Music Hound

Oasis is undoubtedly one f the greatest bands of the past couple of decades in British music, with unbelievable albums like What’s The Story, Morning Glory? making their mark on the face and identity of British music as we know it. However, they are also incredibly well known for their ability to fall out with each other at the drop of a hat, with Liam and Noel Gallagher particularly derogatory about each other, although that really is putting it mildly at the moment.

Of course, Oasis won the award for the best album of the last 30 years at the BRITS on Tuesday night and the reaction of Liam Gallagher has been well documented. He threw the microphone into the crowd as well as the statuette in a move that was highly disrespectful but had an edge of rock n roll about it. This split the country’s opinion, with some disgusted and others cheering, but one thing that everyone agrees on is the fact that Liam was highly disrespectful by failing to mention Noel when he did pick up the award.

Peter Kay, the host of the BRITS and the UK’s favourite comedian, had something to say on the night with his infamous “what a knobhead” comment after Gallagher had left the stage. However, he’s gone a little further on his website, writing the following: “So it was the Brits last night (February 16) and I was honoured to be asked to host the show, especially with it being 30 years old. Congratulations to all the winners, including Noel Gallagher, who sadly didn’t get a mention (and who thankfully isn’t a knobhead).”

Noel Gallagher actually wrote all the songs on the album and so deserved more than a mention. Good on Peter Kay for at least recognising him, but shame on Liam for acting like a complete idiot. Methinks he’s gotten a little too above his station for someone that hasn’t done much for the past decade or so!

There has been so much hype surrounding the major event in British music that occurred today that many people believed the live awards ceremony would fall flat on its face. In fact, the 30^th annual BRIT awards did anything but. I’m sure everyone that watched the show live would have been impressed by a number of the acts, especially those that won their well deserved awards tonight. Having said that, the night belong to one lady and one lady only – the extraordinary Lady GaGa.

Having been nominated in three categories, Lady GaGa was expected to win at least one award, but in the end she wound up taking all of those she had been nominated for home. Her stage performance was also absolutely amazing and definitely took the breath of the audience away. Nobody could say that she did not deserve it.

The winners are listed below in full:

British Male Solo Artist – Dizzee Rascal

British Female Solo Artist – Lily Allen

British Breakthrough Act – JLS

British Group –Kasabian

British Album – Florence & the Machine – Lungs

British Single – JLS – Beat Again

BRITS Performance Of 30 Years – Spice Girls – Wannabe/Who Do You Think You Are (1997)

International Male Solo Artist – Jay-Z

International Female Solo Artist – Lady GaGa

International Breakthrough Act – Lady GaGa

International Album – Lady GaGa – The Fame

BRITS Album Of 30 Years – Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

I just hope that Lady GaGa’s well earned success tonight is not overshadowed by one Cheryl Cole. Having had her husband splashed all over the papers for cheating again this week, she will probably dominate them tomorrow thanks to her atrocious miming and a performance that looked more angry than controlled. I hope not because Lady GaGa most definitely deserves the headlines.

If there was anything that could make me wish that I was able to go to Glastonbury Festival this year it would be the news that I am about to impart, the news that makes me gutted I have to miss it… Muse are headlining on the main Pyramid Stage on the Saturday night of the festival!

U2 had already been announced as the Friday headliner but for anyone that has yet to see Muse live, this is the ultimate performance that you need to see. Muse have been filling stadiums for some years now and have won award after award for their live performances so it will be a fantastic spectacle that you should tune in to see on TV if you cannot be there.

There has also been an announcement regarding the headliner on the closing Sunday night. It is to be the living Motown legend, Stevie Wonder. Also know for his outstanding performances live, this is sure to be the ideal closing act for the festival, ensuring that it goes from strength to strength. Given that it has also recently been announced that the license to hold Glastonbury has been extended for another six years, the line up should prove that such a decision was definitely the right one.

Taking a look at the headliners will highlight the quality of acts queuing up to play, but so does the list of confirmed supporting acts. Jack Johnson, Corrine Bailey Rae, Dizzee Rascal and Andy Williams have also been confirmed.

2010 is officially the 40^th anniversary for Glastonbury and it is expected that 175,000 people will attend this year. Lucky b***ers – they’re certainly in for a hell of a show!

