Music News

Ricky Wilson has had to prove himself as a singer on his band's new album.
The Kaiser Chiefs frontman, whose band are set to release their new record 'Education, Education And War' next month, admits he felt under pressure to brush up on his vocal skills after becoming a coach on BBC talent show 'The Voice'.
He told the Daily Star newspaper: "I've really had to step it up vocally on the new album. Obviously, if I am judging other people's singing on the show, then I have to prove I can do it too."
The 'Ruby' hitmakers - including Andrew White, Nick Baines, Simon Rix and Vijay Mistry - hit a low point when drummer and main songwriter Nick Hodgson, 36, quit in 2012.
But the band are now ready for a comeback and feel Ricky's exposure on 'The Voice' has helped.
The 36-year-old star explained: "When Nick left, people assumed we were finished and we realised: 'Sh*t, we're in trouble.
"We had to prove to ourselves, to Nick, the critics and all our fans that we were still fighting."
Ricky began filming 'The Voice' with fellow coaches Kylie Minogue, will.i.am, and Sir Tom Jones, during a break from recording the new album in Los Angeles.
He said: "Leaving my friends in LA felt horrible but feeling so low proved that I love being in a band."
Ricky admits he has struggled with the hectic schedule when appearing on the show and begged producers to let him have a day off during filming in Manchester.
He said: "We arrived before daylight and finished at 1am.
"After seven days in a row I said to the other three: 'Shall we take a day off?' Tom said, 'No. You just get on with it, don't you?'
"I would go back to the hotel, but Will would go mix Britney Spears' album and turn up totally committed the next morning."
The Kaiser Chiefs new album is released on March 31 and the band will showcase material at Scala in London tonight (13.02.14) from 9pm.

Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme ripped into LA band Imagine Dragons during a foul-mouthed rant.
The band, who missed out on a gong for Best Rock Performance to the group at the Grammy Awards last month, also slammed the awards ceremony at a gig at the Bayou Music Center in Houston, Texas at the weekend.
Video footage has emerged of Josh introducing their track 'I Appear Missing' and joking: "This next song is Imagine Dragons", before being heckled by the crowd, to which he responds: "Just f***ing kidding. Wait, wait, wait, you've got to admit, you're all imagining dragons right now."
He then said: "You know, f**k everything, f**k the man, f**k Imagine Dragons and f**k the Grammys, f**k all this shit.
"We're supposed to be here with you, we ain't supposed to be, like with some, like the band's d**k in our hands."
Josh then thought about the comment and added: "Although, there ain't nothing wrong with it."
The singer and his band mates - Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita and Jon Theodore - also performed at the Grammys but had their set cut short during the show's finale, which also featured Nine Inch Nails, Dave Grohl and Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham.
Los Angeles band Imagine Dragons, who released their album 'Night Visions' in 2012, won Best Rock Performance with their single 'Radioactive', beating Queens of the Stone Age, who were nominated for their track 'My God Is The Sun'.
Earlier this week, footage of Josh pushing an invader off the stage and calling him a "f***ing d*****bag" also surfaced online.
After pushing the man back into the crowd, he said: "Don't do that ... I don't know what you're trying to do. You're lucky I didn't f**k you up, bro. I'm here to play for you, not j**k you off, you f***ng d*****bag."

Bella Thorne insists her upcoming album will fit everyone's taste.
The 'Winter's Tale' actress has revealed her new single will be released in the next "few months" and her debut studio collection will follow shortly with tracks from a variation of genres.
She said: "Everything is very different so it is hard to say I have some Coachella music, I have some R&B, some more Ke$ha talk-y music.
"I wanted there to be a song for everyone I don't want it to just be you hear a song on the radio and say, 'Oh that kinda sounds like Bella Thorne,' like she would sing a song like that. I want it to be so versatile and different."
The 16-year-old star has several movie roles lined up for 2014 - including 'Blended' - but she insists every bit of spare time she gets, she spends in the studio.
Although, she most looking forward to performing her songs in front of an audience.
She explained to MTV: "I don't think people realise how much work it takes to make an album. I'm in the studio for hours in that tiny little box and really the performing part is what I'm most excited about."

