Music Week articles from August 2008

Music Week archives from August 2008

P2P pact throws industry a lifeline.
August 2, 2008... BPI's deal with leading ISPs aims to provide legal alternatives to filesharing and clamp down on music piracy A raft of legal, commercial music services offered by the UK's biggest internet companies could be on the market within months...

THE PLAY LIST: 02.08.08.
August 2, 2008... James Morrison You Make It Real (Polydor) Morrison returns with something truly special. This Paul Barry co-write is a heartfelt pop song that gets you on first listen. (single, September 22) Glasvegas Glasvegas (Columbia)...

Sign Here: 02.08.08.
August 2, 2008... Universal Music Publishing has signed Mancunian group Delphic Universal imprint Field recordings has signed Chrysalis-published artist Pete Lawrie. Lawrie joins an eclectic roster that includes The King Blues and Yoav Outcaste Music...

ISPs come to the table to negotiate piracy strategy.
August 2, 2008... BPI and web companies motivated to agree on effective code of practice The Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) consultation to address unlawful filesharing (see page one story) demonstrates what the Government...

Major subscription model imminent after Universal joins forces with Sky.
August 2, 2008... Universal's partnership with Sky paves way for service offering MP3 downloads and unlimited music streaming Universal believes that a bundled broadband plus music subscription package in the UK is an "inevitability", after signing a deal...

Ups And Downs: 02.08.08.
August 2, 2008... UPS The BPI reaches a deal with the UK's six biggest ISPs on filesharing. Universal and Sky team up on an innovative music subscription service. Congratulations to the indie labels that dominated the Mercury nominations. ...

Industry wary of latest term extension inquiry.
August 2, 2008... A new consultation on copyright term extension has raised eyebrows - and some hackles - throughout the industry because it appears to flout good practice in its narrow brief. The UK-IPO, the body responsible for intellectual property, has...

IN BRIEF: Killers to kick off Bravado's Universal partnership.
August 2, 2008... Universal-owned merchandising company Bravado has entered into an agreement to manufacture and distribute merchandise for Vertigo act The Killers. The deal, announced by Bravado chief executive officer Tom Bennett, is the first between a...

IN BRIEF: Ministry of Sound and Ben Cook heading to court.
August 2, 2008... Ministry Of Sound and Asylum UK managing director Ben Cook are heading to court over Cook's departure from Ministry Of Sound last year. The label is suing Cook for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duties after he joined Warner in...

IN BRIEF: 2008 Kerrang! awards.
August 2, 2008... Bullet For My Valentine and 30 Seconds To Mars lead the nominations for the 2008 Kerrang! awards, with four nods apiece. The bands go head to head in two categories - best single for From Yesterday (30 Seconds To Mars) and Waking The Demon...

IN BRIEF: John Croy jailed.
August 2, 2008... John Croy, one of Scotland's largest music pirates, was jailed for more than three years last week. The 61-year-old from Helensburgh was convicted of two trademark offences and one copyright offence by Dumbarton Sheriffs Court. He received...

IN BRIEF: 2008 Classic Rock Roll of Honour nominations.
August 2, 2008... The nominations for the 2008 Classic Rock Roll of Honour were announced last week, with Def Leppard and Whitesnake competing for three awards apiece. The two go head to head for album of the year and band of the year, while their co-headline...

IN BRIEF: Continued iPod grwoth helps Apple to best results.
August 2, 2008... Apple has posted the best quarter three results in its fiscal history, with revenue up 37.9% and profits up 30.8% thanks in part to booming iPod sales. The company reported revenue of $7.46bn (#3.72bn) for the quarter, up from $5.41bn (#2.70bn)...

IN BRIEF: eMusic revamps website.
August 2, 2008... eMusic has revamped its website to include what it calls "a host of new Web 2.0 features", allowing users to view imported content from YouTube, Flickr and Wikipedia on album pages. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: Kobal Music Group appointment.
August 2, 2008... Kobalt Music Group has appointed Nick Robinson as senior VP business development. Robinson will be based in Kobalt's London headquarters and will report to Sas Metcalfe, executive VP of creative. His brief will include sourcing new writers,...

