Unsigned band top of the pops

You heard it here first about the shake up of the chart rules. (Recap: From the start of January the chart would begin to count downloads without a physical CD release. You see before that an artist needed to release singles on CD or another physical format - and therefore have a record deal - to qualify for the chart.)

Well Essex rock band Koopa have made chart history by becoming the first unsigned band to land a UK top 40 hit

Their download-only single Blag, Steal and Borrow debuted at number 31.

The boys who have been together for seven years have built up quite a fanbase through the internet and live shows, playing almost 500 gigs in the last three years.

Check them out and listen to the track at www.koopatheband.com

And on that note the following are...

CLICK TO BUY DJ AMES - RAW TALENT VOL 1 CD

CLICK TO BUY LOGIC - THE PRODUCT OF HARD WORK CD

CLICK TO BUY ROR - PROMO CD

Top of the Pops

New chart rules come into force this week which allows songs downloaded from the net to be counted in the charts regardless of when they were released.



Previously, downloaded songs were only included when the physical copy of the record was available in the shops, starting one week before they arrived and being discounted two weeks after they left.

For instance, on exiting the charts the Gnarls Barkley single 'Crazy' continued to out sale most songs through downloads but they were not counted as their label had removed the hard copy of the song from the shops to prepare for their next release.


So we could see the return to the charts of old favourites which are continually downloaded through the net. EMI are rumoured to release the Beatles' back catalogue as downloads for the first time this year.

On that note, I'll just like to remind you that all Ride Out releases can be downloaded from the net at WWW.RIDEOUTRECORDS.COM

On a 'lighter' note...

A couple who made £1m peddling toxic skin lightening creams have been fined £100,000.

Yinka and Michael Oluyemi sold the bleaching creams from their two cosmetics shops in Peckham, south-east London.


Yinka Oluyemi on her way to court

Appearing at Inner London Crown Court the couple admitted 10 charges of flouting medical and safety regulations between July and December 2005.

Their products contained hydroquinone, a bleaching agent which is dangerous in excessive quantities and can lead to asthma, liver damage and infertility.

In sentencing, Judge Nicholas Philpot told the church-going couple they were "hard-nosed business people determined to make money regardless of the danger to public health". He fined them £70,000 and ordered them to pick up the prosecution's legal costs of £22,000.

The use of bleaching creams is said to be very popular among African and Caribbean women. So what is it? Is lighter skin more attractive? Straight hair, light skin; is that the picture of a beautiful black woman? You know me I'm not fussy; picky hair, straight hair, dark chocolate, milk chocolate; as long as there’s a pulse it's a GO!

What do you think? Let me know.