Boyzone insist there is no rivalry between them and One Direction.
The Irish boyband, who first rose to fame in 1993, claim they aren't worried about the 'Story of My Life' hitmakers stealing their fan base because their own music "is more grown-up."
Member Shane Lynch told Dubai's Ahlan! Magazine: "One Direction are 20 years younger than we are and I hope they're still around in 20 years time, but our fans are very different to theirs. Boyzone have an incredible fan base which is built on a foundation, a solid rock."
The 37-year-old singer, who is part of Boyzone with Keith Duffy, 39, Mikey Graham, 41, and Ronan Keating, 36, added: "We don't compete with any of those youngsters anymore for number ones. We're a bunch of 40-year-old men and that's reflected in our music. It's more grown-up now and on our new album we have a sound we are proud of that reflects where we are today."
The 'Love Will Save The Day' hitmaker thinks the band's new album, 'BZ20,' is their best to date.
He said: "We basically recorded a whole lot of songs and put a load in the mix and picked out the best ones. It's still pop music, but we feel it's right for us."

DJ Fresh refused to do a collaboration with Alexandra Burke.
The 36-year-old producer admits he snubbed the 'Bad Boys' hitmaker - who shot to fame after winning 'The X Factor' in 2008 - after she chased him around a dressing room asking for a duet.
Speaking to Hits Radio presenter Darryl Morris, he said: "One of the massive 'X Factor' people was chasing me around these dressing rooms.
"[She was] leaving notes for me everywhere saying they wanted to work with me and then kind of got up in my face and gave me their phone number and was like, 'make sure you call me, make sure you call me' and I was already thinking, that you're a good singer and stuff, but you just wouldn't fit on my music and I already knew that I wasn't going to be calling her.
"It was really awkward... She's very sweet and it's just awkward because you can't really explain it to somebody. You don't want to be offensive but it's kind of like you just wouldn't fit on what I do."
Meanwhile, the 'Dibby Dibby Sound' hitmaker recently announced Ellie Goulding would be featuring on his new single 'Flashlight' later in the year.

The Vamps have announced their first ever UK tour.
The 'Wild Heart' hitmakers took to Twitter this morning (12.02.14) to thank their fans for their constant support, and have confirmed they will hit the road later this year to perform in 11 different cities across the country.
They wrote: "The time together we've had has been totally amazing- you guys have been great and we won't forget these incredible memories...
"Even from the start, you have supported us relentlessly and we owe so much to you. These times have been life changing for us...
"We have met some amazing people along the way. With all that said, we have been forced to make this decision. We regret to announce that...
"...We can't meet more of you on our DEBUT UK HEADLINE TOUR AHHHHHHH!!! We LOVE YOU AND CAN'T WAIT!!! LET'S HUG (KISS) (sic)."
Meanwhile, the boyband - consisting of Will Simpson, Connor Ball, James McVey and Tristan Evans - have just wrapped up their supporting slot on Taylor Swift's London gigs during her Red tour.

The full dates of The Vamps' UK tour are as follows:

Sheffield City Hall - 23 September, 2014
Newcastle City Hall - 25 September, 2014
Glasgow SECC Clyde Auditorium - 27 September, 2014
Glasgow SECC Clyde Auditorium - 28 September, 2014
Manchester O2 Apollo - 1 October, 2014
Manchester O2 Apollo - 2 October, 2014
Liverpool Echo Arena - 4 October, 2014
Birmingham NIA - 5 October, 2014
Brighton Centre - 8 October, 2014
Cheltenham Centre - 9 October, 2014
Cardiff Motorpoint Arena - 11 October, 2014
Bournemouth BIC - 12 October, 2014
London Eventim Apollo - 14 October, 2014
London Eventim Apollo - 15 October, 2014

