Music News

Spandau Ballet are to record their first new album in 25 years.
The new wave group - comprised of Tony Hadley, Gary Kemp and his brother Gary Kemp, Steve Norman and John Keeble - confirmed via their Twitter account that they are heading into the studio for lay down their first original release since 1989.
Gary Kemp said: "My bro @realmartinkemp lays down Spandau bass while Trevor looks on ... Guitar overdubs for new songs in progress. Obviously enjoying it too (sic)"
Martin added: "@garyjkemp smashing it in the Studio today laying down guitar on new @Spandau_Ballet tracks! (sic)"
It's also been revealed that Spandau Ballet are working with iconic pop producer Trevor Horn, who has previously worked with Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Pet Shop Boys.
The group initially split in 1989, but managed to put their differences aside for a world tour in 2009.
Shortly afterwards, the boys released 'Once More', an album that largely consisted of re-worked versions of their classic tracks.
However, their new release will feature entirely original material and although a release date is still to be announced, their new documentary 'Soul Boys of the Western World' will be available in October.

Jessie Ware is to release her new album in October - but Russell Crowe has already praised the LP after getting an early listen.
The 29-year-old singer announced on her Twitter page today (04.08.14) that she will bring out her hotly-anticipated second LP 'Tough Love' on October 6, and has confirmed the tracklisting.
She posted: "Morning! I have an announcement: TOUGH LOVE, my second album is out on 6th Oct. Pre-order ... I love it, Hope you do. x (sic)"
Although the album isn't out for two months, Hollywood A-lister Crowe has someone managed to get his hands on a copy.
After listening to the LP, the 'Noah' star has urged his fans to go out and buy the "beautiful" record when it's out.
He tweeted: "Had the privilege of hearing @JessieWare new album Tough Love. Beautiful work. Check it out when you can. (sic)".
Jessie has collaborated with a host of producers and songwriters on 'Tough Love' including Ed Sheeran, Miguel, Japanese production duo BenZel, James Ford and Drake producer Nineteen85.
The 'If You're Never Gonna Move' singer will play two UK concerts at the St John at Hackney Church in London and the Manchester Cathedral on October 2 and October 3 respectively to coincide with the release of 'Tough Love'.

Lily Allen has "no control" over her career.
The 29-year-old singer - whose recent album 'Sheezus' debuted at number one before quickly plummeting - bemoaned music executives choosing which of her new tracks are released as singles.
During a pre-recorded interview on Australian breakfast show 'Weekend Sunrise', she said: "The actual industry side is messed up. I've got no control over a lot of it.
"They kind of made decisions for the wrong reasons. You deliver a body of work and then they basically put it into a market research machine and decide which singles will be released."
Despite this, the London-born musician says she's "100 per cent" happy with 'Sheezus', which features the singles 'Hard Out Here' and 'Air Balloon'.
Last week, meanwhile, it was revealed plans to include a score Lily had written for the new 'Bridget Jones' musical had been scrapped.
Writer Helen Fielding has decided to re-write the stage production and no longer requires the services of the 'Not Fair' hitmaker.
Lily told The Sun newspaper: "I wrote some great music for it but Helen Fielding wants to go back and write a whole new story.
"It's been a long-term project and I was happy to do my bit but I'm now out of the picture."

Katy Perry has begged to join the Illuminati.
The 'Dark Horse' songstress has made a pledge to the alleged New World Order asking if she can be part of their "club".
Part of a conspiracy theory, the Illuminati or New World Order is supposedly a secret class who intend to eventually rule the world with an authoritarian government.
Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, Katy said: "Listen if the Illuminati exists, I would like to be invited. I see all that s**t, and I'm like 'Come on, let me in! I want to be in the club!' I have no idea what it is. It sounds crazy."
The 29-year-old singer admitted that many of her fans believe that she is already part of the secretive group, after they spotted many Illuminati symbols in her Prismatic world tour.
Katy told the publication that audiences were left convinced after she used "strange triangles in hand motions" as part of her dance routines.
The group has been linked to several celebrities including Beyonce and some conspiracy theorists even allege they were behind the assassination of the late American President, John F. Kennedy.
However, current US President, Barack Obama has nothing but praise for Katy.
On Thursday (31.07.14), the brunette beauty was asked to perform at a White House dinner to honour the 46th anniversary of the Special Olympics.
When introducing her to the stage, Barack said: "I love Katy Perry. She is just a wonderful person. I've just met her mom and now I know why she is such a wonderful person."

