Rihanna

Rihanna Download will allegedly star as a villain in the next instalment of hit movie, The Fast And The Furious.
According to The Sun, the Barbadian beauty has landed a role in the sixth chapter of the franchise, where she will appear alongside the likes of Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson a.k.a The Rock.
A source told the newspaper: “Rihanna impressed with her acting debut in Battleship. Writers think she’ll be perfect for the role.MTV
"Her character has plenty of bite and doesn’t take any prisoners — just like her in real life. It’s a step up the ladder for her and could lead to bigger action roles.”
It is thought the movie will be set in London, with reports suggesting RiRi will shoot racing scenes in Southend, Essex as the Olympics will be taking over the capital.
The We Found Love singer has previously expressed her desire to become an actress, stating that she would love to star in a comedy alongside Seth Rogen and is a huge fan of Sacha Baron Cohen's work.

Rihanna is quoted by The Sun as saying: "I’ve always wanted to work with Seth. He is so funny. Even if he’s not in the film, all of his movies are funny.
“They’re the comedies I watch a thousand times, besides Borat of course, and everything that Sacha Baron Cohen does.”

Saintgold

Santigold

 2009, this writer witnessed Santigold (real name, Santi White) unleashing her brand of reggae pop fizz at The Roots’ Picnic in Philadelphia, PA. The petite songstress, dressed in a sleek purple and white jumpsuit, confidently pranced as her two dancers — both expressionless, in gold jackets and black pants — gyrated on opposite sides. The dichotomy was fascinating: amid abrasive beats and chest-rattling bass, White remained fairly calm, the sounds piercing the afternoon air as she sang in her distinctively nasal falsetto. At that time she was still riding the wave of her eponymous debut album; since then, however, White’s been relatively quiet, surfacing occasionally to chastise the current state of pop music or to call dance duo LMFAO a “joke band”. BBC

Perhaps it’s sour grapes; perhaps she’s got a point. When White released her debut album in 2008, critics praised its visceral blend of rock, dub and electronica, and marvelled its brazen uniqueness. Though, as she told Pitchfork in a recent interview, her sound was considered weird at the time, now it’s enjoying mainstream success thanks to the likes of Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj. Unfortunately for White, her recession from public view stalled her momentum. Given the immediacy of today’s culture, where music is considered old after a few months, you can’t vanish that long without losing some of your audience.

On this long-awaited follow-up, White reconfigures her twitchy brand of Caribbean punk fusion, the results of which are as irregular as ever. Yet something intriguing happens here: just when you think strident synthesizers and glossy excess is about to bombard you, she quickly changes course, opting instead for scant melodies more digestible than previous work. Take God From the Machine, for instance: it begins with harmonic “oohs” and wispy guitar chords, only to be interrupted by a short burst of marching drums. Then, suddenly, the snares dissipate and allow White’s voice to rise above the song’s unique military vibe. While that’s the most extreme example of such artistic defiance, it crystallizes this album’s focus. The mood is undeniably energetic, but the sounds are a bit more ambient than contemporary pop. This Isn’t Our Parade makes good use of handclaps and hollow percussion; then there’s The Keepers, with bubbly, 80s-style synths, which feels playfully rebellious when paired with the vocalist’s innocent inflection.

All told, Master of My Make-Believe is Santigold’s reintroduction. While slightly more subdued than before, the pint-sized sparkplug proves she can still churn a stimulating groove, and doesn’t need cartoonish gimmicks to do so.

