Perform at Glastonbury with Kirsty Almeida

One of 2010’s most exciting musicians, Kirsty Almeida has developed an extraordinary opportunity with Talenthouse, to select a talented musician to join her on stage at the Glastonbury festival on Sunday 27th June 2010. The Glastonbury festival is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious music festivals and the chosen musician will perform the song "If You Can't Make Me Happy" with Kirsty and her band.

All you have to do is submit a video of yourself playing your instrument to Kirsty's song, available for download once you click participate. You are more than welcome to submit a video of a previously recorded performance, if you prefer. Unique instruments are encouraged but all instruments are welcome.

Flights and accommodation will be provided for the selected musician as well as an opportunity to rehearse with Kirsty prior to the event. In addition, the top 20 voted artists will have an opportunity to receive a portion of $2,000 (USD).

To enter visit http://www.talenthouse.com/

Danish court rules ISPs must continue to block The Pirate Bay

Music Week has reported that a ruling in the Supreme Court of Denmark has reinforced that telco Telenor has a continuing responsibility to block its users from accessing The Pirate Bay.

This upholds previous rulings in lower courts in Denmark but Telenor opposed these rulings and began an appeal process in 2008.

The ISP has had to block access to The Pirate Bay for two years after the IFPI took legal action.

This ruling in relation to Telenor will also apply to other ISPs in the country.

Telenor had argued in its appeal that it was not the responsibility of ISPs to block access to sites offering illegal content.

A ruling in Norway last year, however, said that Telenor did not have to block access to The Pirate Bay in the country.

ALBUM REVIEW: Karen Elson, The Ghost Who Walks

Maybe I was a bit cynical about international supermodel Karen Elson’s move into music. Her husband is Jack White of the White Stripes, who produces and plays drums on The Ghost Who Walks, her debut album.

This incredibly elegant and haunting album features 12 songs, 11 original compositions by Karen and 1 cover of a song originally by her Citizens Band cohort Rachelle Garniez. There is much to enjoy about the album, the title of which refers to a nickname Elson endured at school in Oldham.

On her debut disc, Elson spins intriguingly unsettling tales of lost love, dashed hope, romantic betrayal and various crimes of passion witnessed only by the full moon.

She infuses the gorgeous title track with a sinister yearning, whilst the fragile The Last Laugh recalls the haunted country twang of Loretta Lynn.

Elson sounds more at ease with country blues and murder ballads, bringing a convincing, lonesome quality to the lovely Lunasa and The Last Laugh.


Tracklisting:

1. The Ghost Who Walks
2. The Truth Is the Dirt
3. Pretty Babies
4. Lunasa
5. 100 Years from Now
6. Stolen Roses
7. Cruel Summer
8. Garden
9. The Birds They Circle
10. A Thief at My Door
11. The Last Laugh
12. Mouths to Feed

Gorillaz Replace U2 at Glastonbury

Glastonbury Festival organiser Michael Eavis confirmed today that Gorillaz will take over U2's headline slot on the Friday evening.

The promoter has moved quickly to secure the headline replacement after U2 were forced to cancel when Bono injured his spine during rehearsals for the band's forthcoming tour.

The confirmation will see Damon Albarn headlining the Pyramid Stage for the second year in a row after Blur's festival closing performance in 2009.

"This is going to be Gorillaz' only UK festival appearance, and it'll be a massive audio visual spectacle which will really ignite the Pyramid on the Friday night, with Muse, then Stevie Wonder to follow," says Eavis.

"I'm very excited about Gorillaz' show coming here because they're so open to guests and collaborations. The alchemy of Friday's show is going to be astonishing: a perfect, contemporary way to kick off the 40th anniversary celebrations.

"I am so grateful for the enthusiasm of the media and the whole of the music industry for their willingness and eagerness to support us in what could have been a crisis."

The festival organiser reveals that Gorillaz stepped in to offer their services in the wake of U2's call-off.

