CMU Daily 31.03.16: Tidal threatening to sue its former owners, Brandy accuses label of blackmail

Tidal could sue streaming service's former owners
In amongst all that bragging about the many exclusives it's secured in its first year as a Jay-Z led business, Tidal somehow forgot to tell us about the pending lawsuit. Don't they know, we love a pending lawsuit? I mean, a Kanye exclusive is one thing, but messy litigation, now that might be worth $10 a month.

According to Norwegian business newspaper Dagens Næringsliv, two companies which had significant stakes in Aspiro - the company that operated WiMP and its Tidal spin-off, and which Jay-Z's business bought in order to launch the all new Tidal service last year - could be sued over allegations the rapper's company was not given accurate information ahead of last year's acquisition.

Dagens Næringsliv says that media company Schibsted and venture capitalists Verdane have both received letters from Tidal's current owners accusing them of "significantly" exaggerating user numbers and misrepresenting how well the WiMP company was doing ahead of Jay-Z's big purchase. And it seems litigation could now follow.

According to tech site Breakit, a spokesperson for Schibsted was keen to stress that Aspiro was a publicly-listed company ahead of the acquisition, meaning key information about the firm was routinely made available in line with the rules and regs of being a public company. As a result, the firm told reporters, it is "unsympathetic" to the letter from nu-Tidal and the allegations contained within.

However disappointed Team Tidal may have been after buying up the WiMP business a year ago, surely they can now secure the exclusive rights to this lovely legal battle, assuring it never never never appears on Apple Music. Except, maybe, occasional reworked snippets.

Brandy accuses label of blackmail, sues to cut contract
Brandy is suing her record label Chameleon Entertainment over allegations that the company is holding her to ransom in a bid to force the singer into signing a new deal with Sony's Epic US.

Brandy Norwood has been working with Chameleon and its founder Breyon Prescott since 2010, and the company released her 2012 album 'Two Eleven' via a partnership with Sony's RCA division.

Then last year Prescott joined Epic as its urban A&R chief, the plan being that Chameleon artists would also work with the Sony label moving forward. But Brandy, who was signed to Epic once before, and things didn't work out so well there, seems to be resisting that move.

In her lawsuit filed on Tuesday, Norwood alleges that Chameleon, which has the exclusive option on the singer's next four albums, is refusing to release her next record until she agrees to sign a deal with Epic, which would then put out future LPs alongside Prescott's own company.

But, say Norwood's legal reps, the Epic deal is less favourable than her existing arrangement with Chameleon. Plus Prescott pressuring the singer to sign with Sony is basically him 'double dipping', they allege, because he'll earn as owner of Chameleon, and also see bonuses from Epic for securing the new deal.

According to Courthouse News, Norwood's lawsuit claims that Prescott is basically blackmailing the singer in "a blatantly unlawful attempt to bully Norwood into signing a new recording and distribution agreement containing terms far worse than her current agreement. Defendants have made clear through their actions and words that, unless Norwood capitulates and signs this terrible deal, she will remain 'trapped' with a label that won't let her record or release music".

The litigation adds that "Prescott owns and operates defendant Chameleon and is employed full time by Epic Records as head of urban A&R. The new recording and distribution deal that he is trying to force Norwood to sign is with Epic, which allows him to 'double dip': if Prescott can force Norwood to sign the new deal, he will profit both as an owner of Chameleon and through bonuses and other benefits he will get from Epic".

This, says the legal filing, is an "outrageous action ... based on nothing more than greed", so much so the court should allow Norwood to terminate her original agreement with Prescott and Chameleon and take her next record elsewhere. The various defendants in the case are yet to respond.

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Tulisa due in court over drink driving Ferrari smash
Tulisa Contostavlos is free on bail pending a court hearing on charges of drink driving and dangerous driving, it has been revealed. The singer was charged earlier this month having been initially arrested in London last September after she crashed her Ferrari into another car outside Southgate tube station.

The former N-Dubz member had reportedly only picked up her £199,000 sports car days before the crash. She collided with an elderly couple's Saab shortly before midnight on 10 Sep and was arrested at the scene after being breathalysed, spending almost 24 hours in custody before being released.

Police confirmed yesterday that Contostavlos was charged on 7 Mar. She is now due to appear at Highbury Magistrates Court on 4 Apr. If convicted she faces a driving ban of at least a year. She could also be ordered to retake her driving test or even be jailed.

