A&R WORLDWIDE - Newsletter CCXLII

19 ENTERTAINMENT FOUNDER TO LAUNCH NEW VENTURE


Simon Fuller	Perez Hilton

British music and media entrepreneur Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment and its parent company CKX, has announced that he has teamed up with American-based blogger Perez Hilton and Tour Director Jamie King on a new TV show called “Boy Band.”

Various singers ages 13-21 will have to upload their audition tapes to the show’s website at www.boybandsearch.com by March 3, 2010. However, the site does not yet disclose broadcast details for this new show.

The deal with CKX includes a clause that will give Fuller a share of profits from the show. Furthermore, Fuller will launch a new company in which CKX will be able to invest. Fuller will also provide general consulting services to CKX. Neither party has revealed further details about the new partnership.

The deal will keep Fuller in place as Executive Producer of successful TV shows like “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” as well as the new online program called “If I Can Dream.”

ASHLEY NEWTON NAMED COLUMBIA RECORDS GROUP PRESIDENT

Respected industry veteran Ashley Newton has been appointed President of Columbia Records Group. The appointment was made by Columbia Records Group co-Chairmen Steve Barnett and Rick Rubin.

Most recently Newton was Executive Vice President of A&R at RCA Records. During his almost eight-year tenure at RCA, Newton oversaw projects from artists as diverse as Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, Ray LaMontagne, Velvet Revolver, Imogen Heap, Daughtry, Adam Lambert and David Cook.

Newton began his career at Island Records in London before segueing to Virgin Records UK, where he was elevated to co-Managing Director. In 1997 Newton moved to the US to become co-President of Virgin Records America (alongside Ray Cooper, who currently manages Kiwi sensation Gin Wigmore), and Sr. Vice President of A&R of Virgin Music Group worldwide.

During his time at Virgin Records Newton was credited for helping sign artists like Everything But The Girl, Spice Girls, Massive Attack, Neneh Cherry, Shaggy and The Chemical Brothers.

NIC HARCOURT MUSIC SELECTIONS

Global music tastemaker, radio veteran and music supervisor Nic Harcourt joins A&R Worldwide with an exclusive monthly editorial on some of the artists he is excited about from around the world. Harcourt was instrumental in helping launch the careers of such artists as Coldplay, Corinne Bailey Rae, Doves, Norah Jones and many others during his tenure as the Music Director and host of “Morning Becomes Eclectic” on KCRW Santa Monica and continues sharing his passion for music discovery with our international readership via this month’s editorial.

Harcourt currently writes for Los Angeles Magazine (a part of the Los Angeles Times) and hosts a Sunday evening radio show on KCRW Santa Monica while also still supervising some TV and film projects.

Nneka is a Nigerian/German hip-hop artist who's been slowly building a reputation as an original voice singing about subjects that most “pop” artists avoid like the plague: politics, poverty and war, and their impact on ordinary people. Already a hit in Europe this past fall, “Heartbeat” looks set to repeat that success here in the US.

Voxhaul Broadcast is yet another great Southern California band set to make waves in the new decade. Already getting airplay in the UK (why is it that the Brits “get” our bands before we do?), “Fact or Fiction” from their Fact, Fiction & Turquoise EP mixes their classic soul singer influences with catchy guitar rock

Maata Haari is now entering their second decade. Though best known for their earlier trip hop electronic incarnation, this Los Angeles-based band (featuring Ry Cooder’s son Joachim and Sunny Levine) adds a little eclectic soul pop to their arsenal on “Walk Right” from their recent self-titled EP.

The Danish duo of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, aka The Raveonettes, has established themselves as purveyors of classic reverb-laden retro pop and fuzzed out guitars--and they stick with the winning formula on “Breaking Into Cars,” from their recently released fourth album In and Out of Control.

Amusement Parks on Fire is a five-piece led by Michael Feerick from Nottingham in the British Midlands which recorded their upcoming album right here in Los Angeles. For now check out their new EP, Young Fight--“In Our Eyes” showcases their majestic shoe-gazing noise pop.

