Rumer

Rumer’s cover version of David Gates song Goodbye Girl, the closing track on her platinum selling debut album Seasons of My Soul, will become the fourth track to be released from the album on April 11th.

Goodbye Girl was originally recorded by David Gates of Bread and released in 1978, the song was included in the soundtrack of the film of the same name and has long been a personal favourite of Rumer.

The new single release coincides with the end of Rumer’s biggest and completely sold out tour of the UK, which saw the singer perform at the Royal Albert Hall last week.

In what has been an extremely busy period for Rumer since the release of her debut album, she was recently nominated for two 2011 BRIT Awards, Best British Female Artist and Best British Breakthrough Act, losing out to Laura Marling and Tinie Tempah respectively.

This week, Rumer has also been nominated for two UK Asian Music Awards, in which she will compete for the prizes of Best Newcomer and Best Alternative Act.

Rumer has been announced as one of the first acts to perform at this year’s iTunes Festival (together with Duran Duran and Linkin Park). She will headline Camden’s Roundhouse on July 18, a venue she last sang at with Elton John and Leon Russell as part of the BBC Electric Proms. Every ticket to the iTunes Festival is free, and can be won by entering the prize draw at www.itunesfestival.com. Acts that have headlined the festival in the past include Oasis, Amy Winehouse and Paul McCartney.

Expect further live dates and festival appearances to be announced shortly.

Rumer – Goodbye Girl

Rumer’s new single Goodbye Girl will be released via Atlantic Records on April 11th. The album Seasons of My Soul is available now.

The seventies sounding Christmas single will be backed with cover versions of Christmas classics, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday and Wonderful Christmas Time.

The new single follows the recent acclaim surrounding McCool’s debut EP Shoot Shoot, produced by Steve Levine, who signed her to his label Hubris Records while she was still studying at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.

Levine had seen McCool’s potential while judging the MIBI Awards where she went on to win the prestigious prize as the UK’s Best Young Songwriter.

Fellow judges Chris Martin and Mark Radcliffe both awarded maximum marks to the 22 year old songstress during the Awards.

Natalie McCool – At Christmas Time

Natalie McCool Live Dates:

Dec 7
The Troubadour
London, SW5 9JA, UNITED KINGDOM

Dec 11
The Castle
London, E1 1LN, UNITED KINGDOM

Dec 21
The Hideaway
Tufnell Park, London, UNITED KINGDOM

Jan 20
Camden Barfly
London, London, UNITED KINGDOM

Feb 8
The Borderline
London, UNITED KINGDOM

Christmas with The Puppini Sisters

The Puppini Sisters aim to add a bit of glamour to the upcoming festivities with their new album Christmas with The Puppini Sisters which will be released on November 15th.

The ’sisters’ have tasted success with their imaginative reworkings of songs as diverse as Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy to Beyonce’s Crazy In Love, but the London-based trio first captured the hearts of fans around the world with their international gold 2007 debut Betcha Bottom Dollar and 2008’s The Rise And Fall Of Ruby Woo.

Brunette Marcella Puppini, a former assistant to fashion icon Vivienne Westwood, had dreamed of becoming opera’s next star.  Redhead Stephanie O’Brien began in music as a maverick of the classical world but found her niche playing gypsy jazz violin, South American harp and singing.

Blonde Kate Mullins, well, she sings like an angel and swears like a sailor.  The vocalists/multi-instrumentalists met in 2004 at London’s Trinity College of Music while pursuing Jazz Performance and Composition degrees.  Offered a gig at an outrageous gay nightclub, they jumped at the chance to perform.  Marcella, who gave the band her name, worked out a hasty arrangement of Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights” inspired by ‘40s swing and jazz.  The crowd adored their stunning vocals and cocktail hour charisma.

Since then, along with releasing several singles and two albums, they have performed at the Glastonbury festival and on an American stadium tour supporting Cyndi Lauper; been heard on TV series in the U.K. and the U.S., including “Grey’s Anatomy”; and been in constant demand as guest performers at notable entertainment and fashion events across the globe.  Even Prince Charles personally told them he thought they were “splendid”.

The girls started off retro but have since become true originals, citing both The Andrews Sisters and The Smiths as influences. On the new album they put their own stamp on some of the classic Christmas songs from over the years.

The album features a scorching cover of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas,” hyperspeed “Step Into Christmas,” oh-so-sexy “Santa Baby,” cabaret “Here Comes Santa Claus” and lilting “Last Christmas” to a weirdly wonderful “White Christmas,” scat-filled “Let It Snow,” ukulele oozing “Mele Kalilimaka,” uber-trad “Winter Wonderland” and divine “O Holy Night.”

