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Live Updates

Sarah Jane Griffiths and Kev Geoghegan

All times stated are UK

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  1. That's your lot...

    Time's up for today sadly, but scroll down to feast on music news from Keith Richards, Tim Burgess, Haim, Gregory Porter, Damon Albarn and My Chemical Romance. 

    Plus find out which former X Factor star's persuaded Samuel L Jackson to feature in his video and we hear from the producer who got Michelle Obama dueting with Missy Elliott in Carpool Karaoke. 

    We'll be back bright and early for New Music Friday, till then... 

  2. Damon Albarn 'working on Paddington 2 soundtrack'

    BBC 6 Music

    Someone in a Paddington costume at the Paddington premiere

    Following on from news about that Gorillaz album earlier this week, Damon Albarn has now revealed he's also going to be working on the soundtrack for Paddington 2. 

    The Blur frontman told 6 Music he and collabarator Mike Smith - who compose soundtracks together as Electric Wave Bureau - would be working with the Calypso band that appeared in the first Paddington movie. 

    Albarn said: "It's amazing. We've actually recorded an album and we were going to put it out, but now we're probably going to wait until the new film comes out."

    He added that he and Smith, who recently scored BBC Four documentary Swim the Channel, "love working together" and are "open to offers".

    Listen to a snippet from their (quite giggly) chat with 6 Music below:

    Video content

    Video caption: Damon Albarn on Paddington soundtrack

    According to Variety Paddington 2 goes into production in October and is likely to be released in November 2017, so sadly we've a while to wait until we hear what they've been up to.

  3. Keith Richards: End of National Service allowed Rolling Stones

    BBC 6 Music

    Keith Richards

    Keith Richards has said the end of National Service in the UK - when all 17-year-old men had to spend 18 months in the army - allowed him to pursue music.

    The star is fronting a new documentary, directed by Julian Temple, about his formative years during the post-war period.

    He's also been speaking to 6 Music's Matt Everitt and said if he'd been conscripted, there might never have been a Rolling Stones...

    Quote Message: My generation, you grew up automatically expecting to go National Service, go in the army at 18… there was no reason to suppose it was going to change but then, my luck, right on the cusp, they knocked it on the head. And so suddenly this horizon opens up. These two years that you thought, peeling spuds in Catterick or something, you know, suddenly these two years open up with this vista of possibilities…. For instance, if I’d have had to go in the army there’d have been no Rolling Stones and probably no Beatles either.

    Keith Richards – The Origin of the Species is part of BBC Music's My Generation season, which tells the story of popular music since the 1950s.

    It's being shown on Saturday 23 July at 2100 BST on BBC Two and you can hear more from Matt's interview on 6 Music on Friday morning.

  4. Jennifer Hudson to star opposite Adam Sandler in Netflix comedy

    Billboard magazine

    Jennifer Hudson

    She has already proved her acting chops in Dreamgirls and, most recently, the stage version of The Color Purple on Broadway and now Jennifer Hudson is looking to tickle your funny bone opposite  Adam Sandler.

    She is starring opposite the comic actor in a Netflix production - the 1990s-set Sandy Wexler.

    Sandler plays the titular LA talent manager who has an oddball talent roster and falls in love with his latest client, a talented singer named Courtney Clarke, played by Hudson, who he discovers at an amusement park.

    It is set to start shooting in August and will premiere in 2017.

  5. The Maccabees have 'got nothing in the way of new songs'

    NME

    The Maccabees

    Fans of The Maccabees who're hopeful the band have been penning new tracks on the road may be disappointed to hear they've written no new material since last album Marks To Prove It, which came out in July 2015.

    Guitarist Felix White told NME: “We’ve got nothing in the way of new songs or ideas at the moment. We’ve written on tour in the past, but we just haven’t done it this time around. We haven’t talked about new songs as a band at all.”However, if you missed them headlining Latitude at the weekend, you may want to keep your ear to the ground for gig announcements. 

    “There might be some big shows at the end of the year," teased White. "That’s as far ahead as we’re looking.”

    Read more

  6. Tim Burgess debuts new track Begin and his book of vinyl favourites

    Tim Burgess

    The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess has debuted a new track Begin, a collaboration with New York composer Peter Gordon of Love of Life Orchestra. 

    It's the first taster of their forthcoming album Same Language, Different Worlds (out on 2 September) and it got its first play on 6 Music this morning. You can hear it below:

    Warning: third party content, may contain ads.

    View more on Soundcloud

    Burgess also chatted to 6 Music's Shaun Keaveny about the album and his new book Tim Book Two: Vinyl Adventures from Istanbul to San Francisco.

