Daniel Lanois ready to rock Metro

BY NICK MOORE TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF Published Saturday October 4th, 2008

Canadian musician has a cross of cultures in his musical offerings

The musical diversity and range that is Daniel Lanois demands a two-in-one kind of performance and that's what he plans to do when he performs at the Moncton Capitol Theatre Oct. 17: one part solo performance from the man himself, the next part a musical euphoria of instrumental sound and vocals.

"I'm going to do some of my Canadian story songs and I'll probably do those by myself," he said. "Hidden behind the curtain will be the full band." I was thinking of doing it half and half, doing some story songs and we go right to the band." Lanois has been performing with his band for several years and said their accompanying vocals would add another dimension to the performance. "They're rockers so we will try to raise the roof off that venue in Moncton."

Upon saying that, Lanois asked what kind a venue the Capitol Theatre was. After hearing it's an intimate, rustic yet modern entertainment location, Lanois said it sounded like his ideal place. "The place itself often defines the tone of the night." Going back to his part solo/part band show, Lanois said the mix will give a variety of musical stylings to suit all tastes.

"It's all a matter of a balanced diet," he said. "As long as the night allows for it there's something wonderful about hearing a lyric in clarity. I like doing songs that way, they go by quickly and you get a feeling out of it." Lanois doesn't want to underscore the importance of the musical instruments either. He for one can't get enough of his steel guitar. "I've gotten to a place with it where I feel like I've become one with this instrument and I feel like it's a proper extension of my soul."

The native of Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau, right across from the river from Ottawa) has a cross of cultures which is reflective in his folk offerings. "I have some bilingual songs which are quite representative of how I grew up with the two cultures," he said referencing the English and French upbringing. As of now, Lanois splits his time between three residences in Toronto, Los Angeles and Jamaica. "My little triangle, he said with a laugh. "And I work in Europe. I haven't been out east in a while so it's going to be a treat," he said on the phone from Los Angeles.

In addition to being a legendary performer, Lanois is a legendary producer -- partly why his stage show will only showcase part of Lanois' talent. He's worked with an eclectic gathering of artists and his work can be heard by simply popping some of this generation's most loved and influential albums into a record player.

He's won five Grammy Awards and a Juno for his work with U2 alone and is currently back in the studio with the band. "We've been working on a record that is almost done and that will be out next year," he said, giving a few vague hints on what the new album will be like. "It's going to be very imaginative and a sonic delight. Bono is singing like a bird."
Aside from U2, Lanois has produced works by Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris and Ron Sexsmith, just to name a few. While his business partners may be different musically, his way of working remains pretty much the same which is to say there's no one way.

"I don't really have a fixed formula," he said. "I do have pretty good arrangement skills so I usually let that part of myself judge a journey of a song," he said, adding how he sometimes plays the role as a musical editor. "Often, artists will not be entirely objective about that sort of thing because they invented the song."

His musical talent both in front and behind the microphone ensures an eclectic presentation next month in Moncton. Which leaves the question of whether a cover song cover could be order? Maybe, said Lanois, but likely not a song you'd expect. "An old teenage doo-wop hit from the 60s . . . maybe we'll pull out the 'Da Doo Ron Ron' for Moncton." If the cover is reflective of Lanois' previous work, you can be sure it will be a 'Da Doo Ron Ron' performed like you've never heard before.

The Week That Was

By Doug Wallen, OC Weekly, Published on October 02, 2008

[CD Review] The Week That Was, 'The Week That Was' (Memphis Industries)

Following the amicable shelving of England’s acclaimed indie act Field Music, member David Brewis made an unpredictable solo debut as School of Language with Sea From Shore, released on Thrill Jockey earlier this year. Now he’s backing his brother/former band mate Peter Brewis in The Week That Was, whose self-titled outing is every bit as knotty and wowing.

Far from his sibling’s mostly one-man-show, Peter’s record features nine regular players and three guests. Peter himself sings and swaps guitar, bass, drums, piano, synths and marimba, giving you a hint of the range of instrumentation here (there are also cornets, flutes, fretless bass, samples, violins and cellos). They come together in tight waves of flinty rhythms and fleeting orchestral flourishes that both complement and careen around the sharp, sweet pop at each song’s core.

“The Airport Line” is all over the place, yet defiantly gorgeous, managing a casual brilliance Field Music hinted at but never fulfilled. (School of Language came closer.) “It’s All Gone Quiet” shows off some of the professed Peter Gabriel influence gestating in The Week That Was, built on a prog-y spine of repetitious vibraphone with keys fluttering around overlapping vocals. It’s ambitious without being indulgent and more important, without sacrificing the heart of the song.

With just eight tracks, most averaging three minutes, the album zips by. “Yesterday’s Paper” is the only would-be epic, totaling seven minutes and rolling out in a dynamic series of vignettes. Like the tunes around it, though, it leaves us breathless and eager to revisit—and perhaps eventually decipher—its complex workings.

