Thursday 29 May 2014, 11:18 | By Aly Barchi

Irregular Folk all-dayer returns to Oxford in July

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Like live folk music? LOVE live folk music with an ‘alt’ slant to it? If you answered one or both of those in the affirmative, you should probably know about Irregular Folk’s Summer Session, an all-day, multi-band show taking place on 12 Jul.

Featuring ‘art-pop’ group The Irrepresibles, avant folk vocalist You Are Wolf, all-girl soul quartet The May Birds, BBC Folk Award-winning band Duotone and solo singer-songwriter Jess Hall amid a heap of hand-picked headliners (all the acts are deemed headliners), the event is at The Perch, in Oxford. And there’s a bar serving beers and ales, which is always nice.

Details and advance tickets are available via this FB page.

Russia shuns beards with alternative Eurovision(s)

And Finally Artist News

Russia is holding not one, but two, singing competitions to take on Eurovision, Billboard confirms. Because apparently it took a glamorous lady with a handsome beard, aka this year’s Eurovision queen Conchita Wurst, for Russia’s publicly anti-LGBT governing authorities to realise that the Song Contest is, in fact, quite camp. And all the richer for it, I say.

But the Russian Ministry Of Defence doesn’t say. And it has now proclaimed that a brand new international competition it is organising, that aims to find kids and teens with musical talent, is “an alternative to bearded Eurovision”.

The final of the clean-shaven comp takes place this coming Monday, hot on the heels of the news that Intervision – a Eurovision rival staged in the then USSR a few times in the late 1970s – is coming back. A return of Intervision has been mooted for a while, and it’s now been confirmed that a song contest for former Soviet Bloc and various Asian countries will be staged in Sochi later this year.

Certain Russian officials, of course, were disdainful of Wurst’s Eurovision win earlier this month, with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin saying on Twitter at the time: “Eurovision showed European integrators their Euro-prospect – a bearded girl”.

Bearded ‘lady’, if he pleases. This bearded lady:

One Direction. Joint. Camera. Crisis Talks. Blah

And Finally Artist News

One Direction. A puff on a joint. In a van. In Peru. Captured on Louis’ phone. Alleged use of a racial slur.

“Dad’s worried”, says the Mirror. “Harry’s outraged”, says The Sun. “Who’ll think about the children?” asks the Mail. “They’ll be banned from America”, says rent-a-quote lawyer. “Crisis talks underway”, says them all. “This matter is in the hands of our lawyers”, says exasperated PR guy.

Ah well, there’s always Harry Styles’ solo career, which is currently being stored in a shiny Perspex case at Syco Towers. “In case of emergency break glass”, says the sign.

Approved: Tove Styrke

CMU Approved

Tove Styrke released her eponymous debut album back in 2010, featuring the still-much-played-in-the-CMU-office single ‘Call My Name’ (no relation to the Cheryl Cole song of the same title. Apart from both being brilliant, of course).

Although bits and pieces of new music emerged from the 2009 ‘Swedish Idol’ finalist subsequently, she gradually fell more and more quiet. Which makes the exuberant ‘Hey Mickey’-esque style of her big comeback single, ‘Even If I’m Loud It Doesn’t Mean I’m Talking To You’, all the more exciting.

Released last week, you can check out the lyric video for the track here:

Universal calls for myriad digital royalty lawsuits to be dismissed

Business News Digital Royalties Timeline Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories

While Sony Music and Warner Music have attempted to kill the digital royalties litigation against them in the US by offering albeit nominal increases in the cuts paid to veteran artists, it seems Universal Music is still in fighting mood, submitting two motions calling for artist lawsuits to be dismissed last week, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

As much previously reported, there has been much dispute over how much of the income stemming from downloads labels are obligated to share with their artists where contracts between the two parties pre-date iTunes and therefore make no mention of digital revenues.

The labels, in the main, have treated downloads like CDs, therefore paying a relatively low cut of the money to artists (usually 15% or less). But some artists and artist attorneys argue that download income stems from a licence not a record sale, and most artist contracts offer a much more generous royalty split on licensing deals (anywhere up to 50%).

A plethora of lawsuits have been filed by veteran artists Stateside in the last few years targeting all three majors, and some of them seeking class action status. Some have been settled out of court, but many are still going through the motions. Universal’s latest legal filings on the issue provide a long list of reasons why those lawsuits should be dismissed, some general, some specific to individual claims.

They include the argument that artists were informed of Universal’s proposed payment model for downloads in 2002, before the iTunes Store was launched; that that model was actually slightly more generous than the major was contractually obliged to offer; and that many artists and managers welcomed the proposal at the time. Universal concedes that there were some dissenters, but adds that the dissenting artists took too long to go legal (the earliest cases on this point were against Sony), and their lawsuits should therefore be denied on the basis of statute of limitations.

Other arguments contained in Universal’s latest papers include: that lawsuits alleging that consumers were hurt by royalty arrangements are invalid because consumers aren’t aware of these dealings; that some of the artists suing under Californian law had contracts that were governed by New York law; that 1970s singer Bo Donaldson couldn’t sue because of an agreement with his former bandmates that majority participation was required to litigate; and Ron Tyson of The Temptations wasn’t party to the crucial contracts because he didn’t join the group until 1983.

Though perhaps the most significant argument presented by the mega-major is another point raised in connection with Donaldson, regarding the crucial previous ruling in this domain in FBT Productions v Universal. The early Eminem collaborators ultimately won in their legal bid for a bigger cut of digital income, and it was that ruling that precipitated the flurry of lawsuits on this issue. But Universal has always insisted that FBT’s contract was unusual, and therefore the judgement in that case didn’t set any kind of industry-wide precedent.

