Thursday 30 May 2013, 11:02 | By Aly Barchi

Elvis Costello and The Roots releasing LP

Releases

In a figurative warning to naïve spectres all over the netherrealm, Elvis Costello has detailed ‘Wise Up Ghost’, a new LP he’s made by channelling (aka collaborating with) The Roots. It’ll be on general release via Blue Note Records on 16 Sep, after a partial release of limited test pressings this past Record Store Day.

Costello says it is “the shortest distance between here and there” and contains “both rhythm and what is read”, whilst The Roots’ Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson claims it’s “a moody, brooding affair, cathartic rhythms and dissonant lullabies”. Hmm.

Questlove adds: “I went stark and dark on the music, Elvis went HAM on some ole Ezra Pound shit”.

I guess that’ll all make sense in September.

Justin Vernon’s Volcano Choir pave way for new LP

Releases

Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon is to release a new LP via his six-man sideline Volcano Choir, which is essentially him and post-rock band Collection Of Colonies Of Bees.

‘Repave’, as Justin and co’s sophomore collaboration is titled, will be available via Jagjaguwar on 2 Sep.

What follows is its 100% official trailer and tracklisting, in that order:

Tiderays
Acetate
Comrade
Byegone
Alaskans
Dancepack
Keel
Almanac

Outfit outline first LP

Releases

If it seems like it’s taken years for Outfit to finally finish their first LP, it’s because it has. Still, they’ve made one now, so anyone complaining over the wait can stop doing so on 11 Aug, when said long-in-the-making disc, ‘Performance’, is released via Double Denim.

In the meantime, satisfy those Outfit cravings via a listen to one of its tracks, as is titled ‘I Want What’s Best’:

Funeral For A Friend to play November shows

Gigs & Festivals

Still in the era of their last LP ‘Conduit’, Wales-based post-hardcore dragons Funeral For A Friend are playing several ‘intimate’ shows in October. So please, get ready to sing, scream and dance, all whilst wearing suitable mosh attire.

And no, that isn’t me saying that, it’s the band’s frontman Matt, who advertises the four live dates like this: “We’re incredibly excited to hit the road again in support of ‘Conduit’ and after having so much fun on tour earlier in the year we decided to step things up a little but not too much. We wanted to play some bigger shows but still retain that intimacy that we all loved from playing the shows back in January. So make sure to wear your best mosh shoes and come sing, scream and dance with us!”

Yeah! Here are the dates:

2 Oct: Cardiff University
3 Oct: London, Electric Ballroom
4 Oct: Glasgow, Garage
5 Oct: Manchester, Academy 2

Mount Kimbie add live dates

Gigs & Festivals

Hi! Mount Kimbie have added a nice array of dates to the promotional trail for their King Krule-featuring new LP, ‘Cold Spring Fault Less Youth’. They, and potentially Krule, will appear on the following occasions:

6 Nov: Brighton, Concord 2
7 Nov: Manchester, Ritz
8 Nov: Glasgow, SWG3
11 Nov: Bristol, The Fleece
12 Nov: Leeds, Leeds University Stylus
14 Nov: London, Koko
14 Nov: Norwich, Arts Centre

Festival line-up update: Weezer Cruise, Creamfields, Lovebox and more

Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals

As cheap ‘early bird’ Field Day tickets go on sale for 2014 (already!), and London’s Steve Aoki/Eddie Halliwell headlined SW4 finally (finally!) finalises its line-up via star attraction Sven Vath et al, so too are a plethora of other fests adding extra – if not final – appeal in the shape of new names.

Take the Croatia-based Terraneo, for instance, as has called on Wu Tang Clan to share prime billing with My Bloody Valentine and The Prodigy. Or Serbia’s ‘R:Evolution’-themed Exit, which now features EDM renaissance men David Guetta, Steve Angello and Mark Knight. And/or a brand new event at the QE Olympic Park in London, Open East Festival, an internationally-inclined celebration that so far stars Toots And The Maytals, Amadou & Mariam, Fatoumata Diawara, Don Letts, Wire and Stealing Sheep.

Or Yorkshire’s specialist music/beer/cider/fun fete Galtres, the MD of which, one James Houston, says this of persuading Johnny Borrell to play: “Johnny Borrell will be playing Razorlight smash hits like ‘America’, ‘Somewhere Else’ and ‘In The Morning’ as well as brand new material which is sounding superb. He’s played the biggest stages in the world, and it will be an honour to have him at Galtres”.

