Thursday 29 September 2011, 11:52 | By CMU Editorial

Leona delays album

Releases

Leona Lewis has announced that she is delaying the release of her new album, ‘Glassheart’, until next year, as she’s decided to record some more songs for it.

She said via Twitter: “I’m feeling so inspired right now and have decided to continue recording. I have a collection of songs that I’m so in love with and I know there’s more to be born so it means the album will come early next year”.

Earlier this year, the first single from the album, ‘Collide’, ended up in a legal battle with producer Aviici, who claimed he had not given permission for one of his instrumental tracks to be used as the basis for it.

Feist streams new album

Releases

Much was made of Leslie Feist’s last LP ‘The Reminder’, which produced huge crossover hits in ‘My Moon My Man’, ‘I Feel It All’, and the charming, advert-featured ‘1234’. Folksy brush strokes of ‘The Reminder’ exist alongside daubs of darker, earthier colour on the album’s sequel, ‘Metals’, which is now streaming online ahead of its 3 Oct release.

Feist’s musical palette seems broader across her latest offering than in past works, and ‘Metals’ finds her laying out an array of warming folk-pop morsels, enriching her brand of mystic, organic balladry with country inflections and well-placed orchestral accents.

In return for an email address, you can stream ‘Metals’ here:

Korn announce dubstep album

Releases

So, when we published a story on 1 Apr announcing that Korn were recording dubstep tracks with Skrillex a lot of people thought we were joking. “April fool!” they all shouted. Oh how we wish that were true.

A metal band whose previous innovations include working with pop producers The Matrix, Korn have announced that for their tenth album, entitled ‘The Path Of Totality’, they have collaborated with a number of dubstep producers. As well as Skrillex, they also worked with Excision, Datsik, Noisia, Kill The Noise, and Twelfth Planet.

Guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer explained that they had not initially planned to create a full dubstep album, but had been convinced when they shifted 150,000 copies of that initial track with Skrillex. “‘Get Up’ started as a bit of an experiment”, he said. “But we had such an amazing response from our fans and had such a great time collaborating that a full album of tracks came together in a couple of months. We couldn’t wait to get to the studio every day to finish the next song”.

Frontman Jonathon Davies added: “The title ‘The Path Of Totality’ refers to the fact that in order to see the sun in a full solar eclipse, you must be in the exact right place in the exact right time. That’s how this album came together. I think all the producers feel the same way. I’m not sure it could ever happen again”.

Let’s hope not. And if that’s sent you into a spiralling depression about the current state of dubstep, then you probably shouldn’t watch this:

The Cure to play three albums back to back

Gigs & Festivals

The Cure have announced a string of performances in the UK and the US, which will see them play their first three albums, ‘Three Imaginary Boys’, ‘Seventeen Seconds’, and ‘Faith’, in full and back to back.

Going by the name ‘Reflections’, the performance was premiered at the Vivid Festival in Sydney earlier this year, and according to the band, this run of gigs will be the last chance fans will have to catch it. Each album will see the band expand by one member during the gig, with Robert Smith, bassist Simon Gallup, and drummer Jason Cooper the only members to perform throughout the entire show. They will then be joined by Roger O’Donnell on keyboard for ‘Seventeen Seconds’, plus founder member Lol Tolhurst on keyboards and percussion for ‘Faith’.

Before six dates in LA and New York, the band will play a one-off show at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 15 Nov. Tickets for that will go on sale at 9am on Friday.

Cardiff to host Womex in 2013

Business News Education & Events Gigs & Festivals

Cardiff will host the world music festival and convention Womex in 2013 it has been announced. Dublin and Glasgow also competed in a competition to win the right to host the annual event. Up to 60 concerts featuring 300 artists will take place during the festival.

Commenting on the news, Wales’ First Minster Carwyn Jones told reporters: “Womex 13 Cardiff will place the music from Wales on the world stage alongside more established markets, so that Wales’ authentic music traditions become more widely known internationally and are positioned beside music from our Celtic neighbours”.

Meanwhile Lisa Matthews from the Welsh Music Foundation added: “[Womex 2013 will be the] most amazing opportunity to get to learn about other musical cultures. It will open people’s eyes to a wonderful celebration of world cultures”.

This year’s Womex takes place in Copenhagen next month, while in 2012 the event will take place in Greece.

