IT'S LIVERPOOL SOUNDCITY 2009!
This week the music business turns to Merseyside where Liverpool SoundCity will be presenting four days of talks, debates, panels and networking opportunities for music people, alongside a whole barrage of brilliant music showcases, featuring no end of great bands. You can check the full line up at www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk (check out CMU's sessions in the 'Special Events' section), meanwhile we'll be picking out some of our favourite bands who are playing SoundCity here in the Daily each day, throwing our same six questions at five of them, and digging into the SSQ archives to get a little insight from 20 more.

JOHNNY FOREIGNER
CMU favourites Johnny Foreigner are busy preparing their second album, and have a single out next month called 'Feels Like Summer', which you can already preview on the band's MySpace. Other sneak previews of the follow up to 2008's 'Waited Up Til It Was Light' will no doubt appear when the band play at the Flowerpot in Kentish Town tonight, and when they play the opening night of Liverpool SoundCity at the city's Barfly Theatre on Wednesday night. Exciting stuff. Meanwhile, we threw our SSQs at the band's Alexei Berrow.

Q1 How did you start out making music?
With a tiny brown Yamaha keyboard my parents gave me when I was eight. I used to sit for literally hours playing four chords with the autochord button.

Q2 What inspired your latest single?
A raggedy permafucked, bad for each other ketacouple, and a sweaty cellar full of (awful) bands, and a patio beer garden by the canal.

Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
Bits of songs appear in my head, then I show them to the rest of the band and we assemble them like Lego. Or Duplo.

Q4 Which artists influence your work?
The drunk / sincere / hopeless ones.

Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Do you like it? I did that bit. Do you like it? DO YOU?

Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
That people like it as much as we do and it goes to number one forever. The album. The future, God knows. Stability? Swimming pools?

JOHNNY FOREIGNER AT LIVERPOOL SOUNDCITY>> 20 May at the Barfly Theatre.
MORE>> www.myspace.com/johnnyforeigner

Crystal Antlers: "Listen to the whole record all the way through at least three times". Barfly, Evol & Clash Magazine, 21 May

Dan Black: "Er... um... so... like... er what do you think and stuff?" Barfly, 22 May

Fight Like Apes: "I would hope I wasn't in the room, unless it was at a gig. In which case I'd hope I was in the room. And I wouldn't say anything to them. I'd just look at them. Y'know. A stare, like..." Korova, 21 May

Heartbreak: "Remember that music is not meant to fit your lifestyle, it's meant to change your life" Alma de Cuba, 21 May

DANGERMOUSE SPARKLEHORSE ALBUM SHELVED, BUT OFFICIAL CDRS SOLD FOR BURNING FILE-SHARED COPIES
This is all very intriguing. A much anticipated new album by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse - 'Dark Night Of The Soul' - featuring guest appearances from the likes of Iggy Pop, Suzanne Vega and members of Pixies, The Flaming Lips, The Strokes and The Shins, has been shelved, possibly indefinitely, because of an unspecified legal dispute with EMI. Despite this fact, the album is currently streaming legitimately on the website of US public radio network NPR, and is already doing the rounds of illegal file-sharing networks.

Making the story all the more interesting, Danger Mouse has started selling the artistic products designed to accompany the album - a book and poster of David Lynch photos - along with a branded CDR which contains the words 'For Legal Reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will'. The implication, of course, is that people who buy the book for fifty dollars, or the poster for ten dollars, may want to download the album off the unlicensed P2P network of their choice, and burn it to the branded CD.

I think that Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse, ie Brian Burton and Mark Linkous, intended to self-release this album, though EMI have released past Sparklehorse long players, and a previous Burton/Linkous collaboration. Therefore it's not clear if the EMI dispute is because of some sort of sampling issue, or whether it is linked to Linkous' past contracts with the major. EMI haven't commented, while Burton remains ambiguous regarding the nature of the dispute, saying just: "Danger Mouse hopes that people lucky enough to hear the music, by whatever means, are as excited by it as he is".

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JACKO DOCTOR DENIES SKIN CANCER CLAIMS
A doctor who seems to have come forward as a medical spokesman for Michael Jackson has denied those tabloid reports from the weekend that Jacko has skin cancer. The tabs had it that 'spots' of skin cancer had been found on the singer's "upper body", and that pre-cancerous cells has been found on his face. But one Dr Tohme Tohme has told the New York Daily News that all such claims were simply "not true". Tohme added: "He is great, he is in perfect health... he doesn't have any diseases whatsoever". Funny how he seems to be on death's door when he's ordered to testify in a London court, but is suddenly at the peak of health now he's being paid to come testify in a London tent.

