Music News

Blur insist their new album is their best yet and should "surely" outsell Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran.
The Britpop group - made up of vocalist Damon Albarn, guitarist and vocalist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree - announced their first studio album, 'The Magic Whip', in 12 years yesterday (19.02.15) and insist they wouldn't have released a record if they didn't think it was good enough for today's charts.
Damon said: "Surely acts like Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran can't possibly sell as many records as us this late into their records' lives, can they?
"Our album is a decent record and we really wouldn't be putting it out after such a long hiatus and stuck our necks out if we didn't believe in it.
"It has to be one of our best records, if not our best record."
The group started to record their new album in Hong Kong in 2013 after gigs were cancelled and they enjoyed having the creative freedom they used to have when they started out in the music industry, but Damon admitted he was "nervous" to hear the record for the first time.
Graham said: "We threw everything at it in five days in Hong Kong, so there was a lot.
"But it was like the early recordings, when we were left alone and had no one breathing down our necks. We could just be creative. Every stage was really nerve-racking though."
Damon added to The Sun newspaper: "The most important thing is that the stuff we recorded in Hong Kong was magical.
"Graham came and said, 'I'd like to take this recording and knock it into shape'. It was a nervous moment when he played it to me.
"I thought, 'Oh s**t!' because it was really good and this sort of thing doesn't happen very often in life, so I couldn't really say no. As soon as I got the bit between my teeth I was back."
Blur were also pleased they managed to keep their album comeback a secret, and Damon was particularly proud that Gorillaz artist Jamie Hewlett didn't have a clue.
He explained: "It's so hard to keep anything quiet these days but nobody snitched. The best bit was when Jamie started posting new pictures of Gorillaz and he didn't know either!"
During yesterday's album announcement, Damon admitted the group can't wait to try out some of their new tracks from 'The Magic Whip' - which is released on April 27 - when they headline a British Summer Time gig at London's Hyde Park later this year.
The London-born singer said: "On this occasion we will have a whole new set of things to get excited about so we'll have even more music.
"I love it [playing in Hyde Park] because I can cycle to work!"

The Libertines say it feels "good to be back in the studio".
The band - made up of Carl Barat, John Hassall, Gary Powell and Pete Doherty - have recently been working on the follow-up to their self-titled 2004 album in Thailand and are pleased with how it is progressing.
Carl told BANG Showbiz: "Yeah great. I've been in Thailand and we were all together before that. It's just good to be back in the studio making music.
"We've got a few more demos we've got to do but we'll record some of it in Thailand and some in a different mystery location."
However, although they have been working on tracks in the Southeast Asian country as it is where Pete, 35, is in rehab for heroin addiction, they revealed the final recordings for their third LP may not be made in the country, with John keen to make a more upbeat album on the Mediterranean party island Ibiza, at some point in the future.
He continued: "It's not definitely going to be recorded in Thailand, but I think Thailand's a great place, a very relaxed place. The thing was Pete was at a centre there, and we all went out to visit him and then we were a bit jealous, so we thought, 'We need to get out here and make a record.'"
John added: "I think we should do it in Ibiza. Maybe we'll make our next break-up record in Ibiza."
And while they are scheduled to appear at a number of festivals including T in the Park and Ibiza Rocks this summer, Carl believes it is unlikely Pete will return to the UK full time in the foreseeable future.
He added: "We've got a bunch of festivals, we're excited about that, getting back together again and getting on with it. The last festival we did was such a joy, and writing the new stuff has been a joy.
"Apart from popping back for UK shows, I think he's staying out there for a while."