Pixie Lott thinks her music has "matured".
The 23-year-old singer thinks her new, self-titled, third album is her best work yet and admits she feels uncomfortable listening to her early songs because she sounds so "young".
She said: "My early songs sound so young, especially my first album. There was a song on there that I had co-written when I was 14 and my voice sounds so young.
"I think this new album represents me the best - it's my most personal and mature."
The 'Nasty' singer admits her new album marks the first time she has "stuck to her guns" and been able to make the record she wanted.
She told the Daily Star newspaper: "Stylistically it has the same sound throughout, which is the first time I've ever done that.
"I was meant to make a soul album last time but it ended up half and half - I did stuff with Stevie Wonder and John Legend, but the other half was dancey pop.
"I'm pleased I stuck to my guns this time."
Pixie believes the modern music scene is much more "disposable" than when her idols like Otis Redding and Candi Staton were recording.
She added: "I do think there is a lot of disposable stuff around now compared to the Motown era.
"I feel like these soul legends taught me how to sing."

Jarvis Cocker always thought he'd be famous.
The Pulp frontman didn't find success with the band until over 15 years after they had formed, but he insists they always knew deep down that they'd make it big.
Asked if he always felt he'd be famous, he said: "For some reason we did, although we had nothing to base it on. It was important to us to try and be a pop group and have something on the radio and for it to, somehow, be a track to someone's life."
Jarvis, 50, believes a desire to be on stage points to "character defects" in a person, and admits knowing fame didn't complete him in the way he expected was "difficult" to deal with.
He explained to OK! magazine: "The reasons for wanting to stand on a stage and show off and have everybody look at you probably points to some character defects.
"I think that art or the things you make are sometimes an attempt by a person to manufacture the bit that's missing from their personality or their life, so they make this thing they think will fill the gap and make them all right, but that doesn't always work...
"And if it doesn't work and it doesn't turn you into a proper person, that can be a difficult thing to deal with."

Charlie Simpson says that his ex-bandmates' decision to join McBusted has brought them all closer.
The 29-year-old former Busted frontman insists he ins't bitter about the resurgence in popularity which Matt Willis and James Bourne have experienced since joining forces with McFly to form the supergroup.
He told OK! magazine: "It was something they wanted to do and it looks like they're having a great time.
"It's been a brilliant way to reconnect with them because we went for seven years without talking or being in each other's lives.
"It's so good speaking with them again. I speak to James regularly and I saw Matt the other day."
Charlie also recently admitted that he was the driving force behind the band's split in January 2005 and said he needed to leave for the sake of his own mental state.
He explained: "I was always in a difficult situation because they wanted to carry on and I wasn't in a place where I could.
"It would have been disastrous for our friendship and my mental state. I look back now and feel so privileged that I was part of it, I have all good memories now."

Jake Bugg lives on a tourbus.
The 'Lightning Bolt' hitmaker admits he constantly feels like he is on tour as he has no place to call home and even stays in hotels when he isn't working.
He said: "I do have a tourbus, so that's kind of home, so I'm not homeless. I live on a tourbus. I'm probably a gypsy, not homeless.
"I love the tourbus and I love being on the road, but at the same time when you finish a tour, all the band and everybody goes home... But for me, I stay in hotels so it feels to me that I'm on a constant tour."
However, the 20-year-old musician insists he doesn't mind his rootless life.
He added: "I might as well do it now while I'm at my age. It's what I wanted to do."
Despite his chart success, Jake insists he is "just a normal guy".
He told NME magazine: "I'm just a normal 20-year-old guy who writes a few songs.
"People like listening to them. That's all there is to it.
"It doesn't make me any more special. I'm just a normal guy."

Jarvis Cocker says earning "grudging respect" from the "hard" kids at his school meant more than selling records.
The Pulp frontman admits he has never lost the desire to impress his childhood peers, and was relieved to encounter some recently and come out of the encounter unscathed.
He said: "In some ways you never lose that thing of wanting to impress the hard kids in school.
"I went to a funeral in a rough pub where I grew up, and the worst of the hard kids at school were there and it was like a big achievement that I didn't get smacked.
"They said they recognised me and gave me a grudging respect and that meant an awful lot, probably more than selling a lot of records - the fact that I didn't get my head kicked in."
Though Pulp's iconic album 'Different Class' celebrates its 20 year anniversary next year, the 50-year-old singer insists there are no plans to mark the occasion as he would rather perform with the band only when it feels "right".
He told Britain's OK! magazine: "We've never planned anything out, we seldom talk to each other and I think that's good.
"If we'd been clever and were thinking of marketing then we could have thought, 'It's 20 years since 'Different Class' came out next year' and to get back together then, but that would just be boring.
"I think it's better to get together when it feels like the right thing to do, rather than looking at a calendar. I just like to be vague."