Kudsi Erguner plays to sold out Barbican audience

Renowned musician Kudsi Erguner and the Kamkars played to a sold out audience at the Barbican Centre last Saturday. Over 1,900 people attended the concert as part of the Centre’s Ramadan Nights Festival.

Kudsi Erguner performed with an international group that included jazz musicians as well as Turkish traditional musicians Derya Turkan on kemence and Hakan Gungor on kanun.

Two well known imans, Yunus Balcioglu and Halil Necipoglu flew to London especially for the concert after their duties during Kadir Gecesi in Istanbul. The music brought together Turkish Sufi music, jazz and Koranic recitation.

Kudsi Erguner, whose father and grandfather were both well known neyzan musicians, currently resides in Paris and has formed many collaborations with international musicians such as Peter Gabriel as well as being an expert in early Ottoman and Persian music. The many Kurdish Iranians in the audience enjoyed a colourful and dynamic performance of folk music by the

Kamkars, a group of brothers and sisters that are popular in Iran. After the concert Aida Nadeem, a contemporary Turkmen singer from Iraq, performed on the club stage. This is the fourth year of the Ramadan Nights Festival and the most successful so far.

BT Digital Music Awards

By Emma Hughes, The Inquiere, Thursday, 02 October 2008

And the winners are...

Celebrities, musicians and industry professionals gathered at Camden’s Roundhouse for the BT Digital Music Awards 2008 last night.

With broadband connections growing in the UK to over 13 million there has never been a better time to recognise digital music.

Digital sales have grown to £124.4m just last year, and with more than five million different tracks available to stream, rent or buy on the Internet, this year's awards ceremony was always going to be an interesting one.

Matthew Dearden, of BT commented that, "The BT Digital Music Awards recognises the artists and those in the industry both established and up and coming, who are delivering the best in cutting-edge digital music entertainment."

So, as the crowd gathered and speculation mounted, the awards began to flow.

Best Pop Artist as well as Best Innovation were scooped up by Kylie Minogue - the latter for the web site Kylie Konnect where fans are able to create their own Kylie-dedicated profile.

Coldplay’s Interwibble offering which picked up an award with Best Official Music Website, featured the free download of their single Violet Hill. The band also bagged the Best Rock / Indie Artist award.

It seems that digital music gimmicks, such as Coldplay’s free single download have significantly won over the categories this year, as Radiohead managed to walk away with the Artist of the Year award fighting off tough competition from the likes of Leona Lewis and Bloc Party.

Between awards the crowd was kept entertained by the likes of Sugababes, British Sea Power, Ida Maria, Fightstar, Iglu and the HartlySam Beeston and Beardyman.

Wiley picked up Best Urban Artist after the digital promotion of his single Wearing my Rolex which obviously impressed the judges.

Further winners included The Zutons for Best Video Podcast, Vampire Weekend for Best Breakthrough Artist, London Elektricity for Best Audio Podcast and The Camden Crawl 2008 for Best Mobile Campaign.

Stop crying your heart out which was produced by a true Oasis fan took the people's choice award, Best Music Blog.

Peter Gabriel’s free and legit download service We7 took Best Digital Service, while Best Music Hardware was awarded to the self tuning Gibson Robot guitar.

Thirteen of the 20 awards given last night were voted for online the remaining seven by a panel of industry experts.

David Byrne at the Greek Theatre (L.A.)

By L.A. Weekly Music Critics, Mikael Wood, October 02, 2008

Nearly 30 years after their collaboration on the groundbreaking My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, former Talking Heads front man David Byrne and brainy superproducer Brian Eno have joined forces for a new album, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, which the duo released on the Internet in August for a very reasonable $8.99. (Stream it for free at everythingthathappens.com.) If we’re being honest about it, Everything That Happens isn’t as great as it might have been; compared to Bush of Ghosts’ spooky sampledelica, it kind of sounds like a so-so Peter Gabriel record.

But there are highlights — most notably “Strange Overtones,” a sly little funk-rock cut — and, anyway, the new album will only form a portion of Byrne’s show tonight, which he’s calling “Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno.” That means stuff from the three wonderful Talking Heads albums Eno produced between 1978 and 1980 — and that means “Once in a Lifetime,” “Life During Wartime” and, with any luck, “Take Me to the River.”

Ray LaMontagne : Gossip in the Grain

By David McPherson, Exclaim.ca

Gossip in the Grain finds the soulful, introspective songwriter from Maine remaining serious and sombre but adding a dose of fun to his repertoire. Following the dark depths of melancholy that hung over his last disc (Till the Sun Turns Black), LaMontagne shows he can write a song that doesn’t get you down.

Recorded once again with Ethan Johns, but this time in the producer’s neck of the woods at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire, England, the songwriter uses the beauty of the pastoral English countryside to inspire this richly layered collection of songs.

