Alternative: Celebs Rumors

Billie Eilish showcased tracks from her forthcoming new album ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’ in New York last night (May 15).The singer-songwriter hosted a listening party at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn ahead of her third LP’s release tomorrow May 17 (pre-order/pre-save here).Ahead of the show she posted on her Instagram story: “Ur gonna hear my album omg i’m so excited and nervous oh my godddddddd.”As she prepared to launch into the record she said to the audience: “I could shit myself right now! Do we wanna hear something? Alright, dudes, so I’m gonna play you the entire album – front to back – and I’m not gonna pause it in the middle, and I’m not gonna talk. Well, I don’t know.

Big Special have shared a statement explaining why they have decided to play The Great Escape amidst the boycott.The gothic Black Country duo – comprised of Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney – took to their official Instagram account to explain why they will go ahead with performing at this year’s edition of the Brighton-based music festival.The 2024 event – which showcases new and rising artists – is due to take place across various music venues in Brighton from today (May 15) until Saturday (18).The Great Escape is sponsored by Barclays, which has been a source of controversy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza because of the bank’s financial investment in companies that supply arms to Israel.“We will still be performing at The great escape this week and donating our fee to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, of which our label will also match the donation. Here is our statement,” wrote the duo in an Instagram post.A post shared by BIG SPECIAL (@bigspecial_)“There’s been a lot of chat about The Great Escape festival recently and their sponsorship from Barclays, who are helping fund arms sales to Israel, weapons being used to commit war crimes against the Palestinian people.“A lot of bands have boycotted the event in solidarity.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have shared part one of ‘The Making Of Wild God’ featuring Radiohead‘s Colin Greenwood.Directed by Megan Cullen and recorded at Miraval Studios in France, the new exclusive footage provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds created their upcoming 18th album ‘Wild God‘.The first part of the docu-film sees Cave at a grand piano, playing chords. “We’ve just got to get this right ok? Don’t fuck it up at the 11th hour. Is that one of the things we thought was good? Sounds like a mad-man walked in to it,” Cave says during the first clips.Greenwood also makes an appearance while laying down parts of a bass track in the studio.

Nilüfer Yanya has announced a 2024 UK, European and North American tour set to kick off later this year.Kicking off on September 28 at the Underground Arts in Philadelphia, Yanya will make her way across the US with stops in major cities such as Washington D.C., New York, Boston, Montreal, Chicago, Nashville and more. The North American leg of the tour will wrap up on October 24 at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles.From there, she will make her way to Europe with shows in Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris before heading over to the UK for gigs in Brighton, Bristol, London and Nottingham.

Deftones frontman Chino Moreno has been finishing off the band’s upcoming album.Previously speaking to KROQ during an interview at Coachella last month, Moreno revealed that Deftones “have a whole record recorded all musically. And it’s pretty much my job right now to finish up the vocals.”However, Moreno warned he didn’t want to “put a definite timeframe” on the album’s release, saying: “We’re not really in a rush.

Trophy Eyes has been left partially paralysed after frontman John Floreani stage dived on top of her during a gig in New York last month.During a show at Mohawk Place in Buffalo on April 30, Floreani stagedived into the crowd and left fan Bird Piché with serious injuries which required emergency surgery.The band released a statement at the time sharing that they were “truly heartbroken”, along with sharing a GoFundMe campaign link to raise money for Piché.According to Buffalo TV station WKBW (via New York Post), the concertgoer suffered a “catastrophic spinal cord injury” and can currently only move her arms.https://t.co/mzqqCkgidR pic.twitter.com/vY9OPl6CcJ— Trophy Eyes (@trophyeyesmusic) May 3, 2024Footage from the event shows the moment Floreani leaps into the crowd and seemingly lands directly on top of Piché.“The video is wild because unless you knew that someone was hurt in the video, you’d never expect that,” Piché’s friend Leo Wolter Tejera, who was at the concert, told the outlet. “Like it’s just an average stage dive.”“She wasn’t getting up, and John, the singer, was like right there with her,” Tejera added.They continued: “To my understanding and the conversation we’ve heard so far from doctors is with catastrophic spinal injuries, you just can’t tell and they take a lot of time and patience to see what the outcome is really gonna be.”Bird’s GoFundMe has currently raised $64,741 (£51,715) of a $100,000 (£79,881) target.

