Monday 20 December 2010, 12:57 | By CMU Editorial

Mute boss to be honoured at producer awards

Awards

Mute founder and boss man Daniel Miller will receive the Outstanding Contribution To UK Music Award at the Music Producers Guild Awards next year, it has been announced. Mute, of course, recently became an independent music company again after a period in which its record company was a division of EMI.

Confirming the winner of next year’s Outstanding Contribution prize, MPG chief Steve Levine told CMU: “The Outstanding Contribution Award acknowledges those who have made a significant contribution over a long period of time to the success of the UK music recording industry. This may be a producer or engineer, but it can equally be a manager, an A&R person or even a great artist”.

He continued: “We have chosen Daniel as our 2011 recipient because he has long been a supporter of independent creative talent as well as a frequent early adopter of new studio technology. His work has helped develop the careers of recording artists who might otherwise have been overlooked. People who really make a difference for the better are fairly rare in the music industry. Daniel’s example is even more relevant in these difficult times for the business and therefore his contribution to the industry is live and real”.

Shortlists have also been announced for the other categories at next year’s MPG Awards, which will take place at the Floridita on Wardour Street, London on 9 Feb. And the nominations are as follows:

Producer Of The Year: Markus Dravs, Ethan Johns, John Leckie, Mike Pela

Recording Engineer Of The Year: Phil Brown, Matt Lawrence, Tony Platt

Mix Engineer Of The Year: Mark Rankin, Mark ‘Spike’ Stent, Cenzo Townsend

Mastering Engineer Of The Year: John Davis, Ray Staff, Tim Young

Live Album/DVD Of The Year: Electric Proms, iTunes Sessions, The Who Live From Hull

UK Single Of The Year 2010: Biffy Clyro – God And Satan, Mumford & Sons – The Cave, Paloma Faith – Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?, Plan B – She Said

Re-Mixer Of The Year: Freemasons, Simon Gogerly, James Rutledge

The Joe Meek Award For Innovation In Production: Bjork, Trevor Horn, Tony Visconti

Breakthrough Producer Of The Year: Eliot James, Labrinth, Starsmith

Breakthrough Engineer Of The Year: Jake Jackson, Stevan Krakovic, Andy Savours

Best Studio: AIR Studios, Livingston Studios, Metropolis, Strongroom

International Producer Of The Year: T-Bone Burnett, Daniel Lanois, Stuart Price

X-Factor winner tops Christmas chart

Artist News

So, as pretty much expected really, the ‘X-Factor’ franchise regained the Christmas number one trophy last night, for all it’s worth, which isn’t much really, but still, well done them.

Yes, this year’s ‘X’ man Bob Curdle topped the Christmas chart yesterday with his only slightly awful cover version of Biffy Clyro’s ‘Many Of Horror’. The single, retitled ‘When We Collide’, sold 439,000 units last week, over ten thousand less than last year’s lap of honour single from Joe McElderry, but enough to comfortably assure Curdle the top spot in this week’s chart. It was also one of the biggest selling singles of the year in terms of number of units shifted in one week, not all that far behind that other terrible Cowell-instigated cover version, the ‘Everybody Hurts’ cover in aid of the Haiti earthquake fund.

Curdle told reporters: “I can’t believe it, as if winning wasn’t enough. I honestly didn’t think I’d even make it on to the live shows, let alone win and now be the Christmas number one. I can’t even begin to describe how if feels. It’s nuts, crackers and crazy. To think that many people have supported me and bought the record is absolutely mind blowing. Thank you so much to everyone. I’m going to have one or two beers to celebrate!”

The second place single, the recent Rihanna and Drake collaboration, also zooming up the charts on the back of recent ‘X-Factor’ exposure, was along way behind Curdle, selling 104,000 units last week. The eighth best selling single was also there because of the ‘X-Factor’, in a distorted sort of way, with Biffy Clyro fans taking to the internet to buy the original version of the song Curdle covered.

In terms of the anti-X Facebook-based rallying calls for alternative chart domination, it was the Family Guy inspired ‘Surfin Bird’ campaign that scored the highest chart position.

Although a long way off the sales created by a similar Facebook campaign in favour of Rage Against The Machine this time last year (over 500,000 copies of ‘Killing In The Name’ were sold in Christmas chart week in 2009), the old Trashmen record that featured in a 2008 episode of ‘Family Guy’ shifted a not at all insignificant 70,000 units, putting it at number three in the overall chart.

Although getting a lot less press coverage than the Cage Against The Machine project (though I think Radio 1’s Scott Mills was supporting it), the ‘Surfin Bird’ campaign took off on Facebook much earlier, and actually had multiple Facebook pages in its favour, the main one of which had over 630,000 supporters by last week. It quickly took third place in early week charts as the race began last weekend.

The charitable Cage Against The Machine venture, a more avante-garde affair and, in our minds, the more artistically interesting of this year’s anti-X campaigns, ended up at number 21 in the final chart, selling nearly 16,000 units in aid of five charities, including the British Tinnitus Association and CALM. The re-recording of John Cage’s silent work ‘4’33″‘ remains a great project though, and the accompanying remixes (different producers recording 273 seconds of the noise that surrounds them), are great pieces of musical work that you can still download in aid of those great charities.