A statement attributed to band member Murdoc says, "We're like some great big horrible warship pulling in to the Bay of Glastonbury to save the day. It was us or The Beatles and they split up years ago. The previous soldiers got pulled from duty last minute so it's up to my Plastic Beach naval cavalry to sail in and sort the battlefield out. I can assure you though, I'm bringing extra troops. Loads of them. Glastonbury will be ours…cutlasses drawn, trumpets ready. We're coming in…"

T Break Stage - Line up of Unsigned Bands for 2010

Tennent’s annual search for the best fresh unsigned Scottish talent to play the T Break Stage at T in the Park, has delivered 16 remarkable acts.

A panel of industry experts hand-picked the acts to showcase from July 9 to 11.

The panel of judges, including representatives from Tennent’s Lager’s partners DF Concerts and BBC Radio 1, and other industry representatives listened to almost 1400 demos to select the 16 most exciting acts to showcase.

The following acts will now join a stellar line-up of the finest in international and home-grown talent at this year’s T in the Park:

 Be Like Pablo
 French Wives
 Fridge Magnets
 Kitty the Lion
 Kobi Onyame
 Lightguides
 Make Sparks
 Mitchell Museum
 Mopp
 Night Noise Team
 Stanley Odd
 The Draymin
 The Ray Summers
 The Seventeenth Century
 Three Blind Wolves
 Washington Irving

George Kyle, Head of Sponsorship at Tennent’s Lager says: “It’s another impressive line up for the T Break Stage this year and we’re delighted that for the 15th year running Tennent’s can again give unsigned bands a platform at T in the Park alongside some of the best home-grown and international headliners in the world today. All the best to the bands involved."

And Dave McGeachan of DF Concerts added: “Yet again, it’s been an incredibly difficult decision as the level of new talent applying for T Break has been phenomenal. These 16 acts represent the most exciting new Scottish music around and I can’t wait to see them take to the stage at T in the Park”.

Vic Galloway of BBC Radio 1: “It's always a pleasure to exclusively announce the T Break finalists on my Radio 1 show each year, and I look forward to doing it once again. It's been extremely tough for the panel this year with more entries than ever before, getting slimmed down to this final 16. However that only proves how strong, vibrant and diverse the Scottish scene is just now. T Break is now an essential part of T in the Park, and a brilliant showcase for emerging, under-the-radar bands to play a World-class festival in front of 85,000 people. These bands are superb, so make sure you get into that tent and check them out over the weekend!"

Save 6Music: Second BBC 6 Music Protest takes place tomorrow

The campaign to save 6 Music has confirmed a second protest against the proposed closure of BBC 6Music will be held tomorrow, Saturday 22 May outside Broadcasting House in London’s West End. The protest will start at 12noon and last two hours.

Featured in the event will be speeches from 6Music DJs Andrew Collins, Liz Kershaw, Tom Robinson and Cerys Matthews plus a guest appearance from Ed Byrne.

The first protest 'event' held at the end of March in a bid to save the doomed radio station from closure had a good turnout, lots of people and even a few bands.

Georgina Rodgers, co-founder of Save BBC 6 Music organising committee, said: “With the BBC Trust Consultation closing on the 25th May, this is our last chance to get our message across about how much 6 Music means to its million plus listeners.”

She added, “We have kept up the pressure and action from the moment the proposed closure was announced, and we hope that we have got our message across that 6 Music is a jewel in the crown of the BBC that should not only be saved from the axe, but should be nurtured.”

Listening figures at 6music have soared since its possible closure was announced. The digital radio station recently broke the 1m listener mark. Online listeners have increased by 50% in the past year.

N-Dubz to Headline Free Festival in Dumfries

Thousands of people are expected to attend a free music festival in Dumfries this summer after pop trio N-Dubz were confirmed as the headline act.

Youth Beatz, an event organised by Dumfries and Galloway Council, will be held at Dock Park on 31 July. The council said the festival was aimed at 12 to 25-year-olds.

