Music News

Rita Ora, Mark Ronson and Primal Scream have won O2 Silver Clef Awards.
The 'R.I.P.' hitmaker will pick up the Best Female prize at Nordoff Robbins' annual awards lunch on July 3, while the 'Uptown Funk' hitmaker will receive the American Express Innovation Award and the 'Rocks' group are the winners of the Investec Icon Award.
Rita said: "I feel honoured to be receiving the Best Female Award at the O2 Silver Clef Lunch. It's great to be recognised by Nordoff Robbins, a charity which uses music to transform the lives of so many people."
And Mark is "proud" to have been recognised by the organisation because he is so "passionate" about the work they do.
The music producer said: "I feel proud to be awarded the American Express Innovation Award. The O2 Silver Clef Awards is an event I've long admired, raising funds for Nordoff Robbins music therapy, a cause which I feel passionate about."
Meanwhile, Primal Scream are looking forward to the forthcoming ceremony.
The band said in a statement: "It's a real honour to be awarded the Investec Icon Award at the 40th anniversary of the O2 Silver Clef Awards. We are looking forward to the event on 3rd July."
Nordoff Robbins has already announced Iron Maiden as winners of the O2 Silver Clef Award and Il Divo winners of the PPL Classical Award.

Ed Sheeran has achieved two billion streams on Spotify.
The 'Thinking Out Loud' hitmaker is the first British artist to reach the incredible milestone and only the second artist in Spotify's history to achieve the feat, the first being American rapper Eminem.
Kevin Brown, Spotify's head of label relations for Europe, said: "Breaking the two billion streams barrier on Spotify is evidence - were it needed - of Ed Sheeran's enormous popularity among the 60 million music fans on the service. Ed Sheeran is quite simply one of the best-loved artists on Spotify globally, and we are thrilled that he has achieved this milestone.
"Ed and Atlantic truly embraced the power of the Spotify platform with the launch strategy for 'x'. This made a significant contribution to the phenomenal launch success of the album on Spotify through connecting it with the widest audience possible. That it continues to be enormously popular with our users almost a year later and is still winning new fans is testament to the quality of the album and the enduring appeal of Ed as an artist."
Mark Mitchell, General Manager of Atlantic Records UK, added: 'Ed achieving two billion streams on just two albums is a phenomenal achievement. It not only highlights the popularity of his timeless sound and the explosive growth of his army of fans, it also demonstrates how great music can be successful on all formats."
Meanwhile, Ed is to become the first genuine solo artist to play stadium shows in Australia.
The 24-year-old musician has announced he will head Down Under with just his guitar and loop pedal to play the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on November 28 and the NIB Stadium in Perth on December 2.
He said: "I don't think the loop pedal is a common thing outside the club circuit, I don't think it's been done in stadiums yet. It's a unique selling point people talk about, so I'm going to continue building on it and exploring it more."

Sharon Osbourne says rock 'n' roll is a "shell of what it used to be".
The 62-year-old star famously managed her husband Ozzy Osbourne's career and has decades of experience in the music business.
But Sharon isn't excited by any of the modern rock bands and thinks the genre may have peaked.
Speaking on 'The Late Late Show', she said: "I hate to say this, but I fear that we have seen the greats in that genre. I keep looking and searching - where is the next great artist in that genre? And I don't know any, I really don't. I honestly think it's the shell of what it used to be. It's really sad."
Sharon thinks the problem with the new crop of bands is that they're all too "squeaky clean" and don't get involved in any wild hellraising antics.
She added: "It hurts my heart, because it's been my life forever. Everybody's too nice and squeaky clean, it's just a whole different world out there."
Sharon's husband Ozzy famously bit the head off a bat while on a stage at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa, and but the head off a dove after he signed his first solo record deal.

Dave Grohl bonded with his daughter over Beatles vinyl records.
The Foo Fighters frontman was thrilled when his nine-year-old daughter Violet started listening to The Fab Four's music but her first experience of their songs was via a tablet computer.
As a gift, Grohl bought Violet the band's albums on original vinyl and watched in delight as she listened to them for hours on end.
He said: "She had 'Yellow Submarine' on her iPad, so I came home one day with the Beatles vinyl box set. Violet was like, 'Daddy, what is that?' I said, 'They're records!' I pulled them out and her eyes widened. She was like, 'I can hold music!'
"I got the record player and taught her how to do it. An hour later, I walked in and she was sitting on her floor with all the record covers around her. She was reading the lyrics and listening to 'Let It Be', the same way I used to do it. It was an incredible bonding experience."
Grohl - who has three daughters, Violet, Harper, six, and eight-month-old Ophelia, with his wife Jennifer Youngblood - spent much of his childhood listening to records and has revealed there was one particular track that "changed" his life.
Speaking to PEOPLE, he revealed: "We didn't have a lot of money; my mother was a public school teacher. On the weekends, she would bring home a record player from the school and we would listen to it. I'd go to the local record store and buy music. I'd earn money mowing lawns and then buy music with it. My first record was a K-Tel collection called '20 Original Hits' by the Original Stars. It had people like KC and the Sunshine Band on it. But there was one song called 'Frankenstein' by The Edgar Winter Group. It's an instrumental, and it was amazing. It really changed my life. I listened to it, and suddenly I was seeing music, not just hearing it. The record became my prized possession."

