Music News LIVE: The xx, Wiley and Flaming Lips release new albums

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

1) Emma Watson can hold a tune

We were treated to the first trailer for the live action remake of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which featured the vocals of Harry Potter actress Emma Watson in the central role of Belle.

And, while she's no Paige O'Hara from the 1991 classic animation, she can still hold her head high.

Just do yourselves a favour and try to ignore Ewan McGregor's bum French accent.

Read more

Warning: Third party content, may contains ads.

PACopyright: PA

2) Donald Trump's team is getting desperate for a music act for next Friday

The list of stars who have, according to reports, turned down the chance to perform at the US president-Elect's inauguration is long and illustrious.

But things took a weird turn when DJ, producer and transparently anti-Trump musician Moby revealed he was asked to perform. 

"Hahahahaha, I was just asked by a booking agent if I would consider djing at one of the inaugural balls for #trump... Hahahahaha, wait, Hahahaha, really?"

He joked that he might consider the invite were The Donald to release his tax returns.

It got even weirder when singer and social justice campaigner Charlotte Church also joined the ranks of the invited-yet-disinclined to attend.

Read more

SONYCopyright: SONY

3) How will T2 follow up Trainspotting's iconic soundtrack?

The original film in 1997 gave us classics like Underworld's Born Slippy, Iggy Pop's Lust for Life and Lou Reed's Perfect Day.

Now, we have the 15 tracks which will make up the two-decades-later sequel to one of the most iconic British films of the 90s.

Underworld are back with the intrguingly titled Slow Slippy, while the Prodigy get to remix Iggy's pop belter.

Rather fittingly, Edinburgh hip hop band Young Fathers also have three tracks on there and expect to rekindle your love for Queen's Radio Gaga.

Read more

Warning: Third party content, may contains ads.

Sky ArtsCopyright: Sky Arts

4) Portrayals of Michael Jackson are still divisive

It may be almost eight years since he died but emotions still run high when it comes to portraying Michael Jackson on film.

Particularly if the actor is British.  And white.

Michael Jackson's daughter Paris said she was "incredibly offended" by the first images of Joseph Fiennes in character in a new series for Sky Arts.

Writing on Twitter, 18-year-old Paris said a trailer made her "want to vomit".

Sky Arts then took the decision to axe the episode of Urban Myths "in light of the concerns expressed by Michael Jackson's immediate family".

It added: "We set out to take a light-hearted look at reportedly true events and never intended to cause any offence."

Read more

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

5) The music industry can't agree on secondary ticketing  

Robbie Williams' management team came under fire after a BBC News investigation found they had placed tickets for his 2017 tour directly on to resale ticketing websites at higher prices.

Ie:music put tickets on Get Me In and Seatwave for up to £65 more, before fees, than a similar ticket on Ticketmaster.

The company has previously called on the government to take stronger action against resale sites.

It promoted an angry outburst from You Me At Six singer and fair ticketing campaigner Josh Franchesci who described Robbie and his team as "greedy", adding, "You don’t need to make the extra money, you’re Robbie Williams."

Take that Robbie.

Read more

PACopyright: PA

Drake has postponed two UK dates on his forthcoming The Boy Meets World Tour.

He was due to perform at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday 28 January but that has been moved to 20 March 2017.

Two shows in Glasgow will also move to as-yet-announced new dates.

Drizzy claims the delays have been cause by "unforeseen production setbacks".

In a statement, he said he "wanted to create a special experience for fans in Europe and the UK so he has added some incredible new features to an already spectacular production."

Should've said Drake, we have some Christmas lights going spare - though you may have to replace some of the bulbs.  Get in touch.

Indie hipsters Sundara Karma paid a visit to the Radio 1 studios on Thursday for a little Live Lounge action.

As well as performing their own single, Flame, they had a crack at Bruno Mars' funkalicious 24K Magic.

While some covers can sound lovingly reminiscent of the originals, others come a little out of leftfield.

This is one of the latter... 

Warning: May contain ads.

Ex Saturdays girl Una Healy's first solo single Stay My Love came out today.

It's a bit different from the uptempo pop tunes she used to perform with her old girl group.

The country-soaked Stay My Love is a collaboration with Sam Palladio, star of the hit US TV series Nashville.

And while Una may be from County Tipperary, this one conjures up images of lost lovers searching for one another around a strip of Tennesse saloons.

There you go Una, that video idea is on the house.