    The book features the vinyl selections of stars from Iggy Pop to Boy George, Freddie from The Vaccines to Kim Gordon, Paul Weller and actress Sharon Horgan, and there's a compilation coming out on 29 July to accompany it. 

    Listen to the interview with Shaun (from about 2 hours 9 mins in). 

    Tim Burgess compilation artwork
  7. Stormzy invites his fans to celebrate his birthday at an amusement park

    BBC Newsbeat

    Stormzy

    ...that time when Stormzy invited 200 fans to join him at an amusement park for his 23rd birthday.

    He tweeted he's "got the whole damn park for myself" and is holding a competition for fans who want to come along. 

    Read more

  8. Gregory Porter's 'challenges' to find mainstream acceptance

    BBC Radio 2

    Jazz artist Gregory Porter has been talking about his style of music becoming more accepted by mainstream audiences.

    The singer won the 2014 Grammy for best jazz vocal album and played at this year's Glastonbury. His latest album Take Me to the Alley charted at number five in the UK. 

    Ahead of a Radio 2 In Concert event tonight, he spoke to presenter Ken Bruce about finding a mass audience, though he insisted it hasn't been easy...

    Video content

    Video caption: Gregory Porter on having his jazz accepted by mainstream audiences
  9. Watch MNEK perform acoustic version of his latest single

    NME

    MNEK

    MNEK has performed an acoustic version of At Night (I Think About You) for NME.com.

    The original version of the single was first played on Radio 1 on Annie Mac's show in May and he performed it in the Live Lounge earlier this month, where he also covered Clean Bandit's Tears.

    MNEK's debut album, currently untitled, is set for release in 2017.

    We spoke to him recently about writing for Beyonce and Madonna and whether he uses Auto-Tune?

    Video content

    Video caption: MNEK: 'Everyone uses Auto-Tune'
  10. How they got FLOTUS to do Carpool Karaoke

    By now you may well have seen Michelle Obama taking on the likes of Beyonce and Stevie Wonder while taking a spin around the White House grounds with James Corden for The Late Late Show's Carpool Karaoke (and if you haven't, you're probably owed a tea break pretty soon). 

    The pair were also joined by rapper Missy Elliott for one of our favourite moments, a rendition of her track Get Your Freak On...

    View more on twitter

    But how did #FLOTUSCarpool happen? Late Late Show producer Ben Winston has told the BBC it was a doddle compared to getting the segment up and running. 

    He spoke to 5Live's Phil Williams about the First Lady and the origins of what's become a huge viral hit - listen below: 

    Video content

    Video caption: "They got in touch with us" says Late Late Show executive producer Ben Winston.

    He also shared some intel on how Corden manages to learn all those lyrics. 

  11. What has EDM done to dance music?

    BBC Newsbeat

    Calvin Harris

    Love it or hate it there's no denying the success of EDM (Electronic Dance Music), in the US in particular, has had a huge impact on the dance industry.

    The movement has helped DJs like Calvin Harris, Skrillex and Avicii become some of the highest paid musicians on the planet.

    But what has it done for dance music and what does it mean for the future of the scene?

    Newsbeat's been speaking to artists like Disclosure, Alice in Wonderland and Oliver Heldens to get their take on EDM.

    Here's what Disclosure brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence had to say:

    Quote Message: It's had a similar explosion to house music in the UK. For me any explosion of music is a good thing it means people are enjoying it. It doesn't mean we want to make that kind of music at all, but I don't mind it existing. I think there's too much hate going on, everyone needs to just let it be, man. from Howard
    Howard
    Quote Message: As much as you can musically slate it for being formulaic or basic it brings joy to thousands of people. Life is short so why wouldn't you celebrate that? from Guy
    Guy

    Read more

  12. Jimmy Fallon and Idris Elba pick up the mics

    US chat show presenter Jimmy Fallon likes nothing more than to pick up a mic and show off his vocal prowess (if you haven't seen his Neil Young impersonation then we urge you to watch it).

    He and guest Idris Elba dipped into a box of microphones to sing along to Desiigner and Drake and a truly memorable Endless Love.

    It looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship...

    View more on youtube
  13. Pearl Jam and Soundgarden supergroup Temple of the Dog to tour

    Pitchfork

    Chris Cornell

    Fans of grungy 90s Seattle rock may be pleased to hear the short-lived Pearl Jam/Soundgarden supergroup Temple of the Dog are back in action and have announced their first ever tour.

    The group features Soundgarden's Chris Cornell (pictured above), Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and Mike McCready, and the drummer Matt Cameron (who played drums for both bands). 