CMAT has released her new country-inspired single ‘Aw, Shoot’ – take a listen below.The Irish musician has dropped her new song as her first new music since her album last year ‘Crazymad, For Me‘.CMAT opened up about the backstory behind the melancholy track, writing: “So there I was, in Paris, France, in a rented flat. I was trying to write songs but it wasn’t going very well at all.

Thurston Moore has paid tribute to the late Steve Albini in a lengthy X/Twitter thread, calling him “a stick of dynamite in shredded low-top sneakers”.The former Sonic Youth bandmember took to social media to share his memories of the legendary musician and engineer, who passed away yesterday (May 8) due to a heart attack.Moore began his statement by writing: “Like the music he adored and devoted his life to – punk and experimental action, suspect and resistant to any semblance of exploitation – Steve Albini was a person of passion and contradiction.”The musician went on to praise Albini for his ability to “articulate, from a surprisingly young age, with intelligent and intellectual passion, reasons not to set foot in the manipulative cogs of “major” label indignity,” adding: “While wholly serious in his analysis he also seemed to be able to write it all off at the end of the day as being alive in an absurd universe. Alongside his set-in-stone scowl was always a genuinely soulful smile.”Moore recalled the day he first heard of Albini when meeting Byron Coley and Jimmy Johnson from Forced Exposure in NYC.

John Cale has shared his dynamic new single ‘Shark-Shark’, along with an intriguing music video – watch it down below.The Welsh musician’s new song will be part of his upcoming record ‘POPtical Illusion‘, which is scheduled for June 14 via Double Six/Domino (pre-order/pre-save here).The Velvet Underground founder said of his new song: “Sometimes you write a song purely for a mood. ‘Shark-Shark’ has two versions – both a nod to finding humour in music.

Beabadoobee has dropped her pensive new single ‘Take A Bite’ and announced her third studio album, ‘This Is How Tomorrow Moves’.Her new album is scheduled for release on August 16 via Dirty Hit, where the Londoner has shared her first taste of the record, ‘Take A Bite’.Produced by the legendary Rick Rubin and long-term collaborator/bandmate Jacob Bugden, ‘Take A Bite’ was recorded at Rubin’s famous Shangri-La studio in Malibu. Pre-order/pre-save the record here.‘Take A Bite’ sees Beabadoobee reflect on a cycle of negative thoughts and her desire to indulge in those behaviours over a 90s folk rock-inspired instrumental: “Sure it’s easy to talk, but I take it and eat it with a cherry on top / Indulging in situations that are fabricated imaginations / Moments that cease to exist / Only want to fix it with a kiss on the lips.”The singer-songwriter said of her new song: “It’s me feeling introspective about my thoughts and unhealthy way of living.

Eurovision entry Bambie Thug has shared an eerie cover of The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ and spoken out in support of Palestine ahead of this weekend’s finale.The non-binary singer will be representing Ireland at the final of the song contest in Malmö, Sweden, and has become Ireland’s first finalist since 2018. They won their place in Saturday’s final (May 11) with a performance of ‘Doomsday Blue’ at Tuesday’s (May 7) semi-finals.They have been listed as in the top 10 favourites to win the competition this year, and told NME that they are hoping to “give the best performance I can and try to connect in those three minutes to those millions of viewers”.That being said, there has been pressure on contestants, including Thug and UK representative Olly Alexander, to boycott the event in solidarity with Palestine.

