Music News

The Vamps' next album is "a bit trippy, a bit 80s with some MGMT-style synths", frontman Brad Simpson has revealed.
The pop band have been busy working on their second LP - the follow-up to debut 'Meet The Vamps' - and singer Brad insists they have been experimenting with new styles on some songs.
When asked about the progress of their album he told the Daily Star newspaper: "It's still very band-y, but less folky than our debut.
"It's a bit trippy, a bit 80s, with some MGMT-style synths."
Brad also revealed how he and his bandmates - Connor Ball,
Tristan Evans, James McVey - prepare for their live shows and says they like getting pumped up in their dressing room by blaring out tunes by metal group Slipknot.
When asked what the group listen to before going on stage, he answered: "James Bay, Imagine Dragons, Slipknot ... It's all pretty extreme."
The Vamps are about to kick off on their UK arena tour this Friday (14.04.15) at the Glasgow Hydro Arena and they end their run of concerts at the Birmingham LG Arena on May 8.

Gary Barlow believes Zayn Malik "will be fine" now he's left One Direction.
The 44-year-old singer - who went solo when Take That disbanded in 1996 - thinks the 22-year-old pop star could initially find it hard starting off on his own but he's sure his family and friends will help him adjust to life outside of 1D.
Gary said: "It's easier for the band to cope with but harder for (Zayn) going off on his own. I don't know what his character is but being in a group like that is a big high. However, he seems to have good people around him and family, so I am sure he will be fine."
Gary knows more about the trials and tribulations of boy bands than most after seeing Take That in the last 25 years go from five to four members, break-up and return as a four-piece and then reform as a foursome, tour as a five-piece and shrink to three members for their latest LP 'III' over the last 25 years
With his decades of experience the 'Back For Good' hitmaker is sure the four remaining One Direction stars - Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne - have a bright future because of their loyal fans.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Gary said: "We have been a five-piece, then we were down to four and now there are just the three of us ... but our fans have been there for us the whole time. I imagine (One Direction's) fans are very similar."
Despite having huge fame in the UK, Gary has never broken the US until now, having written and composed all the music for 'Finding Neverland', a Broadway production starring Kelsey Grammer amd Matthew Morrison.
Speaking about the show, the former 'X Factor' judge said: "I was very disappointed that America didn't happen (in 96). I was here for nine months doing a radio tour and went to every state and worked really hard but I didn't even have a glimmer of success. Sometimes the things that are unreachable just land at your door. That's how it feels this time around."

Leona Lewis has slammed Simon Cowell on her new album.
The former 'X Factor' winner quit the 55-year-old music mogul's Syco label last year before joining rival Island Records and she's now reported to have spoken out about her decision to leave in a number of powerful tracks on her new record.
A source shared: "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."
The source added to The Sun newspaper: "Simon and Syco wanted to have full control of her music, but Island have let her call the shots.
"She had already written most of the album with her songwriting partner Toby Gad before she signed the deal with Island. She knew Syco would never have let her release these songs.
"But Leona doesn't want to slag anyone off in interviews or on the telly - she wants to let the music do the talking."

Antonio 'LA' Reid expects more record-breaking feats from Mariah Carey.
The 58-year-old chairman and chief executive of Epic Records - which has just signed an exclusive contract with Mariah, 45 - is delighted to have reunited with the multi-platinum artist and can't wait to work with her again, having done so earlier in her storied career.
He said: "I couldn't be more thrilled to be back together again with Mariah.
"There is really no one who comes close to Mariah as both a songwriter and a singer, and as the world knows, her vocal range is legendary and truly incomparable.
"Her music is indelibly etched into our culture, and she's shattered so many chart records that she's now firmly entrenched in the history books.
"With a fierce and loyal fan base that covers every corner of the globe, I have no doubt Mariah will do it again."
Mariah's first album release on Epic Records will be 'Mariah Carey #1 To Infinity', which is available from May 18 and features hits such as 'One Sweet Day' with Boyz II Men and 'Touch My Body', among others.
Before then, Mariah will perform all 18 of her number one hits in one production at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Metallica have completed around "25 percent" of their new album.
The 'Enter Sandman' rockers have been working hard on the follow-up to 2008's 'Death Magnetic' but, with "two to three hundred riffs" to choose from, they still don't know what will make the final cut.
Guitarist Kirk Hammett told Billboard: "The songs are ever-changing at this point. Nothing is etched in stone. We still have a lot of material have to sift through, still.
"We have well over a dozen songs and we still have well over two or three hundred riffs, too, so it's hard to say at what point we actually are in in the project.
"I don't think we hit the middle point yet. I would say we're at the 25 percent point, maybe 30 percent point.
"It's hard to say, but I mean we are working on it and there are songs and we're making plans to write more songs and record."
And Kirk admitted the group get all-consumed by the recording process.
He added: "Whenever we go into the studio, it becomes such a huge sort of thing in our lives that it does take on monstrous proportions. It takes up a lot of space in our lives."

