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JAY-Z DENIES LIVE NATION DEAL PROBLEMS
Jay-Z has denied reports that his 360 deal with Live Nation is "falling apart". Reports claim that the rapper is furious with the handling of the deal, which is due to begin once he has completed his current commitments to Universal's Def Jam. He recently confirmed that he has begun work on the final album for the major, with Kanye West producing. When asked to comment on the Live Nation rumours, he simply said: "That's silly".
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LIL' WAYNE'S DAUGHTER NOT DEAD
Lil' Wayne has confirmed that his daughter is safe and well, following rumours that she had been killed in a car crash, which prompted great swathes of sympathy messages on the rapper's MySpace page and across the internet.
In a statement, Lil' Wayne said: "It has come to my attention that there are recent reports circulating regarding my daughter. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who are genuinely concerned about Reginae and her safety. Please allow me to dispel any rumors or speculations and report that my daughter is alive, healthy and surrounded by family who care and love her dearly. The rumors are completely false and unfounded; neither Reginae nor any other member of my family has been involved in any car accident. My family and I truly appreciate the concern and support shown to us".
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MADONNA ATTEMPTS TO ADOPT MALAWIAN CHILD
Madonna has launched a new bid to adopt a second child from Malawi, despite already being told by the girl's family that they are not interested.
The singer, who finally managed to officially adopt Malawian boy David Banda earlier this year, is now trying to do the same for Mercy James. However, it is understood that, if she is successful, she will give the girl back to her family when she turns six years old.
This is the second time Madonna has attempted to adopt Mercy, following discussions with her family last year. The girl's grandmother Anaphiri Ngalande told reporters: "When Mercy is no longer a baby we want her back. I don't want the money they said they'd give me".
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GIVENCHY TO DRESS MADONNA ON TOUR
More Madonna, and Givenchy will dress the singer on her upcoming world tour, because she's too old and frail to do it herself. Oh no, wait, I see what they mean. Paris fashion house Givenchy will give Madonna clothes to wear on stage during her horribly-titled 'Sticky & Sweet' tour.
Givenchy's spokeswoman Caroline Deroche-Pasquier told reporters that the company had made two costumes for the singer, one of which will be worn during the opening number – which will be 'Candy Shop', if that setlist that appeared last week is correct.
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KRAVITZ DENIES VELVET REVOLVER RUMOURS
Lenny Kravitz has denied rumours that he is to join Velvet Revolver as the band's new frontman.
Speculation has been rife, of course, over who will take the vocal slot in the band after the acrimonious departure of Scott Weiland earlier this year.
A source told The Sun yesterday: "The band wanted a big name who could easily hold his own and reckon Lenny is just the man for the job".
However, Kravitz told Rolling Stone: "I know and love the Velvet Revolver guys but there is no truth to the story about me joining their band".
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HAYES DIED OF A STROKE
Isaac Hayes had suffered a stroke when he was found unconscious at his home on Sunday, according to documents filed by the singer's family doctor, according to police spokesman Steve Shular. Hayes had been receiving treatment for high blood pressure and had already suffered a stroke in 2006.
Hayes had just completed work on a new film, 'Soul Men', in which he played himself. The film stars Samuel L Jackson and Bernie Mac, the latter of whom also died at the weekend.
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THE MUSIC FRONTMAN REVEALS DEPRESSION
The Music's frontman Rob Harvey has revealed his struggle with depression, following the lukewarm reception to his band's second album, 'Welcome To The North'.
He told the BBC: "I believed I was a young, untouchable great singer who could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Everybody has an image of themselves in their mind. I had an image of myself, and when things change or life moves on, that's when people struggle. For me that happened at quite a young age. [Touring] America changed me a lot. I became greedy. It was all about wants and needs and that's not me as a human being. That's not the kind of person I am and I didn't like the person I'd become. I was putting myself under a lot of pressure and allowing past failures and things like that to control the moment, instead of just expressing myself like I used to be able to. I'd lost that especially as a performer. I was half the singer I used to be".
He admits that, at his worst, he was suffering up to fifteen panic attacks a day. He continued: "I kept thinking 'Hang on a sec, I've should have a good life here, why am I feeling this way?' I'm in what I believe to be one of the best bands in the country and I'm sat panicking about random stuff, distorted thoughts. Suicide became an option. I became a very unhappy young man. But even suicide is the act of an ego - that's the final act of an ego to protect oneself from being wrong. When your body's physically shaking and you can't keep still and you're sweating, and you're sat watching your TV, and your heart's like a machine gun, that's when I got to the point where I was thinking, 'there's something not right here'".