N-Dubz have had eight UK Top 40 singles, including a Number One and two platinum selling albums and their most recent UK tour was sold out. They have also been confirmed for this year’s Glastonbury Festival and at T4 on the beach.

Youth Beatz 2010 is a free interactive event for young people to have fun, take part and be better informed about relevant issues, services and opportunities.

Jack Groom, the Provost of Dumfries, said: "Youth Beatz 2010 is an opportunity for our whole community to show support of our young people, through engaging with them in an environment which they own and want to be in.

"Alongside providing information for young people which will help them access services and new opportunities, Youth Beatz 2010 is about young people enjoying themselves." He added.

The event will also include local musicians, community groups, family attractions, and a guest appearance by Freddie from the TV show Skins.

New music to feature in 2012 Olympic Games

PRS for Music Foundation has launched a programme to put new music centre-stage of the Cultural Olympiad in 2012.

New Music 20x12 will support 20 new musical works, each lasting 12 minutes. Together these will celebrate the UK’s musical talent and creativity throughout 2012 and beyond.

It will be delivered by the PRS for Music Foundation in partnership with the BBC, LOCOG (the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) and Sound and Music.

The proposal invites music organisations, festivals, ensembles or venues to present ideas for new work they would like commissioned from a UK-based composer. Each work will premiere in 2012 and receive at least 2 additional performances.

A panel of experts, chaired by Roger Wright, Controller BBC Radio 3 and Director, BBC Proms, will be announced later this year and will select the best 20 works. All selected works will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and some may be considered for inclusion in other official events relating to London 2012.

In addition to financial support for the commissions, New Music 20x12 will include networking and professional development opportunities for the selected composers and musicians.

UK-wide call for applications is now open; deadline for applications is Friday 1st October 2010.

For more information and how to apply see http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com/

Bon Jovi Looking For UK Bands To Open London Gigs

Bon Jovi are offering aspiring musicians a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They're giving up-and-coming bands the chance to open for them in front of thousands of cheering fans at The O2 Arena when they take to the stage in London this summer.

The rock icons will perform a 12-date residency at the O2 Arena next month (Jun10) and they want new talent to warm up for them on their five opening dates.

A post on the website reads: "If you are in a band, looking for a break - then this is as good as it gets...

"We are looking for 5 fresh and promising new bands to fill the opening nights at The O2 arena... Start uploading videos and content which proves that you're good enough to open for Bon Jovi."

Applicants are invited to upload a track via http://www.openforbonjovi.com/. A panel of industry experts, including Bon Jovi's management company, will pick the winners.

Five emerging UK acts will win an opening slot to perform approximately 30 minutes of original music on the following nights: 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th and 13th June.

Entrants have until 31 May (10) to take part in the competition.

Bon Jovi kick off their O2 residency on 7 June (10) and will be supported by Kid Rock and OneRepublic on their remaining London dates.

NME Breakthrough Competition for Unsigned Bands

UK’s favourite music magazine’s, NME, are running a new competition to give one lucky unsigned band or act the chance to play at this year's Lovebox festival.

NME Breakthrough Competition which is supported by Blackberry is looking for an emerging act to open the Lovebox Festival in London's Victoria Park on July 16.

The winning act will be chosen by a judging panel, which includes NME Editor Krissi Murison, NME Radar editor Jaimie Hodgson as well as guest judge Dizzee Rascal.

The act chosen as the winner will be sharing a bill with the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Hot Chip, Ellie Goulding, Mystery Jets, The Maccabees and The Noisettes.

If you want to be in with a chance of winning and performing at the Lovebox Festival in London or want more information, go to NME.com/breakthrough

The closing date for the competition is June 7.

RIAA Scores Victory in LimeWire Copyright Case

A US federal judge has ruled that filesharing site LimeWire is liable for mass copyright infringement following a case brought against it by the RIAA.

The court's decision comes after the RIAA, Recording Industry Association of America, on behalf of the recorded music industry, brought a lawsuit against Lime Group, the company behind the software, four years ago.

