Music News LIVE: 7 October

Melanie C - formerly of that girl group from the 90s... we forget their name - was a guest on Chris Evans' Breakfast show this morning.

After explaining why she was about to perform barefoot - apparently it makes her feel "grounded", she performed a cover of Sia's Cheap Thrills live in the studio.

The best bit is when she gets the assorted guests, including comedian John Bishop, presenter Ben Fogle and Seasick Steve, to join in with what sounds like something off the football terraces...

If this doesn't mean that Christine and the Queens has officially MADE IT, then we're not sure what will.

The diminutive French singer, aka Heloise Letissier, is on the cover of the new edition of Time magazine in the US, under the banner 'Next Generation Leaders'.

All the more impressive given that her debut album, Chaleur Humaine, isn't even in the Billboard Top 200.

We expect this to change. Soon.

Guy Garvey has hinted Elbow's new album could see the band exploring new musical avenues, revealing it's sounding "chunky and beat-heavy". 

The band announced last week that their seventh studio album would be released on 3 February and now Garvey's given Jo Whiley a progress report, telling her it's been both "fun" and "fast" and sharing some of their working titles.

"There's one that's currently called Moleno, which I believe is Spanish or Portuguese for mill, one's called Nate - don't ask me why. One's called Strut and it's pretty obvious when you hear it why. And there's one called Charm, which is the name of a cleaning product that was sat on the desk," he revealed.

"It's really quite chunky and beat-heavy. There's a sparseness to the songs which perhaps we're not known for. 

"The themes are ranging as always, great big themes and concerns for the world at the same time as falling in love, looking forwards and backwards and all of the things."Listen to the full chat - which also includes a description of their studio in Salford - below...

Alicia KeysCopyright: Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys has announced her new album Here is due on 4 November, and shared a new track from it - Blended Family featuring A$AP Rocky.

The singer posted a letter to fans, telling them the track was inspired by her family's own "personal journey".

Quote Message: I'm so excited for you to hear this song. It means so much to me and our whole family. The understanding, compassion and support we’ve found is a powerful testament to the healing that comes when we choose love. Especially for the kids… the most important part of our lives.

I'm so excited for you to hear this song. It means so much to me and our whole family. The understanding, compassion and support we’ve found is a powerful testament to the healing that comes when we choose love. Especially for the kids… the most important part of our lives.

Warning: third party content, may contain ads.

Keys also reckons the album Here is "one of my best, most raw and honest creations yet". 

We have become more used to seeing Professor Green fronting documentaries recently but after a high profile celebrity divorce to a reality TV star, he has been back in the studio again.

He recently shared the track Back On The Market ahead of his fourth album.

But speaking to Asian Network presenter Priya Kalidas, Pro revealed that - much like Calvin Harris - he is rethinking his attitude to how he releases music...

You can hear the full interview from 1300 BST on Saturday.

Nick Alexander Memorial TrustCopyright: Nick Alexander Memorial Trust

Mercury Prize-nominee Gaz Coombes, Travis's Fran Healy, Frank Turner and Maximo Park will perform at a special show in memory of British merchandise manager Nick Alexander, who was killed in the terror attack on the Bataclan in Paris last November. 

The 35-year-old was one of 90 people killed at the venue where US band Eagles of Death Metal were playing.

He was working at the gig selling merchandise but had also toured with the likes of Fall Out Boy and Sum 41.

The gig, called A Peaceful Noise, will take place at Shepherds Bush Empire on 15 November.

Nick's sister Zoe said: "Live music was Nick’s passion and it seemed only fitting that we mark the anniversary of his passing in this way. 

"Everyone who lost their lives that night had a shared love of music and we’re thrilled to bring some of Nick’s favourite artists together for this celebration of unity, peace and rock and roll."

Money raised at the event will go to the Nick Alexander Memorial Trust to provide musical equipment to community groups.

Bruno MarsCopyright: Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars has announced his new album 24k Magic will be released on 18 November, and shared a first taster in the title track.

Mars revealed the single was coming earlier this week, telling fans: "You can call it my first single, but I call it the invitation to the party."

The video sees Mars disembarking a private jet in Las Vegas to party on the strip with champagne, pretty girls, swimming pools etc - but you'll have to watch it on YouTube as he's got a bit of a potty mouth.

It's the singer's first new material since Uptown Funk with Mark Ronson, 2015's biggest track of the year, and will be his first album since Unorthodox Jukebox four years ago.

