http://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor.aspxThoughts, observations, and the occasional rant...Latest music news, reviews, gossip and releases.http://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=cb4678e4-774b-49ae-8e9a-cb179774a41aFinally, I can point you in the right direction...Tue, 08 May 2012 06:09:19 -0700james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280fcb4678e4-774b-49ae-8e9a-cb179774a41aBlogArticle2B0843C6DF303287012012-05-08T13:09:19.793The question I get asked most in this job (apart from "Sorry, which guest list did you say you're on?") is how to get started in music journalism.   I try to be as helpful as possible but there's no easy answer. The fact is, I got a lucky break more years ago than I care to remember and grabbed it with both hands.   So that's the full extent of the advice I'm able to offer: be lucky and don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Not very helpful at all but it's the best I can do without lying.   Or rather, it was the best I could do.   Now, mercifully, I'm able to point aspiring (multimedia) scribes in the direction of Muzu.tv and their 'festivist' competition.   According to the immaculately written press release, the lucky winner gets to report on three of the summer's biggest music festivals (Lovebox, Wireless and South West Four) for Muzu.tv.   Can't be bad, eh? So if "VIP access, reporting from backstage, chatting with the stars, mingling with festival-goers, absorbing the fun, all with mic in hand whilst your own dedicated MUZU.TV camera crew cover your journalistic experience for one million plus people to see" appeals to you, don't ask me how to make it happen, click here.The question I get asked most in this job (apart from "Sorry, which guest list did you say you're on?") is how to get started in music journalism.   I try to be as helpful as possible but there's no easy answer. The fact is, I got a lucky break more years ago than I care to remember and grabbed it with both hands.   So that's the full extent of the advice I'm able to offer: be lucky and don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Not very helpful at all but it's the best I can do without lying.   Or rather, it was the best I could do.   Now, mercifully, I'm able to point aspiring (multimedia) scribes in the direction of Muzu.tv and their 'festivist' competition.   According to the immaculately written press release, the lucky winner gets to report on three of the summer's biggest music festivals (Lovebox, Wireless and South West Four) for Muzu.tv.   Can't be bad, eh? So if "VIP access, reporting from backstage, chatting with the stars, mingling with festival-goers, absorbing the fun, all with mic in hand whilst your own dedicated MUZU.TV camera crew cover your journalistic experience for one million plus people to see" appeals to you, don't ask me how to make it happen, click here.BlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=6d0a385f-0f37-45e0-86ea-a2fa1c742fb6Hotly tipped by celebrities and fans alike as the next big thing, Alabama Shakes show why it’s all about the voice and less about the X-factorFri, 04 May 2012 07:22:12 -0700James Dravenbe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f6d0a385f-0f37-45e0-86ea-a2fa1c742fb6BlogArticle5C50786B6B8F4285012012-05-04T14:22:12.097Alabama Shakes are set to take the world by storm. At the end of last year I started to see live videos of the band - shared with me by music journo friends and industry types - playing in tiny bar rooms in their native Alabama. At first glance they're wholly unremarkable. Then and now, they look like they belong in those back room bars. This is their secret weapon...   From their dispassionate drummer, keeping time with all the charisma of a metronome, to their slightly awkward-looking keyboard player, audience expectations can’t fail to be low at first sight. These people do not look like stars.   Guitarist and bassist, both dressed more for hill-walking than an international tour, stand silently sentinel either side of singer/guitarist Brittany Howard. All spectacles, sensible dress and wild hair, she and her bandmates have clearly never clapped eyes on a stylist or vice-versa. They could be the roadies: you barely notice them as they walk onstage. And then they play. And they explode into the room.   It’s a sucker-punch the first time you hear Brittany sing. You’re so completely disarmed by her lack of pretension, by the band’s amateur-looking, unprimped appearance that they walk up to you and knock your socks off before you’ve had the chance to defend yourself.   Amy Winehouse's beehive, swagger and vintage vixen look clearly heralded the anachronistic, soaring and sultry jazzy tones that burst forth from her, but there's nothing to prepare you for the incredible, timeless, era-transcending sound of Alabama Shakes. Their blend of classic soul, blues and rock ’n’ roll is at once utterly familiar, evoking everyone from The Rolling stones to Otis Reading, and frustratingly hard to place. Nobody sounds like this band anymore.   Fortunately everyone in the room’s socks & stockings remain firmly on their feet tonight because, after a recent appearance on Later with Jools Holland and having been championed by celebrity fans from Adele to Robert Plant, Alabama Shakes are now big news among anyone who cares about good music.   Looking at the eclectic, packed crowd in Electric Brixton tonight, it’s hard to believe that the last time the band played the capital, back in February, they performed for three nights in the upstairs room of a pub in Tufnell Park. Even then celebrity fan Russell Crowe flew in to catch a glimpse this year’s most important band in action.   I’m certain that the next time I see Alabama Shakes play live they’ll be topping the bill at a festival, a field full of devoted fans from 16 to 60 singing along to their soon-to-be classic hits. If you’re smart, you’ll be there too.Alabama Shakes are set to take the world by storm. At the end of last year I started to see live videos of the band - shared with me by music journo friends and industry types - playing in tiny bar rooms in their native Alabama. At first glance they're wholly unremarkable. Then and now, they look like they belong in those back room bars. This is their secret weapon...   