Friendly Fires to release bonus remix package

Remember back in 2008 when Coldplay release their Prospekt's March EP - supplementing an already great album with a wealth of new material?

Well, now Friendly Fires have put together their own little package of extra content and plan to release a bonus version of their standout Pala album, to be exclusively available from iTunes.

The digital version will feature five bonus remixes from Tensnake, Tiga, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Benoit & Sergio and Tim Green - it will be preceded by an exclusive vinyl release of the extended Carl Craig mix of Hurting.

Kathleen Edwards - Change The Sheets / Voyageur

With the current market currently so flooded with strong-willed female artists, you'd be forgiven for asking, do we really need another? But one thing's for certain, space can always be made for someone as talented as Kathleen Edwards.

Her first LP since 2008's Asking For Flowers, the new record Voyageur takes in an expansive sweep of sounds, and even more impressively, is produced by critical darling Bon Iver (aka Justin Vernon). They even recorded a track together, the hauntingly beautiful Wapusk.

And it's this song's organic quality that pervades over so much of Edwards' music - it seems to spring from the very soil itself, a brush of colourful vibrancy bringing life to cold streets and dull skies. New single Change The Sheets is even better, a life-affirming number that builds do a properly rousing crescendo.

Melding radio-friendly traditional singer-songwriter tropes to a more adventurous, ethereal essence, it feels swept up in the raw elemental power of the wind and sea, a fitting taster for an album named for the process of discovery. A voyage into uncharted territory, but one that never feels ill at ease.

Voyageur is released on the 23rd January.

Kathleen Edwards - Change The Sheets by Kathleen Edwards

Azari & III announce self-titled debut album

The first album's always tricky, they say. But it's also that vital calling card, that initial impression - the one that can quite often make or break you, the one that - if all goes well - will reel in a host of new fans to the cause.

Toronto electro outfit Azari & III have laid all the key foundations with critical acclaim rushing in for them from the likes of NME and Mixmag - now it's time to see if the house will stand. Giving their self-titled debut its proper UK release (it was previously only available on import), 2012 will also see them taking to the stage at Heaven in February to delight audiences with their esteemed live experience.

We loved their single Reckless With Your Love, it encapsulated everything missing in dance music these days - dipping into 90s house influences with glorious results. The full album promises yet more electro-delights, and that's good enough for us.

Azari & III release their self-titled debut album on the 19th February.

Get Fit 2012 - The pop compilation you need this Christmas!

What does a smattering of great pop cherry-picked from the 80s, 90s and 00s have in common? Aside from being uniformly good to dance to and belt out after one too many vodka shots, these tracks form the basis of new compilation album Get Fit 2012 – and we like it a lot!

For starters, a compilation which includes contemporary pop princesses The Saturdays and Girls Aloud alongside absolute 80s classics like I Think We’re Alone Now and Yazz’s The Only Way Is Up is always going to be totally awesome. It’s pop thrills and spills at their most fun, stripped-bare level. Forget your ‘serious’ Mercury nominated art-pop and tears-on-the-pillow Adele balladry, on Get Fit 2012 it’s all about up-tempo and the most indelible of catchy hooks.

Some of the inclusions are obvious; Bodyrockers’ I Like The Way is probably destined to feature on the tracklisting of every cardio and Get Fit album from now until the end of time while a ‘danced-up’ What A Feeling seems precision-built to burn off those carbs to.

And then there’s stuff like Sonique’s Feels So Good which everyone’s probably forgotten about, but which still sounds, yes... So Good. The ‘I remember this!’ moments continue in the form of Daniel Bedingfield, with garage-tinged anthem Gotta Get Thru This made everyone think he was passably cool, before he plunged headfirst into soppy ballad territory. Here though, it encapsulates everything that Get Fit 2012 is about – great commercial pop.

