Music Week articles from April 2006

Music Week archives from April 2006

New law to unlock digital: French bill may open global market.(Digital)
April 1, 2006... Leading digital music executives are predicting that France's controversial copyright bill will have a dramatic effect on digital sales around the world by forcing open the global download market. The French parliament last week backed a...

Subways hit New York event.
April 1, 2006... The Subways' profile in the US continued to build last week, with a show at Live From London, the UK-organised event designed to provide a New York showcase for acts who have travelled over for South By South West. The Warner Bros act were...

GCap puts halt on station sell-offs.(Bottom line)
April 1, 2006... GCap has reversed a four-month old decision to offload nine local radio stations, while also revealing plunging revenues in its latest trading update. The group last week revealed that it anticipated total revenues for the quarter ending March...

Warner Music Group has acquired Ryko Corporation from an investment group led by J P Morgan Partners in a deal worth $67.5m (38.5m [pounds sterling]).(Bottom line)
April 1, 2006... Warner Music Group has acquired Ryko Corporation from an investment group led by J P Morgan Partners in a deal worth $67.5m (38.5m [pounds sterling]). Ryko's CEO Sam Holdsworth will step down following the completion of the deal, which...

Aim Digital.(Bottom line)
April 1, 2006... Aim Digital is to host the eighth edition of its Distribution and Digital Day on April 7 at the Camden Centre in London. The one-day trade fair, which will coincide with a DIY Digital special issue in Music Week next week, will bring together...

Sanctuary Group.(Bottom line)
April 1, 2006... Sanctuary Group is expected to make a decision on the date of its AGM next week. The group, which last week effected its placing to raise around 110m [pounds sterling] to clear the majority of its debt, had hoped to hold the AGM last Thursday....

BMG.(Bottom line)
April 1, 2006... Cost savings as a result of its merger with Sony helped BMG to increase profits by 9% in 2005, despite falling revenue. The BMG division, which includes its wholly-owned publishing business as well as 50% of Sony BMG, posted profits of 177m...

Monstermob.(Bottom line)
April 1, 2006... Mobile content provider Monstermob will launch MobMusic, an independent music download service available on all mobile phones and networks tomorrow (Tuesday). The service will offer more than 600,000 full-length tracks, which will cost 1.50...

Morrisons.(Bottom line)
April 1, 2006... Retail chain Morrisons has unveiled a three-year recovery plan, after the retailer suffered the first loss in its 107-year history.

Menzies Corporate Restructuring has been appointed to handle administration of Kingstreet Media Group and Kingstreet Media Publishing.(Bottom line)
April 1, 2006... Menzies Corporate Restructuring has been appointed to handle administration of Kingstreet Media Group and Kingstreet Media Publishing, following what it calls a "cash flow situation".

The Copyright Tribunal has set aside four weeks from September 25.(Bottom line)
April 1, 2006... The Copyright Tribunal has set aside four weeks from September 25 to hear the online licensing dispute between the BPI and MCPS/PRS Alliance.

James Blunt.(Bottom line)
April 1, 2006... The PRS has frozen royalty payments to James Blunt following allegations producer Lucas Burton co-wrote six songs for the Back To Bedlam album.

Borders.(Bottom line)
April 1, 2006... Music and books retailer Borders increased sales for the fourth quarter of 2005 thanks to a strong performance from its international division. Turnover within international increased 17.6%, excluding the impact of currency translation, to...

Kobalt lands deal with Ashcroft.(Sign here)
April 1, 2006... Kobalt Music Group has signed an exclusive worldwide administration deal with Richard Ashcroft to represent his third solo album Keys To The World.

Multiple Sales Incorporating Rolled Gold.(Sign here)
April 1, 2006... Multiple Sounds Distribution has merged with independent CD and DVD wholesaler Rolled Gold international to create Multiple Sales Incorporating Rolled Gold. The deal will see Multiple Sounds take over sales and distribution for Rolled Gold out...

