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Google buys Songza The deal is via the Google Play division, with Songza's team of playlist curators a key motivation for the takeover. The playlists said team create will be incorporated into the Google Play streaming service in due course, in a bid to enhance its 'radio' functionality, ie the programmed element that requires less interaction on the part of the user. As much noted, most players in the rather competitive streaming music space mainly try to distinguish themselves from their rivals by claiming that their 'discovery' tools for navigating the vast catalogue of tracks on offer are the very best. Both Deezer and Beats make much of their human-created playlists - as opposed to curation via usage and/or social media data - and the Songza purchase will enable Google Play to bang on about all that too. The standalone Songza service - which is more interactive radio than fully on-demand streaming - will seemingly carry on pretty much unchanged, for the time being at least. "No immediate changes are planned", the company said in a statement. "Other than making it faster, smarter, and even more fun to use". Songza and its main rival 8tracks have proven particularly popular with younger consumers, though expanding them beyond the US would require a different approach to licensing, because, like Pandora, they both currently rely on the compulsory licence that exists under US copyright law that forces labels to licence the sound recording rights via the collective licensing system at pre-set rates, all via SoundExchange. Although the new acquisition will sit within Google Play, the web giant did say yesterday that Songza playlists might also be incorporated into YouTube somehow down the line; the Google-owned video site is also in the process of launching an audio streaming service (in case you hadn't noticed). Amazon had been an early investor in Songza, the etailer having acquired the download store the streaming service grew out of, Amie Street. As an existing shareholder, there had been some speculation Amazon might try and outbid Google to acquire the streaming set-up, though the company hasn't commented on that. Either way, the Google deal will result in a pay-day for Amazon, and Songza's other investors. Which include Bieber manager Scooter Braun and one-time Gaga guider Troy Carter, which is a relief, thank God those guys are getting a bit cash at last. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hackers protest launch of Pirate Bay web-block in Argentina As much previously reported, web-blocking has become a favoured tool of rights owners in the ongoing battle against online piracy in a number of jurisdictions, not least the UK. Even though so called proxies are always quickly set up wherever piracy sites are blocked to help users circumvent the blockade and find the pile of unlicensed content they are looking for. Argentina recently became the first country in Latin America where a web-block has been instigated, with the courts ordering internet service providers in the country to block access to The Pirate Bay. It was CAPIF who secured the court order, which is why they were at the receiving end of the hack. According to TorrentFreak, the TPB proxy was in place via the trade body's domain for around ten hours before being taken offline. AT the time of writing, it remains down. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Michael Kiwanuka label shakes on RED/Fat Possum deal Fat Possum will, by means of the agreement, act as Movement's ally in the USA, overseeing PR, marketing and sync operations Stateside, and distributing Movement releases there via the RED network. And testing the new trans-Atlantic arrangement first, on 19 Aug, will be a joint EP by Kiwanuka and Gregory themselves. Summing things up, Kiwanuka told CMU: "Our new partnership with Fat Possum and Sony RED gives us the opportunity to release our records in the USA through a label with a similar ethos to our own. It's an important step in our story as a new label, and we're excited to have a US partner with such a great track record who shares our vision". -------------------------------------------------- Tom Whalley's Loma Vista label forms alliance with Concord Since launching the label, Loma Vista has worked with the likes of St Vincent, Little Dragon, Cut Copy, Soundgarden and recent signings Spoon. Under the new deal, Concord will provide a range of label services to Whalley's business, and also funding for new signings and talent development. Confirming the new alliance, Whalley told CMU: "Over the course of two years, we have built a roster full of my favourite artists making music today. Concord is an ideal partner because they share our sense of independence and core values in how you create and expose music to fans around the world. And in expanding our relationship with Universal Music Group, our artists continue to be supported by the best distribution, marketing and promotion people in the business". Meanwhile Concord Music Group MD Scott Pascucci added: "Tom is one of the truly exceptional executives in the music industry, and we are honoured to have an opportunity to work with him and the entire Loma Vista team. Together we'll look to build on the great foundation that Tom has created and foster a nurturing environment for all Loma Vista artists, while producing long-term value for our employees and investors". And giving the new arrangement the Universal seal of approval, the major's top man Lucian Grainge mused: "Loma Vista and Concord are ideal partners, both creatively and culturally, and we're thrilled that as a partner ourselves to both of them, UMG can renew and extend our relationship with Tom and build upon our collaboration with Scott and the great team at Concord". | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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7digital share price wobbles after Blackberry announces music service closure BlackBerry is one of digital music service provider 7digital's biggest clients, meaning the firm's share price has taken a hit since the phone maker's announcement, slipping 12% overall. Simon