Tag Archives: Getty Images

Mumford & Sons Write Sigh No More Follow-Up While Touring U.S.

Breakout British band crafts new tunes in Nashville, Tennessee. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Sway Calloway Mumford & Sons Photo: Getty Images They have, at the moment, the only rock album that’s actually a top-10 staple on the Billboard albums chart (their debut, Sigh No More , which sits at #2), and a pair of singles (“Little Lion Man” and “The Cave”) that continue to gain traction on both rock and pop radio, but the guys in Mumford & Sons aren’t letting all that success go to their heads. “We’re trying really hard to enjoy ourselves, and we’re doing alright,” frontman Marcus Mumford told MTV News. “We’ve met some really nice people, met some heroes … We feel like very small fish in a very large ocean, but it’s great. “We’re a very young band,” he continued. “We only have one album: We’ve got a lot more work to do, a lot more shows to play, but we don’t want to attach our identity too much to this whole parade, because we know quite clearly what we want to do and why we do it, but we’re just going to try to enjoy it.” And while they’re riding high — thanks to their Grammy-show performance with like-minded pluckers the Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan (and the subsequent sales bump that performance ensured) — Mumford and his mates are trying to stay focused, not just on their upcoming run of U.S. festival appearances, but also on recording the follow-up to Sigh No More . It’s really the only way they know how to cope with all the attention. “It’s pretty surreal. We’re just trying to keep our heads down and figure it all out, as much as we can,” bandmate Ben Lovett said. “We’ve been writing. … Up in Nashville, [Tennessee,] we wrote a bunch of new tunes, and we’ll continue to do that. We’re going to tour them in, and when we feel ready, we’ll put the second record together.” Perhaps the best thing to come out of Mumford & Sons’ whirlwind run here in the States: the chance to fully absorb the American strains of folk, honky tonk and bluegrass that the Brits’ debut disc dabbled in. “The thing about Nashville that’s amazing is: Everyone plays … so you don’t meet up for a drink, you meet up for a pick,” banjo player (and recent trucker-cap enthusiast ) Winston Marshall said. “It’s an incredibly creative town, just bubbling with energy.” Are you looking forward to Mumford & Sons’ next album? Tell us below! Related Artists Mumford & Sons

See the original post:
Mumford & Sons Write Sigh No More Follow-Up While Touring U.S.

Justin Bieber Wants Fans to See His ‘Regular Life’ in New Movie

Justin Bieber attends the UK Premiere of Justin Bieber: Never Say Never at Cineworld 02 Arena on February 16, 2011 in London, England. (Getty Images) more pics

Phoenix Begin Work On ‘Experimental’ New Album

The band recorded sessions with an Australian percussion group for their ‘futuristic’ follow-up to Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. By James Montgomery Phoenix’s Thomas Mars Photo: Getty Images The last time we heard from Phoenix, they told MTV News that they were planning to begin work on the follow-up to their breakout Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix album on “the 4th of January — to be precise,” and it looks like they were telling the truth. From the sound of things, the Franco-pop stars are already hard at work on their new album … down in Australia. In an interview backstage at Sydney’s Good Vibrations Festival, Phoenix’s Thomas Mars and Deck D’Arcy told Pedestrian.tv that they were planning to do some recordings for their new album, with an orchestra that … well, let’s let them attempt to explain it: “We’re meeting an orchestra that specializes in, uh, I don’t know how to say it in English,” Mars said. “We’re going to record a bunch of percussionists in [Australian beach town] Byron Bay,” D’Arcy added. “It’s a test, if it works, we’ll probably come back and record something that’s going to be on the album,” Mars said. This is the first bit of solid news we’ve gotten on the band’s next album, which, as they were quick to point out, might be a bit of a departure from the hooky pop of Amadeus. “It sounds like the TGV, it’s a fast French train, it sounds like that,” Mars explained. “It’s very … nostalgic, futuristic. It’s very experimental, it’s very minimal music. … I think because we do a lot of music with drum machines — we blend a lot drum machines and real drums — for us, it’s a way to escape that. There’s something a little frustrating when you do pop music, and drums are, they’re the DNA of our music, because we’d like to go somewhere else, we want to change that DNA.” Related Artists Phoenix

Read the rest here:
Phoenix Begin Work On ‘Experimental’ New Album

Justin Bieber & Usher Kill It During Grammy Performance

Paging all teenage girls. One of the most talked about performances from the 53rd Grammy Awards Sunday evening was from Justin Bieber and mentor Usher. Bieber hit the stage first to reflect on the last few years, with a neat video presentation of him and Usher from 2007. Usher then joined Biebs on stage to introduce his performance of “Never Say Never”. Jaden Smith spit a few lines when Bieber invited him to sing during his performance. Ush later joined Justin to perform “O.M.G.”.  Although he didn’t take home any awards, Bieber sure gave a stellar performance for his fans. Catch all the dopeness below. props GG

Read this article:
Justin Bieber & Usher Kill It During Grammy Performance

Latest Pictures of Justin Bieber at the Brit Awards

Justin Beiber arrives on the red carpet for The BRIT Awards 2011 at the O2 Arena on February 15, 2011 in London, England. (Getty Images) more pics

