Fast-track small claims copyright board back on agenda in Washington
Bills were introduced in US Congress this week that aim to set up a new copyright claims board to provide copyright owners with a simpler, quicker, cheaper route for enforcing their rights. The new board would mean that in disputes seeking damages of up to $30,000, copyright owners wouldn't have to pursue a full action in the courts.

Employing the slightly clunky name of the Copyright Alternative In Small-Claims Enforcement Act (that makes it the CASE Act, see), the proposals have been introduced in both Senate and the House Of Representatives, with the proposers spinning it all as something that will primarily benefit individual creators rather than corporate copyright owners.

One of the senators behind the CASE Act is Thom Tillis, who says: "Independent artists who rely on copyright laws to protect their work play an important role in our communities, but the current system makes it difficult for them to receive damages in a cost-effective manner. This bi-partisan bill will provide a more efficient way for copyright holders to protect their intellectual property and ensure that our content creators can be properly paid when their work is used without authorisation".

Another backer, John Kennedy, adds: "It shouldn't cost you a fortune to protect your creativity from copyright infringement. This bill creates a legal avenue for artists to pursue copyright violations more quickly and less expensively. We need to make sure that Americans' creative spirit is preserved and protected".

The proposals will be popular with the music and wider creative community, with photographers and independent film-makers regularly cited as possible beneficiaries of the new scheme, alongside musicians and songwriters. But the tech sector will oppose the proposals.

We know that for certain because this isn't the first time a fast-track small claims court for copyright infringement cases has been proposed Stateside. Previous proposals, introduced in 2017, sparked a backlash from tech firms which argued that the new claims board would be open to abuse by copyright owners. That opposition was sufficient to ensure the 2017 proposals didn't proceed.

Public Knowledge, a lobbying group backed by many tech firms, has already hit out at the new proposals. Although acknowledging "the very real problems faced by many artists trying to enforce their copyrights online" and the need for a meaningful solution to those problems, it said "the current CASE Act is not it".

The organisation's Meredith Rose added: "The act further entrenches an already-toxic culture of secrecy within major entertainment industries; undermines recent Supreme Court precedent on the importance of copyright registration; and creates a body that can grant unappealable, enormous judgments that stretch the definitions of 'small claims', while empowering the Copyright Office to further increase those judgment amounts in the future. This system, as drafted, is both flatly untenable, and unlikely to solve the problems it claims to address".

So, cue another round of content creators v tech firms sparring. Good times.

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Academy Music Group takes over operations at Newcastle City Hall
The Live Nation allied Academy Music Group has announced a new deal that will see it take over the operations of Newcastle City Hall, which has previously been run by the Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust. The deal will see the 2135 capacity venue become part of AMG's national network and its partnership with phone firm O2, meaning that Newcastle's City Hall will take on the official name of the O2 City Hall Newcastle.

"Newcastle has a musical heritage to be proud of", reckons AMG COO Graham Walters. "It's a city that is famed for its nightlife and live music especially plays a major part in that. Here at AMG we are renowned for our experience in live entertainment and venues across the UK, particularly historic and listed buildings; and we're delighted to be shaping one of Newcastle's most iconic venues with the ambition to entertain and preserve its amazing history".

Speaking for Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust, its CEO Philip Bernays added: "AMG is an industry leader in concert hall management and promotion. They have the industry expertise and resources to develop both programming as well as the building to ensure O2 City Hall Newcastle continues to thrive as one of the major venues for Newcastle and the North East".

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Bastille announce new album and UK tour dates
Bastille have announced that they will release their third album, 'Doom Days', next month. June, they call it. The month that's next, I mean. Not the new album. I already told you that's called 'Doom Days'. Though if that title sounds like a bit of a downer to you, then can I direct you instead to new single 'Joy'? That sounds much nicer, doesn't it?

The single closes the album, explains the band's Dan Smith: "That glimmer of hope at the end of the album says everything. The smallest human gesture can pull you back from the brink". Yeah, so, before all that it's going to be as downbeat as you feared, covering phone addiction, porn addiction, fake news and climate change denial. And that's just the title track.

Anyway, forget that, here's a song about being pleased to get a phonecall.

The band will be on tour later this year too. You know, like bands do when they've got a new album out. I don't know why you're always so surprised by that.

Here are the dates:

29 Nov: Coventry, Warwick Arts Centre
30 Nov: Carlisle, The Sands Centre
1 Dec: Aberdeen, Music Hall
3 Dec: Bradford, St George's Hall
4 Dec: Grimsby, Auditorium
5 Dec: Llandudno, Venue Cymru Theatre
7 Dec: Torquay, The Foundry
8 Dec: Portsmouth, Pyramids Centre
9 Dec: Margate, Winter Gardens

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Chase And Status tap jungle for new album
Chase And Status have announced that they will release their new album, 'Rtrn II Jungle', later this month. The drum n bass act will, as the title suggests, be drawing on jungle for their new music, aiming to revamp the whole genre for a new generation.

"Now is time to look forward to the future", says Saul Milton, aka Chase. "We want to create and spearhead a new cultural movement". Will Kennard, aka Status, adds: "We will be representing DnB at its most soulful, raw, and uncut level".

The album is out on 31 May. Here's first single 'Program', featuring Irah.

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SK Shlomo to expand new album into theatre performance at the Edinburgh Fringe
Beat boxer and electronic musician SK Shlomo has announced he will premiere his new stage show, 'Surrender', at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. The performance will blend storytelling and music, covering the themes of depression and recovery he also discussed on his new album of the same name and at a recent TED Talk.

"I've loved getting back on the road and playing lots of club and pub gigs these past few weeks", he says of a recent run of shows to promote that album. "But after recording my TED Talk about surviving life-threatening depression I'm excited to evolve that narrative into a full-length one-man theatre show".