Global Repertoire Database group announces consultation

Business News Labels & Publishers

The Global Repertoire Database Working Group has launched a stakeholder engagement and scoping study. Which might read like the dullest sentence ever written, but this is potentially very important.

As previously reported, the Working Group is a consortium of rights owners and digital companies looking into launching a global database of songs which will list each work’s owners in each territory, a potentially very valuable resource which really should have been set up years ago. The 20 week industry-wide consolation will consider technical, business, organisation, funding and governance issues around such a database.

Says Neil Gaffney, Executive Vice President of EMI Music Publishing, one of the rights owners involved: “It is a real achievement for this group of representative stakeholders in the GRD to be able to work together in the development of a clear set of common requirements and to so readily agree a way forward. Our consensual approach will be taken forward into the Study, which envisages the involvement of a much broader stakeholder community”.

Warner’s digital man says the industry has cracked free

Digital

The outgoing US-based digital boss of Warner Music, Michael Nash, has told CNET that he thinks that, with the help of Spotify and MOG, the record industry has finally worked out how to do free.

It’s a statement that might surprise some, given how flippin long it took for Warner to sign up to Spotify in the US, but his point is that the Swedish streaming service’s refined model is the right one – ie while free music might be funded by advertising in the short term, the long term objective should be to upsell subscriptions. Of course Spotify would claim that’s been their agenda from day one, though since their freemium option has been streamlined that has become more obvious.

Speaking to CNET’s Greg Sandoval, Nash said: “The industry has finally figured out free. The recent announcements from all these free offers is, from a licensing standpoint, the right approach. Free didn’t work before. It was once used, by sites like Imeem and Spiralfrog, to drive engagement with ads. What we’re looking for now is for free to drive engagement with subscription services”.

Read the full interview here.

iPad users less likely to use iTunes store for music

Digital

Sales on Apple’s iTunes store are at an all time high, though the number of buyers downloading music from the service has fallen from 82% to 75%, according to US research from the NPD Group. The reason for this is the growth of the iPad, users of which are more likely to download apps and other content products, partly because that is where much of the hype has been with Apple’s tablet device.

But, says NPD, it needn’t be that way. The research firm’s Russ Crupnick reckons the music business just needs to work out different ways to engage users of iPads rather than those accessing iTunes via a conventional computer. Billboard quote Crupnick as saying: “There’s no reason the music or video industry should accept a loss of buyers as device preferences change. They have significant opportunities to foster discovery, engagement, and purchases using the tablet platform”.

Of course once you get into thinking about how to better engage with and sell music content to tablet computer users (or smartphone users, for that matter), you also have to consider the fact that those using non-Apple devices can’t access iTunes anyway. The tablet market expanded yesterday, of course, with the launch of an Amazon tablet device, the Amazon Fire, which is notable mainly by its price point. It will arrive in US shops in November priced $199, compared to Apple’s bargain basement iPad which retails at $499.

Matt Cardle says he needs to distance himself from X-Factor, agrees to appear on X-Factor

And Finally Media Releases

We reported earlier this week that last year’s ‘X-Factor’ winner Matt Cardle was keen to shake off the stigma that comes with appearing on the ITV talent show. He’s now spoken to Music Week about how important it is to claw back the integrity he had when he was a mere pub singer.

“It was so important I was honest with Chris [Briggs, Sony A&R] about keeping my integrity intact, even though I battered the hell out of it on ‘The X-Factor'”, he said. “But I think a little bit of it remained somehow and I wanted to keep hold of that and build on that and write an album I would have written anyway. I’m really proud of it. I just pray to God it bridges the gap between ‘X-Factor’ contestant and true singer-songwriter”.

Stage one of distancing himself from ‘X-Factor’ is the release of Cardle’s debut single, ‘Run For Your Life’, which was written by ‘X-Factor’ judge Gary Barlow and will be launched with a live performance on ‘X-Factor’ on 9 Oct. Yep, that should do it.

Liam Gallagher questions colour of kettle

And Finally

Liam Gallagher has reaffirmed his dislike of Radiohead, saying he can’t see why they don’t just keep on rehashing their first hit, ‘Creep’, over and over again. That apparently works for some people.

Back in March, Gallagher told The Quietus: “I heard that fucking Radiohead record [‘The King Of Limbs’] and I just go, ‘What?!’ I like to think that what we [Beady Eye] do, we do fucking well. Them writing a song about a fucking tree? Give me a fucking break! A thousand year old tree? Go fuck yourself! You’d have thought he’d have written a song about a modern tree or one that was planted last week. You know what I mean?”

