NME announces revamp, will carry indie record store chart
IPC Media yesterday announced a revamp of its music weekly NME, with the first redesigned edition of the magazine - complete with a David Bowie on its cover - due to hit the newsstands tomorrow.

Although it's only three years since the last big NME overhaul, these are the first major changes to occur under current editor Mike Williams, who took over the job in June 2012. And the changes, says an IPC statement, involve "a complete reworking of the magazine's content and a refocusing of the key areas online, including the introduction of a number of new franchises and enhancing the most popular sections of the magazine and website".

Which, in more practical terms, means a reworked logo, matt paper for the cover, more tablet-friendly print dimensions, more pages for the new-band-championing Radar section with new columns by Dave Sitek and Huw Stephens, more reviews and recommendations, new 'franchises' called Soundtrack Of My Life, Anatomy Of An Album and Lost Albums, and a section called From The Vault that will raid the music mag's archives. Oh, and the NME Guide with gig, telly and radio listings. Good times.

The NME print magazine, of course, has seen its circulation slump in recent years, and previous attempts to reinvigorate the title have mainly failed. Indeed, if the 2010 revamp is anything to go by, the more music industry types welcome and acclaim the overhaul, the more readers the mag is likely to lose.

And it looks likely that music industry types will very much welcome this latest revamp. But, of course, in terms of reach and influence, NME.com is now the more important product utilising the legendary music media brand; indeed, online NME enjoys an audience way above anything it ever achieved even at the peak of the print magazine. So it will be most interesting to see how this week's changes impact on the online side of the operation.

Commenting on the revamp, the aforementioned Williams told CMU: "It's vitally important that NME continues to push things forward and innovate, and this redesign does exactly that, creating a more dynamic, modern magazine that is heavy on content and depth of delivery whilst refreshing the look and feel of NME.com to ensure a superior user experience".

He added: "The key values of all NME content is that it must be informative, timely, credible, inclusive and above all else, essential. When brought together, these factors ensure that NME is and remains the most definitive music brand in the world. NME is the past, present and future of music and this redesign reasserts that within every new development".

Meanwhile from the corporate side, IPC Media's Tracy Cheesman said: "October and the coming months will mark the next exciting chapter in NME's brand evolution as we unveil a series of developments to the magazine, NME.com and a number of new strategic partnerships. On NME, we continually strive to make the brand, its platforms and its services more innovative, engaging and usable than ever before and these developments will firmly re-assert NME as the most definitive brand in music".

She went on: "NME talks to a global audience of over 3.4 million passionate music fans every week and it's our mission to super-serve this audience, allowing them to access NME wherever they are. The development team has done an incredible job of re-working the magazine from top to toe and with the new, dynamic aesthetic, come a raft of new opportunities for our advertisers and partners".

One other innovation in the revamped NME will be the inclusion of the Record Store Chart, the Official Charts Company-compiled music countdown based exclusively on sales at independent record shops, launched last year. Perhaps to remind people that the UK music charts began as an NME feature way back in the day, the music weekly will now include the indie retailer chart, as will Music Week.

Welcoming that particular editorial innovation, Paul Quirk of the Entertainment Retailers' Association told CMU: "It's really good that NME are supporting independent record stores by publishing the Official Record Store Chart. Independent record stores have seen good growth this year, with vinyl sales up over 100% and many stores reporting year on year sales increases".

Morrissey comes out in support of This Charming Charlie
Morrissey has distanced himself from takedown notices issued against the designer who paired his lyrics to Peanuts cartoons, saying he was "delighted and flattered" by Lauren Loprete's acclaimed Tumblr blog This Charming Charlie.

As previously reported, Loprete revealed that takedown notices had been issued against her site last month, with the copyright notices seemingly coming from Universal Music Publishing. Being based in the US, Loprete could argue that the reworked cartoons are protected from copyright claims under American fair use rules, and indeed that is the very argument a lawyer representing the designer has now presented.

Meanwhile Morrissey says the takedowns are nothing to do with him, noting he is represented by Warner-Chappell for song publishing; Universal is Johnny Marr's publisher and represents that side of the Smiths catalogue.

