Is Blur Drummer Dave Rowntree’s Attempt to Become a Politician Progressive or just Retarded?

Dave Rowntree’s studies to become a solicitor are a running joke, with The Independent last week printing a story saying that he told them he would be prioritising his law exams over Blur’s upcoming tour. Despite this being a fabrication, it’s obvious Rowntree is very serious about his studies, and thinks that to pursue a [...]

Read Full Post »

EMI Sign Martin Luther King, But Should His Words Really Come Under Copyright?

So the publishing branch of EMI have been asked to co-manage the licensing and copyright of Martin Luther King’s speeches, alongside the King Estate. Renewed interest in the civil rights leader’s speeches due to Obama’s election has meant that the estate need to improve their licensing operation. In fact, it’s been estimated that the illegal downloading of the speeches have cost the King Estate [...]

Read Full Post »

Friendly Fires Burn Olive, Only to Choke on Stone

For those of you who’ve listened to Friendly Fires’ new single Skeleton Boy it may strike you that it sounds remarkably similar to nineties house icon Olive’s 1996 hit, ‘You’re Not Alone’. DJs George Lamb and Shaun Keaveny are besides themselves with glee about the similarity, and refuse to play the single on their prospective [...]

Read Full Post »

New York Ipod tax could lead the way for musicians

In December of last year governor David Peterson of New York proposed an ‘Ipod tax’, wherein a 4 per cent levy was tagged onto the sale of mp3 players and downloads. Although there was certainly nothing philanthropic about the proposal (it came as one of 88 new tax measures to plug a $15.4 budget deficit) [...]

Read Full Post »

Observer Music Monthly’s New Acts Old Hat

The Observer normally pay close attention to the zeitgeist, and considering that it’s my Sunday paper of choice I don’t want to be mean. But the list of ‘new’ acts in last months OMM struck me as a piece of astoundingly lazy journalism. Paul Epworth in at number 11? The man is undoubtedly a gifted producer, but it’s hard [...]

Read Full Post »