| CMU Daily - on the inside 1 Sep 2004 |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- Arts community speak out against Camden's flypost war
- Treats in store for Pixies fans
- Kravitz is new face of Gap
- Single Review: The Killers - All These Things That I've Done
- U2 new album details
- Eminem announces new album
- Trail Of Dead album delayed
- Live Revew: Embrace at T On The Fringe
- Ferdinand bring back UK's only VMA
- Lennon covers album re-released
- Macy Gray best of on the way
- Alan Jackson dominates in CMA nominations
- Ja Rule to plead not guilty to assault charges
- Kasabian to launch debut album on DualDisc
- Single Review: Brakes - Pick Up The Phone
- Lavigne stalker charged
- Laura Branigan dies
- Robbie plans new album under alter-ego
- Church's pop album pushed back cos it's rubbish
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ARTS COMMUNITY SPEAK OUT AGAINST CAMDEN'S FLYPOST WAR
The artistic director of one of North London's most important arts venues, the Hackney Empire, has spoken out against Camden Council's current legal assault against fly posting. As reported at length, Camden and Westminster councils are hoping they can force arts, media and entertainment companies to stop flyposting by targeting individuals at those businesses with anti-social behaviour orders. Most of the companies targeted so far have agreed to stop flyposting in order to avoid legal action. However the whole definition of flyposting as 'anti-social behaviour' is likely to be tested later this month because ambient marketing firm Diabolical Liberties - who have been targeted for their role in coordinating flyposting campaigns - are likely to take on Camden Council in court.
It is against that backdrop that Roland Muldoon, boss of the Hackney Empire, has joined the debate, arguing a complete ban on flyposting will be bad for the capital's cultural community. He has told The Stage newspaper: "Political fly-posting will never be stopped, so all that will happen is that arts venues will suffer. Fly-posting is the most immediately effective way of letting local people know about local events. When the Hackney Empire first opened it was a vital way for us to attract an audience. Camden just wants to knock down free fly-posting sites and replace them with big and expensive advertising hoardings for multinational corporations. I agree an area has to be kept tidy, but this has gone too far."
Camden stand by their campaign against flyposting. A spokesman for the council said: "It is incorrect to say that fly-posting does not hurt people, because if you live in a road covered in illegal posters it can be very unpleasant. It is also a myth to say that fly-posting is only carried out by struggling artists. The vast majority of fly-posting in Camden in carried out by big businesses who can well afford to advertise legally. There is certainly no intention to target live venues or theatres in Camden. We are incredibly proud of our cultural life here."
But one theatre publicist, Paul Savident, disagrees. Also speaking to the Stage he said: "The only way we can increase numbers going to the theatre is to increase awareness of what is going on at the theatre. New audiences aren't necessarily going to see adverts in newspapers or listings, they need to be targeted through a different medium."
A spokesman for Diabolical Liberties yesterday told CMU that support for flyposting in the North London arts community demonstrates why Camden Council should be opting for their proposed legitimate street poster scheme - something of a middle ground in the flyposting debate: "For the past six years Diabolical Liberties has been actively supporting the development of authorised street poster schemes around the UK, providing space to local cultural, arts, music and charity events at hugely subsidised rates. It's so important that the smaller creative venues and projects can have advertising space they can both afford and have easy access too. It's great that someone like Roland Muldoon understands the issues and the importance of posters for theatre."
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TREATS IN STORE FOR PIXIES FANS
Well, a new studio album may not be immediately in the pipeline, but here's a treat for Pixies fans to compensate.
Details have been announced of a new double album from Frank Back titled 'Frank Black Francis' which will feature 15 pre-Pixies demos on one disc and 13 new recordings of Pixies songs with Two Pale Boys' Andy Diagram and Keith Moline.
Speaking to Billboard about the album Black explained he has re-recorded tracks in a bid to enhance the demos of songs such as 'Caribou', which are of substandard audio quality but have been in high demand: "I did them to balance out the shittiness of this little time-capsule piece, so that Joe Blow, who may not know who the heck I am or who the Pixies are, wouldn't feel completely ripped off if he buys this".
