Music news

• Lukas Graham: Lukas Graham review – the sunny side of hard knock life

  31-03-2016 23:45
  
  (Warner Music)Lukas Graham Forchhammer, to give this Danish songwriter/frontman his full name, has scored the biggest hit of 2016 so far with 7 Years. Intriguingly, though, where most listeners hear an earnest, growing-up ballad, Forchhammer and his band hear “ghetto pop”. That’s their term for their music, but it’s not borne out on either the single or this album. There are allusions to a chequered past (or at least chequered friends, such as the troublesome mate he addr
  
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• Bleached: Welcome the Worms review – catchy songs about LA's disillusioned millennials

  31-03-2016 23:30
  
  (Dead Oceans)Finally, an album that suggests Los Angeles isn’t a perma-sunny Instagram stream of kale smoothies, Coachella outfits and crystal healing ceremonies. It, too, has disillusioned millennials who can’t make rent, date a decent other and catch a break. That’s the city that Bleached attempt to capture on their second album, though, disappointingly, their peroxide-pop garage-rock is hardly Broad City-goes-punk. Instead, there are familiar tropes about going to shows, bei
  
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• Wrap Radar: Sharaya J

  31-03-2016 23:24
  
  See who's featuring in this weeks Wrap Radar
  
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• Bibio: A Mineral Love review – balmy, surreal soundscapes

  31-03-2016 23:15
  
  (Warp)Stephen Wilkinson’s fifth Warp release is a spritely collection of balmy, surreal soundscapes in which he channels his fascination with nature, nostalgia and the type of strutting funk affiliated with brown nylon flares. His most intricate album to date, A Mineral Love is delicately constructed like tiny cells of a flower. A strange summer of love permeates the tipsy album opener Petals, and a light dose of bossa nova on C’est la Vie creates the sentiment of a soft sigh rather
  
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• Mr Bigz Releases Stunning New Project ‘MFUS2’​

  31-03-2016 23:13
  
  Check out MFUS2 here!
  
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• Weezer: Weezer review – as big, dumb and crunchy as the early hits

  31-03-2016 23:00
  
  (Atlantic/Crush Music)After a run of weakly received albums, 2014’s Everything Will Be Alright in the End represented a return to respectability for Weezer, with lead singer Rivers Cuomo tapping into the vulnerability and ennui that made the band’s second album Pinkerton such an absorbing listen. This, their fourth, self-titled LP (informally known as ‘the White Album”), continues that gentle upswing in form, channelling the buoyant surf rock of their debut, Blue. LA Girl
  
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• 67 Share Street Visuals For Latest Track ‘Things & Stuff’

  31-03-2016 22:46
  
  Things & Stuff’ is taken from 67’s 20-track project ‘In Skengs We Trust’
  
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• Black Mountain: IV album review – surrender to the drone, if you can

  31-03-2016 22:45
  
  (Jagjaguwar) You could probably guess roughly what Black Mountain sound like from the cover of their fourth album, which features, variously, a mysterious helmeted/masked figure, a little girl playing, a flaming plinth and Concorde. It’s time to set the controls for the heart of a pagan, doomy 1970s, where spacey synthesisers combine with doomy metallic riffs, and you can just about pick out the band through the haze of weed smoke. But maybe you need the haze of weed smoke to get the most
  
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• Explosions in the Sky: The Wilderness CD review – beautifully understated epic

  31-03-2016 22:30
  
  (Bella Union) Texan four-piece Explosions in the Sky have developed an international cult following as their post-rock instrumentals have appeared everywhere from film soundtracks to TV trailers. However, drummer Chris Hrasky recently quipped that the last fate the band want for their sixth album is for it to accompany “rousing sports montages”. It’s unlikely, as the band have taken a detour from trademark glacial beauty into more pensive, sinister terrain. Thus, among The Wild
  
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• Céu: Tropix review – laidback electro bossa from a modern Astrud Gilberto

  31-03-2016 21:45
  
  (Six Degrees)Céu has a cool, sensual, laidback voice that provides an instant reminder of Astrud Gilberto and the bossa nova movement that seduced the US in the early 60s. But she’s from São Paulo, the home of Brazilian electronica and fusion, and her skill in mixing Brazilian tradition with contemporary experiment has earned her four Grammy nominations. The last album, Caravana Sereia Bloom, was mysteriously brief and overly commercial, but Tropix is a return to form. Perfum
  
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• Lakou Mizik: Wa Di Yo review – carnival sounds that try to revive battered Haiti

  31-03-2016 21:30
  
  (Cumbancha Discovery)Formed after the Haitian earthquake in 2010, Lakou Mizik set out to cheer their much-battered country and revive Haiti’s musical traditions. Elderly veterans and young newcomers feature in a lineup that includes four singers, five percussionists, accordion, guitar and the large cornets that are played during carnival celebrations. The result is a cheerful, easy-going debut that invites comparison to those rousing 90s albums by that bravely original political vodou band
  
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• Readers recommend: share your songs with girls' names

  31-03-2016 21:00
  
  Make your suggestion for next week’s playlist in the comments – you have until Monday 4 April
  For this week’s readers recommend we want your nominations to be songs with girls’ names, following a suggestion by reader Sarah Chappell, who posts in the comments as AFictionHabit. Related: Readers recommend playlist: songs about YorkshireContinue reading...
  