It also syncs brilliantly into Girls Aloud’s Jump – yes, it might be a cover, but for my money it still represents one of Girls Aloud’s most unashamedly fun moments. It’s everything a good night in (or out) should be about; letting loose and just kicking back with good company and good music. Oh, and it reminds me of Love Actually, which is mandatory viewing around this time of year.

The album comes with a fold-out poster booklet full of additional training tips – the album’s full tracklisting is as follows:

1. Taio Cruz – Dynamite -Radio Edit

2. Noisettes - Don't Upset TheRhythm (Go Baby Go) - Radio Edit

3. Bobby Brown - Two Can Play ThatGame - K Klassik Radio Mix

4. CeCe Peniston - Finally Album Version

5. Brothers In Rhythm - Such AGood Feeling - Radio Mix

6. Yazz, The Plastic Population -The Only Way Is Up

7. Sugababes - Hole In The Head - CleanRadio Edit

8. Bodyrockers - I Like The Way - RadioEdit

9. Pixie Lott Boys And Girls - AlbumVersion

10. The Hughes Corporation - WhatA Feeling - Radio Edit

11. Tiffany - I Think We're AloneNow - Album Version

12. The Saturdays - Just Can't GetEnough - Radio Mix

13. Sonique - It Feels So Good - RadioEdit

14. Daniel Bedingfield - Gotta GetThru This - Radio Edit

15. Girls Aloud Jump

16. Donna Summer - She Works HardFor The Money – Edited Single Version

17. Michael Sembello - Maniac

18. Lighthouse Family –Lifted

Leona Lewis covers Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt'

In the history of unlikely cover versions, Leona Lewis taking on Nine Inch Nails ranks as potentially one of the most unexpected combinations... but then again, considering she's already tackled Snow Patrol and Oasis, it's fair to say she has at least some experience in the 'rock' sphere.

Of course, much of the popularity of Hurt has to be attributed to the Johnny Cash version, but remarkably, amazingly, Leona's version of Hurt actually begins sounding far more like the NIN original. The central discordant piano hook is there, as is the haunting whistle of blowing wind. Leona's vocals suit the dark sensuality of the track perfectly.

As the track builds and builds, it morphs more into generic Leona EpicBallad territory - but with its soaring string sections and flanged guitar riffs, it stands a rousing take on the original that manages to carve out its own merits.

(Part of me hoped she'd sing the infamous 'crown of shit' line... but of course, she doesn't. This is strictly PG rated. But still, rather amazing.)

Leona's cover of Hurt features on the forthcoming EP of the same name alongside other cover version, including the Goo Goo Dolls' Iris.

Tulisa - The solo star to watch in 2012

With the impetus and hype generated by the BBC Sound of 2012 and various other 'Ones to Watch' list, it's sometimes easy to forget that some of the easiest successes to predict in the coming year are the ones that have already been graced with success.

When it comes to pop music, it's these stars that you can make a fair wager and be certain of return investment - we're talking about the safe runners here, the ones you can count on to carry the cash home.

And for me, one of the undoubted FutureStars of 2012 has got to be Tulisa. The girl from N-Dubz, the one off of X Factor, Miss Contostavlos... call her what you want, but her appeal on the ITV super smash this year speaks for itself. With the allure of the contestants themselves at a debatable low this year, the focus has again returned to the judges and the nation has taken both Kelly and Tulisa to their hearts.

The thing about Tulisa is that like her predecessor - Cheryl Cole - she is resolutely a woman of the people. She's relateable, tough talking, feisty - everything we love to see in a popstar. Even thinking back to her early days in N-Dubz, she stood out - the girl amidst the two guys. It was clear she could hold her own.

With her solo interviews mounting up and her personality and presence pre-established on the X Factor, the attention has been turning to her solo plans. N-Dubz on hiatus leaves a Tulisa free to pursue her solo ambitions, and like Cheryl building on the foundations of her Girls Aloud career, it's easy to imagine a slick UrbanPop album in the making.