Vince Power is to take a majority stake in the Benicassim Festival in what will be his first move back into live music since selling Mean Fiddler last year.(Sign here)
April 1, 2006... Vince Power is to take a majority slake in the Bonicassim Festival in what will be his first move back into live music since selling Mean Fiddler last year. The Mean Fiddler founder says he is looking at other festivals in Eastern Europe.

Mazda has secured a three-month partnership with AOL to sponsor its AOL Sessions portal.(Sign here)
April 1, 2006... Mazda has secured a three-month partnership with AOL to sponsor its AOL Sessions portal. The portal has delivered live webcasts of sessions from the likes of Paul Weller, The Editors, and Richard Ashcroft.

BBC Radio Two has partnered with organisers of the Cheltenham Jazz Festival.(Sign here)
April 1, 2006... BBC Radio Two has partnered with organisers of the Cheltenham Jazz Festival to broadcast two concerts from the event this April.

Gibson Guitar.(Sign here)
April 1, 2006... Gibson Guitar is sponsoring the final two nights of the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs taking place at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Pinnacle names general manager.(People)
April 1, 2006... Pinnacle has appointed former 3mv head of label management Stuart Meikle to replace general manager Susan Rush, who left in January to help set up a distribution network for independent labels at Warner. She took with her label manager Lisa...

Chrysalis Radio.(People)
April 1, 2006... Chrysalis Radio is creating a Digital Platforms division, responsible for the development of all of the company's new digital activities, including DAB radio, website and mobile platforms. Paul Fairburn, currently managing director of Chrysalis...

RadioCentre.(People)
April 1, 2006... The management structure of the newly-created radio trade body RadioCentre has been unveiled. A new management structure of the Radio Advertising Bureau within the RadioCentre will see Douglas McArthur become RAB non-executive chairman, while...

The Orchard.(People)
April 1, 2006... Digital distribution company The Orchard has made a series of appointments designed to expand its London office and business within Europe. Former Sony Music UK head of new media Neil Cartwright becomes regional manager, responsible for content...

EMI.(People)
April 1, 2006... Birgit Adels, formerly the Prada Group's Northern Europe CEO, has been appointed as EMI Germany president.

Galaxy unveils summer line-up.(Exposure)
April 1, 2006... Chrysalis Radio's Galaxy Network has announced its summer programme line-up, beginning at the end of May with Hi:Fi in Newcastle and continuing through to the end of September with a 15-week long residency at Pacha in Ibiza.

Pet Shop Boys.(Exposure)
April 1, 2006... The Pet Shop Boys are to headline the Saturday night of the 2006 Bestival. The festival takes place from September 8 to 10 at the Robin Hill Country Park in Newport on the Isle of Wight.

Roundhouse.(Exposure)
April 1, 2006... Operators of Camden's historic Roundhouse, which is due to reopen in June following a 29.7m [pounds sterling] makeover, are appealing for memorabilia from the venue's heyday to be included in a permanent exhibition about its past.

Orange Evolution.(Exposure)
April 1, 2006... The line-up for this year's Orange Evolution music festival in Newcastle has been announced. The festival, which runs in the 10 days up to the May Bank Holiday weekend, will include Hard-Fl, Graham Coxon, Orson and Boy Kill Boy.

Tiscali.(Exposure)
April 1, 2006... Tiscali is cementing its alliance with music by hosting a series of gigs billed as "secret" events to follow on from its established monthly showcases. The Secret Sessions will begin on April 3 at a London venue yet to be announced, with...

Music Week online poll.(Digest)
April 1, 2006... Welcome to the Music Week poll. To vote, simply visit our website at musicweek.com and click on the poll link. This week we ask: Was the French Parliament right to back a new copyright bill that could force iTunes Music Store and other...

More senior executives leave MTV: senior VP of music and VP of music programming join exodus from television company.(Television)
April 1, 2006... Harriett Brand has committed herself to a future in music following her exit after 13 years from MTV. Brand, who left her post last week as MTV Networks International's senior vice president of music, is part of an exodus of senior...