District Judge Kimba Woods ruled that it was clear that Limewire and the company's former CEO Mark Gorton were guilty of promoting copyright infringement among users for their own personal gain.

LimeWire created its service in 2000 and has been downloaded 200 million times, describes it as the world's most popular P2P file-sharing service, with more than 50 million monthly users. In the case, it was claimed that 93 per cent of all traffic on LimeWire was made up of infringing content.

A spokesperson for the RIAA said: “By finding Lime Wire's CEO personally liable, in addition to his company, the court has sent a clear signal to those who think they can devise and profit from a piracy scheme that will escape accountability.”

The 13 record companies that filed the lawsuit against LimeWire are Arista, Atlantic, BMG Music, Capital, Elektra, Interscope, LaFace, Motown, Priority, Sony BMG, UMG, Virgin and Warner Music Group.

The next hearing in the case is set for June 1.

Report claims File Sharers ‘Often the most valued Consumers’

A new study has indicated that filesharing activity is less damaging to the arts than has previously been claimed.

Research conducted by the University of Amsterdam suggests that the buying and sharing of online content tend to go hand-in-hand, meaning music, film and video game sales potentially benefit from filesharing practices.

The study indicated that 68 per cent of filesharers also purchase music legally, and spend at least the same amount as non-filesharers on media content overall.

This presumably backs up the much touted theory that many use file-sharing for the purposes of previewing an artist’s work before they make a purchase.

In addition, filesharers tend to purchase more branded merchandise and go to concerts and festivals more frequently, benefitting the artists, it claimed.

The Dutch researchers stated that "Filesharers are the industry's largest customers. Note that no causal relationship is implied here,”

"Aficionados of music, games or films will typically buy more, get into related products more but also download more."

The report also found that, fear of online piracy prevented the music industry from the digital innovation required to provide appealing legal alternatives.

Search for Live Band to Play Nevis Range

Organisers of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Rare Management, have partnered with music promoters Leith Records to search for a band to play at this year’s event.

Together, they’ve launched the first ever World Cup New Band competition.

Fort William, in the Scottish Highlands is home to some of the longest and toughest courses in the world and the event features some of the best downhill and 4-Cross riders in the world. It’s also renowned for its enthusiastic crowds.

Thousands of spectators are expected to gather on the 5th and 6th of June.

To be in with the chance of playing on the main stage before the 4-Cross final on Saturday night, as well as accommodation and passes for what promises to be an awesome weekend, emerging artists are being invited to submit their demos.

The deadline for entries is midnight on Wednesday 12th May.

Click here to submit your demo.

City Airport Launches Live Music Competition

Glasgow Airport is giving aspiring musicians a once in a lifetime opportunity to play in front of an international audience of thousands. Scotland has one of the most thriving music scenes in the world and what better way to showcase talent.

A series of "Airplay" sessions will be held over the summer in the terminal building to give bands and solo acts the chance to entertain travellers.

Acts are being given the chance to enter to take part in 'Airplay' sessions; highlights will be posted online with a prize of £1,000 going to the best act.

The competition is designed to highlight Glasgow's status as a United Nations (UN) City of Music, awarded in 2008 because of its rich musical heritage.

The honour, bestowed by the UN cultural body, UNESCO, acknowledges the city's musical past and its role in music-making, performance and enjoyment.

Amanda McMillan, Managing Director of Glasgow Airport, said: "Glasgow has been recognised as a UNESCO City of Music because of the important contribution the city has made to the music industry. It seems fitting that we should launch this search for the recording artists of the future at the city's gateway airport.

"Our 'Airplay' sessions are a fantastic platform for young musicians, and we're delighted to play our part in support Glasgow as the City of Music.

"As Scotland's long haul and transatlantic gateway, performers can expect to play to thousands of travellers from across the globe. For one lucky performer, it could help their dreams of stardom really take off."

To take part in Airplay, send a CD or DVD with a selection of your recordings, or a link to your website to: Airplay, Glasgow Airport, St Andrew's Drive, Paisley, PA3 2SW or email flightpath@baa.com