Concord acquires LA Reid's HitCo
Concord is acquiring HitCo, the most recent music business co-founded by US record industry veteran LA Reid, according to sources who have spoken to Variety.

Reid, of course, had a long career within the major label system, starting when he co-founded the label LaFace as a joint venture with Arista Records, then part of the original BMG, in 1989. He later ran Arista itself, before moving over to Universal Music to run Island Def Jam, and then to Sony Music to head up Epic US. Around the time he joined Epic he also appeared as a judge on the US version of 'X Factor'.

His departure from Sony in 2017 was somewhat abrupt and followed a complaint by a staff member of "unlawful harassment". Reid was accused of making "inappropriate remarks" about a female assistant's appearance and clothing, and "propositions that caused her embarrassment and distress, making it impossible for her to continue working at the label".

At the time Reid said in a short statement: "I'm proud of my track record promoting, supporting and uplifting women at every company I've ever run. That notwithstanding, if I have ever said anything capable of being misinterpreted, I apologise unreservedly".

The launch of HitCo followed, it using the brand of a music publishing company Reid originally launched back in the 1990s. The new HitCo was a joint venture with another former major label exec, Charles Goldstuck, who - among other things - had co-founded J Records in 2000 with Arista Records founder Clive Davis.

Along the way, HitCo has collaborated with various artists who worked with Reid in his previous roles, including OutKast's Big Boy, Fifth Harmony's Dinah Jane and Jennifer Lopez, as well as the likes of Saint JHN, Dixie D'Amelio and Rubi Rose.

Although no official statement has been made about Concord's acquisition of HitCo, sources have told Variety that "a number of executives will be retained by Concord, among them Label President Joel Klaiman and Head Of A&R Jaha Johnson, who will continue to work HitCo projects".

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Phoebe Bridgers appears in court to request dismissal of defamation lawsuit
Phoebe Bridgers appeared in court in LA yesterday to try to convince a judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit brought against her by sound engineer Chris Nelson last year.

Nelson sued Bridgers last September claiming that, in October 2020, the musician posted and promoted various defamatory statements against him on Instagram. In her post, Bridgers made a number of allegations of abuse and misconduct against Nelson, as well as directing her followers to his ex-girlfriend's account on the social platform where further allegations had been made - including that he had murdered a man in a racially motivated attack.

In his lawsuit, Nelson claims that Bridgers "intentionally used her high-profile public platform on Instagram to publish false and defamatory statements … in order to destroy his reputation".

But she says that she believes the statements she made were true, insisting that they were based on "my personal knowledge, including statements I personally heard Mr Nelson make, as well as my own observations".

Bridgers is trying to have the defamation lawsuit dismissed by citing anti-SLAPP rules, those being rules designed to stop people limiting the free speech of others through unwarranted litigation.

Although no ruling on the matter was made, Judge Curtis Kin said that he was inclined to grant Bridgers' motion to dismiss yesterday, according to Courthouse News, adding: "It seems like a he said/she said issue. It's hard to see, looking at the record, how the plaintiff could show that Ms Bridgers, when making the post, knew her statements to be false or had serious doubts as to whether they were true".

"It seems it is a matter of public interest", he went on, saying that by posting the accusations, and making any musicians considering working with Nelson aware of said allegations, Bridgers was "attempting to provide protective consumer information" and "wanting to provide full information to those who are considering working with Mr Nelson".

Kin also made no decision on a separate motion put forward by Nelson to have a recent deposition by Bridgers unsealed. She was ordered to sit for that deposition in April, despite having previously argued that the request was "nothing more than thinly veiled harassment".

Nelson's lawyer Bradford Hughes argued in court that Bridgers admitted in her deposition that she had never actually witnessed Nelson engaging in any of the things she accused him of, despite saying in her posts that she had.

For now, the case continues.

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Universal Production Music partners with Harry Gregson-Williams on new label
Universal Music Publishing's production music division has launched a new joint venture with TV and film composer Harry Gregson-Williams, which sees the creation of a new production music label to be known as Scored By: Harry Gregson-Williams.

