release a rockumentary about the previously reported club shows they did under the Diamond Hoo Ha Men moniker last year. The film, 'Glange Fever' features the duo of Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey, performing as a twosome whilst bassist Mickey Quinn was recovering from that severe back injury sustained whilst sleepwalking (he stepped through a window). The DVD will be out on 4 Aug. A very auspicious date, that one.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

ALBUM REVIEW: Matthew Jay - Further Than Tomorrow (Jays Music)
Matthew Jay is dead. He died in 2003, after falling out of a window of an apartment building in London in mysterious circumstances. This is a huge pity, as his 2001 album 'Draw' was a beautiful collection of Nick Drake/Jeff Buckley-style indie-folk songs that were highly rated by those who heard them. This album is a collection of previously-unheard songs, put out by Jay's family on their own label. It's more vibrant than his debut. The overall experience seems considerably jauntier, but much of the beauty of 'Draw' lay in the wonderfully atmospheric feel to the album - with tracks like 'You're Always Going Too Soon' sending shivers down the spine (and of course, proves eerily prophetic). 'Further Than Tomorrow' is more of a pop album - opening track 'There Were No Complications' brings in elements of country, and 'Chaos' and closer 'Break Up' have roaring electric guitars in place of the strings of 'Draw'. Jay's voice is still unusual and distinctive, and remains the focus of every song, but it lacks the delicate, fragile character that was so beautifully rendered on his debut. All that said, this is still a fantastic collection of songs. If you haven't heard Matthew Jay before, then 'Draw' is the better starting point, but if you've had the fortune of listening to that, and you liked it, then you won't be disappointed by 'Further Than Tomorrow'. DG
Release Date: 30 Jun
Press Contact: Jays Music IH [All]

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

THE VINES PLAY LIVE FOR FIRST TIME IN A WHILE
Aussie band The Vines played a first gig for a while at the Tote Hotel in Melbourne this week. As you'll know, because we reported on it, their live work got put on the backburner for a while because frontman Craig Nicholls turned a bit angry on the crowd at a gig a few years ago and it turned out that this was due to the fact that he had Asperger's Syndrome. By all accounts, it was a good show. Their new album 'Melodia' is due out in July.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

POLICE INVESTIGATE LIL WAYNE NO-SHOW
US police are investigating a gig that never took place that was supposed to be headlined by US rapper Lil Wayne. It would appear that the owner of a club in Alabama got scammed by someone calling himself Tony Lee and purporting to represent the hip hop star, and sold hundreds of tickets on the basis that he'd be appearing, leaving a large number of fans disappointed. The venue's Esa Jones said: "We got scammed real bad. It looked planned, they printed tickets, had radio advertisements, ticket locations, it looks so legit".

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

GLASTONBURY FIRE CAUSES TRAFFIC CHAOS
Thousands of Glastonbury Festival-goers were stuck in traffic en route to the site yesterday after roads were closed due to a fire a mile away from Worthy Farm. The fire at Rossiter's Scrapyard in Pylle, Somerset also caused the evacuation of nearby residents as toxic smoke drifted over the surrounding area.

Police warned that travel times could be delayed by up to five hours, after they were forced to close the A37 to the north of the festival site. Trains were also delayed or terminated. Is this a good time to mention that there are still about 800 tickets left?

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

CMU FESTIVAL WEATHER REPORT
Staying with festivals, what about the weather, hey? With Michael Eavis admitting Glasto needs an OK weekend weatherwise to regain its title of king of festivals after washouts at the last two, and given the fact it was raining there last night, what have the weather gods got in store for Glasto-goers and music fans at all the other festivals happening this weekend? Well, here's the CMU met team with their forecasts...

