| CMU Daily - on the inside 13 Nov 2002 |
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In today's CMU Daily:
• Music censorship stepping up in Australia,
• Brown back in court,
• Jay Z back in school,
• NME’s 100 favourites,
• Review: Various - Jazz In The House 11: Selected By Phil Asher,
• Massive collaborators,
• Drowning Pool tributes through DVD,
• MU worry about pub music future,
• Appleton revelations tore Robbie apart,
• Bono launches competition to design a new studio,
• BBC Radio 7 – classic comedy causes delay,
• Review: X Is Loaded - Thirteen Days,
• Government relaxes radio regulations,
• Goodier goes classical,
• Another Neighbours star heads for the charts
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Which disco performer said “I hate disco music”?
Answer tomorrow
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MUSIC CENSORSHIP STEPPING UP IN AUSTRALIA
Australia may soon launch a new classification system which would stop people under 18 from buying some music. Australia’s music classification system is already a bit more sophisticated than it is here – they label any CDs containing strong language or themes such as sex, violence, drug use, murder or suicide with one of two levels of warning – level one for ‘moderate impact’ and level two for ‘strong impact’. However these classifications do not prevent anyone from buying the music. After discussions with government officials the Aussie industry organisation ARIA and retail association AMRA are planning a new ‘level 3’ – CDs classified at this level would not be sold to under 18s.
"We are talking about material that is quite extreme," ARIA chief executive officer Stephen Peach told reporters. "We think if there are CDs that are truly R-rated in content, then they shouldn't be sold to under 18 year olds. It's just simply applying community standards that apply already to film, television, videos and video games."
The new moves come after 100 odd complaints in the last year by parents and pressure groups regarding the material on some CDs available to children. One Queensland mother, who is referred to as just ‘Robin’ in the media, has been leading a campaign to get albums containing explicit material banned altogether! The ARIA and AMRA hope their own voluntary classification system will prevent the Australian Government from putting censorship laws in place.
Among the level 2 acts whose classification will be reconsidered once the new level is introduced are Marilyn Manson, Missy Elliott, Nick Cave, Oasis and Jennifer Lopez.
Despite coming from within the music industry some label managers are claiming banning teenagers from buying music will just encourage them to download it and burn it to CD.
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BROWN BACK IN COURT
Bobby Brown has been ordered to stand trial on those driving charges from 1996 – Brown failed to show up for trial when he was arrested for driving under the influence. But when he was pulled over for new driving offences last week police granted bail on the condition he returned to DeKalb County in Georgia to face the outstanding charges. Yesterday a judge there ordered Brown to return on 25 Nov to face stand trial.
Browns lawyer Xavier Dicks told reporters: "I'm confident that we'll resolve this case, possibly before the trial date.” If not the Brown could face up to a year in jail.
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JAY Z BACK IN SCHOOL
Jay Z is promoting the release of ‘The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse’ in the US by playing principal for the days at schools in twelve different cities. At each school the rapper will address the student body, take questions, and take part in other principal-type activities before performing for about 300 people at a small venue in the evening. Each school is selected via a competition run by local radio stations - the stations announce the winning school on the air on the morning of that city's tour date. The radio station then give away the 300 tickets to the intimate evening gigs. The new album, the follow-up to last year's ‘The Blueprint’, features collaborations with Beyonce Knowles, boasts guest appearances by Dr. Dre, Rakim, the Neptunes' Pharrell Williams, Truth Hurts, and Lenny Kravitz.
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NME’S 100 FAVOURITES
With the fiftieth anniversary of the singles chart taking place this week, today’s NME features the Top 100 singles of all time as voted for by NME journalists. They describe the list as being “the singles that have touched us deepest, the 100 singles of the last half-century that have indelibly marked our souls”. Readers can now voted for the 101st best single ever via NME.com.
