Music News

Biffy Clyro's next album is "very danceable".
The 'Black Chandelier' hitmakers are using computers to make music for the first time and say their forthcoming seventh album marks a change in direction for the Scottish rockers.
Drummer Ben Johnston said: "It's early days, but a couple of new songs we're recording are sounding very danceable.
"We're thinking of shaking up the way we write - all of us coming up with ideas on our computers and swapping them around. It'll be the first time we've really used computers to write.
"While I'm sure we'll create a few more big rock songs, it'll be good to see what new sounds we conjure up too."
The group - whose last album 'Opposites' topped the UK charts - are ready to "start afresh" with their music and have promised to surprise fans with what they come up with.
Ben told the Daily Star newspaper: "We think of our albums as two different trilogies, and 'Opposites' was number six. It's time to start afresh, and some songs we've worked on are very different.
"Some songs are dark - they sound like black metal."
The 'Many of Horror' rockers headlined the Isle of Wight festival alongside Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kings of Leon at the weekend but didn't think it was the right time to showcase any of their new songs.
Ben explained: "A festival wasn't the place to try out new songs on people who wanted to dance to old favourites."

Kasabian's Serge Pizzorno is having the "best month" of his life.
The band's guitarist is over the moon after the success of their latest album '48:13' - which has just topped the UK Albums Chart - as well as their upcoming homecoming gig in Leicester and a headline slot at Glastonbury at the end of the month.
Serge gushed: "This is the best month of my life. The album [going to number one], the Leicester gig, headlining Glastonbury, the World Cup is on ... it's a huge time.
"What we've made, we're really proud. It's our fifth record and to be number one at this stage, it's massive. People keep telling me rock music is dead but I won't believe it.
"I want us to try to help make kids pick up guitars and get out there."
Serge and his bandmates, Tom Meighan, Chris Edwards and Ian Matthews, are set to play to a sold-out crowd in their hometown of Leicester this weekend and have promised an exciting surprise for the 35,000-strong crowd which will include their friends and family.
The rocker told The Sun newspaper: "We are planning something huge - I would tell you but I don't want to ruin the surprise. We've got a massive entrance planned.
"The buzz around the city already is amazing. It's dawning on us what we've done in bringing a gig like that to a city that has never really seen anything quite like it."

Cher Lloyd has taken up knitting.
The 20-year-old singer, who has been on a two year hiatus after achieving success in America, has been spending her spare time creating knitted scarves.
Speaking to Heat radio after her set at the Isle of Wight Festival, she said: "I've recently taken up knitting. I knit scarves and blankets but that's as far as I'm at as the patterns are confusing me. I knit, I watch 'EastEnders' and do my knitting ... it's relaxing."
The 'I Wish' star admits she didn't initially plan to take so much time out of the industry but felt she had a lot of maturing to do after finding success on ITV talent show 'The X Factor' in 2010.
She said: "I've been away two years and I'm a new person. I packed my bag for two weeks but have come back two years later.
"I realised I had a lot of growing up to do, and it's the best thing I could have done. I needed to do a lot of growing up ... I was a brat when I was on 'The X Factor'. I was a teenager with all those hormones going on but I was doing it in front of millions."
She added: "Everyone had an opinion [about me], I've even annoyed myself. I'm back and I'm better now."
Cher is going head-to-head in a chart battle with 'X Factor' mentor Cheryl Cole with her new single 'Sirens' out on July 20, the same day as Cheryl releases 'Crazy Stupid Love'.
Cher said: "I didn't realise it was out on the same day. She was my 'X Factor' mentor! I cannot think of a better person to ask for advice now we are back.
"We're not in touch but I would like to speak to her. We had an amazing experience together, I hope she feels the same."
Cher is also glad to see Cheryl back on 'The X Factor' panel with Simon Cowell and admits she would like to meet up with her record label boss.
She added: "Not over dinner though, that's too formal. That's not me. Despite the rumours ... I'm still signed to Syco!"