Will Ferrell has accepted a "drum-off" challenge set by Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith.
The 'Anchorman' actor is known for looking strikingly similar to the famous drummer and has now agreed to a musical duel if they manage to raise enough money for charity.
Last week, Will joked about the uncanny similarity in looks between him and Chad during a 'Reddit Ask Me Anything' chat, which led to the Red Hot Chili Peppers member challenging him.
Will replied during another AMA and wrote: "Hi, Chad. Will Ferrell here. I saw your video and I graciously accept your invitation to a drum battle. If we can raise $300,000 (£182,000) for Cancer For College I will face off with you in the greatest drum vs. cowbell showdown the world has ever seen.
"We can do it on stage at a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert or in front of a mutually convenient public library. Your call."
He added: "Also, would you rather fight a hundred duck sized ducks or one horse sized horse?"
Chad also joked about the comedian in the AMA, which he hosted, writing: "I have to comment that I think Mr. Ferrell is a delusional imposter. It seems to me that he has gone off his meds and he needs to seek professional help because I am obviously more talented and handsome than he is.
"You know, his cowbell work is well-documented, but his drumset skills are nominal based on 'Step Brothers' the film.
"Other than wiping his testicles on the drums, which of course I give high marks to."
Meanwhile, earlier this week it was confirmed that Red Hot Chili Peppers' instruments were not plugged in during their Super Bowl performance.

Lady Gaga has made a music video with the stars of 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'.
The 'Applause' singer is a big fan of the American TV show and decide to called upon the glamorous ladies for a secret project, according to UsWeekly.
She is thought to have enlisted the help of current stars Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, Kim Richards, Brandi Glanville, Yolanda Foster, Joyce Giraud de Ohoven and Carlton Gebbia, who are all said to feature in the video.
It is rumoured to be the star's third single 'Gypsy' from her latest album 'ARTPOP' and was filmed shortly after the show's reunion special on Bravo.
The song follows the release of her track 'Do What U Want', a collaboration with R Kelly.
The 27-year-old singer also asked Bravo boss Andy Cohen to cameo in the new video after telling him she is a huge fan of the entire franchise.
Gaga said she likes "all the cities" and loves watching Lisa "mostly because she doesn't give any f**ks."
When asked what her tagline would be if she was on the show, she joked: "They may say I'm all woman, but underneath, I'm all man."
'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' is a reality show which debuted in 2010 and is the sixth instalment in the network's 'The Real Housewives' franchise, following the lives of rich women.

Paolo Nutini treated fans to an exclusive preview of his new album during a secret gig in London last night (11.02.14).
The 'Last Request' hitmaker took to the stage at the tiny Boston Arms in Islington to preview material from his latest record 'Caustic Love', which is released on April 14.
The audience included 400 lucky fans and about 100 journalists, who were given the chance to hear the singer perform his new songs live.
He opened with the lead single 'Scream (Funk My Life Up)', before paying tribute to his mother who had travelled from Scotland to celebrate with her son.
The 27-year-old star introduced his new track 'Looking For Something' at the 70s dancehall and said: "This is a song about my dear mother who is here tonight. I love you mum."
Other tracks including 'Diana', 'Better Man' and 'Looking For Something' had fans dancing transfixed and he continue to thank them for their support, saying: "I appreciate you haven't heard these songs before so thank you for coming to check them out, hopefully you will know them soon so you can sing along."
Paolo also gave fans a retrospective of his greatest hits such as 'Jenny Don't Be Hasty', 'Candy', and 'New Shoes'.
'Caustic Love' is Paolo's third studio album and follows 'Sunny Side Up' in 2009 and 'These Streets' in 2006.
The singer is playing a number of shows to promote his new material in coming weeks, including a gig at the Glasgow Barrowland on March 29.