Picture it now: Songwriters and producers - the best of the best. Photogenic Tulisa styled up to the nines for a glossy album cover (I absolutely adore the cream-dress shot above, if anything, this girl could launch a career on her looks alone). Urban pop is the sound of now - not just in the UK but in the US too, the charts are awash with dance-orientated pop hits rammed to bursting point with catchy choruses and slick beats. The market is primed for Tulisa to make her debut.

It all comes down to material - if Tulisa picks the right debut single to lead with, I see no reason why she can't replicate Cheryl's success and sell 292,000 copies of her lead single. Already she's allowed us some tantalising glimpses at the sound of the solo star she could become - while it had its many detractors and certainly wasn't without fault, The Collective's cover of Teadrop felt like a real vehicle for solo Tulisa and her bits of the track were without a doubt the best - The Wideboys mix in particular offers a look at the sleek dance-pop star Tulisa could style herself as. There's also the N-Dubz version of Tinchy Stryder hit Number 1 (this version featured an extra version sung by Tulisa).

HMV are already offering Tulisa's debut solo album for pre-order, with a release date pencilled in as the 1st of March - will this hold true? I certainly hope so...

[Official Video] Rebecca Ferguson - Nothing's Real But Love

It goes without saying that Rebecca Ferguson is one of those X Factor contestants that really does have that elusive 'X' of the show's title.

It's that special something that you can't quite put your finger on, but that sparkles away as a brightly burning flame of talent.

Rebecca has the looks, she's got the voice, and she's putting both to good use in the rather delightful video for her debut single - we approve!

Nothing's Real But Love is released on the 27th November and her debut album Heaven (check out the album cover above!) follows on December 5th.



Lamb of God to release new album Resolution in January

There’s something inherently enticing about an album packaged up all nicely in a sleeve of envisioned destruction. But then again, what else would you expect from Lamb of God. January sees the release of the band’s follow-up to their Grammy nominated Wrath LP – can Resolution go one better and nab the award?

The tracklisting is as follows:

1. Straight for the Sun
2. Desolation
3. Ghost Walking
4. Guilty
5. The Undertow
6. The Number Six
7. Barbarosa
8. Invictus
9. Cheated
10. Insurrection
11. Terminally Unique
12. To The End
13. Visitation
14. King Me

Those in need of just a little bit more Lamb of God in their lives can also go for the deluxe version featuring a live album of the 2009/2010 Wrath tour – available only with pre-orders of the album.

Resolution is released on the 23rd January.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds [Album Review]

With Liam Gallagher’s poorly conceived Beady Eye project already slipping away from the public consciousness on a slippery slope of mediocre sales and even worse chart positions (the less said about that dreary Reading & Leeds set the better), the baton falls to Noel – the man traditionally hailed as the more talented of the brothers. That said, the penchant for bonkers band names clearly runs in the family, first Beady Eye, now Noel Gallagher’s... High Flying Birds...

Birds aside, this album’s high flying ambitions are writ all over it. Opener Everybody's On The Run is Noel at his very best, cut free from the limitations of his former band to truly indulge as both songwriter and solo musician. The result is a far richer, more involving level of production than Oasis ever really entertained – with lush, sweeping strings, the song rides on a Bond Theme-esque level of cinematic scope.

Dream On is pure Oasis throwback, revelling in the kind of retro stompy piano chords that worked so well in The Importance of Being Idle. The trouble is, here, Dream On sounds like the tired leftovers – the dregs that have been left swilling around Noel’s brain for rather too long. Of course, with a man of such considerable talents as Noel, even here, the weaker points on High Flying Birds are still more than a match for any of the young upstart bands who all wish for a fraction of the success Oasis had. Noel Gallagher, the original prince of Brit-pop, and still the best.