Mr Hudson wanted Idris Elba's fictional character Luther on his new track.
The singer-songwriter - who is signed to Kanye West's record label GOOD Music - became determined to enlist the actor-and-DJ on his comeback song, 'Step Into the Shadows', after watching him in hit British detective drama 'Luther'.
He said: "I made a decision on this album. I said I'm not going to make that American-orientated record. I thought, 'Who is the most quintessentially London person?' And I just thought Luther!
"I didn't know Idris ... I thought, 'I want Luther on this record.' I'd got back to London, watching these DVDs, and I thought, 'I want that guy, he'd suit the record.'
"I hit him up and he came to the studio the next day."
Mr Hudson, who released his debut album 'Straight No Chaser' in 2009, also revealed his decision to make a grittier, British-sounding album was supported by his American label boss, Kanye.
He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I think he's always just wanted me to do what I do. A snail's got to leave its trail; you've to follow your heart. I think he's always liked it when I've scared myself creatively and when I do something he hasn't heard before - that's why he signed me.
"Hopefully, the next record, I'll still have the luxury of going to America with the GOOD Music guys, but right now, I wanted to make a London statement."
Mr Hudson has collaborated with drinks brand Smirnoff on their new #SMIRNOFFMIXIT campaign. Linking the ingredients, flavours and methods used to create cocktails to a series of sounds, drum patterns and melodies, Mr Hudson produced a musical interpretation of drinks including the Moscow Mule, Bloody Mary and Caipiroska.
Listen to the tracks by visiting http://bit.ly/1pOrDaQ.

Clean Bandit recorded their debut album in a church.
The 'Rather Be' hitmakers claim they "borrowed" the place of worship, located in Holborn, London, from a reverend for an hour in order to finish their studio collection 'New Eyes'.
Bass player Jack Patterson told the Belfast Telegraph newspaper: "We did it [recorded the debut album] in a church in Holborn, London. We asked the reverend if we could just borrow it for an hour before a service and just blasted it all out. The acoustics were amazing.
"'New Eyes' is our first album but in many ways it feels like our second, we just didn't record the first one."
The electronic group - also consisting of Luke Patterson, Grace Chatto and Milan Neil Amin-Smith - have collaborated with a number of artists on their new album, but recently admitted that they would love Craig David to come out of retirement and sing a track with them.
Speaking of the 'Re-Rewind' singer, whose last album 'Signed Sealed Delivered' was released nearly four years ago, Grace said previously: "Craig David is the singer we'd love to work with most. It's controversial, maybe, but he's got a great voice. We're big into that old UK garage sound and Craig was the best."

Arcade Fire covered a rare Smiths track on Saturday (07.06.14) night.
The 'Ready to Start' hitmakers sang 'London' - the b-side of the 12" release of the 1987 single 'Shoplifters of the World Unite' - during their second show at London's Earls Court, much to the delight of the assembled crowd.
The US group turned the vast venue - which was sold out on both nights - into a giant discotheque featuring spotlights and glitter balls, while their upbeat, career-spanning set was backed by a dazzling array of dancers, including skeletons, masked men and women and a dancing mirror man.
Ahead of the encore, the 'fake' Reflektors bobblehead band took to the second stage in the venue to play a cover of The Beatles' 'Helter Skelter' before being played off by the band with 'Normal Person'.
During the first show at the venue on Friday (06.06.14), the group were joined by Echo and the Bunnymen's Ian McCulloch for a rendition of his band's hit 'The Cutter'.

Arcade Fire played:

'Reflektor'
'Flashbulb Eyes'
'Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)'
'Rebellion (Lies)'
'Joan of Arc'
'Month of May'
'We Exist'
'The Suburbs'
'Ready to Start'
'Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)'
'Intervention'
'No Cars Go'
'Haïti'
'Afterlife'
'It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus)'
'Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)'
'Helter Skelter'
'Normal Person'
'London'
'Here Comes the Night Time'
'Wake Up'

Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/arcade-fire/77779#EAffKf33Mty2jVsF.99

