Search Results for: french

German media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG announced Wednesday it was buying Myplay, whose technology allows music buffs to store songs on the Internet, as part of an effort to consolidate its online music strategy. With the $30 million acquisition, Bertelsmann plans to combine Myplay, a Redwood City, Calif. company, with its other music distribution businesses, which include the online retailer CDNow and its BMG music club, into a new entity called BeMusic. Myplay, which launched in 1999 and has yet to turn a profit, recently laid off nearly half of its staff. Its 31 remaining employees will work for BeMusic. Like… Read more »

Irish rock band U2 kicked off a two-night stand in Canada’s French-speaking metropolis on Sunday night with lead singer Bono declaring, “This is the noisiest crowd of the whole tour.” Some 20,000 fans packed Montreal’s Molson Center for U2’s “Elevation 2001 Tour,” named after a track on the group’s latest album, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind.” The foursome played for more than two hours, combining early 1980s hits such as “Pride (In The Name of Love)” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday” with more recent songs such as “Discotheque” and “Mysterious Ways,” as well as a half-dozen songs from the new… Read more »

French media giant Vivendi Universal said on Sunday it will buy its one-time legal foe MP3.com Inc. for about $372 million in hopes of bolstering its online music business. MP3.com, which operates a music download Web site and a series of other music services, represents one possible springboard for the distribution of music over the Internet for Vivendi Universal, which owns the world’s largest record company, Universal Music Group. Major record companies have been looking for a way to replace the embattled Napster song swapping service, with services of their own. Vivendi said MP3.com could become an integral part of… Read more »

Sting effortlessly trots through a cowboy-style Western ditty, swoons a blues number interrupted by French rap and still knows how to strip down to pure form the songs of the group that made him a legend. On tour to promote his album “Brand New Day,” the former Police frontman uses that distinct, throaty voice to sow together his eclectic musical endeavors. “Fill Her Up” from his latest record, a song which is about as close as the poised Englishman comes to singing in a country twang, glides almost seamlessly into “Fields of Gold,” one of his most melodic solo ballads.… Read more »

Given her recent co-opting of the French house-music sound popularized by the likes of Les Rythmes Digitales, it should come as no surprise that Madonna has brought Digitales mastermind Jacques Lu Cont on board for her Drowned World tour. Lu Cont will be doing double duty on the tour as Madonna’s bassist and keyboard player, according to a publicist from his label, Astralwerks. The world tour kicks off June 5 in Cologne, Germany. Right now, he’s in Los Angeles with the rest of Madonna’s touring band, where they’re in the midst of a rigorous rehearsal schedule – 13 hours a… Read more »

Universal Music Group is acquiring the 50 percent interest that it doesn’t already own in GetMusic, an online music site, from its partner Bertelsmann, the German media conglomerate. Terms weren’t disclosed. Universal, a unit of the French conglomerate Vivendi Universal, will combine the site with a separate online music venture called Farmclub. Andy Nibley, the head of GetMusic, will become head of the new venture, which will keep the GetMusic name. About 60 people will lose their jobs as a result of the deal, Nibley said, leaving the new company with about 120 employees. Farmclub will stop producing a weekly… Read more »

The dimensions of Moby’s Area: One festival were solved Monday (April 23) when the electro-rocker unveiled lineup additions as well as dates and venues for his musically diverse roadshow. At a New York press conference, Moby heralded the addition of a side stage that will feature artists from the DJ/electronic scene, including Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox, the Orb and Timo Maas. Also scheduled to play under the air-conditioned tent that will serve as the second stage are Detroit techno pioneers Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. “Without them I wouldn’t be here,” Moby said. The tour will also feature… Read more »

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s Web site – Where else in the world but the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival could Paul Simon, Mystikal, the Dave Matthews Band, Celia Cruz, Femi Kuti, the Neville Brothers, Van Morrison, Al Green, Lucinda Williams and more than 400 other acts mix it up with pheasant gumbo, crawfish bread, oyster po-boys and Cajun boudin? If music is the food of love, and Jazzfest is ground zero for the music-as-feast truism, the 32nd annual event – which takes place over seven days between April 27 and May 6 at the city’s Fair Grounds… Read more »

Warner Music France is expanding to combine the activities of the company’s French recording affiliate and its Warner/Chappell music publishing business, Paul-Rene Albertini, president of Warner Music Europe said Monday. Albertini said Yan-Philippe Blanc would join the company as chairman & CEO from Universal Music France, where he has been managing director of Mercury/ Island France. Blanc will report directly to Albertini. Philippe Desindes, president of Warner Music France, will report to Blanc and continue to oversee the activities of the WEA France and East West France music companies. Tom Arena will continue as managing director Warner/Chappell France, reporting to… Read more »

With his new single “Angel” picking up where “It Wasn’t Me” left off, dancehall reggae artist Shaggy’s quadruple-platinum album Hotshot surprisingly reclaimed the number one position on SoundScan’s album charts. Rising from number three, Hotshot sold another 209,767 copies this week, knocking the Dave Matthews Band’s new album Everyday from number one to two. Meanwhile, R&B showed a strong presence on SoundScan this week, as singers Tank and Jaheim both saw their debut albums land in the top 10. Tank’s Force of Nature debuted at number seven after selling 97,896, while Jaheim’s Ghetto Love landed at nine after selling 79,836… Read more »