Christmas with The Puppini Sisters is released on November 15th.

live lounge vol 5

The fifth volume of the exceptional Radio 1 Live Lounge is released today, October 25th promising more of the same from  DJs Fearne Cotton and Jo Wiley’s radio shows.

The exclusive tracks on Live Lounge have been chosen from live guest spots on Fearne Cotton’s Lunchtime show and Jo Wiley’s weekend show where bands perform a live stripped back version of one of their own songs and also a cover version.

As with the other Live Lounge albums in the series, this is a combination of alternative versions of band classics, plus unique cover versions recorded live at BBC Maida Vale studios.

With the charts dominated by pop & urban artists the sound of the album reflects this more than any of the previous volumes. These are the tracks that all fans of the show will want. It’s a unique snapshot of the hottest bands and artists of 2010, and the brand has established itself now as a ‘must-have’ purchase for music lovers.

Radio 1 Live Lounge Volume 5 Tracklisting:

CD1

1. Plan B – Pass Out (ORIGINALLY BY TINIE TEMPAH)

2. Kylie Minogue – Wonderful Life (ORIGINALLY BY HURTS)

3. Tinie Tempah – Frisky

4. Example – Teenage Dream (ORIGINALLY BY KATY PERRY)

5. Mumford & Sons – The Cave

6. N-Dubz – The Man Who Can’t Be Moved / Breakeven (ORIGINALLY BY THE SCRIPT)

7. The Saturdays – Ego

8. Pixie Lott – When Love Takes Over (ORIGINALLY BY DAVID GUETTA)

9. Professor Green – Billionaire (ORIGINALLY BY TRAVIE MCCOY)

10. Scissor Sisters – All The Lovers (ORIGINALLY BY KYLIE MINOGUE)

11. Kelis – Acapella

12. The Big Pink – Sweet Dreams (ORIGINALLY BY BEYONCE)

13. Paloma Faith – New York

14. Marina & The Diamonds – Starstrukk (ORIGINALLY BY 3OH!3)

15. Kids In Glass Houses – Hollywood (ORIGINALLY BY MARINA & THE DIAMONDS)

16. The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

17. Miike Snow – In For The Kill (ORIGINALLY BY LA ROUX)

18. You Me At Six – Starry Eyed (ORIGINALLY BY ELLIE GOULDING)

19. McFly – Dynamite (ORIGINALLY BY TAIO CRUZ

CD2
1. Dave Grohl – My Hero

2. Taio Cruz – Little Lion Man (ORIGINALLY BY MUMFORD & SONS)

3. Jason Derulo – She Said (ORIGINALLY BY PLAN B)

4. Travie McCoy – Billionaire

5. Biffy Clyro – Many Of Horrors

6. Mark Ronson – Bang Bang Bang

7. Roll Deep – Telephone (ORIGINALLY BY LADY GAGA)

8. 3Oh!3 – Guns And Horses (ORIGINALLY BY ELLIE GOULDING)

9. Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed

10. Hurts – Better Than Love

11. Kelly Rowland – Underdog (ORIGINALLY BY KASABIAN)

12. Alesha Dixon – Drummer Boy

13. Jordin Sparks – Fallin’ (ORIGINALLY BY ALICIA KEYS)

14. Robyn – Dancing On My Own

15. Chipmunk – I’m Not Alone (ORIGINALLY BY CALVIN HARRIS)

16. Jay Sean – I Gotta Feeling (ORIGINALLY BY BLACK EYED PEAS)

17. Tinchy Stryder – Kickstarts (ORIGINALLY BY EXAMPLE)

18. All Time Low – Alejandro (ORIGINALLY BY LADY GAGA)

19. Scouting For Girls – Don’t Stop Believin’ (Glee Cast Version(ORIGINALLY BY JOURNEY)

Radio 1’s Live Lounge Volume 5 is available now on CD & Digital Download.

The track features lyrics from the much loved Bugsy Malone’s ‘Give A little Love’, with vocals added by UK grime master Bashy, No 1 artists Roll Deep, Aggro Santos, Wretch 32, Bluey Robinson and Cleo Sol.

The dynamic track is masterminded by the outstanding writer and producer DaVinChe who has recently worked with top artists such as Tinchy Stryder, Tinie Tempah, Kano and Bashy.

Give A Little Love received its first UK play on Channel 4 on 19th September, as part of T4’s coverage of Orange RockCorps’ 2010 volunteering programme, the single  will be released on October 10th.