And now, in an interview in the new issue of Q, he expands on his theme, saying: “I’ve never even heard ‘OK Computer’, but anything by Radiohead doesn’t make much sense to me. Everyone’s going on about Radiohead pushing things forward, but the only thing they’re famous for really is songs like ‘Creep’ innit? They then go off-roading for the rest of their career. I just don’t get it. I mean, we’ve all written songs like ‘Creep’, y’know, them classic songs. So that’s what makes them what they are. ‘Karma Police’ is alright, but it’s The Beatles, innit?”

Yes, that’s right, Liam Gallagher just dissed someone for writing songs that sound a bit like The Beatles. And while not wishing to pick further holes in Liam’s arguments, I think some would argue that Radiohead are actually much better known for songs like ‘Karma Police’ and ‘Paranoid’ Android’ off ‘OK Computer’ than they are for ‘Creep’ these days. Certainly, it was their third album, rather than their first, that was the catalyst for them being the incredibly successful band they are today.

Approved: Gold Panda – An Iceberg Hurled Northward Through Clouds

CMU Approved

New music from Gold Panda is always welcome, isn’t it? Since his early EPs, anything Derwin Panda (for that is the name Wikipedia insists his parents gave him) creates has been eagerly awaited, with his debut album, ‘Lucky Shiner’, being one of our favourites of last year.

The last new material to emerge from his bunker was a track called ‘MBP’ in June. Now he’s back again with a new track that will open his forthcoming DJ-Kicks mix, which is due for release on 31 Oct. Entitled ‘An Iceberg Hurled Northward Through Clouds’ it feels like more of a bridge to the next phase of Gold Panda than ‘MBP’, which still bore the distinctive looping of ‘Lucky Shiner’. This new track is painted with an altogether more subtle brush, and is reminiscent of tracks on Pantha Du Prince’s ‘Black Noise’ album.

Q&A: Sondre Lerche

Artist Interviews

Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche released his debut album, ‘Faces Down’, just after his 20^th birthday. His smart, charming songwriting skills quickly won him fans both inside and outside of Norway. This adoration has only grown over the course of ten years and five albums, with many comparing him to Burt Bacharach.

Following hot on the heels of his version of Muppets song ‘Mr Bassman’ for the recently released ‘Muppets: The Green Album’ covers compilation, Lerche is due to release his eponymous sixth album on 3 Oct, the first through his own label Mona Records. Recorded and mixed over three weeks, the album sees Sondre utilise his creative ties with fellow musicians residing in Brooklyn, where he now lives, including the likes of Midlake drummer McKenzie Smith and Nicolas Verhnes of Spoon and Animal Collective.

He will also play a headline show at London’s Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on 6 Oct. Ahead of all that, CMU Editor Andy Malt spoke to Sondre Lerche to find out more.

AM: How has relocating to Brooklyn influenced your songwriting on the new album?
SL: I think New York might’ve made me more confrontational and I think this album reflects that.

AM: Did the recording process for this album differ to previous records?
SL: It was faster and more intuitive. I only gave us two weeks to record and that was really exhilarating. It disconnected our heads somehow.

AM: Why, on your sixth album did you choose to go with an eponymous title? Is this album more ‘you’ than previous records?
SL: All my albums are me, for better or worse, but when I couldn’t find a title I liked it seemed sort of natural for this one to be self-titled.

AM: You’re often compared to Burt Bacharach, what are your thoughts on that? Does it create certain expectations of you?
SL: I like Bacharach’s songs a lot, always have. But he is mainly a songwriter and arranger, and I am mainly a songwriter and performer, so by default we are pretty different. But I take it as a fine compliment.

AM: Speaking of great songwriting, how did your cover of ‘Mr Bassman’ for the Muppets album come about?
SL: I was asked if I’m a Muppets fan, and of course I am, so I just picked a song from a long list they sent me and recorded it in my bedroom. Then I sent it to my buddy Kato in Norway and he added some banjo and the voice of Mr Bassman. It was really a lot of fun.

AM: Why did you choose to release your new album through your own label?
SL: I’d been wanting to do it for a long time and the timing was just right. I felt ready and my dear helpers encouraged me and we did it. It feels top!

AM: Does running your own label mean you are more involved now with the business side of things? Is that something you enjoy?
SL: It’s a fine line. I like being involved but I can’t deal too much with it before I feel funny. Luckily I have good helpers to deal with the business stuff. But I enjoy the freedom it provides me and the fact that I can communicate more directly with my audience.