Feeder

Feeder

Now in their astonishing 21st year as a unit, it seems Welsh/Japanese rock bastions Feeder Download  have no intentions of reeling in their timeline anytime soon, lifting the cloche on their eighth studio album, Generation Freakshow. And although the title may conjure up images of strident, youthful upheaval, it’s something quite different in reality: it’s the sound of a band that has lived every moment of their two decades.BBC
Feeder’s success owes much to Grant Nicholas, whose aptitude for penning an engaging refrain shows no sign of diminishing on this collection. And he hasn’t lost his captivating ability to flit from stadium-enthusing rock vocalist to soothing, candid balladeer, his voice having also cultivated a subtle, weathered tone that in relation to the album’s more diffused quality is straight down the line.
There are no big statement pieces, à la High or Just a Day, but that’s not to say Generation Freakshow is devoid of anthems. Headstrong and In All Honesty, both of which give sometime member Karl Brazil an opportunity to flaunt his ample capabilities behind the drumkit, are as big on energy as they are on melody.
The ensnaring, emotive Tiny Minds sells a tale of lovelorn frustration with acute conviction, while Sunrise, whose chorus has presumably unintentional parallels with the Spice Girls’ Spice Up Your Life, is a festival-crowd call-to-arms in waiting. Both gratifyingly hark back to an Echo Park/Comfort in Sound-era Feeder, recapturing a magnitude in which 2008’s Silent Cry, and, to a lesser extent, 2010’s Renegades were regrettably deficient.
The edges have been smoothed somewhat, but not to Feeder’s detriment. Generation Freakshow feels like a natural development, a progression instead of a departure. The echoes of past albums are references rather than rehashes, and the more novel components – Children of the Sun’s lengthy, swooning outro, or Fools Can’t Sleep’s folky twang – are handled with finesse.
Generation Freakshow is more mature, more considered, and less noisy, but it’s nonetheless got Feeder stamped all over it. Unfortunately, with 40-something UK rockers hardly FM mainstays these days, it’s unlikely to spread the band’s brand further than their existing fanbase. But said fanbase will be more than content with this pleasing, ear-friendly assembly of solid, square-shooting rock.

Jack White

Jack White has entered the Official UK Album Chart at Number 1 with his debut solo album 'Blunderbuss'.

The White Stripes/The Raconteurs/The Dead Weather man has toppled Adele's '21' to take the Number One spot, outselling the 'Rolling In The Deep' singer two copies to one, according to the Official Charts Company.NME

Adele slips to Number Two in the Official UK Album Chart, Lana Del Rey moves up one place from last week to take Number Three with 'Born To Die', Nicki Minaj drops one place to Number Four and Rufus Wainwright enters the chart at Number Five with 'Out Of The Game'.

Wainwright is this week's second highest new entry. Feeder just made it into the Top 20 with their eighth album 'Generation Freakshow' and Santigold claimed her second Top 40 album, as 'Master Of My Make-Believe' entered at Number 33.

In the Official Singles Chart, Carly Rae Jepsen held onto the Number One spot for the fourth week in a row. The Canadian Idol contestant sold a further 100,000 copies of her debut single 'Call Me Maybe' to retain the top spot.

The singer held off mid-week favourite Calvin Harris' and Ne-Yo's 'Let's Go', which had to settle for Number Two. Fun hold firm at Number Three with 'We Are Young', Conor Maynard's 'Can't Say No' is at Number Four and Jessie J's collaboration with David Guetta, 'Laserlight', sits at Number Five.

Liverpool Scene

Beatles Liverpool's music scene was last night (April 27) celebrated at the inaugural Get Into This awards ceremony.

The GIT awards are the creation of local music blogger Peter Guy and have been dubbed the 'Scouse Mercury', after the Mercury Music Prize. The awards were open to all genres of music, but to qualify there had to be a Liverpool connection – either the record was made, recorded or produced by Liverpudlians.NME

The winners on the night were local band Loved Ones, who received a day's free recording time at the Sandhills Studio and will be added to the bill at next year's Liverpool Sound City and Liverpool Music Week.

Guy came up with the idea of having an awards ceremony in his hometown to showcase new, up-and-coming artists and musicians and prove there's more to the city than just being the birth place of The Beatles.

The twelve shortlisted acts – which included rapper Bang On and guitar band Mugstar – gathered at the Leaf venue in Merseyside. 10 of the nominees played sets throughout the night, including eventual winner Loved Ones.

