Music News

Ian Anderson insists his record making it into the Top 20 in the charts doesn't mean anything to him.
The Jethro Tull frontman, whose recent album 'Homo Erraticus' reached number 14 in the UK Album Charts, admits he doesn't care about doing well in the charts, although it's nice to "pop in" to let people know he's still around.
He told BANG Showbiz: "Charts are just not my thing. It doesn't mean anything to me at all, quite frankly.
"Of course, what it's about is a loyal group of fans rushing out to buy the album as soon as it's made available to them.
"And I thoroughly appreciate the anxiousness to acquire it before anybody else does, but it will be a short-lived chart position. After some 45 years, I know for sure [it will be]."
But the 66-year-old flutist and singer thanked his team for working hard to promote the record, his highest-charting album since Jethro Tull's 'Songs From The Wood' in 1977 and his highest charting solo album to date.
He continued: "People working with me on the promotion of the album have worked very, very hard to do their best to let people know it's coming out."
Ian claims he doesn't plan to use the Jethro Tull name much in the future and prefers to use his own name for concerts and albums.
He said: "It's a brand name, I own the copyright, but it's not something I'd choose to use very often.
"If it was 'The Best of Jethro Tull' concert, that broad selection of historical music, then there would be justification.
"But I prefer to use my own name [now] in the twilight years before I snuff it. I'd rather people got used to me as the guy on the ticket."

Chris Martin has praised One Direction.
The Coldplay frontman described the 'Kiss You' hitmakers as "brilliant" and admits he is a big fan of the pop group - which is comprised of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson - during an in-depth a BBC Radio 1 interview with Zane Lowe, due to air next Monday (28.04.14).
Chris says: "I'm saying One Direction are brilliant. I'm not kidding."
This isn't the first time that Chris has gushed about his love for the teen heartthrobs, as he covered the band's debut hit, 'What Makes You Beautiful' during a concert in Florida two years ago and recently told a contestant that they should use Harry as inspiration during his appearance on 'The Voice' USA earlier this month.
During the Q&A the 'Magic' singer also alludes to the recent upheaval in his personal life following his separation from his wife Gwyneth Paltrow.
He says: "Everyone in their live goes through their challenges - whether it's love or money or kids or illness."
Meanwhile, Coldplay have been announced as the headline act for Radio 1's Big Weekender in Glasgow, Scotland
The free-ticketed festival, will run on Saturday May 24 and Sunday May 25, with the band performing on the Saturday night.
The group will also release their sixth studio album 'Ghost Stories' on May 19.

Avril Lavigne has defended her new music video for the track 'Hello Kitty' claiming it is not racist.
The 29-year-old pop star released the promo, on Tuesday (22.04.14), which sees her singing Japanese phrases surrounded by an group of Asian dancers, but it was later deleted due to the controversial content, and now the singer insists the video was specifically for Japanese fans.
Avril took to Twitter today (24.04.14) to defend the video, posting: "RACIST??? LOLOLOL!!! I love Japanese culture and I spend half of my time in Japan. I flew to Tokyo to shoot this video ... specifically for my Japanese fans, WITH my Japanese label, Japanese choreographers AND a Japanese director IN Japan. (sic)"
The clip has since reappeared on YouTube today and has received hundreds of 'dislikes' in terms of its disapproval rating, while Billboard slammed the "trainwreck" video for its "Japan fetishisation".
The publication called Avril out for "parading around with four identical, creepily expressionless Asian women ... performing mind-numbingly generic dance moves, in locales like a bedroom, a candy store and a street."
But fans took to Twitter to defend the promo, with one posting: "They don't understand that a large majority of your fanbase is Japanese. THEY'RE the racist ones for calling it "weird" ! (sic)"

Rita Ora wants her new album to be a "work of art".
The 23-year-old singer, who recently unveiled 'I Will Never Let You Down' as the first single from her second studio effort, is eager to create a timeless piece of work with her new record and was more concerned with recording songs she felt strongly about rather than lining up big collaborations.
She explained: "It's got a lot of honest truth. It wasn't about collaborations for me - this album was about a work of art and a body of work from Rita. Everyone on the record is there for a reason.
"We have some great producers: DJ Mustard, Diplo's on there.
"I got the honour of seeing Prince work his magic in Paisley Park in Minneapolis. I honestly have to say it was probably one of the best experiences of my life. I want his whole wardrobe! He wrote this incredible poem that I've turned into a song."
Rita also says the laidback vibe of her video for 'I Will Never Let You Down' is reflective of her attitude on the album, which she claims is more liberating than her first record.
She added to Fuse TV: "I didn't want to think too much about it. I just wanted a couple of hot girls and wanted to just dress up and dance on the streets and basically feel free. That's what this album was about and that is what the video was about."