From their dispassionate drummer, keeping time with all the charisma of a metronome, to their slightly awkward-looking keyboard player, audience expectations can’t fail to be low at first sight. These people do not look like stars.   Guitarist and bassist, both dressed more for hill-walking than an international tour, stand silently sentinel either side of singer/guitarist Brittany Howard. All spectacles, sensible dress and wild hair, she and her bandmates have clearly never clapped eyes on a stylist or vice-versa. They could be the roadies: you barely notice them as they walk onstage. And then they play. And they explode into the room.   It’s a sucker-punch the first time you hear Brittany sing. You’re so completely disarmed by her lack of pretension, by the band’s amateur-looking, unprimped appearance that they walk up to you and knock your socks off before you’ve had the chance to defend yourself.   Amy Winehouse's beehive, swagger and vintage vixen look clearly heralded the anachronistic, soaring and sultry jazzy tones that burst forth from her, but there's nothing to prepare you for the incredible, timeless, era-transcending sound of Alabama Shakes. Their blend of classic soul, blues and rock ’n’ roll is at once utterly familiar, evoking everyone from The Rolling stones to Otis Reading, and frustratingly hard to place. Nobody sounds like this band anymore.   Fortunately everyone in the room’s socks & stockings remain firmly on their feet tonight because, after a recent appearance on Later with Jools Holland and having been championed by celebrity fans from Adele to Robert Plant, Alabama Shakes are now big news among anyone who cares about good music.   Looking at the eclectic, packed crowd in Electric Brixton tonight, it’s hard to believe that the last time the band played the capital, back in February, they performed for three nights in the upstairs room of a pub in Tufnell Park. Even then celebrity fan Russell Crowe flew in to catch a glimpse this year’s most important band in action.   I’m certain that the next time I see Alabama Shakes play live they’ll be topping the bill at a festival, a field full of devoted fans from 16 to 60 singing along to their soon-to-be classic hits. If you’re smart, you’ll be there too.BlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=c586c79d-dd41-4f9e-8528-7ad2fd0ed576Next week it's all about Tulisa Contostavlos on MSN. So much so, we're officially declaring it Tulisa Week. Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:33:01 -0700Kerri-Ann Roperbe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280fc586c79d-dd41-4f9e-8528-7ad2fd0ed576BlogArticleEC8C3F566C28ACA052462012-04-20T14:46:41.987Following her stint on the X Factor, Tulisa Contostavlos has gone from hot, to hotter, to being the hottest... So, Tulisa fans gather around, because on Monday 23 April at 5pm, we'll be hosting a webchat with her.     To join and ask the star a question, all you have to do is:   Tweet us your question on @msnents by Monday 12pm Join us here at 5pm on Monday   Over the course of next week we'll also be bringing you exclusive interviews with Tulisa every day.   You can also pre-order her single, Young, out on Sunday 29 April, here! Visit Tulisa's new website too!   In the meantime, have a watch of her new music video for her single Young below...whats your favourite alcoholic drink tulisa:p? xxBlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=9c650bde-8ca8-4661-b609-f7166b084b7aTommy Marth was 33Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:44:33 -0700james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f9c650bde-8ca8-4661-b609-f7166b084b7aBlogArticle2B0843C6DF30328717152012-04-26T15:58:36.177Tommy Marth, a saxophone player for The Killers, was found dead at his Las Vegas home on Monday.   The 33 year-old played on the band's Sam's Town and Day & Age albums, and toured with them in 2008 and 2009.   The Killers released a statement on Tuesday, which read: "Last night we lost our friend Thomas Marth. Our prayers are with his family. There's a light missing in Las Vegas tonight. Travel well, Tommy."   American gossip website TMZ is today reporting his death as a suicide.   Watch Tommy playing with The Killers below.great sax player RIP!!BlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=967854ec-787d-4ece-8bc6-b73fca29958aMusic website thinks so but Johnny Marr denies it on FacebookFri, 27 Apr 2012 07:21:42 -0700james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f967854ec-787d-4ece-8bc6-b73fca29958aBlogArticle2B0843C6DF3032871592012-04-26T11:40:27.3The Smiths are to reform, according to respected music website Music-News.com   The seminal Manchester indie band, who finished 16th in MSN's poll of Britain's greatest music act, have always resisted talk of getting back together and are thought to have turned down a previous offer of more than £76m to reform.   They split acrimoniously in 1987 after five years together. Music-news cites a source who claims the band have been in talks with a well-known promoter and further claims they were persuaded to reunite after fellow Manc legends The Stone Roses put their differences aside earlier this year.   However, guitarist Johnny Marr has denied the report on his Facebook page, saying: "The rumour of the Smiths reunion is untrue. It's not happening."   Mind you, John Squire said much the same thing before the Roses announcement, so we're not giving up hope just yet!     