Or Weezer’s Weezer Cruise, which is going to bear the likes of Cat Power, Toro Y Moi, The Cribs, Bleached and Diiv over the sea to a Bahamian rock paradise, and back. Or Creamfields, or Truck, or the Secret Garden Party, or Hard Rock Calling, or Canterbury’s small-but-shapely Brainchild. The ‘festivals adding artists’ list really is endless…

BRAINCHILD, Merton Farm, Canterbury, Kent, 5-7 Jul: King Krule, Benin City, United Vibrations, 9mary, Jamie Isaac, My Panda Shall Fly, Filthy Boy, Moko, Haraket, Southpaw, Nomad Soul Collective, Valve Control, Ben Hayes, Yancey Boys, Theo Bass, The Majestic, Psylus, Sascha Keable, Rakiki Music, Cholombian, Thidius Risk, Marie Naffah, Martyna Baker, Bagel Project, Adam Blake, Jerkcurb, The Energy, MVC, Oscar Lawrence, We Are Goose, Big Beat Manifesto, Audio Doughnuts Live Showcase, EZRA, CIRUS, Cisza & Indea, Kirk Spencer. brainchildfestival.co.uk

CREAMFIELDS, Daresbury, Cheshire, 23-25 Aug: Andi Durrant, Anton Powers, Nicola Bear, Sean Hughes, Spacestation DJs, James Dutton, Josh Demello, George Kafetzis, Tim Owen, Data Transmission DJs, Ed Mackie, Jack Eye Jones, Jigsaw, Tom Grainger, Dave Whelan, Ian Longo, Denny Dowd, Liam Hincks, Billie Clements. www.creamfields.com

EXIT, Petrovardin Fortress, Novi Sad, Serbia, 10-14 Jul: David Guetta, Steve Angello, Mark Knight, Tom Staar. www.exitfest.org

FARR FESTIVAL, Bygrave Woods, Newham, Hertfordshire, 29-21 Jul: Waze & Odyssey. www.farrfestival.co.uk

GALTRES, Duncombe Park, Helmsley, York, North Yorkshire, 23-25 Aug: Johnny Borrell, Frankie And The Heartstrings. www.galtresfestival.org.uk

HARD ROCK CALLING, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, 29-30 Jun: The View, Mayer Hawthorne, Lawson, Lissie, Yellow Wire, China Rats, The Flamin Groovies. www.hardrockcalling.co.uk

LEEDS FESTIVAL, Bramham Park, Leeds, 23-25 Aug: MC Doom, Shlomo & The Lip Factory, Propaganga feat Haim, Jeffrey Lewis & The Rain, Transgressive Records DJs, Reeps1. www.leedsfestival.com

LIVERPOOL PSYCH FEST, Camp & Furnace/Blade Factory, Liverpool, 27-28 Sep: Moon Duo, Dead Meadow, Peaking Lights Sound System, Hookworms, White Manna, The Besnard Lakes. www.liverpoolpsychfest.com

LOVEBOX, Victoria Park, London, 19-21 Jul: The Correspondents, A Love From Outer Space, Horse Meat Disco, Andreya Triana, DJ Yoda & The Transiberian Marching Band. mamacolive.com/lovebox

OPEN EAST FESTIVAL, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, 27-28 Jul: Toots And The Maytals, Malian Supergroup, Amadou & Mariam, The Waterboys, Sean Kuti, Don Letts, Wire, Stealing Sheep, Vieux Farka Toure, Fatoumata Diawara, The Rockingbirds. www.barbican.org.uk/music

SECRET GARDEN PARTY, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, 25-28 Jul: Gypsy Disco, Fleet Macwood. www.secretgardenparty.com

SOUTH WEST FOUR, Clapham Common, London, 24-25 Aug: Sven Vath, James Zabiela, Scuba, Blond:ish, Blackhall & Bookless, Jesse James & Johnny Bloomfield. www.southwestfour.com

TERRANEO, Terrane Beach, Sibenik, Croatia, 7-9 Aug: Wu Tang Clan, Aloe Blacc, The Cribs, Duncan Sheik, Bosnian Rainbows, Woods, Mambo Kurt, KOAN Sound, Blond:ish, Pinkunoizu, Eyesburn, Straight Mickey And The Boyz, SevdahBABY, Peses, Vlasta Popic, Chew The Fat! DJs. www.terraneofestival.com

TRAMLINES, various venues, Sheffield, 19-21 Jul: Tensnake, BrEaCh, Koreless, Throwing Snow, Jolly Mare, Squarehead. 2013.tramlines.org.uk

TRUCK FESTIVAL, Hill Farm, Steventon, Oxon, 19-20 Jul: Ags Connolly, Beta Blocker & the Body Clock, Duchess, King of Cats, Von Braun, Jordan O’Shea, Traps, Truly Ford, Elephant Shampoo, Grudle Bay Falls, Dallas Don’t, Empty White Circles, Sam Green And The Midnight Heist, Pete Kosanovich, The Ramshackle Union Band, The Spare Room, Swindlestock, Arrows of Love, Lillian Todd Jones, Candice Gordon, Rachael Dadd, Ichi, Katy Rose & The Cavalry Parade, Co-Pilgrim, Danny George Wilson, Jason Serious, The Shapes, Siblings, The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, The Dreaming Spires, The Epstein, Society, Troubadour Rose, Marvellous Medicine. truckfestival.com