The top ten looks like this:
1. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart'
2. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
3. The Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK
4. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
5. David Bowie - Heroes
6. The Stone Roses - Fools Gold
7. The Smiths - This Charming Man
8. Oasis - Live Forever
9. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
10. The Clash - London Calling
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REVIEW: Various - Jazz in the House 11: selected by Phil Asher (Slip ‘N’ Slide Records)
Londoner Phil Asher brings us the next installment off ‘Jazz in the House’ - and does so with some consideration and much panache. He kicks off with Octave One’s huge ‘Blackwater’ electro funk soul into DJ Fudge’s ‘Close To My People’ - which marries jazz and house to perfection (what a sax breakdown!). The silky vocals of Peven Everett surface over a 3/3 beat in the calypso variant of ‘I Can’t Believe I Loved Her’ then into some awe-inspiring fiddle laced political dub poetry with ‘Slavery Days’ by 3 Generations Walking. There’s the whole 15 minute version of ‘Star Suite’ by Mondo Grosso (a bit self indulgent of Asher here) which is followed by his mix of Su Paka Pooh’s ‘Theme de Yo-Yo’ - proper house music with those deep keys. There’s the Kenny Dope mix of saxophonist Nathan Haines’ ‘Believe’ complete with the spiralling vocals of Shelley Nelson (good stuff, though Asher’s own original mix was better) and it all ends on some disco flava with Blaze’s Breathe. An awesome sonic journey, this is easily one of the best compilations I have heard all year. PV
Release date: 25 Nov
Press contact: Kickin Music IH [all]
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MASSIVE COLLABORATORS
The new Massive Attack album, due for release next year, will feature a number of guest vocalists, including Sinead O' Connor, Horace Andy and Damon Albarn. Albarn, of course, is good friends with Massive Attacks 3D – they have been championing the anti-war campaign together. According to the NME Albarn has already recorded a part for an as-yet-untitled song that will feature on the record. There are also rumours of Blurand Massive Attack playing shows together next year, although no confirmation as yet.
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DROWNING POOL TRIBUTES THROUGH DVD
Rock band Drowning Pool will use a DVD released in the US next week to pay tribute to their singer Dave Williams, who died in early summer while on tour with Ozzfest. The DVD, called 'Sinema', features tributes from many of Williams friends and contemporaries including Pantera's Dimebag Darrell, Rob Zombie, Zakk Wylde, POD's Sonny Sandoval, Disturbed's David Draiman, and members of Adema, Ill Nino, Seether and Finger Eleven. Also included is footage of the band at home in Dallas, behind the scenes on tour and clips of 'Bodies', 'Sinner' and 'Tear Away.
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MU WORRY ABOUT PUB MUSIC FUTURE
The Musicians Union have warned that new licensing legislation – which will require pubs to have an entertainments licence in order to stage even the simplest live music – will threaten an important circuit of small live music venues. They predict many venues may be forced to abandon live music to avoid the trouble and expense of getting the licence.
“The music industry relies on small, local, informal music-making", MU Advisor Hamish Birchall told the BBC. There are very few pubs and bars hosting live bands and we think it should be normal to enjoy live music in local venues as part of everyday life. I don't think this will make it any better, I think it could make it worse."
Government officials insist that as part of the overhaul they will simplify the process of obtaining an entertainments licence, and remove the current fees structure making it cheap and easy to do. But musicians point out that some councils insist that pubs and bars with entertainment licences employ bouncers and install closed circuit television – many pubs won’t be able to afford to meet such conditions.
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APPLETON REVELATIONS TORE ROBBIE APART
Robbie Williams has told Radio 1 he was "torn apart" when former fiancee Nicole Appleton went public about her abortion. Talking to Sara Cox he said that although he gave the former All Saint permission to write about the abortion in her book that it was painful to see the story in print. Nicole wrote about her abortion in the book ‘Together’ which she wrote with sister Natalie, claiming she had been forced into the operation for the sake of her career by management.
