Music News

The Libertines' morale has been "fantastic" since Pete Doherty's "meltdown" earlier this year.
The 'Can't Stand Me Now' rockers were forced to cancel two gigs in September after frontman Pete, 36, suffered a panic attack and went missing, but drummer Gary Powell has insisted they're now back on top form.
He told Loaded.co.uk: "Morale in the band has been fantastic ever since.
"Pete's meltdown was about the new album coming out and his sense of self-worth. That was understandable for all of us, as we're all creative.
"We all have egos - we wouldn't make music if we didn't."
Gary's comments come after he blamed Pete's "friends" for his disappearance.
He said previously: "A lot of people are blowing smoke up his a** for no reason whatsoever."
He added: "Peter was shoved in the spotlight. He didn't really want it, let alone warrant it.
"It was that difficult for him to digest as it was for me to read about the fact that one of my closet friends - who still is one of my closet friends - was being pushed around in circumstances that were beyond his control."
The band - which also includes Carl Barat and John Hassall - released their first album in over a decade, 'Anthems For Doomed Youth', in September and are set to embark on a UK arena tour starting next month.

Wizzard won't make another Christmas song.
Frontman Roy Wood thinks it would be "pointless" to try and better his old band's 1973 hit 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' because it's always on the radio during the festive period and that's all people will want to hear.
Asked if he'll make another Christmas tune, he told BANG Showbiz: "It's a bit pointless. Years ago people were saying, 'It is about time you had another Christmas song.' This was a long time ago. I recorded a New Year one and of course the only thing they were playing on the radio was 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday'. So it's pointless."
Instead of writing festive tracks, the 69-year-old glam rocker has been working on a new solo album of American cover songs.
He revealed: "Up until now I've always recorded my own material. But I have been having a trawl through some stuff that suits my voice. I'm going to do an album and most of them are American songs. I've designed the artwork and it's going to be that.
Asked when it will be out he added: "Watch this space."

The Beatles will stream their music for the first time on Christmas Eve (24.12.15).
The Fab Four's music will be accessible to listen to via Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, TIDAL, Google Play and Amazon Prime Music from 12.01am local time wherever you are in the world much to the delight of the band's fans.
The decision to no longer boycott the platforms is an Christmas gift for those who have felt the absence of classic tracks such as 'Let It Be', 'Help', 'Something' and 'Get Back' from the top music streaming sites.
Spotify has announced it will give access to 13 remastered studio albums, as well as four essential collections, including 'The Beatles 1962 - 1966', 'The Beatles 1967 - 1970' and 'Past Masters (Volumes 1 & 2)'.
A message posted on the official Beatles website (thebeatles.com) announcing the news read: "Listen to the music the minute Christmas Eve arrives. On December 24 at 12:01am local time - here, there and everywhere - The Beatles' music is available for streaming worldwide via the following nine services ... The Beatles streaming will be LIVE at 00:01 AM YOUR TIME and you can track its progress around the world, from east to west, on the globe here at thebeatles.com.
"HAPPY CRIMBLE, WITH LOVE FROM US TO YOU. (sic)"
The Beatles - which consisted of Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the late John Lennon and George Harrison - were one of only a handful of major names not allowing their music to be streamed, but, like AC/DC, Oasis, Pink Floyd and others, they've now changed their mind and have embraced the modern music listening trend.
This year, Taylor Swift made the decision to pull her tracks off of Spotify following the release of her album '1989', while Adele's record-breaking third LP '25' is still not available to stream.

Leon Bridges found Macklemore to be one of the "most genuine" people he's met in music.
The unlikely pair performed their new track 'Kevin' at the American Music Awards last month, which was written by the rapper about his friend who overdosed on prescription pills, and the 'Coming Home' singer was "honoured" to be asked and to have met the musician.
Recalling the collaboration, Leon shared: "Macklemore is one of the nicest, most genuine people that I've met, as far as musicians.
"[His team] flew me out to Seattle, and I didn't know what the vibe was. Basically, the song is saying that we can't put a band-aid on certain medical problems. I don't know too much about his friend, but it's an honour to have been a part of it."
Meanwhile, the in-demand star - who is up for Best R&B album for his debut LP 'Coming Home' at the Grammys in February - has penned a "soulful country-folk" song titled 'So Long' for the closing credits of Will Smith's forthcoming movie 'Concussion' and drew on his personal experience of rejection for the track.
He told Rolling Stone magazine: "[People say] I don't deserve to be where I'm at because I haven't been working as long as these other musicians who have been doing it longer. The song is saying that I love where I'm from but maybe I need to leave because I don't feel the love anymore."

Eagles of Death Metal have thanked "awesome" Bono for helping them in the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks.
In November, the singer offered the American rockers use of U2's private plane to exit the city after 89 people were brutally killed at their concert at the Le Bataclan theatre in one of a series of terrorist attacks in the French capital and purchased them new phones after theirs were left inside the music venue.
EODM frontman Jesse Hughes has now opened up about the Irish singer coming to their assistance and admits he can't thank him enough for his support and actions.
Speaking in an interview with Rolling Stone, Hughes said: "Bono knows that I'm a Christian and he also knows I'm a mama's boy. The very next day [after the attack], a courier came with a phone that had a note that said, 'This is from Bono. Make sure you call your mom.' I thought that was awesome. It was the first time that I really got to talk to my mom without being in a police station and that meant the whole world to me at that moment."
Hughes also revealed he and Bono prayed with one another over the phone in the wake of the atrocity.
He added: "Bono called because I needed advice. I felt like the best person to ask for advice on how to deal with this is someone who's rubbed elbows with world leaders. And he just prayed with me on the phone. He kept my head off of things and then U2 visited the memorial site and delivered lyrics of ours that he thought were appropriate. And that particularly was important to me because I really wanted to be out there. I didn't want to be in some safe house. I take personal pride in being really close to my fans. I knew a lot of the people personally that didn't make it and that little detail, just on a personal note, is something that nobody else would ever know that it mattered, but it mattered to me. I didn't know how I was ever going to get back onstage again."
Hughes' EODM collaborator Josh Homme also explained why The 'Miss Alissa' hitmakers - who rescheduled their European live dates since the tragedy - have launched Play It Forward, a project inviting musicians to cover their song 'I Love You All The Time' for charity.
He said: "Roses grow in s**t, and this is a s****y situation. It's funny how things this terrible, when you're close to them, how they stop your life in its tracks ... This is where I realise the importance of the arts and music to be able to move quickly to unite people. It's a rare moment when these elements are conjoined."

