Cool Britannia

Is collaborating with two exes as weird as being at a party and they both show up?

Australian born, international superstar Natalie Imbruglia is back with her fourth album, Come to Life with help from ex-boyfriend Chris Marin and ex-husband Daniel Johns.

Imbruglia’s fourth album is set to drop October 5 in the U.K. and October 12 in the U.S.A. and is full of 10 high-energy pop songs.

Coldplay’s frontman, Chris Martin already made news claiming he had given the Aussie the best Coldplay song ever written, “Want.” Aside from the song Coldplay could not record right now, the band co-wrote “Lukas” and “Fun.”

Produced by Brian Eno, Silverchair (and Imbruglia’s ex-husband) Daniel Johns and Sheppard Soloman, Come to Life includes:

01. My God
02. Lukas
03. Fun
04. Twenty (feat. Sheppard Solomon)
05. Scars
06. Want (feat. Chris Martin, Daniel Johns, Guy Clark)
07. WYUT
08. Cameo
09. All The Roses
10. Wild About It

Pete Doherty is one of six artists lending lyrics to a campaign promoting London’s Underground.

The EMI Music Collection T-shirts and mugs showcase lyrics from Doherty (and Libertines bandmate Carl Barat), Suggs & Michael Barson, Eddy Grant, Steve Marriot and Ronnie Lane and Andy Partridge.

All lyrics are influenced by London or the Underground system. Doherty’s contribution includes “Albion” and “Boy Looked at Johnny.”

Get your T-shirt or mug here .

Fans may be anxiously awaiting the arrival of the New Moon Soundtrack, but until then Radiohead has given fans a small taste of what to expect in the future.

In August the band released two songs, nearly simultaneously and for two very different causes.

The band first released “Harry Patch (In Memory of),” a song dedicated to Harry Patch, the oldest British officer to live. Patch, who passed away on July 25 at the age of 111, left a last impression on the band. Although the download is not free, the proceeds go to Royal British Lesion, an organization that helps surviving British soldiers.

A week later Radiohead released a free single titled “These are my Twisted Words.” The band put the song up after it leaked.

“So here’s a new song, called These Are My Twisted Words,” they wrote on their official blog. “We’ve been recording for a while, and this was one of the first we finished. We’re pretty proud of it. There’s other stuff in various states of completion, but this is one we’ve been practising, and which we’ll probably play at this summer’s concerts. Hope you like it.”

Rumors circulated that it was just one of a number of songs set for an EP called, “Walls of Ice.” However, the band quickly put these rumors to rest. Get your copy here .

Russell Brand is known for his outlandish humor. Jarvis Cocker is known for not being afraid to speak his mind. Together, they may just be unstoppable.

According to the Guardian, Cocker has written three songs that Brand will perform in his upcoming movie, “Get Him to the Greek.”

Brand will be reprising his role as Aldous Snow, the character made famous in the hit movie, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” The new film follows a record company’s intern who tries to get Snow to perform at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre.

According to Cocker the song he’s written are “very silly, but it’s a very silly film.”

Babyshambles’ Pete Doherty is set to release a duet recorded with Dot Allison. Doherty and Allison have recorded enough material to release an LP.

“The initial idea that me and Pete had was to make an album of duets. I really hope it will happen. I’ve got a few sketches that Pete and I need to sit down and finish. One of them is finished already, and he’s got lots of stuff on his computer too,” Allison told Contactmusic.

Allison contributed vocals to Doherty’s solo effort, “Grace/Wastelands” and was featured on a duet with Paul Weller.

Lily Allen has not been afraid to announce her disgust and sadness that she was not chosen as  nominee for the annual Mercury Prize, but these artists can celebrate.

Barclaycard Mercury Prize Nominees:

Bat For Lashes – ‘Two Suns’
Florence And The Machine – ‘Lungs’
Friendly Fires – ‘Friendly Fires’
Glasvegas – ‘Glasvegas’
The Horrors – ‘Primary Colours’
La Roux – ‘La Roux’
Led Bib – ‘Sensible Shoes’
The Invisible - ‘The Invisible’
Lisa Hannigan – ‘Sea Sew’
Kasabian – ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’
Speech Debelle – ‘Speech Therapy’
Sweet Billy Pilgrim – ‘Twice Born Men’

The winner will be announced September 8.

Despite recent rumors there are no future plans for the newly reunited band, Blur. The Britpop band has fulfilled their promised duties and have all gone on their own ways to pursue solo work.

Alex James recently stated, “[We have not talked about] doing anything else whatsoever. [The gigs were] what we said we’d do and we did it and it was great. It hasn’t been mentioned the idea of doing anything else but hey, it was great.”

Rumors were circulating that new compilations and recordings would surface as well as an American tour. These rumors have been squashed.

I can’t help but feel it is just like picking up that LFO or 98 Degrees CD from my shelf. Those CDs are fun to listen to and capture the glory of my pre-teen years, but any new material from those bands would just be embarrassing and below their potential as artists. Maybe it is even best to leave things as they were so that moment in time is not ruined. New material is not always a good thing. Or just maybe Blur is a group of smart men who know if they come back slowly here and there in small doses, there will be a higher demand. That is exactly how economics work.

It’s a love/hate relationship.. Pete Doherty and Keane performing Culture Club’s classic, “Karma Chameleon.” A strange, awkward performance, but unique in its own way?

Blur bassist, Alex James, has joined a campaign to encourage people to eat locally-produced food.

James turned in his rocker lifestyle for life on a farm in Cotswolds when Blur disbanded in 2003. He joins the likes of Judith Chalmers, Jenni Falconer, Colin Murray and Gaynor Faye to promote Sainsbury’s food drive.
The celebrities will spend the next six weeks visiting areas across the UK spreading the word about Eat Britain. James will focus on the Somerset area.

Mick Jones opened the exhibit, “Rock & Roll Public Library” in West Lonodn on July 14 and was keen to discuss the potential reunion of The Libertines.

Jones would love to produce another album by the cult band if the band does indeed choose to reunite. The Clash guitarist produced 2002’s “Up The Bracket” and 2004’s “The Libertines.” Following the break up he produced Babyshambles’ “Down in Albion” as well.

“I haven’t heard anything from them, but I hope they do [get back together]. I love them. If it’s meant to be it’s meant to be, and if it’s written then it’s written. I hope it happens,” Jones told The Quietus.

Jones was premiering his exhibition that features thousands of items belonging to the guitarist since he was a child. Many rooms are full of Clash memorabilia. He invites bands to come use the space for recording.

“You’ll come in, and as part of the exhibition they’ll be actually recording and you’ll be able to walk into the control room and hang out while bands are recording,” he explained.

You can see the exhibition from July 18 to August 23 underneath the Westway at 2 Acklam Road.