Tyler Posey wants to join Blink-182.
The 'Teen Wolf' actor is a huge fan of the 'All the Small Things' rockers and following speculation about singer Tom DeLonge's future with the group, he is keen to step in and replace him.
He said: "I've noticed that he's just been falling out of it. I don't think [Tom] wants to be in Blink anymore."
Asked if he would be willing to sing with the group, he added to ETonline: "Absolutely. Yes, of course. I would love to. Send that word out."
The 23-year-old actor is so obsessed with the group, he has two tattoos dedicated to them - the first note from their song 'D**k Lips' on his right arm, and another inking basked on a design sported by Tom.
He quipped: "I'm a huge little pop punker."
Earlier this year, Tom's bandmates Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker claimed the singer had left the band.
However, the rocker has repeatedly denied the claims, prompting drummer Travis to urge him to "man up" and make his indefinite hiatus permanent.
Travis said: "I think the right thing for him to do would [be to] just man up and quit the band instead of telling people he didn't quit and just be real with the fans. I think that would give him some closure too and really do what he's passionate about."

Noel Gallagher has topped the first ever Official Vinyl Charts.
The former Oasis guitarist's latest album 'Chasing Yesterday' and his single 'Ballad of the Might I' have taken the top spots on both the album and singles lists of the new charts, published exclusively on OfficialCharts.com.
The new charts have been launched to coincide with Record Store Day today (13.04.15) and have been created to reflect the UK's passion for buying music on the format after vinyl LP sales reached a 20-year high in the UK at 1.29 million in 2014, and vinyl album sales up 69 for the first quarter of 2015.
Official Charts Company Executive Martin Talbot said: "We're delighted to launch the UK's first Official Vinyl Albums and Official Vinyl Singles charts on Officialcharts.com to coincide with Record Store Day this coming weekend.
"With vinyl album sales up by almost 70 percent already this year, vinyl junkies could well have snapped up 2 million units by the end of this year - an extraordinary number, if you consider sales were one-tenth of that just six years ago.
"This growth underlines the continuing resurgence of this much-loved format, whether you're a fan of Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher, Led Zeppelin or David Bowie."
Meanwhile, American pop punks All Time Low scored the biggest selling vinyl record of the week.

Official Vinyl Albums Chart - Q1 2015:

1) 'CHASING YESTERDAY' - NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING
2) 'PHYSICAL GRAFFITI' - LED ZEPPELIN
3) 'AM' - ARCTIC MONKEYS
4) 'ROYAL BLOOD' - ROYAL BLOOD
5) 'THE RACE FOR SPACE' - PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING
6) 'SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT' - BOB DYLAN
7) 'THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON' - PINK FLOYD
8) 'LOST IN THE DREAM' - WAR ON DRUGS
9) 'HAPPY PEOPLE' - PEACE
10 'FOUR SYMBOLS' - LED ZEPPELIN

Official Vinyl Singles Chart - Q1 2015:

1) 'BALLAD OF THE MIGHTY I' - NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING
2) 'THE DYING OF THE LIGHT' - NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING
3) 'YOUNG AMERICANS' - DAVID BOWIE
4) 'UPTOWN FUNK' - MARK RONSON FT BRUNO MARS
5) 'HOPE FOR THE FUTURE' - PAUL MCCARTNEY
6) 'THE HUNTER' - SLAVES
7) 'CUT ME AND I'LL BLEED' - BLOSSOMS
8) 'HANDSOME' - VACCINES
9) 'IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT' - NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING
10) 'I COULD GIVE YOU ALL THAT YOU DON'T WANT' - TWILIGHT SAD

Calvin Harris had to cancel his Las Vegas gigs over the weekend due to "food poisoning".
The Scottish DJ was forced to pull out of his sets on Saturday (11.04.15) and Sunday (12.04.15) at Wet Republic in the US gambling capital after contracting a crippling stomach bug.
Calvin, 31 took to his Twitter account to tell his millions of followers and disappointed fans the shows were off due to "one of those heart racing/burning/projectile vomiting situations".
His tweets read: "Hiii I've got the worst food poisoning I've ever experienced rn Im really really sorry anyone who was coming to see me in Vegas this weekend ... It's one of those heart racing/burning up/cold sweats/shaking/projectile vomiting situations ... so not possible to play any shows ... sorry (sic)"
However, Calvin's finances should be able to cope with the two cancelled shows.
As according to business bible Forbes magazine the 'Summer' hitmaker - who is rumoured to be dating Taylor Swift - made £39.6 million last year.

Clean Bandit are "planning on starting a fight with Kasabian" at Coachella.
Brothers Jack and Luke Patterson - two members of the chart-topping electronic band - aren't happy with Serge Pizzorno after the guitarist said the four-piece were ridiculous because they didn't write their own songs earlier this year - even though the siblings insist they do.
Jack and Luke aren't going to take his insult lying down and if they run into him at the music festival in Indio, California, they plan to confront him about his slur.
Jack fumed to the Daily Mirror newspaper: "We are planning on starting a fight with Kasabian. He is a w***er, that guy. I don't know why he is trying to get involved. I don't know what prompted that outcry. If I see him I'll probably knock him out."
It's not just Serge that Clean Bandit have been getting a bit of flak from recently, as fans have also criticised them for their appearances in adverts for Microsoft's app Cortana.
However, Luke has defended the 'Rather Be' hitmakers for their decision to front the campaign, claiming that the lack of money in the music industry means they have to diversify to make a living.
The drummer said: "It's hard when you are working for eight years and doing it for free. It's incredibly difficult to make a living. People should not take it so seriously. Doing that or prostitution ... those are the options."