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• Blittz & Big Tobz Drop New Banger ‘Wicked & Bad’ Alongside The Heavytrackerz!

  31-03-2016 20:49
  
  As just a taster of what’s to come on the EP, it’s sounding like it could be a pretty special one.
  
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• Why Soulwax are writing music for imaginary bands

  31-03-2016 20:35
  
  David and Stephen Dewaele’s new album, the soundtrack to Sundance hit film Belgica, features 16 songs but none of the artists featured actually exist. They’re just the latest in a long tradition of fictional musicians on screenThe soundtrack to Felix van Groeningen’s film Belgica, a Sundance hit, is a hugely entertaining compilation of songs by unfamiliar artists, ranging from synth-pop to psychobilly, hardcore punk to Turkish acid house. What makes it particularly impressive i
  
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• Parris Wright Speaks That Real Talk On New Track 'Church Road'

  31-03-2016 20:27
  
  Something that really stands out about Parris is the real storyteller vibe to him that makes you sit and take in every word of the realness he speaks.
  
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• Zhenya Strigalev: Never Group review – hip jazz virtuosity and surrealism

  31-03-2016 19:45
  
  (Whirlwind)The latest transatlantic hookup initiated by London-based Russian saxophonist Zhenya Strigalev brings together the superb Charles Lloyd drummer Eric Harland and New York bass guitarist Tim Lefebvre (a sideman on Bowie’s Blackstar) to power a collection of 20 tracks that feel like snapshots from classy jam sessions, peppered with electronics or improvised drums/bass interludes often under two minutes long. Lefebvre’s imposing presence guarantees that the feel is more rockis
  
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• 'Unsung Musical Genius' Andy 'Thunderclap' Newman Has Died at 73

  31-03-2016 19:22
  
  Musician Andy “Thunderclap” Newman has died aged 73.
  
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• ‘Heir to Hendrix’ Shuggie Otis: ‘I could have been a millionaire, but that wasn’t on my mind’

  31-03-2016 19:15
  
  The R&B survivor released three acclaimed albums before his 21st birthday and turned down David Bowie and Stevie Wonder. Then he disappeared. Forty years of addiction and menial jobs later, he’s back with a new record‘I heard some people heard I’d died. They’ll find out soon that I didn’t,” says Shuggie Otis, making it sound less like a promise than a threat. Otis – the son of rhythm and blues pioneer Johnny Otis – is as close to a living legen
  
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• Aki Rissanen: Amorandom review – advanced ideas with a street-sharp attack

  31-03-2016 19:15
  
  (Edition)Aki Rissanen, the 36-year-old Finnish composer and improviser, is a classical graduate who found jazz, winning plaudits for it at festivals as big as Montreux, and star collaborators including US saxophonist Dave Liebman. Rissanen’s left-field metamorphoses of the familiar have been notable in his compatriot Verneri Pohjola’s bands. Amorandom, an acoustic trio set and his own fifth release, offers plenty more of that. The R&B hooks of Robert Glasper or the contrapuntal f
  
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• Earl Hines: Piano Genius at Work review – the 'Fatha' doesn't quite get his due

  31-03-2016 19:00
  
  (Storyville)
  Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines, one of the greatest piano virtuosi of early jazz, developed his improv style from listening to horn players – notably Louis Armstrong. Jazz pianists mostly played the rocking chords and regular bass patterns of the ragtime-derived stride style, but the newcomer unlocked the left-hand rhythm, while his right mimicked the wide interval leaps and rhythmic quirks of Armstrong’s trumpet. This package of seven CDs and a DVD (along with a good es
  
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• Musician Andy 'Thunderclap' Newman dies aged 73

  31-03-2016 18:45
  Musician Andy "Thunderclap" Newman has died aged 73.
  
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• RISE A Great Night For A Great Cause

  31-03-2016 18:31
  
  In the lead up to the event, the Teenage Cancer Trust team launched a search for the hottest unsigned, up and coming MC to perform at the gig.
  
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• Milli Major & Doctor Team Up For Hard New Track ‘Merkin’

  31-03-2016 18:25
  
  This tune will definitely go off in a rave and we’re looking forward to hearing it pumping out of sound systems around the country.
  
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• New vinyl jukebox business opens waiting list ahead of production in May

  31-03-2016 18:17
  
  The Rocket can play just 140 songs and costs £8,000 but demand is so high that aficionados are queueing to express an interestIn an era where nigh on every song ever recorded can be summoned at the click of a button, you would be forgiven for thinking jukeboxes had gone the way of the mangle.Yet business is booming at one Yorkshire-based firm, which is about to bring out what it claims is the world’s only new vinyl jukebox. Continue reading...
  