Billie Eilish has announced a new “immersive listening experience” taking place in London to celebrate her upcoming album ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’.Set to take place in the UK capital next week, the fan experience is hosted with Spotify and comes ahead of the release of Eilish’s new album, which is set to drop next Friday (May 17).Taking place at the Lightroom in London’s Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross, the audio-visual experience will last for an hour and is designed to let fans have an insight into “the vast and mysterious world she’s created with her new project”, as well as listen to the album in its entirety.It will be held on Thursday (May 16) and Friday (May 17), and will include just 10 shows. Three of these will be held on the former, taking place at 6pm, 8pm and 10pm, while seven shows will be held on the latter, starting at 10am and running every two hours until 10pm.The experience will be the only one of its kind in the world for this new album, and fans on Spotify can get early access tickets now by heading to the venue’s website.“‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’, Billie Eilish’s third studio album, is her most daring body of work to date.

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker has paid tribute to Steve Albini following the legendary producer’s death – see what Cocker had to say below.Yesterday (May 8), it was revealed that Steve Albini, who was known for recording and producing classic albums such as Nirvana‘s ‘In Utero’ and Pixies‘ ‘Surfer Rosa’ among others, had died at the age of 61 due to a heart attack.Now, Cocker – who worked with Albini on his solo album ‘Further Complications’ in 2009 – has taken to social media to share a tribute to the late record producer, engineer and musician.He wrote on Instagram to accompany a photo he had taken of Albini’s Electrical Audio studio: “This is not a very interesting photograph – but very interesting things happened within these walls. This is a photo of the building that contains Electrical Audio: the recording studio established by Steve Albini in Chicago.”“I took this photo during January 2009 when we were recording the ‘Further Complications’ album there.

Glastonbury line-up as the Theatre And Circus bill has been revealed.The fields will welcome a host of circus, theatre, cabaret, music, dance and poetry acts to the iconic festival, which takes place this year from Wednesday June 26 through to Sunday June 30, 2024 at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset.Back in March it was revealed that Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA will headline the Pyramid Stage this summer, while Shania Twain will perform in the legends slot.Other newly announced acts and performances in the Theatre And Circus area include comedian Andy Parsons, poet Iona Lee, the theatre and dance group Mark Bruce Company, musician Toby Walker, cabaret act An Evening Without Kate Bush, Boom Circus and many more.You can check out the full stage line-up below.With just 51 days until gates open, here's the 2024 line-up for Glastonbury's incredible @theatre_circus fields pic.twitter.com/SmvPdkF146— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) May 6, 2024Other acts set to perform on the festival’s pyramid stage this year include LCD Soundsystem, Little Simz, Burna Boy, PJ Harvey, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Kiwanuka, Janelle Monae, Olivia Dean, Paloma Faith and Keane.Meanwhile, Idles, Disclosure and The National are scheduled to top the Other Stage, while the likes of The Streets, Two Door Cinema Club, Avril Lavigne, The Last Dinner Party, Fontaines D.C., Arlo Parks and many more will be performing across the festival’s various stages.A host of other new names were recently unveiled a for the 2024 West Holts stage line-up, including Nia Archives and 47soul joining previously announced Jungle, Jessie Ware and Justice.The festival has been gradually dropping line-ups for the event’s many stages in recent weeks, including the Acoustic Stage, the

a statement on the band’s website on April 29.“On Sunday morning April 21st, I awoke with a large swollen gland on the left side of my neck,” Peters shared. “The early results have determined that my Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) has undergone a transformation into a High Grade Lymphoma.“I am still reeling from the consequences of this new and completely unforeseen diagnosis and doing my best to process what is happening.

Lana Del Rey has announced her first ever US stadium headline show taking place in Boston this June. Find all the details below.The one-night-only show will take place at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts on June 20, 2024.The artist’s debut US stadium headline performance at the 37,755-capacity venue will follow her recent headline performances at Coachella 2024, and a sold-out amphitheater run of shows across select cities in the US late last year.General sale ticket will be available this Friday (May 10) at 10am local time from here.