Passenger claim the only thing don't like about Ed Sheeran is his love of lego.
The 'Let Her Go' band, who are back with new album 'Whispers', share many interests with Ed and have worked closely together in the studio, but they insist his toy collection isn't for them.
Mike Rosenberg told the Daily Star newspaper: "I love Ed to bits.
"We enjoy having a few beers together and catching up over dinner. But I usually nip off before the Lego comes out. He's a big fan - I'm not."
Despite not wanting to build a lego castle with the 'Sing' hitmaker, Mike owes his chart-topping pal, 23, a debt after he worked on the smash hit 'Let Her Go' and helped the band to achieve global fame.
Mike, 30, said: "We've done a lot of touring together.
"He played an enormous role in getting 'Let Her Go' heard and pushing Passenger over the line. We do a bit of writing together too.
"But even if I didn't have him to thank I would love Ed as a bloke because he is one of the most talented artists in the world."
Meanwhile, Ed is celebrating after achieving his first number one with his new track 'Sing' at the weekend, which is taken from the star's upcoming second album 'x'.
Ed said: "It's nice to finally have a number one in my home country. Thank you to everyone who supported the single for making this happen."
Passenger's new album is out now.

Pulp's Jarvis Cocker thinks Metallica's forthcoming headline appearance at Glastonbury could be "a bit abrasive".
The frontman has voiced his concerns about the metal act topping the bill at Worthy Farm later this month and thinks the band are an "interesting choice" but isn't convinced their performance would sit well with festival goers' "fragile" state.
Speaking to BBC 5 Live, he said: "They've probably not had much sleep and they've been indulging in certain things.
"So the main thing is to be a vague, warm, friendly presence. "Whether a full-borne rendition of 'Enter Sandman' is going to fill those criteria I don't know."
Pulp headlined the event in 1995 when The Stone Roses had to pull out and Jarvis will be back at the festival this year to take to the decks for a DJ set.
Metallica recently defended their upcoming Glastonbury performance, with drummer Lars Ulrich saying there's a point where the criticism directed at them "becomes ridiculous."
However, an online petition to ban the act from Glastonbury has been launched by animal rights activists and more than 30,000 followers have joined the page on Facebook.
The petition - entitled 'Remove Metallica from Glastonbury festival for their support of bear hunting' - already has more than 22,000 'likes' on the site.
Singer and guitarist James Hetfield, who is an avid hunter and member of America's National Rifle Association, is set to narrate an eight-part series called 'The Hunt' on the History Channel, which focuses on the killing of Kodiak brown bears in Alaska.
The petition was set up following the announcement and many regular festival-goers also feel the band's music isn't in keeping with Glastonbury, which is traditionally a 'hippy' event.

One Direction have thanked their fans for an "unforgettable" weekend of gigs at Wembley Stadium.
The 'Midnight Memories' hitmakers performed their third consecutive date at the London venue last night (08.06.14) as part of the 'Where We Are Tour' and were overwhelmed by the reaction from fans after they played to about 80,000 people each night.
Louis Tomlinson took to Twitter to tell fans he and how grateful he was for the opportunity to play the iconic venue.
He posted: "We will never forget this weekend ! Thank you so much for making it happen. Eternally grateful !! (sic)"
Harry Styles also tweeted: "Thank you so much Wembley. To everyone who spent their evening with us... You were on another level. Thank you for having us .x (sic)"
According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, the band - including Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik - had the audience singing along last night to their hit 'Little Things' and Liam said: "That was the loudest 'Little Things' sing along ever."
He added: "I can't believe I'm in Wembley stadium in the middle of the pitch.
"If there was a moment I could bottle forever, this would be it."
All the boys have been gushing about their performances at the venue, which are their biggest gigs to date, and Niall previously tweeted: "Wembley was just out of this world last night ! everything about it was great! Can't wait t do it all again tonight ! (sic)"
Meanwhile, Zayn, 21, and Louis, 22, are trying to get past their recent drugs drama after being filmed smoking a cannabis-laced cigarette while on tour in Peru.
The pair were seen joking about drugs and being caught by the police in the back of a bus.