New conference to sharpen focus on music and brands.(News)
April 1, 2006... Music Week will this summer launch a major new conference mapping the relationships between the worlds of music and advertising, entitled Music & Brands. Music & Brands is a one-day event which will take place at the Landmark Hotel in...

The Music Week playlist.(News)
April 1, 2006... KEANE untitled (Island) Heralded on preview disc as "Hairy Sheep", the boys have come back with the trademark stadium sound and as many hooks as ever. (album, June 12) LAVENDER DIAMOND You Broke My Heart (unsigned) Hippy pop from...

Xfm arrives in Manchester: flurry of celebrity-led events flag up station's launch in North West.(News)
April 1, 2006... When Xfm Manchester took to the air at 8am on March 15 with the Stone Roses' I Am The Resurrection in all its eight-minute glory, there could have been few stronger statements of intent for a new radio station. Here was a brand whose...

Work permit proposals set for Government review.(News)
April 1, 2006... The Government has set up a task force to further consider proposed changes to the work permit system, following protests from the music sector about the impact of the new legislation on live music. At the end of last year, Music Week...

Massive Attack.(SNAP SHOT)
April 1, 2006... Virgin Records is to use the first Massive Attack retrospective, which is released today (Monday), as a stepping stone for a new studio album which is already near completion and expected to come out early next year. The record company's...

Government offers to update key resource.(News)
April 1, 2006... The Government has given another clear sign that the music industry is high on its radar, with Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell giving a commitment to examine whether the 1998 Creative Industries mapping document needs updating. Jowell's...

Digital rule propels singles up chart: chart rule results in massive second-week chart climbs.(Charts)
April 1, 2006... The UK singles chart was yesterday (Sunday) set to experience the biggest upward movement of tracks in years, as a new ruling began to fully bite. Seven tracks within the Top 40 alone were on course to enjoy double-digit or more position...

3 beats rivals to 1m mark.(News)
April 1, 2006... 3 has underlined the growing demand for music on the phone by becoming the first operator to shift more than 1m full-length audio tracks via mobiles. Demand for hit tracks by the likes of Hard-Fi, Kaiser Chiefs and Gorillaz helped the...

Fifties and Sixties stars back MW term petition: British hitmakers fear loss of royalty income once copyright term expires.(Campaign)
April 1, 2006... With time rapidly ticking down on their sound recording copyrights, veteran British hitmakers from the Fifties and Sixties have added their voices to Music Week's Extend The Term! campaign. Those creative men and women who arguably have the...

Dominic McGonigal supports Extend The Term!(Extend The Term Campaign)
April 1, 2006... Economists ask what is the optimal term of copyright. Journalists pitch two sides against each other to find a story. Politicians look for a middle way between the two. The real question is, do we value our creative product and the people who...

The industry supports Extend The Term!(Extend The Term Campaign)
April 1, 2006... While our industry is collectively brilliant in helping to create, produce and distribute music to a huge and eager audience, this whole process can only happen because an artist chose to write a song in the first place. Without this one...

Fresh from the SXSW grill: a record turnout of more than 10,000 delegates helped the South By South West festival in Austin, Texas, mark its 20th anniversary in style last week. To mark the event, Music Week polls some of the executives who turned up for a week of bands, booze and barbecues.(Talent)
April 1, 2006... Kenny McGoff senior A&R manager, EMI Music Publishing How was SXSW for you this year? Really good. Lots of great bands and good food. The talent was of a high standard, if not too much of one style. Which was the biggest revelation of...

One band's tales of Austin, Texas: Buzz act Boy Kill Boy write an exclusive SXSW diary.(Talent)
April 1, 2006... Wednesday So, after a 20-hour journey, we are finally here, SXSW, Austin, Texas... We potter down the strip, which is thriving with activity, a sea of people everywhere you look. It's the best vibe ever, a festival in a town. A perfect...