THE WEEZER CRUISE, a boat, Florida/The Bahamas, 13-17 Feb 2014: Weezer, Cat Power, Toro Y Moi, Diiv, The Cribs, Ash, Palma Violets, Holy Fuck, Bleaches, Caveman, The Orwells, Ozma, The Relationship, Adam Devine. www.theweezercruise.com

Y-NOT FESTIVAL, Pikehall, Matlock, Derbyshire, 2-4 Aug: Deaf Havana, Chapel Club, InMe, Chloe Howl, Temples, The Temperance Movement, Night Works, Maybeshewill. ynotfestivals.co.uk

ZOO PROJECT, Boughton House, Northamptonshire, 30 Aug – 1 Sep: Acid Mondays, Benjamin Damage, Boddika, Bonobo DJ, Blackhall & Bookless, Defex, Derrick Carter b2b DJ Sneak b2b Mark Farina, Evan Baggs, Federico Grazzini, Francis Inferno Orchestra, Funk E, George Fitzgerald, Grandmaster Flash, Greymatter, Huxley, James Zabiela, Jaymo & Andy George, Joy Orbison, KRL, Medlar, Michael James, Milou, MJ Cole, Midland, Maribou State, Pedestrian, Richard Rowell, Spencer Parker, The Mountain People, T Williams, Throwing Snow, Tom Rankin, Wolf DJs, X-Press 2. www.thezooproject-festival.com

Arts Council chief responds to pop fund critics

Business News Labels & Publishers Management & Funding The Great Escape 2013

Arts Council England chief Alan Davey has penned a new blog post on his organisation’s website, in a bid to address some of the questions raised about its new Momentum Music Fund – specifically the question, why the hell are you spending tax payers’ money on funding pop acts when that’s what the record label system is for, it funded by the commercial profits of the One Directions and Adeles of this world.

As previously reported, the Momentum Fund was launched by Davey at The Great Escape earlier this month, and will see the arts organisation hand out grants of £5000 – £15,000 to pop and rock musicians for the first time, its music initiatives traditionally focussing more on classical, folk and jazz.

Appearing in Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme earlier this week, he was quizzed on the exact point of the fund, and in defending it managed to piss off lots of people at record labels. Davey claimed that labels were failing new artists by not investing enough money in developing them to their full potential.

Geoff Taylor, the boss of record label trade body BPI, later called this view “ill-informed and out of touch”, pointing out that UK labels, both major and independent, had invested £1 billion in developing new talent over the last five years, and as a result had given the world the likes of Adele, Mumford & Sons, Emeli Sandé, Ed Sheeran, Muse and Jessie J.

In his new more conciliatory blog post, Davey wrote that while the UK music industry’s £3.8 billion revenues in 2011 were clearly a huge success story, and while that industry was indeed reinvesting a sizable portion of its profits into new artists and releases, ACE research had nevertheless shown that “whilst considerable investment in talent was clearly going on, it appeared to be getting harder and harder for emerging talent to progress” due to a combination of factors.

He continued: “This fund is a two year pilot, to see if what we have identified is the right help to be offering. We need to be cautious in any intervention we make in a market to ensure it has the right effect – hence the small beginning of just £500,000 over two years. If it works, and if we have the money, we’d like to expand it. Because giving talent the ability to find its way really matters – to anyone who is concerned about culture in this country and the music they love”.

Read Davey’s full blog post here.

Ticket buying bots causing live music woes

Business News Live Business

The New York Times has thrown the spotlight on the software that automatically buys up tickets to in-demand events, usually for resale on the secondary ticketing market. The paper this week published an article on the problems it is causing big players in the US live sector, and on how the big primary ticketing providers are trying to combat the auto-buy phenomenon.

Ticketmaster now has a system in place which can spot users on its website most likely to be ‘bots’ and slow their progress down. Though this doesn’t mean they aren’t getting through there and elsewhere. Jim Glancy of independent promoter The Bowery Presents explains: “There are sold out shows in reserved seat houses in New York City where we will have 20% no show, and that 20% will be down in the front of the house. It’s speculators who bought a bunch of seats and didn’t get the price they wanted”.

According to the Times, last month Ticketmaster sued 21 people for buying tickets fraudulently by using bots, with one accused of buying up as many as 200,000 tickets per day before the general public could get to them. The case is yet to come to court but could provide some insight on how American law might be used to counter what is perhaps the real problem with the burgeoning secondary ticketing marketplace.

Read the full New York Times report here.

Ticketscript appoints global marketing director

Business News Industry People Live Business

Online ticketing company Ticketscript has appointed Jenni Young as its new Group Marketing Director. Young was previously Marketing & Communications Director at youth charity vInspired, and prior to that worked as Marketing & PR Director at Live Nation.

Ticketscript CEO Frans Jonker told CMU: “We are very delighted to have Jenni on board. Her experience within the events industry will prove valuable for the future vision of the company. Her expertise in online marketing and brand development will be an asset to building the awareness of the brand within the UK and across all territories. As we continue to grow across Europe, it’s great to have a dynamic and international management team. With Jenni’s knowledge of the industry and vast expertise in brand communications and partnerships, we will further drive our business forward”.