Leigh Folk Festival, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex (Thu-Sun)
A very mixed weekend, with some showers today and Sunday, but sunny spells throughout the weekend and mainly dry tomorrow. Top temperature 20 degrees.
Clothing tip: It'll be quite warm, so t-shirts, though you might want to take something light and waterproof for the showers - or just make sure you're at an indoor event when it rains.
www.leighfolkfestival.co.uk

Faster Than Sound, Aldeburgh, Suffolk (Fri-Sat)
Pretty much as Leigh - some showers today and Sunday, dry with sunny spells tomorrow, quite warm. Though this spin off from the Aldeburgh Festival Of Music is mainly indoors, so the occasional bit of rain shouldn't matter. I'd leave the coat at home.
www.fasterthansound.co.uk

The Rose Tree Jam, Calne, Wiltshire (Fri-Sat)
Not looking so good for tonight I'm afraid - Mark Ronson fans may be enjoying his headline set in the rain, albeit relatively light rain. Tomorrow will be cloudy but dry. Top temperature 19 degrees.
Clothing tip: Definitely something waterproof for tonight.
www.therosetreejam.com

Togfest, Milton Keynes (Fri-Sat)
All kinds of weather today, some rain, some clouds, some sunny spells. So, wet tents tonight, but forecast is better for tomorrow - still a bit cloudy, but no rain, so a chance to dry off.
Clothing tip: Light waterproof for today, maybe even a sun hat for tomorrow.
www.togfest.org

Crawley Folk Festival, Crawley (Fri-Sun)
I think most of this one is indoors, so the fact it's gonna rain today don't matter so much. Overcast but dry tomorrow, raining but with dry and sunny spells Sunday.
Clothing tip: Something for everything - though it'll be warm, no need to wrap up.
www.myspace.com/crawleyfolkfestival

Dent Folk Festival, Dent, Cumbria (Fri-Sun)
Well, if you choose to go to a festival in the Lake District you presumably expect rain. And that's what you'll get. Today anyway, it'll be dryer tomorrow, though more showers on Sunday - though you may see some sunshine that day too. Top temperature a cooler 15 degrees.
Clothing tip: A waterproof hat.
www.dentfolkfestival.co.uk

Glastonbury Festival, Somerset (Fri-Sun)
So, here's the important one. And hopes for a dry Glasto aren't looking good. Most of the rain will fall today, meaning that tomorrow should be dry, but by that point the ground pretty muddy. There'll be more showers on Sunday, though the sun may finally come out then too. Not quite the unrelenting rain of last year, but some heavy showers today could make for another mudbath.
Clothing tip: I'd take a hat and some wellies - or just do Glasto properly, strip off and just get muddy.
www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

Wakestock Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire (Fri-Sun)
So, it's the Blenheim Palace edition of the boarding and music fest, and it promises to be another mixed weekend weatherwise. Not quite so rainy as Glasto today, but lots of showers nonetheless. Dry and cloud tomorrow, then sunny spells but some heavy showers on Sunday.
Clothing tip: Well, it'll be quite warm - so perhaps a t-shirt and shelter under your skateboard when it rains.
www.wakestock.co.uk

Lapstock, Lapford, Devon (Sat)
Just a bit further West than Glasto, but quite a bit better weather. Some rain today, so may be damp underfoot, but should be dry with sunny spells and a nice 21 degrees high for the festival itself. Lovely.
Clothing tip: A sun hat.
www.lapstock.org.uk

The British Rock and Metal Festival, Dudley, West Midlands (Sat)
I think this one is indoors, so the fact it will be dry with sunny spells in Dudley tomorrow isn't really relevant.
www.britishrockandmetalfestival.com

Ghostfest, Leeds (Sat-Sun)
Another indoor one, so the fact it will be rather gloomy and overcast in Leeds this weekend, with some showers on Sunday, probably don't matter. Given this is a full on dark metal-fest, the gloomy weather outside will probably be appreciated.
http://www.myspace.com/ghostfest

Hard Rock Calling, Hyde Park, London (Sat-Sun)
Back in the open air, so the fact there is no rain forecast for the capital is presumably good news. Should be dry and quite sunny. Top temperature tomorrow 22 degrees - so pretty pleasant all round really.
Clothing tip: summer wear and sun glasses
www.hardrockcalling.co.uk

Strawberry Moon Festival, Meerbrook, nr Leek, Staffordshire (Sat-Sun)
Rain today, so could be damp underfoot, but should be dry for the festival itself, with some sunshine on Sunday.
Clothing tip: summer wear, maybe with a jumper for later on, could get a bit chilly by late evening Saturday.
www.reapweb.org.uk

Boring By The Sea Festival, Weymouth, Dorset (Sun)
Also mainly indoors, in three different venues. Mixture of sunshine and rain, so should be able to time venue-to-venue dashes for dry times.
www.myspace.com/boringbytheseafestival

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

WINEHOUSE AND DAMMERS TO SING FOR MANDELA
Amy Winehouse is reportedly planning to team up with Specials member Jerry Dammers to perform a version of his band's song 'Free Nelson Mandela' at Mandela's 90th birthday concert in Hyde Park tonight.