Former The Coral guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones, who was nominated for the award, gave an exclusive preview of his latest film score on the night hosted by journalist and The Stone Roses biographer, John Robb.

Nirvana

'Nevermind' producer Butch Vig has said he is very skeptical that Nirvana Download frontman Kurt Cobain ever recorded a solo album.

Earlier this month, Hole guitarist Eric Erlandson was quoted as saying that Cobain had recorded a whole album's worth of solo demos before he died in 1994, which no-one has ever heard.

Erlandson said: "He was headed in a direction that was really cool. It would have been his 'White Album'. That's really what he was going towards, a solo album but working with different people."

But, according to Vig, the tracks Erlandson is talking about only existed in Cobain's mind and have almost certainly never been recorded.

Speaking to NME, Vig responded to a question about whether such a solo album existed by saying: "He was working on songs, but they were just in his head. He might have just played them to Eric."

Vig added that in the period Erlandson is talking about, Cobain only wanted to talk about wife Courtney Love's new album, Hole's 'Live Through This' and didn't really discuss his own material. He said of this: "Around that period he only wanted to talk about Courtney's album, I never heard any of his new songs."

Cheryl Cole

Cheryl Cole Download is apparently hoping to find love online after her friends suggested she tried internet dating.
Despite the Girls Aloud star recently admitting that she's "too busy" to have a relationship, The Sun has reported that Chezza is keen to meet someone on the web, following her failed marriage to footballer Ashley Cole.
A source told the tabloid: “Cheryl’s pals are urging her to go for it. She wasn’t sure at first, but now thinks, ‘What have I got to lose?’ after their success.”
It is thought that Cole will not use her real identity on the dating sites and will instead use an alias.
The insider explained: "That way she can get to know someone rather than have them form an opinion of her because of her fame and who she is.”MTV
Since splitting with Ashley, Chezza has been romantically linked to the likes of Will.I.Am, dancer Derek Hough and UK singer/songwriter Taio Cruz.

The 28-year old also recently confessed her love for Calvin Harris - who has written and produced her new single Call My Name - telling Scotland's Radio Clyde: "Calvin is the man. I must admit I do love him. He is from here so we get on automatically, the Jocks and the Geordies.”
She was then asked to participate in a game of Snog, Marry, Avoid with the candidates being Calvin, manager Will.I.Am and Cole's former boss Simon Cowell - leaving Chezza to state: “I’d snog Calvin, marry Will and avoid the Cowell.”
In other Cheryl news, the Fight For This Love singer has laughed off the revelations that Cowell was 'infatuated' with her during their time on The X Factor together, telling a radio station in Newcastle that she "never felt that vibe from Simon."

Kasabian

 Kasabian's latest single Man of Simple Pleasures? Released at what must surely be the tail end of their album campaign, even from the very sound of the thing, there's a sense that this is a closing of a chapter, a quick swill of the remnants in the album's barrel to shake out those last few album sales and brush up a bit of familiarity for the song before the festival season kicks in.

Man of Simple Pleasures sees the band pursing those same Morricone Western refrains they seem so obsessed with at the moment, but beyond this, the track feels utterly flat, depleted of all the swagger and bravado we usually expect as given from Kasabian.


With disappointing chart placings for every single from the album, and this more restrained side of the band on show here and with previous single Goodbye Kiss, there's the very easy temptation to say Kasabian are teetering down the verge to becoming a Radio 2 act. One can only hope that come the next album, they'll storm back with an absolute monster of a track (basically, another Fire).

