Music News

The Last Shadow Puppets are releasing their new album 'Everything You've Come To Expect' on April 1.
The group - consisting of Arctic Monkeys singer Alex Turner, Miles Kane and Simian Mobile Disco's James Ford - have confirmed their second LP is coming in just a few months, but eight years after their debut 'The Age of the Understatement'.
The record was made last summer at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La studios in Malibu, California - which was previously owned by Bob Dylan and The Band - and as well as the trio of artists it also features Mini Mansions' Zach Dawes on bass and Owen Pallett scoring the string section.
Turner has revealed the reason between the lengthy gap between albums is that The Last Shadow Puppets want their LPs to be a trilogy and they "wanted to write the second and third parts" before releasing the second.
When asked if fans would have to wait another eight years for the third instalment, Turned told the new issue of NME magazine: "Well, I don't know about that. There are lots of other things we have to factor in."
Kane has joked it wasn't easy to get Turner to commit to the side project again.
He said: "It seemed to all align correctly. I did have to get (Alex) in a headlock briefly, but he came around."
Whereas their debut paid homage to the music of Scott Walker, this album has wider influences.
Turner revealed: "I think the last record ended up being just one thing. We talked about Scott Walker a lot and our record became perceived as a homage to that sound. This one, in my head, doesn't wear its influences on its sleeve as much as the first one did. We were definitely listening to a bit of Isaac Hayes this time, but it was less of a big deal."
Kane added: "At that time (of the first album), all that stuff was new to us. We were discovering it for the first time. This time, it was just songs that we were buzzing off that we were inspired by."

'Everything You've Come To Expect' tracklisting:

'Aviation'
'Miracle Aligner'
'Dracula Teeth'
'Everything You've Come To Expect'
'The Element Of Surprise'
'Bad Habits'
'Sweet Dreams, TN'
'Used To Be My Girl'
'She Does The Woods'
'Pattern'
'The Dream Synopsis'

John Legend wants his album to be "beautiful".
The 'All of Me' hitmaker is gearing up to release the follow-up to his 2013 LP 'Love In The Future' and has revealed he is collaborating "with some really talented musicians" for the new tracks.
He told MTV News: "I'm just in the studio working on my album, that's the main focus, and working with some really talented musicians and hopefully we'll make something beautiful.
"I think I'll be finished in the next couple months and then I'll probably put it out either summer [or] early fall. It will be this year for sure."
Meanwhile, John has got a big year ahead as his wife Chrissy Teigen is pregnant with their first child.
However, music is not far from his mind as the 'Sports Illustrated' model has revealed he is penning a track for the little one.
She shared previously: "A few years ago, a lot of people were writing songs when they got pregnant and he was like, 'I just don't feel like I'm gonna be that guy, I'm not gonna write a song. I think (of) Stevie (Wonder) with 'Isn't She Lovely,' I think how can you do any better than that? I'm just not gonna be that guy.
"(Then) yesterday he texted me, like, 'Writing a song for our baby!'"

Foxes wants to work with Calvin Harris and Sia.
The British singer - who worked with dance producer Zedd on 'Clarity' - wants to make more feel good music and would love to team up with the superstar DJ-and-producer and the 'Elastic Heart' hitmaker.
She revealed: "I did a lot of dance music that year (in 2013) and it'd be nice to go back to that. I really respect Calvin Harris' songwriting and if there's anyone out there writing really good dance music it's him. I'd love to work with Sia as well - that was supposed to happen. In the future that'd be great."
Meanwhile, Foxes has revealed the delay in releasing her second studio LP 'All I Need' is down to her going on tour with Pharrell Williams in 2014.
She explained: "I was in the middle of doing the second album and I got a call. You don't really say no! I took my laptop - most of it did get written while I was on tour with him."
Asked what it was like touring the 'Happy' hitmaker she said he never stops working and was even writing fresh music right before going on stage.
She told NME: "We did quite a lot. At the beginning I was like, "F**k, it's Pharrell. We had lots of catering hangouts. I was really impressed because he was constantly working, constantly making beats. Two seconds before he'd go on stage he'd be writing music. I just think he doesn't really stop."
On the follow-up to her debut album 'Glorious', the 26-year-old singer has teased it has a tracklist of empowering songs.
She previously told BANG Showbiz: "It's empowering and about coming out of something and being stronger, rather than 'I hate him, he's a b*****d.'"
'All I Need' is expected to drop on February 5.

Ellie Goulding feels like her music is made for "the future" because it can take a while to "take off".
The 'On My Mind' hitmaker was anxious about releasing her poppier third studio album 'Delirium' last November because it's markedly different to her previous LPs 'Lights' and 'Halcyon'.
She explained: "I sometimes feel I write music for the future. It doesn't always take off when I first release it."
But, she needn't worry as she's received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance for her single 'Love Me Like You Do' at the prestigious awards ceremony.
And on hearing she'd been shortlisted, Ellie was so overwhelmed she had to take a nap and afterwards she felt tearful.
She told The Daily Telegraph newspaper: "I found out about my Grammy nomination and I was just like, 'Oh, great', and I had to have a nap. When someone woke me up 10 minutes later I wanted to cry."
Fame hasn't always been easy for the 29-year-old singer, who has suffered with panic attacks in recent months.
Recalling a trip to A&E after suffering heart spasms, she shared: "I was having these huge heart palpitations and it was really scary."