The disc opens with the groovy 21st century throwback to Motown, “You are the Best Thing.” This newfound playfulness in song is especially apparent on “Meg White,” the tongue-in-cheek ode to the White Stripes rocker, and “Henry Nearly Killed Me,” a harmonica blues number that sounds like it was brewed up on Chicago’s west side. There’s still the sleepy-eyed numbers where the songwriter digs deep and lays it on heavy with his whispered delivery, such as “A Falling Through,” where LaMontagne is joined by singer-songwriter Leona Naess. Gossip in the Grain is another solid effort from a guy who not that long ago was working at a shoe factory.

DM : Tell me about the playful song “Meg White.”

RL : That one is heavily tongue-in-cheek. It’s just one of those songs that pop into your head and you write it. I wouldn’t have recorded that a couple of years ago but now feel it’s important to have songs like that because the last record was pretty heavy. As Ethan put it, “it asked a lot of the listener.”

DM : I understand you recently moved into a farmhouse in Maine once owned by the late, great American author Norman Mailer. Did this place inspire these songs?

RL : No, but it’s nice to be in a quiet place up in the mountains; it’s just a soulful place for me.

DM : Not so long ago you worked at a shoe factory, now you have three major records under your belt. Do you often think back about how far you’ve come?

RL : Every time I get into my truck to go to the store, I think about it because I’ve got a vehicle that starts and it has all five gears, including reverse. Every time I get into my pickup I think of what a long road it has been and how grateful I am to pursue something I love so mu (RCA)

We7 Signs The Orchard

September 30, 2008 by Paul Glazowski

Ad-Supported Music Service We7 Signs The Orchard

Peter Gabriel and other backers of the free-streaming, ad-supported, as well as paid-for download service We7 already convinced Sony BMG, Warner Music Group and EMI to provide some of their respective catalogues to the effort. Now the service has signed The Orchard, an international distributor with connections to more than 14,000 artists and over 1.3 million tracks.

The way in which tracks are being issued through We7 is not certain. Immediate availability of content is definitely not proving to be the case at present, as a quick search for material listed among The Orchard’s repertoire of artists shows a great number of absences. The same goes for the major companies noted earlier.

But if We7 co-founder and CEO Steve Purdham’s assessment of additions soon to be made is any indication, the service’s full launch is expected occur “in the coming months,” ensuring that the future will look richer than today. Probably, anyway. The wait will either be treacherous or easygoing, depending on one’s current assessment of the We7 business model.

Seeing as how We7 offers music rights holders the ability to offer streaming music as well as free (ad-supported) and paid-for downloads, one might think it to be striving to be a come-one-come-all type venue. Whatever fashion the consumer wants their music, in other words. But the availability of content is far from thorough, and the somewhat strange juxtaposition of paid and ad-supported downloads might make for an uneven experience.

Then again, if it is payment for songs that you wish to avoid, We7 can provide for such demand. Granted, the amount of popular content needs to be dramatically increased if We7 is to have any chance at amassing a substantial audience, but if one is to take the company’s abovementioned statement into account, that objective will eventually be realized.

When all is said and done, if we’re to draw any comparisons with the most recent free music newsmaker (MySpace), We7 will be something that resembles the social network’s opposite. Meaning music will be the primary attention getter, with friendly features tagging alongside.

TheFilter.com to play key part in We7 future

Monument PR Worldwide, Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Peter Gabriel ventures sign major deal to improve and heighten user experience

Tuesday 30th September - Entertainment recommendation service TheFilter.com is announcing a major new deal with download music site We7. The partnership will enable We7 users to get filtered recommendations based on their listening habits.

We7, which recently signed EMI for its ad-supported streaming music service, now has a catalogue of over three million tracks. But the site claims that it is now a challenge for its users to discover new music based on tastes due to the huge choice available.

TheFilter.com's integration into the We7 service will combat this problem by giving users access to its smart filtering tools. The tools use an advanced mathematical algorithm to filter out music that a user will not like and filter in content that reflects their taste.

The powerful Filter engine will be used to recommend artists, albums and songs – first within a specific genre and then across more genres as it gathers more consumption and usage data related directly to the We7 catalogue.

"At We7 we really believe it is critical that music fans can listen to the music they want, when they want with a simple 'click'," said Stephen Purdham, CEO at We7, "but with a catalogue at 3m tracks and growing, sometimes that choice becomes difficult. That is where the great recommendation technologies of TheFilter.com come into its own, providing easy suggestions to guide fans to music they will love, increasing their enjoyment of the We7 service."

David Maher Roberts, CEO TheFilter.com says: "I am delighted to be able to add We7 to our growing list of partners. The Filter's smart recommendation engine is the perfect solution to help content owners and distributors connect more users to more of their content - and I am convinced that We7 will see an immediate effect."