Ben Howard

Ben Howard has announced today the release of his next single, ‘Only Love’, will be on the 14th May through Island Records. Having already sold over one hundred thousand copies of his debut album ‘Every Kingdom’, Howard is set to embark on a grand tour, dates of which can be found below:

16th June – Goldcoast Oceanfest, Devon

23rd/24th June – Radio 1 Hackney Weekend, London

7th July – T In The Park, Kinross

15th July – Latitude Festival, Southwold

18th August – V Festival, Chelmsford

19th August – V Festival, Stafford

6th September – Bestival, Isle of Wight

2nd November – Brighton, The Dome

3rd November – Plymouth, Pavilions

4th November – Cardiff, University

5th November – Bristol, Colston Hall

7th November – Dublin, Olympia

9th November – Belfast, Mandela Hall

10th November – Glasgow, O2 Academy

12th November – Manchester, O2 Apollo

14th November – Leeds, O2 Academy

16th November – Newcastle, O2 Academy

17th November – Aberdeen, Music Hall

19th November – Cambridge, Corn Exchange

20th November – Lincoln, Engine Shed

21st November – Leicester, O2 Academy

22nd November – Nottingham, Rock City

24th November – Birmingham, O2 Academy

25th November – Bournemouth, O2 Academy

26th November – Southampton, Guild Hall

28th November – London, O2 Brixton Academy

29th November – London, O2 Brixton Academy

Conor Maynard

Conor Maynard
 Download(born 21 November 1992) is a British singer from Brighton who is currently signed to EMI subsidiary, Parlophone. Maynard rose to success in 2012 when he was nominated for, and subsequently won, MTV's Brand New for 2012 award. His debut single, "Can't Say No", was released in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2012.
Read more at Wikipedia...

Alex Clare

Alex Clare
British singer-songwriter, Alex Clare, released his second single the other week, titled ‘Too Close‘, from his début album of last July, ‘The Lateness of the Hour‘. It rose twenty-one places in this week’s UK single’s charts, hitting number 16, and it is showing potential to climb further in the coming week as the iTunes download chart show that it is now at number 8 since the Official Chart lock-down on Sunday.
The single is built around the structures of dubstep with numerous synths and its heavy bass giving it a club-like vibe. However, the dubstep is very controlled and balanced so it does not sound overly produced giving way to some more ‘authentic’ sounds. Throughout there is a captivating drumming that bounces about, full of momentum and giving it a great rhythm alongside some classic acoustics. Clare’s voice is quite striking as it is beautifully soulful, giving the track an indie twist enhanced by the acoustic strums and drum beats. The lyrics are basic and honest, making it a very down-to-earth piece of writing that many can appreciate and relate to. It is simply another love story of a dying relationship, that gets straight to the point without any over-whelming poetic attempts.

Keane

Keane
Following the synth-tinged sounds of previous album Perfect Symmetry, we breathed a rather large sigh of relief upon hearing the opening bars of Keane's latest single. That's not to say we're averse to bands Going Electro (far from it), but we prefer acts doing what they do best - and Keane's ear for a piano-led ditty has always been second to none.

"We were silenced by the night/ But you and I we're gonna rise again," Tom Chaplin sings over a sky-spiraling chorus of melancholy in his distinctively crisp tone, marking a return to the simple but striking compositions reminiscent of their early work. Many a fan will insist that Keane are at their finest when performing in an intimate venue, but this is a track few could deny will be best served in an arena.

Jack White

Though Jack White Download never earned a No. 1 album as part of the White Stripes, he's on course to top next week's Billboard 200 -- as a solo act. Billboard

His solo debut set, "Blunderbuss," is aiming to bow at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week with around 100,000 to 120,000 sold (so say industry prognosticators).

The new Billboard 200 chart's top 10 will be revealed on the morning of Wednesday, May 2.

A No. 1 album has eluded White thus far. His bands the White Stripes, the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather have amassed a total of seven top 10 albums. The highest chart of any of those band's releases was the White Stripes' 2007 album "Icky Thump," which bowed and peaked at No. 2 (stuck behind Bon Jovi's debuting "Lost Highway" at No. 1).
 

Other albums on course for a top 10 debut next week include Lee Brice's "Hard 2 Love," The Wanted's self-titled U.S. debut and Kip Moore's "Up All Night."