Says Universal in its latest filing: “Few, if any, recording contracts have the starkly dichotomous structure of the contract in FBT. None of plaintiffs’ contracts do. Certainly the contract on which plaintiff Bo Donaldson is suing does not. To the contrary, when plaintiffs’ theory that UMG ‘licenses’ downloads to download providers is applied to Donaldson’s contract, this actually dictates a lower royalty for downloads than UMG is paying under that contract. Of course, if, under plaintiffs’ theory, Donaldson has been overpaid royalties, he cannot maintain claims for underpayment of royalties”.

Monster issues statement as Beastie Boys court case kicks off

Brands & Merch Business News Legal

As expected, the surviving Beastie Boys – Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond – were in court yesterday at the start of their legal battle with the Monster Energy Drink company over the use, without permission, of the rap group’s music in a promotional video. Suited but sneakered, Horovitz took to the stand to discuss the Beastie Boys’ career and successes, and why they were so adamant that their music should not be used in advertising.

What emerged almost immediately is that the Monster Beverage Corp isn’t denying using the Beastie Boys’ music in a promotional video without permission, the dispute is over the sum of money the rappers are demanding, which comes to $2 million consisting of infringement damages for each of the five tracks Monster used in its video, and a million for the unauthorised implied endorsement by the group of the drinks brand.

But Monster argues that, while it accepts it used the Beastie Boys’ music without permission and is therefore liable to pay some damages, a figure in the region of $125,000 is more appropriate. The company say that the unauthorised usage of the music was an honest mistake, that it removed the video once aware of the error, that not that many people saw it, and the way the tracks were used didn’t imply any endorsement.

As the court case got underway yesterday, with plenty of media coverage on the back of Horovitz and Diamond’s presence, the company issued a statement setting out its arguments. Starting by asserted that “Monster has no intention of litigating this matter in the media”, but that it felt it needed to issue a statement because of media interest in the case, the firm stated: “Monster in good faith believed it had obtained the rights to use a compilation of certain Beastie Boys music for an internet video”.

“The video recounted a snowboarding event in Canada that Monster sponsored where the after party featured many Beastie Boys songs played by the DJs in honor of the recent death of one of the Beastie Boys’ members. The music that Monster used was provided by one of the DJs, who told Monster he had permission”.

“When Monster was notified by the Beastie Boys that the company was mistaken in its belief that it had the proper authorisation, Monster immediately removed the video from the internet. The video received less than 14,000 views during the brief period it was online. This lawsuit is solely about what, if anything, Monster must pay to the Beastie Boys because of Monster’s good faith mistake. In Monster’s view the Beastie Boys are demanding sums that are far beyond any reasonable fair market value”.

The case continues.

Skream fathers ‘melodic’ new label

Business News Labels & Publishers Releases

Dubstep-denying dance don Skream, aka producer Oliver Jones, is starting up a label that’s all his own, having closed down his other one, Disfigured Dubz, last November. The “melodic” new venture is called Of Unsound Mind, and will, as its first move (on 23 Jun), release the new EP from Motions, Bodyhigh affiliate and one-time half of Grown Folk.

When asked by FACT to define the new label’s aesthetic last week, Skream said: “The first few releases are definitely very deep, colourful, melodic tracks. There isn’t a particular guideline as of yet, just stuff I’m really feeling and artists I feel people need to know about”.

Good to know. Cop Of Unsound Mind issue 001 – that Motions’ EP – now on SoundCloud:

A2IM announces new board members

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

The American Association Of Independent Music, A2IM to its mates, has announced the election of five new names to its board of directors, which is all kinds of fun.

They are Razor & Tie President Craig Balsam, Epitaph General Manager Dave Hansen, Hopeless Records chief Louis Posen, Dualtone Music Group CEO Scott Robinson and Tommy Boy top man Thomas Silverman.

Says A2IM President Rich Bengloff of his new board buddies: “27 A2IM label members ran for the A2IM board this year, the most ever, and the quality of candidates confirmed that the A2IM leadership bench is deep. We thank them all for running and offering to serve their indie music label community colleagues”.

A2IM also announced the addition of Warp records’ Josh Berman, Mack Avenue Records’ Denny Stilwell and Compass Records Group’s Garry West as members of Bengloff’s Advisory Committee. Kill Rock Stars’ Portia Sabin, Concord Music Group’s Glen Barros and Ole’s Jim Selby will meanwhile act as board officers for 2014-2015, and Wind-Up Records General Manager Alan Galbraith has been designated as the group’s representative within the Worldwide Independent Network.

One of the trade body’s outgoing board members, Beggars Group head Martin Mills, said in a statement: “It’s been a privilege to have been part of the A2IM board as an overseas interloper – I am so impressed with the job that both the executives and the board do for our community, and love seeing it go from strength to strength. I shall be cheering the team on from the sidelines, and returning, I hope, after my interregnum”.

Let’s all start saying ‘interregnum’ more (or at all) now. As soon as I’m finished with this, I’m going on my lunch interregnum.

Ticketscript announces new investment to fuel global expansion

Business News Live Business

Self-service ticketing platform ticketscript has this morning confirmed it has secured a new backer in the form of FF&P Private Equity, which will invest £7 million in the business to fuel further global expansion and the development of new services for existing clients.

Confirming the new investor, ticketscript CEO Frans Jonker told CMU: “I am very excited to be able to announce this investment, and believe FF&P Private Equity are the perfect partner to help us to take ticketscript to the next level. ticketscript has a ground-breaking, market-leading ticketing solution and this investment will support our increasing client demand and further international expansion”.

