Cool Britannia

If you are the ultimate Oasis fan, watch out for the latest release from the Gallagher brothers and company. The band has released a new EP for their latest single, “Falling Down” off 2008’s “Dig Out Your Soul.” The most intriguing feature? A 22-minute long remix of the single.

Noel Gallagher admitted that fans generally won’t like the new sing because it’s too long. Gallagher blogged, “I full expect 50% of you not to have the attention span to deal with something like that but the rest of you, I hope, will be blown away.” Gallagher went on to describe the song as “a staggering piece of music, monumental even.”

The video for the song was released in early February and has made its rounds on television. It even has loud-mouthed, Kanye West talking. I’ll admit, normally if he’s talking, I’m not listening, but when he blogged something positive about Oasis, I was all ears. “Sometimes I see videos and it breaks my heart that there are so few outlets for vids these days…”

The video was directed by Wiz and mocks the British monarchy.

Franz Ferdinand, Robbie Williams and Coldplay are now members of the FAC.  This group lobbies to propose that artists have and keep all rights to the music they create, have a say in how their music is sold and that artists have higher earnings.

Today this is not common. Unfortunately, to many artists’ dismay, many recording rights belong solely to record labels. The 700+ members that make up the FAC want to see change, maybe with the bigger names joining board this is possible.

Instead of the labels owning all rights, musicians want to lease the rights to music labels or other business partners appropriate at the time.

Other member include Annie Lennox, Klaxons, Kaiser Chiefs and Jools Holland.

The meetings of this group come after the rapid downfall of the music industry. With so much illegal downloading, artist see next to no revenue from album and single sales.  The FAC wants to encourage acts to exploit revenue streams like sponosorship and live music events or appearances.

Artists are upset that labels make money off new technologies like ringtones with Nokia and they see no profit from it.

Radiohead guitarist, Ed O’Brien and FAC board member explained, “The music companies had us by the short and curlies.  This isn’t about revenge, but now we have to take responsibilitiy for ourselves.”

Promoters are rumored to have offered millions for various festivals to reunite The Libertines. Pete Doherty was keen to the idea, but apparently Carl Barat has other ideas for his future.

Barat told BBC 6Music he was not considering reuniting the band. “I’ve just freed myself up so the last thing I wanna do is completely burden my mind.”

Barat is more concerned about his acting career. “I got into it (acting) doing that film thing with ‘Telstar,’ the Joe Meek biopic,” Barat said. “I’ve got another thing coming up-I think there’s room in my life for both (music and acting).”

He is also considering a solo album.  Barat is scheduled to play a solo gig at Wakefield’s Escobar on Mach 7.

Hunky lead singer, Matt Bellamy, or Muse told fans on the band’s official forum that he once found a crazed admirer in his hotel room.

During the band’s 2001 “Origin of Symmetry” Tour, Bellamy got a shock in Paris.

“I woke up in a hotel room in Paris only to find an avid femal fan of the band sat on the end of my bed,” he said. “Her vibe could only be described as clammy. I was as polite as possible of course.”

Honestly, can we blame her?

Although one band member is preventing a reunion of the original line-up, Sony is re-releasing the Stone Rose’s self-titled debut.

The Manchester band was a huge part of the shoegazing movement.  Many artists, including The Verve and Oasis, name The Stone Roses as their influnence.

The deluxe-boxed set will be available in June and was remastered by the original producer, John Leckie.

The only other Stone Roses album, “The Second Coming,” was released in 1996 to mixed reviews.

Oasis leads the way with seven nominations.. The complete list follows.

The 2009 nominations are:

Best British Band supported by Shockwaves
Bloc Party
The Last Shadow Puppets
Muse
Oasis
Radiohead

Best International Band supported by 4music
Crystal Castles
The Killers
Kings Of Leon
MGMT
Vampire Weekend

Best Solo Artist
Ladyhawke
Laura Marling
Lightspeed Champion
Jay-Z
Pete Doherty

Best New Band supported by Bench
Glasvegas
Late Of The Pier
MGMT
Vampire Weekend
White Lies

Best Live Band supported by Red Stripe
The Killers
Kings Of Leon
Muse
Oasis
Radiohead

Best Album supported by HMV
Bloc Party – ‘Intimacy’
Glasvegas – ‘Glasvegas’
The Killers – ‘Day & Age’
Kings Of Leon – ‘Only By The Night’
Oasis – ‘Dig Out Your Soul’

Best Track supported by NME Radio
Kings Of Leon – ‘Sex On Fire’
The Last Shadow Puppets – ‘The Age Of The Understatement’
MGMT – ‘Time To Pretend’
The Ting Tings – ‘That’s Not My Name’
Vampire Weekend – ‘A-Punk’

Best Video supported by NME TV
The Last Shadow Puppets – ‘My Mistakes Were Made For You’
Late Of The Pier – ‘Heartbreak’
Oasis – ‘The Shock Of The Lightning’
Radiohead – ‘House Of Cards’
Vampire Weekend – ‘A-Punk’

Best Live Event
Glastonbury
Isle Of Wight
Reading and Leeds
T In The Park
V Festival

Best TV Show
Gavin & Stacey
The IT Crowd
The Mighty Boosh
Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Skins

Best Film
The Dark Knight
Juno
Quantum Of Solace
Twilight
Wall-E

Best Dancefloor Filler
Bloc Party – ‘Mercury’
Crystal Castles – ‘Courtship Dating’
Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris – ‘Dance Wiv Me’
Friendly Fires – ‘Paris’
Late Of The Pier – ‘Bathroom Gurgle’