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Elton John denies assaulting former security guard
Elton John has denied claims made by a former security guard that the singer groped him and made sexually suggestive comments.

The claims are made in legal documents filed on Monday by Jeffrey Wenninger. The LA police officer worked for John while off duty between 2002 and 2014. He also alleges that he was unfairly removed from the musician's security team in September 2014.

Wenninger says that John made a number of inappropriate advances over the years he worked for him, and that they increased in "frequency and intensity" after 2010. In particular, he claims that he was assaulted during a car journey in March 2014, and that two other incidents took place the same month.

But in a statement, a lawyer representing John's Rocket Entertainment Group, Orin Snyder, said: "This baseless lawsuit is brought by a disgruntled former security officer seeking to extract an undeserved payment. These claims are patently untrue and contradicted by numerous previous statements made by this plaintiff. We will not give in to his latest abuse of the legal system".

As well as launching legal action against John, Wenninger is also suing the private company through which he was contracted to work for the star. He claims that he was fired after reporting another police officer for overtime theft.

[PIAS] expands US operations
[PIAS] has announced further expansion of its US operations, including the launch of an LA office as a result of its recent acquisition of classical, jazz and world music label Harmonia Mundi.

That office will be headed up by new General Manager Matthew Owen, and will expand to oversee classical and jazz repertoire from across the group, including labels such as Alia Vox, Channel Classics, Hyperion, Onyx Classics, Howe Records and Ponderosa.

Elsewhere, the firm's existing New York office has hired Allan Benedict as National Radio Promotion Manager and Sally Hedberg as National Publicity Manager. The company has also renewed its US sales and distribution deal with Sony's Red.

"The US expansion of [PIAS] including our new West Coast office, a growing label roster and a new team in LA reinforces our commitment to sensibly grow our presence in North America", says [PIAS] MD Edwin Schröter. "In Sean [Maxson, NY office General Manager] and Matthew we have two highly experienced executives who together with their specialist teams will add real weight to both our US and global offering".

He continued: "Our alliance and close relationship with the Red team will provide a unique combination of dedicated specialist expertise and independent label culture with marketing and sales leverage for the great roster of independent labels we will be working with".

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Cooking Vinyl Australia launches publishing division
Cooking Vinyl Australia has announced that it is launching a new music publishing division, to be called Cooking Vinyl Publishing Australia, obviously.

The new Melbourne-based business will be overseen by former Peermusic MD Matthew Donlevy. Reporting directly to Cooking Vinyl Group boss Martin Goldschmidt, Donlevy will be tasked with signing Australia and New Zealand-based songwriters for domestic and international development.

"This is an amazing opportunity and with the support and infrastructure of an international music company behind me I can't wait to start signing some amazing songwriters", said Donlevy. "The recent launch of a dedicated Cooking Vinyl office in the USA demonstrates that this is a company with global ambitions".

Goldschmidt added: "Not only is Matt a fine skier - we first met at Skidem - and a great guy, but one of the most experienced music publishers in Australia with a strong track record of success. He is the perfect person to develop and build our Australian music publishing company, which will complement the fantastic work that has already been achieved by the label".

So there you have it, people looking to make their way up the music industry. Learn to ski.

Irish alternative rock station to close down
Dublin-based alternative music radio station TXFM is to close, with its owners saying they just haven't been able to make the set-up commercially viable. They should have rebranded as Radio TX and pitched themselves at the sorts of people who, when asked to vote for the best four British records of all time, pick all Oasis tracks.

Actually, when Dublin station Phantom 105.2 rebranded as TXFM in 2014 there was speculation that it was becoming an Irish outpost for the London station then known as Xfm. The rumour was fuelled by the fact that one of Phantom's owners, Communicorp, had just done a deal with Xfm owner Global Radio to run some of the Capital FM outposts in the UK. But in the end it turned out that the rebrand to TXFM was a bid to ally the Irish station with another Communicorp service, Today FM, rather than any link to Xfm.

Ahead of the name change, Phantom had downsized its staff considerably in a bid to make the station profitable, but it seems that even a streamlined station of the alternative music variety couldn't make ends meet in the Dublin market.

TXFM needed to renew its licence with the Broadcasting Authority Of Ireland, but its owners have decided not to go through that process. Communicorp boss Gervaise Slowey, whose company owns a third of the alternative station, told reporters: "It is with great regret that we have come to this decision. Despite a recent rebranding and a restructuring of the business, it has not been possible to make the station commercially viable".