Young added: “I’m delighted to be joining Ticketscript. Their innovative technology is a real game changer for event organisers. To be able to empower people to grow their social communities, sell more tickets and be in control of their events is an incredibly exciting proposition. I’m looking forward to working with the team to grow the business even further, especially within the UK”.

Twitter advertises for Head Of Music Partnerships

Digital

Twitter is advertising for a Head Of Music Partnerships, to be based at the company’s LA office.

The role will focus on the US music industry, with the winning candidate charged with cuddling up to artists, managers, agents, labels, radio stations and festivals in the hope of forming mutually beneficial partnerships. It also requires a minimum of fifteen years in the music industry, so sorry if you’re a bright young thing with a few smart ideas. Try to get older really fast, or something. Or lie. People respect lying, especially in job applications.

The bad news is, as well as the fun stuff you’ll be responsible for coming up with a strategy to make people want to use Twitter’s new #Music app, which I think is probably an impossible task and one that’ll probably get you sacked when you fail at it. Oh well, given you’re going to get sacked anyway, you might as well not bother applying.

Jon Hillcock to present Amazing Radio review show

Media

Xfm and BBC 6music presenter Jon Hillcock has been announced as the new host of Amazing Radio’s weekly review show, ‘It’s Amazing’, replacing Chris Martin (not that one). Hillcock joins as Amazing Radio returns to the DAB network in the South East and Dublin.

Amazing Radio Programme Director Matt Jamison told CMU: “Jon brings with him a fantastic ear for new music alongside a huge contact list of the music industry’s great and good. I’m really excited about hearing Jon’s first show and the guests he will attract to the table in the coming weeks”.

Hillcock added: “It’s great to be joining the team at Amazing Radio. I have admired their ethos for sometime and I’m really looking forward to getting my teeth into reviewing new music with my guests”.

The first show with Hillcock as host will go out on DAB and online at midday on 8 Jun. Should you want a dose of Jon Hillcock sooner than that, he’s covering for John Kennedy on Xfm’s ‘X-Posure’ tonight and will be in for Tom Robinson on 6music’s ‘Now Playing @6music’ this Sunday. Plus, of course, you’ll find him on his ever brilliant ‘All Back No Front’ podcast.

Gary Stein leaves Bauer for Global

Media

Bauer Media’s Gary Stein has announced that he is leaving the company after seventeen years for a new role with rivals Global Radio. Stein will take up the position of Managing Editor for Heart London in August, having only moved from being Station Manager at Manchester’s Key 103 to Director Of Music for Bauer stations in the North Of England and Scotland five months ago.

Stein told Radio Today: “This is an amazing opportunity for me to head one of the greatest radio brands in the country and I look forward to working with the team and helping to ensure Heart 106.2 continues to build on its incredible success”.

In a statement, Bauer Media added: “We are sorry that Gary is leaving, but we are proud that Bauer’s deep pool of programming talent continues to be attractive to other broadcasters”.

Hanson officially launch badly named beer

And Finally Brands & Merch

Hanson have officially launched their own ale, a year and a half after the new brand extension was originally announced. Clearly a lot of time was needed to refine the product – for example, the India pale ale is now called MMMhops, rather than its original name MMMhop. It’s all about the refining. Also, it probably took a while to come up with the tagline, ‘From the guys that invented ‘MMMbop'”.

The launch of the beer coincides with the band’s 21st anniversary, and comes just weeks after this year’s Hanson Day (which I see from their website is a thing). And, somewhat irritatingly given the cynical tone I’m enjoying employing here, proceeds from the sale of the beer will be donated to the Red Cross tornado relief effort in Oklahoma, where the beer’s brewery Mustang Brewing is based.

Announcing this bit, the band’s Taylor Hanson said: “The tragedy hits close to home, especially since this community was among the first places our band performed together, including schools which were lost in the storm. We are hopeful that the proceeds we can galvanise will play a lasting role in the recovery efforts. We have loved bringing people together around music for the last 21 years, and ‘Mmmbop’ which inspired the beer’s name is a song about holding onto the friends and moments that count. We want to use this opportunity to make the release of MMMhops one of those moments”.

The beer will officially go on sale at the same time as the release of the band’s sixth album, ‘Anthem’, on 18 Jun in the States. Apparently you need to drink at least seven bottles before listening to the album becomes enjoyable.

Playlist: CSS

CMU Playlists

Following up 2010’s ‘La Liberacio, next month CSS are due to release their fourth album, ‘Planta’, through SQE Music. Recorded in LA, the album was produced by TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek, while first single ‘Hangover’ features a guest appearance from Rancid’s Tim Armstrong.

Speaking about the album, frontwoman Lovefoxxx said: “We had a lot of fun writing and recording ‘Planta’ in LA and met some incredible people in the process. Our first single ‘Hangover’ is like summer in space for me”.