Maher Roberts added that one of the major benefits of partnering with TheFilter.com is that "we share the aggregated usage data with all of our partners - this means that the more partners we have using our service, the greater the depth of the consumption data and the better the recommendations for all involved. We hope to be signing up a number of new partners in Europe and the US over the coming months."

TheFilter.com tools on We7 are expected to be live shortly after their major launch later in the year.

About TheFilter.com

The Filter is a personalised content filtering system that aggregates entertainment and information and connects users to content that reflects their tastes and moods. The developers behind The Filter are world leading British software company Exabre. They are backed by high profile investors, including Peter Gabriel's Real World Group and Eden Ventures.

The Filter has been downloaded in 164 countries. Its database currently includes over 5m songs, 330k movies and more than 50m individual purchases and playlists.

The Filter works by using Bayesian mathematics. It was developed by Martin Hopkins, a physicist who was struggling to manage his growing digital music collection. www.thefilter.com

About We7

We7 is the first free and legal service of its kind in Europe delivering music in the way consumers want it. We7 users can listen to music for free whenever they want, and buy whatever they love. The service works by 'grafting' short, relevant ads which precede the free music tracks based upon information known about the user, such as location, age and gender. This advertising ensures that artists and labels receive royalties for making their songs available, whilst consumers receive streamed legal music free of charge. We7 showcases exciting music of all genres from labels big and small (including three majors) as well as directly from unsigned artists. Co-founded by Peter Gabriel, We7 is expanding the digital download market and pioneering incremental music revenues from advertising - www.we7.com

le Quadrige de Gabriel

Communiqué du gouvernement luxembourgois : Jean Asselborn, laudateur à la remise des prix "Die Quadriga", le 3 octobre 2008 à Berlin

Le Vice-Premier ministre, ministre des Affaires étrangères et de l’Immigration, Jean Asselborn, sera l’un des laudateurs lors de la cérémonie annuelle de la remise des prix "Die Quadriga", le vendredi soir 3 octobre 2008 à Berlin dans l’enceinte de la "Komische Oper Berlin".

Le prix "Die Quadriga" est décerné chaque année le 3 octobre, Journée de l’unité allemande, en hommage à quatre personnalités ou institutions dont l’engagement est porteur de changement. Il doit son nom au quadrige historique qui domine la Porte de Brandebourg, à Berlin. Le prix "Die Quadriga" est attaché à l’héritage de la révolution pacifique et dédié à tous ceux dont le courage fait effondrer des murs.

Le Vice-Premier ministre remettra le prix dans la catégorie "United we Care", qui récompense l’exercice de la charité mondiale et qui ouvre des possibilités et des perspectives d’avenir. Le prix sera décerné à Peter Gabriel, artiste originaire de Wiltshire en Grande-Bretagne, pour ses efforts dans le domaine humanitaire, notamment par ses projets "The Elders", "Witness" et "Womad".

Le prix "Die Quadriga" comprenant trois autres volets, le président de la République d’Autriche, Dr. Heinz Fischer, décernera le prix au président de la République serbe, Boris Tadic, pour ses efforts courageux de diriger la Serbie vers la famille européenne. Le ministre des Affaires étrangères de l’Allemagne, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, sera le laudateur pour Eckart Höfling, prêtre de l’ordre des Franciscains, qui depuis plus de trente ans abrite et soutient des enfants défavorisés à Rio de Janeiro. Finalement, le philosophe américain David Weinberger remettra le prix à Jimmy Wales, fondateur et président d’honneur de la Fondation "Wikimedia", ainsi que de la fameuse encyclopédie "Wikipedia", pour sa mission éducative et d’éclairage.

A noter que le Premier ministre Jean-Claude Juncker a été lauréat du prix "Die Quadriga" en 2003.

(communiqué par le ministère des Affaires étrangères et de l’Immigration)

Cynthia Brown - Mon Utopie

Utopie (n.f) : conception purement idéale qui ne prend pas la réalité en considération

Il y a des mots comme ça que l’on n’entend pas assez souvent…

Quand une jeune artiste, tout juste sortie d’un tourbillon télévisuel où elle a démontré d’incroyables talents de performer (aux côtés de Beyoncé, Fergie des Black Eyed Peas, Rod Stewart…) décide de tenter l’aventure d’un album enregistré en Afrique et qui mélangerait rock et world music, on peut appeler ça de la folie, de l’inconscience, une toquade… Une utopie, justement.

Mais parfois, la chance et l’obstination, ou le destin , appelez ça comme vous voudrez, vous font rencontrer celui partagera vos illusions les plus folles. C’est exactement ce que va vivre Cynthia le jour où l’immense Youssou N’Dour (star de la musique sénégalaise et auteur-compositeur de renommée internationale, qui a notamment collaboré avec Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, Manu Dibango, Neneh Cherry....) lui propose de réaliser son premier album, et même d’enregistrer un duo avec elle...

(...)