AM: Would you go back to the traditional label system if it allowed you the same level of artistic freedom?
SL: Artistic freedom was never a problem for me when I was a major label artist. It was more just that the whole major label system fell apart, and after that it didn’t feel like a place for a small artist like me. So unless they offered me a particularly good deal, they’ve nothing much to offer me, which is totally understandable.

AM: Are you looking forward to getting back to Europe next month?
SL: Very much so. It’s been too long. I’ve a great band with me. It’ll be awesome!

AM: What are your plans for the future?
SL: More love, more music. Just doing my share.

Misplaced trust cost Michael Jackson his life: Murray trial update

Jacksons v AEG Timeline Legal Top Stories

So the basic arguments are in now place after opening remarks were delivered by both sides on day one of the Conrad Murray trial, and they pretty much take the form we expected. Murray, of course, is the doctor accused of causing Michael Jackson’s death through negligence back in 2009.

The prosecution say that the king of pop – addicted to various prescription drugs and facing a gruelling 50 night residency at London’s O2 Arena – put his trust, and his life, into the hands of Murray, who then negligently administered the anaesthetic propofol – designed to put people under for surgery – as a sleeping aid, using the drug in totally the wrong environment, and failing to properly monitor his patient once the drug was in Jackson’s system. One shot too many killed the singer.

The defence, though, argue that Jackson’s addiction to certain prescription drugs was out of control before Murray began working with the singer, and that those drug dependencies were worsened by fears relating to the O2 residency, which was extended to 50 nights from the original ten against his wishes. Murray, they argued, was actually trying to wean Jackson off some of those drugs, in particular propofol. Possibly as a result, but unbeknownst to Murray, Jackson consumed an extra shot of the drug in a desperate act to induce sleep, resulting in his death.

As Murray’s manslaughter trial got under way yesterday, after various previous false starts and delays, the prosecution seemed to launch straight into shock tactics. Lead prosecutor David Walgren contrasted video footage of a seemingly fit and healthy Michael Jackson rehearsing for the ‘This Is It’ shows just days before his death with a previously unheard phone message, left on Murray’s iPhone around the same time, in which an almost incoherent Jackson slurs his words as he rambles about his ambitions for the O2 residency.

Jackson wasn’t especially unwell, frail or physically unable to perform a 50 night show, as some have suggested, but he was addicted to certain prescription drugs which made him erratic. Murray should have tried to tackle that addiction but, Walgren alleged, instead he fed it. The doctor had ordered just over four gallons of propofol between April and June 2009, and was negligently feeding Jackson’s addiction with it.

“This drug is not a sleep agent”, Walgren told the court. “It’s a general anaesthetic. It’s a wonderful drug if used by someone who knows what they are doing, and who knows the dangers as well as the benefits. But under no circumstances should it be given outside a hospital setting. Continuous monitoring is essential”. The fact Murray failed to tell paramedics trying to save Jackson that he had administered propofol, the prosecution added, proved the doctor knew he had used the drug inappropriately.

Walgren then added some back story, explaining how Murray came to be Jackson’s full time doctor in 2009. The singer had met the medic in Las Vegas a few years earlier, when Murray – practising medicine in the city – treated the singer for some nominal ailments.

They stayed in touch and, when Jackson struck a deal in early 2009 with AEG Live to do the O2 shows, and a full time medic was part of the deal, the singer asked for Murray. The job would require the doctor to give up his other work. He asked for $5 million for a one year contract. AEG offered $150,000 a month. He took the job, quickly informing his other patients to find new doctors, and telling a friend his new role was a “once in a lifetime opportunity”.

Jackson seemed to trust Murray, Walgren said, adding that the singer “literally put his life in the hands of Dr Conrad Murray. That misplaced trust cost Michael Jackson his life”. Others involved in the ‘This Is It’ venture became concerned about Jackson, especially after he showed up for rehearsals a week before he died in a bad way, suffering from chills, and rambling incoherently, presumably a condition linked to his drug dependencies. Tour choreographer Kenny Ortega sent Jacko home and took up the matter with Murray directly, who, the prosecution claim, took a hostile tone and told Ortega: “I am the doctor, not you”.