Slipknot's Paul Gray was being prescribed Xanax in the weeks leading up to his death.
Doctor Daniel Baldi is on trial for the death of the group's bassist, who overdosed in May 2010, along with eight others, after allegedly giving him the drug despite his history of addiction.
A court heard on Tuesday (22.04.14), the musician spent his final weeks in a "blur" of extreme drug abuse which could have been prevented.
Paul's widow, Brenna Gray, questioned why Doctor Baldi was continuing to prescribe him the anti-anxiety drug when he was an addict in a downward spiral.
According to the Des Moines Register, she told the court: "I just knew it was his drug of choice, that he'd struggled with it.
"So I just wasn't really sure why he was on it, why he needed it along with the medication he was taking for addiction."
Brenna claimed she had showed his doctor photographs of Paul after he'd passed out in the hope he would take his drug abuse seriously and insists she tried to get his Slipknot band mates to stage an intervention but "none offered to help."
She made the claims during testimony at the trial at Polk County District Court in Iowa, after her husband was found dead at an Urbandale motel due to an overdose of prescription drugs morphine and fentanyl, which Baldi did not prescribe.
He denies nine counts of involuntary manslaughter and his lawyer claims he didn't prescribe the drugs that caused the deaths.

Robert Plant has ruled out a reunion show with Led Zeppelin.
The legendary frontman claims there is "zero" chance the band will come together for a live performance anytime soon, but guitarist Jimmy Page is confident fans would be keen for another show.
Jimmy told the BBC: "I'm sure people would love to hear it. I'm not the one to be asking, I don't sing."
The comments will come as a disappointment for fans who had hoped the group - also made up of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones - would do a repeat of their last big show at the 02 in December 2007, where they were joined by drummer Jason Bonham, son of the band's late John Bonham.
Meanwhile, the band are set to unveil a string of unheard tracks and early recordings when they reissue their first three albums on June 7.
Jimmy explained he felt "reassured" listening back to the group's early recordings, as he mused: "It's undeniable that we're good, the band was the real deal."
He also promised there will be "lots of surprises" on the reissues when the group's final three albums are re-released in 2015.

Lily Allen asks for the pop crown in the video for her new track 'Sheezus'.
The 'Hard Out Here' singer, who is about to release her new album 'Sheezus' after a four-year hiatus, appears in the new promo for the title track under a blue light, wearing a hoodie and gold chain with glowing eyes, as she sings about wanting to be number one in the pop world.
In the video, she gives a shout out to her fellow female pop stars, including Lorde, Rihanna and Beyonce, singing: "Riri isn't scared of Katy Perry's roaring/ Queen Bey's gone back to the drawing/Lorde smells blood, yeah/ She's about to slay you/ Kid ain't one to f**k with when she's only on her debut."
Lily adds: "Second best will never cut it for the divas/ Give me that crown b**ch/ I wanna be Sheezus."
She also describes Gaga as a "martyr" and talks about the difficulties of staying ahead of the rest in the music industry, singing: "I'll take the hits, with the punches/ I'll get back up/ It's not as if I've never done this/ Then again, the game is changing/ Can't just come back jump on the mic and do the same thing."
Lily adds: "Wish me luck/ I'm gonna need it/ I'll see you on the other side if I'm still breathing."
Lily's new album 'Sheezus' is out on May 5 via Regal Recordings.

Little Mix worry their US fans won't understand their accents.
The 'Wings' group are set to perform their first North American headline tour in September and October and admit their strong regional accents have already left interviewers Stateside baffled.
Jade Thirlwall - who was born in South Shields, North East England - told the Daily Star newspaper: "I hope they can understand me. I've had to slow down my talking a bit and sound a bit more proper - even my name they don't understand.
"At radio stations they call me Jeed because they can't get Jade."
The group's 'Salute' stage spectacle kicks off in Florida on September 10 and the announcement puts paid to speculation Little Mix will support One Direction - which features Perry Edwards' fiance Zayn Malik - on their tour.
However, Jade insists fans shouldn't rule out the two acts sharing a stage in the future.
She added: "Who knows in the future, never say never."
When the 16-date tour was announced earlier this week, Jade - who is joined in the group by Perrie, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock - hailed the news as a "dream come true".
She tweeted: "So glad the #SaluteTourUSA is out there,couldn't hold it in any longer! #dreamcometrue thanks to our mixers for makin it possible! Xxjadexx.(sic)"

Iggy Azalea was forced to quite crowd surfing after allegedly being sexually assaulted by fans.
The 'Fancy' hitmaker claims she used to be attacked when she jumped off stage and would often see followers on Twitter post about plans to assault her at gigs.
She told New York radio station Hot 97: "I had to stop. I will get lurk tweets for like a week before my show, like, 'I'm about to go to the Iggy Azalea show and I'm going to f***er her', and I'll see it and be like, 'Please don't! That's a violation. I don't actually like that stuff'. They think I'm really sl***y like, 'She's got a song called Pu$$y, I know what she wants."
The 'Change Your Life' rapper insists usually female fans who try to assault her more than men because they think it's acceptable.
She explained: "Girls will try to do it more than guys 'cause they think it's cool, like, 'We've both got vaginas, it's fine'. Doesn't make it OK.
"Buying my album for $12 doesn't mean you get to f***er me when I come to your city."
The 23-year-old star now has barriers at her shows to keep opportunists away and has taken to wearing more clothes to protect herself.
She said: "I wear, no lie, two pairs on underpants and then a pair of skin-coloured tights and then my pants as like a protection barrier, because there's just no way I'm going to be intruded."