Markus Feehily has released his debut solo single.
The former Westlife singer unveiled his new track 'Your Love Is A Drug,' which was co-written and produced by Mojam, online today (19.02.15) following an 18-month break from the industry.
The 34-year-old star said of the song: "I've always had another side to me that no-one's heard or seen before."
The single is expected to be the first of many for Markus, who is planning to release his debut solo album later this year.
The Irish hunk is hoping to use his past experiences as a member of the well-known band, which split in 2012 after selling over 50 million records worldwide, to benefit his future career.
He explained: "I'm so thankful for my past and the incredible experiences it gave me but now, looking to the future, I'm excited by the prospect of creating and sharing music that comes from within. Songs that I've written about experiences that I've had - soulful, autobiographical pop music."
The news that Markus is launching a solo career comes just weeks after he revealed he has his own catering business.
Speaking to Breakfast Republic presenter Jennifer Maguire on 2FM recently, he said: "I have lots of other interests outside music, I really love festivals and that's probably what started the whole thing. It's a business, I like to keep myself busy.
"You can't be in the studio all day everyday because you can wear down your creative side. It was just an idea we had when we were drinking cocktails in the back garden one summer. Now we have a business and it's going really well."

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson has tongue cancer.
The 56-year-old rocker has undergone seven weeks of chemotherapy and radiology after a small tumour was discovered at the back of his mouth during a routine check-up last December.
A statement on the band's official website reads: "As the tumour was caught in the early stages, the prognosis thankfully is extremely good. Bruce's medical team fully expect him to make a complete recovery with the all clear envisaged by late May."
Despite the positive prognosis, the group predict it will take Bruce a little while to completely recover from his bout of ill health and have asked their fans to respect his privacy at this time.
The statement continued: "It will take a further few months for Bruce to get back to full fitness.
"In the meantime we would ask for your patience, understanding and respect for Bruce and his family's privacy until we update everyone by the end of May. Bruce is doing very well considering the circumstances and the whole team are very positive."
Meanwhile, the heavy metal band - comprised of Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Sith, Nicko McBrain and Janick Gers - finished a three-year world tour last July and hinted during their headline slot at the Sonisphere Festival in Hertfordshire, England, last year that a new album could be on its way.

Blur have announced the release of their first album in 11 years.
The rock band - made up of vocalist Damon Albarn, guitarist and vocalist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree - first started working on the record, entitled 'The Magic Whip', while they toured in Asia last year, but the group didn't decide for some time that it would become their eighth studio album.
Damon, 46, said: "We had some downtime, we had a cancellation when we were in Hong Kong, so we thought we'd put five or six days to good use.
"We just went in there and knocked about loads of ideas.
"Nothing happened after that. And I said, 'I really don't think anything's going to happen.'"
Graham, 45, added: "It was casual and just something we did off our own backs and I thought it would be great to let it ferment and go back and have a look."
The news comes shortly after the 'Parklife' hitmakers' new album cover was released online. The sleeve shows a neon ice cream cone between Chinese lettering which reads 'Blur' and 'The Magic Whip'.
Damon said of the artwork: "It's in simplified Chinese characters. On the left it says Blur and on the right it says 'The Magic Whip'."
He added that the rockers are looking forward to playing tracks from the new album, which is out April 27, when they headline Hyde Park's British Summertime later this year.
The London-born singer said: "On this occasion we will have a whole new set of things to get excited about so we'll have even more music.
"I love it [playing in Hyde Park] because I can cycle to work!"

'The Magic Whip' tracklist:
'Lonesome Street'
'New World Towers'
'Go Out'
'Ice Cream Man'
'Thought I Was A Spaceman'
'I Broadcast'
'My Terracotta Heart'
'There Are Too Many Of Us'
'Ghost Ship'
'Pyongyang'
'Ong Ong'
'Mirrorball'

Mary J Blige made a surprise appearance in London, leaving one of her superfans speechless.
Rana Otemro from Watford, south England, thought she had won one of just thirty tickets to watch a special live-streamed performance by the 'Right Now' hitmaker at Village Underground in Shoreditch, east London but was surprised when the singer - who was supposedly in New York - appeared from behind the curtain.
Rana said: "[It was] the best moment of my life. Mary J Blige is my icon - her music is so honest and real. When she appeared in front of my eyes, I had to turn around and check that my friends were seeing the same thing as me - I really couldn't believe it.
"The moment that she asked me to come up on stage as she sang was incredible."
Mary - who performed her song 'Nobody But You' before inviting the excited Rana onto stage with her - was happy to surprise someone who had offered her years of support.
She said: "My fans inspire me to make music, they are the reason I do what I do. It was amazing to be part of this experience and surprise someone who has dedicated so much support to me - I have never surprised a fan on this scale before.
"It was also great to be back in London after recording my most recent album here."
Mary surprised her superfan as part of MasterCard's Priceless Surprises campaign in the support of the 2015 BRIT Awards.
Other artists including Paloma Faith, the Kaiser Chiefs and Usher have also been lined up to give their fans the surprise of their lifetime.
To see more details on the surprise, visit pricelesssurprises.co.uk.

