Other notable announcements and developments today…
• Universal’s Decca Records and Vertigo Records have jointly signed Australian band The Teskey Brothers. “The Teskey Brothers are a proper band”, says Decca A&R Manager Danny Roberts, a bit like your tedious uncle at Christmas. The band will release their debut album, ‘Half Mile Harvest’, later this year.
• Reservoir has signed rapper and songwriter Destin Route, who performs as JID, to a worldwide publishing deal. “I’m happy to be a part of the Reservoir family and thankful for their belief in me and my team to give us this opportunity”, says Route.
• Amazon Music Unlimited has launched in Canada, following the introduction of the firm’s Prime Music set-up there last year. “We’re THRILLED for our Canadian customers to start streaming with Unlimited”, says Amazon Music’s Sean McMullan.
• PRS Foundation has announced the latest winners of the Lynsey De Paul Prize. Soul singer-songwriter Amahla receives the top £2500 development bursary. “I am incredibly excited and grateful to be awarded the Lynsey De Paul Prize”, she says. “With this award I can start shooting music videos to accompany the release of my debut EP in February and start the recording of my second project”. Five runners up – Bianca Gerald, Dani Sylvia, Fiona Lee, Rebekah Fitch and Harpy – will all receive £1200.
• To mark the release of their new album, ‘VI’, on 5 Oct, You Me At Six will be opening a pop-up vegan kebab shop in East London. ‘You Me At Shish’ will open at the Temple Goods Café in Hackney Downs Studios at 6pm on 5 Oct.
• Olly Murs is releasing a new single, called ‘Moves’, tomorrow. It features Snoop Dogg. “Snoop was just perfect for the song”, says Murs. “There’s no one else that has that much character in his raps. He’s such an original”. Here’s a clip.
• William Shatner is recording a Christmas album called ‘Shatner Claus’. Really. It features guests including Iggy Pop, Todd Rundgren, Rick Wakeman, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibson and more. Featuring Henry Rollins, here’s ‘Jingle Bells’. Why is this happening?
• Brockhampton have released the video for ‘San Marocs’, from new album ‘Iridesence’.
• MGMT will release an album of remixes of tracks from their latest LP ‘Little Dark Age’ tomorrow. From it, here’s Matthew Dear’s take on ‘One Thing Left To Try’.
• Soft Cell have released the video for ‘Northern Lights’, their first new song for fifteen years. New compilation, ‘The Singles – Keychains & Snowstorms’, is out tomorrow.
• Matt Corby has released the video for new single ‘No Ordinary Life’. His new album, ‘Rainbow Valley’, is out on 2 Nov. He’ll also tour the UK in January, finishing with an already sold out show at The Forum in London on 29 Jan.
• Holychild have released the video for new single ‘Hundred Thousand Hearts’. “The video is about love and art and the endless cycle of inspiration between the two”, says the duo’s Liz Nistico. “My art is so inspired by love. Is my love inspired by the unrealistic romantic images portrayed in art? In the end does it matter? Tune in to find out!”
• Methyl Ethel have released new single ‘Scream Whole’. The band’s Jake Webb describes the song thus: “That cold sweat. That swollen throat. That sick feeling bubbling up from your guts. When midday movies dredge suppressed memories that scream for closure. What to do?”
• Darwin Deez has released the video for ‘Say It First’, taken from new album ‘Ten Songs That Happened When You Left Me With My Stupid Heart’. He’ll be touring the UK not this month, not after Christmas, but next fucking month (October).
• Ah! Kosmos has released new track ‘June’. Her new album, ‘Beautiful Swamp’, is out on 5 Oct.
• Rina Mushonga has released the video for new single, ‘4rtrs’.
• Shy FX will play a four week residency at Omeara in London in November. Guests will include Andy C, David Rodigan, Octavian, Big Daddy Kane, D Double E, Mike Skinner, Idris Elba and Ghetts.
• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.