Is this the tipping point for digital? The way Apple handles the dispute in France will have far-reaching effects for the market.(EDITORIAL)
April 1, 2006... Steve Jobs, his Apple Corporation and the iTunes service have been a force for plenty of good for the music industry in recent years. Even the most churlish anti-Apple lobbyists have to acknowledge that. Apple has popularised the digital...

Natasha hits top spot in US.(DOOLEY'S DIARY)
April 1, 2006... Remember where you heard it: Another week, another British artist at number one in the US. Following James Blunt's Hot 100 chart-topping exploits a few weeks back, Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten has now climbed to one on Billboard's Pop 100...

How new French revolution is set to overthrow music's digital dynasty.(Forum)
April 1, 2006... The French parliament last week passed a new copyright bill, including new regulations which threaten to overturn the structures of the digital music sector. Great! Man the barriers, we'll be rioting in Paris by noon. No, that's the...

'Consumers will suffer if Apple pulls out of the French download market'.(Viewpoint)
April 1, 2006... France's decision last week to approve measures that would force interoperability between competing restrictions on digital media can only be a good thing for the future of digital downloads. If the measures--which still have to pass...

Will many other acts follow Radiohead's download lead?(The big question)
April 1, 2006... Radiohead said last week they were considering releasing songs as downloads as and when they were ready, rather than hang on until the release of a conventional album. George Michael has expressed a similar interest. Do you think this is the...

Fast chart.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service: Week 12)
April 1, 2006... SINGLES NUMBER ONE NE-YO SO SICK (Def Jam) Replaced at the top of the US Hot 100 this week by Sean Paul's Temperature, Ne-Yo's debut hit So Sick rises to pole position here, replacing Orson's No Tomorrow, which itself scrambled to...

Mother's Day helps boost album sales.(The Market)
April 1, 2006... Providing a much-needed tonic for indifferent trading, the approach of Mother's Day helped to spur a 53.1% increase in album sales last week to 3,550,059--the highest level so far in 2006. Artist album sales were up 50.2% at 2,936,379,...

Key indicators.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service: Week 12)
April 1, 2006... SINGLES Sales versus last week: -3.7% Year to date versus last year: +145.5% MARKET SHARES Universal 39.2% Sony BMG 25.3% EMI 15.0% Warner 11.7% Other 8.8% ALBUMS Sales versus last...

The schedule.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service: Week 12)
April 1, 2006... ALBUMS THIS WEEK Dem Franchise Boys On Top Of Our Game (Virgin); Prince 3121 (Island); Be Your Own Pet Be Your Own Pet (XL); Massive Attack Collected (Virgin); Embrace This New Day (Independiente); Yeah Yeah Yeahs Show Your Bones...

Paul Simon's first studio album since 2000's You're The One will be released by Warner Bros on May 8.(NEW ADDITION)
April 1, 2006... Paul Simon's first studio album since 2000's You're The One will be released by Warner Bros on May 8. Surprise marks the start of a new partnership for Simon as the album has been produced in collaboration with Brian Eno. Warner says there are...

Ska's the limit for Warner: Dub Pistols' mix CD reworks Warner ska back catalogue for new wave of Ben Sherman shoppers.(The Plot)
April 1, 2006... VARIOUS MUSIC TO GET DRESSED TO (WARNER) Warner Music and the Dub Pistols have teamed up with fashion brand Ben Sherman as part of a three-month, pan-European campaign to support the launch of Ben Sherman's new Big Beat fashion collection....

Simon Webbe goes from Blue to double platinum in four months.(Campaign focus)
April 1, 2006... When Blue's members announced their intention to pursue solo careers, Lee Ryan and Duncan James were the band's tabloid darlings. As such, the marketing team at their colleague Simon Webbe's EMI division Angel Music Group set the...

Tastemakers tips.(Upfront)
April 1, 2006... Six Nation State Keep Dancing (Worst Case Scenario) RUSS THORNE, EDITOR, ETC MAGAZINE "It's a leap, but imagine Sons & Daughters fronted by Editors' songmaster Tom Smith, with a little of the mad gypsy knees up purveyed by Gogol...