Says the singer's fan-site-come-spokesman True To You: "Morrissey would like to stress that he has not been consulted over any takedown request to remove the Tumblr blog named This Charming Charlie. Morrissey is represented by Warner-Chappell Publishing, and not Universal Music Publishing (who have allegedly demanded that the lyrics be removed). Morrissey is delighted and flattered by the Peanuts comic strip with its use of Morrissey-Smiths lyrics, and he hopes that the strips remain".

Cheryl Cole fires Will.i.am, hires Modest!
Cheryl Cole has hired Modest! Management, in so doing seemingly confirming that Will.i.am is no longer assisting with the management of her career. What a loss. The Sun claims the on/off Girl Aloud signed to Modest! last week, joining the likes of Little Mix and One Direction on the company's books of course.

The 'goss' is that Cole is now working on a third solo LP with, amongst others, one-time bandmate Nicola Roberts, this despite things she said earlier this year along the lines of not having "any plans" to release anything new.

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Jermaine Dupri to help manage Mariah Carey
While Cheryl Cole is axing the celebrity member of her management team, Mariah Carey is bringing one in, with the news that Jermaine Dupri will help advise the singer moving forward. The two are former studio collaborators and long-time friends.

Confirming Dupri would now be part of her management team, Carey told reporters: "We have a bond that surpasses music. I am super excited about our merger because we have so many innovative ideas that I know will come to fruition".

Meanwhile celeb producer and So So Def chief Dupri said: "A multi-talented artist of Mariah's calibre should be doing everything imaginable. I'm sure others have said this but not the way I intend to do it. For me, it's about the execution".

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The Pretty Reckless sign to Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl has confirmed the latest in a spate of new acquisitions to its artist cache, signing former 'Gossip Girl' star Taylor Momsen's NYC-based band, The Pretty Reckless, in a near-international (ie everywhere except North America) deal. The label confirms it'll release the band's new LP, their fourth, in 2014.

Talking on that, Taylor says: "This is not a new chapter in the life of the band; it's a new book. The band has matured and our sound has evolved dramatically. The record took almost a year to make. It's gratifying knowing it's nearing completion. I'm very excited to get new music out for our fans very soon".

She adds: "It feels awesome to partner with a label that truly understands rock music and we are looking forward to a great run".

Taken off that forthcoming LP, this is new TPR track 'Going To Hell'.

Merlin appoint new US advisor
Merlin, the global digital rights agency representing a big chunk of the indie label sector, has hired the services of Roger Gold, formerly with Warner Music, to advise on commercial and licensing activities Stateside. Gold, who at Warner was very involved in the major's indie label partnerships, will provide expertise to the digital rights body in addition to pursuing other music business ventures.

Confirming the hire, Merlin boss Charles Caldas told CMU: "For Merlin this is a really significant appointment. As an executive, deal-maker and entrepreneur, Roger combines an extensive knowledge of the US market with a successful track record working with independent labels. With so much of our activity focused on the emergence of new US-based platforms, Roger's experience will be a hugely valuable asset for Merlin and its members".

Gold himself added: "I am honoured by this opportunity to work with Charles and [Merlin Head Of Business Affairs] Charlie [Lexton] to help support Merlin and its independent label membership. Historically, independent labels have represented the best examples of entrepreneurialism and have been the greatest early champions of musical artistry. This has never been more true than today and one need only look at the charts to see that this is the era of the independents".

NARM rebrands as Music Business Association
The US music retail sector's trade body, the National Association Of Recording Merchandisers, yesterday announced a rebrand that will also see the organisation further expand its remit representing those involved in the creation and sale of music-based products and services. Moving forward the body will be known as the Music Business Association. Which may or may not please those other American trade bodies that already represent other strands of the music industry.

Confirming the name change, the organisation's President Jim Donio told reporters: "The music industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. More segments of the business than ever before now play an active role in the commerce side of the business, so the name 'National Association Of Recording Merchandisers' no longer reflected everyone who can participate in the organisation... for the first time in the organisation's history, the 'M' stands for music".