Ahead of the 10 Jun release date, we asked Lovefoxxx to put together a playlist for us. Having covered summer in space on ‘Hangover’, she chose some tracks for summer down on Earth, explaining: “This playlist is a summer and love-inspired mix. It was taken out of my starred Spotify list – I gathered the summery ones together to make a chilled mix. Good for chilling or cooking!”

LOVEFOXXX’S TEN
Click here to listen to Lovefoxxx’s playlist in Spotify, and then read on to find out more about her choices.

01 Prince Rama – Welcome To The Now Age (Channelling Hyperzia)
I saw Prince Rama play last month and this was their opening song. I chose it to be the opening song in my mix because I think it really sets the tone of love and summer. I love this band!

02 Jorge Ben – O Telefone Tocou Novamente
When I miss Brazil too much I listen to Jorge Ben. He is very funny with his lyrics, and sort of a “player” with the women. I can tell by his lyrics. His music just brings me joy.

03 Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers – Egyptian Reggae
I love how much of a storyteller Jonathan Richman is in all his songs. But I chose this one specifically to keep up the summer vibes.

04 Kumbia Queers – Mientes
This group is amazing. From Argentina, the members all used to be in different punk bands. I like their approach to Kumbia. It’s fresh and the subjects are closer to my reality.

05 Dean Martin – That’s Amore
I love food, I love cooking. This song is great for it. And it brings me a kind of contentment and happiness when I’m listening to it while cooking.

06 Cypress Hill – Insane In The Brain
This song makes me think of one summer night last year in LA with Donita Sparks, when she was dancing to it and making a funny dance.

07 Girls Names – Oh Girl
I wish they would have named this song as “oh GURL”. When I’m talking to my English speaking friends I go on and on like “gurlllll”. This song just makes me think of that.

08 Kate Nash – Sister
I love how Kate Nash is singing on her new album… especially in this track. It’s not necessarily a summer song, but it makes me feel all worked up in a good way. U GO GURL!

09 Les Rita Mitsouko – Nuit D’ivresse
I couldn’t find the studio version of this song. In that version she kind of starts laughing at one point. This song makes me think of a dinner party when everyone gets drunk and merry!

10 Rocío Dúrcal & Juan Gabriel – Te Quiero Mucho Mucho
This song is so so so sweet. Just the perfect way to finish this summer/love-inspired mix!

Approved: Susanna feat Siri Nilsen and Susanne Sundfør – Death Hanging

CMU Approved

The other day I recommended some music to someone, who responded by telling me that it sounded like “my sort of thing”.

“What sort of thing is my sort of thing?” I asked. “Female singers who all sound a bit tortured and are mostly Scandinavian”, came the response. So, you can imagine the mixture of glee and an uncomfortable sense of inevitability I felt when I pressed play on this collaboration between three slightly tortured Scandinavia female singers performing a song called ‘Death Hanging’. But, hey, there’s no use denying who you are.

Recorded by Susanna Wallumrød (of The Magic Orchestra), Siri Nilsen and Susanne Sundfør for Norwegian radio station NRK P3 at last year’s Øya Festival, the song is driven by a single, simple keyboard line. The three women then take it in turns to lament about the unavoidable march of death, before harmonising beautifully about it on the chorus.

Previously only available on Norwegian streaming service Wimp, the track has now been released to download stores through Susanna’s own SusannaSonata label. In September, she is also due to release another collaboration, a new album recorded with chamber orchestra Ensemble Neon.

Stream ‘Death Hanging’ via SoundCloud here:

Record industry hits out after Arts Council chief says new fund is required to counter market failure

Business News Labels & Publishers Management & Funding The Great Escape 2013 Top Stories

If the aim was to ensure everyone in the music industry was aware of the new Momentum Music Fund then remarks made by Arts Council England chief Alan Davey on Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme did the job yesterday, though if aim was to encourage everyone in the music business to embrace the new initiative – ACE’s first ever new talent development fund aimed at pop and rock music – then maybe less so.

As previously reported, the Momentum Music Fund is a new funding initiative launched by Davey at The Great Escape earlier this month, and the first time the tax payer-funded arts organisation has had a new talent initiative in the pop and rock space, the State traditionally funding more projects and institutions operating in the classical, folk and jazz genres.

To be fair to the Arts Council chief, the starting point of yesterday’s ‘Today’ piece was along the lines of “why the hell are you giving half a million of tax payer money to the pop industry that has all that One Direction and Adele cash to spend?” Faced with that line of questioning, Davey countered that the record label system – and especially the major label system – was failing new artists, and that ACE therefore had a duty to intervene.

Said Davey: “We have identified that currently in pop music there is a market failure at the beginning end of talent, and that is what we are trying to address here in the same way we address it with classical, jazz and folk. [The major labels of today] want talent to be delivered to them ready made, they are not prepared to take a risk over a long period of time. They concentrate on giving the public what they want, rather than exploring, and getting the public to find things they didn’t know they wanted”.

