Friday 28 October 2011, 11:36 | By CMU Editorial

Jesus And Mary Chain will work together again

Artist News

Jesus And Mary Chain vocalist Jim Reid has said that the band will work together again at some point in the future. Though that’s all your getting for now. You see, it all depends on whether he can agree on things with brother and bandmate William Reid.

Speaking to The Quietus, Reid said: “The Mary Chain will do more stuff, whether that will be records or whether that will be tours, [though] we still have a few fences to climb before that happens. The idea of doing another Mary Chain album is always around, but it’s sort of difficult with me and my brother; we still have a difficult relationship. And he lives in Los Angeles and I live in the south west of England. So it’s kind of difficult to get it together. We will probably do another record at some point, and we do talk about tours and stuff like that. It’s just so difficult to agree with each other. I mean I’m not saying it’s all his fault, but we have problems basically”.

Sounds like the perfect relationship to be working in. “Well it [is] better than it was”, he says. “We went through a year or two where we didn’t actually speak to each other when the band was breaking up in 1998. So it can’t be worse than that. It’s not ideal but it’s not terrible. We can talk now whereas at one point we couldn’t even do that”.

The Reid brothers last played together in 2008, and released a new song – ‘All Things Must Pass’ – on the soundtrack album of US TV series ‘Heroes’ the same year.

No Stipe solo album likely

Artist News

This is ‘not in the studio’ news really. Former REM-er Mike Mills has said that while he is looking for new musical projects now his band have split up, his former bandmate Michael Stipe probably isn’t, instead focusing on his sculpture and photography.

Asked by Mojo whether we can now expect a Michael Stipe solo album, Mills said: “I doubt it. I don’t think that’s where his passion lies. I think he wants to be in the visual arts. I imagine Michael will do a lot of sculpture and photography. I think those are his big interests now”.

Adele plans live DVD

Releases

Since Adele and her haemorrhaged vocal cords are taking an “extended rest period” from singing, it seems a new concert CD/DVD package will be the closest anyone’s going to get to seeing/hearing her “live” for some time.

Due out via XL on 28 Nov, ‘Live At The Royal Albert Hall’ will feature full footage from a performance that originally took place at the venerable London venue on 22 Sep. A companion CD will include a mixture of live performances of tracks from Adele’s studio albums, ’19’ and ’21’, alongside covers of Bonnie Raitt’s ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ and The Steeldrivers’ ‘If It Hadn’t Been For Love’.

Lex Records celebrates anniversary with compilation, MF Doom tour

Gigs & Festivals Releases

As part of its tenth anniversary celebrations, Lex Records has announced news of ‘Complex’, an exclusive ten-track compilation album featuring artists signed or connected to the label, including Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood, plus Neon Neon and Boom Bip. Each of the ten tracks on the record will be made available digitally one by one over ten weeks, before the full compo is released on picture disc vinyl in January.

Talking of the so called Lex10 celebrations, they include a UK tour by MF Doom – or DOOM, as he prefers to be called at present – which kicks off in Glasgow next week, and includes a special show with guests Ghostface Killah and Jneiro Jarel at London’s Roundhouse on 5 Nov.

Full dates as follows:

3 Nov: Glasgow, The Arches
4 Nov: Manchester, HMV Ritz
5 Nov: London, Roundhouse
7 Nov: Leeds, O2 Academy
10 Nov: Oxford, O2 Academy
11 Nov: Hatfield, The Forum
15 Nov: Bristol, Motion
16 Nov: Birmingham, O2 Academy
18 Nov: Brighton, Concorde 2

New Active Child

Releases

With his delightful debut album, ‘You Are All I See’, out this week, Active Child has unveiled a brand new track bearing the title ‘Diamond Heart’. A clear-cut gem of eighties-aping electronica, the song is set to feature on a deluxe edition of the LP which will be available exclusively on iTunes as of 31 Oct.

Listen to the song here:

Shane Meadows hoping to direct Stone Roses documentary

Artist News

Shane Meadows is hoping to direct a documentary following The Stone Roses as they unite for the first time in fifteen years next year. Best known for directing stories (albeit fictional ones) where tense and complicated relationships occasionally result in violence, Meadows seems the perfect man for the job.

Though, while Meadows has already done some filming that may be used for the documentary, the film project is not yet 100% confirmed. The director said via Twitter: “We filmed the press conference [announcing the reunion] last week but until we finish [post-production] on ‘This Is England 88’ [a TV spin-off from Meadow’s film ‘This Is England] in [December] nothing will be finalised. We just jumped at chance to film the announcement. Exciting though!”

Oneohtrix Point Never tour

Gigs & Festivals

Oneohtrix Point Never is to drop by the UK for a three-date live spell next month in support of his new LP ‘Replica’. With that due out on 7 Nov, a free copy of somnambulant album cut ‘Sleep Dealer’ is free to download below.

Tour dates:

22 Nov: Bristol, Cube Cinema
23 Nov: Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
24 Nov: London, St Giles Church

Sony Corp takes complete ownership of Ericsson phone maker

Digital

Apple having well and truly shaken up the market in the last five years, the smartphone industry now looks set to enter a new era as the third of the traditional big players in the handset space announced a corporate rejig yesterday.

Nokia having thrown out a lot of the old to strike up a new partnership with Microsoft, and Google having taken ownership of the Motorola phone firm as part of the Android revolution, now Sony Corp has taken complete ownership of its mobile maker, Sony Ericsson, buying Swedish telco Ericcson out of the firm in a billion pound deal.

