Joe Kavanagh's Music News

Radiohead's ploy to ignore traditional record company methods of releasing albums appears to have paid off in full, as their latest work, In Ribbons, moved over 1.2 million copies last week. The band put the album for sale on their website and asked fans to simply pay a nominal fee of their own choosing. Although many people felt that the gambit would backfire, positing that punters would simply download the album for free, it appears that they underestimated the generosity of Radiohead's legions of loyal supporters. According to figures, fans have paid an average of eight dollars per copy, netting the band over eight million dollars, in a move that will surely be marked as a watershed moment in the music industry...

Following Radiohead's lead, UK act, the Charlatans are going one step further and releasing their new album, You Cross My Path, for free online. Speaking of the curious move, the band's manager, Alan McGee, claimed: "Why would you volunteer to join the army for ten years unless you had no choice? Record companies are kind of like the army; very regulated. We were really excited when Xfm got behind us and were as enthusiastic about the download as we are - they are the first people to embrace music for the people. The band will get paid by more people coming to gigs, buying merchandise, publishing and synch fees. I believe it's the future business model!"...

Lily Allen has fired her management company, Empire Management, after holding them accountable for her failure to break into the lucrative US market. In particular, Allen is said to be fuming after she missed out on a live performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, when she was refused an entry visa to the US. Immigration officials refused Allen entry because of an assault charge that was pending against the singer and quite how her temper is the fault of her management company, is a little beyond me to be honest...

Status Quo singer, Francis Rossi, spoke to the media last week, offering his opinion on the plight of Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty. The veteran rocker claimed in an interview with Mojo Magazine: "Amy is supposed to be great but I can't stick her. What message does giving her Woman of the Year send to young people? There has to be some responsibility somewhere, surely? She's not a good role model." And on the subject of Babyshambles frontman Doherty, Rossi is no less forgiving, adding, Doherty isn't even worth entertaining. At least Amy has serious talent. "Pete hasn't got anything. There's no talent there. He doesn't count." Considering Rossi and his bandmates, by their own admission, supplied the drugs for pretty much every act that performed at the original Live Aid concert, Rossi might want to think twice about lecturing people on drug abuse...

While we're on the subject of bad influences, a growing band of voices are urging Amy Winehouse to drop her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, maintaining that he is a malignant influence on the young singer. Winehouse's father claimed that his daughter was adamantly against hard drugs until meeting her husband and even claims that Fielder-Civil sneaked drugs in to the singer when she was recovering from an overdose last August. Even Rolling Stone, Ron Wood, came out swinging for Fielder-Civil in the media last week, pleading with the singer to drop her husband before he ruins her career or even leads her to an early grave. Prince also contacted Winehouse recently and asked her if she would come out to the US and work with him on some music, but only on the proviso that her husband stayed well away. Sounds like a real catch this guy... According to sources surrounding the band, Coldplay has finished work on their latest album and are planning on a release date for some time early next year...

UK band Keane is the latest act to refuse an offer of work from Britney Spears, after the wacky star asked the band if they would be interested in penning music for her. Keane's pianast, Tim Rice-Oxley told the Daily Mirror: "We turned down Britney Spears. After the Gwen thing we were offered a lot of work. But both Gwen and Nicole from Pussycat Dolls are phenomenally talented, and we wouldn't want to start diluting that level of musical quality." Gwen Stefani I might give him, but Nicole from Pussycat Dolls, come on now, that's a reach at best...

Finally, Scottish singer, Edwyn Collins, will take to the stage next week for the first time in over two years, after being out of action due to two brain hemorrhages that very nearly took his life. The singer, best known for his 1996 smash hit, A Girl Like You, will perform at the BBC Electric Proms and we wish him the very best in his second chance at life.