Truth be told, the album’s greatest asset – sounding like Oasis – is also its greatest problem. There’s not a dud track on here, but equally, a great deal of the record, tracks like If I Had A Gun and Record Machine are nothing we haven’t already heard before a hundred times. Where High Flying Birds really shines is on gems like the horn-riffing fun of Soldier Boys And Jesus Freaks and the stately elegance of Stop The Clocks. There’s a beauty in these songs, a soaring sense of some part of Noel’s spirit, trapped away inside him, finally set free.

The most fascinating moment here though is without a doubt lead single What A Life. Eschewing everything else on the record, the song jumps into a psychedelic mix of groove-driven beats and relentless piano chords – it’s not quite Noel Gallagher-does-house-music, but it’s getting on for that. Fellow Manc legend Ian Brown has made a career out of penning weird, wonderful tracks like this and it’s refreshing to see Noel walking the same path; unafraid to push the boundaries – something which proved the downfall of Liam’s stale, unadventurous Beady Eye project.

What’s even more promising is that High Flying Birds is just the start. Not one to rest on his laurels, Noel has already recorded an accompanying album, a collaboration with electronica outfit Amorphous Androgynous (try saying that one when you’ve had a few beers). The group previously transformed the Oasis single Falling Down into a 22 minute exploration into the very limits of sonic innovation, so things look promising.

Situated at the heart of High Flying Birds, What A Life serves as the appetite-whetter, so to speak, the budding shoots that hint at the experimentation yet to come - that moment we’ve all been waiting for when Noel will once again blossom into the flower of British songwriting perfection that over the past two decades has given some of the greatest songs of all time.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds album is available to pre-order on Amazon now.

The Saturdays showcase On Your Radar album cover

How's this for a striking album cover! The Saturdays pop on a bit of bright pink lippy and strip off for the cover art of new album On Your Radar.

Before you guys get all excited though, you just see their heads and shoulders. It makes for an eye-catching image, and one that I'm sure will stand out on the shelves amidst the deluge of a crowded Christmas market.

It fits in nicely with the interlinked arms and 'we're all the same' white dresses of the My Heart Takes Over cover too. Read what you want into any notions of how this might be an ironic bite back at those who dismiss pop music as coming straight off a conveyor belt.

On Your Radar is released on the 21st November.

Parade cover Cher Lloyd's 'Swagger Jagger'

It's the Number One single in the UK, and now hot new girlband Parade have done a cover of it!

I'm a big fan of the acapella versions the girls in the past; everyone will know their take on Born This Way that they frequently perform at live shows, and their Chris Brown cover is spot-on too.

What I like best about their version of Cher Lloyd's hit is that it really shows off their vocals - proper harmonies, transforming the track into a chilled out, soulful little number with real charm to it.

The girls are lining up for the release of their debut album in October and going by top pop tunes Louder and Perfume, it looks set to be a mega-success.

(There's a brilliant little style feature with the Parade girls in today's Sunday Mirror too - like The Saturdays before them, the tabloids and glossy mags have totally taken to the girls' street-smart glamour, a win-win situation for everyone!)

Parade's debut album (check out the cover shot above!) can be pre-ordered here.

Rihanna on the cover of Cosmo mag

Sometimes you don't need words. Not even because the picture tells it all, but because you can't tear your eyes away from that picture to describe it. But suffice to say, Rihanna is one of the hottest popstars around at the moment and her new Cosmopolitan magazine cover is absolutely jaw-dropping stuff. Just WOW!

We shared a lot of love over the video for her brilliant new single California King Bed, and this cover just backs up how on-form Rihanna is at the moment. Keep up the good work girl!

Suck It And See... not very much as it turns out

When it comes to making a big statement, would it be possible to top Lady Gaga in a week where she appears on the cover of NME magazine in a see-through cat-suit with zips covering her naughty bits?

While perhaps not hitting quite those levels of shock-o-rama, the new Arctic Monkeys album is sure to court controversy - nor because of what's on it (as their debut did because of it featured a man smoking), but because of what's not on it.