The label will make available music composed by Gregson-Williams and his team for use in film and TV, without the expense of having to hire the composer to create something bespoke. At launch, it is offering collections of music on various themes, including 'pursuit', 'apprehension' and 'impulse'.

"I'm extremely happy to be partnering with Universal Production Music on the creation of this new music label", says Gregson-Williams. "Making my music available in this way - beyond the boundaries of the specific film and television score commissions I'm doing - seems like a wonderful opportunity and a natural extension to my work".

Geoff Cox, UK Head Of Production at Universal Production Music, adds: "Harry is one of Hollywood's most renowned film composers whose music has soundtracked some of the most iconic movies of the last 20 years. To have access to that experience and build a label together that showcases Harry's talents and delivers us exceptional music for our clients is a huge coup for us and highlights our strategy of working with the absolute best in the business".

The first five album releases on Scored By: Harry Gregson-Williams are available to license now.

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Applications being accepted for 2022 Drake Yolanda Award
Applications are now open for the 2022 Drake Yolanda Award, the funding scheme for emerging artists headed up by entrepreneur/philanthropist James JP Drake and saxophonist/broadcaster Yolanda Brown.

Organisers of the scheme explain that "the Drake Yolanda Award welcomes applicants from all genres and are specifically looking for independent artists that need support and do not currently have backing from major record labels or publishers".

In terms of the funding available, they go on: "Ten promising artists will be awarded £3000 each, with ten additional runner up prizes of £500 each, intended to support each winners' artistic development in areas including touring, artistic development, recording new music, music videos, marketing, branding and purchasing new equipment".

Launching this year's award, Brown - who also recently became Chair of record label trade group BPI - says: "For many artists, access to finance is always a big stumbling block to achieving their dreams. James and I are happy to support artists to move another step closer to making them a reality".

There is more info about the awards here - the deadline for applications is 5 Sep.

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Enter Shikari team up with Wargasm for new single
Enter Shikari have released their first new music in nearly three years, a collaboration with Wargasm called 'The Void Stares Back'.

"It is with elation, and more than a little nervousness, that we release this; our first track after over two years of dormancy", says vocalist Rou Reynolds.

"It is a roisterous journey made all the more so with the addition of our friends Wargasm", he adds. "Thematically, the piece is about the forward march of social progress, and how, often, those with a more conventional archaic outlook on sexuality, gender, social design, economics etc, see those with differing ideas like bewildering, depraved creatures from another dimension".

Wargasm add: "Shikari were a big part of our growing up, so it was an absolute honour to be asked to collaborate with such an incredible and well-spoken band. They stand for the right things - we're a little more pessimistic. It was fun playing the darker devil's advocate to Rou's light. Where we're going, you won't need eyes to see..."

Enter Shikari are set to play the Reading and Leeds festivals later this month. Listen to 'The Void Stares Back' here.

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Rage Against The Machine cancel UK and European tour
Rage Against The Machine have cancelled their upcoming UK and European tour dates, after frontman Zack De La Rocha was advised by doctors not to go ahead with the run.

It's thought that this relates to a leg injury sustained by De La Rocha on stage in Chicago last month, which saw him complete that show seated.

The UK and European shows had already been postponed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, having originally been set to go ahead in 2020. Following the last rescheduling of the tour, the band's first UK gig was due to take place on 24 Aug in Edinburgh, followed by performances at the Reading and Leeds festivals.

"Per medical guidance, Zack De La Rocha has been advised that the August and September 2022 UK and European leg of the Rage Against The Machine tour cannot proceed", say the band in a statement. "It is with great disappointment that we announce this cancellation".

They said that they would perform a run of three shows at New York's Madison Square Gardens this weekend, but "then Zack must return home for rest and rehabilitation".

"The flights, travel time, and rigorous schedule in the UK and Europe are simply too much of a risk for a complete recovery", they explain. "We are so sorry to all of our fans who have waited years to see us and hope to Rage again soon".

Fans with tickets should automatically get refunds from whichever platform they bought those tickets from.