I-concerts : Peace One Day 2008

In 1999 filmmaker Jeremy Gilley decided to try and establish the first ever Day of Peace with a fixed calendar date. In September 2001 the Member States of the United Nations unanimously adopted the first-ever annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence — Peace Day, 21 September.

Peace One Day now works to create global awareness of the day and manifest life-saving activity and individual action throughout the world on September 21 each year.

The day is working. Lives are being saved and individuals are making commitments.

To learn more about Peace One Day, or to make a commitment, please click here.


Peace One Day 2008 - 12 - Peter Gabriel - Interlude

http://home.i-concerts.com/#/?q=en/node/5827/

Peace One Day 2008 - 17 - Peter Gabriel - Father Son (live performance)

http://home.i-concerts.com/#/?q=en/node/5832/

Un Beastie Boy s'intéresse à un documentaire sur le chanteur sénégalais Youssou N'Dour

Publié le 29 septembre 2008 dans la République du centre

MC A des Beastie Boys sortira un documentaire sur Youssou N'Dour.

Le réalisateur et rappeur américain Adam Yauch, membre du groupe hip-hop new-yorkais Beastie Boys, a acquis les droits d'exploitation d'un documentaire consacré au chanteur sénégalais Youssou N'Dour, indique le quotidien hollywoodien Variety.

A la tête de la société de production Oscilloscope, Adam Yauch espère sortir le film dans les salles nord-américaines mi-2009.

La sortie du long métrage coïncidera avec une tournée du chanteur.

Intitulé Youssou N'Dour : I Bring What I Love, le documentaire réalisé par Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi suit le chanteur africain lors de l'enregistrement de son album Egypte paru en 2004. Le film a été particulièrement bien accueilli lors de sa présentation au dernier Festival international du film de Toronto (Canada).

Né en 1959 à Dakar (Sénégal), Youssou N'Dour s'est forgé un nom sur la scène internationale avec la chanson 7 seconds en duo avec Neneh Cherry. Il a notamment collaboré avec Peter Gabriel, Paul Frederic Simon, Manu Dibango ou encore Axelle Red. Le disque Egypte lui a permis en recevoir le Grammy Award du meilleur album de musique du monde en 2005.

Source : Relaxnews

Manu Dibango à Saint Gilles (Rennes) le vendredi 10 octobre!

Par Lionel, Alter1fo.com

Ceci n'est pas un canular: Manu Dibango, l'homme de Soul Makossa, l'homme-musiques de Douala, se produira en concert le vendredi 10 octobre à 20h30 au Sabot d'or, à Saint Gilles, accompagné, en première partie du réunnionais Davy Sicard. Accompagné par The Soul Makossa Gang, le désormais patriarche de l'Afro-Funk nous fait l'honneur d'une visite dans le cadre de la tournée célébrant son 75ème anniversaire. Mamako-mamasa mako makossa...

Révélé mondialement en 1973 par le conte de fée "Soul Makossa" (face B d'un disque sorti pour la CAN de football 1972 et devenu miraculeusement chouchou des DJ's américains pendant la période disco), on ne résumerait pourtant pas la carrière du saxo aux lunettes noires à ça: Manu a été polyinstrumentiste de Jazz à Paris et Bruxelles, a chanté en espagnol dans l'African Jazz, été l'organiste de Nino Ferrer (entre autres), puis, porté par son hymne, il triomphe à l'Apollo ou au Yankee stadium.

Il fait partie de l'aventure de Kinshasa avec Muhammed Ali et James Brown, a été repris par les Fania All Stars, puis pillé par Mickael Jackson ou Afrika Bambaata avant d'être nommé directeur de l'Orchestre National de Côte d'Ivoire puis Officier des Arts et des Lettres sous Mitterand. A 75 ans, Emmanuel Dibango N'Djocké peut également se targuer d'avoir collaboré avec Herbie Hancock, Peter Gabriel, les plus grand du reggae à Kingston ou Bill Laswell, mais aussi Dick Rivers ou Yannick Noah...Sur tous les fronts, en somme, en vrai militant du métissage.

Le Soul Makossa Gang a été formé en 1986, et, comme son nom l'indique, reste la formation dépositaire du savoir-faire Afro-Jazz de Manu: 6 musiciens aux petits oignons, de la grosse basse ondoyante et du groove percussif pour porter les solis incisifs du Roi Manu. Du boulot pour les genous, quoi.

Et puis la bonne idée, c'est aussi d'associer notre griot septuagénaire au jeune rénovateur du Maloya, Davy Sicard, qui élargit de façon très personnelle le cadre traditionnel du Maloya, et, à l'instar de Nathalie Natiembé, il prolonge les recherches de Danyel Waro, Alain Péters et Granmoun Lélé.