Well, my friends, it was good while it lasted and we always knew that it would inevitably come to a sad end. We could but hope, and hope we did, but now that hope has headed for the hills. Yes, the beginning of the end for free music has arrived.

Although we have all been aware of illegal downloading for some time (and most of us avoid it like the plague), certain record labels have helped to keep the pirates at bay by offering licenses to free music services and allowing them to stream their songs. However, now it has been announced that Warner Music is going to withdraw its licensing privileges and prevent fans listening to their music via free sites like Spotify, Last.fm and We7, all of which earn their revenue via advertising.

The reason why this has been done? A statement from Warner stated that these services and providers were “clearly not positive for the industry”, meaning that they are not lucrative enough for them to continue. Never mind about the fans, the fat cats at the labels are not earning money! As if to ram that point home, Mr Edgar Bronfman Jr. said the following: “The number of potential subscribers dwarfs the number of people who are actually purchasing music on iTunes.”

The music labels do get a royalty from streaming music sites like Spotify whenever they are played. Although this is smaller than the amount offered as a result of a paid download, they still do get paid. It seems to me that Mr Bronfman has lost touch with the public actually and needs to look at it realistically.

There is a reason why people are not downloading much music at the moment and that is called recession. They cannot afford it. That is why the subscription streaming services that Bronfman has advocated will not attract the “hundreds of millions if not billions of people, most of whom are not today either buyers or certainly heavy buyers of music” that he has predicted. 250,000 people pay for Spotify for example, whereas those taking advantage of the free service with ads make up the 95% of the users.

If that does not tell the chief executive, who is probably not short of cash, something then I have no idea what will.

In the mother of all unbelievable battles, it has been announced that The White Stripes are officially suing the US Air Force. Yes you read that correctly. Just to drive the point home, The White Stripes are suing the US Air Force. Some have welcomed this action, with the anti war groups being particularly vocal about this, and some have branded it unpatriotic but either way it looks set to be one of the biggest battles in music in the coming months.

So what exactly is the issue? Well, an advert was screened on TV during Sunday night’s Superbowl showcasing the Air Force in an attempt to recruit those interested in a career in the military. The song used was Fell In Love With A Girl by The White Stripes, which has been re-recorded for the ad. Apparently the Air Force did so without permission and will now have to answer that charge in court.

Jack White has been particularly vocal on the issue and has used the band’s website to put out a statement that made his position crystal clear: “We believe our song was re-recorded and used without permission of the White Stripes, our publishers, label or management. The White Stripes take strong insult and objection to the Air Force Reserves presenting this advert with the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war that we do not support. The White Stripes support this nation’s military, at home and during times when our country needs and depends on them. We simply don’t want to be a cog in the wheel of the current conflict, and hope for a safe and speedy return home for our troops.”

Needless to say after that diatribe, the Air Force Reserve had absolutely no comment to make at all. So who is in the right here? And, more importantly, how much will the military have to pay to stop the furore in its tracks?

Kurt Cobain can be described as a 1990s icon, the hero of Grunge and an absolute legend in more ways than one so the legacy that he left behind when he committed suicide on April 5, 1994 began on that very day and has continued to grow ever since. Cited as one of the many rockers that may not have been as big today had he lived, Cobain has undoubtedly gained infamy. However, another element of his legacy is about to make a major impact on the music industry if the latest news and reviews are to be believed.

Born on August 18, 1992, Frances Bean is the daughter of Cobain and wife Courtney Love. She was just a year old when Cobain died at his own hand and has certainly had a rollercoaster of an upbringing with Love if all of the rumours are to be believed. However, with Cobain and Love as parents and the influence of godparents REM’s Michael Stipe and actress Drew Barrymore, it was only a matter of time before she became involved in the music industry and that day is just a few weeks away now.

Now aged 17, Frances is to sing on Evelyn Evelyn’s self titled album with Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, Weird Al Yankovic and Andrew WK. Her vocals will be found on the track entitled ‘My Space’.

The Evelyn Evelyn project is being headed up by Amanda Palmer, front woman of the Dresden Dolls and certainly looks as if it is going to be an amazing project. In addition to those on the track with Frances Bean, it also features Jason Webley, Tegan and Sarah and writer Neil Gaiman. And if that is not enough for you then the suggestion of it featuring fictional conjoined twin singers should certainly up the intrigue!

The album is expected to hit the shops on March 30 this year so it will certainly be worth a listen when it comes up. 