Of the sessions with Diagram and Moline, Black chuckled, "I just sang some lyrics into a microphone and said, 'See you later,' and then they went nuts. It's this sort of freeform, not jazzy, but kind of new-age-y weirdo thing. It's not really like a new record. It's more like an experiment."
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KRAVITZ IS NEW FACE OF GAP
Lenny Kravitz is to join Sarah Jessica Parker as the new face of the Gap. Kravitz has remixed his songs 'Lady' and 'Are You Gonna Go My Way' for a Gap television commercial, and will be seen in the ads himself wearing clothes customised by adding studs and grommet detailing to everything from jeans to denim vests. He also wears jeans embroidered with a gold braided ribbon down the trouser legs. Worth every penny.
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SINGLE REVIEW: The Killers - All These Things That I've Done (Lizard King Records)
This is by no means the most obvious single choice from The Killers' excellent tune-stuffed 'Hot Fuss' album. But, while not necessarily the most immediate track on the album, 'All These Things That I've Done' does show another side to the Killers - a more soulful side. "I got soul - but I'm not a soldier" sings Brandon Flowers, who is joined here by gospel choir the Sweet Sensations (who, I am told, have worked with all the greats including Elvis, Jimi and Aretha). Fingers crossed this should follow 'Mr Brightside' into the top 10 - not only is the track itself great but it's backed with Moz's 'Why don't You Find For Yourself' and comes with the video of the song (and our Mr Flowers is the photogenic sort, so this can't be bad). JW
Release date: 30 Aug
Press contact: Darling [CP, RP, NP] rapture [CR, RR, NR]
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U2 NEW ALBUM DETAILS
U2 have confirmed more details of their new album which, with the missing copy having never surfaced online, is now set for a 22 Nov release.
According to the NME song titles on the album will include 'Vertigo', 'Man And A Woman', 'Yahweh', 'Crumbs From Your Table' and 'City Of Blinding Lights', with 'Vertigo' a likely single release.
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EMINEM ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM
Good news for anyone with a stake in the Universal Music Group (oh yes, and for Slim Shady fans everywhere). Eminem has announced his new studio album, to be called 'Encore', will be released before the end of the year. It was originally thought production duties on other Shady Records albums would prevent Marshall Mathers from completing his own long player until early 2005, but it seems everything is now ready to go. The US release date has been set as 16 Nov, with a UK release expected on 15 Nov.
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TRAIL OF DEAD ALBUM DELAYED
In kinda related news, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead have lost a band member and pushed back the release of their next album.
Bass player Neil Busch has had to quit because of "severe health problems". Neil has been replaced by Danny Wood from Austin band The Rise. However, the band say that Busch's departure is not the reason for the delayed release of the new album, the follow-up to 2002's 'Source Tags & Codes', which was due in Oct but will now be released in Jan.
The band's Conrad Keely wrote on his website: "[There] are three reasons they [their label] have for this [the delay]: U2, No Doubt, and Eminem. All three are putting out records in October, and they don't want to have to dust ours under the rug. This happens in the industry sometimes. There are other reasons, such as we don't wash our hair and we need to take promo pictures."
However, the band still plan to tour the US and UK in the near future to coincide with a preview single.
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LIVE REVEW: Embrace at T on the Fringe at the Edinburgh Festival on 30 Aug
Embrace, the self-proclaimed comeback kings are here to take you over. "I've put a down payment on me crown" chirps singer Danny Mcnamara and he's only half joking. Tonight he and his band are on top form and the adoring crowd lap it all up. Early tune, 'All You Good Good People' is received like an old friend. 'Come Back To What You Know' ("the closest thing we got to a hit!") is an epic, fuzzy sing-a-long moment. The new songs have more emotional depth but have lost none of the gospel sized anthemic choruses. By the time Mcnamara is hanging off the balcony, his loyal subjects below reaching out to touch his feet, you hope he put a down payment on a sceptre as well. SCR
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FERDINAND BRING BACK UK'S ONLY VMA
Outrage in CMU's Franz Ferdinand department yesterday that we failed to mention that Scotland's finest were the only UK band to win an award at this weekend's MTV VMAs. The band took the award for Breakthrough Video for 'Take Me Out'. We couldn't quite work out if the Franz Ferdinand fans in the office were more pleased with the fact Alex Kapranos and co had won, or the fact the Darkness, who were nominated for Best Rock Video and Best New Artist, won neither. Anyways, well done to Franz Ferdinand.