There were other Facebook campaigns for the Christmas chart, of course, none of which dented the Top 40, but some of which appeared lower down in the chart countdown. One, which we only came across for the first time last week, clearly took the sweary nature of last year’s successful anti-X campaign as its inspiration. The song by comedy music outfit Kunt & The Gang sports the title, ‘Use My Arsehole As A Cunt’. With this track only coming to wider attention on its arrival at number 66 in the chart last night, there are now moves on Facebook to send it higher for the New Year chart next Sunday.

Commenting on their number three chart position, a spokesman for the ‘Surfin Bird’ campaign told CMU: “We’re actually pretty pleased to have nabbed the Christmas number three and were top of the Facebook campaigns this year. We were totally inspired by last year’s Rage campaign and wanted to give it a go. We did it for a bit of fun and it certainly was that! So a big thank you to those who got involved and bought it. It’s now in the Christmas chart stats, which is pretty cool. For the New Year number one we’re supporting this week’s number 66, Kunt & The Gang, to try and chart it into the top 40. Bird!”

Meanwhile, looking back on the busiest week of the Cage Against The Machine project, Xfm DJ and CMU columnist Eddy Temple-Morris who, of course, joined with this particular Facebook venture in October and orchestrated the new recording of ‘4’33″‘, told us: “On the surface of it, number 21 is not good enough for a charitable initiative, and it reflects the apathy of the general public towards less cuddly causes, pitifully neglected organisations like the tinnitus and depression charities we were supporting. But, that said, it was never really about the chart position for us, it was about awareness – of the project and the charities we were supporting – and raising funds for those organisations”.

He continued: “We were talked about by every newspaper, from the Telegraph to The Sport, on every radio station, TV channel, music website or blog. Ian Hislop and Alexander Armstrong even mentioned it on ‘Have I Got News For You’. Rage Against The Machine tweeted about us and The Prodigy made a statement in support. From New York to LA, Rome to Amsterdam, people were communicating about it, discussing, thinking about something important… what we did here was immensely powerful. Silence never caused so much noise. Now we have to keep going. Keep spreading the word, keep downloading the tune, keep talking, keep communicating; as CALM say, ‘being silent is not being strong”.

Chart stats, as always, come courtesy of the Official Charts Company.

Paramore lose guitarist and drummer

Artist News

Paramore confirmed this weekend that two of the band’s founder members, brothers Josh and Zac Farro (guitars and drums respectively), have quit, having revealed their intent to leave the outfit to their bandmates two months ago.

A statement on the Paramore website said: “Over the past six years, our band has been through some of the most intense and incredible experiences of our lives. None of these things have been without trial. A couple of months ago, Josh and Zac let us know they would be leaving the band after our show in Orlando last Sunday. None of us were really shocked. For the last year it hasn’t seemed as if they wanted to be around anymore”.

It continued: “We want Josh and Zac to do something that makes them happy and if that isn’t here with us, then we support them finding happiness elsewhere. But we never for a second thought about leaving any of this behind. We have some amazing things lined up for next year starting with our tour in South America. We are still coming to you and we are excited about who we are bringing with us! The tour is still on and we can’t wait to see you all”.

For the time being at least, the Farros will not be replaced and Paramore will continue as a three piece.

One more delay for Spiderman musical

Artist News

Producers of the Bono-and-The-Edge-scored musical ‘Spiderman Turn Off The Dark’ have confirmed that they are again postponing the official launch of their rather ambitious and very expensive Broadway stage show.

As previously reported, the Spiderman musical has been hindered by all sorts of problems and delays, and those problems have continued even though the show is now previewing to the public at New York’s Foxwoods Theatre. The original (well, most recent) plan was for the show to formally open on 11 Jan, but it was confirmed last week that the production will now stay in ‘preview’ until 7 Feb.

Co-producer Michael Cohl told reporters: “The creative team is implementing truly exciting changes throughout the preview process. Due to some unforeseeable setbacks, most notably the injury of a principal cast member, it has become clear that we need to give the team more time to fully execute their vision. ‘Spiderman Turn Off The Dark’ is an extremely ambitious undertaking, as everyone knows, and I have no intention of cutting a single corner in getting to the finish line”.

Fujiya & Miyagi do album, tour, video

Gigs & Festivals

Brighton-based electro types Fujiya & Miyagi have a new album coming out on Full Time Hobby next month called ‘Ventriloquizzing’, on which frontman David Best says this: “It’s quite an accusatory record, but you never know why, or what the target of the accusation has done. I think there’s an underlying anger, or perhaps just annoyance, at institutions and people in general, and probably ourselves too”.

But it’s not really the 17 Jan album release that this little bit of CMU reportage exists to communicate. No, a March tour has just been announced as well. Oh, and there’s a new video trailer for the album just been posted on YouTube. Here are your details:

2 Mar: Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
3 Mar: Salford, Islington Mill
4 Mar: Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
5 Mar: Bristol, The Fleece
8 Mar: London, Heaven

The video is here.