Meanwhile FF&P Private Equity Director Henry Sallitt added: “We are delighted to have invested in ticketscript as a truly disruptive service provider in the pan-European ticketing market, and back the management’s ambitions to grow their market leading proposition into substantial scale. FF&P Private Equity has been successful in helping its portfolio of entrepreneurial companies to grow their businesses and we look forward to working with ticketscript to help the company develop”.

Cornish festival wins ID&C bursary

Business News Gigs & Festivals Live Business

Security wristband specialist ID&C has announced the winner of its annual Grass Roots Festival Bursary, an award made annually to a festival with a capacity under 15,000 which has been in business for less than ten years.

And the winner of this year’s bursary, the fourth to be presented, is the not-for-profit Looe Music Festival in Cornwall, which will receive £2500 towards its “access control requirements” for this year’s event, which takes place from 19-21 Sep in the Cornish seaside town.

Over 40 grass roots festivals applied for the bursary this year, with ID&C saying it looks for “a commitment and efforts towards such things as sustainability, charity and community engagement” when deciding which event to support.

On receiving the bursary this time, Looe Music Festival’s Director Tanya Brittain told CMU: “I can’t express how delighted we all are about receiving the Grass Roots Bursary. We’re excited to have the opportunity to work with ID&C this year and benefit from their expertise in access control”.

Meanwhile ID&C’s Matt Wilkey added: “Looe Music Festival ticks all the boxes for us. Besides its long term commitment to charity, community and sustainability initiatives, there is a real ‘by the people, for the people’ spirit that has clearly played a major part of the event’s growth and success”.

Spotify issues security notice

Business News Digital

Spotify has issued a security notice after discovering unauthorised access to its systems and company data.

In the statement, CTO Oskar Stål said that an investigation had shown that only one user’s account data had actually been accessed in the breach, but that a number of measures would nevertheless be taken to protect others.

Although stressing that the company is “not aware of any increased risk to users”, Stål confirmed that in the coming days some users will be prompted to re-login to their accounts, while some users of the company’s Android mobile app will also receive an update shortly.

iOS and Windows Phone users are not currently thought to be affected.

YouTube to add crowdfunding options for creators

Business News Digital Management & Funding

YouTube has announced plans to add crowdfunding options to its platform as part of a number of new updates, perhaps in a bid to take up the slack once it’s put the entire independent label sector out of business.

In a new video previewing forthcoming updates for creators, YouTube Product Manager Jehan Ratnatunga noted that some producers of video content are already raising money via crowdfunding services. However, he said, “the problem is, a lot of this funding is happening away from YouTube. So, I’ve been thinking about how we can do this directly on YouTube, allowing fans to fund the creators that they really love”.

YouTube, of course, has come under considerable fire recently for its royalty payments to the music industry, and its negotiating tactics with indie labels as it tries to get a new streaming service off the ground. These crowdfunding options won’t do anything to calm that anger, but it will be interesting to see if and how musicians use the crowdfunding options on the video platform once they go live.

Watch the only slightly irritating video about the various new updates coming soon for YouTube content creators here:

Billboard’s Twitter music charts go live

Business News Digital Media

Billboard and Twitter yesterday officially launched the previously reported Billboard Twitter Real-Time Charts, which logs the ups and downs of popular songs on the social network over the previous hour, 24 hours, and seven days.

The complicated system takes into account US-based tweets featuring combinations of artist names, songs titles, Twitter handles, hashtags, words like “listen” and streaming links to work out who’s hot and who’s cooling down like a hot egg in a bucket of ice cream. Should you really want to know more about the system the charts are employing, there is a detailed FAQ right here.

One of the first acts to join the exhausting merry-go-round of tweet lists was Austin Mahone, who performed at a launch event for the new charts and told Billboard: “I am thrilled to be one of the first artists to see my songs move on the Billboard Twitter Charts. For me, it’s always about my fans, and I love seeing what all my Mahomies are saying about the new EP – it’s exciting that there’s finally a platform that tracks what the fans are saying about music in real-time”.

Nope, Mahomies still doesn’t really work, does it? I vote he renames his fans something else. How about the Austin-tatiouslies? Yes, that’s much better.

Anyway, I digress. As well as all the big popular popstars, there will also be charts for emerging artists having their music shared on Twitter – the little guys with fewer than 50,000 followers. Have a look at the ‘Trending 140’ chart here, and the Emerging Artists chart here.

UTV Radio teams with Paul Hardcastle on a new talent search

Business News Industry People Media

The radio division of UTV Media has teamed up with NUA Entertainment, a new venture backed by ‘n-n-n-n-n-n-n-nineteen’ producer man Paul Hardcastle, to stage a UK-wide talent search for “the next big singing sensation”.

Aspiring pop stars are being invited to submit demos to UTV’s local stations – which include the Liverpool Juice station, Pulse in Bradford, Peak FM in Derbyshire and the various Signal outfits in the Midlands – with a £100,000 record deal and plenty of airplay exposure over the UTV radio network up for grabs.

Hardcastle, who partnered with entrepreneur Neil Utley on the new NUA Entertainment company earlier this year, told CMU: “I’m really looking forward to seeing the performances at the judging stages which I feel sure, with UTV’s involvement, will be of a high quality”.

Meanwhile UTV Radio’s Group Programme Director Terry Underhill added: “This is the biggest prize that UTV’s local stations have ever given away and we know our talented listeners will be really keen to win it”.

Tina Turner denies stroke rumours

Artist News

Tina Turner has denied a report in a German newspaper that she recently suffered a stroke while preparing for a holiday in Austria.

The report quoted a man who claimed to be the singer’s driver, saying: “She had a mild stroke, but is well on the road to recovery. Tina had to cancel her holiday to recover, [but] she has already managed a smile for her partner Erwin Bach”.

