Music News

Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil thinks it will be "wise" for them to take a break from music soon.
The vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for the band has admitted that although they're hoping to put out a new album soon, they're also thinking of taking some time out from the music industry.
He told Xfm radio: "It's probably wise for us to disappear for a wee while, as well. We've had so much love from people and they've been so kind but there's nothing worse than a band that just stays in your face for ages and ages so we'll probably disappear for a while and hopefully you guys will miss us."
The 34-year-old 'Mountains' hitmaker claims he's penned enough tracks for an album already but won't be releasing them for over a year.
He said: "I've written about 14 songs so far. We're kind of doing some demos of them at the moment. The fact that the ball is rolling on this record is very exciting, I think we'll look to record it maybe the start of next year, possibly out for the end of next year."
"To me making a record, it's an ongoing process. You might not be ready to record it in a couple of months but the creativity and the evolution of the band, it picks up exactly where it left off."
Simon and his bandmates - James Johnstone, Ben Johnston, Josh Lowe and Lewis Ingram - will headline the T in the Park festival in Scotland this summer.

Michael Jackson's 'Xscape' album will feature Justin Timberlake and Mary J Blige.
The Grammy Award-winning artists are just a few of the names set to appear on Epic Records executive LA Reid's upcoming project, which will unveil unheard tracks written by the late King of Pop prior to his death in 2009, including the single 'Love Never Felt So Good,' which was released today (01.05.14).
According to the music mogul's son Aaron Reid - who worked on the posthumous record - most of the recordings discovered were incomplete.
He told the New York Post newspaper: "Michael Jackson didn't trust anyone with his music. He stopped finishing songs. He had a whole bunch of material stored away. He had hooks. He had verses. Then we put it together."
Aaron described the project as an "amazing process" after getting the opportunity to work closely with executive producer Timbaland, and help his father LA to recruit producer StarGate.
He gushed: "Michael Jackson is my favorite artist of all time. With this project, I got to carry on his legacy and even contribute to it. There's nothing like it."
Timbaland's right hand man Jerome "Jroc" Harmon and Michael's long-time producer Rodney Jerkins are set to produce eight songs for the album which is released on May 13, while Guitarist Jesse Johnson - best known as a member of the Time - and drummer Questlove will also play on the album.

Bob Dylan's handwritten lyrics for 'Like a Rolling Stone' will be auctioned in June.
The 72-year-old star's scribbled ideas for the 1965 hit single are to be sold at Sotheby's rock and pop music auction in New York on June 24 and are expected to sell for up to $1 million, according to BBC news.
The lyrics, about a debutante who becomes a loner when she's excluded from upper-class social circles, are written on four sheets of paper that feature the letterhead for the Roger Smith Hotel in Washington, D.C, in the United States.
Dylan - who was just 24-years-old when he recorded the track - drew rough sketches of a fedora hat, a high heeled shoe and a bird alongside the verses, "How does it feel to be on your own" and "No direction home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone".
Richard Austin, head of books and music at Sotheby's in New York, said: "You can see how much work he put into it. There is a real feel of immediacy.
"Before the release of 'Like a Rolling Stone', music charts were overrun with short and sweet love songs, many clocking in at three minutes or less.
"By defying convention with six and a half minutes of dark, brooding poetry, Dylan rewrote the rules of pop music."
The legendary musician and singer-songwriter reportedly sold the lyrics to a friend and business associate three years ago who has now put them up for auction along with a note from Dylan's lawyer verifying their authenticity.

Pet Shop Boys are to open a string of boutique hotels.
The electronic pop duo are hoping to unveil a string of simple accommodations as part of their plan to expand on their own brand, X2, a record label they set up following their departure from EMI Records after 28 years.
Chris Lowe told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Once you have your own logo, you start thinking the sky's the limit. Perfumes? Underpants? We've already decided we're going into hotels. Ours will be a basic range, like the White Company, nothing fancy."
Neil Tennant revealed they were inspired to buy their own estates after watching a series of property shows on television.
He explained: "The TV was on all the time when we were recording our latest album. I quite like 'Escape to the Country' actually."
Meanwhile, the 'West End Girls' hitmakers are set to unveil orchestral arrangements of their most famous hits at the BBC Proms on July 23, in addition to a piece inspired by wartime codebreaker, Alan Turing.
In a statement, the duo said: "It is an honour for us to be invited to present some new music at the Proms and to celebrate Alan Turing 60 years after his death."
Paloma Faith is also on the bill for the two-month festival, which takes place at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall from July 18.

Mariah Carey has named her new album 'Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse'.
The 44-year-old singer has announced the "personal" title for her 14th studio album, which will be released next month.
'The Elusive Chanteuse' is Mariah's latest nickname for herself, following previous monikers such as 'Mimi' and 'MC'.
The '#Beautiful' hitmaker says 'Me. I Am Mariah' is one of her most personal records to date as it chronicles the "peaks and valleys that have made who I am today".
The back cover of the album features a sweet drawing Mariah created when she was just three years old.
In a YouTube video announcing the title, the high-octave diva refers to the drawing as her "first and only self-portrait".
She explained: "It was a creative visualisation of how I saw myself, with the purity of a child's heart before it was ever broken."
The then three-year-old Mariah captioned the picture by scribbling, 'Me. I Am Mariah', which inspired the first half of her album title.
Mariah's latest album has suffered numerous setbacks after originally being set for release last year, following the success of her Miguel-assisted summer smash '#Beautiful'.
Two further singles, 'The Art of Letting Go' - which was also the album's original title - and 'You're Mine (Eternal)', were released but stalled in the charts.
The record will feature collaborations with Nas, Wale, Fabolous and even the singer's three-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan.