Do you think it's true? Or is Johnny's denial good enough for you? Let us know in the comments below.While MSN is busy bull****ting, how about Sean Gallagher in Chongqing?BlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=022fb8f0-027d-44ec-990d-06fbe94039b1Here's how we made our choicesFri, 20 Apr 2012 14:45:03 -0700james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f022fb8f0-027d-44ec-990d-06fbe94039b1BlogArticle2B0843C6DF303287112012-04-20T19:19:52.16It's brilliant to see our poll to find Britain's Greatest Music Act is stirring up such debate! Just to clarify a couple of things about how the choices were made: We were restricted to a list of 30 and no more. The last five decades of British music had to be represented more or less evenly. The choices were made with a mainstream audience in mind and so had to reflect both quality and popularity. We are defining an 'artist' as someone who writes/wrote most of their own material (hence no Cliff Richard, for example). Artists only a few years into their career (eg. Adele) don't qualify. So when you're fuming that, say, Robin Trower isn't on the list, ask yourself who he should replace, bearing in mind the criteria above. To tackle some of the most common objections aired here: You don't have to play an instrument on stage to be a musician. Great songwriters with great voices (eg. George Michael) are, in our opinion, perfectly valid choices. We agree there is a depressing lack of females and ethnic minorities here but, again, going by the criteria listed above, who would you include? And who from the list would you replace them with? On a more positive note, we're sure this won't be anything like as much of an issue 10 years from now when the likes of Adele, Michael Kiwanuka, Florence & The Machine, Tinie Tempah etc... have another decade's work under their belts. Robbie Williams is credited as a co-writer on the majority of his solo output. Now you, like us, may want to question the validity of co-authorship in general. While it's certainly true that many high-profile music stars (who shall remain nameless) get a co-writing credit for little more than coming up with a song's title (they get loads more money that way, you see), many of Williams' songs are clearly autobiographical. We think this is enough to allow his inclusion. You may not. C'est la vie. And finally, to tackle some individual comments which caught my attention: Van Morrison is from Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. He is therefore British and eligible for the list. ABBA were Swedish (come on, people!) and therefore aren't. John Lennon and Paul McCartney aren't listed as solo artists because their respective solo careers haven't/didn't come close to their work with The Beatles. To include all three would be to use 10% of our allocated 30 choices, which we simply couldn't justify. I hope this clears things up and calms down the more outraged among you just a little. At the end of the day, a poll like this can never hope to prove anything beyond the fact that you can't please everyone!Seems to me that this is just a way to not include Sir Cliff Richard YET again. The things he has done for British music are phenomenal. When will people start to accept that? This poll is not a true poll until Sir Cliff is included. An artist is an artist and Sir Cliff is certainly an artist and a brilliant one at that. This country should be more proud of the living legend that is SIR CLIFF RICHARD. 54 Years and still at the top speak volumes!BlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=f565a9bd-4a4a-4bbe-9b3b-0d32ca196675Check out My Kind of LoveFri, 20 Apr 2012 03:53:35 -0700Lucy Mapstonebe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280ff565a9bd-4a4a-4bbe-9b3b-0d32ca196675BlogArticle3C09FD3E7B34CEFB012012-04-20T10:59:27.613Emeli Sandé is the wonderful gift that just keeps giving! Her latest single My Kind of Love is due for release on 28th May, and will be the fourth track to be taken from her number 1 album Our Version of Events. The follow up single to the hugely successful Next To Me, My Kind of Love is a truly heartfelt track featuring the Emeli’s powerful vocals. Emeli has said the track was inspired by the patients she met whilst studying medicine in Glasgow: ““During my time studying medicine, I found it hard to write, but one of the things that inspired  me were the patients and the interaction that they had with their loved ones during their time of illness.” “When people arrived at the hospital, money and status became irrelevant and only health mattered, which sparked an honesty between people which was amazing to see. This interaction, declaration of support and love, was the inspiration for ‘My Kind Of Love’ and something I wanted to portray in the video the track,” she added. Having just completed her second sell-out UK tour, we predict even bigger things for the talent singer this year! Check out the stunning video below…Emeli Sandé is the wonderful gift that just keeps giving! Her latest single My Kind of Love is due for release on 28th May, and will be the fourth track to be taken from her number 1 album Our Version of Events. The follow up single to the hugely successful Next To Me, My Kind of Love is a truly heartfelt track featuring the Emeli’s powerful vocals. Emeli has said the track was inspired by the patients she met whilst studying medicine in Glasgow: ““During my time studying medicine, I found it hard to write, but one of the things that inspired  me were the patients and the interaction that they had with their loved ones during their time of illness.” “When people arrived at the hospital, money and status became irrelevant and only health mattered, which sparked an honesty between people which was amazing to see. This interaction, declaration of support and love, was the inspiration for ‘My Kind Of Love’ and something I wanted to portray in the video the track,” she added. Having just completed her second sell-out UK tour, we predict even bigger things for the talent singer this year! Check out the stunning video below…BlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=48b127fa-6ed8-4ede-8682-15364a2c0b9cFuture chart-topper or a chart-flopper?Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:40:55 -0700Lucy Mapstonebe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f48b127fa-6ed8-4ede-8682-15364a2c0b9cBlogArticle3C09FD3E7B34CEFB1911842012-04-20T09:07:57.423"I have some serious Butterflies RN #ExcitedforCallMyNam ​ e.. :&" tweeted Cheryl this morning before the first play of her new single on UK radio. We had a listen whilst scoffing our brekkie and here's our verdict...   Things about Cheryl's (she's not to be called Cheryl Cole anymore folks) new single, Call My Name, produced by Calvin Harris, decided after only one listen: It's a catchy number bound to fire up the dancefloor but it's no We Found Love... definitely reckon it'll be a grower after a few more listens though. Before the full track was played, the DJ teased us with a few seconds of the intro which reminded us a bit of the afro-beat-tastic sounds of D'Banj track Oliver Twist. The track delves quickly into the formulaic pace of Calvin Harris productions, winding up to a beat with speed and electronic sounds that make you want to jump up and down, shout "yeeeeaaah!" and put your raving hand in the air. There's lots of delicious speaker-bumping bass and synth pinging - this pleases us muchly. The vocal - it's got multiple layers to it and makes it sound like there are three people singing at once - we want Chezza to belt it out on her own to make it sound a bit stronger. We know you can do it girl, sing it! If you wanna start practicing the lyrics, here's some help for you (chorus): "How'd you think I feel when you call my name / You got me confused by the way I change... Say my name baby... (verse) It's my constant thought of my baby takin' up my time... vision of you playing on my mind... Saying IIIII I love what you do to me / Need you to stay with me / IIIII love you too much to let go." The oh oh oh oh oh ing at the end is very good. Overall The track is bang-on trend-wise in terms of its sound and subject and it is definitely dance-tastic but not as amazing as we anticipated (to be fair the expectations were very, very high) but even the radio DJs reacted saying they 'liked' it, none of them said they 'loved' it though... Anyhoo, we're sure it'll still be a massive hit and of course we're looking forward to hearing and seeing more from Cheryl's comeback album now that she's got will.i.am as her manager and an international takeover in her sights with a host of top, very cool, collaborators. So far though, it's 7 out of 10 for us on this one.   Call My Name will be released on 10 June.   Other things about Cheryl's new music The video for single Call My Name will get its first airing in May and was filmed in downtown LA. You can check out behind the scenes snaps from it on MSN music. The former Girls Aloud starlet also revealed details about her new album - A Million Lights. This follows her previous solo albums 3 Words and Messy Little Raindrops and will be released on 18 June.   What do YOU think of Cheryl's new single, Call My Name?What does Cheryl Cole really do? She can't sing, she doesn't act, theres no more X-Factor really, all I've seen her do is beauty adverts??xBlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=2cc8adb0-b04c-46d9-82b9-1275a1f72245Greg Ham, the flautist for the well-known Australian band, has died aged 58Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:08:46 -0700Kerri-Ann Roperbe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f2cc8adb0-b04c-46d9-82b9-1275a1f72245BlogArticleEC8C3F566C28ACA030292012-04-19T09:54:16.5Greg Ham has been found dead by police at his home in Melbourne. The star was the flautist for the famous Australian band, Men At Work.   Greg Ham (right) pictured above with Men At Work's Colin Hay   The Daily Mail quotes a police spokesperson as saying: "We have established a crime scene and the local crime investigation unit are attempting to determine cause of death. There are a number of unexplained aspects to it and we're assisting the local detectives to determine what has occurred."   Greg was renowned for his flute riff in the song, Down Under, which became very famous.   However, the song courted controversy when, in 2010 a court ruled that the riff was the same as one used in another famous Australian song called Kookaburra and had been written by a Melbourne schoolteacher for a Girl Guides competition.weird i downloaded cargo and a colin hay accoustic album today....sad news..thoughts to family and friends       as for the nationality...."men at work"...cant be from the uk then can they...no jobs north of watford....and michael lynagh being very ill too , its quite a sad time for true talent down underBlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=5b9e3dee-087a-4703-a535-95f032a175d9Cheryl Cole's back on the music map and this Friday 20 April we'll get to hear all about it...Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:56:39 -0700Kerri-Ann Roperbe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f5b9e3dee-087a-4703-a535-95f032a175d9BlogArticleEC8C3F566C28ACA024252012-04-18T13:17:04.95Since leaving the UK X Factor, Cheryl Cole's been rather quiet on the music front. But now news has reached us that makes us very happy indeed.     Reports say Cheryl's new single, Call My Name, will debut this Friday 20 April on UK radio, but will be officially released on June 10 this year.   Her new album, called A Million Lights, is due for release just a week later, on June 18.   Welcome back, Cheryl.   We look forward to some sizzling performances!in other news more talented bands and musicians are releasing albums but msn chooses to forget that if you want more news get your god dawmb asses to some other music websiteBlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=e90d1e45-45f9-477c-9be4-420348b17995As James if off on holiday this week I’ve jumped in to tell you about some exciting news…Sat, 14 Apr 2012 12:50:45 -0700Steve WBbe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280fe90d1e45-45f9-477c-9be4-420348b17995BlogArticle4239F177978579BB112012-04-13T11:39:57.13Guest Blogger: Steven Wilson-Beales. Managing Editor, Entertainment At the beginning of the month we asked you to nominate your favourite UK music act and the emails and tweets have been flooding in. Today, we’ve published a shortlist of the top 30 acts you recommended, along with a few suggestions of our own. Now it’s time to let battle commence: vote for your favourite band or solo artist now and we’ll publish the final results on April 25th. And there’s more.   