Best DVD
Arctic Monkeys – ‘At The Apollo’
Foo Fighters – ‘Live At Wembley Stadium’
Kaiser Chiefs – ‘Live At Elland Road’
Muse – ‘HAARP’
The Rolling Stones – ‘Shine A Light’

Hero Of The Year
Alex Turner
Barack Obama
Brandon Flowers
Noel Fielding
Noel Gallagher

Villain Of The Year
Amy Winehouse
George Bush
Gordon Brown
John McCain
Pete Doherty

Best Dressed
Alex Turner
Alexa Chung
Brandon Flowers
Noel Fielding
Noel Gallagher

Worst Dressed
Amy Winehouse
Brandon Flowers
Johnny Borrell
Katy Perry
Pete Doherty

Worst Album
Britney Spears – ‘Circus’
Coldplay – ‘Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends’
Jonas Brothers – ‘A Little Bit Longer’
Razorlight – ‘Slipway Fires’
Scouting For Girls – ‘Scouting For Girls’

Worst Band
Fall Out Boy
Jonas Brothers
Oasis
Scouting for Girls
Tokio Hotel

Sexiest Male
Carl Barat
Keith Murray
Matt Bellamy
Miles Kane
Pete Doherty

Sexiest Female
Alison Mosshart
Hayley Williams
Kate Jackson
Lykke Li
Stephanie Dosen

Best Website
Bebo
Facebook
Last FM
MySpace
YouTube

Best Venue
Brixton Academy
Manchester Apollo
London Astoria
Glasgow Barrowlands
London O2 Arena

Best Album Artwork
The Cure – ‘4:13 Dream’
Guillemots – ‘Red’
The Killers – ‘Day & Age’
Muse – ‘HAARP’
We Are Scientists – ‘Brain Thrust Mastery’

Best Band Blog
Foals
Lightspeed Champion
Little Boots
Noel Gallagher/Oasis
Radiohead

The Arctic Monkeys are two thirds closer to their follow-up to 2007’s “Your Favourite Weapon.” The third release for the Sheffield boys is being produced by Josh Homme, frontman of Queens of the Stoneage.

Although an unlikely pair, Arctic Monkey Alex Turner admits sessions are going well. “It’s been great fun,” Turner said. “We went out to the desert for a little bit, we did two sessions with Josh, we had a great time.”

Turner added, “It’s quite an inspiring place, there’s a certain element of dust in the sound of it.”
Turner told Australian network Triple J to expect the album by the summer.

The Arctic Monkeys debuted new material January 12 in New Zealand at the Wellington Town Hall. The boys performed “Dangerous Animals,” “Pretty Visitors,” “Go Cart” and “Crying Lightning.”

“Would You Like Me To Build You a Go Kart? “

Is anyone else sick of Lily Allen? In the last week I think I have read more about her than in the last year. Yes, I greatly enjoyed her first album, and was looking forward to her new one, however I’m so sick of hearing about her I think I may boycott it. I can deal with someone being plastered all over the tabloids and gossip sites, like Victoria Beckham, but she does not ask for that attention. Lily Allen uses the stupidest and trashiest ways to get attention for her new album.

I do not care that she accidentally flashed Damon Albarn, sent topless pictures on accident to Ricky from the Kaiser Chiefs, had a lesbian threesome, went into a psychiatric hospital after suffering a miscarriage last year or has a third nipple. If her album was any good she would not need to draw all this attention to herself, the media will pick up on it, especially because she is such a big pop star.  I do not think Katy Perry should have called her fat, trash is the better word.  To think girls look up to Lily Allen across the world and this is what she does with her celebrity status. It’s  disgusting really.

Her dad said it best when he said she needs to learn “to shut her f***ing mouth.”

(I’ll admit.. I LOVE this dress! )

The Red Light Company’s long awaited debut album, “Fine Fascination” will be released March 2.  Lavolta Records will release the album, produced by Adrian Bushby of U2 and Foo Fighters fame. “Scheme Eugene” and “Arts & Crafts” are two singles already released from this album. The singles have gained respected nods from MTV and Radio 1.
The complete track listing is:

Words Of Spectacular
Scheme Eugene
Arts & Crafts
First We Land
With Lights Out
New Jersey Television
The Architect
Meccano
When Everyone Is Everybody Else
The Alamo

The Red Light Company have opened for the likes of The Pigeon Detectives, Kaiser Chiefs and Glasvegas. However, they are touring through March.

Fri 23 January Wakefield Escobar
Sat 24 January Manchester Ruby Lounge
Sat 7 March Liverpool, Evol
Sun 8 March Hull, Adelphi
Mon 9 March Dundee, Fat Sams
Tue 10 March Glasgow, Nice n Sleazys
Wed 11 March Newcastle, Cluny
Fri 13 March Sheffield, Leadmill
Sat 14 March York, Fibbers
Sun 15 March Leeds, Cockpit
Mon 16 March Nottingham, Bodega
Tue 17 March Birmingham, Academy 3
Wed 18 March Manchester, Roadhouse
Fri 20 March Southampton, Joiners
Sat 21 March Cheltenham, The Frog and Fiddle
Sun 22 March Bristol, Thekla
Mon 23 March Cardiff, Barfly
Tue 24 March London, Borderline
Wed 25 March Norwich, Arts Centre