Piccadilly Records.(THE INSIDER)
April 1, 2006... Manchester's northern quarter is a record shopper's paradise, with eight music stores tucked into the space of a few hundred square metres, taking in everything from Fat City's exceptional hip hop selection to Vinyl Exchange's treasure trove of...

Radio playlists.(Upfront)
April 1, 2006... RADIO 1 A LIST Corinne Bailey Rae Put Your Records On; Editors All Sparks; Embrace Natures Law; Franz Ferdinand The Fallen; Gnarls Barkley Crazy; Hard-Fi Better Do Better; Joey Negro Make A Move On Me; Kanye West feat. Lupe Fiasco...

BPI awards.(Upfront)
April 1, 2006... ALBUMS Johnny Cash--Walking The Line: The Legendary (silver) Belle & Sebastian--The Life Pursuit (silver) Jack Johnson--Curious George (silver) Belle & Sebastian--Dear Catastrophe Waitress (gold) Journey South--Journey South (platinum)...

In-store next week.(Upfront)
April 1, 2006... ASDA Artist of the Week--Morrissey; Compilation of the week--Club Fever 06; Single of the week--Gnarls Barkley; Music DVD of the week--David Gray; Instore--Daft Punk, Morrissey, Pink, The Flaming Lips, The Vines BORDERS ...

Gnarls Barkley: Crazy.
April 1, 2006... SINGLE OF THE WEEK Gnarls Barkley Crazy Downtown/Warner Bros WEA401CD Having sprinkled his production magic on Gorillaz' five-times-platinum Demon Days, Danger Mouse has linked up with Goodie Mob's Cee-Lo for this new project....

The Streets: The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living.
April 1, 2006... ALBUM OF THE WEEK The Streets The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living 679 2564632302 Mike Skinner as Dante? You may laugh, but this album takes you through the various rings of hell he has endured in the pampered and over-indulged...

Coldplay: The Hardest Part.
April 1, 2006... Coldplay The Hardest Part (Parlophone download) The fourth single from Coldplay's 2.2m-selling X&Y is being released as a download-only single and should be the icing on the cake for the band's third album promotion until their Isle Of...

Jamie Foxx: Unpredictable.
April 1, 2006... Jamie Foxx Unpredictable (RCA 82876802702) Fresh from guesting, with some style, on Kanye West's Gold Digger, Foxx shows he can turn out slow jams like the best of them, but this track is sadly not all that it claims. The single precedes an...

Jose Gonzalez: Crosses.
April 1, 2006... Jose Gonzalez Crosses (Peacefrog PFG065) With his gold-awarded album Veneer still hugging the Top 30, Gonzalez has made a truly remarkable start to 2006. This thoughtful single should further help his cause--Radio One and Xfm have come on...

Gorillaz: Kids With Guns/El Manana.
April 1, 2006... Gorillaz Kids With Guns/El Manana (Parlophone CDR6685) Released in the wake of Gorillaz' acclaimed Demon Days Live DVD, this fourth single from their 1.4m-selling album doesn't maintain the levels of pop whiz their previous singles had, but...

Hard-Fi: Better Do Better.
April 1, 2006... Hard-Fi Better Do Better (Necessary/ Atlantic HARD06CD) Despite being the fifth single to be lifted from the band's well-worn debut, Better Do Better is the first ballad the band have released, and should present an extra dimension of depth...

Lorraine: I Feel It.
April 1, 2006... Lorraine I Feel It (Waterfall/Columbia 82876822692) One of the brightest new hopes in pop, Norwegian three-piece Lorraine show their strengths to impressive effect within these three minutes. It is electro pop, which is as soulful as New...

The Madeleines: Trouble/Safety Net.
April 1, 2006... The Madeleines Trouble/Safety Net (Destructible DR03) Trouble is the third release from promising young indie label Destructible and the first from London guitar popsters The Madeleines, who have been causing a fuss on My Space of late....