Burst to sell ads for Sony UK

Brands & Merch

Web advertising agency Burst Media has announced it has become the exclusive ad sales house for Sony Music UK. It will now sell advertising on the Sony record company’s UK websites.

Burst MD Ian Woolley told CMU: “Sony Music UK is an excellent complement to other sites within the Burst publisher group and further enhances our ability to reach influential audiences. By offering top music content, Sony Music UK has gained a substantial and dedicated fan base. We are very proud to be exclusively representing its display advertising inventory”.

Sony’s digital VP Samantha Sawyer added: “This is the perfect marriage of two brands that have expertise reaching engaged audiences. No other entertainment, interest or lifestyle pursuit can evoke as wide a range of emotions as music. We understand this and look forward to working with Burst to deliver this insight to advertising partners”.

Syco CEO steps down

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers Media

The CEO of Simon Cowell’s JV with Sony Music, Syco Entertainment, has stepped down less than a year after joining the music and media company. Ellis Watson was brought in to the business in March following the restructure of Syco that followed Simon Cowell renegotiating his deal with Sony Music back in January.

Although Watson oversaw the whole Syco empire in his CEO role, he was brought in mainly to oversee the expansion of the firm’s TV operations, in particular the launch of the ‘X-Factor’ brand outside the UK. As well as a background in newspaper management, Watson had spent three years as MD of TV producers Celador and had overseen the expansion of the ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ franchise.

But, strangely, nine months on, it is that global expansion of the Syco business being given as a reason for Watson’s departure. The Scottish executive says his role requires too much time in the US away from his family back in Scotland. He told reporters: “We’ve achieved an amazing amount in a short time, and Syco is more than ready to take on America. I’m gutted that I can’t reconcile my family needs in Scotland with the demands of being in the US – Rodeo Drive isn’t quite ready for my Highland cattle. I’m proud of the team’s achievements and will enjoy watching their continued success from Blighty”.

Confirming Watson’s departure, Cowell said: “I would like to thank Ellis for his valuable contribution, hard work and enthusiasm; he will be missed by all of us”. A spokesman for Sony Music told The Guardian they had no plans to replace Watson at present.

BMG UK boss steps down

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

The UK boss of the BMG Rights Management company has stepped down, according to Music Week. It’s not clear why Tony Moss has left BMG, where he’s headed or if he’ll be replaced.

There is speculation that Moss’s departure is a sign that BMG’s UK office will be merged in with Chrysalis, the relatively large UK indie music publisher which the German-owned music rights firm acquired last month.

Believe appoints new UK label manager

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

Digital distribution firm Believe Digital has announced it has appointed Victoria Hunt to the role of UK Label Manager. Joining the European distributor from 7Digital today, she will be charged with the task of managing and extending relationships with labels and partner distributors over here.

Hunt will report into Believe Digital UK’s sales and new business head Lee Morrison, who told CMU: “As Believe Digital expands its operations in the UK we are keen to put together a high quality team to help us realise our ambitious plans moving forward. Victoria joins us having already established a great reputation and her insight and experience in this market will be a tremendous asset to the company”.

Music Export Norway opens Berlin office

Business News

The Norwegian music export office has announced it will open a new office in Berlin next month to service Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Music Export Norway already operates a London office to help Norwegian artists and music companies navigate the UK market. Confirming the launch of a new base in Germany, Siri Narverud Moen, who will run the new office, told Billboard: “In Germany there is already a lot of interest in Norwegian music. We want to increase the connections between these two markets”.

Huey Morgan joins Radio 2

Media

Radio 2 last week announced that Fun Lovin Criminal and 6music DJ Huey Morgan would be taking over the Friday night slot on the station recently vacated by Mark Lamarr.

Morgan already presents a Sunday afternoon show on BBC 6 of course, and has recently been filling in for Lauren Laverne on daytime there as well, while she is on maternity leave. From next April he will add Lamarr’s former midnight on Friday (so, technically speaking, Saturday morning) show to his weekly task list, presenting a similar music mix to his Sunday show for 6, which he will also continue to host.

Says Morgan: “Radio 2 is the most listened to radio station in the land and it’s a huge honour to be given three hours a week to kick back and play some of the hottest tunes, both new and old, with a disregard of genre. Growing up in NYC, I could never have imagined that the prestigious and world famous BBC would give me six hours of airtime a week to play my favourite records and allow me chat to some of the people who have inspired me along the way”.

When announcing his departure from Radio 2 to friends recently, Lamarr said: “It’s become obvious over the last year the station has become much less interested in non-mainstream music, and my position there has been extremely uncomfortable. It’s a sign of the times I suppose. I’m stupidly proud of the shows I’ve done there for twelve years and I know I always did the right thing. I’m equally sure I’m doing the right thing now. Not looking for sympathy, or another job, or even a reply. Just letting you know”.