Cole, CEO of the combined 7digital since its recent merger with UBC Media, has tried to reassure investors that the development shouldn't have any major impact on his company's financial performance, adding that the firm will still support legacy customers of the Blackberry music service, and that talks have begun about developing some kind of new music set-up for the phone firm. And, of course, 7digital is generally good at signing up new B2B clients each time the tech companies whose music services it often powers have one of those changes in direction. Recent new(ish) clients include Guvera and ROK. -------------------------------------------------- Bandsintown launches new artist app The new app follows the launch back in February of marketing tools for promoters, and is part of the gig listing service's bid to encourage the live sector to use its platform as a marketing channel. Says Bandsintown: "Formerly known as our Artist Platform and available only on Facebook, we have rebranded our product suite for artists as Bandsintown Manager and introduced a mobile app now available for iOS and Android users!" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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OfCom opens bidding for second national DAB digital radio network It's not the first time a second national digital radio multiplex has been considered, of course, Channel 4 having spent an awful lot of time and money failing to launch its planned digital radio network back in 2007/8, before handing the licence to run the platform back to OfCom. Whether a second digital radio network will result in a batch of new digital-only stations being launched, or in reality will provide a national digital channel for various existing radio services only currently on FM and/or local DAB, remains to be seen. Despite the growth in DAB listening, making a standalone digital-only station profitable still seems to be quite a challenge. But culture minister Ed Vaizey reckons more DAB slots are definitely required, telling reporters yesterday: "We want people to be able to choose from the widest choice of national commercial radio stations, like Classic FM. But that isn't possible at the moment, because our current national commercial multiplex is full. To address that, Ofcom will offer the licence to build and run a second national commercial multiplex". Commercial radio trade body RadioCentre welcomed the announcement, with CEO Siobhan Kenny saying: "More commercial stations are good for listeners in a growing radio advertising market". Meanwhile the motoring industry, which is increasingly putting DAB receivers into new cars, also welcomed the news, with Mike Hawes, CEO of Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, saying: "Drivers are taking to digital radio in ever greater numbers. Over half of all new cars sold now come with digital radio as standard and, with a range of affordable after-market products now available, all drivers will be able to enjoy the wider range of stations now available on this ever-expanding network". If you fancy bidding to run Digital Two, get yourself to this link. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Former Lostprohets members re-emerge as No Devotion Lostprohets, of course, split up in the wake of the arrest and eventual conviction of frontman Ian Watkins on child abuse charges. Discussing that period of their history, bassist Stuart Richardson said: "We didn't know if we would ever make music again. [Or] if people would look us in the face. Everything felt like it was over. We didn't know what else to do. We just wrote music. I didn't know if anyone would ever want to hear it, I didn't know if anyone ever would hear it. I just needed to occupy my brain. We just needed this". No Devotion will perform live on the following dates: 22 Jul: Cardiff, CF10 Listen to 'Stay' here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bennett discusses Gaga collaboration, Halford wants one Enthusing about the record, Bennett told La Presse: "I do not understand why she makes contemporary music! When she sings great standards, she does it with such emotion ... She will surprise people with the quality of her voice when she makes quality songs. We sing together again on the album, but also separately. There are also some original songs, including one she wrote called 'Paradise'. With this album, I think she will become bigger than Elvis Presley!" I translated that from the French report, so it's possible what he said originally didn't come across quite so insulting in places. Still, I think the thing we should all take from this is that Tony Bennett thinks that Lady Gaga is a good jazz singer. That's nice of him to say. Even if he does think everything else she does is shit. Bennett's collaboration is in the bag though, so it doesn't really matter what he says now. He might as well stand in the street shouting, "Artpop? Bollocks more like!" But it's a trickier situation for Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, who's still trying to wangle a duet out of the pop lady. "I've been a huge fan of Gaga since she first burst on the scene. I just love everything that lady represents", he told The Huffington Post. "First and foremost, her voice is extraordinary. I love her voice. She's an accomplished musician, she plays piano really well, she's just a great songwriter. And she's a beacon of hope for a lot of people in the world". Alright, Rob. Don't overdo it. That said, it does appear that the admiration is mutual. Halford described the moment that Gaga realised he was watching her from the side of the stage at a show in San Diego earlier this month thus: "She saw me ... and she started screaming!" Screaming in a good way. They later had a bit of a chat and discussed working together at some point, Halford went on. "It was a real moment come true", he said. "We didn't really have much time to talk. She's busy. I'm busy. But we've agreed to get together at some point and just hang out and maybe do something. I don't know if that will ever happen, but I love her to death". Yeah, we'll see what you say once it's actually in the can. Anyway, here's 'The Lady Is A