Skrillex revealed back in June he'd been working with Mars - telling Billboard their collaboration was "different, awesome and next level... like nothing else that's happened before" - although we don't yet know if that work will feature on the finished album.

MØ - otherwise known as Swedish singer Karen Marie Ørsted - premiered her new solo single Drum as the Hottest Record on Annie Mac's show last night. 

Speaking to Annie on the phone from Berlin, she revealed it was written with British singer-songwriter Charli XCX and Noonie Bao with whom she worked on Final Song.

"It was really nice, super fun," she said. "I've been a fan of Charlie for long so I was kind of starstuck when I got into the room."

Listen to the track and their chat below... 

Polydor RecordsCopyright: Polydor Records

Snippets of Lady Gaga's new album have been shared online after fans "tricked" Amazon's virtual assistant into playing preview clips.

Previews can commonly be heard on Amazon when an album is available for pre-order, but they had been disabled for Gaga's highly-anticipated comeback Joanne, due on 21 October.

However owners of Amazon's Echo speaker discovered they could access songs by issuing the instruction: "Play Joanne by Lady Gaga."

Amazon declined to comment. The 30-second clips have been recorded and shared online by several US fans, with one video showing Amazon's speaker lighting up and responding to the voice commands.

Gaga's duet with Florence Welch, Hey Girl, is one of the track's that has leaked revealing a staccato piano line reminiscent of Elton Johns's Benny and the Jets.

Read more

BBCCopyright: BBC

What do Billie Holliday, Kate Tempest, Nina Simone and Peaches have in common? 

They all feature on a new, all-female playlist Lauren Laverne has put together to celebrate Radio 4's Woman's Hour turning 70. 

The 6 Music presenter, who also hosts Late Night Woman's Hour, handpicked all the tracks which you can download right now to soundtrack your weekend...

Quote Message: I put this list together as a birthday present for Woman's Hour. For me this is a real treat to be able to bring the voices of some of my favourite women from music history to the fore. I felt like I knew straight away that I wanted to start with Billie Holiday, because I think that music in the 20th Century would not have been the same without her right at the beginning of it.

I put this list together as a birthday present for Woman's Hour. For me this is a real treat to be able to bring the voices of some of my favourite women from music history to the fore. I felt like I knew straight away that I wanted to start with Billie Holiday, because I think that music in the 20th Century would not have been the same without her right at the beginning of it.

Listen back to today's Woman's Hour or tune in on Monday from 10:00 BST for more birthday celebrations.

Craig David, Tinie Tempah and Laura Mvula will all perform at this year's Mobo Awards ceremony in Glasgow on 4 November. 

Mvula, who leads the 2016 nominations alongside Kano, is up for four including best female and best album for The Dreaming Room.

"The Mobos are one of the few music events that have really championed and supported urban music from Gospel to Grime, so it’s an honour to be taking part once again," said the Birmingham singer.

Warning: third party content, may contain ads.

Both Craig and Tinie are up for best male and best song for When The Bassline Drops (featuring Big Narstie) and Girls Like featuring Zara Larsson respectively.

"I first performed at the Mobo Awards 16 years ago and walked away with three awards that night," said Craig.

"I’m back with new music and it’s only right that I celebrate this by joining Mobo as they celebrate their 21st birthday.”

Also performing are Chase & Status and Clean Bandit, who'll team up with best newcomer nominee Anne-Marie.

The show at the SSE Hydro will be broadcast live on ITV2 and repeated on ITV.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

We haven't heard much from Enrigue Iglesias since he learned the hard way not to try and grab a drone out of the sky with your bare hands.

Ouch.

We think things are looking up for 'Enrigue nine-fingers' though, after he won five Latin Grammy awards - including artist of the year and favourite male artist - on Thursday night.

His Spanish language track Duele el Corazón picked up three awards.

Justin Bieber won two, for favourite crossover artist and song for Love Yourself.

And there was some Brit success too as Calvin Harris's Rihanna collaboration This Is What You Came For was named favourite song.

Read more

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

In news that is even less shocking than the complete non-shock of The Rolling Stones releasing a blues album which they've spent the best part of six months talking about, Bros have more than just the one reunion show planned.

Two days after Matt & Luke Goss announced the gig at London's O2 on 19 August, they have followed it up with news of a full arena tour.

The Brothers Goss have been "overwhelmed" with the reaction adding: "Summer can’t come soon enough.”

The new shows include a second night at the O2 and gigs in Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow.

They go on sale tomorrow (Saturday 8 October) at 10:00 BST.

Singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge found herself at the centre of the Brangelina divorce earlier this week when she gave an interview to satellite radio station SiriusXM.