Heat editor stands down

Media

Bauer Media last week announced that Sam Delaney is to step down as editor of its gossip weekly Heat after sixteen months in the job so to concentrate on a new book and TV series. The title’s Executive Editor Lucie Cave will fill in until a permanent replacement can be found.

Confirming his departure, Delaney told reporters: “I have been honoured and privileged to edit such a great magazine and work with the best editorial team in the business. I’ve enjoyed every minute but these new opportunities are too exciting to turn down. I wish Heat every success in the future and leave it in the supremely talented hands of Lucie Cave”.

Digital Spy steals NME’s online editor

Media

Digital Spy has announced it has hired NME.com’s David Moynihan to take over from its co-founder Neil Wilkes in the Editor’s chair at the entertainment news site.

Wilkes announced he was leaving the website he helped found nearly ten years ago, and which was bought by Hachette Filipacchi UK in 2008, earlier this year.

He will stay on until March next year, when Moynihan will start his new job, to allow a smooth changeover period.

Moynihan took over as Editor of NME’s website in 2007, having previously done the same job for FHM.

Zac Hanson becomes father again

And Finally

Zac Hanson – yes, he’s the little kid on the drums – has become a father for the second time, his wife Kate giving birth to a baby girl last Wednesday. The couple already have a two year old son together. The youngest of the Hanson brothers is now 25, which makes me feel very old indeed.

Confirming to People.com that his second child had been born, Hanson said: “We couldn’t imagine a better Christmas gift than this sweet little girl. In just the short time she’s been here, she’s enriched our family and our lives beyond measure. We’re looking forward to celebrating the season with our family and introducing her to everyone”.

Badly Drawn Boy tells LA twats to fuck off

And Finally

Now, who was it that once sang “Those LA twats can just fuck off”? You know, that song. Oh I know, it’s the one off Badly Drawn Boy’s as yet unwritten next album.

Yes, Damon Gough had a bit of a run in with his audience at a gig at LA’s Troubadour club last Thursday. I think it all began with a few sound problems and a handful of audience members getting a bit pissed about the resulting delay, but Gough was taking no nonsense from this crowd. With sound problems fixed, he told his audience that “if these cunts don’t stop saying shit I’m going to fuck off”. The cunts did carry on saying shit, but Gough chose not to fuck off, instead ordering the cunts to do so, telling the complainers “fuck off if you don’t want to be here, fuck off you LA twats”.

Some of his audience did indeed leave the building, either offended by the British singer-songwriter’s words, or it’s possible they were just twats doing what they were told. Gough apologised to those who remained, saying LA was full of nice people but was “tethered by this group of twats”.

Some US reports suggested the majority of Gough’s audience walked out following his outburst, though the albeit gloomy YouTube footage suggests a sizable portion stayed and seemed generally supportive of or at least amused by the Badly Drawn Boy’s sweary rant.

See for yourself here.

Approved: RebekkaMaria (Best Of Approved 2010)

CMU Approved

Describing the music of Rebekka Maria Andersson, or RebekkaMaria to use her stage name, is no simple task. I could simply say that she’s a Danish pop singer who sounds a little like Lykke Li and has supported Mika. And that would be completely accurate. But it would also completely misrepresent her.

Sure, Lykke Li is the obvious reference point for quick comparison, but it completely misses the amazing ability Andersson has to switch her voice between all manner of styles from cutesy pop to world-weary soul. And, yes, she technically makes pop music, but it’s so varied that, while at times you can see why she’d be booked to support Mika, at others it makes about as much sense as The Knife supporting Boyzone.

www.myspace.com/asinrebekkamaria

Playlist: CMU Artists Of The Year 2010

Artists Of The Year CMU Playlists

For the last two weeks in the CMU Daily, we’ve been revealing our top ten favourite artists of the year. These are all artists we felt had contributed something a bit special in 2010. Not just people who had delivered a great album (or even an album at all), but musicians who made a real mark on those twelve months just gone.

The resulting list takes us through rock, metal, pop, rap, reggae and more, with ten artists that we reckon are just that little bit extra special, whether that be because they deliver great music on record, or put that bit more into their live shows, or because they go above and beyond the call of duty in some other way. In many cases, it’s all of the above.

Says CMU Editor Andy Malt: “I’m really pleased with how this list has turned out. 2010 has been a really good year for music, as I think the ten artists we’ve selected show – not to mention all the amazing acts who didn’t make it into the top ten. There were a lot of them, and it was an agonising process getting it to this stage!”

Andy has written about exactly why each of these artists made our list and what they got up to in 2010 here (although our number one artist of the year won’t be revealed to CMU Daily readers until Tuesday, so you’re getting a little sneak preview here). And while you’re at it, check out our favourite new acts of the year, too. Now, here are the ten artists in the form of a Powers Of Ten playlist, plus some brief thoughts on each from Andy again.

CMU’S ARTISTS OF 2010 TEN
Click here to listen to the artists of 2010 playlist in Spotify, and then read on to find out more about the tracks included.