However, he says, the first stage of recovery came quite easily, after discussing how he felt with his manager: "I checked in [to rehab] and got myself sorted for a few weeks. After that it's just been constant care and attention. I've been sober for two-and-a-half years now. Staying fit, eating well, seeing a regular therapist whenever I can, whenever I've got things to talk about".
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LENNON KILLER DENIED PAROLE
John Lennon's killer Mark Chapman has been denied parole for the fifth time because of "concern for the public safety and welfare". He will now remain in New York's Attica prison at least until 2010.
The parole board said Chapman's conduct had "precipitated a horrendously tragic event which has impacted many individuals. [His] discretionary release at this time would thus not be compatible with the welfare of society at large".
Yoko Ono's lawyer said that she was "very pleased" with the decision.
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WARRANT ISSUED FOR DMX AGAIN
A court in Phoenix, Arizona has issued a warrant for the arrest of DMX, after he failed to make a scheduled appearance over those previously reported fraud charges. The rapper was also supposed to be attending a pretrial conference relating to marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession charges. The warrant is apparently being held until 4pm on 19 Aug to give DMX's lawyer time to reveal the rapper's whereabouts and provide a reason to his absence.
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SINGLE REVIEW: Sway feat Lemar - Saturday Night Hustle (Dcypha Productions)
"I'm so geed up, I do this with my eyes closed, and my feet up / And my hands tied, balancing a tea cup on the tip of my nose, other rappers can't keep up". Big words, but north Londoner Sway DaSafo has an impressive trophy case to support him: a BET Hip Hop Award for Best UK Hip Hop Act, a MOBO and a Mercury Prize nomination. Makes you sick, doesn't it? But 'Saturday Night Hustle' justifies his prestigious bling, making a departure from grime infused hip-hop to prove he can flow to some smooth RnB. Credit must be given to producer Shux who updates Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle's 1985 hit 'Saturday Love' with finesse, while all Lemar has to do is croon away the days of the week like a rushed Craig David. Coming so quickly after the harder, txt speak loving 'F UR X', 'Saturday Night Hustle' should create a buzz about the potentially eclectic genius of Sway's second album 'The Signature LP'. RL
Release Date: 25 Aug
Press Contact: Motion PR [all]
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NEW U2 ALBUM TITLE REVEALED
According to reports, the new U2 album will be called 'No Line On The Horizon'. Herald.ie also claims that the first single will be called 'Sexy Boots'.
No confirmation of any of this has come from the band, as yet. However, Undercover News has discovered that nolineonthehorizon.com was registered by Universal Music Operations Ltd in London on 27 Jul.
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RADIOHEAD WRITE FILM SCORE
Johnny Greenwood has scored a couple of films, and his brother Colin recently played bass on James Lavino's score for Alex Karpovsky's 'Woodpecker', but now Radiohead as a whole are getting into the soundtrack business. The band have composed a score for a new film based on 'Fight Club' author Chuck Palahniuk's book 'Choke'. They had originally only planned to write a track to play over the closing credits, but agree to score the entire film after seeing a rough cut.
Asked if he was pleased to have Radiohead writing the soundtrack for the film, Palahniuk told BBC 6music: "I quit believing in my own life at this point. My life is just too incredible to be believable anymore. It's a living dream".
The film will be released in November, no word yet on a release date for the soundtrack.
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KILLERS DISCUSS NEW ALBUM
The Killers have been discussing their new album, 'Day And Age', which is set for release later this year, with Rolling Stone.
Frontman Brandon Flowers dropped the bombshell that bands always have to produce good stuff. He said: "I live through these songs. People make such a big deal about the second album: 'Do Or die'. But I feel like the pressure to produce something great will always be there. It's our job, after all". He said that he also learned with the band's last album that "you can't please everyone. But we've got faith in what we do, faith in our fans and faith in the soon-to-be-converted".
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MAXIMO PARK WANT BRIAN WILSON
Maximo Park's Paul Smith has said that he would like Brian Wilson to produce the band's third album. Which is surely like saying you'd like Mr Kipling to bake you a cake.
Smith to The Daily Star: "We've nearly finished writing our new album. We're off on tour this week, so when we get back we'll attempt to find a producer and a studio. We'd like to push some sonic boundaries. Maybe Brian Wilson's free. I don't know what kind of music you'd call it. The songs were intended to be high-calibre pop, that's all I know".
The album is expected to be released early next year.
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MARK RONSON TO PRODUCE RUMBLE STRIPS
The Rumble Strips have become the first band to sign to Mark Ronson's Allido Records label and Ronson will produce their second album, which is scheduled for release in spring next year, too.