The move is seemingly part of Sony’s bid to have a more integrated approach in the sale of its various consumer electronic devices – so phones, PCs, TVs, games consoles and tablets – all of which increasingly provide access to the same content and services.

Sony was now the company, the Corp’s supremo Howard Stringer said when confirming the Ericcson deal yesterday, which could truly let customers connect with content “wherever they are, whenever they want”. Which is almost true, though I was always promised that my kitchen would become net-connected via my fridge, and I don’t see Sony helping me out there just yet.

CMU Beef Of The Week #84: Coldplay v Spotify

And Finally Beef Of The Week

Coldplay, it seems, have decided to shun Spotify with the release of their new album ‘Mylo Xyloto’. In fact, you won’t find the band’s new long player on most of the licensed streaming music services. According to CNet, in the US the band have also chosen to not distribute their new record to MOG, Rdio or Rhapsody, while back in the UK, although We7 does list the album, its tracks are currently limited to 30 second previews.

But it’s Coldplay’s decision to shun Spotify that has grabbed most attention, partly because they are the one service that operates in both the US and UK, and partly because it fits into the ‘artists hate Spotify’ narrative that has begun appearing in the media as part of the recent backlash to the onetime darling of digital music. Quite why ‘Mylo Xyloto’ is non-streamable isn’t clear, and when asked for a comment on the matter, EMI was non-committal saying only: “We always work with our artists and management on a case by case basis to deliver the best outcome for each release”.

But some have noted Coldplay’s new record isn’t the only big new release not to be found on Spotify.
Hunt around all you like, but you’ll not find Adele’s second LP ’21’ on there either. And as fans of music industry sales stats will already know, that’s a record breaking best seller, shifting over three million copies in the UK alone (over a million more than the top selling album of 2010, Take That’s ‘Progress’).

And look at all the other records in the best selling albums of 2010 list, they’ve sold nowhere near as many units. Is that partly because Adele fans were forced to buy the record old school style when they found it wasn’t available for free streaming on Spotify et al? And has that fact (or theory, perhaps) motivated Team Coldplay to likewise shun the streamers?

Of course on the back the success of ’21’, Adele has also sold another million copies of her debut ’19’, which is sitting there on Spotify all ready to be played for free. So how do you explain that? And who’s to say it’s Adele’s Spotify-shunning that has aided her success? She also refused to play any festivals this year, perhaps wary of the negative impact of over exposure. Did that aid record sales? Maybe Coldplay have already scuppered their chances of Adele-level success by headlining Glastonbury.

Though, as previously reported, Coldplay are on track to have the fastest first week sales of the year. Perhaps Spotify is to blame for every other album’s poorer sales performance after all. Or perhaps it’s just that Adele and Coldplay are the biggest pop acts of the day, appealing to more casual music consumers who are still buying records old school style, while Spotify users – getting empty returns when searching for the two acts’ new records – are just returning to the file-sharing networks and grabbing them from there. Perhaps both Adele and Coldplay could have had both record traditional sales and record streaming royalties if they’d only taken the plunge.

Who knows? Who cares? If Coldplay reckon the old school way works, let’s sort this out the traditional way too: Chris Martin, Daniel Ek, in the car park now, fight, fight, fight.

Playlist: Archeo

CMU Playlists

Born in Bombay, neo-pop soloist Archeo had a fairly international upbringing, living in Hong Kong and Nigeria before settling in London while still a child. Finding himself drawn to the studio throughout three distracted years at University, he siphoned a passion for 90s and noughties pop songwriting into a set of early demos, later founding his own label, Music Mantra.

He’s now poised to release his first official single, ‘Mr General’, a slick, acerbic slice of synth-driven R&B, on 28 Nov. Having enlisted Steve Osbourne (Suede, New Order) to produce the track, Archeo is now working with the likes of Fabien Waltmann (Will Young, No Doubt) and Ant Whiting (MIA, Paloma Faith) on a debut album. Despite his eclectic stylistic tastes, which encompass everyone from James Brown to Elvis, he remains somewhat of a purist when it comes to pop.

“I’ve not crossed over from anything and I’m not coming from any niche”, he says. “I make pop music. Pop to me is a constantly changing landscape, and I’m proud to be part of that tradition”.

And speaking of traditions as pre-eminent as pop itself, Archeo has come up with a Powers Of Ten playlist, which finds him splicing together a set of his best-loved tunes.

ARCHEO’S TEN
Click here to listen to Archeo’s playlist in Spotify, and then read on to find out more about his choices.

01 Pearl Jam – Even Flow
Great song, though I still think the ‘MTV Unplugged’ performance of this is better.

02 Kanye West – Celebration
I love the combination of sample work and Kanye’s robotic production.

03 The Cool Kids – Swimsuits
This song has such an irresistible groove. I’m not into the chorus so much, but the verses make my face scrunch up!

04 Lenny Kravitz – Black Girl
A beautiful song. I have always respected Lenny’s bold use of effects, turning what could have been an ordinary throwback song into something fresh and of its time.

05 Pete Philly – Ocean
I just came across this guy, because my producer Mr Waltmann put me onto him. The beat makes me want to slap myself.