New chief for AEG Europe
Live giant AEG yesterday announced that Thomas Miserendino will become CEO of its European division. Previously EVP and COO of the AEG Live tours business, in his new London-based role Miserendino will oversee the firm's venues, touring and ticketing companies and other ventures across the European market.

He will report into overall AEG COO Jay Marciano who told reporters: "At a time when AEG's global expansion and revenue generation continue to exceed projections, the growth of AEG Europe is a critical component of our business strategy. Tom's incredible knowledge of both the facilities and live music and entertainment industries combined with his experience and tremendous success these past eleven years as COO of AEG Live makes him the ideal individual to guide AEG Europe for years to come".

Marciano himself added: "I am extremely proud of the role I have played and the contributions I have made in helping to develop AEG Live over the last eleven years. I am looking forward to the new challenge of continuing to build on the formidable base created by Jay and his well respected team in Europe".

iTunes Radio global expansion should be underway by early 2014
Apple plans to expand its much hyped iTunes Radio streaming service beyond the US by early 2014, according to Bloomberg. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK are the markets at the top of the iTunes Radio agenda, according to insiders, while the Nordic region of Europe is also likely to get the new Apple service early next year.

Apple can expand its iTunes streaming platform globally faster than chief US rival Pandora because it has direct deals with the major labels, whereas Pandora relies in the States on the statutory licence provided by US copyright law, which isn't available in most other territories. Though, with Apple keen to minimise its costs as it roles out iTunes Radio, the tech firm will need to ensure brand partnerships are in place in each new market it targets.

As it arrives in Europe, it will be interesting to see how the Apple service impacts on Spotify et al, with most of the leading streaming services over here operating the fully on-demand model, rather than the interactive radio approach that dominates in the US market.

Speakers announced for MusicTank funding conference
The first speakers have been announced for the previously reported MusicTank event 'Easy Money? The Convention', which spins off from the organisation's recently published report on funding routes available to artists and music businesses.

And the author of that report, Remi Harris, will be interviewed as part of the proceedings by BBC presenter Tom Robinson, while Kickstarter's Director Of Marketing And Outreach Kendel Ratley will present a case study; the PRS For Music Foundation's Sarah Thirtle will discuss the much previously reported Momentum Music Fund; and BPI Public Affairs man Ian Moss will present on the Music Export Growth Scheme.

Commenting on the convention, Harris told CMU: "I'm very proud to take part in an event that will expand upon the areas I explored in the 'Easy Money?' funding guide. The goal of the guide and the convention is simple: to help people at the 'business end' of the business get expert advice on financing music projects. MusicTank have put together a really strong event that will focus on the practical nitty-gritty of raising, spending and accounting for money. It promises to be an incredibly valuable day".

The convention takes place in London on 22 Oct, for more information on what's planned check www.musictank.co.uk/events/finance-convention-2013

Madonna reveals rape ordeal
Madonna has revealed in a recent essay that she was threatened with a knife, and later raped, when she was 20.

Writing candidly (via Harper's Bazaar) on her experience of moving to New York when she was younger, she says: "It wasn't everything I thought it would be. It did not welcome me with open arms. The first year, I was held up at gunpoint. Raped on the roof of a building I was dragged up to with a knife in my back, and had my apartment broken into three times. I don't know why; I had nothing of value after they took my radio the first time. I was defiant. Hell-bent on surviving. On making it. But it was hard and it was lonely, and I had to dare myself every day to keep going".

She adds: "Sometimes I would play the victim and cry in my shoe box of a bedroom with a window that faced a wall, watching the pigeons shit on my windowsill. And I wondered if it was all worth it, but then I would pull myself together and look at a postcard of Frida Kahlo taped to my wall, and the sight of her mustache consoled me. Because she was an artist who didn't care what people thought. I admired her. She was daring. People gave her a hard time. Life gave her a hard time. If she could do it, then so could I".

Read the piece, which also raises highly topical talking points on what it is to be "daring and provocative" as a pop artist, in its entirety here.

Perfume prepare to release UK debut album
Already Japan's biggest girl group, techno-influenced trio Perfume are now spreading their wings further with their fourth album, 'Level 3', which will be their first to receive a full release outside of Asia. This follows their first European live shows in France, Germany and the UK earlier this year.