Charlie Puth recorded Selena Gomez's vocals on 'We Don't Talk Anymore' in a closet.
The 'See You Again' hitmaker collaborated with Selena on the track for his forthcoming debut LP 'Nine Track Mind' and although the unusual session was "the most ghetto set up ever" he believes her delivery added to the "quaintness" of the album.
Talking about their time together, he told ET Online: "She came over and I literally set the mic up in a closet. So, I can say that I've vocal produced Selena Gomez while she's in a closet recording. It was, like, the most ghetto set up ever, but I think it added to the quaintness of the record. She did a really good job, too."
The pair have kept in touch ever since and Selena is Charlie's first port of call if needs any advice on how to handle fame.
He said: "She's very used to the spotlight, and I'm now kind of getting in that world, and I kind of got freaked out about it. She's a really good person that I can kind of turn to and ask for advice."
Charlie's career sky-rocketed after his 2015 song 'See You Again' with Whiz Khalifa - recorded for the soundtrack to 'Furious 7' as a tribute to the late Paul Walker - became a global number one hit.
The pair will head to the Grammys next month, where they are up for Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Song Written for Visual Media.
Charlie's album 'Nine Track Mind' is released on January 29.

Florence + The Machine, Jamie xx and Bloc Party will perform War Child charity shows as a part of Passport to BRITs Week. A series of concerts - also including headline performances from Lianne La Havas, Above & Beyond and Frank Turner, as well as...

Sir Elton John is working with Lady Gaga on her new album.
The 'Tiny Dancer' hitmaker is heading into the studio with the 'Born This Way' singer this week and has already heard two tracks from her forthcoming LP, which he thinks sound "killer".
He told Zane Lowe on Apple's Beats 1 Radio: "I'm writing with Gaga. I've heard two songs, which are killer. They're just great songs. It's like back to the early stuff of her's, like 'You and I' and 'Bad Romance'."
And it seems Elton won't be afraid to give Gaga constructive criticism in the studio as he has admitted he didn't think her last album 'ARTPOP' was "good", but he loved the 'Cheek to Cheek' LP she made with Tony Bennett.
The 68-year-old musician said: "'ARTPOP' was not a great idea. It was not a good album and I think she would admit that. Then in the midst of that, she did three things which were kind of amazing. She did the whole tour and album with Tony Bennett, which did amazingly well. She sang the Julie Andrews tribute at the Oscars, which everybody loved. And she was on 'American Horror Story'."
Elton - who made Gaga the godmother of his and his husband David Furnish's two children Elijah and Zachary - also complimented Gaga's writing and hopes she'll make a "great song record" like Carole King's 'Tapestry'.
He said: "I think she's a great writer. To me, she is Stefani Germanotta and I love her and I care about her - she's godmother to my two children. And I want her to go and make a kind of simple, fabulous, great song record. Maybe like 'Tapestry,' but her version. I've heard two of the songs and they're not complex ... They're not complex arrangements, but they are great songs. It's all about the song."

Kelly Rowland is in the final stages of completing her fifth solo album and has almost 50 songs to choose from.
The former Destiny's Child star is gearing up to release the first single from the studio LP - the follow-up to 2013's 'Talk a Good Game' - but she's finding it a "challenge" to narrow down the songs for the final tracklisting.
She revealed: "I've recorded 45 songs to be completely honest, the challenge for me right now is solidifying like exactly what sound that is, I have three different sounds on the table. So I just want to know what that is and I feel like I have two albums ... that's not cool, I just need one."
The 'Commander' hitmaker says the record has a strong R&B vibe with a sprinkling of soul.
She told ABC News Radio: "It's definitely more R&B and to the core of even the dance music, it's still soul and that's the core of who I am, is my soul, and I always want that to come across."
The 34-year-old singer is currently shooting a music video for the first song, which is expected to be released in February.
She added: "I'm actually gearing up for a video right now, actually in rehearsals for a video right now I'm excited about. There's going to be a video."

Thin Lizzy have announced plans for UK anniversary shows with Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee.
The surviving members of the band - consisting of vocalist Ricky Warwick, Scott Gorham and Damon Johnson on guitars and Darren Wharton on keys - will mark the 30th anniversary to the death of their former frontman Phil Lynott's and the 40-year-milestone of the release of their iconic LP 'Jailbreak' with the concerts.
'Ace of Spades' drummer Mikkey - who will step in instead of their touring drummer Brian Downey - is thrilled to tour with the 'The Boys Are Back In Town' hitmakers.
In a statement, he said: "It's an honour to be asked to play with Thin Lizzy on these dates, being a lifelong fan I am so happy and excited to playing with the band on these shows. It's going to be great."
The shows come as guitarist Scott revealed the band's side project Black Star Riders - which they formed in 2012 and last played together two years ago - are recording an album, so now is a fitting time to do the shows.
Scott said: "With Black Star Riders taking some time off the road to work on their third album, I thought it would be really cool to do some Thin Lizzy shows as it's an anniversary year, to have some fun and to re-live the good old days. We will only do half a dozen or so dates to keep them special. For personal reasons Brian Downey won't be with us but we have the incredible Mikkey Dee on the drum stool, which we are all very excited about. We will announce who is on bass shortly."
The first of the shows will take place at Ramblin' Man Fair in Maidstone, Kent, on July 2, with further shows to be announced shortly.