Ronson told reporters: "I came across The Rumble Strips through their cover of 'Back To Black', and Amy [Winehouse] and I agreed it was kind of better than our own. I picked up their album and fell in love with it. Then I decided I wanted to sign them to my label and work on their next album. It was really as straightforward as that. We're all very excited about this".
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MORRISSEY TO RELEASE LIVE DVD
Morrissey will release a new live DVD, 'Live At The Hollywood Bowl', later this year, CMU can reveal. Recorded in front of 17,000 adoring fans, the shows setlist features several Smiths classics, including 'How Soon Is Now?' and 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out'. The DVD will come in 5.1 surround sound and will be released on 6 Oct.
Tracklist:
The Queen Is Dead
The Last Of The Famous International Playboys
Ganglord
The National Front Disco
Let Me Kiss You
All You Need Is Me
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
Irish Blood, English Heart
Disappointed
I've Changed My Plea To Guilty
Everyday Is Like Sunday
In The Future When All's Well
I Will See You In Far Off Places
Girlfriend In A Coma
First Of The Gang To Die
You Have Killed Me
That's How People Grow Up
Life Is A Pigsty
How Soon Is Now?
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
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V FESTIVAL VETO MUSE SPACESHIP
V Festival organisers have put a stop to Muse's plan to bring a spaceship on stage when they headline the festival this weekend, because there's no money to be made out of it. Um, or it contravenes health and safety. One of those things.
Muse frontman Matt Bellamy said: "Health and Safety are as usual ruining it all. I'm not sure V are quite prepared for us. We've redesigned the whole stage and we're bringing in loads of props that won't be on stage but around the venue".
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MYSTERY JETS TO MAKE LIVE COMEBACK
Mystery Jets are set to make their live comeback, following the cancellation of a string of shows, while frontman Blaine Harrison receives hospital treatment. The band revealed to NME Radio's Iain Baker that they will play a secret gig in London on 21 Aug, ahead of their Reading and Leeds festival shows.
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BRIGHTON'S LOOP FESTIVAL THIS SATURDAY
I'm sure we've mentioned this before – and if we haven't we deserve a severe ticking-off – but Brighton's rather brilliant Loop Festival is back for its second year this Saturday (16 Aug), which is something you should all be getting excited about. Expanded thanks to last year's sell out, 2008's line-up offers a mass of talent in Four Tet, New Young Pony Club, Holy Fuck, Errors, Casper C and Caribou, plus recent CMU tips Midfield General, The Shoes, Wave Machines and
Micachu.
Tickets cost £25, which includes access to the festival's four areas: two - Loop Hub and Futures - dedicated to the larger acts, plus Loop Limits playing host to the more leftfield types and Loop Garden showcasing acoustic performances from electronic acts. Throw in a troupe of VJs, film screenings and DJs at Loop Late – which is taking place at venues around the city post fest – and you've got a package too good to avoid. Head to the link below for more info and to buy tickets.
More info from www.loopbrighton.com
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EUREKA MACHINES DEBUT ALBUM AND TOUR
The latest band to leap out of that unstoppable fountain of talent that pours out of Leeds, Eureka Machines, release their debut album, 'Do Or Die' on 1 Sep, via Wrath Records. Or you can buy it now from the band's official website at www.eurekamachines.com. The band will promote the album by playing more gigs than is healthy.