Django Django

Django Django

Download Bands are rarely led by their drummers – there's too big a risk of 25-minute tom-tom solos. But David Maclean, mastermind of the delightful new group Django Django, is an exception. He and his band take a light, spry approach to their groove-centered music, which is experimental but never dour. On their debut (which came out overseas in January), the Djangos are minimalists, working in the lineage of Stereolab, krautrock and the softly alien sounds of Brian Eno. Guitarist Vincent Neff sings about modern life ("the rattle of drums, the click of my thumbs") and the dazed feeling of getting lost in nature. And wherever they travel, Django Django sound relaxed and joyful.

Read more: .Rollingstone.

Damon Albarn

Damon Albarn Download has denied that he is finished with both Blur and Gorillaz.

The singer was recently quoted as saying that it is 'unlikely' that there will be any more new material from Gorillaz and that Blur's Hyde Park gig this summer might be the band's final show.

However, speaking to the Metro, Albarn denied this and said that he and his bandmates had not discussed "the beginning or the end" of Blur. NME

Asked if Hyde Park would be Blur's last show, Albarn said: "No. That comes from an article which was an interesting take on a very long conversation. I don’t know how we’ll feel when we play Hyde Park. Some days I feel one way and other days I feel the other. If you don’t see something as a career but as an important part of your life, you don’t know how you’re going to feel about it. We want to put on a great performance but nothing’s been said between us about the beginning or the end."

Then asked if Gorillaz was finished as a project, Albarn also denied this, adding that when he and partner Jamie Hewlett reconciled after their recent fallout, they'd make another album.

He said of this: "When Jamie Hewlett and I have worked out our differences, I’m sure we’ll make another record. We’ve been through too much together for it to be that big of a mountain to climb. We’ve just fallen out like mates do sometimes. I’m not the only person to fall out with mates and then make up again – everyone does it."

Albarn also said he was really looking forward to Blur's show at Hyde Park, which they play on August 7 this summer. He added: "Very much so. I love playing with Blur – it’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. At the same time, though, I don’t want to cock it all up by staying around too long and making a fool of myself. At 44, there’s a little trepidation about jumping around onstage but I love it."

Along with playing at Hyde Park, Blur are also scheduled to headline Sweden's Way Out West festival in August.

B.o.b

B.o.B ,When he's not high as a kite, it seems US rapper B.o.B. has quite the interest in the arts. "She says that I'm her favourite, cause she admires the art of Michelangelo with the flow," he declares on his latest single 'So Good' - and the referencing of history's finest artists doesn't stop there.

"Picasso with the bars/ She's well put together like a piece of Gershwin," he adds about his latest love interest over an easy-going mix of chilled piano and head-nodding beats. While it's an ambitious claim to glide high with Renaissance figureheads, B.o.B's fun-loving attitude and care-free coolness does evoke a certain popular Michelangelo - if we're talking about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles version, that is.

Tulisa

In a lot of ways, Young suits Tulisa Download down to a T (excuse the pun).  "Forgive me for what I have done 'cause I'm young", she repeats at the start.  Following the recent emergence of a sex tape, it's easy to see this as a desperate plea to the public for forgiveness.  Will Cowell allow her back on The X Factor later this year?  Can her career survive?  It all rests on the shoulders of this, her first solo single.

It's also suitable in its utter mediocrity.  Rather than a song that suits her fiery "female boss" persona, she's instead opted for a generic Ibiza club track.  Likewise, Tulisa herself, for all her bravado, is an unremarkable talent with average looks and an average voice.  She may have tarted herself up a bit for the video, but it's essentially an advert for Thomas Cook holidays and Barry M make-up.  And for all her apparent rebelliousness, the video sees her stealing a lamb, a hotel card key and writing her name on some modern art.  Ooo you daredevil you.

Yes it's pretty catchy in a "look at me I'm a stupid cow on holiday, downing tequila and drowning in my own vomit" sort of way.  But, in all, this is no better than a soundtrack to 'Sun, Sea and Suspicious Parents'.

Rebecca Ferguson

Rebecca Ferguson Download the video sees the star at a swanky party where its attendees are all concerned with cosmetic beauty and wealth.