A rather unusual post from me today but one that is officially looking into a major question I have all thanks to one of the many celeb reality TV shows that are around today… and no, this has nothing to do with Katie Price’s brand new shiny marriage (sarcasm duly noted). No, instead, I want to look at one of the more intriguing reality shows/talent competitions – Popstar To Operastar.

I must admit that I have been watching Popstar To Operastar for two reasons. The first is that I actually like Classical music to a degree and the second is massive curiosity because I had read somewhere how much training goes into this particular singing profession. I wanted to know how well those that sing for a living would do and have been pleasantly surprised. Bernie Nolan is, in particular, fantastic.

Now I know that there are detractors out there. I have read a fair few articles from them and do not agree with their sentiments. Anything that opens peoples’ minds to another style of music, regardless of what that may be, should be encouraged.

There can be little doubt that Popstar To Operastar is doing just that. Each week it has been on has attracted over 3 million viewers, with the peak hitting 4 million a couple of weeks ago. As most Opera and Classical purists would not watch such a show, even with Rolando Villazon and Katherine Jenkins on the panel, it is fair to assume that the vast majority of those 4 million would only be familiar with Nessun Dorma thanks to the Italia ’90 World Cup, if that. Maybe that is over simplifying it a little, but you get the drift.

More people than ever before will be aware of Opera and Classical music… and that, in my mind, can be no bad thing.

After the Grammys 2010 awards ceremony, which took place last night, the prediction that had been made by numerous music fans around the world came true. It is official – Beyonce is the Queen of the Grammys.

Having already won ten in previous years, the former Destiny’s Child member won a further six, thus taking her tally to sixteen overall and cementing her status. Better still, the six awards she won breaks the record for a solo female at one single Grammys award ceremony. After being nominated for ten awards, she won song of the year, best R&B song and best R&B female vocal all for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), in addition to the best traditional R&B performance for At Last, best contemporary R&B album and best pop vocal performance for Halo. However, she did miss out on two of the most coveted awards, which went to Taylor Swift (album of the year) and Kings Of Leon (record of the year for Use Somebody) respectively.

It was also a good night for Swift, who won four gongs, and the Kings Of Leon, who won three. Other notable winners included The Black Eyed Peas and Jay-Z (who both won three) and Eminem and Lady Gaga (who picked up two each).

Finally, a special mention must go to the children of late pop God Michael Jackson. Following his untimely demise last year, Jackson was awarded the lifetime achievement award and his three children accepted it for him, making a moving speech and looking so obviously and rightly proud of their dad. The tribute that was made beforehand in 3D was similarly moving with Earth Song the tune of choice.

Finally Jackson has been crowned the Prince of Pop, although it was unfortunately that it was not in his lifetime. However, there is a new Queen in town. All hail Beyonce!

First came the BRIT Award nominees and now we have news of another awards event that will take place on February 24, 2010. The Shockwaves NME Awards 2010 have announced their nominees for this year and there are really very few surprises in there. Known for its bias towards indie, alternative and rock, the names amongst the nominees are actually quite predictable. However, unlike other awards, NME allows the people to vote for their favourites so they deserve a lot of credit for giving us the power!

Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Biffy Clyro, Oasis and Muse are all up for various awards, with the former two being up for six nominations each. Both are nominated for the Best Album, Best Live Band and, of course, the Best Band award. Muse are also up for three awards, which also includes Best Band.

There is one surprise in there though and that is the advent of a brand new award – the Giving It Back fan Award. NME are officially recognising those acts that go the extra mile to please their fans and actually give a lot back to the community as a result. The nominees have all come through for their fans, as you will see when you take a look down the nominees list.