A spokesperson for the singer denied that the man quoted was Turner’s driver, or that she had been planning to holiday in Austria, while adding that her client had definitely not had a stroke, mild or otherwise. The rep added: “The fact is that Tina enjoys excellent health”.

Brian May reveals unheard Queen LP, ‘naughty’ We Will Rock You sequel

Artist News Releases

Brian May has confirmed what was first hinted at last year, mainly that a compilation of as-yet unreleased Queen “ballads” featuring ‘lost’ vocals by the band’s late lead singer Freddie Mercury is on its way. And hey, it appears it might have at least one of Mercury’s shelved sing-songs with Michael Jackson on it, since those remain unaired even in the wake of Jackson’s post-death solo LP, ‘Xscape’.

May, of course, announced in November that a horde of Mercury’s old studio recordings, most of which date back to the 1980s, had been found in Queen’s archive vaults. It’s those that’ll form the basis of the collection, titled ‘Queen Forever’, which backs up the vocal tracks with present-day instrumentals made on ProTools.

And talking of ProTools, Brian May had a lot to say about sound editing software in relation to the ‘lost’ compilation, or “restoration job” in his words. It was all ‘ProTools this’ and ‘ProTools that’ in a recent chat with BBC Radio Wales.

This is what he said: “Well most of it comes from the 80s when we were in full flight, so it’s quite emotional. It’s kind of the big, big ballad and the big, big epic sound. It wouldn’t’ve been if we hadn’t done this restoration and had to start from scratch – we only had scraps, but knowing how it would’ve happened if we’d finished it then, I can sit there and make it happen, with modern technology. We have ProTools these days. You can do almost anything in ProTools”.

Including write a “naughty” and “kinda wicked” follow-on musical to May and Ben Elton’s Queen-themed ‘We Will Rock You’, if May’s BBC Radio Wales chit-chat is in any way true. Which surely it must be, mustn’t it?

Bri said he and ‘WWRY’ co-writer Ben Elton had “very secretly and quietly” previewed a sequel to the West End show, which is set to close this week, to a test-crowd, adding: “Everybody loved it, so we’re looking for a theatre. It’s kinda wicked. It’s very naughty. It’s a little naughtier than the first one”.

Cheryl Cole announces solo single, fourth album (kind of)

Artist News Releases

On-off ‘X-Factor’ starlet Cheryl Cole is going back to what she did originally to earn her keep: pop artistry.

Chez revealed this week that she has a new solo LP waiting in the wings for release in November, her first since 2012’s ‘A Million Lights’, and fourth since time began. And whilst acting all coy as to its title, she did confirm the name of its first single, ‘Crazy Stupid Love’, so that’s a meagre detail to chew on in the meantime.

CC will apparently sing (or at least mime and dance in time to) the track live on one of the forthcoming ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ live shows. After which, hearsay has it, she’ll plonk it straight onto iTunes. Plonk.

Kendal Calling launches visual arts fund

Business News Gigs & Festivals Management & Funding

The Kendal Calling festival has announced a new £10,000 commissioning fund for visual artists, called Beyond Infinity, in partnership with Eden Arts and FutureEverything, and supported by Arts Council England.

The event is calling on established and emerging visual artists for submissions incorporating digital media with an emphasis on sculpture, light projections and installations, in keeping with this year’s festival theme, ‘Kendal Calling goes beyond the stars’.

Six artists will be commissioned to show their work at this year’s Kendal Calling, one receiving £5000 and five others getting £1000 each.

Kendal Calling Director Ben Robinson told CMU: “We are thrilled to announce this new opportunity for visual artists to bring work to the festival. Working with Arts Council England, Eden Arts and FutureEverything will add a whole new dimension to this year’s event”.

Artists can submit their work here. This year’s Kendal Calling takes place from 1-3 Aug.

Gigs & Tours Round-Up: John Legend, Temper Trap, Kasabian and Erasure

Artist News Gigs & Festivals Gigs & Tours Round-Up

Rounding up the latest gig news…

Extra ‘Ordinary’ soul man John Legend (pictured) has foretold of a tour he’s doing in October. Starting on 6 Oct at the Manchester Apollo, it winds on through Newcastle, Cardiff, Nottingham and Birmingham on 7, 9, 10 and 12 Oct, and alights finally on 13 Oct at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. The dates go to support John’s fourth LP, ‘Love In The Future’, which encompasses my all-time fave hit of his, ‘All Of Me’. Link to listings for the so called #AllOfMeTour via this page.

Next, it’s The Temper Trap! Who are back in all senses of the term. The band are playing three extremely ‘intimate’ (ie relatively tiny) sets at Oslo, in London, on 21, 22 and indeed 23 Jul. Not only ‘intimate’, but also rare, since the shows will be the first TTT have headlined in over a year. Vocalist Dougy Mandagi catches the mood in-camp like so, also managing to slip in a hint re new material: “We’re all really excited about the direction the new tracks are taking and we can’t wait to play them live to our fans for the first time. These will be our most intimate shows in a very long time”.

And what’s more, Kasabian have added a big new gig to their timetable, which sure is looking quite frantic right now. But wait! It’s for War Child, so I’ll spare the Kasabian jibes, and instead go ahead and inform you that the show will ‘go down’ at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 18 Jun, with all takings from tickets (which are £50 a pop) going to the charity. Kasabian are, as is unavoidable public info, putting out their new album ’48:13′ on 9 Jun, but that’s quite beside the point.

Kasabian’s Tom Meighan, meanwhile, says this: “That children suffer in war is unacceptable, and it’s important that War Child are there to do something about it. We couldn’t be happier to again help them in their vital work with a concert we’re really looking forward to”.