As well as being their first international release it's also their first to feature a song sung entirely in English, the single 'Spending All My Time'. Asked what it was like recording this, after being presented the track by longtime songwriter and producer Yasutaka Nakata, the group's Nocchi told CMU: "It was unexpected and I was surprised. We generally prefer to sing in Japanese, so when ['Spending All My Time'] was first presented to us, it was difficult at first. But when we played abroad, everyone sang along with that song, and seeing that made me feel so glad that we recorded this track!"

On performing in Europe for the first time, and if we could expect more J-pop acts to make the journey, bandmate A-Chan added: "I don't know if more J-pop acts will go to Europe in the future but it makes us happy that a lot of Japanese artists are going abroad to promote Japan. We're just simply happy that we got to go play at the home of techno music and we hope that there will be more demand for us in Europe".

'Level 3' is due for release in the UK on 28 Oct through Wrasse Records.

Read CMU's interview with Perfume in full here.

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Ellie Goulding releasing Children In Need single
M&S PR girl Ellie Goulding will release this year's official Children In Need single, her take on The Waterboys' 'How Long Will I Love You'. The track, which already features on Goulding's 'Halcyon Days', the repackaged version of her second album, will be available to buy on 10 Nov, with a minimum of 20p going to charity (obvs) for each copy sold/downloaded. The BBC's Children In Need Appeal show, meanwhile, airs on 15 Nov.

Says Ellie: "I've grown up watching BBC Children in Need so it's fantastic that I'm doing this year's single! It is an emotional song, but in a really positive way, and I've been completely blown away with the positive reaction it's had already".

And this is her singing the song in question:

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Release round-up: Tim Hecker, Cass McCombs and Peggy Sue LP previews, Destroyer EP details and a new Bieber track
Experimental Canadian artist Tim Hecker has given his part-CMU-approved new LP, 'Virgins', to NPR to preview a week early. Hecker's first record to include live musicians, it was made and mixed with composer Valgeir Sigur_sson, a past collaborator of Sigur Rós and Björk. Get cleansed in the NPR stream here.

Cass 'copycat' McCombs is also anxious that his fans sample his double LP, 'Big Wheel And Others', in advance, and so has granted the Guardian a full playback prior to it coming out on Monday. McCombs' label Domino characterises it as: "In equal parts bucolically gorgeous and thrillingly roughshod, mischievously obtuse and devastatingly direct, painfully personal and cosmically universal", so whilst you puzzle that one out, why not listen to the album at this URL?

And there ends today's 'streaming news' segment. Next is Justin Bieber, and his lamentable new single 'Heartbreaker'. Released yesterday by means of JB's new 'Music Mondays' initiative, via which he'll reveal new material every week for the next ten weeks, it's up on iTunes now. Whimpers Biebs: "It's a song for people going through a heartbreak - like I was when I wrote it. It means so much to me to be able to share what I was, and still am going through, with my fans. I'm very proud of this song and I hope it give my fans some insight into my heart".

Gaze into Justin's full-sized aortic pump via YouTube.

And another thing. Destroyer, aka Dan Bejar, has made a new EP titled 'Five Spanish Songs'. As partially explained by its title, it consists of five tracks, all in Spanish, written by Spanish artist Antonio Luque of Spain-based band Sr Chinarro. Of his admiration for Luque, Bejar says: "I've been a decades-long fan of how he conducted his affairs, his strange words, his melodies that have always felt so natural (this is important), his bitter songs about painting the light. Something about them, I knew I could do it".

Hear EP fifth 'El Riot' here.

In conclusion, 'post folk' trio Peggy Sue have given notice on a new LP, named 'Choir Of Echoes', they're releasing on 27 Jan 2014, trailing it with a track titled 'Idle' that's listenable at this link. This is what the band have to say on the various things that inspired it: "Idle is about being unemployed and incurably thoughtful. The opening and closing parts are a kind of troubled gospel song - a prayer for purpose in the knowledge that the purpose will probably not be a 'good' one. It's about impatience and distractions and thinking about things too much. And of course it's about a boy".