To celebrate the launch of Spotify on MSN Music earlier this week I’ve also published a playlist representing what I think are the best tracks from all of the nominated acts. I’ve kicked off with Sway by The Rolling Stones not only because it’s my favourite track, I also know James will probably have a heart-attack when he returns as he’s their BIGGEST FAN EVER.   I also had to include the Vince Clarke remix of WFL by the Happy Mondays – that one always goes down well at parties (well, mine anyway).  I Wanna Be Adored is the best track by The Stone Roses BEYOND ALL REASONABLE DOUBT and I’ve even popped in Wrapped Around Your Finger by The Police for that pure 80’s vibe. You can’t find Beatles tracks in Spotify (yet) so I’ve included the superb cover of Here Comes the Sun by Peter Tosh, instant classic.   There you are – surely the best choice of tracks ever in the history of British music. No? We’ll, let’s make it a collaborative playlist then so you can add your own recommendations. Just subscribe to the playlist through Spotify and add your tracks – I won’t mind, honest!   Enjoy, Steve   Vote now for Britain's Greatest Music Act Britain’s Greatest Music Act - Spotify PlaylistWhere's Iron MaidenBlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=9f5b44f3-3651-4125-ad0f-cf6997d490abNow you can play music from any MSN page!Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:15:47 -0700james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f9f5b44f3-3651-4125-ad0f-cf6997d490abBlogArticle2B0843C6DF303287452012-04-11T09:28:13.907There's enough misery in the world so here's a bit of good news: MSN has joined forces with music-streaming service Spotify. As well as obvious things like the current Top 10 (check out the module to your right), over the coming weeks and months you'll also be able to listen to custom-built selections from your favourite artists, exclusive album previews, and playlists voted for by you the users. Playlist: what we're listening to Playlist: Britain's greatest artists If you don't already have a Spotify account, click on the Spotify module where you'll be taken to their sign up page for a free or premium account. It's hard to write something like this without making it sound like a press release but I'm genuinely excited. As an early adopter, I've been singing Spotify's praises for a number of years. To be honest, I can't quite believe people still buy CDs. Now, wherever you stand on that (and I know some people are very protective of their physical music collections), you can't argue with a free streaming service integrated into your favourite music website. Like strawberries and cream, a horse and carriage, or Lana Del Rey and Axl Rose, Spotify and MSN are a match made in heaven. Sign up to Spotify here Find out more about SpotifyLets wait and see eh??BlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=9576f74c-d6b2-426e-9991-d0ff12b2244cHow the BBC's flagship talent show and its female coach will be the making of each other...Sat, 31 Mar 2012 15:45:36 -0700james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f9576f74c-d6b2-426e-9991-d0ff12b2244cBlogArticle2B0843C6DF303287312012-03-27T09:41:36.987We may never know what happened when the BBC replaced Will Young with Danny O'Donoghue just days before announcing The Voice coaching panel. Equally, we can't ever be sure of the wisdom or otherwise of the decision, although my personal feeling is they messed up big time.   With all due respect to Danny, he seems out of his depth already and it's obvious he's every contestant's fourth choice (whether or not they show it). Will, on the other hand, as well as being bright, articulate and witty, is one of the very few artists to build a lasting, credible career from a TV talent show.   What more did they want from a coach? Perhaps they just didn't want two Wills on the programme.   The (in my opinion) wrongness of that decision is, however, almost entirely mitigated by the presence of Jessie J.   At the risk of dropping a Will.i.am-style celebrity anecdote, I have met Jessie a few times and she is every bit as warm, bright and funny as she appears on The Voice.   More than that (and she was wary of appearing cheesy or insincere when I first called her on it), she genuinely believes she's been put on this planet to make a positive difference through music.   Of course, self-belief of this kind can be dangerous but she gets away with it because she's as happy (maybe happier) taking the mickey out of herself as anyone else.   Did you hear her silence Sir Tom Jones and Will.i.am when their competitive name-dropping was getting out of hand? "Guys, I can't compete with you. I haven't sung with The Beatles or Elvis... but I did meet Justin Bieber once!"   She didn't just lighten the mood with a single remark, she did so while playfully sending up herself, her two fellow judges and the boy Bieber.   If Michael Jackson had been able to do that, he might be alive today.   Anyway, my point about Jessie is that she's really, really great. National treasure in the making great, in fact. But I'm not sure how many people will have seen that side to her (or even have known who she is) until now.   Ask Cheryl Cole what being on prime-time television every Saturday night can do for your profile. Before she joined X Factor in 2008, she was best known to non-pop fans for smacking a toilet attendant in a Guildford nightclub. Oh, and being married to arguably the country's least popular footballer.   A few weeks of smiling, crying and you're-reet-oop-ma-s ​ treet-ing and she's the nation's sweetheart, popular with both sexes and all ages.   