Well-versed synth wizards Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, aka Erasure, are releasing an LP mixed by high-gloss pop pope Richard X. Its title is ‘The Violet Flame’, and Erasure are due to set its campaign trail alight by playing a whole heap of shows aaaall over the world.

Of those taking place in the UK and Ireland, the first is at Belfast’s Ulster Hall on 8 Nov, and the final one is on 30 Nov at the Manchester Apollo. Check details of what’s going on in the interim via the Erasure gigs listings page, and view a taster trailer for ‘The Violet Flame’, which is arriving on 22 Sep, here:

Approved: Talons

CMU Approved

Talons released their excellent debut album, ‘Hollow Realm’, way way back in 2010. Who can even remember back that far? Well me, for one. Because otherwise how would I even know to write this? It was a stupid question really. I mean, surely most people can remember back five years. Actually, it’s less than four years, if I’m honest.

Anyway, ‘Hollow Realm’ was both excellent and memorable, a collection of heavy instrumental rock soundscapes with layers of violin adding extra drama into the mix. But since then the band have released precisely zero albums. And that is a fact that will remain true until 4 Aug this year, when Talons release album number two, ‘New Topographics’.

The first single from the new record, ‘The Wild Places’, is available for SoundCloud-based listening now, and shows that they have lost none of the energy of their debut. The band will also be touring in September, including a date at Birthdays in London on 12 Sep – full dates here.

Christopher Lee releases birthday metal EP, because why not?

And Finally Artist News Releases

So cool-and-sinister (pretend) wizard Christopher Lee likes to moonlight as a kind of operatic rockstar. That’s just a fact of life. One of the strangest and most enduringly true of all.

Lee this week celebrated his 92nd year on the planet by releasing a mini-LP titled ‘Metal Knight’, featuring heavy metal remakes of ‘The Impossible Dream’, Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’, and some songs off of ‘Man Of La Mancha’ (the Broadway stage adaptation of ‘Don Quixote’), each of which he seems to have approached as if it’s a part in a play or film.

Or that’s what I took from watching this clip, in which he talks long and hard about each track, and what it means to him. And by long and hard, I mainly mean long. Shouts to whomsoever edited the trailer, which is watchable, highly so, here:

Rap Genius founder resigns after annotating Santa Barbara killer’s ‘manifesto’

Business News Digital Industry People Top Stories

One of the co-founders of Rap Genius resigned from the company yesterday after criticism of posts he made to the lyrics site in the wake of the multiple killings that occurred near the University Of Santa Barbara on Friday.

The offending posts occurred within the News Genius forum which allows users to post, annotate and comment on documents relating to current events, in much the same way users post, annotate and comment on song lyrics in the main section of the Rap Genius platform. The document the site’s co-founder Mahbod Moghadam annotated was the “manifesto” of Elliot Rodger, the young man behind Friday’s homicides.

Some have questioned whether it was right at all to dissect Rodger’s writings so soon after his crimes had been committed, though the site’s owners have argued that doing so falls within the remit of the News Genius forum and that perhaps “understanding the psychology of people who do horrible things can help us to better understand our society and ourselves”.

However, it wasn’t Moghadam’s participation in this particular Rap Genius post that caused controversy, rather some of the things he wrote, in particular remarks that some of Rodger’s somewhat sinister manifesto was “beautifully written”, and even more so an assumption that the killer’s sister must have been “smokin hot”.

As criticism of the annotations grew online the Rap Genius founder told Valleywag: “I was fascinated by the fact that a text was associated with such a heartbreaking crime, especially since Elliot is talking about my neighbourhood growing up. I got carried away with making the annotations and making any comment about his sister was in horrible taste, thankfully the Rap Genius community edits out my poor judgement, I am very sorry for writing it”.

But the apology seemingly wasn’t enough to placate the flood of critics that had by this point emerged online, leading to an announcement by another founder of the site, Tom Lehman, that Moghadam had stepped down from the company.

In his own post Lehman defended the discussion of Rodger’s text on his site, but conceded that had one of his community’s moderators posted the same remarks as his co-founder, that moderator would likely be asked to step down. “And Mahbod, our original community leader, is no exception” he went on. “In light of this, Mahbod has resigned – both in his capacity as an employee of the company, and as a member of our board of directors, effective immediately”.

Lehman added: “Mahbod is my friend. He’s a brilliant, creative, complicated person with a ton of love in his heart. Without Mahbod Rap Genius would not exist, and I am grateful for all he has done to help Rap Genius succeed. But I cannot let him compromise the Rap Genius mission – a mission that remains almost as delicate and inchoate as it was when we three founders decided to devote our lives to it almost five years ago”.

The venture capital backed Rap Genius previously courted controversy for operating without licences from the music publishers whose lyrics its core service utilises, and then for seemingly breaking Google’s rules for encouraging bloggers to link to its pages, resulting in a temporary ban from the web giant’s search lists. Though the Google slip up was quickly fixed, and deals with most of the US music publishers have now been negotiated.

The site’s operators and backers will be hoping that, with Mahbod’s speedy departure, this slip up can be as quickly put behind them.

EMI hits out at MP3tunes founder’s attempts to cut infringement damages bill

Business News Digital Labels & Publishers Legal

Legal reps for EMI have hit out at a motion filed earlier this month by MP3tunes founder Michael Robertson that seeks to have the copyright infringement ruling made against him earlier this year retried, reconsidered or, at least, the damages he was ordered to pay reduced.