Orange RockCorps Allstars – Give A Little Love

TheSaturday Sessions presented by Dermot O'Leary

Before annoyingly turning up as a TV presenter on such dross as X Factor and Big Brother, there was a time when Dermot O’Leary was a promising young DJ on XFM radio and it is reassuring to know that he is still performing this task at BBC Radio2 on a Saturday morning.

The Saturday Sessions is an album featuring a collection of cover versions and rare stripped back acoustic versions of songs that have been performed on the show by a wide range of top recording artists.

Featuring a variety of artists from Lily Allen, Massive Attack and Ellie Goulding to Katy Perry, Paolo Nutini and Florence & The Machine. All the tracks are exclusive to this album, and not available anywhere else.

The Saturday Sessions exclusively features a variety of recording artists who have swept the UK’s music scene over the past decade and beyond with a mix of new and modern takes on classic tracks. The album is a must have for fans of the bands, fans of the music and fans of Dermot.

O’Leary’s show won the Sony Awards Best Music Programme earlier this year and the DJ has been attributed with helping break new bands and give first plays to upcoming artists such as Paloma Faith, Lissie, The Ting Tings, Fleet Foxes, The Feeling, Scouting For Girls and The Hoosiers.

Dermot O’Leary said “The Saturday Sessions is my favourite part of the show. It’s a privilege to hear such a diverse and brilliant range of artists singing songs you wouldn’t necessarily associate with them, which makes these performances so unusual and special. This album has really fuelled my passion for live music.”

The Saturday Sessions album launches on October 4th 2010 and is available to buy and download from iTunes, Amazon and all good retailers.

The Saturday Sessions tracklisting:

Disc 1.
1. Mumford & Sons – The Cave
2. Paolo Nutini – Candy
3. Biffy Clyro – Fight For This Love
(ORIGINALLY BY CHERYL COLE)
4. The Ting Tings – Dub Be Good To Me
(ORIGINALLY BY SOS BAND/BEATS INTERNATIONAL)
5. Florence And The Machine – Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
6. Ellie Goulding – Jolene
(ORIGINALLY BY DOLLY PARTON)
7. Fyfe Dangerfield – Call The Shots
(ORIGINALLY BY GIRLS ALOUD)
8. Alesha Dixon – Son Of A Preacher Man
(ORIGINALLY BY DUSTY SPRINGFIELD)
9. Keane – Spiralling
10. Lily Allen – Womanizer
(ORIGINALLY BY BRITNEY SPEARS)
11. Athlete – Bulletproof
(ORIGINALLY BY LA ROUX)
12. Will Young – Golden Slumbers
(ORIGINALLY BY THE BEATLES)
13. Bat For Lashes – Daniel
14. The Leisure Society – The Last Of The Melting Snow
15. The Magic Numbers – The Pulse
16. Ben’s Brother – Poker Face
(ORIGINALLY BY LADY GAGA)
17. The Do – On My Shoulders
18. The Hoosiers – Wonderful Life
(ORIGINALLY BY BLACK)
19. Tom Baxter – Back To Black
(ORIGINALLY BY AMY WINEHOUSE)
20. Scouting For Girls – Rockin’ All Over The World
(ORIGINALLY BY STATUS QUO)

Disc 2
1.Elbow – Grounds For Divorce
2. Paloma Faith – New York
3. Kasabian – Empire
4. Supergrass – Beat It
(ORIGINALLY BY MICHAEL JACKSON)
5. Doves – Kingdom Of Rust
6. Lissie – Nothing Else Matters
(ORIGINALLY BY METALLICA)
7. The Divine Comedy – Time To Pretend
(ORIGINALLY BY MGMT)
8. Sia – Day Too Soon
9. Ed Harcourt – 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
(ORIGINALLY BY PAUL SIMON)
10. Editors – It Ain’t Me Babe
(ORIGINALLY BY BOB DYLAN)
11. Scott Matthews – Elusive
12. Alex Cornish – Brothers In Arms
(ORIGINALLY BY DIRE STRAITS)
13. Turin Brakes – Sea Change
14. Imogen Heap – Thriller
(ORIGINALLY BY MICHAEL JACKSON)
15. Gossip – Heavy Cross
16. White Rabbits – Kid On My Shoulders
17. Lisa Hannigan – Playground Love
(ORIGINALLY BY AIR)
18. The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
19. Cerys Matthews – Love Me Tender
(ORIGINALLY BY ELVIS PRESLEY)
20. Amy Winehouse – Rehab

tara mathew

If you like your female vocals in the same vein as Mariah Carey and Leona Lewis, then get yourself ready for the debut single release from Tara Mathew, a native Canadian now living in the UK.