The show will run at the Underbelly Cowgate from 1-23 Aug, with a London performance set to take place at the Underbelly Southbank on 19 Sep. By day at the Edinburgh Fringe, Shlomo will also be performing his acclaimed 'Beatbox Adventure For Kids' show.

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Stonefield announce UK tour ahead of new album release
Psych-rock band Stonefield have announced a UK tour ahead of the release of their new album 'Bent'.

"It's a culmination of experiences, emotions, and stories collected over time", says lead singer and drummer Amy Findlay of that record. "A growth of honest, raw, energy that has been burning within us and waiting for its moment".

Of new single, 'Sleep', she adds: "'Sleep' was inspired by the concept of floating in the in-between. An ode to the darkness of not wanting to cross to the other side".

'Bent' is out on 14 Jun. Listen to 'Sleep' here. Here are the tour dates:

12 May: Bristol, The Lanes
13 May: London, The Lexington
14 May: Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
15 May: Manchester, Night & Day Café
16 May: Leeds, Mabgate Bleach
17 May: Glasgow, Broadcast
18 May: Liverpool, Phase One

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Liam Gallagher, Madonna, Eminem, more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• A new documentary about Liam Gallagher and the launch of his solo career - 'Liam Gallgher: As It Was' - will be premiered alongside a live performance at Alexandra Palace in London on 6 Jun. The event will also be live streamed to cinemas around the UK. Here's a clip.

• Madonna has baked up new single 'I Rise'. It's the second offering from her upcoming new album, 'Madame X'.

• Earlier this week, Justin Bieber accused Eminem of not liking new rappers because he doesn't understand them. To be fair, he doesn't hate them all, just the shit ones. I mean, he's just done a track with Logic and he's fine, I guess.

• Wiley has announced that he will release new album 'The Godfather 3' on 13 Sep. He previously said it would be out in November last year, so maybe don't hold your breath.

• Peggy Gou will mix the next instalment of the DJ-Kicks series, set for release on 28 Jun. It will feature three exclusives from her, including the first track she ever produced, 'Hungboo'.

• Cate Le Bon has released new single, 'The Light', from her forthcoming new album, 'Reward'.

• Holly Herndon has released new track, 'Frontier'. Her new album, 'Proto', is out on 10 May.

• Faye Webster has released new single, 'Right Side Of My Neck'. Her new album, 'Atlanta Millionaires Club', is out on 24 May.

• Collard has released new single 'Hell Song'. "'Hell Song' is what it says on the tin", he says. "It's me at my epitome of ecstasy and accepting the inevitable destination of hell for it, while all the while dragging an innocent but willing soul down there with me".

• The Cure will livestream a 30th anniversary performance of their 'Disintegration' album at the Sydney Opera House on Facebook and YouTube on 30 May.

• Yugen Blakrok has announced that she will play the Shepherds Bush Empire in London on 4 Jun.

• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.

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Tinder launches 'festival mode' for people who inexplicably want to interact with others at live music events
There's a common misconception that festivals are about coming together and enjoying a shared experience with others. No, festivals are supposed to be a test of endurance where you watch as much live music as possible without interacting with other people or collapsing. So, more fool Tinder for introducing a new 'festival mode' to its dating app. Idiots.

The new feature allows you to add badges to your profile to show which music festivals you will be attending over the summer. People are talking about this being a way to connect with new people at those events.

I suppose the intention could be to show when you won't be available for more conventional forms of dating back home. I mean, imagine paying all that money to attend a fine music festival and then spending your time there meeting people. New people at that! You can do that in any park or pop-up falafel restaurant all year round.

"It's no secret that Tinder is a must-have app for singles attending music festivals around the world", reckons Tinder CMO Jenny Campbell, revealing her low bar for secrets. "We consistently see a spike in Tinder use as tens of thousands of music fans come together, so we wanted to create a new experience that makes it easier to connect with other concert-goers before even setting foot on festival grounds. We've partnered with some of the biggest names in the entertainment and events industry to make that happen, and we couldn't be more excited to help Tinder users find their crowd during these events for the rest of 2019".

I've found my crowd, thank you. It consists of me and none of you fuckers. Whatever, apparently Tinder reckons people are going to want this new functionality. US festivals like Bonnaroo and Electric Daisy Carnival are getting in on the act. Over here in the UK, it will be in operation for events including British Summer Time, All Points East, Parklife and Lovebox.

Thanks to partnerships with Live Nation and AEG, Tinder will also have a physical presence at some of these events, giving away "complimentary merch", "VIP upgrades", and "shareable photo opportunities", all of which sound awful.

"In an increasingly digitised world, people around the globe are flocking to Live Nation concerts and festivals in droves to experience connection where the emotional intensity is unmatched and the moments are unforgettable", claims Live Nation's Maureen Ford. "Music has a long history of bringing people together, and our partnership with Tinder allows us to bridge the digital and physical worlds to facilitate more meaningful connections between fans in real life".

AEG's Andrew Klein stops short of telling Maureen to fuck off with all that nonsense, but I think it's implied with his utterly vacuous comment on the deal: "From Gulf Shores, Alabama to London, England, we strive to provide the most incredible musical festivals in the world. By partnering with Tinder this festival season, we're THRILLED to offer such a unique service to our dedicated community of music fans".

Hands up everyone here who considers themselves a member of AEG's community of music fans. I thought so, absolutely no one. Therefore, I hereby announce my membership of this group, so I don't have to hang out with any of you lot with your dating apps and shareable photo opps. Maybe I'll set up my own festival where talking and eye contact are banned. That's how a proper festival should be.

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