Le grand retour de Rossy

Rossy. (photo Sécyl)
Sophie Périabe 27 septembre 2008

MANAPANY SURF FESTIVAL

Le grand retour de Rossy

Toute la magie traditionnelle malgache débarque sur le Manapany Surf Festival 2008 avec un artiste hors normes, qui porte haut les couleurs musicales de la Grande Ile : Rossy, véritable légende dans son pays.

Cela fait maintenant 29 ans que le groupe Rossy existe. Après une période sombre dans son île natale qui l’oblige, avec la moitié de ses musiciens, à s’exiler en France, Rossy revient en force.

« Mon retour à Madagascar s’est très bien passé, nous avons rempli les stades », raconte fièrement l’artiste malgache. Porteur des valeurs ancestrales, imprégné de sa culture orale et d’une joie de vivre indéfectible, il s’est produit au sein du “Womad” (groupe world de Peter Gabriel) et a conquis le monde avec les rythmes festifs du “Vakisôva” issus du “Hira-Gasy”.

Armé de son seul accordéon diatonique, il est aujourd’hui tête d’affiche dans tout l’océan Indien, bât des records d’affluence et ses concerts fédèrent facilement 50.000 personnes.

Sur la scène du Manapany, ils seront dix, l’ossature des musiciens est restée la même depuis la création de Rossy. « Nous attendons deux trompettistes et une choriste qui doivent venir de Madagascar, mais la question des Visas est toujours d’actualité, explique Rossy, on ne sait pas s’ils vont pouvoir arriver à temps »...

En tout cas, Rossy à Manapany, c’est un évènement qui va, à coup sûr, secouer les cocotiers de la scène Ti Coin Charmant.

Legendary folk singer Joan Baez joins Amnesty tour

26 September 2008

Joan Baez, legendary folk musician and lifelong human rights activist, has joined Amnesty International's Small Places Tour - the human rights organisation's latest international music project

Baez, whose 27-city European and US tour starts in Dublin tonight (and also includes forthcoming dates in Glasgow, Manchester and London), has joined a project that sees music as a means of engaging thousands of new human rights activists worldwide.

The American performer has a history of human rights activism that spans four decades and Joan Baez herself helped establish Amnesty International in San Francisco more than 35 years ago.

Amnesty International UK's Creative Relationship Manager Chloe Baird-Murray said: 'Amnesty is fortunate enough to be working with some of the world's most talented musicians and Joan's support is incredibly important to us. Joan Baez's music continues to be an inspiration to millions and it's absolutely fantastic that she's joined our 'Small Places Tour'. "This year sees the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and we're taking its message of human rights for all out to music audiences around the world.'

Baez joins the likes of U2, R.E.M., Peter Gabriel, Alanis Morissette, Gilberto Gil, Tracy Chapman, Sigur Ros and hundreds of other artists on Amnesty's tour.

The Small Places Tour takes its inspiration from a speech made by Eleanor Roosevelt - a key player in the creation of the UDHR in 1948 - where she called for 'concerted citizen action' in 'small places'. The tour launched in London on 10 September at an event with U2's The Edge and Peter Gabriel. It is set to culminate on 10 December (international human rights day and 60th anniversary of the UDHR) with dozens of concerts worldwide.

PETER GABRIEL - GABRIEL TO WORK WITH HOT CHIP?

26/09/2008

HOT CHIP have revealed they have asked PETER GABRIEL to collaborate with them on their next album.

The London band and former GENESIS singer recently recorded a cover of VAMPIRE WEEKEND'S Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa.

Speaking to Billboard, the band's Joey Goddard said: "We said we'd love to do more stuff with him in the future and asked him to contribute to the next record. So, we'll see."

The band are currently working on material for the follow-up to 2008's MADE IN THE DARK, which they plan to release next year.

However, Goddard also revealed that singer Alexis Taylor has recorded a solo album, to be released on London independent label Treader.

"They're sketches of new songs, short improvised pieces. A scrapbook, in a way," Goddard said.

The band recently played the San Diego Street Scene festival alongside the likes of MGMT.

@EconMusic: Billy Bragg on social media: "Everyone's making a shitload of money each except us"

Photograph: RobertAndrews

By Robert Andrews

Billy Bragg used our EconMusic conference in London to urge the emerging wave of web services to pay artists fairly for using their songs. "Everyone's making a shitload of money, it seems, except the content providers," said the singer-songwriter, who has previously criticised MySpace and MTV on artists' rights and Bebo on payments.

"How much do you think MySpace makes from advertising?," Bragg asked rhetorically. "$800 million? And how much do they pay for content?" The crowd's titters belied the answer 'not a lot'. "We need to establish the principle of paying content providers, not just musicians but for everybody. In order for us to to make a living, the industry has to recognise that the old model doesn't work anymore and has to be restructured."

Sitting alongside our moderator Angel Gambino - notably, both an MTV alum and recently-departed Bebo music VP - Bragg urged musicians to mobilise together to demand better rates and an industry-wide body to simplify online royalty collections.

