Youtube and PRS kiss and make up

UK Youtube viewers can once again watch their favorite music videos, thanks to a deal with PRS Music, the creators collecting society. PRS collects and doles out performance royalties for music played in clubs, pubs, restaurants, etc., and, of course, online. In March 2009, Youtube and PRS failed to negotiate an agreement by which artists would be compensated for their work broadcast on the website, with Youtube claiming that PRS was being greedy, and PRS accusing Youtube of not giving adequate remuneration to the creative types. Adding fuel to PRS's fire, Pete Waterman famously claimed that during the whole 'RickRolling' craze he received an £11 royalty check for Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' despite the video receiving over 100 million hits. All this resulted in the public losing out, as Youtube blocked all premium music content on the site rather than give a dime to PRS. In an age when MTV and VH1 show more reality schlock than videos and an increasing number of consumers catch their videos online, this meant that many clips would remain unseen or have their audience severely reduced. The fewer video views, the fewer sales, etc etc until the music industry implodes and we're all banging on pots and pans in our basements.

It didn't get quite that far, of course, but both Youtube and PRS wised up and agreed to a 'lump sum' settlement that will return premium music content to UK computer screens and mobiles.

Now. Lets everyone play nice, shall we?

Alex Roots: Because the world needs another Katy Perry

Alex Roots has been 'one to watch' for a while now. She's attractive, she's spunky, she does 80's tinged rock-pop and bounces around in clothes with shoulderpads. She is essentially everything Katy Perry is but somehow far less annoying. Also she didn't record 'Waking Up In Vegas' and shove it down our throats, so she's already got a big bonus in her corner.

Her new song, 'Don't Stop Looking,' is actually a pretty fun jam and the video is all sorts of cute sex-kitten fun.


The single's out Sept 7. Pick it up and show Katy Perry who's boss.

Bananarama are back and want you to know that Love Comes

Here is Bananarama's new video for the new album's lead single 'Love Comes.' It is a quite listenable electro song that both suffers and benefits from the fact that it sounds like it is a Rachel Stevens cast-off from five years ago. The video is all 'cougars in the Vogue prop closet' and works quite well, but one can't help feeling like this 'comeback' isn't going to be much different for them than last time. ScopiSat is all about these ladies, but another top-20 also ran is probably in the cards. Sad. :(




Out Sept 6 on Fascination Records

Nelly Furtado sings things in Spanish and previews her new album

Here is a short video that showcases each of the tracks on Nelly Furtado's upcoming album. You may notice that the words to the songs are not in English. The words are, in fact, in Spanish. This does not detract from the fact that the songs are quite good, and some native Spanish speakers may feel the language choice actually enhances them. We will leave it to you to decide.



The album, 'Mi Plan,' is out Sept 15 on Universal

Basement Jaxx's Feelings are Gone

'Feelings Gone' is the new single from Basement Jaxx, and it features one-time 'next big thing' Sam Sparro. They have made a video for the single. Here it is. And that's all we're going to say about that.



The album, 'Scars' is out on Sept 9 on XL Recordings/Ultra Records

Passion Pit have put out a nice song called 'To Kingdom Come'

Ok so it's hardly world-shattering and fits nicely in the 'great to listen to for now but will end up buried in my iTunes never to be heard again' category, but in truth 'To Kingdom Come' is quite a good little ditty. The bonus points for the steampunk-tinged video bring it up to a solid score. Passion Pit consist of a number of people with difficult-to-pronounce names and hail from Cambridge, Massachusetts and if you want to know more you can go to their Wikipedia page just like we did.

Passion Pit - To Kingdom Come
by WeeRezZ

Out now on French Kiss Records in the US and Columbia in the UK

Madonna has a Celebration all over Jesus in her new video

Here, finally, is Madge-mantis' video for 'Celebration' and it is delightfully dancing-Oakenfold-free while being crotch-touching-heavy. There is making out, there is nudity, there are designer clothes. In short it is everything a Madonna video should be. The plot is something like 'Madonna is dancing because music is a CELEBRATION and then she is making out with Jesus because making out is a CELEBRATION and people are wearing stylish things because fashion is a CELEBRATION and then the video ends and the celebration is over.'

Well done.




Yes. Well done indeed.

Whitney goes a little less crack and a little more meth and poppers

Whitney's official comeback single gets the remix treatment, and I think we all know that the result is amazing. Even as the song languishes on the charts, at least it will be blasting out of the speakers at all the gays' rooftop parties this Labor Day...



The single is out now...not that anyone noticed