IN BRIEF: Rough Trade East celebrates first birthday.
August 2, 2008... Rough Trade East is celebrating its first birthday with a month of in- store events, featuring more than 30 bands and DJs including from Neon Neon, Daniel Johnston and The Hold Steady. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: HMV playing down role of Delivers service.
August 2, 2008... HMV is playing down the role of its Delivers service in selling VAT- free stock in-store, claiming that the level of transaction from the kiosks is "negligible" in terms of overall turnover. HMV Delivers, currently on trial in a number of HMV...

Mercury unearths Burial as a frontrunner.
August 2, 2008... Acclaimed dubstep album gets the nod from industry tastemakers after being nominated among a wealth of indie releases for the annual award Dubstep act Burial, who records for tiny Hyperdub label, is emerging as a surprise early favourite...

Getting the ISPs onside is a massive step forward.
August 2, 2008... The battle against illegal filesharing looks a great deal less daunting thanks to the BPI's negotiations Tucked inside the Government's consultation on how to deal with illegal filesharing is an "annex" detailing the memo of understanding...

The industry's tips.
August 2, 2008... Guy Moot (EMI Music Publishing president) Last Of The Shadow Puppets: The Age Of The Understatement (Domino) "Such a great record, dripping with strings and soul, a nod to the past but a place in the future." David Joseph...

Magic in the air for Bauer as 105.4 makes big gains in Rajar report.
August 2, 2008... Neil Fox dominates over Jamie, Johnny and Denise in the all-important breakfast slot, securing top spot for Bauer group The Rajars belonged to Bauer in quarter two as Magic 105.4 triumphed in London, netting a rare breakfast show win for...

Rolling Stones announce signing to Universal Music Group.
August 2, 2008... As widely tipped throughout the music industry, The Rolling Stones have announced their signing to Universal Music Group, ending a 15-year relationship with EMI's Virgin label. This latest deal was signposted after the band chose Polydor...

The team from Kensal Green.
August 2, 2008... West London's Kensaltown studios has become a one-stop shop for a close- knit community of songwriters, producers and musicians all benefiting from the complex's loose, collaborative spirit. Music Week talks to the team involved By...

O2 X Awards for innovation in business move closer.
August 2, 2008... O2 has teamed up with Music Week to promote the O2 X Awards, a national celebration of the best small and innovative music businesses. Here we profile Sync Inc, a company with the potential to pick up the #10,000 prize money With revenues...

RAJARS: BBC Rajars pass their peak as commercial bounces back.
August 2, 2008... Quarter two's Rajars saw promising results from two new forces in radio, Bauer Radio and Global. Even in a time of corporate upheaval, the commercial stations managed to minimise audience losses and close the gap on the ever-dominant BBC...

RAJARS: National and regional breakfast.
August 2, 2008... Capital 95.8 was in third place among the London stations this quarter as far as its breakfast show was concerned. But it did manage to put right its embarrassing slip of last quarter, when its overall audience dipped below that of Bauer's...

RAJAR STATS.
August 2, 2008... 45.1m adults listen to UK radio stations each week, compared to 45.4m in quarter one 2008 17.9% of all radio listening is now via a digital platform The number of adults (15+) who say they have listened to the radio via a mobile phone...