• Give it away now?:

VC Danny Rimer - whose Index Ventures has invested in Last.fm, Loudeye and Rhapsody amongst others - foretold "artists are going to have to think of themselves as brands and give their music away for free", making money instead from endorsements, as 50 Cent has done. Clearly riled at the prospect of following the rapper in to energy drink sponsorships, Bragg quipped: "It's hard enough trying to write songs, without having to design Chinos as well. People already get my music for nothing from the BBC and commercial radio"; he demanded websites pay royalties like the broadcasters already do: "Any music service should be paying, it's as simple as that"...

• So how will sites pay?:

Last.fm COO Spencer Hyman: "We're very happy to share all the advertising revenue that we get, but what we can't do is to give more than we're getting in." Then how exactly will such sites put a penny in artists' pocket? Hyman spoke plenty of Last.fm's own Artist Royalty Program, which this week won The Dandy Warhols' business, but raising the money to pay artists seems to be proving problematic… Last.fm's promised premium subscription service hasn't yet surfaced and "internet advertising is really, really hard", he said, suggesting the paradigm is less effective than TV advertising.

Last.fm debutante Warner Music recently yanked its tunes from the site during a license dispute in which it is supposedly seeking bigger payouts, while indies' body Merlin threatened to sue it over "illegal" music use. Hyman said negotiations are continual, and turned to Marla Shapiro of royalty collector MCPS-PRS to arbitrate: "There are some very reasonable discussions about what we can be expected to pay. We have faith that you will bear with us on that one..."

• Hard to pay?:

But most agree that current licensing frameworks are too cumbersome even to allow artists and sites to profit fairly. Steve Purdham, CEO of ad-supported We7: "Paying people is actually one of the hardest things to do. Peter Gabriel is one of our investors and it's taken us 18 months to get his music on our site." Bragg: "There are people running platforms who want to pay artists but there are so many technical hurdles in the way - we need root-and-branch reform of the way we move money around the industry; there does need to be an industry-wide collection agency that deals with this kind of stuff."

Gambino said Bebo even got cease-and-desist orders over its use of tracks uploaded by the very same labels. Hyman: "The music industry is definitely different - I've never come across so many lawyers in my life." Bragg said labels needed to open up: "That's my income stream they're pissing in. I want to be able to exploit my music, as a small producer no longer signed up to the major labels."

Commercial Music Giant Goes "Global"

JSM Music Creates Soundtrack for Fourth Annual Clinton Global Initiative

AUSTIN, Texas, Sep 25, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- JSM Music, the commercial music production giant responsible for thousands of commercials for some of the world's biggest brands, is going "Global." JSM Austin has created and donated 23 pieces of custom-scored music which will essentially comprise the soundtrack to the fourth annual Clinton Global Initiative conference in New York, September 21-25.

The music scores a series of films produced by Austin-based non-profit and CGI partner Students of the World. Under the leadership of founder Courtney Spence, Students Of the World has for the third consecutive year sent university students to developing nations to document the social, economic, and medical work of CGI-partnered non-profits. The resulting short films (viewable at seechangenow.org) will serve as progress reports shown at the annual CGI meeting this week in New York, with each film opening a different plenary session. An exciting and music-driven three-minute piece will open the entire conference and will introduce Bill Clinton to the stage.

Joel Simon, CEO of JSM Music, says, "All of us at JSM are very proud to be involved in this endeavor. It is a very important grand mission and a supremely worthy cause. Regardless of ones partisan political affiliation, CGI stands on higher ground supporting a non-partisan unified world affiliation. Given the world climate we all currently live in, I felt lending our talent and resources was the least we could do to help."

Austin-based Executive Producer/Composer David Rice scored the film series from JSM's Austin studios. The soundtracks feature both traditional western instruments and those native to the nations they represent, with African Kalimba, Mexican Vihuela (a small 5-string guitar), and Indian tabla alongside acoustic and baritone guitars. He again worked closely with Peter Gabriel's Real World Records, who graciously donated a piece for use in the Paraguay short.
Says SOW's Spence, "Music is such an integral part of telling these stories, and David again hit it out of he park with his sensitivity, dedication, and huge musical talent. We are very grateful to Joel Simon and all at JSM Music for sharing him with us this summer."

The films are produced with cooperation from GSD&M's Idea City and 501 Post, whose Matt Naylor handled all editorial duties. Naylor and Rice last worked together as editor/composer on "Crawford" -- the internationally acclaimed look at President Bush's adopted hometown. The feature documentary won the audience award at the Brooklyn Film Festival and will be released in October.

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) is a non-partisan catalyst for action that brings together a community of global leaders to devise and implement solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI members have made nearly 1,000 commitments valued at upwards of $30 billion to impact more than 200 million lives in over 150 countries.