Lionel Richie won't have more children like Ronnie Wood because he isn't a "superhuman" like the rocker.
The 'All Night Long' hitmaker thinks that it's no surprise The Rolling Stones guitarist is expecting twins at the age of 68 with wife Sally - who is 31 years his junior - but admitted he doesn't relish the idea of it for himself.
When asked if the rocker should still be adding to his brood, Lionel quipped: "When you can defy the laws of gravity anyway, of course he can have kids - twins, to be exact.
"If you really want to kill me, give me some more kids! I'm fascinated about life, but I think I'm over the fact that I'd want to have any more kids. I don't think it will happen.
"They have defied it all - life and death. Mick and the boys, they are super-human."
The 66-year-old singer - who is father to adopted daughter Nicole Richie, 34, son Miles, 21, and daughter Sofia, 17 - dates younger blogger Lisa Parigi but happily admits his life is a lot less "rock 'n' roll" than Ronnie's.
He told The Sun newspaper: "With Ronnie, we've come to expect something different anyway. He is living a full rock 'n' roll life. I am very happy for him. I don't think anybody's shocked.
"And by the way, don't attempt to copy anything they do, because you're going to die a thousand times."

The Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan has become a father for the first time.
The 'Tonight, Tonight' singer and his partner Chloe Mendel - who is 26 years his junior - welcomed a baby boy into the world on November 16, and while the pair have remained out of the public eye since, the tot's name has been revealed as Augustus Juppiter Corgan.
Chloe, 22, is an artist and the daughter of fashion designers Gilles Mendel and Jenny Mui, while the 48-year-old rocker previously dated Jessica Origliasso from pop-duo The Veronicas in 2010 and lived with Hole singer Courtney Love for a time.
Recently, the '1979' hitmaker paid tribute to his fellow musician and pal Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland, who died of a drug overdose last month, and said the tragedy reminded of him of what he has.
Billy - who also works as Senior Producer of Creative and Talent Development for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling - shared: "We mourn all that might have been. I find myself reflecting on what I do have. In scarce moments when Scott and I spoke as contemporaries and got to know each other as people... I'd try to make him giggle when I saw that the manic whirl of the dumb parties we were at might be causing undue stress. May I now say he is undoubtedly in the arms of grace and eternal love."

Bastille are choosing from 25 songs for their new album.
The 'Pompeii' hitmakers are busy putting together their follow up record to 2013's 'Bad Blood' and have admitted they're taking their time as what songs they choose will determine what genre the album is.
Frontman Dan Smith said: "We've just been very busy writing and recording a lot of new music.
"We've written a whole album, we've got 25 songs give or take.
"We're kind of just finishing everything off an finessing what tunes are gonna make it cause it could literally be one of three or four very different records, so we're just figuring out which one it is."
The band - which is also made up of Chris 'Woody' Wood, William Farquarson and Kyle Simmons - have experimented with different styles of music this time around.
Dan told Billboard magazine: "When we started the album, this is more than a year ago, it was alternative R&B, a lot more electronic, then we went down a heavier rock route as well, then we almost came full circle back around to what we did the first record, more cinematic, then we did a load of horns. So it could be a lot of different things. But we just want the songs to be good and memorable and we want the album to be fucking interesting and a good progression from the last record, something that we're proud of."
And while they are still putting the finishing touches on their latest creation, they've already decided on a title.
He added: "We have the name of it in our heads, we've got the concept, I think thematically, in the last few months, it really came together and that's nice 'cause a lot of the songs are quite narrative."

Nathan Sykes thinks The Wanted's hiatus came at the "right time."
The 'Over And Over Again' hitmaker didn't expect the band to go their separate ways last year but is glad it happened because it allowed him to grow as a solo artist.
He explained: "Everyone was very excited to do their own thing. The time was right to go on a break.
"For me personally, looking back I'm really pleased that we did. Had we continued on making music, I wouldn't be in a place as an artist that I am at now. I definitely wouldn't be as a songwriter. Probably vocally as well - I'd still be singing within about five notes instead of three octaves."
And the 22-year-old singer is thrilled going it alone has allowed people to see his impressive vocal ability.
He told Digital Spy: "Every single performance I do, people are like, 'I didn't realise you could sing like this'. Coming from a band, it's a really refreshing time in my life. I didn't know what I was capable of at all. It was only as I started writing the album and hitting new notes on a new level of songwriting. I was connecting emotionally with the lyrics."
Nathan - who is gearing up to release his debut solo LP in 2016 - is the only member of the band to have chart success as a solo artist, with his debut single 'Kiss Me Quick' reaching number one in the US Dance Club Songs Chart.