01 Tinie Tempah – Pass Out
This year Tinie Tempah went from being relatively unknown to a major star in a matter of months, and this was the song that did it for him. ‘Pass Out’ quietly appeared on YouTube at the end of last year and slowly built up an impassioned following, sending it to number one in March.

02 Janelle Monáe – Cold War
‘Cold War’ is the standout track from the smart, amazingly creative and insanely talented Janelle Monáe’s fantastic debut album, ‘The ArchAndroid’. The album continues the story of Cindi Mayweather, an android from the year 2719, which began on her 2007 debut EP.

03 Steve Mason – Boys Outside
Since The Beta Band split in 2005, Steve Mason has struggled to get his solo career off the ground. The records were great, but he was blighted by depression. But with his first album released under his own name, of which this is the title track, he’s overcome his demons and delivered the best record of his career.

04 Chilly Gonzales – Never Stop
This year Chilly Gonzales has released a new album, a film, performed shows solo and with a full band, provided piano accompaniment to Peaches’ solo performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and had this track featured on Apple’s iPad adverts. He’s been busy.

05 Warpaint – Undertow
Warpaint, like many of the artists on this list, were responsible for one of my favourite gigs of the year when they played The Scala in London. So good was that, that at times I was actually rendered breathless. Their debut album, ‘The Fool’, from which this is taken, is no less beautiful.

06 The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio
Released as a free download in March, and one of the album’s standout tracks, this track perfectly exemplified the understated rock sound of the album, building a buzz for the record, aided later by support from BBC 6music. It spent several weeks on heavy rotation on the CMU stereo, too.

07 Roots Manuva Meets Wrongtom – Jah Warriors
In creating his Roots Manuva remix album, ‘Duppy Writer’, Wrongtom tried to re-imagine each track as an ‘original’ version from an earlier decade. The result is more than just a collection of remixes, it’s a proper album so good you could think the real originals were the remixes. This track, however, is brand new.

08 Deftones – Rocket Skates
Deftones were preparing to release their sixth album, ‘Eros’, in 2008 when bassist Chi Cheng was seriously injured in a car crash, leaving him in a coma. Seven months later, the rest of the band shelved ‘Eros’ and started another album from scratch. The result sees them on top form, with this being the first single.

09 Marnie Stern – Transparency
Is The New Mystery Marnie Stern plays lightning fast guitar, complemented by Hella drummer Zach Hill’s brain-melting percussion, but somehow moulds all this technical mastery into quirky indie songs that bubble with charm. Her third eponymous album is her most personal and pushes that formula in new directions.

10 Sleigh Bells – Tell Em
This duo make noisy pop songs, so loud that they sound like they’re trying to punch their way out of your speakers. Guitarist Derek Miller’s background is in hardcore, while singer Alexis Krauss was once in a pop group. It’s a match that is somehow perfect. This is their album’s opening track. And what an opening track.

CMU Beef Of The Week #48: Beefs Of The Year 2010

And Finally Beef Of The Week

Every Friday in 2010, we selected our favourite pop argument from the previous seven days and featured it here in the Beef Of The Week column. Some weeks, I’ll admit, the population of Planet Pop hadn’t been overly argumentative. But mostly, thanks to the volatile nature of your average pop star, people had been at each other’s throats plenty, meaning we had to pick with petty squabble was best.

We’ve had Tommy Lee asking SeaWorld to stop wanking off their killer whales, Billy Corgan telling pavement they’re ripping off fans by only playing the songs those fans want to hear them play, Calvin Harris choking on his breakfast upon hearing a new Chris Brown single, The New Pornographers having a gig cancelled because people thought they were actual pornographers, and dolphins shitting in Kelly Rowland‘s face. But here, for your enjoyment, are our top five favourite beefs of 2010.

1: 5 Nov – MC Hammer v Jay-Z
Beefs in hip hop are generally quite tedious, and mostly laid on for promotional purposes. This one, however, is brilliant. Incensed by, he later revealed, what he felt were a series of attacks on Christianity by Jay-Z, MC Hammer has penned a new track, and filmed an accompanying video, to give him a proper telling off. Jay-Z was bemused. [read]

2: 15 Jan – Dappy v a Radio 1 listener
As a celebrity, you will get some criticism. You’re supposed to let it wash over you. You’re not – I repeat, NOT – supposed to find out your critic’s mobile phone number and start sending them threats. But that’s what Dappy from N-Dubz did when someone insulted him during an appearance on Radio 1. He was later dropped, along with the rest of N-Dubz, as an ambassador for an anti-bullying campaign. [read]

3: 26 Nov – Axl Rose v Slash via Guitar Hero
Axl Rose had to appear in the top five somewhere, and there were plenty of opportunities for him to do so. This is brilliant, though. Last month, Rose launched a $20 million dollar lawsuit against Activision, maker of the ‘Guitar Hero’ video game series, for “emphasising and reinforcing an association between Slash and Guns N Roses and the band’s song ‘Welcome To The Jungle'”. [read]