The BBC might have screwed up with Will Young but they pulled off a masterstroke with Jessie J. The only bigger winner from that decision will be Jessie herself.Jessie J is the worst of the judges,she has no experiance,talent,tr ​ ack record or ability to aid any contestant, what's she going to offer them,her record deal? she has no talent so she can only offer her teams services she is a toy,another Simon Cowell puppet any contestant knows it is only Will with any power in the music bizz you would have to choose him if you want to get anywhereBlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=f63972f4-cf14-4f86-a42d-ffac9a4647f0Full list of winnersSun, 15 Apr 2012 09:03:26 -0700james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280ff63972f4-cf14-4f86-a42d-ffac9a4647f0BlogArticle2B0843C6DF303287422012-03-01T10:36:36.85Here's the full list of winners from last night's NME Awards 2012.   Best British Band supported by Sonos - Kasabian Best International Band supported by T4 - Foo Fighters Best New Band supported by Boxfresh - The Vaccines Best Solo Artist supported by Rekorderlig - Florence + the Machine Best Live Band supported by Carling - Arctic Monkeys Best Album supported by HMV - Horrors, Skying Best Track supported by Fender - Florence + The Machine, Shake It Out Best Video supported by NMEVideo.com - Hurts, Sunday Best Festival - Glastonbury Dancefloor Anthem supported by NME Radio - Katy B, Broken Record Best TV Show - Fresh Meat Best Film - Submarine Hero Of The Year  - Matt Bellamy Villain Of The Year - Justin Bieber Worst Album - Justin Bieber, Under The Mistletoe Worst Band - One Direction Hottest Male - Jared Leto, 30 Seconds To Mars Hottest Female - Hayley Williams, Paramore Best Album Artwork - Friendly Fires, Pala Best Band Blog or Twitter - Lady Gaga, @ladygaga Best Book - Noel Fielding, The Scribblings of a Madcap Shambleton Best Small Festival - Rockness Most Dedicated Fans - Muse Best Music Film - Foo Fighters, Back and Forth Greatest Music Moment - Stone Roses re-unite Best Re-issue - The Smiths, Complete re-issues Philip Hall Radar Award - Azealia BanksMICHAEL JACKSON LIVES ON, MICHAEL JACKSON FOREVER. !!!!!!BlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=a6d717c8-ade2-4145-afba-4738e80488e2Here come the girls (again)Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:14:07 -0800james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280fa6d717c8-ade2-4145-afba-4738e80488e2BlogArticle2B0843C6DF303287232012-02-21T12:58:07.16Women have led music in this country for some years now, and tonight's BRIT Awards could, in hindsight, come to be seen as the zenith of this female-dominated era.   Although Ed Sheeran, up for four awards, is the nominal front-runner, the BRITs 2012 will be dominated by three women; the all-conquering Adele and the gone-but-not-forgott ​ en Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston, both of whom are set to be honoured with tributes.   Those three artists tell an interesting story about the last 25 years of popular music. Whitney, of course, spearheaded the wave of supernaturally-gifte ​ d female vocalists like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion who dominated the pop charts of the late 1980s and 1990s.   For all the 'cooler' (ie. non-pop) influences of the current generation of world-beating British females, you can bet your life both Amy and Adele sang Whitney songs into the mirror at some point.   In fact, you can still find old YouTube clips of Jessie J doing exactly that.   So anyway, cutting a long story short, Whitney begat Amy (RIP) who begat Adele who is now unquestionably the most popular singer in the whole, wide world.   And if you'd like a bit more symbolism, it was last year's BRITs, specifically her spine-tingling rendition of Someone Like You, which propelled Adele from homegrown talent to global superstar.   Right, let's move on before our head explodes.   In terms of predictions, the domestic categories look pretty straightforward. I've got Ed Sheeran all the way for Male Solo Artist, while I just can't see Adele losing out in any of the three categories she's named in (Female Solo Artist, Best Single, and Best Album).   Remember, this ain't the Mercury Prize. The BRITs is an industry event, and despite what Jessie J might think, it is all about the money.   Going on the premise that if they're performing, they've probably won something, I'm plumping for Coldplay to take British Group, which only leaves the bothersome Breakthrough Artist category.   I use a quaintly old-fashioned word like bothersome partly because I like it but mainly because it's a confusing category. I mean, last year's Critics' Choice winner (Jessie J) is nominated but so is this year's (Emeli Sandé).   If there's any justice (which we know is a fluid concept at the BRITs) then Ed Sheeran will win, if only because he's proved you can make it in the music business without being on anyone's Ones To Watch/Sound Of/Critics' Choice list. Or smiling. Ever.   Things are harder to call in the international categories. I'm going for Bruno Mars for International Male because he's definitely attending (it's usually as simple as that), while Lana Del Rey should win International Breakthrough because us Brits love adopting Americans who aren't properly appreciated in their home country.   So that just leaves two categories (or three if you count the British Producer award). If you can find a definite winner out of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna for International Female, you're doing better than me.   If I had to choose, I'd say Rihanna probably edges it for work rate and UK appearances. Oh, and the fact she's confirmed to attend on the night :o)   All of which means the only category I'm genuinely stumped by is International Group. But actually, does anyone really care whether Fleet Foxes, Foo Fighters, Jay-Z and Kanye West, Lady Antebellum or Maroon 5 wins? It hardly seems important.   What does seem important, however, arguably too important to bury at the bottom of this blog post, is Blur closing the show with an 11-minute performance to mark their winning this year's Outstanding Contribution To Music award.   