Warning: Third party content, may contain ads.

Another lady with a debut record today is BBC Sound of 2017'er Nadia Rose.

Stormzy's cousin has released her first full nine-track EP entitled Highly Flammable.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Not only is she highly flammable but she's highly-explicit too so be warned before you check out the video for track two on the EP Skwod.

The girl's on fire.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and musical partner Atticus Ross have apparently signed up to their next film project.

The pair already have an Oscar under their belt for David Fincher’s The Social Network and recently scored Leonardo DiCaprio's climate-change documentary Before the Flood and and the film Patriots Day, about the bombing of the Boston Marathon.

Now, according to the New York Times, they will score the ambitious-sounding 10-part, 18 hour documentary about the Vietnam War by filmmaker Ken Burns.

"I don’t think he finished the sentence before I said, ‘Yeah, we’re in," Trent told the paper about Burns' approach, adding, "That’s a no-brainer".

The musician said the pair could afford to be selective with their projects.

"Not every opportunity to score a film feels like it’s an artistic endeavour," he said.

"Rather than just accumulating projects, we’ve tried to select things that challenge us and feel exciting."

Nice work if you can get it.

More new music for you now.

Oczy Mlody - which means 'the young eyes' in Polish - marks the return of American psychedelic pop nutters Flaming Lips.

The Guardian describes the record as "some of their prettiest music in years."

Check out dreamy album closer We a Famly below.  It seems the band have either declared war on vowels or frontman Wayne Coyne's keyboard is missing a few letters.

The track features Wayne's unlikely BFF Miley Cyrus on guest vocals, who apparently text each other everyday.

And according to the lyrics "Jesus and the spaceships comin’ down".

So better look busy everybody.

Warning: Third party content, may contain ads.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Physical tickets will not be issued for the London production of hip hop musical Hamilton in an attempt to combat touting.

The musical, which tells the story of America's birth and founding father Alexander Hamilton using rap, R&B and hip hop, is set to open at the Victoria Palace Theatre in November after a hugely successful Broadway run.

Delfont Mackintosh Theatres said it will have a paperless ticket system "to combat the unauthorised profiteering of third party resellers".

Theatregoers will be asked simply to present their payment card for entry.

Priority tickets go on sale on Monday, with previews of the London production beginning on 21 November.

Read more.

A series of shots of The Jam, taken by a teenage photographer in 1979 have been used on a new live album.

Freelance photographer Mike Searle, from Cornwall, was 17 when he took the pictures of the gig in Aylesbury.

They were eventually spotted by The Jam's record label which asked to use them, after he published them on his blog.

It's been "an absolute thrill" he told the BBC.

All About Me, a laid back, hip hop R&B track by Syd was Mistajam's hottest record last night.

The 24-year-old LA native's younger brother Travis 'Taco' Bennett is part of Tyler the Creator and Frank Ocean's Odd Future collective.

She is also part of the band The Internet but this marks her first proper solo release.

We hear The Internet's gonna be huge.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Former Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore has announced his next release - a 7in single featuring field recordings he will collect during a week-long stay in Salford, Greater Manchester.

The singer and guitarist will set up shop at Salford's Islington Mill venue with poet Radieux Radio for a project titled Watch the Sky, which "examines a sound of the city". The announcement says: 

Quote Message: Using field recordings and art, Moore and his collaborators will produce a 7-inch vinyl record including songs, liner notes and original art which will be released on the Samarbeta record label."

Using field recordings and art, Moore and his collaborators will produce a 7-inch vinyl record including songs, liner notes and original art which will be released on the Samarbeta record label."

We're promised that more classical and rock collaborators will be announced soon. The residency will begin on 26 February and will culminate with an intimate live performance on 3 March. Tickets go on sale on Monday.

As we've already heard today (scroll down), Sky Arts has shelved an episode of the forthcoming comedy drama series Urban Myths, which starred Joseph Fiennes (below) as Michael Jackson.

Prior to the decision, the film's director Ben Palmer told the Guardian: “We were really looking for the performance that could unlock the spirit, and we really think Joe Fiennes has done that.

"He’s given a really sweet, nuanced, characterful performance." 

Actor Brian Cox - who plays Marlon Brando in the episode - also defended Joe's casting on 5 live on Thursday.

He told presenter Anna Foster the decision was "never meant to insult" but that the programme makers had "difficulty getting a black actor to play the part”.

Apparently so.