The partygoers are shown to be one-dimensional as the camera rotates around them to oust them as cardboard cutouts.Glitter & Gold

Ferguson is currently preparing to embark on a promotional tour across the globe, visiting Germany, Australia, Switzerland and New Zealand for TV appearances and showcases.

The global rollout of her debut album Heaven follows the star's recent publishing deal with EMI, which could reportedly earn her up to £500,000 in royalties.

'Glitter & Gold' will be officially released in the UK on April 29.

Jessie J

Jessie J'sDownload debut pop compilation, Who You Are, will not stop popping. The album has now had more chart hits than any other album by a British solo artist.

The 24-year-old diva, born Jessica Ellen Cornish, is now on an equal footing with the Take That and American pop sensation Lady Gaga in terms of a single album's pop chart success. Take That’s 2010 album Progress and Lady Gaga's debut Fame each had six hits in the UK's Top 10 chart too.

Laserlight, Jessie J's latest single featuring David Guetta, went to the top of the charts in the UK .

The track features on the platinum edition of her album, which peaked at number two in the UK album charts. Three of the six songs - Price Tag, Domino, and now Laserlight - were number one hits.Telegraph

The star's following has been given a boost by her appearance as a judge on the BBC's new flagship talent show The Voice, which aired for a total of three prime time television hours this weekend.

David Guetta

As we gathered from last week’s sneak peek at David Guetta and Nicki Minaj’s “Turn Me On” video, the Sanji-directed clip is quite a creepy affair. In it, Guetta creates a beautiful specimen in the form of Minaj, whose human-like features drive the rest of the envious mechanical town folk to hunt down the French DJ. Alas, all is not what it seems, and they discover that dashing David is… well, you’ll just have to watch and see.

What do you think of the “Turn Me On” video? Does it get your gears turning, mechanical animals.

Rihanna

Rihanna Download  is a woman of many talents. In a sneak peek of the video for her third single, "Where Have You Been," the singer showcases some sick dance moves. Watch the singer's rigourous routine courtesy of choreographer, Hi-Hat.Billboard

"Rare, only because my schedule has always been so busy, it never really allowed for us to spend time rehearsing," the singer says of rehearsals.

You can't be mad at Rih Rih's work ethic and dedication shown in the first part of Rih Rih's 'Behind the Scenes' series for the single. Impressive.  "I was never gonna shoot this video if I couldn't do the choreography because it would be pretty pointless. It would be disappointing," she continues.

While Rihanna places the final touches on the video for "Where Have You Been," she continues to climb the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Birthday Cake," featuring Chris Brown, climbs to No. 2, this week in Billboard Chart USA.

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj Download has admitted she feels guilty for axing her Twitter account but is enjoying her absence from the social-networking site.
As we previously reported, the Beez In The Trap singer deleted her official account last week after user @NickiDaily posted snippets of her new record Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded on their page.
Clearly angry about the fan page's actions, Nicki tweeted: "And that's exactly why I'm paying the barbz DUST right now! And deleting my twitter. Smdh - don't cry for me argentina."MTV
The 29-year old added: "Like seriously. its but so much a person can take. Good f***ing bye."

Nicki has now commented on her decision to deactivate her Twitter, telling The Sun: "Reinstate my account? I don't know yet. I have to say, I've been kind of enjoying life without Twitter. But I feel bad on the Barbz (fans). They got really sad when I deleted it.
"I think most artists will experience a lot of negative people on Twitter but, thank God, I've got so many followers that I'm not able to see them that much. I'll see some from time to time but, for the most part, I always focus on something good."
The Young Money star added: "But the way I deal with it is if I see someone tweet something bad, I'll retweet it and put some lewd thing back."

Carly Rae Jespen

Carly Rae Jepsen Stays Top Of Singles Chart

As record-breaking Adele holds onto No 1 album...