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• Beyonce Looks Amazing On The Cover Of ELLE As She Releases Advert For New Fitness Clothing Line

  31-03-2016 18:06
  
  WE ARE SO READY.
  
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• This Inspiring 9-Year-Old Is Shutting Down Bullies By Breaking Records

  31-03-2016 17:01
  
  She just finished a 24 HOUR obstacle course
  
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• Little Mix Forced To Cancel Belfast Get Weird Shows As Jesy Nelson Falls Ill

  31-03-2016 16:48
  
  Get well soon Jesy
  
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• Jay Z 'preparing to sue' former Tidal owners

  31-03-2016 16:45
  
  Mogul claims media group Schibsted and VC firm Verdane exaggerated the streaming service’s number of users when he bought it last year
  A year after buying a little-known music service and relaunching it as Tidal, Jay Z appears to be preparing to sue its original owners for misleading him about its performance.Lawyers for the musician turned millionaire businessman has reportedly written to venture capital firm Verdane and Scandinavian media conglomerate Schibsted saying they “signifi
  
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• Charlotte Crosby And Caroline Flack Pull Off Terrifying Face Swap During Celebrity Juice Appearance

  31-03-2016 16:32
  
  Never not creepy.
  
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• Ellie Goulding: ‘Can people stop thinking I’m boring, please?’

  31-03-2016 16:29
  
  Amid rumours of plans to quit the music industry following her split from McFly’s Dougie Poynter, the 29-year-old talks about why David Cameron is avoiding her – and reveals that Noel Gallagher is a secret fan of her musicReports of Ellie Goulding’s modest rider demands – just a kettle and a scented candle, according to one recent story – would appear to tell only half the story about life on the road with a pop star. She tours with her own upright flight case conta
  
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• Pet Shop Boys: Super review – punky, urgent and laser bright

  31-03-2016 16:00
  
  From smart studies of anxious millennials to compassionate portraits of unlikable politicians, the songs on the duo’s second album with producer Stuart Price are a celebration of camaraderie through musicIf you were to attempt to dream up a quintessential Pet Shop Boys song, it’s unlikely you could improve on Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe’s current single, The Pop Kids. It’s the tale of two friends who met at university in London in the early 1990s, went clubbing together a
  
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• Dance Legends Are Uniting For A One-Off 'Masquerave'

  31-03-2016 15:15
  
  There's sets from Faithless, Jamie xx, Eats Everything plus special guests...
  
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• Vicky Pattison & Spencer Matthews Cosy Up On Spellbinding Date Night

  31-03-2016 13:37
  
  Cuuuuute.
  
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• Khloe Kardashian Gets Candid About Her Dating Life: “I’ve Never Seen A White Penis”

  31-03-2016 12:43
  
  Oooookay.
  
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• Geordie Shore's Scotty T Turns Model As The New Face Of Boohoo Man

  31-03-2016 12:34
  
  The pics are pure fire.
  
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• The bestselling albums of all-time – reranked by streaming stats

  31-03-2016 12:27
  
  Who’s bigger: Adele or the Beatles? We rewrote the record books using Spotify figures and found that the bangers top the chartOn Wednesday, we brought you the most popular singles of all time, reimagined for the digital age, by ranking them according to their streaming numbers on Spotify. Now we’re doing the same with albums – once again, the people at Spotify have been through their data, revealed the all-time most popular albums, and produced their own top 20 according to str
  
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• GEORDIE SHORE SPOILER ALERT! NSFW: Watch The Shocking Moment Chloe Goes Down On Charlotte During Lesbian Sex Session

  31-03-2016 12:26
  
  Well well well, what would Holly Hagan have to say about THIS?
  
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• Record Store Day 2016: share your photos and experiences

  31-03-2016 12:21
  
  As well as sharing your photos of this year’s event, we’d like you to hear about your previous Record Store Day experiencesThe ninth annual Record Store Day will be held on Saturday 16 April, a day where independent music retailers and recording artists are celebrated. In previous years you have shared your Record Store Day experiences with us and, if you are taking part again this year, we’d like to see your photos and hear about your vinyl and CD bargains. What rare releases
  
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• Ariana Grande Unveils Lacy & Racy Video For 'Dangerous Woman'

  31-03-2016 11:57
  
  And this is only Visual 1...
  
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• Justin Bieber's Latest Topless Selfie Is Actually Funnier That You Might Think

  31-03-2016 11:36
  
  Kind of.
  
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• There's A Crazy 'Fresh Prince' Extra Hidden In The New 'Doom' Game

  31-03-2016 11:35
  
  Now this we did NOT expect from one of the most brutal shooters evs.
  
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• Romance Rumour Alert, Selena Gomez And Charlie Puth Might Be Dating

  31-03-2016 11:22
  
  CUTE.
  
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• Kim Kardashian Is Joined By Emily Ratajkowski For Round Two Of Her Topless Selfie

  31-03-2016 10:41
  
  Ding ding, we have a new entry to the ring.
  
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