It's completely blank. Apart from the rather modestly printed album title, that is.

It reminds me almost of one of those taster-strips you get in DIY stores to help you choose a paint colour for your room. It's that ever so off-white creamy tone.

Of course, the Arctic Monkeys aren't the first band to do something like this. Anyone remember Hard-Fi's 2007 album Once Upon A Time In The West? They went more for the road-sign feel, and personally I prefer their take on 'No Cover Art.' - at least they're big and BOLD about it in this case. And there's proper colour too! That lovely vibrant yellow!

(Speaking of Hard-Fi, they're playing at the Hoxton Bar & Grill on the 12th May - a 'warm up gig' for their forthcoming third album, they describe it as)

Suck It And See is released on June 6th and you can pre-order it here.

Bike This Way... The new Lady Gaga album cover

Let's just stop for a minute and analyse the new Lady Gaga album cover.

Lady Gaga as a bike. That's the gist of it. Well, all of it really. Against a completely black background, there she is, all silver and chrome. What is this saying about her? Is she a machine, an actual 'bike', or does it all represent some far more complicated metaphor that is impossible to decipher. Only Gaga knows.

And then there's the font, equally dramatic and chrome-like. I guess what strikes me most is how far removed stylistically this is from the single cover of the same name. The font is completely different, and for me, it takes away so much in momentum. I guess the fierce, black and white quality remains, but beyond that, all that stands is the fact that... Lady Gaga is a bike. It's quite hard to get over.

If you are a bike, do you still rejoice and love yourself today because you were born as a two wheeled, gasoline drinking machine? I'm not sure. I guess it has its merits - It's faster than walking at any rate; definitely a handy attribute to have if you're going to be touring the world regularly playing all your new songs. But how do you hold a microphone if you have no hands and your arms are attached to a wheel?

And the last thing that strikes me is how retro the whole thing looks. It's like a mash-up between Metallica's Ride The Lightning and Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell:

The Kixx - Already Gone

In this age of social media and internet-savvy teens, 15,000 fans on Facebook is a pretty sure sign you're on the right track. And that's exactly what new boy-band The Kixx have gone and got themselves. Comprised of David, Robbie, Dave and Jack, the band are set to join Olly Murs on his UK tour in the coming months - something sure to see that number of fans grow and grow.

Their debut single Already Gone is an electro tinged pop-rock stomper; a buzz-saw synth bassline and machine-gun beats setting the pace before the track launches into a full-throttle chorus. Electric energy lies at the heart of this track and it whips you along at a roaring pace.

Fans of The Wanted will lap The Kixx up, they present that same confident, powerful brand of lad-pop. But what marks them out as different? Well, they play their own instruments for a start. Then there's the more clinical, precise feel stamped all over Already Gone - It's a song that knows all the right buttons to press, presenting a more refined, modern breed of track. Imagine the swagger and youthful energy of McFly in their prime mixed in with the dreamy New Wave of Duran Duran and you'll have a fair idea of what the band sound like.

And if all that wasn't already enough to convince you to check them out, the video for the single features Emily Atack AKA Inbetweeners hottie Charlotte Hinchcliffe.

I really love some of Kixx's early YouTube cover versions too, in particular their take on Linkin Park's Numb where they transform the track into a beautiful chilled out ballad. It showcases a real rock edge to the boys' voices, a nice touch when so many competiting boybands head more for the R&B vibe. Take That's SOS and The Script's For The First Time also get an outing - one thing that really wins me over with these guys is simply the song choices displayed here, they go for less obvious songs and it allows them to fully come into their own. This is a band that place themselves in an increasingly crowded market and who aren't afraid to try something a little different to get heads turning their way. I'm impressed.

Already Gone is released on June 5th.

Come join the Parade...

So, Parade's brilliant single Louder is out in the UK and as I write, it currently stands at No. 8 in the iTunes chart. For any band, this is a great achievment, but for a new group, breaking into the ever competitive pop scene, this is frankly amazing.