Kasabian's Tom Meighan insists the BRIT Awards don't matter.
The band's frontman claims he isn't bothered about being snubbed by the annual awards ceremony - which will take place next Wednesday (25.02.15) at London's O2 Arena - and said he'd prefer to stay at home and perform for his two-year-old daughter, Mimi.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz at the NME Awards in London on Wednesday (18.02.15), he said: "My favourite awards show is playing the guitar at home for my daughter."
The 34-year-old rocker - who features in the band along with Sergio Pizzorno, Chris Edwards and Ian Matthews - continued to say he doesn't care about winning awards for the band's music because he just wants to have a happy and healthy family.
He continued: "Mate, it's like I've been saying, the BRITs don't matter. The things that matter are your health, your family and that you're OK. Awards mean whatever it is, what people aspire to."
When the nominations for the BRIT Awards were announced last month, Sergio spoke out about the snub by calling it "a conspiracy ... to shut rock 'n' roll out," and although Tom no longer feels bothered about being ignored by the ceremony, he added he is disappointed other rock bands aren't speaking up with similar comments to support the genre.
He said: "It's sad really that we're the spokespeople for rock 'n' roll, you got to remember me and Serge are 34 years old, what does that mean?"

Shaun Ryder wants to write songs for Taylor Swift and One Direction.
The Happy Monday singer - who has six children from three relationships, including three with current wife Joanne - claims he doesn't know much about the current music scene apart from what his younger daughters are listening to but he does think the 'Shake It Off' hitmaker in particular is "f***ing great".
He told BANG Showbiz: "I haven't really got a clue about what's out, it's not that it's rubbish I just don't listen to it. I do listen to Miley Cyrus and all that, whatever seven-year-old kids are listening to.
"And I listen to the other one, the country and western singer, Taylor Swift, she's f***ing great. I'd write a song for her. I'll write one especially for Taylor Swift, and One Direction, absolutely, why not."
The 'Step On' hitmaker - who presented the Best Dancefloor Filler award, which went to Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX for 'Fancy', at last night's (18.02.15) NME Awards - is currently focusing on his own career and is looking forward to celebrating his group's seminal album 'Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches' 25th anniversary this year.
However, he admits their life on the road is much different now to when the record was first released.
Speaking at the awards, he said: "This year we're celebrating 25 years of 'Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches', there's a tour in November and December, we're going everywhere. I'm sure the rider will be different this time round. We don't have a bus anymore, we have a mini-van and a driver!"

Charli XCX believes people have become "ready to accept" her.
The 'Boom Clap' hitmaker released her debut major label album 'True Romance' in 2013 but doesn't think the general public liked her music at the time because people expected different things from pop music.
Speaking at the NME Awards with Austin, Texas, at the Brixton O2 Academy in London, she told BANG Showbiz: "I think it's happening now because pop music changed and people became more ready to accept me. And I got better (laughs)! I feel like I made a record that has connected with people, you know?"
The 22-year-old singer recently released her new album 'Sucker' and admitted while the last few months have been a "whirlwind," she is ready for fame, and is hoping to capitalise on her success by recording more music and playing more shows.
She said: "I'm going to spend this year making more music and touring. I'm doing my first ever tour of the UK at the end of March ... Hopefully over the next year I'll be able to take stock of everything, but not right now, I've sort of been on a bit of a whirlwind. But I did a lot of sitting back waiting for this moment, so no I'm just ready to go."
The star - who performed her single 'Doing It' at the event - picked up the Dancefloor Filler Award for her hit collaboration with Iggy Azalea, 'Fancy', with other winners during the evening including Kasabian, Jimmy Page and Royal Blood.