"I spoke to her probably eight or nine months before the book came out and she said that she was gonna do it - and I was completely behind her,” Robbie said. "If there's something that's so deep-rooted within yourself that you feel it would feel better to you that you exorcised it and got it off your chest, because secrets can make you sick and secrets can make you feel terrible... then I'm completely behind her. It was really sad though, it was really sad, because she asked me about it and it was 'well, good on you'.”
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BONO LAUNCHES COMPETITION TO DESIGN A NEW STUDIO
Bono has launched a contest to design a 60m tower which he plans to build in Dublin’s docklands area which will include a penthouse studio at the top. The new Britain Quay site is around the corner from the building housing U2's present studio, which is being demolished as part of the redevelopment of the area.
Talking about the current Hanover Quay studio, which the band has used since 1980, Bono told reporters: "It's very hard to quantify or value what that studio that we have been working in for the last years means to us. There isn't really a price you can put on it and whatever the Dublin Docklands Authority offer us it's not going to be enough, I can tell you that." The band tried to save their current studio, but despite their protestations the Irish planning board upheld its original plans at a hearing and their compulsory purchase order was confirmed.
Gallant in defeat, on announcing the competition to design the new building Bono admitted that, although the new building was not the best thing for U2, it was the best thing for Dublin itself.
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BBC RADIO 7 – CLASSIC COMEDY CAUSES DELAY
The BBC has confirmed classic radio comedy, including The Goons, Hancock's Half Hour and Round the Horne, will feature on the last of its digital stations to be launched – BBC 7. But they admitted the decision to broadcast the classic shows had delayed the station’s launch as they worked to secure the rights to their own archive! The station, which will be launched on 7 Dec, will be a mish mash station of mainly talk (though not news) programming. There will be a large amount of childrens programming on the station, plus what BBC bosses call classic radio (ie repeats!).
The BBC now have five digital stations – BBC 7, black music based 1Xtra, eclectic music station 6Music, the Asian Network and the Five Live spin off sports service.
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REVIEW: X Is Loaded - Thirteen Days (Boss Music)
X Is Loaded are from Bath, Kerrang! loves them and, according to this release, their lead singer is "enigmatic and criminally razor-sharp of cheekbone". Yes, I had to read that twice as well. They don't sound like what you’d expect from a band called X Is Loaded. They're a lot softer and bluesier than I was anticipating, with quite a retro sound, like a polished version of what indie sounded like after baggy. Which isn't as bad as it could be. Ultimately, though, this is a bit of a plodder, invoking visions of half-empty pub venues. They'll get better, possibly very much so.
Release date: 2 Dec
Press contact: Impressive [all]
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GOVERNMENT RELAXES RADIO REGULATIONS
The government has agreed to adjust the rules governing commercial radio ownership in its forthcoming communications bill. It will remove the rule that says there must be at least three separate commercial radio groups broadcasting in any one area (meaning Capital, GWR, EMAP and Chrysalis can own more stations in each city around the country). When the bill hits parliament it will now insist on only two commercial players operating in each area.
The move follows a proactive campaign from the Commercial Radio Companies Association. They argued the rules were unnecessarily tough and that it would prevent major radio groups from operating all of their different ‘brands’ (pop, gold, alternative etc) in anyone area.
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GOODIER GOES CLASSICAL
DJ Mark Goodier, who leaves Radio 1’s chart countdown show this month, has been signed up to present for Classic FM. The former Evening Session presenter who has fronted the Radio 1 chart show for years will host a classical countdown show for the station.
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ANOTHER NEIGHBOURS STAR HEADS FOR THE CHARTS
Yes – another one. Delta Goodrem who plays Nina Tucker in Neighbours is the latest Aussie soap star to get a single released in the UK. Delta signed with Sony Music three years ago and has released a number of records in her home country – she now hopes to follow Kylie, Holly, Natalie et al into the UK charts.
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Answer to Monday's pop quiz:
Who said of whom: “I still love him as a songwriter, but as a person I think he’s a fucking nipple .. and if you’re watching, NIPPLE!”?
Liam Gallagher on George Harrison after he said Oasis were rubbish!