    They originally formed in 1990 and released just one self-titled album in 1991, which they're now reissuing to celebrate its 25th anniversary. 

    At the moment the accompanying tour includes just five US dates. 

    Cornell said: “We wanted to do the one thing we never got to do ... play shows and see what it feels like to be the band that we walked away from 25 years ago.”  

    Read more

    View more on twitter
  14. Rihanna pays tribute to victims of Nice attack

    Rihanna has paid tribute to the victims of the terror attack in Nice while performing at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Lyon.

    With the stage bathed in red, white and blue lights, she sang her song Diamonds dedicating it to the "people of Nice, people who suffered and were traumatised, the victims and their families".

    View more on youtube
  15. Kid Cudi set to join cast of Empire

    Kid Cudi

    Rapper and actor Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, is set to join the US TV show Empire.

    He will play a recurring role as a rapper named Gram, an independent musician who will be a rival to one of the show's main characters.

    In a tweet, he said: "Such a huge honor to be joining the @EmpireFOX family".

    The show is set in the offices of a fictional hip hop and entertainment company run by the Lyon family.

    Other stars lined up for the third season, which will be shown in the States on 21 September, include Taye Diggs and rapper French Montana.

  16. Jahmene returns with Samuel L Jackson in tow

    Jahmene Douglas, Samuel L Jackson

    Some X Factor contestants sink without trace, others manage to persuade Samuel L Jackson to feature in their video. 

    The show's 2012 runner-up Jahmene Douglas (he lost to James Arthur, remember him?) has returned with the lead track from his forthcoming second album - and while Jackson doesn't actually appear in the video for Is This The Time?, he does narrate the beginning of the song before Jahmene starts singing. 

    Warning: third party content, may contain ads.

    View more on youtube

    Meanwhile Jahmene has told The Mirror that Is This The Time?, out tomorrow, is his "anthem of encouragement."

    "That spiritual journey towards finding what is right for you," he said.

    "It's been a long hard fight to arrive where I am today. This song for me captures that fight with trying to come to terms with realising that sometimes you have to face that journey alone with God.

    "Some people just aren't ready to face that journey alone, so I hope that this song encourages those people to keep pushing through to your time."

  17. Haim cancel all European shows to finish their album

    Alana Haim, left, Danielle Haim and Este Haim from Haim

    Haim have cancelled all their European tour dates this summer - including Reading and Leeds festivals - because they've reached "a critical point" recording their second album. 

    In a Twitter post, featuring a handwritten apology, sisters Alana, Danielle and Este told fans they had "hoped to be done with recording" by now, but that as they were so close to finishing they needed “to stay close to home until it's complete.” 

    The winners of the BBC's Sound of 2013 poll have been working on the follow up to debut album Days Are Gone, which they had hoped would be finished by the Autumn. 

    They added: "We hate to disappoint you guys that had plans to come see us and promise we'll be back in the near future to share our new music with you."

    View more on twitter

    Other cancelled appearances include Electric Picnic in Dublin, Ireland and festivals in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Poland.  

  18. My Chemical Romance tease comeback

    My Chemical Romance tease return

    In a move that will undoubtedly triple the sale of black eyeliner overnight - My Chemical Romance have released a video on hinting they are reuniting.

    A 30-second clip on Twitter shows a flag blowing in the wind accompanied with a slow-tempo piano intro from their hit Welcome to the Black Parade - along with a date: 23 September 2016.

    View more on twitter

    Back in 2013, moody frontman Gerard Way announced the band were splitting up after 12 angst-ridden years and four even more angst-ridden albums.  

    News of their possible comeback has, in fairness, got the internet excited...

    View more on twitter
    View more on twitter
    View more on twitter
    View more on twitter
    View more on twitter

    Some fans have pointed out the date on the tweet is exactly a month before the 10 year anniversary of The Black Parade, so there's a chance we could be looking at nothing more than an album reissue.

    Read more

  19. Good morning

    Welcome to the start of a brand new day on Music News LIVE - just bursting with music news possibilities (can you tell we've been getting some sunshine?). 

    Coming up today, find out what's been getting My Chemical Romance fans all excited, plus news on Tim Burgess, Haim, rapper Kid Cudi and heaps more.

    Catch up on yesterday's page for news of a 'lost' Paul McCartney demo, both Queen and Earth, Wind and Fire tell Donald Trump to get his hands off their music, plus news on Muse, Kesha and Miley Cyrus - and there's even a lullaby version of Get Lucky to help you doze off during these clammy evenings.