Let's bring back

Elvis Presley- That's Alright Mamma

The first single ever released by Elvis on September 4th 1954

Enjoy!

Credit Crunching

It is apparent that the music industry is becoming increasingly ruled by money. This is obvious, we know this is the case and we understand that music, like the rest, is after all a business. If it weren't there would be no Spice Girls, or other obvious bands made primarily on the basis of making money.

However, often a band or person will change this and we pretend that all music is made because of a love for music and nothing else. For instance Radiohead letting fans chose the price of the last album 'In Rainbows'. Many argued that this was demeaning, determining the value of music. Others however saw it as choosing the value you believe is acceptable. It's true Radiohead have millions of loyal fans but there was no promise that this album would make much money or as much as it could have if it had been put straight onto a CD. So Radiohead in theory handed the music back to its audience. That or created a very clever marketing strategy.

After this, Lily Allen branded Radiohead 'arrogant' and claimed: "They’ve got millions of pounds. It sends a weird message to younger bands who haven’t done as well. You don’t choose how to pay for eggs. Why should it be different for music?” I am not sure how valid that comparison is but I am not 100% convinced any opinion of Lily Allen about music can be encouraged. Reasons why this quote generally sucks:

• Radiohead have worked for their success and were once too a 'young band'
• Perhaps younger bands aren't doing so well because...well just because they aren't very good?
• Younger bands get their money from touring, gigs and merchandise sales where as Radioheads tours are very limited and merchandise is avaliable but not whored.
• They may very well have millions of pounds but they don't go flashing it around in private jets and ridiculous cars and designer labels. They actually do some good in the world.

Another one to jump on the bandwagon was Gene Simmons, protesting: "That’s not a business model that works. I open a store and say ‘Come on in and pay whatever you want.’ Are you on f******g crack? Do you really believe that’s a business model that works?”

Well obviously it did work but understandably one is probably used to affording a prositute and a line per album sale which wouldn't go down well with the minimum amount payable for 'In Rainbows' being 45p.

But it is not all about the anti-free music camp, Mcfly gave out their newest album 'radio:ACTIVE' in the Mail on Sunday (although it could be argued it was because it's the only possible way of them shifting any copies). Obviously before that we saw Prince do the same which in turn made sales of the paper go up by around 600,000 copies. Not only were these albums free (other than the small price of the paper) but also Prince and Mcfly circulated their work, reaching out to new people and audiences that may have been unaware of the it music. Which in hindsight is not necessarily a bad thing at all.

So can we really put a price on music? It's something we should all enjoy and love but how much is too much to pay? Especially in this so called Credit Crunch. With an ever decreasing amount of disposable income, we should celebrate the new free music. The economies downfall should not limit our (legal) avaliablity to music and chances like this mean that it wont.

One of the most iconic story in music history regarding money, I believe, is the story of Tony Wilson. For anyone who has not heard of Wilson he was, amongst many other things, a record label owner. His party owned label held bands such as Joy Division and Happy Mondays. Wilson nobelly chose not to use the usual contracts with his bands but more 'acknowledgements and gentlemans agreements'. To end is a beautiful quote from the film '24 Hour Party People' which is about Wilson's involvement in the music scene and Factory Records:

"Factory Records are not actually a company. We are an experiment in human nature. You're labouring under the misapprehension that we actually have a deal with, er, with our, our bands. That we have any kind of a contract, er, at all, and I'm afraid we, er, we don't.."

Daniel and his Devil.

If ANYONE is around these places at these times:

24 Oct 2008, 20:00, Paradiso
Amsterdam, Netherlands
25 Oct 2008, 20:00, Muziek Kwartier
Enschede, Netherlands
26 Oct 2008, 20:00, Effenaar
Eindhoven, Netherlands
27 Oct 2008, 20:00, Maroquinerie
Paris, France
28 Oct 2008, 20:00, PTR-L’Usine
Geneva, Switzerland
29 Oct 2008, 20:00, Palace
St Gallen, Switzerland
1 Nov 2008, 20:00, Übel & Gefährlich
Hamburg, Germany
2 Nov 2008, 20:00, Volxbühne
Berlin, Germany
3 Nov 2008, 20:00, Club Schocken
Stuttgart
4 Nov 2008, 20:00, Backstage
München, Germany
5 Nov 2008, 20:00, Arena
Wien / Vienna, Austria
6 Nov 2008, 20:00, Gebäude 9
Köln, Germany
7 Nov 2008, 20:00, De Nachten/ De Singel
Antwerp, Belgium
8 Nov 2008, 20:00, De Vooruit
Genth, Belgium
9 Nov 2008, 20:00, Vera
Groningen, The Netherlands
11 Nov 2008, 20:00, Vega
Aarhus, Denmark
12 Nov 2008, 20:00,Grey Hall
Kopenhagen, Denmark

You really must go and see Daniel Johnston live. It will be a once in a life time thing (unless of course you have already seen him then a twice in a life time, or possibly more) he gets extremely emotional on stage and although scary and slightly uncomfortable it is strangely beautiful?! If anyone likes him and hasn't watched 'The Devil and Daniel Johnston' I would definitely recommend it. It's possibly one of the the strangest things I have ever watched but also the most touching and inspirational. He is one of those guys you know isn't going to be around that much longer...so go and see him.

10 Good Reasons to listen to..

BAT FOR LASHES













Okay so she is not particulary new nor unheard of but still...

1. She is from our very own Brighton.

2. She is a total breath of feminine but haunting floral air, nice after overdosing on dirty sweaty beer music.

3. She sounds rather like a crazy mix of Bjork, Siouxie Sioux and PJ Harvey which surely is reason enough.

4. She was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize. We all know it's a much prouder revelation being nominated rather than winning as the worst always seems to win.

5. Not only did she open for Radiohead's 2008 tour, she also had praise from Thom Yorke and if he likes we know it must be good.

6. She really does write it herself. It's not even a lie.

7. She has toured America, played at Glastonbury, been nominated for the Mercury Prize Award AND two Brits..and has only had one album out.

8. She is inspired by...nature.

9. Her boyfriend is in a just-as-amazing band- Moon and Moon, who you should also listen to.

10. Her new album should be coming out soon therefore, listen to the old one quickly so you can say you liked her before she got cool.

To be male is to be deficient, emotionally limited; maleness is a deficiency disease and males are emotional cripples

LISTEN TO:

S.C.U.M

http://www.myspace.com/scum1968

Beautifully innovative and reminiscent of Joy Division..and The Cure minus Smith's vocal bubbliness. Their debut single is being produced by Tomethy Furse (The Horrors), give it a listen. They also appear in the very dire 'Artrocker Magazine' I wonder if they have discovered spell check yet. I also wonder if the name S.C.U.M comes from SCUM manifesto, which stands for Society for Cutting Up Men. It was written by Valerie Solanas (yes, the one who tried to kill Andy Warhol). If you see yourself as a bit of a feminist then read 'Sisterhood Is Powerful' a collection of feminist writings. I wonder what being a radical feminist is like. Maybe I will try it.

It is wrong

To be totally in love with the new Girls Aloud single? Yes? Okay. Let's pretend I didn't say that then.