Released yesterday (Monday) He Said She Said is an upbeat, uplifting pop song with a soulful edge, the perfect sing a long song for the summer, by a quite extraordinary singer.

Having fallen in love with the singing and acting of Bette Midler at an early age, Tara learnt plenty from listening to various forms of music including jazz and classic as well as contemporary.

Amongst her favourite singers Mathew lists Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington from the jazz world, Renee Fleming and Russell Watson from classical song and Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, India Arie, Lauryn Hill and Mary J Blige, all of whom had some influence on her unique singing style.

As there is no video available for the latest release, He Said She Said, have a listen to this cover of the Snow Patrol song Run and see what you think.

Tara Mathew – Run

Based around the S.O.S Band’s 1983 cult hit Just Be Good To Me and the subsequent interpretation of the song as Dub Be Good To Me for Beats International in 1990, the track has been updated for the noughties as Just Be Good To Green.

With Professor Green’s lyrical flow and featuring the distinctive vocals of Lily Allen there is a fresh contemporary twist to the latest version of the song.

And Green says that the whole idea began through a chat between himself and Allen on the social media site Facebook, he explains;

“We got chatting on Facebook and I mentioned the track, which turned out to be one of her favourite songs. She suggested her singing the chorus. I didn’t take much persuading!” Allen subsequently took him on tour with her around the UK, Europe and Australia, bringing him onstage to perform the track. “Lily’s wicked. She’s straight-forward and honest, you always know where you’re at with her. Touring with her was amazing”.

Just Be Good To Green is the second single to be drawn from the upcoming Professor Green album Alive Till I’m Dead, which is released on July 12th.

Previously signed to Mike Skinner’s label The Beats, Green also enjoyed a spell as a DJ on Radio 1’s In New DJs We Trust.  Alive Till I’m Dead is his first major label album project. “I like making light of the dark. No matter how dark it gets there’s bits of humour in there,” he says of the record. “It’s a British thing I think, although I learned that from Biggie Smalls. He made some of the darkest music in rap, but there was quite a positive message.”

Professor Green ft. Lily Allen – Just Be Good To Green

It appears that the brilliant Paolo Nutini can do very little wrong in 2009, the success of his second album Sunny Side Up has been a feature of the UK top ten since its release in June and the singer has also enjoyed the pleasures of performing live at every opportunity.

Nutini has announced that the follow up single to the exuberant Pencil Full Of Lead, will be the reggae tinged 10/10, another of the album’s many highlights. 10/10 will be released on January 11th 2010.

Nutini is the biggest selling male artist of 2009, with Sunny Side Up selling over 600,000 copies so far and he will be capitalising on his popularity in the new year, not only with the single release, but with two special concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall in April.

Following extensive tours of the UK, US, Europe, Australia and emphatic performances across the festival circuit, Nutini will play two special consecutive Royal Albert Hall shows, April 8 & 9th 2010.

Here is a clip of Nutini performing a beautiful version of the Arcade Fire track Wake Up.

Boyz II Men - Love

Boyz II Men are probably the most commercially successful R&B groups of all time having sold an estimated 60 million recordings over a career that will celebrate its 20th year in 2010.

The band are about to release their latest album, adding their special magic touch to some of the greatest love songs of all time on an album simply entitled Love.

Love is the follow-up to their welcome resurgence after the 2007 Grammy-nominated Decca release, Motown: Hitsville USA. Reuniting with producer Randy Jackson, Boyz II Men have made yet another timeless record with Love, singing romantic hits as only they can, with flawless harmonies delivered straight from the heart.

The selections for the album have been made personally by band members  Shawn Stockman, Wanya Morris, and Nathan Morris, based on their own love of the tracks and their desire to inject something of their own into the mix.

“We remember how these songs made us feel when we first heard them, and we wanted to relive that experience by rerecording them now in our own way,” says Shawn.

Boyz II Men’s new album Love is released on November 16th on the UMTV label.

The proposed track listing for the Love album is:

Back For Good: Take That
Could It Be I’m Falling In Love: Detroit Spinners
If You Leave Me Now: Chicago
Amazed: Lonestar
I Can’t Make You Love Me: Bonnie Raitt/ George Michael
Time After Time – Kick Version: Cyndi Lauper
Iris: Goo Goo Dolls
Cupid: Sam Cooke
Shining Star: Manhatthans
In My Life: The Beatles
Open Arms: Journey
When I Fall In Love (feat. Michael Buble) : Nat King Cole
Misty Blue: Dorothy Moore

“I think they are one of the best groups ever, in the history of singing.  True artists always have staying power.  They’ll be around forever.” Randy Jackson.