06 Britney Spears – Toxic
This might just be the perfect ‘pop’ song. What more can I say?

07 Pharrell feat Nelly – Baby
Just for the lyrics “I heard you like red lobster”.

08 Jay-Z & Kanye West – Gotta Have It
A nice sample and reminds me of Timbaland circa ‘Indian Flute’.

09 Rick James – Mary Jane
I love the part when Rick chops up his vocals. I also love Ja Rule and J Lo’s ‘I’m Real’, which samples this track.

10 Rihanna – Photographs
I think that Rihanna’s ‘Rated R’ album was actually ahead of its time. ‘Photographs’ has production that really appeals to me, with its use of organic instrumentation and futuristic beats.

Approved: Tremoro Tarantura

CMU Approved

Norwegian outift Tremoro Tarantura formed a year ago this month, quickly pulling together a collection of tracks, which were released as the album ‘Virtulipan Collapseecon’ just a few weeks later. The speed of recording was born out of the band’s unusual decision to view their songs as field recordings, travelling to locations such as churches and supposedly haunted houses to record visceral bursts of instrumental noise.

Entitled ‘Vayyns’, the first single from their second album features a guest appearance from [concept.virus] (aka Årabrot’s Stian Skagan), who adds his own textures to the track’s urgent guitars and abstract vocals. More focussed than their earlier work, it’ll be interesting to seen how this track fits in with the rest of the album, ‘Avaleeches’, which will feature more guest appearances from artists including producer Zweizz and Deathcrush drummer Andreas Larssen.

‘Vayyns’ is available now from Bandcamp, and you can stream it on the SoundCloud player below. ‘Avaleeches’ is due for release through Circusia Recordings early next year.

Morrissey’s NME libel case to proceed to court

Legal Top Stories

Morrissey

Oh, fantastic, I’m going to buy a new hat for this. Morrissey’s libel action against the NME over “that interview” is set for a full High Court hearing next year.

As previously reported, Morrissey has finally got round to suing the music weekly over an interview it ran with him back in 2007 in which the singer appeared to say that an “immigration explosion” had damaged Britain’s identity. Morrissey immediately hit out at the magazine and its editor Conor McNicholas, arguing they had twisted his words to make him look racist, so that the interview would be more sensational and sell more copies. The NME denies any such editorial meddling.

Although it took Morrissey four years to get round to suing, top libel judge Michael Tugendhat has ruled the case should be properly heard. At a hearing earlier this month NME publisher IPC argued that the claimant’s delay in pursuing any action meant they wouldn’t get a fair trial (as the case would rely on witnesses recalling conversations from four years ago), and that the fact Morrissey had enjoyed much success as a recording and performing artist in the intervening years made a mockery of his claim the interview had harmed his reputation. The publisher asked that the case be dismissed.

But Tugendhat yesterday said in a written ruling: “Overall, in my judgment, a proper balance between [NME’s] Article 10 right of freedom of expression [under the European Convention Of Human Rights] and Mr Morrissey’s right to the protection of his individual reputation requires, in the circumstances of this case, that the action be permitted to proceed”. He added that the singer’s explanation for why it had taken four years to pursue his action – mainly that his falling out with former manager Merck Mercuriadis in 2008 had left his finances in chaos – was “credible”.

Needless to say, Morrissey welcomed the ruling, telling reporters: “In 2007, the NME viciously attacked me and labelled me a racist and a hypocrite. Last week they sought to avoid facing me in court to settle the matter once and for all. I am delighted that the NME’s attempt to stifle my claim was unsuccessful and that as a result I will be able to use the very public forum of the High Court in London to clear my name, loud and clear for all to hear”.

Despite losing in its bid to block the action, an IPC spokesman yesterday said that “after almost four years, we are glad that the matter will now proceed to trial and we will finally get the opportunity to bring this matter to a close”.

Of course there’s still the chance of an out of court settlement depriving us of a full court hearing, but assuming the case does go ahead it could prove quite entertaining. Morrissey himself, his estranged former manager Mercuriadis, former NME editor McNicholas, his successor and former deputy Krissi Murison-Hodge, and the journalist who conducted the interview – Tim Jonze, now with The Guardian – may all be called to testify. Good times.

Amy Winehouse died after alcohol binge

X-Factor girl group to change name after online campaign

Media Top Stories

So, bosses of the ‘X-Factor’ aren’t complete bastards, who knew? Producers of the ITV show yesterday announced that they were changing the name of the girl group they manufactured for this year’s contest after a music charity pointed out it was itsname too.

As previously reported, the Rhythmix charity works with children who have been bereaved, who are disabled, or who have been sent to youth detention centres, using music as a method to aid personal and communicative development. Operating since 1999, it owns the trademark in the name in the educational space, though not in music.

When the organisation heard that ‘X-Factor’ bosses were using the same name for one of the groups on their TV show, and that the ‘X’ machine was planning on registering the name as a trademark in the music space, the charity reached out to the programme’s producers, expressing concern Team X’s plans would cause confusion with their organisation, and hinder their fund-raising activity, which includes staging music events and selling merchandise using the Rhythmix name.

Given that the ‘X-Factor’ girl group was created by the show – it didn’t come as a ready made outfit – and as, therefore, no actual investment had been made in the group’s name, the charity expected a positive reaction to its approach. But instead the charity was told it had a weak legal case, and would have to fight the ‘X’ machine in court for rights to the name, diverting funds from charitable initiatives.

