We want to wish Thom a happy 37th birthday today!
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We were able to get a statement from Kim Baryluk, one of the Wyrd Sisters, on her band’s lawsuit against Warner Bros. To catch up on what is going on, read our previous report.
Kim first wanted to say that they are not really wanting to go after Radiohead. “I believe that if they knew what Warner Bros was doing to a little band though, they would not want to be a part of it.”
Apparently she has been getting a lot of hate mail, and had this to say:
“I’m sorry you are so angry at us. I wish I could take the time to explain. The chart magazine did not fairly represent what happened. What happened is that the lawyers from Warner Bros called us in June and *threatened* us. They told us that if we didn’t sign some papers agreeing to co-exist with them then they’d ‘have their army of lawyers shut our little girl’s band down’.
In the real world, we have trademark rights to our name. Just the same way no one can go around calling themselves Warner Bros if they’re not Warner Bros. Yes, we know other wyrd sisters have popped up. They have not been musical bands, and no one has got the other wyrd sisters confused with us, so we have just let them slide by. Besides, no one has threatened us before, or told us that we should just give them what they want…our name… because they’ll hurt us if we don’t. That’s just not right.
Warner Bros did not do their homework. They have made huge publicity splashes about their wyrd sister band. If we go anywhere new now, people will show up expecting the boys from radiohead to be there. Their wyrd sisters will have global impact. We will be seen as the imposters. Can you imagine the abuse we’ll get then? This is not about greed, because we expect that the money will win as it always does and that is not us.
Warner is only now saying that they won’t use the name in the movie, since we’ve begun legal proceedings. It’s a little late for that. I certainly didn’t want a fight or this bad publicity, but my options are limited. Either way we lose. At least we’ll go down with a little dignity. I hope…”
Kim
(many thanks to Radiocoocoo)
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Bodysong Released in the US
Bodysong – The Film by Simon Pummell with a brilliant soundtrack by Jonny Greenwood has now been released in the United States on DVD.
Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) said about this film: “I remember seeing Bodysong and feeling like I was in a trance… moving, scary and hypnotic. Bodysong is pretty out there and pretty special.”
The DVD includes an exclusive interview with Jonny Greenwood and Simon Pummell.
You can buy the DVD at Amazon.com. They also have the soundtrack available for purchase.
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Jonny and Phil named in lawsuit
From Sympatico MSN:
Canadian Folk Group Sues Jarvis Cocker, Members Of Radiohead, Warner Brothers Over Harry Potter Movie
Harry Potter, the bespectacled wizard who fights off evil demons and snotty classmates, has a new adversary to deal with – a female fronted Winnipeg folk group.
15-year-old folk band The Wyrd Sisters are suing Warner Brothers Entertainment Canada, Warner Brothers Records, Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker and Radiohead’s Phil Selway and Johnny Greenwood for trademark infringement in an Ontario court.
Here’s the problem: In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire there’s a band of wizards called The Wyrd Sisters, who play at the Hogwarts Yule Ball. In the movie, due out November 18, Cocker, Selway and Greenwood play these rock ‘n’ roll wizards, originally under the same name.
Of course, this pissed off the Juno-nominated Wyrd Sisters. Singer and band co-founder Kim Baryluk says if their name is used in the Harry Potter movie it’ll mean the end for these folkies.
“[Harry Potter] is so much more huge than us in their reach that we’ll go out on tour a month after the movie comes out and we’ll go all over to Australia, to New Zealand and people will wonder who are these strange people stealing the Harry Potter name?”
Baryluk was first made aware of this conflict back in June after Warner sent her a letter offering her $5,000 to share their name. She quickly realized that sharing a band name with characters in a Harry Potter film could cause some trouble so she turned down their offer. Baryluk says getting her band off the ground again – which could involve a name change – will cost significantly more than $5,000 or the $50,000 Warner later offered.
“Do you know what I’ve spent on the band in the past 10 years?” says Baryluk. “In the last 10 years I’ve spent more than a million dollars. Offering me $50,000 is more than an insult.”
So what does Warner say about all this? Although they said they don’t comment on pending litigation, they did point out in a statement that the band in the movie don’t have a name and that they have no intention to use The Wyrd Sisters moniker.
Radiohead’s management were willing to clarify this a little further.
“[Johnny and Phil] were asked to be in the film to be The Wyrd Sisters, which is what J.K. Rowling called the band and then there’s this [Canadian] band called The Wyrd Sisters, so now they can’t be called The Wyrd Sisters,” says a member of Radiohead’s management, who didn’t want to be named. “The [Canadian] Wyrd Sisters are just trying to sue them for namesake. The whole story is just a couple of people in a band trying to get some money.”
Radiohead’s management reiterated that the name The Wyrd Sisters won’t be used in the movie. “In the film they’re not being called by that name.”
Read the full article…
(thanks to Graham)
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Dead Air Space Updated
What’s this? Thom’s latest post at Dead Air Space has what appears to be a list of all the songs they have been working on! There are some familiar titles there like “Nude”, “House of Cards”, and “Last Flowers” just to name a few. It should be noted that not all of these songs will make the cut. It’s quite normal for a band to work on many songs during the recording process and then narrow down the ones they feel will fit on the album. Also, we cannot assume that these are all song titles. Some songs may not have names yet and are going by temporary titles. Here is a list of what we can read. If you see something we don’t, give us a shout.
01. No Shame
02. Videotape
03. Solutions
04. House of Cards
05. Bodysnatchers?
06. Morning M’ Lord
07. Faust Arp
08. Suit Don’t Fit
09. Nude
10. Arpeggi
11. Open Pick
12. A Pig’s Ear
13. Trills
14. Reckoner
15. Skirting on the Surface
16. Fela Kuti
17. Can Stylee
18. Burn the Witch
19. Down is the new Up
20. Walking on Stage Now
21. Last Flowers
Also, it appears that Thom will be meeting with Tony Blair.
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Thom to meet with Blair?
Thom updated Dead Air Space today with some interesting info.
right now colin is reading that strange devarahi synth book.
stanley is hammering and making greetings cards which may or may not be for christmas.
im working on something that i think is called PAY DAY. im gonna lay the lyrics line by line on the floor and shuffle them. and im having to play gentle fingerpicking over furious beat.
ed is sick as a dog at the moment poor guy. he is feeling very sorry for himself and keeps sending us sad little texts.
in the distance there is a cloud but as im in an ok mood i can keep it away
……..friends of the earth have asked me whether i would meet Tony Blair at downing street to discuss what our government is not doing about climate change..i dont know if this will ever happen for certain…. it is rattling around in the back of my mind and concerns me a lot.
i have no intention of being used by spider spin doctors to make it look like we make progress when it is just words.
id love to know what you think but i cant ask.
youd say oh ther e he goes again interfering and meddling in politics why doesnt he get on with the music and shut up.
perhaps because i feel like a hypocrit if dont do anything, and equally feel like a hypocrit if i try getting involved.
nobody wants to know. none of u s do, me included id love to forget about it like your average Times reader. wed all like it to go away. turn to to the rising sea and say come back later im busy right now.
Blair has been uttering nonsense lately about kyoto and such, real la la stuff… looks like th eamerican right have finally eaten his mind… blah blah why on earth would i meet this man? o r perhaps that is exactly why i should. but i dont have powers of persuasion, i just have temper and an acid tongue.
trust me i find this as dull as you do… politics is poison..
what do yout think i should do?
speak to you later