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KAISER CHIEFS DENY THAT THEY'VE BEEN DUMPED
Kaiser Chiefs have denied tabloid rumours that they have been dropped by their label, B-Unique, and say that their contract with the company hasn't changed.

A spokesman for the band told NME.com: "The band has two records left to run on an existing contract. Kaiser Chiefs will take their first break in six years at the end of the summer. As with many successful artists, the band is considering creative options to improve the way their music reaches people ahead of their fourth album".

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ELTON HELPED EMINEM BEAT ADDICTION
Eminem has revealed that when things get rough, he turns to Elton John for advice and succour. The pair have apparently been friendly since they shared the stage at the 2001 Grammy Awards, and Mr Shady says he often contacts the singer when in need. The rap superstar told the Detroit Metro Times: "I talk to Elton a lot. Me and him have had similar lives and stuff. We became friends and I talk to him about things, career-wise".

He continued: "When I first wanted to get sober, I called him and spoke to him about it. He's somebody who's in the business and can identify and relate to the lifestyle and how hectic things can be. He understands ... the pressure and any other reasons that you want to come up with for doing drugs. I reached out to him and told him, 'Look, I'm going through a problem and I need your advice'".

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MADONNA DISMISSES WEDDING TALK
Madonna has dismissed reports claiming that she is planning to marry her twenty-two year old Brazilian boyfriend Jesus Luz in a Kabbalah ceremony in New York, and says that the confirmation attributed to Luz's father is a load of rubbish.

Reports last week suggested that Luis Heitor Pinto da Luz had told Brazilian magazine Quem that the couple were in fact set to marry, though on closer examination, what he was alleged to have said did not in fact amount to a confirmation.

Now a rep for Madonna has said that it was all made up anyway, and he didn't talk to the magazine at all, saying: "This is completely and totally not true. Jesus' father didn't make any statement on this subject".

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TIMBERLAKE NAMED IN SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT
Well, we all know what a horrible chauvinist bastard Justin Timberlake is, don't we? Or did I just make that up? I can't remember. Anyway, Timberlake has found himself named on a sexual discrimination lawsuit against the New York restaurant in which he is a business partner. Alison McDaniel, a former manager at Southern Hospitality, says the singer's business partners, Eytan Sugarman and Ronnie Kaplan, were guilty of "vile and discriminatory conduct".

The lawsuit alleges that: "One or more of Southern Hospitality's owners and/or executive managers bullied, degraded, harassed and ultimately discharged McDaniel... because of her gender. In at least one instance, defendants Sugarman and Kaplan viewed... pornography while in a locked room with McDaniel and made fun of her when she began crying".

A rep for the restaurant told reporters: "We will vigorously defend any allegations of wrongdoing or improper behaviour". Timberlake hasn't commented. But then why would he bother responding to some little lady's little moans?

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SPEARS SENIOR DEFENDS LUTFI PUSH
Britney Spears' dad Jamie has filed his own legal papers relating to an altercation with the singer's former sort-of manager Sam Lutfi.

Lutfi is currently suing the Spears family for defamation over their allegations that he sent Britney loopy, probably by feeding her drugs. He is also accusing Jamie Spears of assault after a run in between the two men outside the singer's LA home last year.

In his legal papers, filed last week, Spears Senior denies assaulting Lutfi, but admits using force to keep him away from Britney, adding that he should be allowed to do so, given the allegations against the former manager, and the subsequent restraining order that has been issued against him.

According to TMZ.com, Spears Senior's legal papers say the courts should confirm that "any necessary force may be used to protect from wrongful injury the person or property of oneself, or a wife, husband, child, parent or other relative or member of one's family".

Lutfi is seeking compensation in relation to the incident, though US media reports say the case isn't likely to actually go to court until next March.

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LLOYD-WEBBER HAPPY WITH FIFTH PLACE
Andrew Lloyd-Webber reckons Britain can "hold its head high" after we came fifth in the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow this weekend.

Personally I think the fact a song as shit as the one we entered this year can come fifth is proof there's still something wrong with Eurovision's voting system; though having Andy himself on stage playing along was a stroke of genius, especially given the inclusion of judging panel votes this year. I suspect one or two Euro-judges would have been influenced by seeing one of the world's most successful modern-day composers on stage when rating the UK's entry, what was possibly the dullest song in the history of the infamous Song Contest.