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LENNON COVERS ALBUM RE-RELEASED
John Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll covers album is to be re-released with extra tracks.
Lennon originally released the album - partly produced by Phil Spector - as a tribute to his teenage idols, including Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Ben E King and Buddy Holly.
Extra tracks on the re-release, out on 27 Sep, will include 'To Know Her Is To Love Her', 'Angel Baby', 'Since My Baby Left Me' and a reprise of 'Just Because' which has an alternative ending and a Christmas message to Paul, George, Ringo, Yoko and the British people.
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MACY GRAY BEST OF ON THE WAY
Macy Gray is to combine her three albums into one with the release of 'The Very Best of Macy Gray' in Nov.
As well as tracks from 1999's 'On How Life Is', 2002's 'ID' and 2003's 'Trouble With Being Myself', the album will also feature 'Love Is Gonna Get You' from the movie 'Miss Match', new song 'Walk This Way' and a Norman Cook remix of 'Sexual Revolution', a Gang Starr mix of 'I've Committed Murder' and a Bugz In The Attic remix of 'When I See You'.
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ALAN JACKSON DOMINATES IN CMA NOMINATIONS
Time now for a Country Music Update. And Arista signed country star Alan Jackson may well dominate this year's Country Music Association Awards when they take place in Nov appearing, as he does, seven times in the CMA nominations list which was announced yesterday.
Jackson, who has won 16 CMA awards during his career so far, is nominated for, among other things, entertainer, male vocalist, song and video of the year.
The nominations list also proved good news for country newcomer Gretchen Wilson who receives five nominations - including single, song and music video of the year for her first hit 'Redneck Woman', best album for 'Here For The Party', and a nomination for the Horizon Award for top new act.
Other artists with five nominations include Kenny Chesney and Alison Krauss, with Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Martina McBride and Reba McEntire also nominated for awards. It was also confirmed at the CMA nominations announcement that singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson has been selected for induction into the Country Hall of Fame.
The 38th annual CMA Awards ceremony will take place at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House on 9 Nov.
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JA RULE TO PLEAD NOT GULTY TO ASSAULT CHARGES
Ja Rule is to plead not guilty of those assault charges brought by Toronto police. As previously reported, Rule, who has been in Toronto filming, was charged last month with assault causing bodily harm. When he was initially charged there was a publication ban on evidence surrounding the charges. At the time, the rapper made a brief court appearance and was let out on bail.
Speaking outside the Toronto court on Monday, the rapper's lawyer Steven Skurka told reporters his client denied all charges, adding "You can underline that three times". A pre-trial hearing will now take place on 6 Oct - Skurka says he expects the case to go to trial in early 2005.
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KASABIAN TO LAUNCH DEBUT ALBUM ON DUALDISC
Kasabian are one of the first to confirm they will be issuing a release using the new DualDisc technology.
As previously reported, DualDiscs, officially launched last week, are a CD on one side and a DVD on the other, allowing artists to get the benefits of both formats on one disk. BMG will use the new technology for a special edition of the band's new eponymously titled album. It will feature the standard album on the CD side and a special short film on the DVD side.
Despite some cynicism among the technology community as to the viability of DualDisc - some claim the format lacks the quality of either CD or DVD - it has the backing of all of the major labels and a number of releases on the format are expected before the end of the year.
Commenting on the launch of DualDisc last week, Sony BMG boss Andrew Lack told reporters: "DualDisc represents a dramatic expansion of the music entertainment experience. By combining video, surround sound and web connectivity in a single disc, we are presenting our artists with a broader palette to express their creative vision, while at the same time giving consumers what they told us they want - greater value driven by unique content that brings them closer to the artist."
