Label:Life

Our pick of the week this week is Dizzee Rascal’s “I Luv U”. We’ve just heard that he’s picked up a Mercury Prize nomination for his Album “Boy In Da Corner” (which is out this week on ‘Xl Recordings’) so thought it time he was due some props. That and the fact that this track is dope! It stands right out there because it is BOLD. The kick drum sets the tone immediately and lets you know this is some new sh..,er,stuff. Lyrically, Dizzee sets a scene of young love on the estate (Aww!),’keepin’ it real’ so to speak, and we like that. Listen for yourself at www.cissme.com, and have a look at www.dizzeerascal.co.uk.

The flow of submissions marked ‘Pick Of The Week’ is slowly picking up.The more varied, obscure and FREQUENT the submissions, the more interesting this section will be! Thanks to all who have contributed so far.

Radiohead and Coldplay are joint favourites to take this year’s revered Panasonic Mercury Music Prize as the shortlist was unveiled.

Radiohead’s “Hail to the Thief” became their third LP to make the 12-strong list over the years, while Coldplay’s “A Rush of Blood to the Head” follows their debut as a Mercury nominee.

Both are ranked 4-1 to take the title by bookmaker William Hill when the winner is announced on September 9. (Other ‘non-supergroup’ nominees include Martina Topley-Bird, Floetry and Dizzee Rascal -Ed.) [more @ www.sky.com]

AOL Time Warner Inc. announced today a definitive agreement to sell Warner Music Group’s DVD and CD manufacturing, printing, packaging, physical distribution and merchandising businesses to Cinram International Inc. for approximately $1.05 billion in cash.

The agreement includes the sale of the following businesses: WEA Manufacturing Inc., Warner Music Manufacturing Europe GmbH, Ivy Hill Corporation, Giant Merchandising and the physical distribution operations of Warner-Elektra-Atlantic Corporation (WEA Corp.). The sales and marketing operations of WEA Corp. will remain as a part of Warner Music Group. [more @ www.mi2n.com]

DigiCirc is a platform which allows music consumers, record labels, music distributors, advertisers, publishers and business merchants, to bid, purchase, lease, sub lease, and swap exclusive Digital Music Rights of recordings from top participating independent artists (from mainstream to the underground). DigiCirc is the world’s first Music Rights Investment Market.

Why would Artists allow you to invest in their new music releases? The answer is independence. As more and more top artists leave the ‘Big Record Company Government’ there is an undisputed need for an on-line investment market to help artists finance their new music releases. DigiCirc enables artists to sell, on auction or through a fixed price, a percentage (%) of their ‘CD Rights’ or what we call Digital Music Rights to help maintain their independence.[more @ www.digicirc.com]

(Yourrelease would like to strongly recommend that anyone with an eye on the future and an ear for a good idea visit this site. Top stuff – Ed.)

Last Wednesday saw the BPI’s mobile briefing at the DTI with the effervescent Ralph Simon (currently chair of the Mobile Entertainment Forum Americas) leading the charge. The mood was, on the whole, very upbeat about both the potential revenue and promotional opportunities that mobile has to offer.

There was much talk of the future, of truetones and of the MP3 phones but it was the current state of the market which provided the most compelling listening. A music industry, which was woefully unprepared for the ringtone revolution whilst 3rd parties made millions, cannot afford to be left behind again. 57% of 15-24 year olds in the UK personalise their phones and the majority of that personalisation involves music or artist related products. It needs to be organised, officially licensed product if the industry is to get their fair share of the pie. Only labels that organise their mobile portfolios now will reap proper rewards both in revenue and valuable data. Polyphonic tones are here to stay, colour images, wallpaper and MMS are all starting to produce revenue, the industry needs to take charge this time and not be left behind.

SJ

YR Media is currently in discussions with AIM regarding the creation and brokering of mobile portfolios to third parties. Contact
us for more details.

A body representing 175 artists worldwide has attacked the Recording Industry Association of America’s latest attempt to shut down peer-to-peer music sharing networks. Dust Traxx manages 27 house and techno labels and claims to have been the largest producer, manufacturer and distributor of house music in the world during 2002. It’s promotions director Chuck Paugh says the RIAA “is deceptive in its claim to represent the recording industry” and in fact only represents a handful of large record companies.

The RIAA recently announced plans to take legal action against individuals who make music files available for download. But Paugh says it does not have the right to take legal action against people trading music when copyright in the songs being swapped is not owned by its members. [more @ www.pcpro.co.uk]

If you haven’t seen this yet check it out: go here. Saddam meets Eminem. Absolute class. If you have seen it, watch it again, it’ll brighten up your journey home/to work/day, Guaranteed!

Om Records is an 8 year old independent internationally distributed electronic label based in San Francisco.Theyhave close to 140 releases and control a great deal of it. They can clear music in no time and are inexpensive.

Om control an extensive catalog of full length, single and EP releases. They cover the entire spectrum of underground electronic music and are proud to feature an international line up of artists, spanning the worlds of dance music, hip hop, downtempo and breaks.

If you’re looking to license music for a Compilation, TV, film, Advertising or Games then please contact them:

John Cornett
Om Records/Sounds Of Om Publishing/
Deepcon Recordings
245 South Van Ness Ave ste 303
San Francisco CA 94103
415.575.1794
415.575.1807 (f)
john@om-records.com

.... The music industry needs to be about more than generating hits. It needs to also be about finding, developing and exposing new artists and music. The overwhelming focus on profitability has effectively created a two-tier industry, separate and unequal. And society as a whole is the main loser, deaf to an army of talented, hard working, creative & innovative musicians and works while being dumb-downed by repetition…[more @

musicdish.com]

In an effort to align new media and retail, Island Records and Tower have combined forces to drive one of the most successful on-line pre-order campaigns to date with The Artist In The Ambulance from Thrice (which will be released on July 22, 2003). The initiative kicked off on Tuesday, June 24, and by week’s end sales had exceeded 6% of the total sales of Thrice’s last release The Illusion of Safety. [more @

www.mi2n.com]