Music News

Former US President Jimmy Carter will present Bob Dylan with the 2015 MusiCares Person of the Year award next month.
The 90-year politician will honour the 'Like a Rolling Stone' singer in Los Angeles, following in the footsteps of previous winners such as Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel and Quincy Jones.
The pre-Grammy show - which will take place on February 6 at the Los Angeles Convention Centre - will feature performances from Bruce Springsteen, Tom Jones, Willie Nelson and Jack White, all of whom will celebrate the star's extensive back catalogue.
The 73-year-old musician was announced as the winner of the accolade in September, with the MusiCares Foundation Board chair, Bill Silva, praising him for his ability to write incredible songs, having released over 30 albums.
He said: "Bob Dylan's songwriting ability is unmatched, and it will be an extraordinary evening to hear his work showcased by such a remarkable group of artists."
Proceeds from the event - which takes place just two days before the 57th annual Grammys Awards on February 8 - will go towards MusiCares, which provides financial and medical assistance to needy musicians.
The celebration will take place in the same week as the star releases his 36th studio album 'Shadows in the Night', on which he has reimagined classic Frank Sinatra tracks.

Kevin Jonas admits the Jonas Brothers split because there was "too much friction".
The sibling trio - Kevin and his younger brothers Joe and Nick - went their separate ways after scrapping a planned tour in autumn 2013 and the 27-year-old reality star thinks they were right to call it a day when they did.
He said: "Being able to play shows and travel together was great, but then once at the end there, the friction was too much and we just really needed to break away and kind of do our own things for some time."
And Kevin believes splitting the band when they did has saved their family relationship as they get on much better without the "constant butting of heads" over their career.
He added in an interview with HuffPost Live: "I think that's why we're close now, because we're not in the band. We chose to be a family, not a band."
Kevin's brother Nick has now launched a solo career and recently admitted he thinks he has a "cooler" image away from the group.
He said: "I definitely feel cooler. I think that was a big part of approaching phase two [of my career], being true to who I am.
"This is way more organic and natural to me than anything I've done in the past. I do get to start over in a lot of ways, so I'm trying to embrace that."

The Prodigy will release their sixth studio album in March.
The electronic music group have been working on the LP, titled 'The Day is My Enemy' since 2010, and have revealed it will finally be released on March 30.
Announcing the news on their website, the band - which features Liam Howlett, Keith Flint and Maxim Reality - confirmed the release of the 14-track LP, including their single 'Nasty' which was unveiled last month.
Other tracks on the 'Firestarter' hitmakers' album include 'Rebel Radio', 'Get Your Fight On', 'Invisible Sun' and a collaboration with 25-year-old DJ Flux Pavilion on the song 'Rhythm Bomb'.
Speaking in October, Liam, 43, said he hoped the album would be the antidote to the formulaic sound of the majority of modern day electronic dance music, describing what they had made as "pure violent energy."
He said: "Dance music across all types has become formula-based.
"It's 'Here's your drum fill, here's your build.' All that DJ b******s and tutorials on YouTube s**t. This album is totally organic. Pure violent energy."
The trio are expected to play tracks from the record when they headline Isle of Wight Festival, which will take place from June 11 to 14.

The tracklist for 'The Day is My Enemy' is as follows:
1. The Day is My Enemy
2. Nasty
3. Rebel Radio
4. Ibiza feat. Sleaford Mods
5. Destroy
6. Wild Frontier
7. Rok-Weiler
8. Beyond the Deathray
9. Rhythm Bomb feat. Flux Pavilion
10. Roadblox
11. Get Your Fight On
12. Medicine
13. Invisible Sun
14. Wall Of Death

N.E.R.D. have reunited for their first new music in almost five years.
The hip hop trio - featuring Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shae Haley - have recorded three new songs for the official soundtrack of 'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water'.
The first single to be taken from the soundtrack, 'Squeeze Me' is available to listen online now, while tracks honouring the animated character's pals have also been recorded, titled 'Patrick Star' and 'Sandy Squirrel'.
Speaking about making music with his bandmates for the movie, Pharrell, 41, claimed it was the perfect fit for them because he loves the sea dwelling invertebrate so much, with Shae saying they share beliefs with the loveable sponge.
He said: "We loved going into studio to make music for this film. I am one of SpongeBob's biggest fans--can't wait for everyone to hear the songs."
Shae added: "It was a complete honor to be a part of this project. SpongeBob and N.E.R.D. share the same belief that imagination is the key to everything."
Despite not having recorded new music together since the release of their fourth studio album 'Nothing' in 2010, Pharrell and Shae both appeared on stage together at Camden's Roundhouse in London in September and teased new material from the band.
Joining the 'Happy' hitmaker on stage, the 42-year-old musician said: "It feels good to be back in London. When we released our first album back in 2001 and first crossed the Atlantic, this was the first place to embrace us. You're going to like this s**t we're going to release."

AC/DC, Drake and Jack White will headline Coachella 2015. The annual music festival will see the 'Highway to Hell' hitmakers take to the iconic stage on the first night of the three-day event, with FKA twigs and Azealia Banks also set to appear. Else...