I've not been their biggest fan over the years (until last week, Damon Albarn was the rudest person I've ever interviewed - and no, I'm not saying who just beat his five-year record) but their achievements are undeniable. And their Glastonbury 2009 appearance was one of the best gigs I've ever been to.    And actually, isn't it about time they did a Whitney and inspired a whole new crop of talent? Because, you see, this pop diva thing is all well and good but I for one would like to see a bloody good new band (or two) come along now. What do you think?   Anyway, I'm going to be tweeting from the red carpet from around 4:30pm, so follow @msnents if you fancy more low-level insight and changeable predictions!   Brits 2012: full list of nominees Watch: Jessie J talks about the nominationsIt's a shame they took out Best International Album because i wanted Lady Gaga to be nominated for 2!BlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=8efc68aa-3beb-41a4-a416-1ba9bc038e7eShe'll be at MSN from 5pm todayWed, 29 Feb 2012 09:12:45 -0800james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f8efc68aa-3beb-41a4-a416-1ba9bc038e7eBlogArticle2B0843C6DF303287134702012-02-15T11:26:41.85If the reaction of MSN users is anything to go by, Cher Lloyd is the Marmite of pop music. However you feel about the Swagger Jagger singer, we're giving you the chance to ask her a question this afternoon!   Simply tweet us a question @msnmusicuk before 4pm today and we'll consider putting it to Cher.   But please, don't bother sending anything nasty or abusive because it won't get through and you'll only have wasted your own time.   The live webchat kicks off at 5pm this afternoon right here!i think that cher is amazing! love you cher! <3 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxBlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=5576167b-8343-4ae0-9dda-454f2be89c92Swagger Jagger singer reduced to tearsSat, 18 Feb 2012 05:55:48 -0800james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f5576167b-8343-4ae0-9dda-454f2be89c92BlogArticle2B0843C6DF30328714152012-02-07T10:58:05.583Guest blogger: Tina Hart Anyone who watched last night’s Panorama feels incensed; cyber-bullying is a horrible, horrible phenomenon. You felt bad but how many times have you had a pop at a pop star? Cher Lloyd being a victim’s case in point on the programme last night.   Remember she’s still only 18 years old. Remember she’s under the spotlight and under scrutiny in ways that most of us couldn't imagine. Even in a normal environment most of us were grumpy teens. But what is this built up perception of Cher based on? Real evidence? Hardly…   It’s easy to make a bitchy comment about someone online but would you say it to their face given the chance? Not likely. This is all getting a bit serious so let’s look at what we know well – the music side of things……..   She smashed the X Factor auditions (in a very good way) and won over the affections of an urban music-loving nation in 2010 with her Keri Hilson version of Soulja Boy’s Turn My Swag On. Cute, sassy, full of attitude and we loved it then – but why are people so averse to it now? Fickle members of the public.  Admittedly I wasn’t a fan of Cher’s debut single Swagger Jagger but I appreciated the sentiment and the ‘Hi Hater’ t-shirt she sported in press shots was a genius move – go on girl! Your Love was a jiggy little pop/R&B tune with massive US crossover potential.It’s cool to have a bit of attitude, hence fans called ‘Brats’ – it’s all good! Those Brats had ‘Proud of Cher’ trending on twitter last night in support of her open and honest appearance on the documentary.    Everyone is entitled to their opinion, especially with varying tastes in music, but next time you’re about to get personal, think…   You don’t have to like something, but you don’t have to hate on it either.   * What do you think of Cher Lloyd's appearance on Panorama? Tell us in the comments below.i am a bit a brat as cher calls her fans and i love her music i didn't c the show but it is admirable how a celebrity as vulnerable as her can come on such a open show and speak so openly about what happened to herBlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=99e1c4d0-f741-45fb-9996-07ce85d11dceMs Del Rey's album goes to number one in 11 countriesMon, 13 Feb 2012 13:41:27 -0800james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f99e1c4d0-f741-45fb-9996-07ce85d11dceBlogArticle2B0843C6DF303287232012-02-06T17:23:31.78Congratulations are in order for Lana Del Rey. Despite some astonishingly mean-spirited reviews of her major label debut, Born To Die, the album has been a commercial success with first week sales of more than 100 000 in the UK. As Lana herself said via Twitter: "Thank you for making the record #1 in 11 countries. Your sweet words have softened the effect of even the harshest reviews. I adore you." It's not just paid critics who have been down on Ms Del Rey. Twitter was ablaze with criticism of her Saturday Night Live performance the other week (Juliette Lewis and Perez Hilton among the naysayers), while Lana herself has spoken of "very personal messages coming to me, like hate mail, so there is a flipside to the attention my music has been getting." So what is everybody's problem? Well, as the sales figures testify, it's clearly not everybody. But, as MSN noted in its (positive) review of her album Born To Die, seldom is opinion divided so starkly over a new artist as it is with Lana Del Rey. In fact, it only really happens when a new talent emerges, apparently from nowhere, with a track and/or video as completely out of step with what everyone else is doing as Video Games. It seems people can't decide whether such brazen indifference to fashion is admirable or stupid. While we all know originality is a good thing, humans are hard-wired for hostility towards the unfamiliar, hence Del Rey's being lauded and lampooned in equal measure. It's not just simply that she's different to the current pop pack though. There