AURORA has added two extra shows in Dublin and Edinburgh to her upcoming UK and European tour – see all the dates below. The Norwegian alt-pop singer is preparing to release her new album ‘What Happened To The Heart?’ in June, after which she will be playing a string of shows around the continent in September and October.

Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz has sparked rumours of a possible reunion of the band with a social media post reading: “We shall return”.Frantz posted an image on his Instagram page of a black and white theatre marquee with the main banner saying “TALKING HEADS”, alongside “Dec 13, 14, 15, 16, 8pm”, and “Tix at all ticketron outlets”.No further information has been provided. Check out the post below:A post shared by Chris Frántz (@frantzchris)All four band members – Frantz, frontman David Byrne, guitarist Jerry Harrison and bassist Tina Weymouth – made their first public appearance together in over 20 years for a Q&A and a screening of their remastered concert film Stop Making Sense at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.The four musicians have had a complicated relationship since their breakup in 1991.

David Gilmour has announced his plans to tour for the first time in eight years.The former Pink Floyd guitarist made the comments in a new interview with Uncut (via Far Out and Neptune Pink Floyd), where he discussed potentially touring his upcoming album ‘Luck and Strange‘. It is set for release on September 6.Speaking to the outlet, Gilmour said there was “an unwillingness to revisit the Pink Floyd of the ‘70s”, but would be more likely to perform songs from other decades: “Yeah, they might be better represented. I mean, at least one from the ’60s.

St. Vincent has opened up on working with Dave Grohl, saying “it just lights you up to hear him play.”In a new series of NME’s In Conversation, St. Vincent opened up about working with the Foo Fighters frontman on her new album ‘All Born Screaming‘.

FKA Twigs has revealed that she has developed her own deepfake version of herself, specifically to interact with fans online.The British singer-songwriter – whose real name is Tahliah Barnett – revealed the news of the AI development in a recent written testimony, where she explained how artificial intelligence can be used when an artist gives their consent.Deepfakes are created using artificial intelligence to make a photo or video of someone by manipulating their face or body.According to a report by Rolling Stone, the online version of the artist will go by ‘AI Twigs’, and will be rolled out later this year to help her maintain a connection with fans online while she focuses on making new music.“In the past year, I have developed my own deepfake version of myself that is not only trained in my personality but also can use my exact tone of voice to speak many languages,” she wrote in the testimony.“I will be engaging my AI Twigs later this year to extend my reach and handle my online social media interactions, whilst I continue to focus on my art from the comfort and solace of my studio.“These and similar emerging technologies are highly valuable tools both artistically and commercially when under the control of the artist.”The singer is set to put forward the testimony to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property in Washington D.C. later today (April 30).

This Town – featuring Self Esteem, Olivia Dean and various original songs – has been released.Including classic covers and brand new, original compositions from the hit Steven Knight drama, ‘This Town (Music From The Original BBC Series)’ is out now via Polydor Records. You can stream the LP on all streaming platforms and purchase the vinyl pressing here.The soundtrack for the series brings together the show’s genre-wide mix of timeless anthems, original songs, and iconic hits set in the world of ska and two-tone in the early ’80s.‘This Town (Music From The Original BBC Series)’ features Self Esteem’s reimagining of Jimmy Cliff’s 1970’s track ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ as well as Ray Laurél’s cover of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’.It also includes Olivia Dean’s rework of the reggae classic ‘The Harder They Come’ and Celeste’s cover of ‘Blue Moon’.The tracks performed by Fuck The Factory – the band at the heart of This Town – were created by producer Dan Carey (Fontaines D.C, Wet Leg, Been Stellar and founder of the seminal Speedy Wunderground label). Carey also collaborated with singer-songwriter ESKA and musician, novelist and poet Kae Tempest in work that adds another chapter to this vital story.1. Self Esteem: ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’2. Ray Laurél: ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’3. Fuck The Factory: ‘Estella’4. Olivia Dean: ‘The Harder They Come’5. Fuck The Factory: ‘Birdsong’6. Fuck The Factory: ‘Pelicans’7. Celeste: ‘Blue Moon’8. Fuck The Factory: ‘Farewell To Matty And Her Flowers’9. Gregory Porter: ‘The World’s Going Up In Flames’10. Fuck The Factory: ‘This Town’11. Sekou: ‘Wonderful World, Beautiful People’“It has been a privilege to be working with Paul Whittington, Steven Knight and the entire