Carly Rae Jepsen Download has retained her place at the top of the Official UK Singles Chart with Call Me Maybe holding the No 1 position for the third week running.
The Canadian singer's continued popularity meant 19-year-old Conor Maynard's single, Can't Say No, debuted at No 2, the highest new entry of the week.MTV

Fun's We Are Young dropped two places to No 3, while John Legend's Ordinary People, first released in 2005, achieved its highest ever chart position at No 4, largely thanks to Jaz Ellington's performance on The Voice last week.
Jessie J's LaserLight climbed 21 places to complete the top five.
Meanwhile, it was a close-run thing in the Official UK Album Chart as superstar songstress Adele's 21 held onto the No 1 spot after outselling second placed Jason Mraz's Love Is A Four Letter Word by just 44 copies.
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded by Nicki Minaj, a former No 1 album, fell one place to No 3, while Lana Del Rey climbed two places to take fourth place with Born To Die.
Jessie J, who has seen sales soar since the launch of The Voice, rounded out the top five with Who You Are
.

Cher Lloyd

Cher Lloyd Records Snoop Dogg Remix For US Launch

Swagger Jagger star enlists rap legend as she tries to crack America...

Cher Lloyd Download is set to get a helping hand from Snoop Dogg Download as she bids to launch her career Stateside, reports suggest.
According to the Sunday Mirror, Cher has recorded an all-new Snoop remix of Want U Back, which originally featured guest rapper Astro.MTV
Lloyd told the paper: "America is a priority for me and it feels like it's a fresh start. I'm taking it seriously.

"I'll be out there for three weeks in May to get the ball rolling."
With a rap legend on her side and X Factor USA judge LA Reid planning her US launch, Cher looks likely to prove a big hit.
The Mirror reports that a performance on the Late Show with David Letterman is on the cards and Cher is getting some serious airplay on Sirius Satellite Radio.
Rumour has it she's even in talks to support a 'huge' artist on their nationwide tour.
Cher, who recently declared that she wants to be married "as soon as possible", will reportedly be taking fiancé Craig Monk with her to the States as her full-time hairdresser.

Kasabian

Kasabian's Download Serge Pizzorno has given Lana Del Rey's cover of their recent single 'Goodbye Kiss' his seal of approval.

The guitarist and songwriter told NME that he thinks the track sounds "fucking beautiful" and thanked the 'Born To Die' singer for picking the track to cover.NME

He added: I'm really proud. Obviously we covered one of hers, 'Video Games', so it was quite a sweet thing to do back. It's a really nice gesture. It's proper old school.

Lana Del Rey, Download who covered the track for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, revealed she first heard the Leicester band's music through her boyfriends.

She told Fearne Cotton: "All of my boyfriends had loved Kasabian and I'd never listened to them. I started and I really like this song. I love this song and I love the melody, I love the way the boys sing it."

You can listen to Lana Del Rey's version of 'Goodbye Kiss'

Spiritualized

Spiritualized Over the course of 25 years of making music with Spacemen 3 and later Spiritualized, Jason Pierce (aka J. Spaceman) has set a sonic template from which he’s never really deviated. Spiritualized albums somehow seem to stand apart from the pop landscape, clad in stone. Pierce’s inimitable brand of psychedelic space-rock is at once minimalist and unashamedly dense, simple structures fuel-injected with reverb-laden guitars, flights of strings and booming choirs. His lyrical preoccupations also orbit around a relatively set core of themes: death, life and the astral middle ground between spirituality and religion, all suffused with bucketloads of redemptive rock‘n’roll.