Meanwhile, not appearing at the concert is Naomi Campbell, who has had her presenting slot pulled following that much reported arrest at Heathrow airport, which occurred while she was wearing a baseball cap sporting the logo of Mandela's AIDS charity 46664, for which she is an ambassador. A source told The Times: "People were disappointed by what happened. In the past she had spoken to Mandela about her anger. It's not the behaviour of a charity ambassador".

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

AMANDA PALMER UK TOUR
Dresden Dolls frontwoman Amanda Palmer will be playing venues around the UK later this year to promote her Ben Folds-produced debut solo album, 'Who Killed Amanda Palmer', which is out on 15 Sep.

Tour dates:

21 Aug: London, ICA
27 Sep: Dublin, Academy
28 Sep: Belfast, Auntie Annies Porterhouse
30 Sep: Edinburgh, Cabaret Voltaire
2 Oct: Glasgow, King Tuts
3 Oct: Birmingham, Space 2
4 Oct: Brighton, Concorde 2
6 Oct: Manchester, Club Academy
7 Oct: Bristol, Thekla
8 Oct: Sheffield, Academy 2
10 Oct: London, Koko

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

ALBARN TO PLAY SOLO SHOW
Damon Albarn has announced that he'll do a solo show at the Barbican on 5 Jul, and will perform his 'Mali Music' album for the first time in a while. Speaking about the album, he told NME: "I haven't touched it for, like, six years. We had to go into the Sahara and find people. They live in the remote places, but it's amazing how easy it is to find people if you've got the right people looking!"

Albarn is also planning similar gigs in Lyon and New York City next month.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

COLDPLAY LOOK FOR SUPPORT FROM NEW BANDS
Coldplay are looking for as yet unknown acts to support them on their upcoming tour of North America, which probably makes them seem like good guys, but you know that deep down they're evil, right? Only kidding, of course. Ahem.

Anyway, they've announced this contest, with appearances at six summer concerts - in Chicago, San Jose, Philadelphia, DC, Boston and Hartford - as the prize. Interested parties should see www.coldplayontour.com and apply by submitting a video clip.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

MU OBJECT TO USE OF MUSIC IN INTERROGATION
The Musicians' Union has spoken out about the use of recorded music by American authorities as a tool in interrogating prisoners. Presumably they'd rather the CIA use live music, then the Union's members would get paid.

No, not really. The Union wants the global body for musicians, the Federation Of International Musicians, to issue a statement condemning the practice that American operatives have admitted to using in which recorded music is played to prisoners loudly and repeatedly until they go insane and confess to all their sins (or say whatever the interrogators want to hear which is, of course, the reason torture is not only morally suspect but also often ineffective).

With Amnesty International classifying the use of music in this way as torture, and as such in breach of the Geneva Convention, MU General Secretary John Smith said yesterday: "The Musicians' Union deplores any use of music as an instrument of torture, and calls on all governments to outlaw the practice. As well as being inhumane, it is also a potential infringement of a musician's rights, and the MU will be putting a motion to the FIM conference with a view to securing international condemnation of the use of music in interrogations".

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

TRAVIS TO PARTNER WITH INTEGRAL ON SELF-RELEASE
Following the news last week that Travis would release their new material on Red Telephone Box, the band's own indie label which they used to release their very first EP back in the nineties, it was announced yesterday they had entered into a deal with Integral, the previously reported division of independent distributor [PIAS] UK which provides marketing and infrastructure support to indies who might otherwise look to do a partnership deal with a major.