Moby has responded to Lana Del Rey‘s claim that he has “a mind like a steel trap” after he recalled a date between the pair in his memoir.In 2019, Moby shared the revelation that he once dated Lana Del Rey pre-fame in his memoir Then It Fell Apart.The excerpt detailed a brief romance, revealing that the pair had their first date at a vegan restaurant in 2006. Moby said his evening with Del Rey – known then as Lizzy Grant – concluded with the singer visiting his five-floor New York penthouse where they shared a kiss.“She was beautiful, smart, and charming,” he wrote of the ‘Summertime Sadness’ singer.In a subsequent interview with The New York Times, Del Rey confirmed that the pair had indeed been on a date, sharing: “I don’t know how he [expletive] remembers.

Taylor Swift has celebrated the ongoing success of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ by sharing a series of photographs of her with collaborators Post Malone and Florence Welch. Check them out below.The polaroids were shared by the pop icon on Instagram last night (April 28), as she celebrated the new album debuting at Number One on the Billboard 200 chart, and selling over 2.6million units in America.“My mind is blown.

Fontaines D.C. have announced a 2024 European ‘ROMANCE’ tour.

NewDad‘s album cover has gone viral in China, with many fans taking to social media to share their own interpretations of the artwork.The Irish band announced the news on social media, where they shared some photos of fans recreating their ‘Madra’ cover: “We woke up this morning to find our album cover (photo by Joshua Gordon) going viral in China. so so surreal to see so many people creating their own interpretations”.‘Madra’ and its cover features a morose porcelain doll looking down.

The Smashing Pumpkins have revealed their new guitarist after receiving over 10,000 public applications to fill in the spot.At the beginning of the year, frontman Billy Corgan launched a search for an additional guitarist and anyone interested was encouraged to apply. The call for guitarists generated over 10,000 applications.

Nilüfer Yanya has returned with a new single called ‘Like I Say (I Runaway)’ – you can listen to it below.The song marks the first release from the singer-songwriter since her 2022 album ‘Painless’. It is accompanied by a video directed by Yanya’s sister, Molly Daniel, in which the musician stars as a runaway bride.Boasting crunchy, distorted guitar, the sub-three-minute track is reminiscent of the ’90s-era alternative and grunge scene, as Yanya sings about the passage of time being “precious“.In the uplifting chorus, she adds: “‘Cause I feel like all my friends/ They don’t read my mind/ The minute I’m not in control/ I’m tearing up inside/ Fill up on that feeling/ Fill up on the line.”Yanya explained: “It’s about how you choose to spend your time.

Billie Eilish has recalled the advice she was given by John Mayer at the beginning of her career.The 22-year-old singer opened up about the moment during a new interview with Rolling Stone, where she described how she felt “afraid” when it came to going out in public.“I’m afraid [and] for a fucking good reason. I’m afraid of people, I’m afraid of the world.

Billie Eilish has admitted that she “overreacted” to being “outed” by Variety last year.The ‘Ocean Eyes’ singer made headlines at the end of 2023 when she told Variety in a cover story that she was “attracted to [women] for real”.She later confirmed her sexuality in a further conversation for the publication’s Hitmakers event, where she received the Film Song Of The Year Award. On the red carpet, the singer admitted that she “didn’t” mean to come out with the past interview, adding: “I kinda thought, wasn’t it obvious?”“It’s exciting to me because I guess people didn’t know, so it’s cool that they know,” the singer continued.