RAJARS: National weekly share of total listening.
August 2, 2008... The BBC's local and regional stations lost audience in quarter two from 10.3m to 9.5m listeners a week, handing the initiative to a commercial local radio sector which claimed almost 25m listeners - a 50% reach and a 31.2% share of total...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 02.08.08.
August 2, 2008... Out this week Singles * Brandi Carlile The Story (RCA) previous single: Turpentine (did not chart) * Foo Fighters Let It Die (Columbia) previous single: Cheer Up Boys (Your Make Up Is Running) (did not chart) * Jack...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 02.08.08: Album of the week.(Sound recording review)
August 2, 2008... Ida Maria Fortress Round My Heart (RCA) After much hype and a hectic tour schedule over the last few months, Ida Maria's debut album lands - and does exactly what the build-up promised. This collection of punchy pop songs includes current...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 02.08.08: Single of the week.
August 2, 2008... The Script The Man Who Can't Be Moved (Phonogenic) Since signing to Sony imprint Phonogenic, this Irish indie/pop trio are more likely to be found supporting The Hoosiers in London than gigging in their native Dublin. They have a full UK...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 02.08.08: Catalogue reviews.
August 2, 2008... Various: The Top Of The Pops Collection (EMI Gold 2280872) Bringing together individual releases spanning 1964-2006 to commemorate the BBC's long-running chart show Top Of The Pops, this 43-CD box set is very impressive, housing 875 tracks,...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 02.08.08: The Panel.(Sound recording review)
August 2, 2008... Rob Fitzpatrick (The Word) Cary Brothers: In My Dreams (Bluhammock) That's one bloke called Cary - widescreen, emoto-tastic indie-rock is the music playing in poor old Claire Bennet's head as she tips her dad's ashes into the sea in...

FUTURE RELEASE: Avenue.
August 2, 2008... Avenue Last Goodbye (Island) Island hopes to successfully reinvent the boy band blueprint this summer with the launch of Avenue, an all-male five-piece from the team at Crown Music Management. Originally getting exposure via the X...

FUTURE RELEASE: Little Jackie.
August 2, 2008... Little Jackie The Stoop (Parlophone) Parlophone will push the button on Little Jackie's UK campaign this week as the duo head to London to showcase their debut studio album The Stoop. The musical vehicle for Brooklyn natives Imani...

DATAFILE EXPOSURE: 02.08.08.
August 2, 2008... Five weeks after it topped the sales chart, Viva La Vida moves up to number one on the radio airplay chart. Its success coinciding with parent album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends' return to the albums chart summit, the track moves...

Instore: 02.08.08.
August 2, 2008... Borders Instore Display: Conor Oberst, Natty CWNN Album of the week: The Cool Kids Instore Display: Gramercy Arms, Pivot, Ron Sexsmith, Stereolab, The Gaslight Anthem, The Week That Was HMV Instore Display: Conor...

DATAFILE CLUB CHARTS: 02.08.08.
August 2, 2008... The Upfront and Commercial Pop charts converge again this week, with DJs from both arenas stating a preference for Spoon, Harris & Obernik's Baditude. Touted as the dance anthem of the summer, Baditude combines the talents of Dave Spoon,...

Summer holidays put a dampener on sales, while Dizzee holds at one.
August 2, 2008... With the expected challenge from Kid Rock and The Ting Tings not materialising, Dizzee Rascal's Dance Wiv Me collaboration with Calvin Harris and Chrome extends its stay at number one to four weeks. Even its inclusion on Now! 70 - which enjoyed...

DATAFILE SINGLES - 02.08.08: The Ting Tings.
August 2, 2008... Shut Up And Let Me Go is number one on the seven-inch chart but the physical release (on CD too) did not provide The Ting Tings with nearly enough impetus for their second number one on the singles chart overall. It makes a modest 9-6 climb on...

DATAFILE SINGLES - 02.08.08: Ida Maria.
August 2, 2008... Previously seen on Later With Jools Holland and BBC's Glastonbury coverage, but now heavily reliant for its exposure on the BBC's Radio One and 6 Music, which between them provided a hefty percentage of its radio audience last week, Ida Maria's...

DATAFILE SINGLES - 02.08.08: Adele.
August 2, 2008... A good week for Adele, who picks up a Mercury Music Prize nomination for her 19 album, and a third Top 20 hit in the form of Hometown Glory. The track reached number 32 as an album track in February, and its physical release returns it to the...