As much previously reported, MP3tunes was one of the original music-focused digital locker services, but it quickly found itself at the receiving end of litigation from EMI. There were various elements to the lawsuit, which targeted Robertson personally as well as his company, with the defendant basically winning at first instance, but the music company prevailing on appeal.

Although not all the copyright infringement allegations against Robertson stood up on second hearing, the jury hearing the case reckoned that the web entrepreneur was liable for distributing unlicensed content, and links to unlicensed content, over this own platform, and perhaps more importantly for being “wilfully blind” to others copyright infringement on his site. The ruling led to EMI being awarded mega-bucks damages, which ended up being $48 million (even more than the initially mooted $41 million).

Robertson filed a motion with the court earlier this month raising various concerns over the ruling against him, and the size of the damages awarded, which were so high partly because the jury opted for more than the statutory minimum when deciding how much Robertson should pay, and partly because of the number of tracks listed in the case as being infringed, damages under US copyright law being applied ‘per infringement’.

According to Law 360, Robertson’s lawyers argue that the “wilfully blind” bit of the case is crucial when it comes to the damages, as it added 2000 more copyrights that their client is accused of infringing, in addition to those where there was direct infringement (ie Robertson shared the files himself). But EMI took advantage of “vague case law” to score the “wilfully blind” ruling, Robertson’s attorney’s argue.

For their part, the EMI legal team has hit out at Robertson’s various calls for a rethink, arguing that “after the immense work and considered judgment invested by the jury in this case, Robertson asks this court to discard the jury’s careful verdicts based largely on self-serving characterisations of isolated pieces of evidence and testimony”.

Robertson also argues that the damages sum is disproportionate to the losses EMI suffered as a result of files and links being shared over the MP3tunes website, to which the record company’s lawyers counter: “We were under no obligation to demonstrate actual losses to recover statutory damages. The jury was free … to conclude that the harm to plaintiffs (and the industry generally) from defendants’ conduct went well beyond lost sales”.

It remains to be seen how the judge responds to both sides’ motions. Of course MP3tunes went under in the midst of this dispute, so no longer exists, while EMI was split into its recordings and music publishing divisions and sold on to Universal and Sony/ATV respectively.

Man questioned over AKB48 attack

Artist News Legal

A man is being questioned by police after he attacked members of Japanese pop franchise AKB48 at a fan event on Sunday in Takizawa in northern Japan.

Two members of the girl group and a staff member at the event were injured after the man attacked them with a saw that he had concealed inside his coat. AKB48 members Anna Iriyama and Rina Kawaei reportedly sustained head and hand injuries in the attack, while the staff member also suffered cuts to his hands.

All three received hospital treatment, though have since been discharged, with Kawaei issuing a statement to fans, saying: “We’ve caused you worry, but we are returning to Tokyo now. Thank you very much”.

Although the AKB48 franchise currently has 140 members, with only a small number appearing at any one show or event, a Tokyo concert was cancelled after the attack as have been all forthcoming fan events, possibly while security arrangements are reviewed.

The attacker has been named as 24 year old Satoru Umeta, with police telling AFP yesterday: “We have started questioning the suspect this morning to know details, including his motive”.

Beastie Boy due in court for Monster infringement case

Brands & Merch Business News Legal

Adam Horovitz is expected to appear in court in New York later today to give evidence in the Beastie Boys’ legal battle with the Monster Energy Drink.

The rap group sued the energy drink company in August 2012, just a few months after the death of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, who had included a clause in his will that prohibited the use of his music, image or any other artistic creation in advertising.

The group’s lawsuit claims that the drinks company used their music in videos and downloads without permission, and is seeking damages of $150,000 for each infringement. The lawsuit adds: “The public was confused into believing that plaintiffs sponsored, endorsed and are associated with defendant Monster in promoting defendant Monster’s productions and promotional events”.

According to Consequence Of Sound, Horovitz will explain why he feels that is a suitable damages sum for Monster’s alleged infringing activities as the case gets underway in court later today.

SESAC owner might bid for the Harry Fox Agency

Business News Labels & Publishers

The private equity firm that took control of American performing rights society SESAC last year, Rizvi Traverse, is reported to be bidding to buy the main US mechanical rights organisation the Harry Fox Agency, in a deal that could result in a combined performing and mechanical rights body in the American music publishing sector for the first time.

When music publishers license their songs to third parties, the licence defines the exact ways in which a customer is allowed to make use of the music being licensed, and a common distinction is made between the making of ‘mechanical copies’ of songs and the performing of them in public.

In the collective licensing space, where the music publishers provide blanket licences to certain groups of licensees through their collecting societies, separate collecting organisations have usually been set up for ‘mechanical’ licensing and ‘public performance’ licensing, because traditionally different groups of people wanted such licences (record labels usually wanting to make mechanical copies of songs, whereas broadcasters and concert promoters need permission for songs to be performed in public).

This has created challenges in the streaming content space, where often both licences are required, because streaming services make copies of songs while simultaneously performing them in public. In some countries – including the UK – mechanical and public performance societies have allied in recent years and offer joint licences in such scenarios.

In the US, though, where there are three separate performing right societies, each representing different rights owners, there has been no such alliance, meaning online services have not been able to get one-stop blanket licences from the publishing sector (some streaming services have actually licensed the mechanical side directly with the publishers, while covering performing rights via the societies). All of which would make SESAC and HFA coming into common ownership very interesting, even though SESAC is by far the smallest of the performing right societies in the US.

But a merger would enable the combined organisation to provide joint licences for the SESAC catalogue. Plus some wonder if there might not be more opportunities for a combined SESAC/HFA if and when the US publishers withdraw their digital rights from the bigger performing right societies BMI and ASCAP. Because while those publishers would then seek to do direct deals with digital services, they may still need an agency to oversee royalty collections, and SESAC – as a more commercial entity than the other two performing right societies – might go after that work.

