Yeah Yeah Yeahs

It might be a while before we hear some new material from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, as the band is reportedly “on a bit of a hiatus”.

The group’s iconic lead singer Karen O spoke to NME magazine for its Christmas edition, and said about the hiatus: “We have to wait to get the urge, get that itch. The time needs to be right and we're OK waiting for that, I think.” When the group does start recording, she believes “it'll be like muscle memory, this unspoken thing between the three of us where it all just… locks in.”

Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O spoke to NME and revealed that her band are on hiatus

Continue reading: Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O Reveals Band Are 'On Hiatus'

Not many artists have their break-out year after more than a decade in the spotlight. So far 2014 has been shaping up to be pretty great for Karen O - the singer from New York art rockers the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Following widescreen acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for the gorgeous ‘The Moon Song’ -  Karen O's  contribution to the Spike Jonze film ‘Her’ - the singer/songwriter announced plans to release Crush Songs - her debut solo album outside of the band.

Monday (28 July) saw the premiere of ’Rapt,’ the disarming first single from her upcoming record on Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6 Music radio show. The singer has also released an accompanying music video - shot by husband and director Barnaby Clay - showing the singer submerged underwater in a red dress.

Continue reading: First Impression - Karen O Premieres First Song From Solo Album

Karen O has announced that she'll be releasing her first album of solo recorded material this autumn. Titled Crush Songs, the record will apparently touch on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman's experiences in love and will be released via Julian Casablancas' record label.

Karen has recently made an impact with her solo singing projects, having been nominated for an Oscar for her Her soundtrack song, 'The Moon Song.' The success of her Spike Jonze movie track as well as the strong reception she received performing it live at this year's Academy Awards has probably boosted the 35 year-old singer's solo confidence.

The singer-songwriter revealed the news via her website where she also provided a glimpse at the album's cover art as well as a written explanation of her motives behind Crush Songs. "Uhm when I was 27 I crushed a lot," she writes.

Continue reading: Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O Announces Solo Album, 'Crush Songs'

The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is back on August 9th - 11th 2013 bringing us the best in art and music as we see the likes of Paul McCartney, Nine Inch Nails and Red Hot Chili Peppers top this year's bill.

San Francisco hosts this annual festival which has soared in popularity since the first event in 2008. It takes place at Golden Gate Park and, as well as some brilliant bands and artists being on show all weekend, presents some fantastic food and drink offerings from the Bay Area. Food includes everything from mac and cheese and hot dogs to falafel and noodles and there'll be food trucks and special cheese and chocolate stalls good enough to pull you away from the awesome music for a while. There'll also be a wide array of wines and beers to enjoy plus live painting and Levi's Mobile Bike Shop as Outside Lands is all about being eco-friendly and reducing our carbon footprints.

Continue reading: Outside Lands Festival 2013 To Bring You Much More Than Music This Year

FYF Fest 2013 presents yet more new acts for its 10th annual weekend this August including comedians Doug Benson, Brett Gelman and Karen Kilgariff.

FYF is an alternative music festival spread over two days - this year, August 25th and 26th - at the LA State Historic Park. This summer we'll see no doubt spectacular headline sets from New Yorkers the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Dublin rockers My Bloody Valentine, as well as performances from MGMT, Devendra Banhart, Les Savy Fav, Holy Ghost!, Deerhunter, New Jersey's Yo La Tengo, chillwave producer Toro Y Moi, the chart hitting Kurt Vile & the Violators and Californian duo Foxygen. 

Just announced are some equally brilliant comedy acts (as if you weren't going to have a massive laugh anyway) from the likes of 'Home Movies' writer Brendon Small, 'The League' star Paul Scheer with Rob Huebel, 'Eagleheart' comedian Brett Gelman and former 'Last Comic Standing' contestant Doug Benson. 

Continue reading: FYF Fest 2013 Announces More Live Acts For August!

The nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards 2013 have been announced, with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Justin Timberlake leading the field. Armed with their videos for 'Can't Hold Us' and 'Thrift Shop,' the hip-hop duo will square off against JT at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on August 25, 2013.

Both acts received six nominations, with Timberlake getting nods for his 'Suit and Tie' and 'Mirrors' promos. Elsewhere, Bruno Mars appears to have every chance of taking home the prize of 'Video of the Year' with 'Locked out of Heaven,' though Robin Thicke's controversial clip for 'Blurred Lines' and Taylor Swift's 'I Knew You Were Trouble' will also be popular.

The VMAs - one of the biggest events on the pop music calendar - represents the first time a major awards show has been held in Brooklyn. The place has been a mecca for art and culture for years, though the Barclays Center appears to have truly put it on the map.

Continue reading: MTV Video Music Award Nominees: Will Macklemore Clean Up?

Albums of Note... It’s been a long two years since James Blake released his debut eponymous album and now, the pioneering producer returns with Overgrown, album number two. Peppered with quality collaborations, with hip-hop legend RZA and electronic music’s figurehead Brian Eno, Overgrown is the sound of an artist still trying to find his niche, but releasing high quality, accomplished tracks, whilst he’s on his journey. “Blake really is a talent to behold, as his ingenious moulding together of poles apart genres and production wizardry clearly shows… when you're already as accomplished at all manner of musical exercises as he is then it will obviously be hard to focus all this talent and all this energy into one place.”

Splitting opinion like musical Marmite, John Grant returns with Pale Green Ghosts. This album may sound unrecognisable as Grant, to anyone already familiar with his work. He’s hooked up with Gus Gus’ Biggi Viera and has decamped to Reykjavik. As a result, a new reliance on vintage-sounding synthesisers and a nod to club-land has John Grant sounding like an altogether different proposition to the John Grant of days gone by.“Grant's dyspeptic edge may be blunted, but when called upon the man can make a fine ass post-modern disco song, like we ever doubted that he could, and Blackbelt is a tweaked remix away from the transient world of A Lists, charts and chat shows. Cleverly poignant, its way with knock out disses would give Jake Shears something to think about if it proved to be a permanent change of direction…”

Continue reading: A Week In Music - James Blake Still Seeking His Niche, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Triumph With Lily Cole Video, Eels Stage A Love-In In Bournemouth