As previously reported, Lloyd-Webber was brought into the Eurovision venture this year after last year's UK entry came last. He helped pick a singer - Jade Ewen - via a BBC talent show earlier this year - and then penned the song she'd sing, 'It's My Time', with Diane Warren. That, plus successful lobbying by the UK Eurovision team (and other Western European broadcasters whose funding is essential to make the big Contest happen) to bring back judging panels alongside public phone voting in a bid to counter Eastern European bias towards neighbouring counties, all seemed to pay off; a fifth placing makes 'It's My Time' the best performing UK Eurovision entry since 2002's 'Come Back'.

Lloyd-Webber told reporters: "Jade performed brilliantly, as I knew she would. I am delighted with her fifth place finish. After so many years of disappointing results the UK can finally hold its head up high. I am sure that this will be a springboard for Jade and that she will go on to enjoy great success as an artist". Lloyd-Webber and Warren's terrible song, though, will hopefully be forgotten for all time.

Although doing much better than in recent years, the UK was along way behind this year's winners, Norway, whose hyperactive fiddle-playing 23-year-old pretty-boy entrant, Alexander Rybak, penned his own song. Well done him.

But given that most Brits watch Eurovision more to laugh at their European friends rather than really root for their own entry (especially when their own entry is so dire), the big question is did new commentator Graham Norton fill the very big hole left by Terry Wogan, who, as much previously reported, stood down as the BBC's chief Eurovision sarcasm provider last year. I didn't see it, but the consensus from the TV reviewers today seems to be that, despite a bit of a shaky start, Norton managed to pull off the happy balance of curiosity, enthusiasm and all out contempt that Wogan managed for all those years. So, Norton finally delivers on all the millions the Beeb have been paying him then.

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LINKIN PARK RECORD TRACK FOR TRANSFORMERS MOVIE
Linkin Park have recorded a new song to appear on the soundtrack of upcoming film 'Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen'. Speaking about the track, which is entitled 'New Divide', the group's Mike Shinoda told Boxwish: "The opportunity to be creatively involved with one of the most anticipated films of the summer is pretty exciting. It's one thing to shoot a video that matches sound and vision, but making music that's built for the big screen is a completely different challenge, and we ran with it".

Director Michael Bay adds: "I love Linkin Park. This is the second film we've worked on together and the fact they're huge Transformers fans makes it all the better. They really delivered with 'New Divide' - it's a great song that perfectly matches the film's intensity".

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ZIGGY PRODUCES CHILDREN'S MARLEY CD
Ziggy Marley has produced a new collection of songs by his father Bob Marley aimed at children. The album is called 'B Is For Bob', and features modified versions of Marley tracks such as 'Three Little Birds', 'Redemption Song', 'Jamming', and 'High Tide Or Low Tide' and some songs which have not been altered, amongst them 'One Love/People Get Ready' and 'Lively Up Yourself'.

Apparently, Bob Marley once said "Me is a common sense man". Ziggy explains, "That mean when me explain things me explain it in a very simple way, that mean if I explain it to a baby the baby will understand too, you know, my father's music spans generations and with 'B Is For Bob' we give the youngest their very own Bob Marley record."

The album is out in June.

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LIBERTINES ALMOST-REUNION IN LONDON
According to reports, three members of The Libertines, Pete Doherty, Carl Barat and Gary Powell, reunited for a seven song set at London's Rhythm Factory on Friday night. The group's first appearance together since their 2004 split, they were performing at an event organised in honour of late music promoter Johnny Sedassy. Doherty apparently introduced the set with the words: "Here's a musical interlude from a little known band who played their first ever gig here".

The next day Doherty appeared with Babyshambles at a surprise (though not as big a surprise as the Libertines reunion) show at The Great Escape in Brighton.

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BLINK 182 SET FOR FIFTY DATE TOUR
Following a five year hiatus, Blink 182 are to begin a fifty date North American tour on 24 Jul in Las Vegas. The band will be supported by the likes of Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, All-American Rejects, and Taking Back Sunday on the tour, which finishes in New Jersey's Atlantic City on 3 Oct.