Justin Bieber Is ‘Inspired to Work Harder’ After Grammy Loss

Singers Justin Bieber (R) and Jaden Smith perform onstage during The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on February 13, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images) more pics

Justin Bieber is White Hot at the Grammy Awards (Pictures)

Singer Justin Bieber arrives at The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on February 13, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images) more pics

Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ Gets Praise From Hayley Williams, Lindsay Lohan, Others

‘Speaking of liberation, I just heard ‘Born This Way’ and loved it,’ Paramore’s lead singer tweets. By James Dinh Lady Gaga Photo: Getty Images As the Internet lights up about Lady Gaga’s brand-new single, “Born This Way,” various celebrities took to Twitter on Friday (February 11) to dish their two cents on the pop superstar’s highly anticipated tune. Paramore’s Hayley Williams expressed her excitement for Egypt’s recent historic landmark and followed up with a tweet about Mother Monster’s new dance track. “YES EGYPT!!! So inspired by your perseverance and your bravery. and speaking of liberation, I just heard ‘Born This Way’ and loved it. DON’T BE A DRAG JUST BE A QUEEN.” Even before the new song hit the airwaves, troubled star Lindsay Lohan was eager to hear the song as the starlet took to her Twitter , writing, “I’m so excited for Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ to drop!” Despite the immense hype surrounding “Born This Way,” some stars, including “American Idol” finalist Chris Daughtry, pointed out the song’s similarities to Madonna’s 1989 classic “Express Yourself.” “Just listened to a clip of Lady Gaga ‘Born This Way’ and I gotta say … sounds a lot like ‘Express Yourself’ from Madonna. Thoughts?” he tweeted . “OK. Good. A lotta peeps are saying the same thing so maybe I won’t get raked over the coals 🙂 I thought I was crazy for a second. And by the way … I’m not dogging it. Haven’t even heard it all … that was just my first impresh.” While Perez Hilton has raved about the song in previous interviews with MTV News, the gossip blogger welcomed the Madonna reference, tweeting , “Express Yourself 2.0 is what people are saying? I’ll happily take that!!! #BornThisWayFriday.” Khloe Kardashian showed the track some love by re-tweeting Perez’s message and tweeting to a fan, ” ‘Born This Way’!!!!!! Woooohoooo I love you more.” Internet sensation Simon Curtis also gushed about the song, tweeting , “Born This Way = 2011’s Express Yourself – brilliant work @ladygaga.” What do you think of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”? Share your reviews in the comments section! Related Artists Lady Gaga

Link:
Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ Gets Praise From Hayley Williams, Lindsay Lohan, Others

Usher Talks Grammy Night with Justin Bieber

Usher Talks Grammy Night with Justin Bieber The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards are this Sunday (February 13) and Usher and Justin Bieber are pumped for the night’s festivities. The “OMG” singer and the “Baby” pop sensation will perform together along with Jaden Smith, and it’s gonna be hot. Usher told press at last night’s Belvedere bash, “Having been through [the Grammys] so many times, you couldn’t want for anything more than for your young protégé to have the opportunity to have one, so, in support of him having his moment, I wanted to be here.” “And also to be there to perform, to kind of tell the story of how we came together. This music business has definitely been good to both of us, and this year we have a lot to be happy for.” He continued, “The performance will be fun. We want to get up there and just do what we do. Be comfortable, and have a great time. … This is kind of a crossover for Justin. Having performed on so many different stages, this is the way that I wanted him to be seen and an opportunity to show the industry — a lot of the industry, that didn’t believe [in him] — some of his other talents. He’s going to play acoustically, and also, we’ll get down a bit.”

Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ Shows ‘Depth Of Gaga As A Songwriter,’ Akon Says

‘Unfortunately, people pay more attention to what she is wearing,’ adds Gaga’s label boss. By Jocelyn Vena Akon Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images It’s here, little monsters. On Friday morning (February 11), Lady Gaga debuted her highly anticipated new single, “Born This Way,” a funky, fun dance tune about loving yourself for who you are. Akon, who signed Gaga to his Kon Live Distribution label in 2008, opened up about the pop star’s latest dance opus, admitting that he thinks it will finally show off Gaga’s full capacities as a musician and songwriter, and not just a pop ingenue. “I think ‘Born This Way’ is the kind of record that if you are really paying attention you will get the full depth of Gaga as a songwriter. Sometimes the creative image hides the element of her lyrical content,” he told PopEater.com . “That’s why she wanted to give people a better idea of what she was saying outside of her image when she dropped those lyrics.” The track has a clear message: Everyone should be treated equally no matter who they are or what they believe in. “Gaga says a lot of stuff in her records,” Akon added. “But I know these parents and critics are not really listening to her lyrics. I know that for a fact. She’s singing about a lot of adult subject matter. She’s not just making dance records. Unfortunately, people pay more attention to what she is wearing.” The song is the lead single off the album of the same name, which will drop in May. Akon revealed that there are a few more touches that need to be added before they reach their deadline. “We are finishing up the album now,” he said. “She’s about to go back on tour later this year. There’s a lot going on.” Related Artists Lady Gaga Akon

Read more here:
Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ Shows ‘Depth Of Gaga As A Songwriter,’ Akon Says