Even when various media picked up on the story, and an organic online campaign calling on the Rhythmix girl group to change their name began to gain momentum, ‘X-Factor’ producers stood their ground. But yesterday, just hours after the charity’s CEO posted a public plea to Simon Cowell to step in and sort things out, the show’s bosses announced the girl group would, indeed, choose a new name.

In a short statement Team X said: “At the request of the charity Rhythmix, the members of the girl group Rhythmix have decided to change their name, a decision which has the support of [Simon Cowell’s company] Syco and [the show’s other producer, Fremantle’s] talkbackTHAMES. The group’s new name will be announced in due course”.

So look at that, a happy ending, who’d of thought it possible? Insiders say that the girl group, made up of Nikki, Sarah, Pattie, Charlie and Claire, might just go with their respective initials as a new name. No I made that up. I’ve no idea who the girl-group-formally-known-as-Rhythmix actually are. In fact I’ve never even seen an episode of ‘X-Factor’. Is that the one with dancing or the ice skating?

A generous and kind doctor: Murray trial update

Jacksons v AEG Timeline Legal

Conrad Murray might be totally inept, but he’s also “generous and kind”, defence lawyers told the court hearing the doctor’s manslaughter case yesterday.

Well, I’m paraphrasing slightly, but after weeks of experts lining up to criticise Murray for even thinking of administering the dangerous surgical anaesthetic propofol as a cure for insomnia in a domestic setting, yesterday a number of former patients took to the stand to pay tribute to the doctor accused of causing Michael Jackson’s death. Andrew Guest, treated by Murray for a heart condition, said he thought Murray wasn’t “getting a fair shake”, adding: “I’m alive today because of that man”.

Others countered those who have implied Murray took the gig as Jackson’s personal physician – and possibly pandered to willingly to the singer’s demands – out of greed. Some noted Murray was known to work for free for hard up patients, while another told how he had opened a cardiology practice at a residential home for mostly poor elderly people in Houston. One resident of that home, Ruby Mosely, told the court: “If this man had been greedy, he never would have come to an area – a community like Acres Homes – where he was making less than when he was in Vegas”.

Five former patients testified in total. One, Gerry Causey, commended Murray’s approach and generosity, adding that the doctor became his friend after operating on him.

Of course it could be argued that Murray’s “generosity” was possibly his weakness, making him prone to give in to Jackson’s desperate pleas for prescription medication, when another doctor may have said no. It seems unlikely that, when the jury begin deliberating next week, yesterday’s string of character witnesses will, on their own, overcome the many criticisms of Murray’s conduct outlined by the prosecution, though they may well mend some of the damage done to the doctor’s reputation outside the courtroom.

The case continues.

High Court issues Newzbin injunction

Digital Legal

The English High Court has formally issued its injunction against BT ordering the telco to block access to file-sharing website Newzbin2 following successful legal action by the Motion Picture Association earlier this year.

As previously reported, the MPA launched its bid to force BT, as the UK’s biggest internet service provider, to block access to the website, which provides links to all sorts of unlicensed content, after the operators of Newzbin moved the site to Sweden to avoid the jurisdiction of the English courts, which had previously ordered an earlier incarnation of the site be shut down on copyright grounds.

It’s an important case because it is the first time the British courts have issued a website blocking injunction on copyright grounds. Some of the copyright provisions in the Digital Economy Act set out a process for exactly that kind of injunction, but that section of the DEA is currently on hold with the three-strikes element taking (albeit slow) priority. But the Newzbin case showed that, while the on-hold DEA provisions might speed up the process, it is possible to get web-blocking injunctions on copyright grounds under existing laws.

There are two particularly interesting elements to the actual injunction issued against BT this week by judge Richard Arnold. First, the injunction applies to all and any web or IP addresses used by Newzbin, so that the MPA won’t need to get a new injunction when Newzbin tries to circumvent the block by providing access via alternative addresses.

And second, the MPA won’t have to contribute to any costs BT incurs in order to enforce the injunction, or to fight any other legal actions that may or may not stem from the block. The judge also said that BT customers won’t be able to sue over the blockage, because the ISP is allowed to instigate the block under its existing terms and conditions. The ISP has fourteen days to make it all happen.

This is all very interesting, because many expect movie and music industry bodies to now pursue similar actions against other file-sharing services and internet service providers, so the methods employed by Arnold set an important precedent.

Needless to say, the MPA welcomed the injunction, with its MD Chris Marcich telling reporters that “securing the intervention of the ISPs was the only way to put the commercial pirates out of reach for the majority of consumers. This move means that we can invest more in our own digital offerings, delivering higher quality and more variety of products to the consumer”.

Speaking for the music industry, Geoff Taylor of record label trade body BPI said: “It is high time that British musicians and creators had an effective way to deal with websites and services that rip off their music. This judgment is an important first step in that direction and shows responsible ISPs the way forward”.

Although BT originally opposed the injunction, it yesterday said it was “helpful” that the court order provided some “clarity” on how the web blocking process will work.

Bedroom CD bootlegger given suspended sentence

Legal

Some more conventional music piracy now, albeit aided by the internet. A 60 year old man from South Yorkshire has been given a suspended sentence for selling pirated CDs online.

