Album

Metallica overwhelmed by new album material

Music Gossip

Metallica have "two and a half years" of material to sift through before they make their next album. Lars Ulrich - the heavy metal band's drummer - explained songwriter and vocalist James Hetfield has created more than 700 new guitar riffs for the…

Matthew Morrison 'honoured' by Sting duet

Music Gossip

Matthew Morrison is "honoured" to be duetting with Sting on his new album. The 'Glee' star is set to release his self-titled debut LP next week - which features collaborations with stars including Sir Elton John, Gwyneth Paltrow and 'American Idol…

Jennifer Hudson's life-changing album

Music Gossip

Jennifer Hudson feels she has lived "four different lives". The singer-and-actress - whose mother Darnell Donnerson was murdered in October 2008 along with her brother Jason Hudson and seven-year-old nephew Julian - shot to fame after competing on…

Jennifer Lopez praises RedOne

Music Gossip

Jennifer Lopez says she owes her comeback success to Lady Gaga's producer. The actress-and-singer worked with RedOne on several tracks for her album 'Love?' and insists the pop mogul - real name Nadir Khayat - has brought the best out of her…

Lady Gaga's LP won't be 'deluxe'

Music Gossip

Lady Gaga will not release a "deluxe" version of new album 'Born This Way'. Despite releasing a bonus edition of her second album 'The Fame Monster', the pop star now claims to hate the word and has insisted she won't have it on any of her future…

Gwyneth Paltrow in talks for record deal

Music Gossip

Gwyneth Paltrow is reportedly in talks to sign a record deal. The actress unveiled her voice in the movie 'Country Strong' and has impressed in recent months with a series of live performances leading to her to start negotiations with Atlantic…

Noel Gallagher going slow with solo LP

Music Gossip

Noel Gallagher hasn't started work on his debut solo album yet. The former Oasis guitarist - who famously quit the rock group in August 2009 following a bust-up with his brother Liam Gallagher - claims he hasn't recorded any tracks for the…

Sum 41's lead singer promises 'darker' album

Music Gossip

Sum 41's new album 'Screaming Bloody Murder' is "darker" than the band's previous work. Frontman Deryk Whibley was going through a divorce from singer Avril Lavigne while writing the new record 'Screaming Bloody Murder' and he admitted it has had an…

White Lies shocked by number one

Music Gossip

White Lies never expected their first album to go to number one in the UK. The London-based trio were overjoyed when their debut LP 'To Lose My Life.' topped the charts two years ago because the music scene at the time was so different to the songs…

Ellie Goulding's recording resolution

Music Gossip

Ellie Goulding wants to go "somewhere remote" in the New Year to start work on her new album. The 'Starry Eyed' singer is looking forward to writing some new songs for her second LP in 2011, but insists she needs to take some time out of her hectic…

Arcade Fire grateful for album-loving fans

Music Gossip

Arcade Fire are grateful to have not had "one pop radio hit". The 'Suburban War' group enjoy the fact their fans relate to their music as a whole rather than attending their concerts just to hear one particular song. Frontman Win Butler said: "We…

Girls - Album

Love is in the air and the 60s are in the chords as Girls come over all romantic in their debut album. Looking as if they’ve raided the dressing up boxes of MGMT for outfits, and the genres of rockabilly, 60s girl groups and surf pop for sounds, Chet…

Singles & Downloads

Records

SINGLES & DOWNLOADS (Image: The Heavy) I declare it the Summer of Dross! Kicking off the half-arsed festival-promoting releases is Mika ’s ‘Big Girl’ (Casablanca, 1 STAR), which flaps along like Scissor Sisters devoid of the camp charm and…

Dean Owens

Album

ROCK DEAN OWENS Whisky Hearts (Vermillion Road Records) Dean Owens is a genuine one-off. His exploration of songwriting has taken him through the heart of Americana, where he has found many opportunities to show his skills as a songwriter…

Miracle Fortress

Album

EUPHORIC INDIE MIRACLE FORTRESS Five Roses (Rough Trade) Miracle Fortress is really just one man, the sickeningly talented 23-year-old Graham Van Pelt. Actually, ‘miracle fortress’ is a good way of describing what debut album Five Roses…

The Thrills

Album

RETRO POP THE THRILLS Teenager (Virgin) It must be lovely being The Thrills. They seem to exist in an alternate universe to the rest of us, a hazy, sun-dappled version of the past that never happened, as though in perpetual audition for…

Bobby Hutcherson

Album

JAZZ BOBBY HUTCHERSON For Sentimental Reasons (Kind of Blue) Vibes maestro Bobby Hutcherson was one of the key innovators in the post-bop experiments of the mid-60s for the Blue Note label, but he focuses on a more conventionally…

Megson

Records

FOLK MEGSON Smoke of Home (EDJ Records) Megson are the duo of Stu Hanna and Debbie Palmer. They hail originally from Teesside, and have been picking up a fair bit of favourable notice on the acoustic folk/roots circuit over the past couple…

Miroslav Vitous

Album

JAZZ MIROSLAV VITOUS Universal Syncopations II (ECM Records) Miroslav Vitous’ Universal Syncopations marked his return to the ECM label, and was widely praised on its release in 2003. The bassist has chosen to extend and develop the…

Lethal Bizzle

Album

GRIME LETHAL BIZZLE Back to Bizznizz (V2) The ailing Grime scene too often forgets that it was spawned from dance music, not hip hop, with many MCs eschewing potential club hits in favour of brainless trigger talk. Lethal Bizzle, on the…

Chungking

Album

Electronica CHUNGKING Stay up Forever (Ecstatic Peace, Kill Rock Stars, -5RC, Three Lobed) Sean and Jessie have produced a slick, chic, dirty and danceable reason to stay up all night. It makes you think of Goldfrapp but with that…

Ryan Adams

Album

AMERICANA RYAN ADAMS Easy Tiger (Lost Highway) After three albums in 2005 (two were doubles) and a batch of nonsense online ‘releases’, Americana’s poster boy has put his energies into one album. And it’s easily his most consistent work to…

Martin Simpson

Album

FOLK MARTIN SIMPSON Prodigal Son (Topic) Simpson may be an enthusiast - he includes notes on his guitar tunings - but he is no purist. His enquiring ears have kept him at the interesting edge of the folk scene since he was a genuine…

Wooden Wand

Album

INDIE/FOLK WOODEN WAND James and the Quiet (Institute) Toning down from the eccentricities of his previous work, James Jackson Toth endeavoured to follow his muse and create something altogether different. Yet a style comparable to…