Sam Smith thinks some pop stars are "awful".
The 22-year-old singer has revealed some of the musical sensations he has met since gaining prominence have been unsavoury characters, but refrained from identifying the specific musicians who he has taken a dislike to
He admitted: "Even when you meet them - I won't name names - but some of these popstars are just awful."
The 'Stay With Me' hitmaker - whose debut album 'In the Lonely Hour' was one of the best-selling records of 2014 - continued to berate the unidentified individuals by saying he would be nothing but friendly to them, despite being more famous.
He continued: "And they have not even had half the success that you've had and yet you're so humble and kind."
The comments were made while the hit musician was speaking to 'I'm Every Woman' singer Chaka Khan, who explained she felt lucky to grow up in a time without the internet as it helped her to stay down to earth.
She replied: "Well, it's people skills. Talking to a screen all day long takes the human experience out. Luckily I grew up in a time when we only had a telephone at home."
During their chat, the pair also teased a future collaboration by saying they hoped to head into the studio together to record a track.
The 61-year-old artist said: "We are definitely going to write a song together."
Speaking in V magazine, Sam added: "100%, I'm in. I was actually thinking me, you, and Mary [J Blige] would do something."

Lana Del Rey has finished nine songs for her new album 'Honeymoon'.
The 29-year-old star has revealed production on her new record is "perfect" and that she's now waiting for "a few more songs to tie everything together".
Lana also explained where her new album fits in with her earlier work, saying: "It's very different from the last one [Ultraviolence] and similar to the first two, Born to Die and Paradise.
"I finished my last one in March and released it in June and I had a follow-up idea. It's growing into something I really like.
"I'm kind of enjoying sinking into this more noirish feel for this one. It's been good."
What's more, Lana confirmed her new album will feature a cover of 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood', which was made famous by Nina Simone.
She told Billboard: "After doing a cover of [the Jessie Mae Robinson track] 'The Other Woman', I like summarising the record with a jazz song. I'm having fun with my interpretation."
Meanwhile, Lana revealed recently that her biggest "inspiration" used to be New York.
The 'Born to Die' hitmaker lived in the city for eight years and it was a big influence on her songwriting until she found fame, as she now finds it harder to travel around without being recognised.
She shared: "I loved New York. When I was there it was almost my sole source of inspiration, more than any other man, writer or rapper, but it's harder for me to get around now."

will.i.am thinks Fergie's new album "is going to be awesome".
The 39-year-old rapper - who has been promoting his TV show 'The Voice' in the UK - revealed he is heading back to the US to continue working with his Black Eyed Peas bandmate on her second studio album and thinks the material is going to be better than ever.
Will - who recently announced that Black Eyed Peas are releasing a follow-up album to their 2010 offering 'The Beginning' - told Capital FM: "Fergie is making an album too though. I get with Fergie right when I land. I think all this week I'm working with Fergie and we are finishing Fergie's stuff. Fergie's stuff is going to be awesome as well."
Meanwhile, the 'I Gotta Feeling' group - which also includes Apl.de.ap and Taboo - are planning to celebrate their new album with a tour to coincide with their 20th anniversary.
He said: "We're all geared up and excited for the next year. We are recording now."
The 'Where Is The Love' hitmaker previously vowed that the group would only get back together for something "amazing" and unique.
He said: "We're doing some configuration as far as what do we do as the Peas next .
"In 2008, I was like 'Guys, electro music is sick!' And most of them were like, 'What are you talking about, electro?'
"[I said], 'There's this guy called David Guetta and there's like this underworld, we should do songs like that.'
"Now we have to do something that no one's thought of, so you're thinking like 'The Black Eyed Peas are what?' If it doesn't spark that conversation, then there's no point.
"I know we have to either emerge with something from the underground or do something no-one has thought of. Either it's amazing or I don't get it."

Adam Lambert wants to keep Freddie Mercury's "memory alive" when he performs with Queen.
The former 'American Idol' star sings with the legendary band live and has won rave reviews for his performances as the group's frontman.
Adam insists he never tries to imitate or replace Freddie - who died in 1991 at the age of 45 - on stage and his main motivation for singing with Queen is to keep his idol's wonderful music alive.
The 32-year-old rocker said: "There's never going to be another (Freddie), and I'm not replacing him. That's not what I'm doing. I'm trying to keep the memory alive, and remind people how amazing he was, without imitating him. I'm trying to share with the audience how much he inspired me."
Queen guitarist Brian May has praised Adam's vocal abilities, and says he is the first singer he has worked with since Freddie's passing who can perform all of their songs.
Speaking to the new issue of Classic Rock magazine, he enthused: "Adam is the first person we've encountered who can do all the Queen catalogue without blinking. He is a gift from god."
Drummer Roger Taylor is also blown away by Adam's talent, adding: "(His voice is) one in a billion ... He's incredibly musical, and we certainly take anything he says quite seriously."
Queen's concerts still feature Freddie, as they use video recordings of him singing on certain tracks, and Brian admits it's important for them to pay tribute to their friend without getting too nostalgic.
The musician said: "We've been on tour in the States with Adam, and Freddie's already there because of the writing, and the original performances that we model the show on. But he's there also in a much more tangible way, because we use video footage. It's nice to feel he's part of it, without being swamped by nostalgia. I think we tread that line quite tastefully and carefully."
Queen and Adam Lambert kick off their European arena tour - for which tickets are still available - next week on January 13 at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England.