Of course, Pierce’s fixed course tends to make Spiritualized a divisive prospect. For every diehard fan there’s someone else wondering what all the fuss is about. Sweet Heart Sweet Light, Spiritualized’s seventh studio album, isn’t going to change any of that. This is a Spiritualized album down to its marrow, replete with the Velvet Underground-meets-Brian Wilson melodies, symphonic crescendos and widescreen riffs that Pierce has made his own since the beginning. BBC

Hey Jane finds him in boisterous spirits, his defiant declarations (“show ‘em what you can do”) borrowing some muscle from a typically steamrolling riff before the song disintegrates and gradually puts itself back together with a sunny backing chant. The gorgeous strings of Too Late, meanwhile, follow the classic Pierce heart-rending mould; the simplicity of his plaintive lyrics gives the song an intimacy that cuts through the Bacharach-esque orchestration. His unfussy lyrical style might occasionally prove weak, and lines like “Send me a signal and I will receive / Jesus, please be there and take care of me,” might seem silly on the page – but from Pierce’s lips this sounds like a doomed soul’s final surrender. Given his near-deadly bout of double pneumonia in 2005 and his extensive medical treatment during the mixing of this album, you get the feeling it’s the kind of thought he’s not entirely unfamiliar with.  

The album’s lush, generous production is in keeping with Pierce’s reputation as a bona-fide behind-the-desk obsessive (an audiophile face-off between Pierce and Kevin Shields would be tough, albeit enjoyable, to call). His perfectionism pays off on tracks like I Am What I Am, which crackles with a fierce energy that holds its primal atmosphere together amid a growing cacophony of spasming blues and sassy backing singers.

Train

US roots-pop-rockers Train  Download ave maintained an impressive career, albeit one that appeared to be propped up by their omnipresent album of 2001, Drops of Jupiter. But the surprise runaway success of Hey, Soul Sister in 2009 and 2010 changed that, and the group is evidently reinvigorated, with sixth studio LP California 37 seeing them bravely playing with brand new territory.BBc

Sadly, it doesn’t fully pay off. Opening track This’ll Be My Year becomes the aural equivalent of feigning interest at someone’s extensive holiday snaps, an overly-literal journey through Train’s career thus far, all bijou rhymes about world news stories.

Thankfully, the tone changes pretty drastically with lead single Drive By, quite the departure with its speedy strum and vigorous bounce, a theme carried through to Mermaid and 50 Ways to Say Goodbye, both of which armed to the hilt with hefty hooks and mighty pop choruses.

As effective as these mammoth candyfloss choruses are, it doesn’t quite feel like the output of a US rock act on their sixth album. On one hand, kudos is due for tearing up the rulebook; but at the same time, it doesn’t quite click into place. You could just as easily imagine One Direction or Kelly Clarkson handling the same songs with the same arrangements.

It’s the more subdued offerings where the band excels: the sun-flecked ditty Sing Together is the paradigm of Train, but even the more atypical voyages within the ballad field prove successful. The laid-bare sentiment and shivering military beat of We Were Made for This are made all the more commanding when the track explodes into a screeching ocean of riffs.

The torrent of peculiar pop culture references are squirmingly bad – across the course of California 37, the nods stretch from Facebook to Lady Di, from the Grateful Dead to André the Giant. But, in a way, it’s strangely admirable. Train’s happy indifference is hard not to appreciate.

It’s an album of innocent excitement, showcasing Train’s wholly unpretentious approach and an evident passion for what they do. But California 37’s peculiar teenage stance offers as many toe-curling moments as it does pleasant surprises. Evolution is a great thing indeed, but it would benefit Train to accept that it usually works best when it actually moves forwards.

Kelly Rowland

Kelly Rowland 'Wants X Factor Pay Rise'?

Reports claim Kelly is holding out for more money...

X Factor judge Kelly Rowland is reportedly hoping for a pay rise if she is to return to the show this year.
This week Gary Barlow confirmed that he would be back to take his place on the panel and rumours suggested that his X Factor earnings had been boosted to nearly £2 million.
Now reports suggest the former Destiny's Child star is holding out for more money.
An insider told The Sun: "[Kelly] was a popular judge last year - the producers and Simon have said as much.MTV

"Simon has even said he wants her back on several occasions, including in The Sun this week.
The source added: "If they want to make her a serious offer then they will have to do just that... make her a serious offer."
The first auditions for the 2012 series are just three weeks away and, while Gary, Tulisa and Louis Walsh are all expected to return, the fourth judge is yet to be confirmed.