4: 30 Jul – Kings Of Leon v critical pigeons
If Dappy can’t hack seeing text messages from strangers who don’t like him, I hate to think how he’d cope with having pigeons shitting directly into his mouth during a live performance. That’s criticism no one wants. In the case of Kings Of Leon back in July, they watched their two support acts get pelted with bird shit dropping from the rafters at a venue in Missouri, before struggling through two and a half songs and walking off. [read]

5: 26 Feb and 5 Mar – Courtney Love v Lily Allen
Like Axl Rose, Courtney Love is someone who had to appear somewhere in our top five, and this beef is so good it spread over two weeks. And, indeed, two awards ceremonies. It started with a quarrel over a dress at the BRIT Awards and carried over to the NME Awards the following week, before Lily and Courtney started hurling insults (and unflattering pictures) at each other on Twitter. [read: part 1 | part 2]

EP Review: Lightspeed Champion – Bye Bye EP (Domino)

Single Reviews

Following the release of his second long player, ‘Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You’, at the start of the year, Lightspeed Champion, aka Dev Hynes, returns with a new EP called ‘Bye Bye’.

It all kicks off with a cover version of The Beach Boys’ ‘Til I Die’ in which Hynes puts his own stamp on the dreamy original. Continuing on that theme, the rest of the record was arranged by composer and producer Van Dyke Parks, who has worked with the The Beach Boys as well as the likes of The Byrds, Silverchair and Joanna Newsom.

The arrangement has an abundance of luscious instrumentation which, in the main, works well with Hynes’ individualistic vocal and writing style. It’s not perfect – sometimes Parks’ contributions don’t fully connect with Hynes’ hecticness – but it’s a welcome release nevertheless, and another insight into Lightspeed’s untamed imagination, not to mention, for me at least, a great introduction to the original Beach Boys’ track. GS

Buy from iTunes
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The music business week in five – Friday 17 Dec 2010

Business News Week In Five

So, the 2010 Christmas chart race is reaching its climax. From the midweeks, ‘X-Factor’ is ahead this year (on two counts really – ‘X’ winner Bob Curdle’s debut single and that old Rihanna track bothering the chart again based on her ‘X’ appearance last week), but it’s never over until the fat lady sings. And while I’ve never known what fat lady that phrase refers to, I’ve been all round Shoreditch this morning and there were no fat ladies singing.

So, it’s not too late to join in with the race, buying a bit of Curdle if that’s what turns you on, or joining in with one of the anti-X efforts if not. ‘Surfin Bird’ is ahead in that regard, but as you all know by now, it’s Cage Against The Machine that is getting us most excited here at CMU, and not just because our mate Eddy TM is involved. Surely the aim of last year’s RATM campaign was to pump a little originality into the Christmas chart, and this is the only project boasting real originality, as far as I can see.

How great would it be to get [a] some avante garde classical music, [b] one of John Cage’s greatest works and [c] 273 seconds of silence into the Christmas chart this year? And don’t forget, this is the Christmas chart contender that is all in aid of five brilliant charities, so none of your pennies will be wasted. I’m not going to preach, but if you are in any way interested, intrigued, impressed or inspired by the brilliant Cage Against The Machine project, well, you have til midnight tomorrow to buy ‘4’33″‘ from one of the download stores listed at www.catm.co.uk. And now, my final Week In Five for 2010.

01: The BPI said 75% of all UK downloads are illegal, in its lovingly wrapped Digital Music Nation 2010 report, which claimed 7.7 million Brits continue to access music from illegal sources despite 67 legit music services now being available. The UK label body called on the government to hurry up and get the three-strikes system outlined in the Digital Economy Act up and running. PC Pro used it as an excuse to phone up Jim from the Open Rights Group, who said: “The BPI is whinging that growth in their profits in the middle of a recession isn’t good enough”. CMU report | PC Pro report

02: EMI lost its appeal over Pink Floyd single sales. As part of a wider digital royalties dispute, Pink Floyd said EMI had breached its contract with the band by selling their albums on a track-by-track basis on iTunes and such like. EMI argued the ‘full albums only’ rule only applied to physical product. Earlier this year the High Court sided with the band, and this week the Appeal Court dismissed the major’s appeal on the matter. CMU report | Telegraph blog

03: Universal took its FBT squabble to the Supreme Court. FBT is the production set up that has a stake in the early Eminem recordings. It reckons that downloads should be treated as licensing deals rather than record sales, a distinction that would earn then a bigger royalty cut. And earlier this year the US’s Ninth Circuit court agreed. That court refused to rehear the case, so this week Universal filed a motion with the Supreme Court. Universal insists this case relates only to the FBT contact, and would not set a precedent that other artists with pre-internet contracts are due a bigger royalty cut on downloads. CMU report | Hip Hop DC report

04: Sony Corp was reportedly talking to Doug Morris. Reuters cited various sources that gave more credibility to last week’s rumours that the outgoing chief of Universal Music might take over the CEO job at Sony Music, rather than taking the back-seat Chairman’s role at his current employer. Another contender for the soon to be vacant top job at Sony Music, Barry Weiss, has already announced he is going to Universal. Word has it another contender, Sony/ATV music publishing’s chief Marty Bandier, isn’t interested in the top job at Sony’s record companies. CMU report | Reuters report