DATAFILE SINGLES - 02.08.08: McFly.
August 2, 2008... Severe collapses are par for the course for McFly who suffer a fifth second-week decline of more than 10 places with their 14th single, One For The Radio. The track's continued presence near the top of the chart was severely undermined by the...

Now! 70 breaks weekly sales record, giving the market a welcome rise.
August 2, 2008... It's a case of so near but so far at the top of both the artist and compilations chart this week, with Now! That's What I Call Music 70 setting a new record, and Abba's Gold:Greatest Hits missing out on a record by tiny margins. And in a...

DATAFILE ALBUMS - 02.08.08: The Bachelors.
August 2, 2008... It is more than 40 years since Irish vocal trio The Bachelors placed the last of their 17 hit singles in the Top 40, but they are the latest act whose fanbase has been galvanised into action by a new TV compilation. Their 25 song release I...

DATAFILE ALBUMS - 02.08.08: Primal Scream.
August 2, 2008... Primal Scream's new album Beautiful Future extends to seven the run of straight Top 10 studio albums for the veteran Scottish band, debuting at number nine on sales of 10,458. That's well down on their last studio set, 2006's Riot City Blues,...

DATAFILE ALBUMS - 02.08.08: BPI Awards.
August 2, 2008... Albums Neil Young Prairie Wind (silver). Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid (gold). Foo Fighters Echoes Silence Patience & Grace (two x platinum). BPI Awards are made on combined unit sales of CDs, downloads and LPs. If an album is...

DATAFILE ALBUMS - 02.08.08: Jordin Sparks.
August 2, 2008... The success of her No Air duet with Chris Brown - which rebounds 5-3 (24,080 sales) on its sixth week in the Top 10 - continues to give the oxygen of publicity to Jordin Sparks, whose self-titled debut album increases sales for the seventh week...

DATAFILE ALBUMS - 02.08.08: U2.
August 2, 2008... While The Bachelors' new compilation debuts inside the Top 10, fellow Irish veterans U2 make a lesser impact with the new deluxe two-CD editions of their first three albums, none of which can muster enough sales to make the Top 75. Following...

Ray of hope for iconic indie shop.
August 9, 2008... Retail enjoys a week of mixed fortunes as hope remains that a buyer can be found for Soho's Sister Ray store The owners of one of the UK's most iconic independent record stores are confident of saving the business after it fell into...

THE PLAY LIST: 09.08.08.
August 9, 2008... Keane Spiralling (Island) A melancholy lyric is underpinned by an ambitious, distinctly upbeat backdrop with a retro sound. An adventurous return from the UK trio. (free download, August 7) Hot Leg Trojan Guitar (Barbeque)...

Sign Here: 09.08.08.
August 9, 2008... Spirit Music Group has signed MGMT to a North American publishing administration deal. The band's debut album Oracular Spectacular, has sold more than 100,000 copies in the US to date. MGMT join a roster that boasts Scissor Sisters and...

Virgin Radio invites majors to back its digital service.
August 9, 2008... But combined approach to new income streams must work both ways Virgin Radio executive Clive Dickens is stretching out the hand of partnership to the record industry by billing the station's planned music subscription service as a way of...

SNAP SHOT: U2.
August 9, 2008... U2's back catalogue will go on sale as DRM-free downloads from digital stores around the world "as soon as possible", according to one well- placed source. The move follows the band's back catalogue debuting as DRM-free MP3s on Rhapsody...

Every Now! and again - compilations hit celebrates 25 years.
August 9, 2008... Now! brand marks record-breaking first-week sales and 25th anniversary with first-volume re-release on CD The time is Now!: latest release Now! 70 has broken first-week sales records and the first volume in its original vinyl and cassette...

Ups And Downs: 09.08.08.
August 9, 2008... UPS Universal launches Lost Tunes - a site for the music nerd in all of us. Now! 70 celebrates record sales. US satellite radio merger finally cleared DOWNS Sister Ray goes into administration. 6 Music is hit by a...