While Davey’s response was really aimed at the naysayers amongst the ‘Today’ audience who would prefer it if State arts funding was reserved for opera and abstract drama no one much wants to see, his remarks were also heard by senior players in the record industry, who regularly talk up what a good job they do when it comes to investing their hard earned profits into brand new, unproven and risky talent.

Responding for them, BPI boss Geoff Taylor was quick to tell reporters: “Alan Davey’s remarks about the lack of risk-taking in pop music are ill-informed and out of touch. UK labels have invested £1 billion over the last five years in new music. The results speak for themselves: five out of the top ten best-selling albums last year were from the UK. It is difficult to see that global breakthroughs such as Adele, Mumford & Sons, Emeli Sandé, Ed Sheeran, Muse and Jessie J represent short-termism, or a failure to back talent”.

Noting that the BBC report was somewhat disparaging about the record industry’s big telly talent show, Taylor continued: “Huge successes such as One Direction who emerged from the ‘X-Factor’ should be celebrated too. The new Arts Council fund represents a drop in the ocean – around a third of 1% – compared to annual investment by UK labels. New funding for investment in UK talent is always a good thing, but the Arts Council should be supporting the music industry’s excellent record of breaking talent, not attacking it with ill-judged soundbites”.

Ouch. Of course, it is true that the record companies, in the main, are taking fewer risks with new signings now than they did at the peak of record industry excess in the 1990s, simply because – with a third less revenue generated by recorded music today compared to then – there is less profit to invest in new bands. This means fewer new acts are signed overall, labels generally look for new signings to have a more established fanbase, and an awful lot rides on the first album.

It’s also true that the big labels massage their talent investment figures a little by often including the ad spend for the new One Direction or Lady Gaga album in the “A&R budget” when declaring R&D numbers.

But at the same time, it’s wildly unfair to say the labels, and even the major labels, are only interested in the next One Direction – or even that they are only signing ‘ready made’ acts – a quick scan of the sorts of new artists the majors are signing can confirm that.

And while the big labels may look for new artists to be slightly more developed than they once did – both in terms of creative output and fanbase – and that may well put more pressure on management, it also means that a good manager can subsequently negotiate a first record deal on much more favourable terms than fifteen years ago.

It’s during that incubation period that the £5000-£15,000 grants the Momentum Music Fund is offering will really come into play. Not because that sort of money can actually launch a new act, but because it will help artists and their management teams get themselves ‘label ready’, both in building that initial fanbase, and also in identifying the kind of label deal – or similar – that will be most appropriate.

The new ACE funding initiative, therefore, may help labels reduce a little of their risk before pumping half a million of their money into just one band, but it should also help empower artists and managers so they can strike up business deals that will actually work for them.

The Momentum Music Fund, therefore, complements rather than replaces the record label system, in a way that is beneficial to both the record companies and artists. Though I suppose Davey was never going to be able to explain all that in the 78 seconds of breakfast time radio he was given.

Hunger striking Pussy Riot member taken to hospital

Artist News Legal

Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina, who has been on hunger strike for over a week now in the Russian prison where she is currently being held, was admitted to hospital earlier this week, Pyotr Verzilov, the husband of her jailed bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, has told The Associated Press.

As previously reported, Alyokhina, one of two Pussy Riot members jailed last year for performing a protest song in a Moscow church, was refused parole last week.

She also recently spent five months in solitary confinement after accusing prison officials of attempting to turn other inmates against her, and of encouraging some of the more dangerous criminals in the prison to threaten her with violence.

Piracy amongst British web users up, according to OfCom report

Business News Digital Labels & Publishers

The number of British web users accessing pirated content rose slightly in the quarter up to 31 Jan, according to a copyright infringement report published by media regulator OfCom.

The report reckons that 18% of UK web-users streamed or downloaded unlicensed digital media content – which for OfCom’s purposes includes music, film TV, ebooks, games and other software – at least once in the three months up to the end of January, with 386 million unlicensed files accessed overall.

That is up from 16% in the previous quarter, though OfCom notes that the number of web users accessing digital media content in general was also up in the same period. Of those web users who routinely access digital media content, about a third were accessing downloads or streams from unlicensed sources, the report adds, while about 5% relied more or less exclusively on illegal services.

Music is by far the most pirated kind of content, the OfCom document adds, estimating that it accounted for around 280 million of the 386 million files pirated.

Damon Albarn completes solo album

Artist News

Damon Albarn has recently finished work on a solo album, he has told Rolling Stone. The record is produced by XL Recordings boss Richard Russell, with whom Albarn collaborated on Bobby Womack’s ‘The Bravest Man In The Universe’ album.

Albarn says: “[Richard and I] really enjoy working together. He’s done spectacularly well as a music mogul, but I think he wants to focus his energy on producing records. Making a solo record can be such a disaster, so I thought if we’re going to make a record with my name on it, I should get someone to really produce it – take that responsibility away from myself. Richard does the kind of rhythmic side of it and I do everything else”.

He added that a new Blur album was still a possibility, with the band considering recording one while touring various European festivals this summer: “We’ve got a couple of occasions when we’re stuck in the middle of nowhere. So we might make the record in a week. If we can, it would be nice”.