David Finney from Barnsley downloaded music from the internet, burned it to CDs, and then sold them via the web. After the BPI discovered the operation, police seized his computer equipment and found he had illegally copied 200,000 items. That said, compared to many bootleg CD operations, Finney’s enterprise was pretty basic, and despite the high quantities of copies he was making it’s thought payments taken via PayPal amounted to just over £12,000.

According to Sheffield newspaper The Star, prosecutor Elizabeth Martin said the 200,000 copied items had a retail value of £197,000, and that “this kind of activity is costing millions of pounds a year to the [music] industry which has a knock-on effect on employment and clearly is a matter of concern as well as concerning HM Customs and the taxpayer”.

But Finney’s defence lawyer stressed the cottage industry nature of his client’s operation, and that the income from it was relatively small, adding “he is 60 and of previous good character and is not a well man. He is terrified of the prospect of going to prison”.

The judge hearing the case accepted that there was a ‘degree of naivety’ about Finney’s piracy pursuits, proven by the fact he made no effort to conceal his identity when selling the bootlegged CDs online. But, he said, given the number of tracks illegally copied, and the fact the venture ran for four years, a custodial sentence was required, albeit a suspended one.

Finney was given a nine month suspended jail term, and ordered to wear an electronic tag and adhere to a night time curfew for four months. Money and kit associated with the piracy operation will also be confiscated.

New Coldplay LP notches big first week sales

Artist News

Coldplay’s fifth studio LP, ‘Mylo Xyloto’, which looks a safe bet to conquer the charts this weekend, has experienced one of the best-selling opening weeks of any album released so far this year.

According to the latest Official Chart Company update, the LP shifted 122,000 units in its first three days after release, with digital downloads making up 40% of all UK sales. ‘Mylo’ could well exceed 200,000 copies by Sunday, an achievement matched only by Adele’s ’21’ and Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’.

When asked how it would feel to dislodge Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ debut from the number one spot in the albums chart this coming weekend, Chris Martin said: “We’ve never knocked Noel Gallagher off anything, not even a chair!”

The sales of ‘Mylo Xyloto’ are still a way off the highest UK first week sale of all time, that being 763,735, set by Oasis’ ‘Be Here Now’ in 1997. Noel Gallagher has a spare chair, it seems.

Ex-Lostprophets and NIN drummer joins Angels And Airwaves

Artist News

Drummer Ilan Rubin, a past member of Lostprophets and Nine Inch Nails, has now joined Angels And Airwaves. My, isn’t the rock scene incestuous. Fronted by Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge, the band are set to release the second half of their double album, ‘Love’, on 7 Nov.

Etta James announces last ever album

Releases

The final studio album from soul legend Etta James will be released by Verve Records on 14 Nov, it has been confirmed.

Called ‘The Dreamer’ and her first new album in five years, it will feature covers of Otis Redding’s ‘Cigarettes & Coffee’, Ray Charles’ ‘In The Evening’ and Guns N Roses’ ‘Welcome To The Jungle’.

James will formally retire after this LP comes out, and a statement from the singer says: “I wish to thank all my fans who have shown me love and support over all these years. I love you all”.

As previously reported, there have been legal squabbles among members of James’s family in the last year regarding the healthcare the singer is receiving, with James reportedly battling both dementia and leukaemia.

Busdriver previews track from forthcoming LP

Releases

West Coast rap auteur Busdriver has announced a release date for his new album, ‘Beaus$Eros’. Having in the past collaborated with the diverse likes of Deerhoof, Flying Lotus and Modeselektor, he has worked solely with Dutch producer Loden on this, his seventh studio LP, which is due to drop via Fake Four on 16 Jan.

Listen to ‘Beaus$Eros’ component, ‘No Blacks No Jews No Asians’, here:

The Rapture announce free Converse show

Gigs & Festivals

The Rapture are to follow in the Converse-clad footsteps of Graham Coxon and Everything Everything, having booked a free show at London’s 100 Club – which is sponsored by the sneaker brand – on 1 Nov. You can secure tickets for it here.

If you’d rather pay to see the band, their six-date UK tour begins tonight at Bristol’s Thekla.

Matt Cardle to tour

Gigs & Festivals

Last year’s ‘X-Factor’ victor, Matt Cardle, has just announced a substantial set of 2012 tour dates. 21, to be precise.

Cardle, whose debut LP ‘Letters’ lost out to Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in this past weekend’s official album chart, has once again expressed a desire to cut ties with all-things ‘X’. He says: “That was my ‘X-Factor’ trip over. Now I have to get on with being Matt on my own with my band and writing and performing”.

The reinvention is due to begin in Rhyl. Well, why not?

28 Feb: Rhyl, Pavilion
29 Feb: Rhyl, Pavilion
1 Mar: York, Barbican
3 Mar: Cambridge, Corn Exchange
4 Mar: Oxford, Apollo New Theatre
5 Mar: Birmingham, Symphony Hall
7 Mar: Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
8 Mar: Bournemouth, Academy
10 Mar: Swindon, Oasis
11 Mar: Portsmouth, Guildhall
12 Mar: Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
14 Mar: Liverpool, Philharmonic
15 Mar: Glasgow, Academy
16 Mar: Newcastle, City Hall
18 Mar: Belfast, Waterfront
22 Mar: Manchester, Apollo
24 Mar: Cardiff, St Davids
25 Mar: Bristol, Colston Hall
26 Mar: Plymouth, Pavilions
28 Mar: Brighton, Dome
29 Mar: London, Hammersmith Apollo

Warner and BMG back to being favourites in EMI bidding race

Business News EMI Sale Timeline Labels & Publishers

Warner Music and BMG are currently the front runners to take ownership of the two EMI businesses, according to Bloomberg.