IN BRIEF: BBC stations get slap on the wrist and fine from Ofcom.
August 9, 2008... BBC digital station 6 Music has been fined #150,000 for "unfair conduct of viewer and listener competitions". Ofcom handed down a total fine of #150,000 to 6 Music and #75,000 to Radio One, relating to breaches of Ofcom's Broadcasting Code in...

IN BRIEF: Sony BMG results.
August 9, 2008... Sony BMG recorded a net loss of $49m (#24.75m) in its first fiscal quarter of 2008, with sales down $55m (#27.78m) year-on-year at $820m (#414.35m). The loss compares to a profit of $21m (#10.64m) in 2007's equivalent quarter. Copyright:...

IN BRIEF: Virgin US appointment.
August 9, 2008... Former Island executive vice president of A&R Rob Stevenson is to join Virgin US as president, in what is EMI Music's president of A&R for North America, UK & Ireland Nick Gatfield's first major hire. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: NME Radio now available on Freesat.
August 9, 2008... NME Radio is now available on Freesat, the recently-launched subscription-free digital TV service from the BBC and ITV. Meanwhile, Primal Scream are to headline the 2008 NME Rock `N' Roll Riot Tour, taking place in November to December. ...

IN BRIEF: Last home for retired musicians in danger of closing.
August 9, 2008... The last remaining UK residential home for retired musicians is in danger of closing. Ivor Newton House, in Bromley, Kent, is run by the Musicians' Benevolent Fund and has been housing musicians and their relatives for more than 30 years. ...

IN BRIEF: Watt cools talk of Virgin job and stay with own business.
August 9, 2008... Music Week understands that Iain Watt is now unlikely to take the top job at Virgin despite discussions between the two parties taking place over recent months. Speculation that the head of Machine Management, home to Mika, Alphabeat, Royworld,...

IN BRIEF: Rawrip to give 100% of sales revenue to unsigned artists.(Financial report)
August 9, 2008... A new online music platform is committing to give 100% of the sales revenue from downloads to labels and unsigned artists. Rawrip allows copyright owners to keep every penny from every song sold by funding its service through advertising. ...

IN BRIEF: Dave Pennefather stepping away.
August 9, 2008... Dave Pennefather is stepping away from the day-to-day running of Universal Music Ireland after 24 years, with new managing director Mark Crossingham taking the helm in September. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: Gideon Lask to leave HMV.
August 9, 2008... HMV e-commerce director Gideon Lask, who has driven the retailer's Get Close initiative, is leaving HMV to join Universal, as senior vice president of business development. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: 2008 Vodafone Live Music Awards.
August 9, 2008... Kaiser Chiefs, Muse, The Verve and Primal Scream will battle it out for best live band at the 2008 Vodafone Live Music Awards, after last year's winners, Arctic Monkeys, failed to make the cut. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Big in Japan: a how-to guide for UK companies.
August 9, 2008... Leading figures in Japan's music industry to offer insight into exposure, live and publishing markets in Far East to delegates from BPI and UK Trade & Investment The British Embassy in Tokyo today (Monday) opens its doors to...

Live sector looks to apprentices to address skills shortage.
August 9, 2008... The massive shortfall in skilled technicians in the industry's live sector is being addressed by Creative & Cultural Skills, which is launching its creative apprenticeship scheme later this year. Last year C&CS, the sector skills...

An albums sales spike? Now! you're talking...
August 9, 2008... At a time when artist album sales are falling, the unsexy compilations sector is coming up trumps The compilations sector rarely gets the attention or credit it deserves, almost always overshadowed by the more dynamic, sexier artist albums...

New Bacs CEO prepares to flex political muscle for music industry.
August 9, 2008... British Academy co-founder appointed as Academy announces a raft of initiatives to help composers and songwriters The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters (Bacs) is gearing up its political muscle after appointing Patrick Rackow as...

