6 things we've learned about music this week

Klaxons: back to the drawing board...
Klaxons: back to the drawing board...

While SXSW is dominating much of the music press, and will continue to do so over the weekend, it's a good time to look at… something completely different.

We'd hate for you to miss anything, after all…

6 things we've learned about music this week

1. Nirvana are not a safe investment

Three years ago, Courtney Love (Mrs Kurt Cobain) sold 50% of Nirvana's music publishing rights for a reported $50 million. Turns out it was a smart move: the buyer, Primary Wave, has reportedly only made a patry $2.3 million from licenses so far.

Klaxons

Klaxons

2. Klaxons are firmly under the thumb (of their label)

Long-awaited second album from everyone's favourite Nu Rave outfit Klaxons has been rejected by the band's record label. Universal didn't like parts of it, forcing Jamie Reynolds and co to re-record it: "Because we've made a really dense, psychedelic record," he told NME. "We've made a really heavy record and it isn't the right thing for us, I understand and know that." Good to see criticism taken like a man, on the chin…

John squire

John squire

3. John Squire says no, no, no, no, no, no…

A Stone Roses reunion was always unlikely, and now it's even more so. Former guitarist turned artist John Squire already said "no way" through a piece of artwork, and last night he said no again. To BBC's Newsnight, no less: "I'd rather live my life than attempt to rehash it."

Next page: The Edge, MTV and Heath Ledger

4. U2's The Edge wants to flatten Malibu

"Residents in the Coral and Latigo canyon areas of the Malibu hills are in an uproar over the Edge's plan to build five homes across a proposed area of nearly 1000 acres on two key sites, one bordered by the spectacular Latigo Canyon and the other at Serra Retreat." According to the LA Weekly, he once tried to level a mountain, which - perhaps unsurprisingly - also caused a bit of a stink.

MTV

MTV

5. MTV want more M, less TV

In a move to stop the eventual desertion of everyone leaving MTV and VH1 in search of YouTube and its ilk, MTV have put together a crack team of creatives to weave more music into its collection of lifestyle/entertainment programmes. Back to the old-skool, then…

Modest mouse

Modest mouse

6. Heath Ledger directed Modest Mouse video will see light of day

Modest mouse plan to release the animated video for King Rat, a bonus track from 2007's We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. It was directed by the late Heath Ledger, so could turn out to be a bit of a cult hit.

Tom Porter worked on MusicRadar from its mid-2007 launch date to 2011, covering a range of music and music making topics, across features, gear news, reviews, interviews and more. A regular NAMM-goer back in the day, Tom now resides permanently in Los Angeles, where he's doing rather well at the Internet Movie Database (IMDB).