05: There was speculation that Citigroup was about to take ownership of EMI. Both the New York Post and Sunday Times cited sources as saying Terra Firma may hand over ownership of EMI to the major’s money lenders sooner rather than later because the equity group’s top man Guy Hands recognises he can’t raise the £100 million the music firm needs to meet the terms of its multi-billion dollar loan with the US bank next spring. Terra Firma may keep a minority shareholding, though Citigroup is likely to look to seek the music company. CMU report | City AM report

And that’s it. There’ll be the wonderful CMU Yearly in your email later today, and then two more editions of the CMU Daily and then the CMU Review Of The Year next week, but this is the last time you’ll hear from me, so please ensure you have the most happy of Christmases and a very merry Hogmanay. See you in Twenty Eleven.

Chris Cooke
Business Editor, CMU

Google considered Spotify acquisition as part of music plans

Digital Top Stories

Google was close to buying either Spotify or Rhapsody recently, according to US website Business Insider, but internal politics at the web giant stopped any deals from progressing.

The website says Google was toying with the idea of having an unlimited streaming offer as part of its much mooted new music service, and was attracted to the idea of buying an existing player in this space, with both Europe’s Spotify and the American-based former Real Networks division Rhapsody obvious targets. But, Business Insider says, various departments within Google wanted ownership of the proposed streaming music service, and political infighting between these departments stopped any serious negotiations with Spotify or Rhapsody from progressing.

As a result, the Insider adds, Google has put any plans for streaming music on hold and is focusing all its efforts on its bid to enter the digital locker market, enabling people to upload their music collections to a Google server and to stream them via any web connected device. It’s been known this is at the heart of Google’s music ambitions for some time.

Many label execs are nervous about the growth of the digital locker market, because it offers more functionality for those who acquired their large MP3 collections illegally, and possibly further aids illegal file-sharing. But the Insider says Google are very keen to launch a music service around this model, and may write some very large cheques to get the majors on board.

Teen download scammer admits to fraud charge

Legal

A nineteen year old from Wolverhampton has admitted to being part of a credit card scam where he created original music tracks and arranged for them to be sold via iTunes and Amazon, and then bought them himself with other people’s credit cards, thus fraudulently securing royalties.

As previously reported, twelve people were accused of being involved in the money laundering scheme last year. The scammers, who all hail from around the UK, though mainly Wolverhampton, were arrested in June 2009 in a joint operation between the Metropolitan Police and the FBI.

Lamar Johnson, already in prison for causing grievous bodily harm, is the youngest of the accused, and this week admitted in court to downloading about 2000 of the tracks created by the scammers using stolen cards. Prosecutors reckon the group collectively made about £500,000 from the illegal operation.

Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud at London’s Southwark Crown Court this week, with the judge adjourning his sentencing. No pleas were entered by nine of the other people facing charges relating to this scam.

Final LimeWire court hearing to assess financial impact of file-sharing on the record industry

Business News Labels & Publishers Legal

Ascertaining the actual tangible damage to the record industry of illegal downloading is tricky, with wildly differing estimates coming from various research reports on the issue depending on whether researchers have a pro or anti file-sharing agenda.

As previously reported, lawyers for file-sharer Jammie Thomas are trying to have her damages payment cut from $1.5 million to nothing on the basis the record industry who sued her have failed to prove exactly what damage her specific downloading did to the labels, over and above depriving them of the $24 they would have got had she bought the songs she downloaded on iTunes.

When it comes to something like LimeWire, where you’re talking about involvement in the downloading of millions of tracks by millions of people, you could argue that more generic statistics about the value of the millions of tracks acquired via file-sharing or the levels to which record sales have declined in the last ten years are more relevant to the debate.

Except that we know that every illegally downloaded track does not equal a lost sale, and there will be other factors in record companies’ declining revenues, not least the falling price of CDs and wider economic recession. So, how do you calculate the tangible damage caused to the wider record industry as a result of the LimeWire P2P file-sharing software having ever existed?

Well, that’s the challenge facing a judge and jury in the US as the record industry’s claim for billions in damages against the soon to be defunct digital firm goes to court. And this week the judge overseeing the case, Debra Freeman, agreed with LimeWire’s lawyers that the record labels should have to provide much more detailed information about the sorts of profits hit singles and albums would be expected to generate.

The US record industry had argued LimeWire’s demands for stats and figures were unreasonable, but Freeman – to an extent – does not concur. According to the Hollywood Reporter, she wants an in-depth discussion on the financial impact of LimeWire on the record industry as part of the upcoming court hearing, looking at figures relating to 240 singles and 60 albums (a third picked by the labels, a third by LimeWire and a third at random).

Depending on how this turns out, it could make the final chapter of the LimeWire story interesting – on an academic level at least. Whether it can really answer the question – what has the cost of the P2P phenomenon been – remains to be seen. Probably not.