Blink-182 manager Rick Devoe has told Billboard that the reunion probably wouldn't have happened, had it not been for drummer Travis Barker's involvement in that much previously reported plane crash last year, in which four people were killed, and from which Barker and collaborator DJ AM emerged injured but alive. Explaining that the crash, and the death of the band's producer Jerry Finn, had put the members of the band back in touch following their acrimonious 2005 split, Devoe said: "Unfortunately it took something catastrophic to do it, but sometimes that's how life is. These guys got together for the right reasons".

The band are apparently writing new material, but the set on this tour will mostly be a 'greatest hits' one. Devoe does suggest, however, that at least one new song might make it into the set list during the course of rehearsals.

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THREE INJURED AT DERBYSHIRE FESTIVAL
Three music fans were injured when a stage collapsed at the Bearded Theory bash in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, at the weekend. The accident was apparently related to weather conditions, site manager Sally Booth telling BBC News: "It's been raining and windy all day but this was a freak gust of wind that was capable of knocking people over".

Festival organiser James Willis added: "True to the festival spirit the personnel and festival-goers pulled together to ensure the continued running of the festival".

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BESTIVAL LATEST
Bestival have announced that Carl Cox and Underworld are both to play a DJ set at this year's event, and that Tom Middleton, The Field and Mr Hudson are also set to appear.

Organiser Rob Da Bank says this: "Carl Cox and Underworld have both soundtracked my raving years and both have smashed it at Bestival before. I'm grinning like a fool at the prospect of Karl and Rick warming up the Bestival masses before Kraftwerk and Coxy tearing the roof off the Big Top on Sunday night. I'll make sure I'm not DJing at the same time as him this year!"

You all know when it is, don't you? Okay, well, I'll just tell you, to be sure. It takes place at Robin Hill Country Park in the Isle of Wight from 11-13 Sep.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Kissy Sell Out - Youth (Marrakesh Records)
For those playing catch up, Kissy Sell Out, also known as Thomas Bisdee, is a happy chappy (have you SEEN this guy's smile?!) DJ and artist type from London, and crowned hero of east London's scene. 'Youth', Bisdee's hotly tipped debut solo album, is released off of the back of some pretty amazing remixes for a number of very different artists, from the likes of Chromeo and Hadouken! to The Black Ghosts and Datarock. Beginning where the sprightly single release 'The Kiss' left off, 'Youth' is a fun, summery album compiled of fizzy, poppy lyrics and multi-coloured, trendy breaks and beats that should quite rightly leave Calvin Harris quaking in his size nines. Rather than creating a false sense of bravado, Kissy Sell Out is the kind of music that is amiably frank, and, in a way, almost awkward and naive - and all the more endearing because of that combination. In fact, Thomas Bisdee is so sweet that you can practically feel your teeth rot and eyes water - in a good way - the further 'Youth' plays on. 'Apple Sauce' is so wonderfully 90s, seaming together frantic bass, piano and synth with Bisdee's heavily accented vocals drawing you in halfway through the mix, while 'Go Explode' and 'Bethnal Green Cafe' boast heavier synths and story-telling lyrics, the kind of stories that are charming, and, above all, familiar. 'The Kiss', smack-bang in the middle of the album, is of course 'Youth's uber-catchy highlight, and if anything, should not be missed - if you skip to one track on this album, make sure it's this one. An excellent offering that fulfils all expectations - perfect for what looks to be a brighter summer in 09. TW
Release Date: 15 Jun
Press Contact: Charm Factory [all]

Buy from iTunes
Buy from Amazon

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POP EMBARRASSED BY INSURANCE ADS
Iggy Pop has admitted he's a bit embarrassed about having appeared in those TV ads for online insurance company Swiftcover. As much previously reported, Pop's appearance in the ads garnered much media attention, partly because of the strange pairing of a rebellious rock icon with a dull insurer, and partly because it was revealed Pop couldn't, as suggested in the ads, actually be insured by Swiftcover because when the ads first aired they didn't insure musicians.

When a Times journalist brought up the ads in a recent interview with Pop, he said: "This is so embarrassing. I was afraid you'd ask me that. This is so fucking embarrassing". He added that he was told he'd been offered the ads because the insurer wanted a celeb who "you can't help but like" to appear in the commercials. He added: "That's a very nervous position to be in [...] to be liked".

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RELENTLESS MAN TO HEAD UP VIRGIN UK
EMI this morning announced that Shabs Jobanputra, founder of music agency Media Village and label Relentless, will become President of the major's Virgin UK division, taking a wider A&R role at the record company, and reporting to EMI's top A&R man Nick Gatfield.