Haim were big fans of Calvin Harris before they collaborated with him.
The three sisters, Alana Haim, Danielle Haim and Este Haim, have been lovers of the DJ's music from the very start of his career and used to go to "all his shows".
The girls were thrilled when Calvin asked them to appear on his album 'Motion' because it was their dream to work with him and they are very pleased with their track 'Pray to God'.
During an interview with Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS FM radio show, Este said: "We've known Calvin for a while. He put out a record in like 2008 or 2009 like back in the day, and I used to go to all of his shows and I was a big fan. We just kind of linked up. I think he knows how much of a fan I am."
Out of the three siblings, Alana revealed Este is the "best" at meeting artists and stars she likes and she isn't afraid to just go and approach people at showbiz events.
Alanda said: "Este is also, out of all three Haims, the best at getting what she wants. Like, basically if she wants to meet someone, Este is [the best.] Like me and Danielle are like, 'We're scared, we don't know what to do!' "

Rihanna's new album is "soulful and aggressive".
The 'Diamonds' hitmaker has been working hard on her eighth studio LP - the follow-up to 2012's 'Unapologetic' - and is incredibly proud of her efforts so far, in particular the musical interludes.
She said: "Dude, I'm in love with my interludes. This one called 'James,' joint is on constant repeat.
"[The album is] soulful and aggressive, whether it's lyrically, musically, or just the tone of my voice."
Despite it being some time since she released new music, Rihanna insists she has been busier than ever.
Speaking to the new issue of V magazine, she explained: "I didn't actually take time off. The past two years are the hardest I've ever worked. I've been working on two albums, an animated film, shooting for multiple magazines, designing for Puma and Stance [socks], a new line of fragrances, a summer tour, I launched my first annual Diamond Ball at the end of last year, and I've also been developing several projects to be revealed in the near future."
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old singer has been praised by her former collaborator Calvin Harris.
Responding to a tweet which read "Did you know that Calvin Harris wrote and produced the #1 hit "We Found Love" [sung by Rihanna] on his own?(sic)", Calvin replied: "Wouldn't have been a hit if anyone else had sung it tho.(sic)"

Leona Lewis won't "censor" her new music.
The former 'X Factor' winner - who quit show boss Simon Cowell's Syco record label last year - has admitted she felt "taken advantage of" and won't be holding back when it comes to slamming her former colleagues on her new album after signing with rival label Island Records.
In a new video posted online in which the 'Bleeding Love' hitmaker also shared some new material, she said: "I have met people who have come in and taken advantage of me.
"A lot of people were telling me how to be and how to act and what to say. No one is one-dimensional.
"I'm going to say whatever it is I want to say. I'm not going to compromise myself any more. I'm not going to censor myself."
It was recently revealed the 30-year-old star has included some powerful tracks on her latest offering after it was claimed she was "driven to despair" being part of the 55-year-old music mogul's label.
A source said: "It's no exaggeration to say that Leona was driven to the depths of despair by the end of her time signed to Syco.
"Some of the lyrics sound as if she's talking about a break-up from a boyfriend, but they're actually about leaving Simon.
"It had a huge impact on her life and for the first time she's not scared to say what she thinks through her music."
The song 'I AM' features the lyrics, "I am breathing without you, I am somebody without you, I am free without you, I am stronger without you" while on 'Fire' she refers to "drowning in quicksand" singing, "I'm set free. I begin to spread my wings. I'm happy and I've earned it."
Leona is said to be much happier at Island Records as she is given more control over her own music.
An insider said: "Simon and Syco wanted to have full control of her music, but Island have let her call the shots."

Johnny Marr has slammed online touts.
The former The Smiths star took to his Twitter account to criticise "eBay t**sers" after his Record Store Day 2015 cover of Depeche Mode's 'I Feel You' appeared on the web market place for an inflated price.
He wrote yesterday (21.04.15): "I'll try to do an extra run of I Feel You 7" singles so those who wanted it but didn't get it don't get ripped by the EBay t**sers. J.(sic)"
He had previously warned fans of Record Store Day - which celebrates the culture of independently owned music shops - not to buy the track for an inflated price, claiming it wasn't "in the spirit of RSD".
He said on April 18: "Do not pay inflated prices for I Feel You on eBay. It's a rip off & not in the spirit of RSD. Johnny #screwthetouts".
Meanwhile, the 51-year-old guitarist recently admitted he has managed to "surprise himself" with his cover of the Depeche Mode hit, which he has also adopted into his live set.
He said: "I've surprised myself that it sounded so like me and my band. When you cover a song you have to bring something of yourself to it. I was playing it on tour, just in my dressing room, and it sounded good, and then I started to sing it and we worked it up in a soundcheck and played it immediately in the encore that night."

Alice Cooper's new album - featuring Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl and Johnny Depp - is "done, mixed and ready to go".
Titled 'Hollywood Vampires', the LP will pay tribute to the social group that the 'Poison' singer used to drink with in the 70s, which included John Lennon, Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr, and will include covers of songs made famous by the friends that the group has "lost to drugs and alcohol over the years".
Cooper said: "The album's done. It's mixed, ready to go and I'm very, very happy with it. I'm really happy with all the stuff on it. McCartney's on it. (Ringo Starr's drummer son) Zak Starkey's on it. Dave Grohl is on it, (AC/DC frontman) Brian Johnson, and in places where you wouldn't expect them to be, that's the cool thing."
While the 67-year-old rocker wouldn't reveal which covers are going to appear on the album, he hinted at songs originally performed by artists like Jim Morrison and Lennon, and joked that "the performers have to be dead".
Speaking to Billboard, Cooper said: "I can't really say (what covers will be on the album) right now, but if you think of it, who were the Hollywood Vampires? John Lennon was there. Jim Morrison was an early Vampire. We had Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon of course, Harry Nilsson, Marc Bolan. Those guys were all Vampires. The performers have to be dead. Or mentally dead. Or should be dead."
The Hollywood Vampires super-group are due to play the Rock in Rio festival in September.