When he took to the stand, defence attorney Ed Chernoff agreed with some of the picture Walgren had painted. Yes, Jackson was addicted to prescription drugs. Yes, Murray had administered propofol to the singer as a sleep aid. But, Chernoff argued, Murray had been desperately trying to wean the singer off the more dangerous medications he was taking, despite the singer’s increased anxieties about the upcoming O2 residency. And it was those anxieties that caused Jackson to help himself to a dangerous mix of drugs on the morning of his death.

Unbeknownst to Murray, Chernoff said, a frustrated Jackson helped himself to eight lorazepam anti-anxiety pills in a bid to induce sleep. When that didn’t work he added propofol to the mix. Reuters quotes Chernoff as telling the court: “We believe the evidence will show … that when Dr Murray left the room, Michael Jackson self-administered a dose of propofol that, with the lorazepam, created a perfect storm within his body that killed him instantly. He died so rapidly, so instantly, he didn’t even have time to close his eyes. The whole thing is tragic, but the evidence is not that Dr Murray did it”.

Various members of the Jackson family were in court for the opening testimonies, including his parents and sisters Janet and La Toya. A string of witnesses will now be presented by both sides, though one that could stand out – should it go ahead – is Jackson’s teenage son Prince, who witnessed the scene as his late father died in his bedroom that day in 2009. According to The Sun, Prince has said he’d rather not testify, but that he will do if asked.

The case, as they say, continues.

Bloc Party searching for new singer

Artist News

Bloc Party guitarist Russell Lissack has confirmed that the band are looking for a new vocalist to replace Kele Okereke.

As previously reported, Okereke recently told NME that he’d spotted Lissack while in a restaurant in New York and had followed him. When he got around the corner, he then saw all three of his bandmates go into a rehearsal studio together. “I hope I haven’t been fired”, he said. “I don’t really know what’s going on, because we haven’t really spoken recently and I’m a bit too scared to ask”.

Asked to confirm the story on Twitter, Lissack said: “I expect they [NME] will be announcing the auditions soon”. At the time, most took this to be a sarcastic comment, though a week later that is exactly what has happened.

In an interview with the music weekly, the guitarist said: “It’s not really a secret because Kele’s been pretty busy doing solo stuff and it looks like he’s going to be doing that a bit longer. The other three of us wanted to meet up and make music. We were talking about just doing an instrumental thing, but now we might get a singer as well, to properly put some music out and play some shows”.

Confirming that there had been no contact with the band’s former frontman, he added: “I haven’t spoken to Kele for a couple of months, I guess since the festivals when I was doing stuff with Ash. But there’s no bad vibes”.

Of course it’s possible there might be now. But hey, Okereke is due to release a new solo EP, ‘The Hunter’, on 31 Oct, so that’ll keep him busy. And it’s not entirely clear if the rest of the band intend to work without him under the Bloc Party banner or set up a separate group while they wait for him to return.

INXS announce new frontman

Artist News

As expected, INXS have announced the appointment of another new frontman.

As previously reported, JD Fortune, who won the role of the band’s singer via a TV talent show in 2005, and who had been performing with the outfit earlier this year, despite falling out with them in 2009, last week tweeted: “As of now I have not been invited to be a part of INXS’s new music”.

A new track was then posted on the INXS website last week with a new vocalist. Many thought the singer sound rather like Bono, and began speculating that the U2 frontman might be working with the Aussie rockers, as improbable as that sounded. But, it has now been announced, the new singer may sound like Bono, but is in fact a bloke called Ciaran Gribbin, a Irish songwriter and musician who has worked with numerous big name pop acts over the years, but who is not so well known in his own right.

Gribbin will front the band on a tour due to kick off in November.

Bieber manager signs Cody Simpson

Business News Deals Management & Funding

Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun – possibly aware that, despite all expectations to the contrary, the Biebster is growing up – has signed another pop teen phenomenon in the making.

Fourteen year old Aussie Cody Simpson – who, strangely, already looks older than Bieber – has signed a worldwide management deal with Braun as he starts to promote his new EP, released via Warner’s Atlantic Records. Presumably plans are already afoot for an album, a movie, a book and a headphone range, all leading up to what every teenage boy surely aspires to achieve these days, the perfume range.

Like Bieber, Simpson first came to the attention of some key movers and shakers in the US music business via YouTube videos of his performances. It was producer Shawn Campbell who first discovered the aspiring pop star on the internet.