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DEALS

Sony Music's AWAL has expanded its partnership with Genesis Owusu and his Ourness label to provide global artist services for the rapper's upcoming new album. "My ambitions for both Ourness as a label and Genesis Owusu are that we continue on our path to creative freedom through independence and agility", says Owusu's manager and Ourness co-founder Andrew Klippel. "The global AWAL family is the perfect partner to assist in achieving those goals".

Meek Mill and WME have signed a new partnership, which will see the talent agency represent the rapper and support his new venture, Culture Currency. "The partnership between WME and Culture Currency is a strategic hybrid structure that will bring resources and opportunities to entertainers", says Mill. "I have grown and learned the business in an unorthodox way that is effective through relationships built on talent and creativity. As an entertainer, I see us as part of the first generation that truly has influence and connections spread throughout social justice, music, sports, the movie industry, politics, business and the tech world. Taking advantage of this opportunity will allow us to give others the same chance to catch their dreams".

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MEDIA

The BBC has announced a shortlist of seven cities being considered to host next year's Eurovision Song Contest. They are: Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. And not Darlington, which launched a surprise bid yesterday.

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RELEASES

Remember when Nicki Minaj retired? No, me neither. Here's her new single 'Super Freaky Girl'.

Megan Thee Stallion has released her new album 'Traumazine', just hours after announcing it yesterday night. From it, this is 'Ungrateful', featuring Key Glock.

Megadeth have released new single 'Soldier On'. Their new album, 'The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead', is out on 2 Sep.

Four Tet has released two new tracks, 'Mango Feedback' and 'Watersynth'.

Editors have released new single 'Kiss'. Their new album, 'EBM', is out on 23 Sep.

Nnamdi has released new single 'Anti', taken from his upcoming new album 'Please Have a Seat', which is out on 7 Oct.

DellaXOZ has released the video for her song 'We Move', alongside her debut EP 'The Della Variant'.

Bloodbath have released new single 'Carved', featuring Gorguts' Luc Lemay. Their new album, 'Survival Of The Sickest', is out on 9 Sep.

Benoit & Sergio have announced that - more than ten years since their debut track - they will release their first album together, 'Lost Decade', on 26 Aug. From it, this is 'Minds & Drums'.

Girlpuppy has released new single 'I Want To Be There'. "I was left all alone in Atlanta and it was a really bad time for me", she says of the inspiration for the song. "I was jobless and I felt like I had no friends which made me wonder what was wrong with me, which kind of made me spiral into self-hatred. I like to call this one the 'self-hate anthem' of the album". That album, 'When I'm Alone', is out on 28 Oct.

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GIGS & TOURS

Knocked Loose have put their full set from Manchester's Outbreak Festival earlier this week on YouTube. It looks like it was quite a time.

Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.

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Uri Geller releases national anthem of the "nation" of Lamb Island
Uri Geller has released a recording of the national anthem of "the most mysterious country in the world, Lamb Island". Called 'My Island', the song is performed by Geller himself.

Not officially a country, Lamb Island is a small cluster of rocks in the Scottish Firth Of Forth, owned by Geller since 2009. Fairly inhospitable, it has no residents, or even buildings, on it. Nevertheless, Geller is now inviting people to become citizens of this new (not) nation.

"I always wanted to own an island and in 2009 I got the chance", he says. "Now you can be part of it too". Claiming that Lamb is "a very special place - possibly the most mystical island in the world", he goes on: "Something drew me to it and my instincts were confirmed by the incredible connections of the island to the ancient world, the Bible, and many extraordinary legends".

"It also harbours mysterious powers", he reckons, "sitting on leylines of energy linking it directly with historical sites of great intrigue and significance. I felt those leylines myself when I camped overnight on the island - planting there a crystal sphere that belonged to Einstein!"

"Every land needs its own identity - a constitution, a flag and an anthem - and Lamb is no exception", he continues. "The anthem - 'My Island' - is a beautiful, ethereal, Scottish piece of music originally composed by James Russell, the great-grandfather of my dear friend and Scottish mentalist Drew McAdam, exactly 100 years before I bought Lamb. It was never recorded in James' lifetime and I hope he would be proud of the amazing way it has been adopted".

Yes, well, you can now be the judge of that. You can find out more about Lamb here, and watch the video for Geller's fairly tuneless rendition of 'My Island' here.

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