I went to see the Parade girls perform at GAY on Saturday night and they most definitely gave it their all. Opening with a feisty cover of Cee Lo Green's Fuck You, they had the crowd whipped up into a frenzy of excitement (best of all, it was the expletive laden album version and not the mild-mannered radio edit of the song). The girls' look is perfect too, striding the vital balance between street-smart trends and poppy flash. Continuing on to their performance of Louder, it was plain to see just how much fun they were all having - and it's this enjoyment that really shines through in their music, taking it up to the next level. As for the rest of the night and Olly Murs stripping on stage, I'll leave that to your imaginations... but let's just say it involved him wearing a cow-shaped thong.

The next day, Parade held a signing at that temple of retail enlightenment, Westfield. So it was off on the tube to Shepherd's Bush! The centre's HMV branch had the Louder singles pride of place at the front of the store as well as conveniently placed by the till-points themselves. It made for a refreshing change from music stores who have become so alienated to the CD single format in recent years.

The signing itself was brilliant, well organised and packed with eager fans. Everyone seemed really up for the event and the cheery faces all round definitely inspired a sense of strong community amongst the fanbase. It's bonds and memories like these that'll get the fans sticking with an artist right through their career. Parade are well on their way to dazzling their way across the UK pop charts and this weekend was a energising reminder of how Britain gets it SO right when it comes to girlbands.

If you haven't already, join the Parade and download Louder from iTunes here!

Bonus edition Ahoy!

'Extended', 're-release', 'bonus', 'deluxe'. These are all words that have been occuring rather often recently. A top chart act releases an album and it does well. So how do you squeeze a few more sales out of that 'era'? Easy! Release a bonus version of it with MORE content. It's a win, win situation.

Currently I'm getting excited over the exclusive HMV edition of Duran Duran's All You Need Is Now which comes with a bonus remix CD. There's also the bonus version of Linkin Park's A Thousand Suns which is packaged with a DVD of the band playing live in Madrid. This release is rather awesomely titled A Thousand Suns +, with emphasis on the 'PLUS'. It's like those TV ads for razors. Properly amazing.

And just look at the cover. THOSE COLOURS! It's like someone got high and then went crazy on Photoshop. I love it.

Rothko - Starry Eyed (Ellie Goulding cover)

If you'd ever wondered what a rock cover of Ellie Goulding's Starry Eyed would sound like, then wait no longer. Reading-based band Rothko do a pretty admirable job of covering the young songstress's hit single. The four-piece, comprised of Tom Woodford, Elliot Wilkins, Nick Ellis, Steve Snyman are playing the Camden Barfly on the 22nd February and if you like the sound of them, you can also check them out at Reading's Face Bar on the 4th of March.

For more info, check out the band's Facebook page here.

Britney Spears' new album cover! 'Femme Fatale'

Now THAT is what I call a hot album cover. Those eyes! And the hair! As a Britney Spears fan you just imagine Miss. Spears rolls out of bed looking that amazing in the morning, make-up all perfectly done, hair arranged exactly to achieve that precise Wow! factor. If the album sounds as good as it looks, we're all in for a treat. And judging by how good Hold It Against Me is, it could quite easily achieve that.

Cher Lloyd's debut album cover

Let's have a look at the cover of Cheryl Lloyd's debut album shall we? I have to say, personally, I think this is perfect. When we first saw Cher on X Factor, fronting up her own unique brand of rap-laced pop, this is the kind of album visuals I envisioned. It's dainty, but hard too. Cutesy, but credible too.

We're loving the vamped up look, it's almost gothic. And nice hand positioning too, it's almost as if she's resting her head on her hands because she's tired after the frenzy of recording the album. And then there's the hoodie, giving the picture that definitive urban vibe.

All that said though, Cher looks very beautiful on the album cover, and we can't wait to hear what the record itself sounds like!