Sonic Youth to release best of compilation plus remastered tour film

Artist News Releases

Sonic Youth have announced that they will release a new compilation of some of their songs selected by various celebrity fans on 31 Oct. Entitled ‘Hits Are For Squares’, the album will also feature one new song, ‘Slow Revolution’.

On the same day, the band will also release their 1991 tour documentary, ‘1991: The Year Punk Broke’, on DVD. As well as live performances by the band themselves, it also features footage of Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr, Babes In Toyland, and The Ramones. You can watch the trailer below.

And here’s the tracklist for ‘Hits Are For Squares’:

Bull In The Heather (selected by Catherine Keener)
100% (selected by Mike D)
Sugar Kane (selected by Beck)
Kool Thing (selected by Radiohead)
Disappearer (selected by Portia de Rossi)
Superstar (selected by Diablo Cody)
Stones (selected by Allison Anders)
Tuff Gnarl (selected by Dave Eggers and Mike Watt)
Teenage Riot (selected by Eddie Vedder)
Shadow Of A Doubt (selected by Michelle Williams)
Rain On Tin (selected by Flea)
Tom Violence (selected by Gus Van Sant)
Mary-Christ (selected by David Cross)
World Looks Red (selected by Chloe Sevigny)
Expressway To Yr Skull (selected by The Flaming Lips)
Slow Revolution

Thurston Moore announces tour dates

Gigs & Festivals

Talking of Sonic Youth, the band’s frontman Thurston Moore has announced that he will tour the British Isles in support of his excellent solo album, ‘Demolished Thoughts’, later this year. The dates include a performance at London’s Union Chapel, and will finish with an appearance at ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas. Tickets for the headline shows go on sale on Thursday at 9am.

Tour dates:

27 Nov: Dublin, Button Factory
28 Nov: Glasgow, Arches
29 Nov: Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
30 Nov: Manchester, The Ritz
2 Dec: London, Union Chapel
3 Dec: ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas

Peggy Sue to tour

Gigs & Festivals Releases

Following the recent release of their second album, ‘Acrobats’, Peggy Sue have announced two new headline shows in Brighton and London, in October and November. They will play The Haunt in Brighton on 25 Oct and Bush Hall in London on 29 Nov, the latter show the day after the release of their new single, ‘DUMBO’. The band will also be supporting Sons & Daughters on their UK tour in October.

And don’t forget, Katy and Rosa from Peggy Sue recently compiled an excellent Powers Of Ten playlist for us, collecting together some of their favourite music.

One Direction announce arena shows

Gigs & Festivals

One Direction have only released one single and already they’re announcing an arena tour (well, weirdly, arenas in some cities, and multiple dates in the large concert halls in others). You might say that was them getting ahead of themselves, but it seems there is a large and rabid audience for their particular brand of nondescript pop.

Whatever, tickets go on sale at 9am on 1 Oct. And then you’ll have to start saving your pennies for their debut album the following month, which will no doubt be filled with arena-sized songs. Get ready.

Tour dates:

21 Dec: Wolverhampton, Civic Hall
22 Dec: Manchester, Apollo
23 Dec: Manchester, Apollo (Matinee)
23 Dec: Manchester, Apollo
3 Jan: Bournemouth, BIC
4 Jan: Birmingham, NIA Arena
5 Jan: Plymouth, Pavilions
7 Jan: Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall (Matinee)
7 Jan: Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
8 Jan: Brighton Centre
10 Jan: London Hammersmith Apollo
11 Jan: London, Hammersmith Apollo
13 Jan: Glasgow, Clyde Auditorium
14 Jan: Glasgow, Clyde Auditorium (Matinee)
14 Jan: Glasgow, Clyde Auditorium
15 Jan: Liverpool, Echo Arena
17 Jan: Newcastle, City Hall
18 Jan: Blackpool, Opera House
20 Jan: Sheffield, City Hall
21 Jan: Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
22 Jan: London, Hammersmith Apollo
24 Jan: Dublin, O2 Arena
25 Jan: Belfast, Waterfront
26 Jan: Belfast, Waterfront

Speakers announced for Manchester Music Seminars

Business News Education & Events

Organisers of the Manchester Music Seminars have announced a bunch of speakers for their inaugural event, which will take place on 14 Oct. Keynotes will come from the rather marvellous Mary Anne Hobbs and a certain Steve Levine, broadcaster and producer extraordinaire.