According to Billboard, the current owner of HFA, which is the US publishing sector’s trade body the National Music Publishers Association, has been considering a sale for a few months now, and is planning on hiring the services of an investment bank to consider possible options. Though the mechanical licensing side of music publishing is generally in decline, because it’s so closely linked to the record industry’s fortunes, so it’s possible only a buyer with a strategic interest, like Rizvi Traverse, would be interested.

Atlantic promotions chief expands his role

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

Damian Christian, promotions man at Warner’s Atlantic Records, has been promoted, taking on responsibilities for the “strategic direction” of promotions activity at Warner’s label services business ADA and the major’s oh-yes-it’s-back-people East West Records label. He will have two jobs titles moving forward, being SVP Of Promotional Strategy for Warner UK in general, as well as Director Of Promotions at Atlantic specifically.

Says Warner UK CEO Max Lousada: “Damian is a music executive at the top of his game. He consistently creates huge opportunities that propel our artists to new heights and I’m thrilled that his expertise can now benefit the acts signed to East West and ADA. This well-deserved promotion is a natural progression for him as a leader in his field”.

Christian himself added: “I’m incredibly proud of having been part of Atlantic’s success. I have really enjoyed working with Max and look forward to working more closely with Ben Cook at Atlantic and Dan Chalmers and the great artists on East West and ADA. I’ve been very lucky to promote some inspirational and talented acts and I’ve done it with the backing of an amazing promo team. These are exciting times for Warner Music UK and I’m thrilled to be a part of it”.

Emma Pike departs Sony Music

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

Sony Music’s VP Of Industry Relations in the UK, Emma Pike, is departing the major to pursue some of those “entrepreneurial opportunities”. Pike, who led UK Music predecessor British Music Rights prior to joining the major six years ago, will depart next month before the arrival of Sony Music UK’s new CEO Jason Iley.

Confirming her departure, Pike told Music Week: “I have had six wonderful years at Sony Music and I will miss it and the people here enormously. I have decided to dive into the world of creative and entrepreneurial opportunities inside and outside music. I have rather too many ideas ranging from the relatively sensible to the plain silly – so my first priority is to enjoy a summer of exploration before embarking in earnest on new projects in the autumn”.

Australian fans unhappy at 50% refund for abandoned Janelle Monáe show

Business News Live Business

Live Nation has begun the process of issuing refunds after a Janelle Monáe and Kimbra co-headline tour of Australia was cancelled due to the former’s ill-health, but some are not happy with the offer they have received.

The tour was actually cancelled mid-show during a Melbourne concert once Monáe’s ill-health was confirmed, and ticketholders for that gig have only been offered a 50% refund, on the grounds that they got to see Kimbra perform before the event was aborted.

An email from Ticketmaster informed fans: “[Promoter] Live Nation has advised that due to the inconvenience caused by the mid-show cancellation of the Janelle Monáe with Kimbra show which took place at the Forum Melbourne on Saturday 17 May 2014, a 50% refund of your total ticket value will be processed”.

Now, while you could debate whether or not the balance of power in a Kimbra/Janelle Monáe double-header amounts to a 50/50 split, many have already pointed out that the advertised big finish of each show was a set from both performers and their bands together. And that is definitely something that attendees of the Melbourne gig did not see – meaning they got somewhat less than 50% of the billed experience.

Disgruntled concertgoers have been flocking to the Ticketmaster Australia and Live Nation Australia & New Zealand Facebook pages to complain about the situation, with the words “disgusted” and “unacceptable” cropping up particularly often.

Live Nation has told Music Feeds that despite the backlash, it will stand by its policy to only offer a 50% refund on the show. Refunds are being returned to the credit cards on which tickets were originally purchased through an automated system.

The original opening show of the tour at the Challenge Stadium in Perth was also cancelled on the day of the event but that was due to a “tight touring schedule”.

Sam Smith to do live ad for Google Play

Brands & Merch Business News Digital Media

The Google Play download and streaming platform is teaming up with Channel 4 and that Sam Smith blokey for a live advert. Yes, live. Who’d of thought it possible? Me.

Anyway, the first time a live musical performance has been aired as an advert in the UK, apparently, Smith will perform a song from his sold out show at London’s Roundhouse for the cameras during an ad break in the ‘Alan Carr: Chatty Man’ show this Friday. The live performance will then be available for streaming funtimes on Google Play UK shortly afterwards.

Says Google UK’s Stephen Rosenthal: “Through Google Play Music, we’re looking to shake up the way music lovers connect with the bands and tracks they love. What better way to show our ambition than lay on this world first with Sam Smith, one of the hottest acts on the planet today”.

Meanwhile Sammy-boy added: “It’s incredible to be part of a UK first. ‘Stay With Me’ being broadcast live to the nation will be a very special moment for me”.

Thursday 29 May 2014, 11:18 | By Aly Barchi

Like live folk music? LOVE live folk music with an ‘alt’ slant to it? If you answered one or both of those in the affirmative, you should probably know about Irregular Folk’s Summer Session, an all-day, multi-band show taking place on 12 Jul.

READ MORE ABOUT: Irregular Folk

Thursday 29 May 2014, 11:17 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Eurovision Song Contest | Intervision

Thursday 29 May 2014, 11:16 | By Chris Cooke

One Direction. A puff on a joint. In a van. In Peru. Captured on Louis’ phone. Alleged use of a racial slur.