Tramp'. -------------------------------------------------- Jessie J confirms single with Minaj and Grande, Grande details new LP BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG. As the blast clears, I'll move on and point to all the relevant info. So the song is arriving as a single (in America, that is) on 29 Jul, and is primarily meant to feature on J's next LP, which is being released later this year. It'll also be on deluxe copies of pop Bambi Grande's new record 'My Everything', which again has a currently US-only due date of 25 Aug. Talking of 'My Everything' - which had its inner details and tracklisting revealed this week - that disc will feature a slightly bewildering list of guests, not least Big Sean (who to be fair did appear on Grande's debut LP 'Yours Truly' too), The Weeknd, Childish Gambino, A$AP Ferg, and, as we all knew anyway, Iggy Azalea, who spits (figuratively speaking) on the LP's lead single 'Problem'. The album's most notable co-writers come in the shapes of hitmaking team Ryan Tedder and Benny Blanco and, oh, only HARRY STYLES, who sired LP track 'A Little Bit Of Your Heart' especially for Ariana. Isn't that sweet? Grande's next single 'Break Free', which is mixed by Zedd, is premiering this week, as she advertised recently in a teeny Insta-teaser nearly as tiny as she is. And here it is. -------------------------------------------------- Goat to release 'acidic' LP The band, who signed with Kobalt on the publishing side recently (in readiness for all this), are already showing off the long player's lead single, 'Hide From The Sun', a clue as to the overarching "acidic grooves, hypnotic incantations, and serpentine guitar lines" on the record. The sheer nerve! Check the track here, and the wider tracklisting it forms a bit of here: Talk to God | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bomb threat forces cancellation of Marilyn Manson show in Moscow A rally in Russia against "Western anti-culture" - and specifically Manson - kickstarted problems two weeks ahead of the first show. The Christian protest group behind it saying in a statement: "[Manson's] lyrics are a mixture of obscenity, drug propaganda, sexual perversion and abuse of the Christian faith. The performance itself is associated with a clear challenge and an affront to the society, is a provocation and a threat to public order and security". The performance in Ukraine was actually cancelled a week ahead of its scheduled date on 29 Jun when that entire editione of the festival was scaled down, somewhat understandably, with organisers saying that "today's political and economic conditions created insurmountable obstacles for large-scale outdoor events". However, the Moscow show on 27 Jun was still due to go ahead as planned, with Manson's set only pulled shortly before stage time due to bomb threats. "Bomb threats have cancelled our show in Moscow, just as we were about to perform" tweeted Manson, adding: "Why are the people that proclaim that music inspires violence, the ones that create such entropy?" In a later Facebook post, he added: "We were all dressed up and sent home like it was still 1984. To the fans in Russia, we will return. The more that they fear it, the bigger it gets". There have been various controversies surrounding Western artists performing in Russia in recent years. Madonna and Lady Gaga both fell foul of the country's laws banning 'gay propaganda', while Cher refused to perform at the Winter Olympics at all in protest against the same laws. Elton John last week said that he plans to use a trip to perform in Saint Petersburg in November as an opportunity to discuss the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, a new law banning swearing in the arts and media came into effect in Russia yesterday. Next on the list of things to outlaw are shouting, wearing bright colours and rhyming. Possibly. -------------------------------------------------- Warpaint lay down UK shows There's a pre-sale of tickets on the band's official site going on right now, but if you miss that, you can always wait till Friday when tickets will be available via all the usual channels. And the dates are: 29 Nov: London, Hammersmith Apollo -------------------------------------------------- Jamie T lists first live dates in years and years and years The first is at the Art School in Glasgow on 21 Jul, the mid-point is a date at Liverpool's Kazimier on 30 Jul, and the third is at Portsmouth's Wedgewood Rooms on 31 Jul. This follows rumours earlier this year that Mr T was working on a new LP to follow his last, 2009's 'Kings & Queens'. Tickets are on sale... NOW. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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City Of London Corporation to suffocate death metal band 'Box Sized DIE' premiered in Lisbon in 2007, and has been toured around various European cities since. For each viewing of the piece, a local death metal band - for the London shows, a band called Unfathomable Ruination - is locked inside the airtight, soundproofed box. The band plays for the duration, but outside only strange vibrations can be felt and heard. The duration of each performance is dictated by how long it takes for the band to run out of oxygen. At a preview performance this morning, that proved to be just over 20 minutes, though frontman Ben Wright said upon emerging from the box that it started to become difficult to breathe after about ten. Crammed into the box, the band made a formidable noise before the door was shut on them, the sound then becoming a dull rumble amongst all the other dull rumbles that make up London's ambient noise. Engagement with the artwork really comes through feeling the vibrations coming through the outer walls. You'll be able to catch the performance for yourself outside The Gerkin (aka 30 St Mary Axe) on Thursday at 6pm and again at 7pm. It'll then take place at 6pm every Wednesday to Friday from 4 Jul to 1 Aug. Assuming the band don't die. Here's a video of Portuguese band Holocausto Canibal preparing for their stint in the box earlier this year. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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