Reznor confirms new NIN album in the pipeline

Releases

Having been rather vague of late about whether or not new Nine Inch Nails material was in the pipeline, Trent Reznor appeared online overnight to confirm a new album was very much in the works, that it would be released later this year, and that material from it would be premiered at the band’s set at the Fuji Rock Festival on 26 Jun.

Says Reznor: “I’ve been less than honest about what I’ve really been up to lately. For the last year I’ve been secretly working non-stop with Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder on a new, full-length Nine Inch Nails record, which I am happy to say is finished and frankly fucking great. This is the real impetus and motivation behind the decision to assemble a new band and tour again. My forays into film, HTDA and other projects really stimulated me creatively and I decided to focus that energy on taking Nine Inch Nails to a new place. Here we go!”

When it is unleashed later this year, the new NIN album will come out via Reznor’s new major label buddy Sony Music, which signed up his other band How To Destroy Angels last year. Confirming that, Rob Stringer, head of Sony’s Columbia division in the US, told reporters: “We are thrilled at Columbia to work with a true renaissance artist like Trent Reznor on the return of Nine Inch Nails and an exciting new chapter of innovative music from them”.

David Byrne & St Vincent give away free EP

Releases

Having released their brassy album ‘Love This Giant’ last year, David Byrne and St Vincent have just given away a new EP, entitled ‘Brass Tactics’, as a free download. As well as remixes and live tracks, it features a previously unreleased studio track, ‘Cissus’.

The giveaway comes just as the duo prepare to head out on tour in the US. If you want to catch them in the UK, you’ll have to wait until August, when they play London, Birmingham and Glasgow, before heading to the End Of The Road festival.

Download Brass Tactics here, or if you want to glance through the tracklist first, you can do that here:

Cissus
I Should Watch TV (M Stine Remix)
Lightning (Kent Rockafeller Remix)
Marrow (live)
Road To Nowhere (live)

Polysics announce UK release of new album

Releases

Hyperactive Japanese trio Polysics have announced that their latest album, ‘Weeeeeeeeee!!!’, will be available for sale in the UK on 10 Jun, via JPU Records.

And if fourteen super fast new wave tracks aren’t enough for any of you, the CD release will come with three bonus songs.

Now, why not say “yes” and watch the video for one of the tracks from the new album, ‘Everybody Say No’, here:

The Japanese Popstars sign to Bedrock, announce new album

Business News Deals Labels & Publishers Releases

The Japanese Popstars have signed a new deal with John Digweed’s Bedrock label, through which they will release their third album, ‘Disconnect/Reconnect’, on 15 Jul. The band’s last album, ‘Controlling Your Allegiance’, was released by EMI in 2011.

The group’s Gary Curran told CMU: “We knew towards the end of last year that we had gotten slightly lost between the music that we loved writing and performing and the music that our label at the time wanted or needed us to write. The last album was an amazing experience for us all, the team we worked with were incredible and we played some amazing shows throughout the world”.

However, he continued: “We ended up playing lots of festival main stage day time shows, amongst these amazing talented and successful artists but we knew that something wasn’t right, we knew that we wanted to move back onto the dance stages, and back into the night. I guess this album is the expression of that feeling”.

The tracklist for the new album is as follows:

Disconnect/Reconnect
Matter Of Time feat Green Velvet
No Music
Pump Power
Out Of No Where
Night Shift
Vision
The Dealer
Heavy Hitter
Release

Bat For Lashes announces London show

Gigs & Festivals

Having headlined Field Day at the weekend, Bat For Lashes has announced a show at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire on 13 Aug, amidst a string of European festival performances. She will also support Blur at their show in Dublin on 1 Aug, and tour the US with Depeche Mode later this year.

Tickets for the London show go on sale at 9am on 31 May.

London Grammar announce headline tour dates

Gigs & Festivals

One of the most talked about acts at The Great Escape earlier this month, London Grammar, have announced that they will head out on a UK tour in October, tickets for which go on sale this Friday. The band will also release a new single, ‘Wasted My Young Years’, on 16 Jun. Watch the video for that after you have a look through those tour dates.

15 Oct: Norwich, Open
16 Oct: Brighton, The Haunt
18 Oct: Brixton, Electric
19 Oct: Oxford, Gathering
20 Oct: Bristol, The Fleece
22 Oct: Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
23 Oct: Birmingham, Academy 3
24 Oct: Leeds, The Cockpit
26 Oct: Manchester, Sound Control
27 Oct: Glasgow, Broadcast
28 Oct: Newcastle, The Cluny

Ellie Goulding announces October tour

Gigs & Festivals

Ellie Goulding will be touring around the UK this October, as will all the other acts in the world most likely. October’s always a busy touring time. Should you choose to, you can see her at one of these dates:

3 Oct: Sheffield, Academy
4 Oct: York, Barbican
6 Oct: Wolverhampton, Civic hall
7 Oct: Newcastle, Academy
10 Oct: Cardiff, University
11 Oct: Manchester, Apollo
16 Oct: London, Hammersmith Apollo

Hilco to appoint new HMV marketing chief this week

Business News HMV Timeline Marketing & PR Retail

Newish HMV owner Hilco is expected to announce a new Head Of Marketing for the entertainment retail firm this Friday, ahead of a rebrand later this year. Much of the retailer’s marketing team was axed (in a move live-tweeted on the official HMV Twitter feed) while it was still in administration in February.