Confirming the Integral relationship, Travis manager Ian McAndrew of Wildlife Entertainment told CMU: "I met with Pete Thompson and Ian Dutt at Integral earlier this year to play them the new Travis album. After hearing the record they were both very enthusiastic and keen to get involved. We agreed the outline of a label deal which involves Integral providing a range of label services and includes both physical and digital distribution for the UK and Ireland. We mapped out a tentative release plan, formulated a budget, hired our promotion dream team and are releasing our first limited edition 10" EP on Monday, June 30th. This arrangement allows Travis to retain full creative control of their music and affords us the full support of the Integral team to assist in the running of the label".

PIAS [UK] chief Peter Thompson adds: "Travis have made consistently brilliant albums for years and 'Ode To J Smith' is no exception. When Ian played us the new record we jumped at the chance to get involved and the agreement we have worked out with them adheres to the Integral model which gives as much creative control to the artist as possible. The band and their management have a clear vision for what how they want to do things and we have put in place an infrastructure that will allow them to achieve their goals".

As previously reported, and mentioned by McAndrew there, the band's first self-released material will be an EP, out next week.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

US RETAILERS WANT DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL RELEASE DATES TO MATCH
The trade body for US record retailers, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers, is calling on record labels to stop releasing records in digital and physical format on different days.

It has become the norm here in the UK, of course, for digital releases to precede physical releases by a week or two, or even more, so that albums are frequently available via iTunes et al before they are available as CDs on the high street. One reason for the earlier digital release - other than providing a boost to the fledgling digital market - is that labels want music to be available digitally as soon as possible so there isn't a period of weeks when tracks are available via illegal sources online but can't be bought legitimately. The earlier digital release date means tracks can be made available online at the same time that copies start to surface on P2P networks while the manufacture and distribution of physical CDs is still underway.

But NARM aren't happy that US labels are now adopting this earlier digital release policy - presumably because they aren't quite as pro-digital as their UK equivalents, the Entertainment Retailer Association, who, to their credit, have been increasingly supportive of digital initiatives in recent years, even when said initiatives could arguably have negative impacts on trade in high street record stores (presumably because sensible high street sellers are also moving into digital themselves).

Anyway, here is the statement NARM have released in relation to the early digital release date thing...

"While recognizing the continuing shift in physical and digital album sales patterns, the Board of Directors of NARM reminds the industry that the accepted practice is for all album releases, regardless of format, to come to market simultaneously on Tuesday. It is simply good for business that this practice is respected. If not, the Board feels we are opening the door for chaos in the marketplace as the significance of street date becomes meaningless and its competitive benefits are lost. Over the past few months, there have been instances where release dates for physical and digital versions of albums did not coincide, creating unnecessary and unwelcome marketing obstacles, consumer confusion and, most importantly, missed sales opportunities".

"The NARM Board urges all parties to make extraordinary efforts to limit or more tightly control any copies issued before the actual release date. In those isolated instances where an album's digital release is advanced unexpectedly or unavoidably, retailers that are planning to merchandise the physical product should also be permitted to provide it to their customers immediately without fear of reprisal. Artists, managers, labels, and distributors are urged to make every effort to embrace, endorse and execute release date parity. There is no "competition for earliest availability" that will be of any benefit to consumers. A singular street date will help stimulate competition on what matters: price, selection, quality, and service. The NARM Board feels that strict adherence to this strategy will benefit all segments of the business, especially consumers".

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

PRS AGM APPOINTMENTS
It was the AGM of the Performing Rights Society yesterday, which included the important business of electing new directors to the collecting society's board. The songwriters elected to the board were David Bedford and Nigel Beaham-Powell, while from the music publishers the following won board seats: Chris Butler of Novello & Co, Sarah Levin of Universal Publishing, Jane Dyball of Warner/Chappell and Paulette Long of Westbury Music.

Both PRS chair Ellis Rich and MCPS-PRS Alliance chief Steve Porter said things, while the keynote speech came from the increasingly ubiquitous British Music Rights chief Feargal Sharkey who called on the UK government to do more to help music creators, saying the British music community had to rely on politicians at a European level to look out for their interests.