are a couple of other things going on. The first is an age-old prejudice, namely that exceptionally attractive people are a bit thick. The other is a much more modern obsession with 'authenticity'; the ridiculous notion that creating a persona or changing your name is somehow cheating. If you don't allow that, you don't allow Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, The White Stripes, Lady Gaga or any number of rock and pop greats both past and present. An unedifying number of what these days are known as 'haters' have taken both untruths in combination and concluded that because Lana Del Rey looks like Jessica Rabbit, her brilliantly fabricated 'gangsta Nancy Sinatra' image can't be her own doing. In other words, that she's too hot to be anything but a cynical creation of the music industry. But the music industry isn't that clever or risk-happy at the best of times, let alone in its current cash-strapped form. Take it from me, the only strategic conversations going on behind closed doors last year will have been about how to find the next Adele. The internet has shaken up every aspect of the music business so completely that it's not yet possible to judge with clarity what's been for the better and what's been lost. On the one hand it has allowed a song like Video Games to infiltrate the consciousness of the record-buying public in a way that simply wouldn't have been possible years ago, on the other it's given people the means to ridicule and attack its creator en masse. You might argue that's the deal these days, take it or leave it. I just hope it doesn't mean too many talented but sensitive souls (they usually go together) don't decide, on balance, that they'd rather leave it.Time for a change Adele is getting boring....BlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=550f4936-5fe7-48fd-a352-0c9e0dc531d1In which Madge takes on the young pretenders...Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:55:24 -0800james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f550f4936-5fe7-48fd-a352-0c9e0dc531d1BlogArticle2B0843C6DF30328761572012-02-03T16:02:56.43Madonna has been playing the elder stateswoman of pop for more than a decade now. This perception of herself was first manifest publicly at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards where she wore a Kylie Minogue t-shirt.   It appeared again three years later at the American version of the same ceremony, during which she indulged in faux-lesbian snogs with both Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.   Both incidents seemed to indicate a recognition of her influence on a new generation of performers, while casting herself as still very much top dog.   Her recent behaviour, however, suggests this semi-gracious attitude has soured.   The reason? It seems there's only room for one Mother Monster and Madge is quite sure it should be her and not the young upstart, also of Italian-American stock, who coined the phrase.   Yep, it looks like Lady Gaga has really rattled the old girl, so much so that she's taken to saying she has "obviously influenced" her.   Madonna's latest salvo in this direction has just arrived in the form of her new video.   Give Me All Your Luvin', which features Nicki Minaj and MIA in the Britney/Xtina subordinate roles, at first seems like a horrifically ill-advised attempt to beat the sexy young things at their own game.   Then it becomes clear what she's up to. The playground melody, the rinky-dink production, the faceless cheerleaders, the lyric about every song sounding the same... she's sending up the competition as uninspired and interchangeable fluff.   By the time she appears (for a split second) to be breastfeeding a baby at 1:45, the pudding is in danger of being over-egged.   Trying to stay ahead of the pop pack at 53 is admirable but there's a lot to be said for growing old gracefully too.   Taking bitter potshots at younger rivals isn't the way to do either.   * What do you think of Madonna's new video? Let us know in the comments below.Cannot stand Lady GaGa! The press use her as their only weapon to demean Madonna and all that she has achieved. It irks the media that she is STILL breaking records, technically Madonna has won! And its hilarious! As for GaGa, she is just a poor carbon copy manufactured by exec's to achieve Madonna's level of wealth and fame. They created a Madonna based on Madonna, but she is nowhere near the real thing. Madonna controls Madonna, copy cat GaGa is a puppet for the music industry ticking off boxes as she goes... Gay fan base, check! Controversy, check! Religion and sex, check! It is laughable! Even when her EX creative director Laurrean Gibson came forth and spilled the beans on creating GaGa in Madonna's image, the desperate media turned a blind eye! Its there in black and white, the privelidged white girl from upstate New York is a record company puppet! A fraud! And thankfully it is on its way out! Bring on the true Queen of Pop!BlogArticlehttp://music.uk.msn.com/blog/editor-blogpost.aspx?post=5c588268-d0a8-444e-88df-74c40a14c3a6Just don't call her a Stupid HoeSun, 25 Mar 2012 13:07:21 -0700james_hurleybe8b2955-2adc-4c75-af82-bf2b5e31280f5c588268-d0a8-444e-88df-74c40a14c3a6BlogArticle2B0843C6DF303287662012-01-23T16:37:11.15I'm not the world's greatest authority on hip-hop. I have what you might call a working knowledge, and some excellent freelance writers to fill in the gaps.   But anyway, regardless of genre, this new video from Nicki Minaj is the most gloriously bonkers thing I've ever seen. I'm still a bit in shock. From a visual point of view, it's like everything Lady Gaga has ever tried to do but bigger, bolder, and a hell of a lot sexier.   I think I quite like the track too but that could be because I'm totally sold on the video. Take a look at what I'm on about below. There are some rude words and a few naughty scenes, so be warned if you're easily offended.   See? Told you! Seriously, how mental was that?   I think I'm off for a lie down.Lol love me some Nicki Minaj  <3BlogArticle