Citigroup are still to announce what they will do with the music company they repossessed from former owners Terra Firma at the start of the year, but insiders are still saying that the bank will go ahead with a sale of the firm, despite bids not being as numerous as originally hoped, and that in order to maximise their profits it will almost certainly be sold as two separate entities, record labels and music publishing.

It is thought that Warner will get the former and BMG the latter, which is the outcome many were predicting a year ago before Citigroup had even seized ownership of the company. In recent weeks Universal Music had been mooted as the frontrunner for the EMI record companies, but Bloomberg sources say that it is likely to be outbid on price by Warner Music’s new owners Access Industries. According to said sources, Citigroup and Access are currently discussing EMI’s pension liabilities, but if an agreement can be reached on that, the two sides could look to close a deal next week.

Although it seems less clear cut on the publishing side, where BMG and Sony/ATV are the two contenders, reports suggest that Sony/ATV – which has put a consortium in place to raise the money required to bid – has asked for more time to raise further funds, which gives BMG the advantage. The joint venture between Bertelsmann and equity group KKR have more ready access to cash, and according to the New York Post the former’s new CEO, Thomas Rabe, has been in the US this week to help with their bid.

The only serious offer that would keep EMI together as one business, and as an autonomous entity, is that of Ron Perelman’s MacAndrews & Forbes. Although probably the simplest of the deals on the table – there would be no obvious competition law issues – and the one that would potentially allow EMI’s current leadership to stay in situ, most sources seem to suggest Perelman simply can’t afford a bid that would match the money to be made by selling labels and publishing separately.

Clubbing firm goes into administration

Business News Live Business

Nightclub owner the Luminar Group – which calls itself the biggest nightclub operator in the UK – has gone into administration. The company admitted it was unable to meet some of its bank repayment obligations, and shares in the company were subsequently suspended.

The firm, which owns 75 venues across the country, saw its sales drop by 19% last year, resulting in losses of £198 million. It successfully persuaded banks to lighten its covenant obligations earlier this year as it sought to turn round its fortunes and/or engineer a sale of the company, but neither worked and the company is now likely to default on loans with Lloyds, Barclays and the Royal Bank Of Scotland.

The clubbing company’s collapse comes a week after the licence for one of its venues, in Northampton, was suspended after a crush at the city’s Lava Ignire venue killed one clubber and left another in a critical condition.

Twitter appoints music partnerships manager

Digital

A former social media exec at Disney’s music company has been hired by Twitter in the US to handle music partnerships. Tatiana Simonian will work in the micro-blogging service’s Content & Programming team, which is headed up by Chloe Sladden, a former Current TV VP.

According to Billboard, Sladden’s team is looking to encourage music, TV, news, sport and other entertainment companies to more prolifically integrate Twitter into their output. One high profile partnership already struck up by Sladden’s team will see Twitter voting added as an option on the US version of ‘X-Factor’.

Pure launches streaming service

Digital

Digital radio maker PURE has announced plans to launch a subscription-based streaming music service which will work on some of its digital radio sets as well as via PCs and smartphones. The on-demand service will have a monthly subscription of £4.99, and offer playlist functionality and such like, though the most interesting element is probably the tagging function.

Some PURE devices already offer a tagging service, where you can tag songs you hear on the radio and then go online to buy them as downloads. With the new service you would also be able to stream tagged songs via any PURE-enabled device. It’s interesting in that it turns radio into a discovery platform that links directly to an on-demand streaming service. There have been various efforts to link radio to online music services over the years, including PURE’s own previous dabblings, though none have really taken off. It will be interesting to see if this is the one that can.

Commenting on the new service, which will launch in December, PURE’s Director Of Marketing Colin Crawford told reporters: “Whether you are into chart hits or would prefer a trip down memory lane, PURE Music is the perfect service to allow you to find music and listen to individual tracks, full albums, or even mixtapes perfectly matched to your mood. PURE Music is now at the heart of all of our internet radios, making it child’s play to find and enjoy any music you want directly on your favourite listening device. Forget the hassle of downloading and ripping – just search and enjoy”.

RAJAR round-up

Media

So, the latest RAJAR radio listening figures are out everybody, and top level stats – assuming you buy RAJAR’s not entirely fool proof measurement systems – include the fact that 90.7% of people now tune into radio at least once a week, total listening hours are up 2% year on year, digital listening hours have passed 300 million a week for the first time, and the accessing of radio via mobile phones is up 24.2%. On the digital front, the DAB network still accounts for most digital listening, though use of radio-via-TV platforms and internet listening were both up this time.

But what about the relative success of different stations in the latest ratings report? Well, Radio 1 saw its audience grow again over the summer so it is reaching more listeners each week than at anytime in the last decade, though in the big race – breakfast – its sister station Radio 2 still performs better, with Chris Evans growing his audience to 8.86 million while Chris Moyles’ audience figures fell to 7.16 million.

Elsewhere at the Beeb, classical station Radio 3 saw its overall audience fall quarter on quarter and year on year to 2.05 million listeners a week. There was a quite radical schedule overhaul there in the latter part of the most recent RAJAR quarter, which may or may not have played its part in the audience slip. Ironically the aim of the revamp was to appeal to a bigger audience, though in doing so station bosses have alienated some of their more faithful listeners. That said, it would be unfair to expect any positive impacts of the revamp to be apparent in the listening figures quite this soon.