Girl In Red has shared a lively cover of ‘Girlfriend Is Better’, as part of a new Talking Heads tribute album. Check out the song below.The track will be part of ‘Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense’, a project that was first announced in December by A24 Music.The record will feature 16 artists sharing their own covers of Talking Heads classics – including the already released Lorde version of ‘Take Me to the River’, which Talking Heads themselves covered in 1978, from the 1974 original by Al Green.The project is out on May 17 (available to pre-order here) and the latest taster sees Girl In Red put her own signature spin on the track, incorporating playful instrumentation and impressive vocals.It also arrives on the heels of her brand new album ‘I’m Doing It Again Baby!’, which arrived earlier this month.“Talking Heads is an iconic band that helped define my identity when I was a teenager and they continue to inspire young people all around the world,” the singer said in a new statement.

Art Brut have announced details of new ‘best of’ compilations, set for release this summer, as well as an upcoming UK and European tour. Find the details below.Announced today (April 24), the new releases from the Perennial pop enthusiasts are due to arrive on July 4 via Demon Records and Edsel, and will see them share two compilations of their greatest hits.The first of which comes in the form of a double LP titled ‘A Record Collection, Reduced To A Mixtape’.

Mitski has shared the dramatic new video for her song ‘Star’ – watch it below.The dreamy video for ‘Star’, taken off recent album ‘The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We‘, was directed by Maegan Houang.Filmed in the summer of 2023, it is the latest video Mitski and Houang have worked together on, having previously collaborated to produce the videos for ‘Happy’, ‘The Only Heartbreaker’ and ‘Stay Soft’.“Unlike the more narrative/concept driven videos Mitski and I have done together in the past, I wanted this video to encapsulate the impressionistic circularity we all experience,” Houang said in a press statement.She continued: “Our lives oscillate between light and dark repeating itself in an endless cycle where nothing is permanent. The best moments are fleeting, but so are the bad.”Watch the video for ‘Star’ below:Mitski is soon to tour the UK at the end of this month, where she will begin her tour in Edinburgh on April 27 and finish in Zurich on May 30.

Coachella is facing a fine of around $28,000 (£22,585), due to Lana Del Rey’s set running over the scheduled time.The fine has been put forward to the festival organisers following the singer’s headline set at the Indio event last Friday (April 19), where she finished the performance 13 minutes over the allotted time.The news was first reported by TMZ on Monday (April 22), and a representative for the city later confirmed to the publication that the organisers of the event would have to pay up because of the missed cut-off point.This isn’t the first time that those behind the iconic California festival have faced fines. As highlighted by US Weekly, the fines gathered for curfew violations over the first weekend of the 2024 edition (April 12-14) totalled an estimated $117,000 (£94,367).

David Byrne has shared his cover of Paramore’s ‘Hard Times’, ahead of its exclusive Record Store Day vinyl release – listen to the track below.The track will be available as an “extremely limited” 12” vinyl release for Record Store Day 2024, with Paramore’s version of Talking Heads’ ‘Burning Down the House’ on the B-side.The cover was first announced last month by the pop-punk band themselves, who are serving as this year’s Record Store Day Ambassadors, and are also releasing their 2023 “almost” remix album ‘Re: This Is Why’ on vinyl for the first time for the event. That album will be available on 2LP Ruby + Bone vinyl and single black vinyl.Listen to Byrne’s take on ‘Hard Times’ here:This year’s Record Store Day takes place tomorrow (April 20) at all participating shops – visit here for more information.Speaking about his involvement with the track, Byrne has said: “The band told me that their song Hard Times was inspired by Talking Heads, so I learned it and recorded my version of their great song with a horn section.

Hard Light‘, as well as older hits from their earlier works.Drop Nineteens also took time to tackle Lana Del Rey‘s ‘White Dress’ from her 2021 LP ‘Chemtrails Over the Country Club’ and Madonna‘s 1984 track ‘Angel’.