Elsewhere in the programme, taking place at Manchester’s Umbro Design Studios, Muse manager Anthony Addis, The Quietus’s John Doran, Xfm’s Mike Walsh and the Sharp Project’s Tom Clarke are among those who will take part in a programme of panels, which cover topics like ‘a method to management’, ‘critiquing the melody makers’ and ‘the perfect radio pitch’.

The Manchester Music Seminars have been set up by Kevin Moore, who previously worked for Manchester-based music business convention In The City, which, as previously reported, isn’t taking place this year. In many ways MMS follows on from the new educational strand launched at ITC last year, which Moore programmed.

More at this site.

MIDEM launches award for best marketing campaign

Awards Business News Education & Events Marketing & PR

Organisers of the slightly revamped MIDEM music business conference have announced the launch of a new award to be presented at next year’s event celebrating the best music marketing campaigns.

Both agencies, labels and managers are invited to put their campaigns forward. Ten finalists, to be selected by an ad industry magazine called Contagious, will present case studies of their campaigns at MIDEM where a panel of experts will pick an overall winner.

People interested in entering must put their campaigns forward for consideration by 15 Nov. More info here.

Bronikowski moves to Echo Nest

Digital

Jeff Bronikowski, the former Universal exec who moved to AOL Music last year after less than a year with Yahoo! Music is on the move yet again.

He is joining Echo Nest, the Boston-based digital agency which is powering various services offered by digital content providers like MOG and Clear Channel’s recently revamped iHeartRadio. According to All Things D, in his new job Bronikowski will be charged with the task of finding new partners who will utilised Echo Nest’s technologies.

Back at, AOL two of Bronikowski’s former deputies will basically be promoted so that he doesn’t need to be replaced.

Spotify responds to Facebook link up criticism

Digital

Spotify has responded to criticism of its increasingly close links with Facebook, claiming that it is “creating an amazing new world of music discovery”.

As previously reported, Spotify came under fire earlier this week when it announced that new users would only be able to sign up with a Facebook account. There was also some anger that new settings that allow the streaming music service to post details of every song users listen to back to their Facebook profiles were not clearly explained.

In a statement yesterday, Spotify said: “To us, this is all about creating an amazing new world of music discovery. As most of our users are already social and have already connected to Facebook, it seemed logical to integrate Spotify and Facebook logins. We already use Facebook as part of our backend to power our social features and by adopting Facebook’s login, we’ve created a simple and seamless social experience”.

It continued: “From today, all new Spotify users will need to have a Facebook account to join Spotify. Think of it as like a virtual ‘passport’, designed to make the experience smoother and easier, with one less username and password to remember. You don’t need to connect to Facebook and if you do decide to, you can always control what you share and don’t share by changing your Spotify settings at any time”.

The music service finished by saying that it is “constantly trying new things” and would “make changes based on customer feedback” wherever possible. It also published a blog post clarifying how to control what information is shared externally by its software, though if the comments on that blog are anything to go by, critics of the changes – who are probably just a very vocal minority – are unlikely to be placated.

Read the blog here.

Apple to announce iPhone 5 next month

Digital

Apple has announced details of the launch of the iPhone 5. Well, it’s sent out an invite to an event at 10pm on 4 Oct saying “Let’s talk iPhone”. Which seems like a pretty clear statement that the iPhone 5 will be launched. Well, clear by Apple’s standards anyway.

The announcement is expected to be the first delivered by Tim Cook since he took over from Steve Jobs as the company’s CEO, and rumours about what he’ll be telling the assembled journalists and geeks across the world are, of course, flying fast.

It seems to be generally expected that not one but two new iPhones will be announced, the iPhone 5 supertelephonecomputer and an entry-level phone, possibly called the iPhone 4S. Cook will also almost certainly officially launch Apple’s iCloud software, which, amongst other things, will put all your digital music files up in the cloud (or onto the internet, to give it its more boring but more accurate name) for access anywhere via any net-connected Apple device.

But does anyone really care what Cook will say next month? The rumour mill has already turned its attention to the iPhone 6, which will apparently have a new design that will feature a dentists drill as standard.

Glasgow’s Rock Radio to become Real Radio XS

Media

Glasgow’s Rock Radio will become Real Radio XS, after the Guardian Media Group decided to keep hold of the station.

As previously reported, a management buy out had been on the table, with The Guardian’s radio division talking to former exec Billy Anderson about him leading a bid to buy the Glasgow FM service. But it seems those takeover talks are now off, and GMG will keep hold of the station. To that end they will rebrand Rock Radio as Real Radio XS, as they have already done so with the other Rock Radio outpost in Manchester. The rebrand makes the rock station a more overt sister service to The Guardian’s bigger Real Radio franchise.