Out of Athens, Georgia come The Constellations, fronted by studio whizz Elijah Jones and produced by Ben H. Allen. Virgin will be dropping the full length, Souther Gothis, this spring. Lots to choose from on this one; my current favorite is “Felicia,” which sounds like Beck meets Gorillaz.

If you need a dose of folksy roots music with an indie slant, look no further than Lay Low, the alter ego of Iceland’s Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir. “I Forget It’s There” is from her sophomore release Farewell Good Night’s Sleep (Cargo). It’s a new twist on country for a new generation.

ANDY HEATH, RICHARD RUSSELL & MARTIN MILLS JOIN FORCES TO LAUNCH NEW INDEPENDENT MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY

Music publishing veteran Andy Heath, XL Recordings Founder Richard Russell and Beggars Group Founder Martin Mills, have teamed up to launch a new independent music publishing company, which will be called Beggars Music. Beggars Music will be a full service music publishing company based both at the Beggars Group headquarters and the XL Recordings offices in London, and will consolidate a number of the directors existing music publishing interests, including Heath and Mills’ interest in Mattitude Music, a New York based publishing partnership with Matador.

The new company will also be aiming to acquire and exploit both new and existing copyrights and at launch its roster will include work by, amongst others; Yo La Tengo, Dizzee Rascal, Cat Power, Holy Fuck, Los Campensinos, Air France, The Ponys, Dark Horses and Scout Niblett to name but a few.

The company has already made two key hires with Jen Willis - formerly General Manager at 4AD Music - taking up the position of General Manager and former V2 A&R Manager Amy Morgan appointed Creative Manager.

Beggars Music be self-administrated in the UK and US and will use a network of established independent sub -publishers and administrators internationally. Mixtape Music have also been taken on as consultants to augment the company’s synch activities.

Andy Heath, who will assume the role of Managing Director at Beggars Music said, “Our aim with Beggars Music is to create a full service independent music publisher that delivers the best results for its clients and adds significant value to their work and career. We have put together a great team and are in an excellent position to apply our extensive experience to this new venture.”

Martin Mills adds, “This is a tremendous opportunity for Andy and I to bring together our various publishing interests and, with the addition of Richard's unique skills, shape a great new creative and proactive publishing business.”

Richard Russell stated, “I'm interested in all aspects of the creation of music, and songwriting is amongst the most special. I'm looking forward to helping the writers we sign to grow, and develop their abilities. XL will be making all of its resources -including its studios- available to our new writers."

FAN-FINANCED UK BAND LANDS MULTI-ALBUM US RECORD DEAL

Scars on 45, a UK band financed via fan-funding site Slicethepie, has officially announced the signing of a multi-album record deal with Chop Shop Records/Atlantic Records (the informal announcement was made last year in the A&R Worldwide newsletter). The signing underlines the Internet’s growing influence within the traditional A&R process and the increased involvement of consumers in determining both the selection and success of new artists.

Fans who invested in Scars on 45 back in 2008 will enjoy a double triumph: seeing their band on the verge of breaking the biggest music market in the world and pocketing an impressive 800% profit on their investment.

Atlantic Records, the major label owned by Warner Music Group, is home to international stars including Jason Mraz, Paolo Nutini, James Blunt and Estelle.

Alex Patsavas, one of the world’s leading music supervisors who brokered the deal, is well known for her role in selecting and supervising the soundtracks for hit movies such as Twilight: New Moon (which recently grabbed the No.1 spot on both sides of the Atlantic along with two Grammy nominations). She is also responsible for selecting music for “The O.C.,” “Gossip Girl” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Paul Brown, UK Managing Director of Spotify and Slicethepie non-executive director, commented, “This is significant progress for Slicethepie and demonstrates the potential power of a democratic, fan-driven online process to source talent. This deal reinforces the value that Slicethepie and its sister business SoundOut can add to the business of finding and financing talent.”

Slicethepie CEO David Courtier-Dutton told A&R Worldwide, “We are delighted for both the band and their fans which, in this case, have truly been instrumental in their success. We believe that consumer-driven filtering has an increasingly influential role to play in the future of the industry, enabling talented artists to access an ever-widening range of commercial opportunities.”