Tour dates:
16 Aug: Unity Day
19 Aug: Birmingham, The Asylum
20 Aug: London, Islington Bar Academy
22 Aug: Leeds Festival
24 Aug: Reading Festival
1 Sep: Leeds, The Bengal Brasserie
5 Sep: Huddersfield, The Chapel @ The Parish
6 Sep: Bradford, Gasworks
8 Sep: Hull, The Lamp
12 Sep: Oxford, The Wheatsheaf
13 Sep: Croydon, The Brief
14 Aug: Leicester, The Charlotte
19 Sep: Doncaster, Vintage Rock Bar
20 Sep: London, Shepherds Bush Empire
25 Sep: Manchester, Dry Bar
26 Sep: Selby, Riverside
27 Sep: Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
28 Sep: Harrogate, Viper Rooms
20 Sep: Manchester, Music Box
2 Oct: Peterborough, The Park
3 Oct: Birmingham, The Asylum
7 Oct: Sheffield, Corporation
9 Oct: Stourbridge, Rock CafeAlbum tracklist:
'Do Or Die' tracklist:
Scream Eureka
Being Good Is Okay, But Being Better's Better
The Story Of My Life
Red Wine Smile
Everyone Loves You
Going Down
She Sings To Me
The One Who Wouldn't Change You
Do Or Die
Yeah, I Feel Lucky
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
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SINGLE REVIEW: Thomas Tantrum – Work It (Sindy Stroker's Records)
The enigmatically named Thomas Tantrum have born witness to a relatively decent amount of hype as of late, thanks in no small part to Lily Allen's endorsement of the Southampton four-piece by adding them to her MySpace top friends. This factor, along with unfair comparisons of the regional-accented vocals of lead singer Megan Thomas, to Allen's other protege Kate Nash, may cause new listeners to pigeonhole this band. However, these uninventive associations serve only to take away from the endearingly charming way Megan's vocals take their songs to a new level of unnervingly catchy pop. They seem to fall somewhere in between Weezer at their most anthemic and The Pipettes, complete with an abundance of handclaps. 'Work It' itself, is characterised by a unique sense of urgency, in the busy, chunky guitar riffs, the frantic chorus, and an overall unpredictable pace which makes this track a prime example an excellent feel good indiepop tune for the summer. TA
Release Date: 18 Aug
Press Contact: Sainted PR [All]
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WARNER BUY INTO SPANISH ARTIST SERVICES FIRM
Another major record company expanding their artist management interests story for you now. Warner Music International has acquired a majority stake in a Spanish artist services company called Get In.
Specifics of the deal have not been disclosed, but it will give the major an interest in the careers of establish Spanish artists like La Oreja de Van Gogh, Mikel Erentxun, Alex Ubago, Duncan Dhu, Amaia Montero and El Sueno de Morfeo, as well as Get In's activities in the live and music sponsorship sectors.
As we understand it, the company will continue to be headed up by its founder Inigo Argomaniz. He told reporters yesterday: "We are very much looking forward to beginning this new partnership with Warner Music, with whom we have shared a very close working relationship for many years. This is an opportunity for us to cultivate additional revenue streams whilst continuing to grow those areas where Get In already has a strong presence. Our deeper co-operation will inevitably benefit the artist community as well as both companies".
Warner Music Spain top man Charlie Sanchez added: "This investment represents a significant strategic move in the transformation of Warner Music's role within Spain's music value chain. Having an executive of Inigo's stature, as well as his talented team, to draw on will immediately strengthen our expertise and resource across a growing portfolio of artist services. This deal will accelerate our abilities to partner with our acts on a broader basis and to connect them with their fans in a richer, more diverse fashion".
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FLEMISH ARTISTS CALL FOR MORE LOCAL MUSIC ON RADIO
Artists in the Flemish region of Belgium are calling for an introduction of a quota that forces local radio stations to play a certain amount of music from artists who perform in the local Dutch language.
A recently founded association for Flemish artists, the VLAPO, says that while domestic artists are already enjoying some chart success, the local government should make it a condition of local radio stations' licences that they commit to play a minimum amount of music in the local language.
Luc Appermont from the VLAPO told reporters: "For many years now, we have seen that our public radio is reducing airplay attention for [Flemish language] domestic artists. For a public broadcaster, paying attention to all kinds of music is essential".
There are already some rules in place regarding the commitment radio stations have to make to local artists, but some in the artist community claim the broadcasters get round the rules by applying them to their group rather than individual stations, so one station can play little local talent providing another plays more. There is also some disagreement over what does and does not constitute a Flemish band.
Local government officials have stressed they appreciate the importance of championing Flemish language music on local radio, and that they will look into the possibility of expanding the commitments radio stations make.
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BOOSEY & HAWKES GO POP
Absolute, the agency that offers major-label style marketing and distribution services to indie labels, brand-funded music ventures and artists going it alone, have announced a partnership with Boosey & Hawkes which will see the classical publisher's sync rights division seek out international sync deals for the music they represent. It's an interesting partnership because it will see the consulting part of the classical firm moving very much into the pop domain.
Confirming the deal, Absolute Marketing manager Mark Dowling told reporters: "The Absolute model is all about enabling artists to retain full control of their copyrights, whilst presenting them with greater opportunities to exploit those rights. This partnership agreement with Boosey & Hawkes represents another fantastic option we can offer our clients. They'll be able to benefit from the extra profile and income that can come with a major sync deal".
B&H's consultancy boss Natasha Baldwin added: "People obviously know us for our classical catalogues, but in the past few years we've been establishing ourselves as all-rounders - with the ability to fulfill any type of brief regardless of genre. The addition of Absolute now enables us to draw on a wide range of genres to present to our clients".