Melissa, an old, old friend of Brad Pitt, suggested Jolie's camp had been spreading "misinformation" about the actor - referencing the allegations of abuse on-board the estranged couple's private jet...

Since that interview, Melissa revealed to the same presenter Andy Cohen that she had perhaps unsurprisingly been contacted by one of Team Angelina's 'fixers' - who was unhappy with the comments.

So, appearing on Cohen's Watch What Happens Live on Wednesday, Melissa again discussed the incident and to try and extricate herself from the situation, performed a new tune - much to the delight of fellow guest Kelly Clarkson...

Warning: third party content, may contain ads.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Glastonbury hopefuls will be setting their alarms a little earlier than usual this Sunday to test their patience and their wifi connections as 2017 festival tickets go on general sale, after this year's batch of coach tickets sold out last night.

Organisers posted a tweet just 23 minutes after they went on sale at 18:00 saying all the ticket and coach packages had been snapped. 

Standard tickets for the event, which runs from 21 to 25 June at Worthy Farm in Somerset, will be released at 09:00 on Sunday.

Demand could be higher than usual after the festival revealed it would be taking a fallow year in 2018.

Daft Punk, Kraftwerk and Lady Gaga are among the rumoured potential headliners, but the lineup is not usually confirmed until the spring.

Read more

The Rolling StonesCopyright: The Rolling Stones

After The Rolling Stones announced their first album in more than a decade yesterday, Blue and Lonesome, their producer has been talking to the BBC about why the band decided to go with a collection of blues covers.

Don Was, who's worked with the band since 1994, told the BBC that attempts to record new material had faltered.

"We'd gone in the studio to start cutting some new songs," he revealed in an exclusive chat with 6 Music.

"Around day three we just hit a wall... and Keith suggested that, to cleanse the creative palette, we played Blue and Lonesome, the Little Walter song.

"Fortunately we ran the tape and it was just awesome."

"The whole mood of the room changed dramatically in those three-and-a-half minutes," he added.

"By the end of the day we had six."

Read more from the interview or listen to his exclusive chat with Matt Everitt below...

The Stones help kick off new legends festival Desert Trip in California this weekend, along with the likes of Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and The Who. 

Both Keith Richards and Mick Jagger have been keeping themselves busy on Twitter during the drive...

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Reggae star Damian Marley has been forced to pull out of this weekend's 1Xtra Live event in Liverpool.

A tweet reads that the singer is "unable to fly to the UK" due to the hurricane which is soon to hit the US having already caused widespread destruction across the Caribbean...

However a replacement has been found in the shape of British grime artist Bugzy Malone...

Other performers will include Giggs, Wretch 32, Lady Leshurr and the ubiquitous Craig David.

If you're not going along you catch watch live from 20:00 BST on Saturday. 

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

John Legend has revealed his new album Darkness & Light will feature a host of collaborations including Chance the Rapper and Alabama Shakes star Brittany Howard. 

Star saxophonist Kamasi Washington will also guest on the album along with Miguel, with Legend calling it his "best work yet". 

The Grammy-winning singer shared the news during a live Facebook Q&A sat at his piano last night, after performing a live premiere of first single Love Me Now. 

The track is available to buy and stream from today and he's also shared this lyric video...

Warning: third party content, may contain ads.

PACopyright: PA

A shortlist of ten tracks has been announced for this year's BMI Song of the Year with more than half of the writers coming from the UK.

The award is given to US radio and TV's most played song of 2015.

Adele’s Hello, Ellie Goulding’s On My Mind, Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran and George Ezra’s Budapest are among those in the running.

Sam Smith claimed the award last year for Stay With Me, while Daft Punk won for Get Lucky in 2014.

This year's event on 10 October will also honour Sting as a BMI Icon.

Here's the full list of nominees:

• Hello - Adele - Adele Adkins 
• One Last Time - Ariana Grande - Giorgio Tuinfort 
• Lose My Mind - Brett Eldredge - Gian Piero Reverberi & Gianfranco Reverberi 
• Hey Mama - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack - Giorgio Tuinfort & Afrojack 
• Photograph - Ed Sheeran - Ed Sheeran & Johnny McDaid 
• Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran - Ed Sheeran  
• On My Mind - Ellie Goulding - Ellie Goulding 
• Uma Thurman - Fall Out Boy - Liam O'Donnell 
• Budapest - George Ezra - George Ezra 
• Lean On - Major Lazer x DJ Snake featuring MØ - Karen Ørsted