On to the commercial stations, and London first, where Global Radio is making much of the fact its main two stations, Capital and Heart, are now the two biggest in terms of audience size. Capital, of course, floundered for several years once Heart and other rival Magic started gaining momentum ten years ago, but can now claim to be number one again. It’s quite an achievement for Team Capital, and possibly proves that adopting a music and programming policy that makes my ears physically bleed (I mean, really bleed, one hour listening and I have no blood left) is the way to appeal to the masses. In the latest RAJAR quarter, Bauer Media’s Magic came in third.

Global is also making much about the fact its wider Capital and Heart networks, which are now quasi-national stations, both saw audiences grow, suggesting the company’s policy of rolling out brands, programming and playlists nationally works. That said, local radio in general had a good quarter, with many of those stations owned by UTV, UKRD and smaller operators, most of which adopt a more local approach in both brand and programming, also seeing impressive audience increases. That’s not to say there were increases 100% across the board – I don’t want this RAJAR round-up to be wholly positive – but the gains seem more bountiful than the losses.

Some digital-only stations also had a good quarter, with Absolute’s decade stations, 80s and 90s, both doing well, the former now the biggest digital-only station, ahead of Bauer’s The Hits Radio. Seven digital-only channels now reach over a million listeners a month, including Absolute 80s, Five Live Sports Extra, Smash Hits, The Hits, 6Music, 4Extra and Kerrang, with 1Xtra and Planet Rock getting near that landmark too – the latter seeing its audience grow again, so it’s now bigger in audience than the whole of Xfm, which isn’t a direct competitor, but it is an indication of the potential for genre-focused services in the digital-only space.

Footballer Joey Barton to reunite The Smiths

And Finally Artist News

No one has yet managed to convince The Smiths to reunite, despite ever increasing offers of hard cash. But footballer Joey Barton reckons he could be the man to finally coax Johnny Marr and Morrissey back onto the stage for some reason.

Speaking at the Q Awards earlier this week, QPR captain Barton revealed that he had recently met Johnny Marr after the guitarist invited him to one of his new band The Healers’ gigs. Barton said: “If I could get The Smiths back together that would top anything I could achieve on the football pitch. They told me they had turned down £40 million for a reunion – but I reckon Marr is up for it”.

Having chummed up with Marr, the footballer is apparently due to have dinner with Morrissey this week. Perhaps he could point out that Ian Brown is using the Stone Roses reunion to pay for his divorce, something generally less expensive than a bitter libel trial.

Q&A: Steve Levine

Business Interviews

Steve Levine has been working in the record industry since the mid-1970s, when he joined CBS Studios as a trainee tape-op.

Working as an engineer and later producer he has worked with countless artists over the years, including The Clash, Stevie Wonder, Ziggy Marley, Motorhead and, perhaps most notably, Culture Club – he produced their first three albums. He continues to produce today, but has also expanded his role, providing an incubator for new bands through his own record Hubris Records, allowing new talent the space and support to develop.

A prominent player in the wider record business, Steve has had roles in various industry organisations over the years, and, perhaps most notably, is currently Chair of the Music Producers’ Guild. He is also an accomplished broadcaster, most commonly popping up on the BBC discussing the music industry, the recording process, and new bands and releases. His most high profile radio project to date is certainly ‘The Record Producers, the BBC programme that explores the work of individuals whose recordings have had a lasting impact on popular music history.

Steve is set to take part next week in BASCA’s Songfest event, taking place at The Bedford in Balham from 31 Oct to 2 Nov. Ahead of that, CMU Business Editor Chris Cooke caught up with Steve to chat about his long career, his current projects, and the role of the record producer past, present and future.

CC: When you joined CBS Studios as a trainee tape-op in 1975 what were your ambitions – did you aspire to be a record producer from the outset?
SL: Not really. Initially I just wanted to make records, but not as an artist. The first aim was to become a recording engineer. I was inspired by seeing a picture of Larry Levine, Phil Spector’s engineer. Though that was probably because I knew that role would provide part of the skillset I’d need to become a producer, and it’s a route many producers take.

CC: Different record producers seem to approach the job differently – some playing a more creative role, others more involved in the actual sound engineering, others act as the coordinator. What kind of producer are you?
SL: Very much all of those!

CC: Has the role you play as a record producer changed over the years?
SL: Yes, very much so. The role of record producer has gone full circle to that originally conceived by producers like [Sun Studios founder] Sam Phillips in the 1940s and 50s, where record production means recording, producing and manufacturing records.

CC: You joined a studio and worked your way up the ranks, whereas a lot of the new generation of producers teach themselves the ropes at home. Do you think that’s a good or bad thing?
SL: Home recording has its good sides, in particular you have much more time to develop your technique. But collaboration is also very useful early on in your career, so you can see how other producers and engineers work, and sadly that is much harder for the new generation to get with the demise of so many studios.