Scars on 45 began making waves back in 2008 following numerous positive reviews and ratings on Slicethepie. In a matter of weeks they reached the financing stage and raised £15,000 directly from music fans to record their self-produced debut album. Their fan-funded track, “Beauty’s Running Wild,” was then featured on “CSI: NY,” which attracted over 50,000 website hits within the first few days of airing. This, together with a finished album, drew them to the attention of Chop Shop/Atlantic, which is now plotting the band’s US campaign.

Fans on Slicethepie invested anything from £1 upwards and, in return, received shares in the commercial success of the album. When Scars on 45 were signed, a buyout clause was triggered and shareholders were bought out at a 50% premium to the then-market price--representing a massive 800% return for initial fans.

SCANDINAVIAN-BASED MARS MUSIC EXPANDS

Lars Wiggman

Lars Wiggman, who founded Mars Music AB in September 2009 as a joint venture with NotPoolen (including Notfabriken Music Publishing), has announced an expansion of his organization. Wiggman tells A&R Worldwide, “Mars Music’s objective is involvement with all aspects of the music publishing business today, including creative investment and marketing of new talent and state-of-the-art representation of established publishing companies around the world.”

Fredrik Zmuda was appointed Head of Creative at Mars Music beginning January 1, 2010. He will be in charge of all creative activities such as synch exploitation, roster development and strategic planning for songwriters, composers and catalogues. In addition, Mia Hedlund starts as Copyright and Royalty Manager supervising administration in collaboration with Susanne Höglund, who already manages financial activities, etc. Hedlund recently worked with Lars at Bonnier Music Publishing after several years at Warner Chappell Music Scandinavia

Fredrik, formerly A&R Manager at Air Chrysalis Scandinavia, has recently been producing film and consulting for the Swedish Music Information Centre. He stated, “I'm very happy about starting up a brand new publishing operation with strong and healthy creative focus together with Lars.”

Lars Wiggman tells A&R Worldwide, “I am most happy to have Mia recruited again. She is qualified and has the right qualities for keeping our administration tight and progressive at the same time. In addition, Fredrik and I did a lot of fun stuff together during the golden years at Air Chrysalis and it now feels just right to have him onboard from the very beginning"

During a short period of time Mars Music has closed agreements with ASS (Andreas Söderström Solo), Tomas Bäcklund, Klas Gullbrand, Stage Three Music (UK & US), A. Schroeder International, Mattie Music (Bill Withers), French Fried Music, Corday Productions, Doug Colton Entertainment, Bob-A-Lew Music, Thomas Lindahl och Merit Hemmingson and others.

GLOBAL NEWS UPDATES…

Last week it was announced that Universal Music Group laid off around 50 staffers from various labels and divisions of the company. The layoffs included staffers from Verve Music Group, UMGD and Fontana, Interscope, Lost Highway and others. The company stated that during these tough economic times, “Universal Music Group is continuing to transform our organization to better serve our artists and business partners. Give the current economic climate we have to be as agile and effective as possible. Unfortunately, these ongoing efforts have resulted in some redundancy. However, UMG will now be even better positioned to compete in the growing global and digital marketplace.”

Bruce Lundvall, who has been steering the course for Blue Note for the past 25 years, is stepping away from day-to-day operations. The newly appointed President of Blue Note and Manhattan labels will be Ian Ralfini, who has been GM and SVP of EMI’s Manhattan Records since 2001. Ralfini will oversee day-to-day operations including A&R and marketing. Lundvall has been appointed to the position of Chairman Emeritus of the iconic jazz label and he will continue to play an A&R and product development role, as well as consult on product and catalog development related to Blue Note’s vast jazz repertoire.

Warner Bros. Records has signed the very hotly tipped Belle Brigade, which hails from Los Angeles. The act was the focus of intense A&R interest last year and has been in the studio recording their debut album since the signing. With songs such as “Sweet Louise” and “Rusted Wheel,” it’s easy to hear why there is a lot of positivity for this band in the Tom Whalley A&R camp.

