Rapper Mac Miller straight to No.1 in indie victory (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Rapper Mac Miller became the first indie artist since 1995 to debut at the top of the Billboard Top 200 album charts on Wednesday, with his first album "Blue Slide Park."

Selling 144,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, Miller's No. 1 debut beat out Michael Buble's "Christmas" album, which climbed to No. 2 on the chart from last week's No. 8 position.

Miller, 19, has quickly established a fan base of more than one million followers on Twitter and Facebook and recently appeared on the VH1 television series "Single Ladies."

Jon Garcia at AllHipHop.com praised Miller for the album's production, "and the fact that he doesn't do too much to mess up the groove." MTV's Rob Markman called the album a "homegrown compilation...from a youngster whose rap appeal stretches way beyond his native Pittsburgh borders."

The last time an independently distributed artist's debut album reached No. 1 was rap group Tha Dogg Pound's "Dogg Food" in 1995. Miller's album "Blue Slide Park" is a Rostrum Records release, independently distributed by INgrooves and Fontana Distribution.

"Rostrum and Mac are proof that a digitally-focused independent effort works in today's dynamic music marketplace, by engaging fans directly," Dave Zierler, executive vice president at INgrooves, said in a statement.

Miller and Buble are followed by the "Now 40" music compilation, entering the Billboard album chart at No. 3 this week, with "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" soundtrack at No. 4, ahead of the film's release on Friday.

Adele's "21" holds steady at No. 5 after more than 35 weeks in the charts.

Justin Bieber's holiday album "Under The Mistletoe," which knocked Coldplay's "Mylo Xyloto" from the top position last week, fell to No. 6, while Susan Boyle's "Someone To Watch Over Me," fell to No. 7, edging out "Mylo Xyoloto" at No. 8.

On the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Rihanna's "We Found Love" held onto the top spot, with LMFAO's "Sexy And I Know It" at No. 2.

Taylor Swift, who received the coveted entertainer of the year honor at last week's Country Music Awards, achieved two top ten debut singles this week, with "If This Was A Movie" at No. 3 and "Ours" at No. 5. A third single, "Superman," entered the chart at No. 13, after all three songs were released digitally for the first time last week.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

View the original article here

Rapper Mac Miller straight to No.1 in indie victory

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Wed Nov 16, 2011 5:12pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Mac Miller became the first indie artist since 1995 to debut at the top of the Billboard Top 200 album charts on Wednesday, with his first album "Blue Slide Park."

Selling 144,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, Miller's No. 1 debut beat out Michael Buble's "Christmas" album, which climbed to No. 2 on the chart from last week's No. 8 position.

Miller, 19, has quickly established a fan base of more than one million followers on Twitter and Facebook and recently appeared on the VH1 television series "Single Ladies."

Jon Garcia at AllHipHop.com praised Miller for the album's production, "and the fact that he doesn't do too much to mess up the groove." MTV's Rob Markman called the album a "homegrown compilation...from a youngster whose rap appeal stretches way beyond his native Pittsburgh borders."

The last time an independently distributed artist's debut album reached No. 1 was rap group Tha Dogg Pound's "Dogg Food" in 1995. Miller's album "Blue Slide Park" is a Rostrum Records release, independently distributed by INgrooves and Fontana Distribution.

"Rostrum and Mac are proof that a digitally-focused independent effort works in today's dynamic music marketplace, by engaging fans directly," Dave Zierler, executive vice president at INgrooves, said in a statement.

Miller and Buble are followed by the "Now 40" music compilation, entering the Billboard album chart at No. 3 this week, with "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" soundtrack at No. 4, ahead of the film's release on Friday.

Adele's "21" holds steady at No. 5 after more than 35 weeks in the charts.

Justin Bieber's holiday album "Under The Mistletoe," which knocked Coldplay's "Mylo Xyloto" from the top position last week, fell to No. 6, while Susan Boyle's "Someone To Watch Over Me," fell to No. 7, edging out "Mylo Xyoloto" at No. 8.

On the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Rihanna's "We Found Love" held onto the top spot, with LMFAO's "Sexy And I Know It" at No. 2.

Taylor Swift, who received the coveted entertainer of the year honor at last week's Country Music Awards, achieved two top ten debut singles this week, with "If This Was A Movie" at No. 3 and "Ours" at No. 5. A third single, "Superman," entered the chart at No. 13, after all three songs were released digitally for the first time last week.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

View the original article here

Court gives 'Kookaburra' victory over Men at Work (AP)

SYDNEY – In singing of Vegemite, they plundered a kookaburra.

Australian rockers Men at Work lost their final court bid on Friday to prove they did not steal the distinctive flute riff of their 1980s hit "Down Under" from another of the country's most famous songs, the children's campfire staple "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree."

The High Court of Australia denied the band's bid to appeal a federal court judge's earlier ruling that the group had copied the flute melody from "Kookaburra," a song about an Australian bird whose call sounds like laughter. But because the lawsuit was filed only two years ago, the band won't have to give up royalties from its heyday.

"Down Under" and the album it was on, "Business As Usual," reached No. 1 on the Australian, American and British charts in 1983, the year Men at Work won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. The song remains an unofficial anthem for Australia, with lines such as "He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich," a reference to the yeast extract spread that is popular among Australians.

"Kookaburra" was written more than 70 years ago by Australian teacher Marion Sinclair for a Girl Guides competition. The song went on to become a favorite around campfires not just in Australia, but in the United States, Canada and New Zealand.

Sinclair died in 1988, but publishing company Larrikin Music — which now holds the copyright for "Kookaburra" — filed a lawsuit in 2009.

Last year, Federal Court Justice Peter Jacobson ruled that the "Down Under" flute riff replicated a substantial part of Sinclair's song. The judge later ordered Men at Work's recording company, EMI Songs Australia, and "Down Under" songwriters Colin Hay and Ron Strykert to give up 5 percent of future royalties, and of royalties earned since 2002.

The court didn't specify what the 5 percent penalty translates to in dollars. Larrikin wasn't able to seek royalties earned before 2002 because of a statute of limitations.

Lawyers for Men at Work's recording companies maintained that the band hadn't copied anything and had vowed to fight the ruling. But Friday's decision from the High Court ends the band's chance to appeal.

"Larrikin welcomes the decision and looks forward to resolving the remaining issues between the parties," Adam Simpson, a lawyer for Larrikin, said in an email.

Mark Bamford, a lawyer for EMI, called the High Court's decision disappointing.

View the original article here