The Orchard receives Sony/ATV windfall.
August 9, 2008... Sony/ATV has granted the creative licensing rights for all the master recordings it owns to aggregator The Orchard, as the company looks to expand its sync business. While Sony/ATV is primarily known as a publisher, it also owns master...

Staying ahead of the curve.
August 9, 2008... Originally home to Baha Men and Joss Stone in the US, record label S- Curve is poised to return through EMI with big releases from Tom Jones and Little Jackie. The time to relaunch has never been better, label boss Steve Greenberg tells Music...

How Coldplay's album campaign led the field.
August 9, 2008... Personally-underwritten free concerts at venues including Madison Square Garden and issuing a no-charge download of their first single in two years were risky manouvres but, for Coldplay, their campaign for fourth album Viva La Vida or Death...

The return of the good folk.
August 9, 2008... Currently enjoying a wealth of critical and commercial success, the folk scene is at its strongest since the late-Sixties. And with the genre's traditional strands rubbing shoulders with both pop-inflected and experimental, forward-looking...

Thriving festivals.
August 9, 2008... More than 300 folk festivals are held throughout the UK every year. Many of these long-running events pass under the radar of the general public, but are regular fixtures in the folkies' calendar. Seemingly untouched by musical fads, a host...

Folk for the future: four acts to listen out for.
August 9, 2008... John Smith (Proper/Charcoal) With a voice that ranges from gentle growl to a bluesy roar and an inventive, fast-fingered and percussive style of playing guitar, Smith has gained a devoted word-of-mouth following, selling out solo tours and...

O2 X Awards to celebrate music industry innovation.
August 9, 2008... As part of a series of features following O2's partnership with Music Week to promote the O2 X Awards, a national celebration of the best small and innovative music businesses, we profile We7, a company with the potential to pick up #10,000 in...

The Sunday shop window.
August 9, 2008... Last summer's Mail On Sunday Prince CD giveaway changed the rules of newspaper covermounts, opening the door for acts such as David Bowie, Paul McCartney and McFly to reap the benefits of a million-selling partnership. But how has retail and...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 9.08.08.
August 9, 2008... Out this week Singles * James Blunt I Really Want You (Atlantic) previous single: Carry You Home (chart peak: 20) * Das Pop Underground (Ugly Truth) previous single: Fool For Love (did not chart) * David Jordan Set...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 9.08.08: Album of the week.
August 9, 2008... Natty Man Like I (Atlantic) London's homegrown reggae talent is enjoying a level of slow-burning success with key single July, which was released last week and is steadily climbing the chart. He has been added to 20 festival line-ups this...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 9.08.08: Single of the week.
August 9, 2008... Katy Perry I Kissed A Girl (Virgin) Not to be confused with Jill Sobule's Nineties hit of the same name, Katy Perry's debut single comes from the songwriting powerhouse of Max Martin, Cathy Dennis and Lukasz Gottwald. The track continues...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 9.08.08: Catalogue reviews.
August 9, 2008... David Soul: Looking Back: The Very Best Of (Vibrant VIBECD007) David Soul's career as a successful recording artist spanned barely 18 months and ended 30 years ago, but the Starsky & Hutch star is fondly remembered. This new compilation...

MUSIC UPFRONT - 9.08.08: The Panel.
August 9, 2008... Rob Fitzpatrick (The Word) Jeremy: Silly Love Songs (Brilliance Records) Jeremy's Silly Love Songs is so perfectly constructed, so full of sprung-heeled, fresh-haircut, sunny-morning joy that I'm beginning to feel a bit worried that...

FUTURE RELEASE: Tony Christie.
August 9, 2008... Tony Christie Made In Sheffield (Autonomy) Tony Christie makes a return to retail with a new studio album in quarter four, which will feature some of his best-loved Sheffield musicians. Jarvis Cocker, Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner and...