The I'm Too Sexy singer revealed to Chris Evans and the Radio 2 breakfast team this morning that he was once preferred to Shakespearean thespian Sir Mark Rylance for an acting role in a feature film with Bob Dylan.

The Freds are to perform at Camp Bestival this summer at its new location in Dorest.

Iggy Pop and producer Danger Mouse have teamed up on the title track for the new Matthew McConaughey crime thriller Gold.

The unlikely pair were Golden Globe nominated for their contribution to the film, directed by Stephen Gaghan.

Hear Iggy's gravelly rasp on the spaghetti western-inspired song below.

Warning: Third party content, may contain ads.

WIKIMEDIA / ERIC SHAIMAN / GETTY IMAGESCopyright: WIKIMEDIA / ERIC SHAIMAN / GETTY IMAGES

Rockabilly guitarist Tommy Allsup, who narrowly avoided boarding the plane that killed Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, has died aged 85.

The musician famously lost a coin toss for a seat on the plane. His place was taken by teen star Ritchie Valens, who was also killed when the plane crashed into a field in Iowa in 1959.

Allsup went on to become a Grammy-winning musician, who played with Merle Haggard, Roy Orbison and Willie Nelson.

The musician died on Wednesday at a hospital in Springfield, Missouri, due to complications from a hernia operation, said his son Austin.

"Tommy Allsup was one of western swing and rockabilly music's finest," said Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy.

"The Oklahoma native was admired by his peers and fans alike [and] heralded by Paul McCartney as one of the finest guitar players in the world.

"Our deepest condolences go out to Tommy's family, friends, and creative collaborators."

Tommy said he thought about the plane crash, and thanked God, every day of his life.  

The crash was later immortalised in Don McLean's song American Pie, and became known as "the day the music died".  

Read more.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Lo Fi London electro-pop trio The xx are back with their first album since 2012's Coexist.

Beats man Jamie xx has gone on to conquer the dance music scene in that time but now he's back with his Wandsworth pals helping to deliver intense-yet-dreamy soundscapes like Say Something Loving below.

And it seems the record is having a powerful effect on some of you already.

Warning: Third party content, may contain ads.

Musicians and gay rights campaigners have paid tribute to Larry Steinbachek, the keyboardist with 1980s synthpop group Bronski Beat, who has died of cancer at the age of 56.

He formed the group with Scots singer Jimmy Somerville and Steve Bronski in 1983 and they had chart success with songs including Smalltown Boy and Why?.

Their cover of Donna Summer's I Feel Love with Marc Almond was also a hit.

Read more

AFP/Getty ImagesCopyright: AFP/Getty Images

Beyonce looks set to dominate 2017 after landing five nominations for this year's NME awards, in addition to her eight Grammy nominations.

And we still have the Brit nominations to come this weekend.

The global superstar is up for best international female, best album for Lemonade, best video, music moment and hero of the year.

The 1975, Bastille, Christine And The Queens and Skepta all have four nominations each.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Wolf Alice, Kanye West and Adele, meanwhile, are nominated for three awards.

The always hotly-contested and largely-political villain of the year will be slugged out by US President-Elect Donald Trump, former PM David Cameron, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli and Katie Hopkins.

And worst band is between The Chainsmokers, Clean Bandit, Honey G, Nickelback, 5 Seconds Of Summer and Twenty One Pilots.  No such thing as bad press guys.

The winners will be announced on 15 February at London’s O2 Academy in Brixton and voting is open now, as are tickets sales. 

See the full list of nominations.

Yesterday he revealed the date for his new album Divide and, later today, Ed Sheeran looks likely to become the first ever artist to have songs debut at number one and two in the singles charts.

Shape of You and Castle On The Hill are released today.  The lyrics to the latter got him in trouble with Suffolk police after he debuted it live in the studio for Scott Mills on the Radio 1 breakfast show.

After a lengthy social media blackout, Ed is back on the charm offensive to promote the new record.

He popped into 5 live in Salford to answer some quickfire questions, including who is the better MC - him or Harry Potter?

GoogleCopyright: Google

Another one bites the dust as cult Manchester club Sankeys has closed after the building has, according to reports, been sold to a property developer.

According to a report in the Manchester Evening News, the Grade II* listed former cotton mill will be turned into apartments.

The club has shut its doors several times since it first opened in 1994 as Sankeys Soap.

World class artists and DJs such as Daft Punk, Moby, Björk, and The Chemical Brothers have played there down the years.