The Wanted to headline 2014 arena dates
The Wanted want to go on a world tour in support of their new LP 'Word Of Mouth', and nothing, not nothing, will sway them. Starting on 14 Mar 2014 at the Liverpool Echo Arena, the run will include thirteen UK dates. Stay tuned for a super-dry tour-quote from Max George, followed by full listings of the UK shows.

"We can't wait to get back on the road, for what is our biggest tour so far. One of the best things about being in a band is performing live in front of the fans, and to do that across the world has always been our dream. Every night is going to be one long party".

14 Mar: Liverpool Echo Arena
15 Mar: Aberdeen, GE Arena
16 Mar: Glasgow, SSE Hydro
18 Mar: Manchester, Phones 4U Arena
20 Mar: Birmginham, LG Arena
22 Mar: Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena
25 Mar: Belfast, Odyssey Arena
27 Mar: London, The O2
28 Mar: Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
29 Mar: Brighton, The Brighton Centre
31 Mar: Bournemouth, BIC
1 Apr: Nottingham, Capital FM Arena

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Sweet Baboo, Mariam The Believer, Wave Pictures to play Moshi Moshi parties
London-based label Moshi Moshi, which turns fifteen this year, is hosting four showcase nights at Dalston's Servant Jazz Quarters later this month to celebrate. Headlined by Moshi Moshi affiliates Sweet Baboo, Teleman, Fimber Bravo and Wave Pictures, and featuring Mariam The Believer, Anna Meredith, Boxed In and Totem, the shows will take place between 28-31 Oct. Get tickets here.

Moshi Moshi co-boss Michael Mcclatchey bills it like this: "For our tenth birthday we threw a party for 2000 people and asked Hot Chip, Florence And The Machine and a bunch of other great Moshi bands to play. Afterwards we said 'That was fun. Let's never try that again'. So having made it to another milestone we wanted to do something a little more intimate - the kind of event we would love to go to ourselves. Something more suited to a fifteen year old (I reckon fifteen in label years is probably about 35 in human years). If we make it to 21 we'll do something else, which involves sitting down".

Buy tickets to any or all of the shows at this link.

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Woodkid adds London show
Friend-of-Lana-Del Rey, Woodkid, real name Yoann Lemoine, has set a single British live date, which falls in the middle of a wider European trip, at London's Brixton Academy.

Taking place on 13 Nov, it'll find Lemoine collaborating with the BBC Concert Orchestra to play tracks from his first and only LP, 'The Golden Age'. Tickets are on sale online now.

And finally, hear one of those tracks, 'I Love You' via the 'Tube.

Liam Payne driven insane as pants thief restrained
You might question whether this constitutes 'news story' even for the And Finally section, but can I just point out that The Sun put this on its front page today? So, yes, 1D boy Liam Payne took to Twitter yesterday to report that some fans had stolen a pair of his pants from the balcony of the Australian hotel room where he is currently staying.

It seems some excitable One Direction fans snuck onto the boy band star's balcony while he slept a few metres away and nabbed a pair of his boxer shorts, which had been left there by hotel staff to dry (he having been in the sea in them apparently). One of the sneaky fans then wore the shorts under her skirt before being told to return them by security guards working for the group. She complied with the order and a full-blown pants stand-off was averted. Phew.

Payne tweeted thus: "Strangest way I've ever been woken up, when you're in bed butt naked and someone is trying to force open your balcony. This is gonna be a strange day".

Then: "Hmmm somebody stole my boxers I'm so embarrassed".

And: "So how this happened... I went in the sea in those, hotel staff put them outside to dry, sumone climbed on and stole them".

And finally with good humour (if not good grammar): "#breakIntoSomeonesHouseAndStealThereUnderwearDay right I'm off to Scarlett Johansson's house".

While pants-gate has caused some amusement in Team 1D, insiders say bosses have asked how the hell the fans were able to get onto Payne's balcony in the first place. Though to be fair to the boy band's security team, they did try surrounding the boys with a wall of snakes but, as Liam himself will testify, that just won't stop those pants loving 1D fans.