The decision means six full-timers will lose their jobs, while a number of part-time presenters will also lose regular work. According to the Irish Times, no other party had applied to take over the FM frequency use by TXFM as of Tuesday, which was the deadline for such applications. Though also Dublin-based independent classic rock station Radio Nova has now expressed an interest in taking on the TXFM licence, and says it will speak to the BAI about that possibility.

Ghost Inside drummer plays for the first time since losing leg
The Ghost Inside drummer Andrew Tkaczyk has got back behind a drum kit for the first time since losing his leg after the band's tour bus was involved in an accident last year.

As previously reported, the band's bus collided with a lorry outside El Paso in Texas, killing the drivers of both vehicles. Among many serious injuries suffered by those who survived, Tkaczyk woke up from ten days in a coma to discover that his right leg had been amputated. "Not going to let it stop me", he said in January. "I don't care what anyone says. It's a long road ahead, but I WILL play drums again. Can't wait to get back on the kit".

This week he posted a short video on Instagram showing his first time playing drums since the accident. "Today was a huge baby step", he wrote. "I sat behind a drum kit for the first time since the accident, and it felt incredible. EVERY encouraging word and support from you all has gotten me to this point".

Rich Mix, Abbey Road, Pet Shop Boys, more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• After doubt was thrown on its future a year ago, London arts venue Rich Mix has announced the appointment of new CEO Eddie Berg, who joins from the BFI. "I'm delighted to be joining the organisation at such an exciting time", he says.

• If you've got an Android phone and one of those Google Cardboard headsets, you can now take a virtual reality tour of Abbey Road Studios. Download the relevant app here.

• The Pet Shop Boys are opening a pop-up shop at Shoreditch's Boxpark this weekend, coinciding with the release of new album 'Super'. Doors will open at 11am on Friday.

• Andy Stott has announced that he will release his new album, 'Too Many Voices', on 22 Apr. From it, this is 'Butterfly'.

• Here's another new Three Trapped Tigers track, 'Tekkers'.

• Speedy Wunderground has announced that it will release a compilation of its second year of limited edition seven-inches on 17 Jun. Among the tracks are Peluché's CMU approved 'The Guy With The Gammy Eye'.

• Brodka's new single 'Horses' now has a video, so watch it.

• Aidan Knight has released a video for his single 'The Arp'. Have a watch here. He'll also be playing dates in the UK at the end of May and beginning of June.

• Beverly will release new album 'The Blue Swell' on 6 May through Kanine Records. From it, this is 'Victoria'.

• As part of a world tour to celebrate the fifth anniversary of her debut single, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will play Koko in London on 8 Jul.

• Sudakistan will play various UK dates in May, including playing The Victoria in London on 17 May and The Great Escape.

Steve Penk checks the news daily for new acts to play on Radio Dead
That there Steve Penk has been prolifically tweeting about his latest radio venture Radio Dead, which, as you might have guessed, only plays music by dead musicians. Though, says the DJ, when it comes to bands, only one member needs to have kicked the rock n roll bucket, and he's not so fussy about whether the dead member actually appears on a track. So that means "all AC/DC songs qualify". Which I'm pretty sure is cheating.

"The idea came to me at the start of this year when, in January, we lost so many wonderful recording artists", Penk recently told Radio Today about the new station. "As is the case when a major music star dies, music radio stations will have a quick burst of activity for a few days, playing a few of their songs, quickly followed by nothing, as they return to playing Justin Bieber every ten minutes".

"I saw a gap in the radio market for a radio station of this type", he went on. "A radio station that plays, honours and celebrates music stars who have left behind a wealth of great music, but in certain cases get very little or worse, zero radio airplay. When I sat down to put the radio station together I was amazed at the list I was slowly building of dead music stars, and so many of them never get played on the radio anymore; how sad, what a tragedy".

Though, talking of tragedies, Radio Dead is the one radio station that actually benefits from tragic pop star deaths, in that any one musician's demise will expand the list of songs available to play. Meaning that, rather than keeping an eye on New Music Friday's new releases, Penk will presumably be consulting the obituaries before his playlist meetings. "I check the news every morning just to see if I can add to the playlist", he tweeted yesterday.

So that's all good fun, isn't it? Though, if I was a popstar who had had on air support from Penk's past radio shows, well, maybe that's a worry. The station's slogan is currently "they may be gone but their music lives on", but what about "we put out hits to play the hits"?