Mariah Carey's 'Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse' tracklisting:

1. Cry.
2. Faded
3. Dedicated (feat. Nas)
4. #Beautiful (feat. Miguel)
5. Thirsty
6. Make It Look Good
7. You're Mine (Eternal)
8. You Don't Know What To Do (feat. Wale)
9. Supernatural (with special guest stars "Dembabies" a.k.a. Ms. Monroe & Mr. Moroccan Scott Cannon a.k.a. Roc 'N Roe)
10. Meteorite
11. Camouflage
12. Money ($ * / ...) (feat. Fabolous)
13. One More Try
14. Heavenly (No Ways Tired/Can't Give Up Now)

Metallica are to headline Glastonbury festival.
The 'Enter Sandman' hitmakers are set to be announced as topping the bill at Worthy Farm, Somerset, South West England on the second night of the iconic music event this June, The Sun newspaper reports.
The group will join Arcade Fire and Kasabian in closing a night at the festival.
Although many have expressed surprise at the decision to have a heavy metal act headline the festival, revellers don't think it matters too much who is chosen to perform on the main stage as the event offers so much choice.
Festivalgoer Philip Dore of Cardiff, Wales, said: "I'm sure there'll be the usual whinging about how they're 'not a Glastonbury act', just like when Jay-Z headlined [in 2008].
"You know what? Never mind the haters. If people don't like Metallica, there's plenty of other acts on other stages. Who on earth is going to say, 'Oh no, I'm at Glasto on Saturday night, and I don't like Metallica! I wish I'd brought a book?' "
And Pete Fellows, of London, added: "I find it bizarre that people complain about the Pyramid headliners, there are dozens of other stages."
Organiser Michael Eavis recently teased the Saturday headliner will be "one of the biggest selling bands" in the world.
He said: "We are expecting to announce the full line-up at the beginning of May and everything is now in place. We are more than happy with the calibre of the acts and the headliner on Saturday will be one of the biggest-selling bands in the world at the moment."
Meanwhile, the dairy farmer also revealed extensive work has gone into improving the much-maligned toilet facilities at the festival.
He told the Bristol Post newspaper: "The toilets are really important for people and we work really hard to get them right. I have come up with a new design which we are calling the long drop mark three. We tried them out last year and they seemed to work well so we are increasing the number of them."
Glastonbury 2014 takes place between 27 and 29 June. Tickets for the event have already sold out.

Pharrell Williams claims his hit 'Happy' was originally recorded by Cee Lo Green and his version was better.
The 'Get Lucky' hitmaker, whose released the song, which features on his new album 'G I R L', claims he gave the track to Cee Lo but the "powers that be" decided it wasn't right for him to release it.
In an interview with Howard Stern for his US radio show, Pharrell said: "[Cee Lo Green] wanted to do it .. and he did do it. He sounded amazing on it. He burns my version! But ... how do I say this diplomatically? The powers that be, at the time, did not see it fit for him. Some folks on his team just felt that the priority should be on [Cee Lo's] album at the time [2012's 'Cee Lo's Magic Moment'], so they elected not to do that song."
'Happy' found success on the soundtrack 'Despicable Me 2' before appearing on Pharrell's album and the singer insists Cee Lo wasn't bitter about it being a chart success.
He added: "There was a much bigger agenda for [Cee Lo], he had an album to put out.
"It's not his fault - he was totally down with it .. He was one of the most gracious people about it when 'Happy' came out."

Wilko Johnson has cancelled shows to have radical cancer surgery.
The former Dr Feelgood guitarist has had a major operation in an attempt to treat his pancreatic cancer, after he was given 10 months to live when he rejected chemotherapy, and has had to cancel 14 shows in May and July.
A source told the BBC: "Doctors are hopeful that following the surgery the prognosis for Wilko will be positive."
The 66-year-old musician defied the doctors' predictions and he has now had his "football-sized" tumour removed as well as his pancreas, spleen and part of his stomach.
He had 14 gigs scheduled which have been scrapped to allow him time to recover from the operation.
A representative said: "Dr Feelgood legend Wilko Johnson has today reluctantly had to cancel all of his public engagements.
"Wilko, currently riding high in the UK album chart with the Roger Daltrey collaboration 'Going Back Home', has sought further advice about his pancreatic cancer and as a result has undergone a medical procedure that will see him out of action for the foreseeable future."
The star gave an interview to Tony Parsons for GQ magazine before the operation and spoke of his friend's shock at how he was still alive.
He said: "A friend of mine - who is both a photographer and a cancer doctor - became curious as to why I wasn't dead. And why I wasn't even sick."

Kurt Cobain called wife Courtney Love a "bitch with zits" in a note which was found in his wallet after he committed suicide.
The handwritten message, which has been released by Seattle police 20 years after the Nirvana singer's death, mocks their marriage vows.
It reads: "Do you Kurt Cobain take Courtney Michelle Love to be your lawful shredded wife. Even when she's a bitch with zits and siphoning all yr money for doping and whoring.' (sic)"
The note was published by CBS and was discovered by police in his wallet following his suicide in 1994.
It is not known if Kurt's comments are sincere or sarcastic but in his official suicide note, the rocker refers to Courtney as "a goddess of a wife who sweats with ambition and empathy".
He calls on his widow, with whom he has 21-year-old daughter Frances Bean, to "please keep going" and to look after their daughter, telling her "Frances and Courtney, I'll be at your alter [sic] ... [Frances's] life ... will be so much happier without me."
A recent re-investigation into the suicide of the 27-year-old singer, who shot himself, did not uncover any new evidence that changed the initial findings.
The investigation found Kurt, who was found dead on April 8 1994 with a shotgun wound to his head, had committed suicide three days before he was discovered, on April 5, at his home on Lake Washington Boulevard.