50 Cent accused of beat theft

Legal

50 Cent has been accused of copyright infringement and served with a lawsuit telling him so. Rapper Tyrone Simmons, aka Caliber, claims that he owns the exclusive rights to use the beat that forms the instrumental part of Fiddy’s ‘I Get Money’, which was produced by Apex. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in New York, claims that Universal’s Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit and Shady Records, along with 50 Cent, all knowingly infringed Simmons’ copyright.

Simmons’ lawyer Louis Tambaro said in a statement: “The misappropriation of copyright-protected material is an endemic problem in the music business, and particularly in the genre of hip hop/rap. This is one such case. Our client was granted exclusive rights to the ‘I Get Money’ instrumental and was unceremoniously cut out of the loop when the defendants realised they had a huge hit on their hands”.

The lawsuit is seeking undisclosed damages.

DMX sentenced to a year in prison

Legal

So, DMX is back in prison in Arizona again after admitting that he violated the terms of his latest probation, which relates to his conviction for aggravated assault and using a fake name to avoid paying a hospital bill.

As previously reported, the rapper was released from prison at the beginning of July after serving four months for – you guessed it – a parole violation in the form of a failed drugs test. Almost immediately a 2002 driving conviction caught up with him, and he found himself serving a 90 day sentence. He was arrested for the latest parole violation last month.

It’s not all bad, though. DMX was told he would be given credit for days he has already served while waiting for the latest court hearing.

Aretha Franklin leaves hospital

Artist News

Aretha Franklin has been discharged from hospital after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed illness, reported to be pancreatic cancer.

The singer said in a statement on Wednesday: “I’ve been at home for almost three days now. My family and friends who brought me home are taking great care of me. I also have a private nurse who visits on a daily basis. I’m hoping to be strong enough to go out and see the upcoming Sam Cooke play at the Music Hall in downtown Detroit before 2 Jan, as well as a performance of ‘Dreamgirls’ at the FOX [theatre] before it closes”.

A spokesperson added: “The queen of soul is in great spirits and very happy to be home where she will be resting in anticipation of spending the upcoming holiday season with her family”.

Tinie Tempah begins work on second album

Artist News

Tinie Tempah has revealed that he has begun work on his second album, which is scheduled for release next autumn.

The rapper told X Magazine: “My tour kicks off in February, but apart from that I’m going to be abroad a lot in Australia and America writing my second album to draw inspirations from a few different places. And then the second album [will be released], and then going on tour again in November! … I don’t want to give anything away [about the sound of the new album] yet but maybe a live and an electronic thing, a few different creative pieces. Basically, next year’s plan is to just keep it moving and keep on getting bigger and better”.

Labrinth plans to work through Christmas

Artist News

Speaking of Tinie Tempah and studios, the producer responsible for the rapper’s hits ‘Pass Out’ and ‘Frisky’, Labrinth, has told The Sun that he is working so hard on his debut artist album that there will be no time for Christmas.

Labrinth said: “My family will probably come and try to pull me out of there, but I’ll be in the studio finishing the album… I did it last year. Ever since producing Master Shortie’s album back in 2007 I haven’t celebrated Christmas. I might run home, get some chicken, take a tree out of the house. At least there’ll be no arguments on my own – and no one can steal my food”.

Rage Against The Machine recording new album

Artist News

Oh, boo! Boo! BOO! Why do bands have to go and spoil things by recording new albums? Rage Against The Machine frontman Zack De La Rocha has confirmed that they are currently working on their first album for more than a decade. The band were seemingly convinced to get back to the studio because their free show in Finsbury Park earlier this year went down so well, confusing people enjoying a greatest hits live set with people wanting to hear new material.

Back in June, just after the Finsbury Park show, De la Rocha told the NME: “I think it’s a genuine possibility [that we’ll record another album]. We have to get our heads around what we’re going to do towards the end of the year and finish up on some other projects and we’ll take it from there”.

According to Rock Sound, the singer recently told “a foreign website”: “We are all older and more mature and don’t fall into the traps we did ten or fifteen years ago … We are working on a new album due out next year, possibly in the summer”.

Diplo prepares Greensleeves reggae compilation

Releases

This is interesting. Diplo has announced that he is putting together a compilation of tracks pulled from the archives of the legendary Greensleeves reggae label. ‘Diplo Selects Greensleeves’ will be released by VP Records on 8 Feb.

Tracklist:

Alpha & Omega Mocking Bird – Who Is The Ruler
Hugh Mundell – Jaqueline
Triston Palma – Joker Smoker
John Holt – Police In Helicopter
Barrington Levy & General Echo – Eventide Fire A Disaster
Joe Gibbs – Satta Amassa Gana Version
Rankin Dread – Fattie Boom Boom
Eek-A-Mouse – Anarexol
Lone Ranger – Gunshot Mek Daughter Drop
Clint Eastwood & General Saint – Sweet Sweet Matilda
Prince Jammy – Interface
Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse
JC Lodge – Telephone Love
Johnny Osbourne – Water Pumping
Prince Far I – Survival

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