The list of those up for awards can be seen below. I have left out the movie, hottest and best dressed awards, but all of those pertinent to music can be found below:

Best British Band – Arctic Monkeys, Biffy Clyro, Kasabian, Muse, Oasis Best

International Band – Green Day, Kings Of Leon, Paramore, Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Best Solo Artist – Dizzee Rascal, Florence And The Machine, Jamie T, Julian Casablancas, Lady Gaga

Best New Band – The Big Pink, Bombay Bicycle Club, Mumford & Sons, The xx, La Roux

Best Live Band – Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Muse, Radiohead, Them Crooked Vultures

Best Album – Arctic Monkeys – ‘Humbug’, Kasabian – ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’, Muse – ‘The Resistance’, The Cribs – ‘Ignore The Ignorant’, The Horrors – ‘Primary Colours’

Best Track – Animal Collective – ‘My Girls’, Arctic Monkeys – ‘Crying Lightning’, Florence And The Machine – ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)’, Jamie T – ‘Sticks N’ Stones’, The Big Pink – ‘Dominos’

Best Video – Arctic Monkeys – ‘Cornerstone’, Biffy Clyro – ‘The Captain’, Kasabian – ‘Fire’, The Maccabees – ‘Can You Give It’, Oasis – ‘Falling Down’

Best Live Event – Blur at Hyde Park, Jay-Z at Alexandra Palace, Muse at Teignmouth, Oasis at Heaton Park, The Dead Weather at Shoreditch Church

Best Festival – Download, Glastonbury, Reading And Leeds Festivals, T In The Park, V Festival

Best Dancefloor Filler – Dizzee Rascal And Armand Van Helden – ‘Bonkers’, Florence And The Machine – ‘You’ve Got The Love’, La Roux – ‘In For The Kill’ (Skream Remix), Lady Gaga – ‘Poker Face’, Yeah Yeah Yeahs – ‘Zero’

Best DVD – Kings Of Leon – Live At The The O2 Arena, Flight Of The Conchords – Complete HBO Second Season, The Killers – Live From The Royal Albert Hall, The Mighty Boosh – Future Sailors, Nirvana – Live At Reading

Giving It Back Fan Award – Kasabian and Noel Fielding for free ‘Vlad The Impaler’ video, Danger Mouse for leaking ‘Dark Night Of The Soul’, Lily Allen for her Twitter ticket treasure hunt, Arctic Monkeys for their Oxfam golden tickets, Vampire Weekend for giving away ‘Horchata’ from the album ‘Contra’

Hero Of The Year – Beyoncé Knowles, Noel Gallagher, Rage Against The Machine, Matt Bellamy, Alex Turner

Villain Of The Year – Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, Simon Cowell, Kanye West, Lady Gaga

Worst Album – Green Day – ’21st Century Breakdown’, Lady Gaga – ‘The Fame’, The Jonas Brothers – ‘Lines Vines Trying Times’, U2 – ‘No Line On The Horizon’, Arctic Monkeys – ‘Humbug’

Worst Band – Green Day, Oasis, Jonas Brothers, Paramore, JLS Best

Album Artwork – Muse – ‘The Resistance’, Green Day – ’21st Century Breakdown’, Kasabian – ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’, The Cribs – ‘Ignore The Ignorant’, Manic Street Preachers – ‘Journal For Plague Lovers ‘

Best Band Blog – Muse (Muse.mu and Twitter.com/muse), Radiohead (Radiohead.com/deadairspace), Noel Gallagher (Oasisinet.com), Los Campesinos! (Loscampesinos.com), Paramore (Paramore.net).

Head over to NME.com if you want to cast your votes.

With just days left in January, the football season is entering its final phase at a great pace. This obviously has absolutely nothing to do with music at all, except for the fact that it is a world cup year. Of course, this being England – the home of the novelty record – speculation has already started about whether or not there will be a World Cup song released.

We’ve has Fat Les’s Vindaloo, New Order’s World In Motion (complete with the now infamous John Barnes rap) and Skinner and Baddiel’s Three Lions… twice… so what is next for 2010?

Yes, Skinner is back and coming with him is Three Lions mark three. Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup have already been subjected to the Skinner and Baddiel treatment. The 2010 World Cup is apparently next.

I really am not sure as to whether or not this is a good thing just yet. Only time will tell, but there has been a statement released by the FA stating that there will be no official song. However, that has not put Frank Skinner off.

Stating that “I think I might have a go at writing a new one with the other guys,” he has already set out his intentions to write and release another one, no doubt with the same old tune and just slightly different lyrics. If this one is released though the likelihood is that others will follow. Although there will be no officially endorsed tune, novelty records will come thick and fast because of the ability to make some fast cash from it.

As a music fan and a football fan, I hope that they all leave football novelty songs where they are… firmly in the past. They did not have an official song in 1966 when England last won the World Cup so let’s follow in their footsteps – no novelty song, just a whole lot of goals and the ultimate trophy at the end of it all!