Senior Marketing Manager Jill Thomas survived that cull and has been managing marketing operations since, but is expected to depart ahead of the announcement on Friday, along with long serving PR man Gennaro Castaldo, who has already announced his move to the BPI.

According to Marketing Week, Hilco is expected to halve HMV’s marketing budget to around £4 million – though much of this saving may be made by streamlining the number of marketeers working at the company, with more cuts planned in addition to the HQ job losses prior to Hilco’s purchase of the company.

It’s also expected that later this year Hilco will relaunch the HMV website, and bring HMV Canada’s new streaming service The Vault to the UK, in a bid to make the company’s online operations more viable.

HMV PR chief moves to BPI

Business News HMV Timeline Labels & Publishers Marketing & PR

More HMV, and the retail firm’s long-time communications chief, Gennaro Castaldo, is moving to take the main comms role at record industry trade body the BPI, where he will replace incumbent Adam Liversage, who is departing the organisation on 14 Jun.

Castaldo has worked for HMV for 27 years, and enjoyed a higher profile than your average corporate PR as the go-to man for the newspapers for commentary on chart positions and record sales. Though in more recent years he was mainly responding to journalist emails along the lines of “so, when is your company going to hit the wall?” with the stock reply “Oh we’re fine, we’re selling iPads now, don’t you know”. Until HMV inevitably hit the wall in January, that is.

Though having tackled all those challenges of communicating for an HMV very much on the brink in recent years, while sitting on that vast knowledge of the charts, record sales and other such industry stats after nearly three decades with the big music retailer, Castaldo seems like just the main to take on the challenge of communicating for the record industry at large.

Confirming the appointment, BPI boss Geoff Taylor told CMU: “We are delighted that Gennaro is joining us at BPI. His long experience working with the music industry, his focus on consumers and his strong relationships with the press will be key assets as we represent our members’ views across a range of media. Meanwhile, we are grateful to Adam for his commitment over the last four years and we wish him every success in his future endeavours”.

Castaldo added: “I’m really looking forward to this exciting new challenge – working with Geoff and his team, [BPI Chair] Tony Wadsworth and, of course, the BPI members to communicate the exciting developments taking place in our industry during this dynamic time of change. I can’t leave HMV without saying what a privilege it’s been for me to have worked there and particularly with so many wonderful colleagues and associates past and present, who I will always think of with great affection. I will look to bring the same passion and commitment to my new role and build on the strong foundation of media engagement that is already in place”.

New CEO appointed at Agency Group

Business News Live Business

Booking agency powerhouse the Agency Group has a new CEO in the form of Gavin O’Reilly, who comes to the talent agency from the newspaper industry, which is an interesting career change.

O’Reilly will take over in the CEO job from the firm’s founder Neil Warnock, who will relinquish operational control of his company taking on a more business development role as Worldwide President of the agency.

Announcing the arrangement, Warnock told reporters: “With the enormous development of The Agency Group over the last few years, and with a vision solidly focused on the additional development of TAG, it was essential to find somebody of the calibre of Gavin, to realise this vision”.

Ninja Tune opens new US office

Business News Labels & Publishers

Ninja Tune has opened a new North America office in Echo Park, LA, sharing space with affiliated label Brainfeeder, the US publishing company it co-owns Third Side, and artist management agency Really Happening, which looks after Flying Lotus and Cinematic Orchestra, amongst others.

The UK label’s expansion of its US operations will also see Ninja Tune hiring new staff for sync, live events and marketing, managed by Jamie Collinson, who formerly led Ninja Tune imprint Big Dada, and who has now been promoted to the role of Head Artist Campaign Director for the wider label, with the LA team also reporting into him.

Collinson told CMU: “With LA’s proximity to the tech and sync worlds that are becoming so important to record labels, this felt like very much the place for us. As artists such as Bonobo, Amon Tobin, Cinematic Orchestra and Machinedrum grow, they’re making serious headway in the huge, challenging territory that is North America, and the label is putting together ambitious, large scale creative record campaigns to help enable that. Several new Ninja Tune staff have been employed to work on the ground in the Los Angeles office, working closely with and under the guidance of myself in London”.

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Wednesday 29 May 2013, 11:15 | By CMU Editorial

Following up 2010’s ‘La Liberacio, next month CSS are due to release their fourth album, ‘Planta’, through SQE Music. Recorded in LA, the album was produced by TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek, while first single ‘Hangover’ features a guest appearance from Rancid’s Tim Armstrong.

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