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GOLDSMITH STAGES POLISH POP EVENT IN LONDON
Harvey Goldsmith has announced details of what is apparently the UK's first Polish music festival, which will take place at Wembley Arena on 7 Sep with the genius title of Polish Music Festival. The event will feature eight one hour concerts from the likes of Natalia Kukulska, Bajm, Lady Pank and Kayah. The event will be free with tickets distributed online.
Music Week quote Goldsmith thus: "This is a fantastic opportunity to bring entertainment to the large Polish community we have here in the UK - there are an estimated 750,000 Poles living in the UK, with a great number living in London. The festival also provides a great chance for Londoners to experience popular Polish culture first hand. It is an exciting and innovative event, and we're proud to be part of it".
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XFM CRITICISED FOR MADE UP PRIZE FEATURE
Xfm has been found in breach of broadcasting rules over a competition on the Rick Shaw drivetime show which offered listeners ridiculous prizes like "a girlfriend", "a private jet" and "a pint of milk".
The prizes, which, as far as I can see, participating listeners themselves requested, were, of course, a joke, but after a winner of the competition complained, saying he was unaware that the prizes weren't real, OfCom intervened.
Xfm owners GCap argued that the complaint shouldn't stand because the prizes were obviously a joke because of the "sheer nonsensical nature of some of the requests and the presenter's nonchalant response". They also claimed callers were told before going on air that their prize requests weren't real.
But OfCom didn't agree, saying that the feature could have confused some listeners. Their ruling noted: "Whilst some of the items chosen by winners were unrealistic and therefore clearly a joke, Ofcom notes that other requests, such as a satellite navigation system or concert tickets were not," said the regulator. As such, the audience's understanding of the competition would have largely depended on which particular edition they were listening to and whether they were regular listeners who would 'get the joke'".
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CLIFF RICHARD CORRECTION
Cliff Richard's first number one single was not his debut, 'Move It', in 1952, as we reported yesterday. It was actually 'Living Doll' in 1959.
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FIELD DAY CORRECTION
The Facebook group we linked to in yesterday's Daily where people were ranting about Field Day was actually set up last year for people to post quotes about last year's festival. So, the quotes we published were not actually relating to last weekend's event at all. You may have noticed given one mentioned Justice, who did not play there this year. And no birds pooed on anyone's legs this year either, as far as we know. We also incorrectly said that there had been complaints about queues at the bars, which were apparently very well run this time. So, sorry about all that.
Here, though, is a quote from a Facebook group that really does relate to Field Day 2008: "You done fucked up again this year, so we ain't coming again... Toilets were worse than last year apart from the urinals, which didn't help the ladies out much. Cancellations could have been dealt with better, you didn't let any fucker know what was going on so then bands/DJs got pushed forward/back, so chances are a lot of people missed out on who they wanted to see anyway. Dan Deacon not showing was the nail in the coffin. On a good note bars were excellent and waiting time was almost non-existent, but this is probably because no one wanted to get a drink for fear of having to queue two hours for the toilet".
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PEACHES GELDOF MARRIES IN VEGAS
Peaches Geldof got married in Las Vegas yesterday, much to the surprise of her boyfriend, Faris Badwan, who apparently wasn't invited. Instead, Geldof walked down the aisle with Maxwell Drummey, of US pop duo Chester French.
Geldof's publicist said: "Their marriage has the full support of their family and friends. Peaches and Max did not want unnecessary publicity, but following growing media speculation, have decided to set out the facts".
The romance apparently bloomed when Peaches presented a show at the recent iTunes festival, which Chester French also played, but the couple first met over two years ago.
Meanwhile a source 'close' to Badwan, aka Faris Rotter of The Horrors, told The Mirror: "I spoke to him at the weekend and, as far as he was concerned, they were still together. Now, he doesn't know what's going on".
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WINEHOUSE APPEARS MOST IN NIGHTMARES
Amy Winehouse has topped a list of celebrities who feature in British people's nightmares, according to a new survey, carried out by Travelodge. Others in the list include Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling, Cherie Blair, Marilyn Manson, Heather Mills and The Cheeky Girls. Of all of those, I'm most glad I've never had a nightmare featuring The Cheeky Girls.
Leigh McCarron of Travelodge said: "A nightmare is much more intense than a bad dream, it can arouse feelings of fear, horror and distress. It replicates our deepest fears and can reflect the different types of stresses we face in our waking world. It's no wonder Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are making a special appearance in our nightmares at the moment, both symbolise the fears we are facing in today's economy".
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