GMG Radio CEO Stuart Taylor told Radio Today: “Rebranding to Real Radio XS provides a much stronger commercial proposition to advertisers in Scotland and greater brand strength and awareness for our rock music station. The station will continue to have a distinctive rock sound and will cater for all rock music fans in Glasgow and Central Scotland, but this move will give it the best possible chance to grow”.

Tyler, The Creator protégé a hoax

And Finally

Odd Future recently announced that they had signed a new artist to their label, Odd Future Records, a development various media around the world reported on, though who remembers whether CMU was suckered in? I know I don’t.

It was an interesting story because when the hip hop posse first set up their own label via a joint venture with Sony’s RED distribution company they insisted they wouldn’t sign other artists, but use the venture to release their own output. But then they said earlier this week that their new discovery, the rather provocatively named Young Nigga, was just “too good” to not sign. They “simply could not pass up the opportunity” to work with this new talent, the announcement said.

A preview of the rapper’s debut single, ‘Come Threw Looking Clean’, brought the group’s website to a near standstill, and Young Nigga’s debut album, ‘Expensive Pasta’, to be produced by Odd Future’s own Tyler, The Creator, was reportedly in the works. Except it isn’t. Because it turns out that Young Nigga is none other than Tyler himself, cunningly disguised with a wig and some glasses.

Why Tyler did this, no one seems sure. His publicist told the LA Times: “I guess it was just Tyler having fun, because I could not verify why he did this alter ego either”.

Oh well, have a listen here anyway:

Kasabian call U2 fans “cardboard cut-outs”

And Finally

Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan recently said that he would refrain from badmouthing other bands in the future. However, he said nothing about their fans, who are apparently still fair game. Speaking to News.com.au last week, Meighan revealed that he didn’t enjoy supporting U2 on their ‘360 Degree’ tour one bit.

“I didn’t take in anything supporting them, the gigs were horrible, worst ever”, he said. “U2 fans are cardboard cut-outs, can you imagine supporting U2? Their fans are probably into one band and one album – ‘The Joshua Tree’. I didn’t learn anything because that’s just a fucking different level. It was amazing to watch and meet them [U2], but I didn’t learn anything apart from just get the fuck out”.

He added: “We were the support, so it is what it is. I hate supporting bands, we’re not a support band. So that’s never going to happen again”.

Rihanna’s exposed underwear not welcome on Irish farmland

And Finally

There was Rihanna, just minding her own business, removing her clothes in a field in Northern Ireland, when the farmer whose field it was, Alan Graham, turned up and ordered her to cover herself. Alan Graham wasn’t the only person to notice the singer’s underwear; she seemingly caused quite a traffic jam after hundreds of people arrived at the farm near Bangor in County Down to have a look.

Rihanna was filming a new video for her song ‘We Found Love’ ahead of three shows in Belfast later this week, and her people had been given permission by Graham to use his field for a video shoot. However, he said he hadn’t been aware that there would be any pants on show when he signed up, and only noticed what was going on when he went to collect a tractor.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “I thought it was inappropriate. I requested them to stop and they did. I had a conversation with Rihanna, and I hope she understands where I’m coming from. We shook hands. I didn’t know who was coming [for the video shoot]. If the name ‘Rihanna’ had been mentioned, well, no disrespect, but it wouldn’t have meant anything. From my point of view, it was my land, I have an ethos and I felt it was inappropriate. I wish no ill will against Rihanna and her friends. [But] perhaps they could acquaint themselves with a greater God”.

Approved: Papercutz

CMU Approved

Formed by producer Bruno Miguel in 2005, with vocalist Melissa Veras, electronic duo Papercutz released their debut album, ‘Lylac’, through Canadian indie label Apegenine in 2008. This was followed up last year with an ambient rework of the same album.

Having spent much of the last three years touring, the pair are now working on the second Papercutz album proper. However, their latest track to emerge online is a cover of The Cure’s ‘Disintegration’ (which you can stream and download below) created for a compilation to celebrate the first birthday of music website Futuresequence. Given a glacial cool that is slowly melted by Veras’ vocals, the pair make the track entirely their own. It’s a definite sonic progression from ‘Lylac’ and makes the prospect of that new album all the more exciting.

Thursday 29 September 2011, 11:52 | By CMU Editorial

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