He was presumably referencing the British government's official line on extending the copyright for recorded music - ie that they shouldn't - which contrasts with that of the European Union's Internal Market Commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, who has spoken out in support of an extension from fifty to 95 years. I'm not sure PRS members care about recording copyrights - though many are probably also recording artists, of course, and Sharkey is keen to see more consensus between different branches of the music business - especially recordings, publishing and live.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

EMI CLOSE COLLEGE PROMOTIONS UNIT
EMI's college promotions team is the latest victim of the restructure and downsize at the major record company. In house departments specialising in student press and promotions have come and gone at most major record companies over the years, but the EMI college department, which I think began as the Virgin Records college department, is the one that has been consistently there, run for as long as I can remember by Dolly Clew.

But the department is now no more, and Clew and her assistant Jon Kell will now leave the major. Personally, given that Terra Firma chief Guy Hands has been talking about the importance of centralising and honing in-house marketing expertise, axing the most experienced student marketing department in the industry, and EMI's only centralised publicity unit, seems a bit short sighted to me, but what do I know. No word on whether student PR will be taken on by another in-house team, or if it will be farmed out to agency.

Clew and Kell's departure comes amid reports of an increasing number of job cuts across EMI Music this week, in both the US and UK, as the deadline for Hands' third-of-the-workforce-to-be-axed restructure approaches.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

SINGLE REVIEW: Detachments - Fear No Fear (ThisisnotanExit Records)
Crikey - this is more like it. A single that actually makes you stop what you're doing and wonder what the hell it is you're listening to. Trevor Jackson and Andrew Weatherall are already fans of Detachments and you can see why; 'Fear No Fear' is an imposing black slab of industrial-dance pop. Starting with moody strings and crunching dub-delayed electro beats, it promptly explodes with some ferocious post punk bass, uncompromising synths, white noise guitars and dark, determined vocals that recall Nitzer Ebb's Douglas McCarthy. The remixes are equally impressive, too. Naum Gabo (aka Optimo) strips out the darkness and lights up the track with lush layers of spacey disco and house, whilst MoscoW turns in a slow burning twelve minute epic that can't decide if it's progressive house or electronica, but is totally gripping nonetheless. An immense debut single, frankly. MS
Release Date: 7 Jul
Press Contact: Darling Dept [all]

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

DELAYS VIDEO FEATURES OFFICE STAR HEART ATTACK
This is a bit of a non-news story, frankly, but I suspect we're covering it because one CMU editor is big Delays fan, and the other was friends with said Office star before he was 'famous'. So, this is the 'news' that the new Delays video features a performance by Ewen Macintosh, who played Keith in Ricky Gervais's hit TV show. The promo for 'Keep It Simple' - out 11 Aug - sees the actor playing a man attempting to lose weight by jogging, and feigning a heart-attack brought on by vigorous exercise. Gigwise have a series of stills, if you're interested.

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

NOT LONG LEFT FOR MARIAH'S MARRIAGE SAY FRIENDS
Mariah Carey's friends don't have much confidence in Mariah Carey's ability to hold a marriage together, according to reports. The singer married actor Nick Cannon at her estate in the Bahamas in May, just six weeks after they met. Now, her diva demands are apparently taking their toll on the relationship.

The source told Life And Style Weekly magazine: "I give the marriage six months, tops. I can't see it lasting. Nick does whatever Mariah wants him to - he's like her puppy. It seems like he spends more time in the stores with Mariah's credit card than he does with Mariah herself. Mariah's assistants and friends call him 'Whipped Nick' behind his back. They have little respect for him because he won't stand up for himself".

However, a friend of Cannon's denied that there were any problems in the marriage, saying: "Mariah needs someone to dote on her".

back to top

--------------------------------------------------

WILLIAMS SPLITS FROM GIRLFRIEND
Apparently, Robbie Williams has split from his girlfriend Ayda Field (I didn't even know he had one) because he's too much of a homebody. A source is quoted as saying: "Ayda was attracted to Robbie as he is vastly different to the average Los Angeles guy she is accustomed to, but in the end this was exactly what ended their relationship. He is just too different. Robbie's indifference about the Los Angeles scene annoyed her. He was content to stay in eat junk food and watch DVDs while Ayda was yearning for some glamorous nights out. Ayda is hungry to advance in her career and that means schmoozing the right people. But Robbie doesn't care about that".

Couldn't she have gone out on her own sometimes, and stayed in sometimes? Could there not have been some compromise? Do people just not try to work at relationships these days?

back to top