READ MORE ABOUT: One Direction

Thursday 29 May 2014, 11:09 | By Andy Malt

Tove Styrke released her eponymous debut album back in 2010, featuring the still-much-played-in-the-CMU-office single ‘Call My Name’ (no relation to the Cheryl Cole song of the same title. Apart from both being brilliant, of course).

READ MORE ABOUT: Tove Styrke

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 11:08 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Universal Music

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 11:07 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Adam Horovitz | Beastie Boys | Michael Diamond | Monster Beverage Corp | Monster Energy Drink

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 11:06 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Motions | Of Unsound Mind | Skream

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 11:05 | By Andy Malt

The American Association Of Independent Music, A2IM to its mates, has announced the election of five new names to its board of directors, which is all kinds of fun.

READ MORE ABOUT: A2IM

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 11:04 | By Chris Cooke

Self-service ticketing platform ticketscript has this morning confirmed it has secured a new backer in the form of FF&P Private Equity, which will invest £7 million in the business to fuel further global expansion and the development of new services for existing clients.

READ MORE ABOUT: FF&P Private Equity | Ticketscript

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 11:03 | By Chris Cooke

Security wristband specialist ID&C has announced the winner of its annual Grass Roots Festival Bursary, an award made annually to a festival with a capacity under 15,000 which has been in business for less than ten years.

READ MORE ABOUT: ID&C | Looe Music Festival

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 11:02 | By Andy Malt

Spotify has issued a security notice after discovering unauthorised access to its systems and company data.

READ MORE ABOUT: Spotify

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 11:01 | By Andy Malt

YouTube has announced plans to add crowdfunding options to its platform as part of a number of new updates, perhaps in a bid to take up the slack once it’s put the entire independent label sector out of business.

READ MORE ABOUT: YouTube

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 11:00 | By Andy Malt

Billboard and Twitter yesterday officially launched the previously reported Billboard Twitter Real-Time Charts, which logs the ups and downs of popular songs on the social network over the previous hour, 24 hours, and seven days.

READ MORE ABOUT: Billboard | Twitter

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 10:59 | By Chris Cooke

The radio division of UTV Media has teamed up with NUA Entertainment, a new venture backed by ‘n-n-n-n-n-n-n-nineteen’ producer man Paul Hardcastle, to stage a UK-wide talent search for “the next big singing sensation”.

READ MORE ABOUT: NUA Entertainment | Paul Hardcastle | UTV Media

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 10:58 | By Andy Malt

Tina Turner has denied a report in a German newspaper that she recently suffered a stroke while preparing for a holiday in Austria.

READ MORE ABOUT: Tina Turner

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 10:57 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Brian May | Freddie Mercury | Queen

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 10:56 | By Aly Barchi

On-off ‘X-Factor’ starlet Cheryl Cole is going back to what she did originally to earn her keep: pop artistry.

READ MORE ABOUT: Cheryl

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 10:55 | By Andy Malt

The Kendal Calling festival has announced a new £10,000 commissioning fund for visual artists, called Beyond Infinity, in partnership with Eden Arts and FutureEverything, and supported by Arts Council England.

READ MORE ABOUT: Beyond Infinity | Kendal Calling

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 10:54 | By Aly Barchi

Rounding up the latest gig news…

READ MORE ABOUT: Erasure | John Legend | Kasabian | Temper Trap

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 10:52 | By Andy Malt

READ MORE ABOUT: Talons

Wednesday 28 May 2014, 10:52 | By Aly Barchi

So cool-and-sinister (pretend) wizard Christopher Lee likes to moonlight as a kind of operatic rockstar. That’s just a fact of life. One of the strangest and most enduringly true of all.

READ MORE ABOUT: Christopher Lee

Tuesday 27 May 2014, 11:12 | By Chris Cooke

One of the co-founders of Rap Genius resigned from the company yesterday after criticism of posts he made to the lyrics site in the wake of the multiple killings that occurred near the University Of Santa Barbara on Friday.

READ MORE ABOUT: Mahbod Moghadam | Rap Genius | Tom Lehman

Tuesday 27 May 2014, 11:11 | By Chris Cooke

Legal reps for EMI have hit out at a motion filed earlier this month by MP3tunes founder Michael Robertson that seeks to have the copyright infringement ruling made against him earlier this year retried, reconsidered or, at least, the damages he was ordered to pay reduced.

READ MORE ABOUT: EMI | Michael Robertson | MP3tunes

Tuesday 27 May 2014, 11:10 | By Chris Cooke

A man is being questioned by police after he attacked members of Japanese pop franchise AKB48 at a fan event on Sunday in Takizawa in northern Japan.

READ MORE ABOUT: AKB48

Tuesday 27 May 2014, 11:09 | By Chris Cooke

Adam Horovitz is expected to appear in court in New York later today to give evidence in the Beastie Boys’ legal battle with the Monster Energy Drink.

READ MORE ABOUT: Adam Horovitz | Beastie Boys | Monster Energy Drink

Tuesday 27 May 2014, 11:08 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Harry Fox Agency | Rizvi Traverse | SESAC

Tuesday 27 May 2014, 11:07 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Atlantic Records | Damian Christian

Tuesday 27 May 2014, 11:06 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Emma Pike | Sony Music

Tuesday 27 May 2014, 11:05 | By Andy Malt

Live Nation has begun the process of issuing refunds after a Janelle Monáe and Kimbra co-headline tour of Australia was cancelled due to the former’s ill-health, but some are not happy with the offer they have received.

READ MORE ABOUT: Janelle Monáe | Live Nation

Tuesday 27 May 2014, 11:04 | By Chris Cooke

The Google Play download and streaming platform is teaming up with Channel 4 and that Sam Smith blokey for a live advert. Yes, live. Who’d of thought it possible? Me.