Former MySpace Records General Manager J Scavo recently left the former online giant’s label and has returned to Hollywood Records. Scavo has been named as Global Head of Digital for Hollywood Records.

Pledge Music, the new fan funded investment platform which launched in November last year has partnered with US rock act Madina Lake - to offer fans the chance to be part of the making of a brand new EP alongside a wide range of exciting offers including unprecedented access to the band and exclusive merchandise. Madina Lake has also committed to giving a percentage of any monies they raise via Pledge Music to charity and have nominated the Keep-a-Breast campaign to be the beneficiaries. Madina Lake has become the latest in a growing band of name artists to eschew conventional record deals and reach out directly to their fans via Pledge Music. Since launching last year Pledge Music has already initiated campaigns for, among others, Duke Special, Electric Eel Shock and Danish superstar Tina Dico (who received strong support from A&R Worldwide back in 2003 leading to US opportunities for the artists), both of whom received an overwhelming response from their fans.

Björn Teske, Director A&R Columbia Deutschland (Germany), will be leaving the major label soon. Teske tells A&R Worldwide that he is leaving Sony Music in Germany to become Managing Director of the Berlin, Germany-based DEAG Music.

Rob Jonas has parted company with search engine giant Google and has joined the mobile ad firm InMobi as their European Managing Director.

Rebel Group Founder Thaddeus Rudd tells A&R Worldwide that he has joined Mom+Pop music based in New York City. Rudd will be working alongside label head Michael Goldstone, who during his tenure at Epic signed Pearl Jam and Rage Against The Machine. Former Columbia Records A&R executive Craig Winkler is also at the label. Mom+Pop is a label housed at Q Prime Management (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Muse, Snow Patrol); the label’s roster includes Metric, Tokyo Police Club, Freelance Whales, Joshua Radin and An Horse.

MySpace Records looks to close its doors soon. According to a source within the label, “MySpace is basically going to ‘shutter’ the label.” Half of the MySpace Records staff was laid off last week and the remaining staff is likely to be let go in the spring, according to the source.

ole, one of the fastest growing independent music publishers with offices in Toronto, Nashville and Los Angeles, has announced the catalogue acquisition and worldwide co-publishing deal with award-winninghit songwriter Chris Wallin. A longtime fixture on the Nashville scene, Wallin’s catalog includes the No.1 hit singles Toby Keith’s “Love Me If You Can,”Kenny Chesney’s ACM Song of the Year nominee “Don’t Blink” and Montgomery Gentry’s “Something To Be Proud Of,” plus Top 5 hits “I’m Tryin,’” (Trace Adkins) and “Speed” (Montgomery Gentry); and Top 40 singles such as “You’re In My Head” (Brian McComas), “What Brothers Do” (Confederate Railroad) and “John J. Blanchard” (Anthony Smith). The prolific writer brings more than 100 additional songs to ole.

Producer and songwriter Tommy Henriksen has been busy in the studio since moving from Los Angeles to Nashville. The gifted producer/writer has just co-written with new Hollywood Records signing Capra. He’s also written back to back No.1 singles for Kumi Koda in Japan and has also been working with Fefe Dobson, Lou Reed, Daughtry, Hyper Crush, Fighting With Wire and many others.

Alex Wilhelm, who works with the talented artist Brittany McDonald, tells A&R Worldwide that attorney Don Passman, whose clients include Pink, Green Day, Stevie Wonder, Bryan Adams, Janet Jackson and Quincy Jones, has just joined their team as legal representative and will serve as Brittany’s attorney moving forward.

Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) has promoted Anne Cecere to Director, Film/TV Relations, it was announced by Doreen Ringer Ross, Vice President, Film/TV Relations. Reporting directly to Ringer Ross, Cecere is based in the Los Angeles office.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Sunil D’Sa, Kai Robøle, Cecilia Ancker, David Foster, Matt Harris, Randy Lennox, Jason Magnus, Pete Ganbarg, Richard Griffiths, Gary Arnold, Ted Chung, Miles Leonard, Faithless, Chris Barton and R.I.P. Teddy Pendergrass.