Studio B: C'mon Get It On.
April 1, 2006... Studio B C'mon Get It On (Loaded LOAD110) Guaranteed to be played in nightclubs from Maidstone to Romford, this follow-up to the Top 10 hit I See Girls is unashamedly good-time fun, taking in Bodyrockers-style guitar flashes, overlaying...

Trina: Here We Go Again.
April 1, 2006... Trina Here We Go Again (Atlantic 83710) Rapper Trine is joined by Kelly Rowland to add extra class to a record that will fly the flag very nicely for new album Glamourest Life. It is a very graceful record, especially in contrast to her...

Shayne Ward: No Promises.
April 1, 2006... Shayne Ward No Promises (Sony BMG 82876825902) A record that does not quite follow the boy band ballad formula to the letter, but does so closely enough to pretty much guarantee it a residency at the top of the chart. This is the sort of...

Wolfmother: Dimension.
April 1, 2006... Wolfmother Dimension (Modular/Island XXXX) Having made a splash at SXSW, this Australian trio are set to hit the UK with their first proper single. Though its retro rock sound leans heavily on the likes of Black Sabbath, it is carried off...

AFX: Chosen Lords.
April 1, 2006... AFX Chosen Lords (Rephlex CAT173) With tracks cherry-picked from the vinyl-only, 10-volume Analord series, Chosen Lords is a great snapshot of what Aphex Twin has been up to recently. On the basis of this album, that would mainly be Detroit...

Calexico: Garden Ruin.
April 1, 2006... Calexico Garden Ruin (City Slang SLANG1038652) Calexico's fifth album moves into relatively mainstream waters by the Tucson band's standards. Indeed, at times its rock-edged production and straight-up songwriting threaten to spoil what made...

Citizen Cope: The Clarence Greenwood Recordings.
April 1, 2006... Citizen Cope The Clarence Greenwood Recordings (RCA 82876630942) Sony BMG has big hopes for this album and it is not hard to see why. It is the major label debut from Citizen Cope (aka Clarence Greenwood) and has all the crossover potential...

D4L: Down for Life.
April 1, 2006... D4L Down For Life (Atlantic 7556686002) Already enjoying huge success in the US and breaking download sales records to boot, D4L are purveyors of the snap sound. This sound harks back to the glorious days of Africa Bambaataa and his...

Jimmy Edgar: Colorstrip.
April 1, 2006... Jimmy Edgar Colorstrip (Warp WARPCD116) Twenty-two-year-old Edgar's debut album is an electronic gem that more than lives up to the promise his early EPs contained. With tracks straddling hip-hop, techno, electro, pop and contemporary R&B,...

Lambchop: The Decline of the Country & Western Civilization.
April 1, 2006... Lambchop The Decline Of The Country & Western Civilization (City Slang 103868) The pioneering US band highlight the variety of their output with this collection of rare and rare and unreleased tracks. Defying any "alt.country" tag, it...

Pretty Girls Make Graves: Elan Vital.
April 1, 2006... Pretty Girls Make Graves Elan Vital (Matador LC1152) Elan Vital is the band's third album and their first since replacing a guitarist with a keyboard player. The change seems to have done them well however, broadening their music pallet to...

Cheika Rimitti: N'ta Goudami.
April 1, 2006... Cheika Rimitti N'ta Goudami (Face Me) (Because BEC50772006) From the label that released Amadou & Mariam comes what could well be the best dance album of 2006--and this is by an 82-year-old woman. Bucking modern rai trends by recording with...

Spank Rock: YoYoYoYoYo.
April 1, 2006... Spank Rock YoYoYoYoYo (Big Dada BDCD091) Spank Rock are doing all kinds of interesting things with hip hop, welding glitchy sounds and skippy drum machines to the Baltimore booty bass sound that is Diplo's speciality. It is too strange to...

Tosca: Souvenirs.
April 1, 2006... Tosca Souvenirs (G Stone GSCD024) After three successful albums together, Richard Dorfmeister (of Kruder & Dorfmeister fame) and co-producer Rupert Huber unveil this album of remixes. With reworks by electronic genius Burnt Friedman,...