CC: Not only are bands now expected to write their own songs to be ‘credible’, because many now record their own first EP or album before getting signed, they often become producers too. Is that a good or bad thing?
SL: Good and bad. New bands must be careful of suffering from ‘demo-itus’. But learning the skills of record production can be useful, especially when they do start working with a producer, because if they can explain what they aspire to achieve in “production terms” that partnership can be much more successful. But I think ultimately it’s best for bands to have an external voice involved when making their records, if nothing else it often helps prevent internal squabbles

CC: With more bands self-producing, and record labels cutting budgets, does that make it harder to be a new record producer?
SL: Not really. With so many bands having to make their own first records, a new producer should find a band at that stage and help them develop the sound they are searching for. That’s a great way in, and both band and producer benefit.

CC: So, assuming the option to join a recording studio and learn on the job isn’t available, aspiring producers should look to hook up with new bands in need of some production help?
SL: Yes, definitely. Go to as many gigs as you can and find a band you think have potential, and who you think you could help develop and just ASK THEM!

CC: You now have your own label, Hubris Records. Why did you set that up?
SL: When I worked with 6 Day Riot we needed a way to get the EP, and then the album, out there, and whilst we had some approaches we didn’t like the “vibe” of the other partners, so we decided to go alone.

CC: Is the aim of Hubris to cut other labels out of the equation? Or is it more of an incubator operation – helping bands develop so they are in a position to sign deals with other record companies down the line?
SL: Hubris is definitely about A&R development – as you say incubation – the sort of development work that sadly the major labels just don’t really do any more.

CC: Where do you find the bands you work with via Hubris?
SL: They approach me. Or I go to gigs and hear them. Daytona Lights are a prime example of that – they supported Patch William and I loved them so much I had to work with them – they were so impressive live.

CC: How did the ‘The Record Producers’ radio programme come about?
SL: I have known Richard Allison since about 1994 and I was a guest on his Radio 2 show talking about record production. We had such a great response to that show, we went to see Lesley Douglas, the then controller, who commissioned the series.

CC: The record producer is often the unsung hero of pop music. Have you found an appetite among listeners to find out about the people who worked behind the scenes on our favourite records?
SL: Yes, definitely, the main focus of the series is to show the listener how, with many of their favourite records, it’s often the production tricks that they love as well as the song.

CC: You’ve covered so many great music makers in the series – which record producers past, present and future do you most admire – and are there any producers you’re yet to cover on the radio show that you’d really like to make a programme about?
SL: All the producers that I have featured I admire in different ways, however I think every producer past and present has to admire the work of Sir George Martin. I also love the work of HDH and Gamble & Huff, and greatly admired Norman Whitfield, who is sadly no longer with us, and I never got to meet him! But there are many other producers we want to cover on the programme, and we have more in the pipeline. Watch this space!

CC: You have a unique perspective on the record industry – obviously it’s just coming out of a tricky decade. Are you optimistic for the industry’s future?
SL: Very much so. I have never been busier – but you have to find other ways of earning a living, because the standard record producer royalty has very little value with so much piracy around.

CC: From Culture Club in the early 1980s to Daytona Lights today, you’ve worked with so many artists over 35 years, and a fair few at the start of their careers when you first meet them. A lot has changed in the music industry in that time, has what makes a great band with real potential changed do you think?
SL: Not really. I still believe great songs, and great ideas for songs, will shine through. The best artists are those who are willing to experiment, to be inventive and different, and who have hubris!

Friday 28 October 2011, 11:36 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Jim Reid | The Jesus And Mary Chain | William Reid

Friday 28 October 2011, 11:35 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Michael Stipe | Mike Mills | REM

Friday 28 October 2011, 11:33 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Adele

Friday 28 October 2011, 11:32 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Doom | Lex Records

Friday 28 October 2011, 11:28 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Active Child

Friday 28 October 2011, 11:26 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Shane Meadows | The Stone Roses

Friday 28 October 2011, 11:25 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Oneohtrix Point Never

Friday 28 October 2011, 11:24 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Howard Stringer | Sony Corp | Sony Ericsson

Friday 28 October 2011, 11:22 | By Andy Malt

READ MORE ABOUT: Coldplay | Spotify

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:57 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Archeo

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:55 | By Andy Malt

READ MORE ABOUT: Tremoro Tarantura

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:54 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Conor McNicholas | IPC Media | Krissi Murison | Michael Tugendhat | Morrissey | NME | Tim Jonze

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:52 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Amy Winehouse

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:51 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: ITV | Rhythmix | Simon Cowell | Syco | talkbackTHAMES | X-Factor

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:44 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Conrad Murray | Michael Jackson

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:43 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: BT | DEA | Digital Economy Act 2010 | Music Publishers Association (MPA) | Newzbin

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:41 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: British Phonographic Industry (BPI) | David Finney | Piracy

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:38 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Coldplay

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:35 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Ilan Rubin

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:34 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Etta James

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:33 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Busdriver

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:30 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: The Rapture

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:29 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Matt Cardle

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:26 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Bertelsmann | BMG | Citigroup | EMI | KKR | MacAndrews & Forbes | Sony Music Publishing | Warner Music

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:24 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Lava Ignire | Luminar Group

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:22 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Chloe Sladden | Tatiana Simonian | Twitter

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:20 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Pure | PURE Music

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:17 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: RAJAR

Thursday 27 October 2011, 11:15 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Joey Barton | Johnny Marr | Morrissey | The Smiths

Wednesday 26 October 2011, 11:50 | By Chris Cooke

Steve Levine has been working in the record industry since the mid-1970s, when he joined CBS Studios as a trainee tape-op.

READ MORE ABOUT: SongFest | Steve Levine