Jobanputra has been working with EMI since they bought into Relentless in 2003. The label initially had an urban focus with artists like Daniel Bedingfield and So Solid Crew, though since becoming an EMI joint venture has expanded somewhat, with success stories including Joss Stone, KT Tunstall, Seth Lakeman and Cage The Elephant.

The Relentless JV sat within the Virgin UK division of EMI until the recent company-wide rejig. As the boss of the whole Virgin UK outfit Shabs will oversee his former Relentless signings, plus a whole range of EMI's other pop and indie artists, including some formerly aligned with the major's EMI Records and Heavenly divisions, including Robbie Williams and Doves. Virgin UK will also handle the marketing over here of US-based EMI artists like Katy Perry, 30 Seconds To Mars, Lenny Kravitz, Hockey and Empire Of The Sun.

Formally confirming Jobanputra as the new Virgin UK President, Gatfield told CMU: "Shabs has got the drive and ambition to ensure Virgin becomes a leading home for UK talent. His ability to identify and develop artists across all genres makes him the ideal candidate for the role".

Shabs himself added: "It's a great time to be coming on board as EMI seeks to become the number one music-based company that adds real value to artists and their work".

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NME RADIO ADDED TO DAB IN LONDON
NME Radio last week announced it had launched on the digital audio broadcasting network in London, meaning listeners in the capital will now be able to access the Xfm rival via any DAB radio set, as well as via Sky or over the net. NME Radio boss Sammy Jacob told reporters: "We've been dedicated to making NME Radio available on as many platforms as possible. From today fans can listen to the station on DAB in London and we hope to announce additional platforms in the future". In addition to its online and digital broadcasts, NME Radio continues to stage occasional month-long broadcasts on FM, and is currently available in Xfm's other stronghold, Manchester, on 87.7FM.

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CHART UPDATE
Andy CMU, who normally writes your Chart Update, seems convinced that Tinchy Stryder's track 'Number 1' slipping down from the number one slot could bring about the end of civilisation as we know it. So much so, he's run away to the Scottish Highlands to hide. Though I can confidently report civilisation is unaltered here in Shoreditch today. Though, I'm not sure Shoreditch was ever that great a place for measuring the relative sanity and safety of the world as we know it. Anyway, if the world does end tonight, it will be the Black Eyed Peas' fault, because they knocked Stryder and his mates N-Dubz off the top spot and into second place with their song 'Boom Boom Pow'. La Roux are at three with 'In For The Kill', Eminem is at four with 'We Made You' and Lily Allen is at five with 'Not Fair'. Which is fair.

Albums chart wise, and there's a change at the top there too, with Green Day storming in at the top despite '21st Century Breakdown' not being released until Friday. The rest of the top five is filled with Lily Allen, Lady GaGa, The Prodigy and Pink. Last week's number one album from Bob Dylan slides to number eight.

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GREEN DAY MAN ADMITS TO STAGE FRIGHT
Talking of the chart toppers, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong has said that his band's recent return to live performance was all a bit scary. The band recently performed a series of intimate club shows in California's bay area ahead of the release of '21st Century Breakdown'. Talking about the gigs, Armstrong told Rolling Stone: "We decided to just go and do it live in front of people. It was terrifying, especially when you're playing all brand new songs from start to finish. It's kind of like playing your first gig all over again. It's about making your own memories before someone makes them for you".

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GAGA WILL ALWAYS DRESS UP FOR THE FANS
Lady Gaga has said that she will never appear in mufti in front of the fans. Which may be nice for the fans, but means that everyone else has to stomach seeing her barely dressed. Anyway, she told The Independent that being seen dressed down in public is not the way to go: "That's a very dangerous precedent, and it's not fair to my fans", she said. "They don't want to see me that way, just like I don't want to see Bowie in a tracksuit. He never let anyone see him that way".

She continued: "The outlet for my work is not just the music and the videos, it's every breathing moment of my life. I'm always saying something about art and music and fame. That's why you don't ever catch me in sweatpants. I have found that my work has to be both deep and shallow. All of my songs have meaning, all of my clothing has iconography buried into it. But by the same token, it's just as special if you look at it in its shallowest form. A quick moment of melody, a beautiful dress. People think, 'GaGa's so sweet', or 'GaGa sucks'. The point is that it's memorable".

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