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SINGLE REVIEW: Brakes - Pick Up the Phone (Tugboat)
Never before have boundaries been so pushed and has pigeon-holing been so hopeless. Brakes, a collaboration of the brothers White from Electric Soft Parade, Eamon from British Sea Power (that'll be the one who runs around with a bass drum and a funny hat during live outings) and Marc Beatty from Brighton fledglings The Tenderfoot, collectively belong in music's Tate Modern. This, their debut single, is heading straight for a world record as the shortest single ever - if it gets into the top 40 that is. It's quirky, off-the-wall raw rock 'n' roll that leaves you spinning after the 23 seconds of its duration and is guaranteed to draw a hell of a lot of attention. Of the two further tracks on the CD, 'I Can't Stand To Stand Beside You' is of regular length and more playlist-friendly whilst 'Cheney' consists of a screamed and repeated "Cheney" followed by "stop being such a dick." Beautiful, literate and political. CMC
Release date: 20 Sep
Press contact: Stone Immaculate [CP, RP, NP] Anglo [CR, RR, NR]
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LAVIGNE STALKER CHARGED
A man accused of harassing Avril Lavigne's parents has been charged with stalking.
According to Associated Press, prosecutors say James Speedy's obsession began in 2003, when he started writing to the teenage singer. After finding out where her parents lived, he started writing to them too. Deputy prosecutor Janice Albert explained: "He sent his letters by FedEx and complained when they were not answered. He sent wine, photos, CDs and requests for contact. They never responded".
She goes on to allege that in a letter to Lavigne's family written in June 2003 Speedy admited that his behaviour could be construed as stalking. In another letter he gave a "courtesy notification" that he was in Lavigne's hometown of Ontario, promising not to drive by her parents' house, spy on them or do "anything creepy". But in July 2003 Canadian police found Speedy parked in a car near their house.
Despite a subsequent anti-harassment order, Speedy contacted Lavigne's agent in Mar about a concert the teen songstress was to play in the Seattle area the following month. In one e-mail he said he would like to attend the event and 'knock fists' with Lavigne.
The case will now go to court.
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LAURA BRANIGAN DIES
American singer Laura Branigan, who had a big hit in the 80s with 'Gloria', has died. The 47-year old singer and actress died in her sleep from a brain aneurysm.
Branigan had hits with 'How Am I Supposed To Live Without You?', 'Solitaire' and 'Self Control' in the 80s and was nominated for four Grammy Awards. 'Gloria' was a remake of a 1970s Italian pop song, while 'How Am I Supposed To Live Without You?' was co-written with a then unknown Michael Bolton.
She also contributed to film soundtracks including 'Flashdance' and 'Ghostbusters' and even dueted with David Hasselhoff on the track 'I Believe' for the 'Baywatch' soundtrack.
Branigan appeared in several TV shows including 'ChiPS' and most recently was earning rave reviews for her portrayal of rock legend Janis Joplin in New York stage musical 'Love, Janis'.
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ROBBIE PLANS NEW ALBUM UNDER ALTER-EGO
Word is that Robbie Williams plans to release an album of moody experimental music under the name Pure Francis. Apparently Robbie is tired of the baggage that goes with being Robbie, and wants the opportunity to release something completely different. Of course, now that we all know Robbie plans to release an album as Pure Francis the anonymity of the whole project is kinda lost. But whatever. Rumour also has it Robbie wants to release the Pure Francis album at the same time as his own greatest hits collection, which is out in Oct.
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CHURCH'S POP ALBUM PUSHED BACK COS IT'S RUBBISH
Well, I am para-phrasing a bit in the headline, but Charlotte Church's debut pop album has been delayed, apparently because it wasn't very good. Word is Sony have scrapped plans to release the album before Christmas because the quality of material made so far wasn't up to scratch. A source told reporters yesterday: "Charlotte is not happy. She is feisty and argued her corner. But she has been told the album will not be released until next year."
Word is label bosses are also concerned Church's traditional constituency of record buyers, who may be persuaded to buy her pop album if it is positioned correctly, may be put off by recent tabloid reports of the former child star's messy love life and boozy nights on the town. The source continued: "No one expects her to be a saint. But there are concerns that if she gets too wild she will alienate her older fans."