JSM Music is the world's largest producer of original music for commercials. With recording facilities encompassing 20,000 square foot and 15 state of the art studios, JSM is the largest recording facility in Manhattan. JSM has accumulated over 1000 gold and platinum records, Grammys, Emmys, and advertising awards including the Clio (23), AICP (8), Addy, One Show, Hispanic Advertising Award, and others.

Festival Fargo All Stars, le 10 octobre à l'Antipode

alter1fo.com, 26 09 2008

R1R2 présente la première édition du Festival Fargo All Stars en Bretagne, un festival itinérant qui regroupe des artistes du label Fargo Records. Une soirée évènement pour laquelle Alter1fo vous fait gagner vos places !

Fargo est un label indépendant qui assure la promotion de nombreux artistes comme Andrew Bird ou Great Lake Swimmers. A ce titre le label organise des soirées spéciales avec plusieurs de ses vedettes, notamment à la Cigale à Paris, baptisée Festival Fargo All Stars. Cet évènement itinérant posera pour la première fois ses valises à Rennes le 10 octobre prochain avec la complicité de R1R2.

Comme à son habitude 3 artistes du label seront au programme. D'abord Joseph Arthur, un auteur-compositeur américain découvert en 1996 par Peter Gabriel. Il en est désormais à son septième album avec Temporary People, qui doit sortir prochainement. Un artiste qui se promène entre folk et rock au milieu de ses ballades moelleuses et chansons enlevées. Viendra ensuite Jesse Sykes et ses Sweet Hereafter. Une artiste élevée à l'école de la country américaine, mais qui cherche à s'en émanciper avec des accents plus pop et soul. Enfin la soirée prendra aussi une couleur beaucoup plus rock avec les excellents Redwalls. En attendant leur prochain album, attendu pour novembre, ils viennent de ressortir leur album Universal Blues qui date de 2003.

Fresh Hot Chip: Covers, EPs, Shows, New Songs

September 24, 2008 , Katie Hasty, N.Y.

With a live EP, covers of Joy Division and Vampire Weekend, a slew of tour dates, a remix EP and a new record on the way, the members of Hot Chip have certainly kept themselves busy lately.

The group just released an iTunes exclusive live EP of six tracks recorded May 8 in Berlin. "I'm gonna be honest," Hot Chip founding member and multi-instrumentalist Joe Goddard tells Billboard.com, "I don't think I even knew we had a live EP coming out. All the better, though, it's nice for things to be documented, to have a piece of how things evolve."

One recent evolution was the addition of live drummer Leo Taylor; Hot Chip sparingly used a live drummer (LCD Soundsystem's Pat Mahoney) in the past. The London-based group has tour dates slated in North America through Oct. 9, then return to the U.K. for performances through November.

A one-off show last night (Sept. 23) with Vampire Weekend was a happy pairing, considering Hot Chip has recently finished a cover of Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," for a single due this fall. But the group didn't do it alone: the very man the song namechecks, Peter Gabriel, contributed vocals.

"We got to spend two days with Peter Gabriel, which was a massive, massive deal, as he's a massive influence on us. His use of rhythms and synths and world instruments, his songwriting structures ... made for a big hero to [singer] Alexis [Taylor] growing up," Goddard says. "When we were producing [the track] and [Gabriel] stepped up to the microphone, [group member] Owen [Clarke] said it was like watching someone turn on the Peter Gabriel Machine. We said we'd love to do more stuff with him in the future and asked him to contribute to the next record. So, we'll see."

Hot Chip also covered Joy Division's "Transmission" for War Child Music's benefit covers album "Heroes," at the request of Joy Division/New Order drummer Stephen Morris himself. According to Goddard, the group focused in on the rhythm, and ended up recording the sounds of clanging steel pans and live drums. The album is due Nov. 24 via Parlophone/EMI in the U.K.; Hot Chip says they plan to release the song in the States as a vinyl single sometime this fall.

In a month, the group will also be releasing a collection of remixes of songs from its 2008 album "Made in the Dark," dubbed "Remade in the Dark." Featured are a new mixes of "We're Looking for a Lot of Love," "Whistle for Will" and the title track by veteran producer Robert Wyatt. The band, in turn, produced a track on Wyatt's forthcoming Domino effort.

Then there's Hot Chip's work on new originals. Goddard says the group has already finished writing half-a-dozen songs for the follow-up to "Made in the Dark," due for release early next year. "'Made in the Dark' felt bold, but for me it was all over the place. This next one... won't have an A-side and a b-Side. It will be much more mid-paced, like a Fleetwood Mac album," he says. The band has already begun playing one new track, "Alley Cats," at its shows.

Taylor has already finished a solo record, "Rubbed Out," which will be a limited-released effort on London micro-indie label Treader this fall. ("They're sketches of new songs, short improvised pieces... a scrapbook in a way," says Goddard.) And Goddard himself is producing other artists, including a "pure pop" set for new artist Little Boots and rapper Dels.