I saw Coldplay on the opening date of the '06 Twisted Logic tour in Seattle; I'd seen them this summer, as well. It was AMAZING. Chris ran into the audience. And stopped in front of my section. And came up to my row. And I got to hug him. And died.

More on this and close-up pictures here

Meanwhile, you can view good quality Vancouver pictures from Friday here [thanks Hazex]

Coldplay In Profile, premieres on ITV [uK] on the 31st January at 00.30h.

More on UK TV schedules here

In the beginning, lazy journalists were happy to tag Coldplay with the Radiohead sound-alike label. These days, pundits reckon every other new band is modelled on them.

"I'm not sure where the transititon happened between us sounding like everyone, and everyone sounding like us," ponders Chris Martin. "I didn't write any of the songs that are supposed to sound like Coldplay, and I didn't invent the piano."

The fact that Coldplay are seen as collectively responsible for a piano-led upsweep in the world's musical tastes is testament to the regard in which the band is held.

Read the full article via scans here

[Thanks coldplay_steph]

Coldplay was the biggest rock band on the planet last year. So what better time for the British foursome to cash in, say, by launching an arena tour in Seattle just months after the band conquered America’s amphitheaters?

Hence, Wednesday night’s headlining date at KeyArena, witnessed by about 13,000 ecstatic fans just months after Coldplay’s August stop at Auburn’s White River Amphitheatre. And for those who caught the latter but not the former, you really only missed out on three noteworthy perks.

One: You wouldn’t have had to endure the aneurysm-inducing traffic at White River, which caused last summer’s show to start late. Coldplay mouthpiece Chris Martin felt compelled to apologize about that Wednesday. “It took us, like, seven years to get home after that,” he quipped.

Two: You would have gotten to hear a new song. Well, not an entirely new song, but a nonalbum track released since the last show. The maudlin, midtempo number “How You See the World No. 2” – the song about how you “just wanna get it right sometimes” – was issued on the charity CD “Help: A Day in the Life” last October, for those who didn’t recognize it.

Three: Most importantly, you would have gotten to see comeback kid Fiona Apple deliver an intense, show-stealing set as the opener. More on that in a sec.

Read the full review here

Escenario, a show from CNN Latin America have announced that White Shadows is to be Coldplay's next single.

The news comes only days after Radio 1 [uK] announced that the fourth single from X&Y would be The Hardest Part and coincides with Coldplay's setlists now including the song.

More on this here

[Thanks ColdplayMind]

She's five and sometimes I call her "Brown Eyes." So when it turned out that we both like to sing along to Coldplay's "Green Eyes," it was a given that I'd learn the chords, change green to brown and start playing it at bedtime.

You see, after 20-plus years of fruitless guitar abuse, I've found my audience. It turns out that when the goal is to put the listener to sleep, all my shortcomings as an entertainer actually become assets.

Somewhere down the line, as a teenager or maybe even sooner, she'll realize that such numbers as Blue Oyster Cult's "Astronomy" are not typically considered lullabies, and she'll begin to question my judgment. But for now, all is bliss.It's an arrangement that works well for both of us. She gets serenaded to sleep by a command performance. I get a few minutes of practice most nights, and sometimes I get to think deep thoughts.

For example: Coldplay, Johnny Cash, the secrets wrapped up in songs and the unexpected lives they find when turned loose in the world.

One recent Saturday night, after the bedtime concert, I turned on the television to find Coldplay on "Austin City Limits." Now, whenever I try to analyze the band's music, I keep coming to the conclusion that I should detest them. Their sonic palette dates almost exclusively to the '80s and their use of atmospheric keyboards, in particular, strikes me as very stock.

But they use all these elements with brutal effectiveness, and Chris Martin is quite possibly the most gifted male vocalist in rock today. So I keep eating it up. I didn't get to see them play "Green Eyes," but I did get to see an interview segment in which Martin praised Cash (and Hank Williams Sr., too), in the highest possible terms. Frankly, it struck me as a bit bizarre.

Afterward, mulling it over, I played a few tracks from the band's 2002 album "A Rush of Blood to the Head." And suddenly it struck me that one of the least Cash-like songs on it might well have been written under the influence of the Man in Black.

"God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" is orchestrated as driving progressive rock, without a hint of country. But it's there in the brooding tone, the references to drawing the line and falling from grace. They practically threw in everything but the ring of fire.

"Where do we go, nobody knows/ Don't even say you're on your way down/ God gave you style and gave you grace/ And put a smile upon your face"

Can't you just hear Cash growling out that call to suck it up and meet the Almighty's expectations? I can. I'm out there on my own with this theory. Maybe I'll ask Martin and Co. about it, the next time I bump into them.

In the meantime, the song has taken on a life of its own, at least for me. The version on the album may be far beyond my meager skills, but the song itself is not monolithic. It can be broken down to chords and words, recast in a more elemental form. With a little work, it might even become -- dare I suggest it -- something you could use to render a small child unconscious.

A lullaby.

Source: http://www.al.com

As reported on Coldplaying.com three days ago, Coldplay have officially announced that the band are among the first acts to announce their impending performance at the 35th anniversay of the Juno Awards in Canada in April.

They will perform from Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the April 2nd broadcast. Nominations for the ceremony will be announced on February 15th, in Toronto.

Cult rock group Snow Patrol have dazzled music industry insiders, by selling out a London concert in less time than Coldplay and Madonna, according to a published report.

The band reportedly sold all 1,500 tickets to the April 12 gig at the capital's Koko venue in less than 10 minutes when they went on sale on their official website yesterday morning.

It only took minutes for tickets to start appearing on the auction website eBay at incredibly and sometimes ridiculously inflated prices. World Entertainment quotes a Snow Patrol spokesman saying, "Everyone's very excited about the gig."

Both Madonna and Coldplay have played at the mid-sized venue recently.

My first Coldplay show. Had 5th row centre but they actually turned out to be 2nd row centre.

Clocks was crazy, maybe my favorite of the night. Politik, Talk… yeah now we’re talking. From reading the Seattle setlist, I think the Vancouver setlist was the same - not sure about one track as I’d never heard it though. Totally agree with those commenting on how clocks rocked…

The lads seemed to have a lot of fun out of there… Chris fucked up on a few verses and actually laughed… it was great to see them enjoying themselves.

[Thanks sterdam_Iam]

Read the full reviews and setlist for the first Vancouver show here

At an awards ceremony in Cannes last weekend, Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay, greeted his ultimate corporate boss with the news that he'd just eaten a Lion Bar.

"It was the first thing he said to me," says Eric Nicoli, head of the EMI music company. "He knows I invented it and he loves it. It's his favourite chocolate bar." He stops and smiles, "You know, it still gives me a warm feeling to think of it."

Read the full article here

It is rare that a band can fill two nights in a row at GM Place, but then this is the biggest band in the universe.

In concert: Coldplay

Where: GM Place

When: Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m.

There is an extended bridge deep into the Coldplay song Fix You during which the band harmonizes prettily over a chiming guitar part. The sound abruptly stops and Chris Martin comes in on piano, ". . . And I will try to fix you."

It's pure Coldplay, this rush of sound dammed up by something revelatory, like Martin promising salvation or something else important sounding, even though a lot of the lyrics are too big and ambiguous to be meaningful: "Do you feel like a puzzle/You can't find your missing piece?"

Or, again from new album X & Y: "You and me are floating on a tidal wave/you and me are drifting into outer space."

The band's cause is fair trade for Third World countries, which is why Martin sports a big equal sign on his wrist. And they wonder why they garner U2 comparisons.Coldplay wears the crown of being the biggest band in the universe at the moment, hence the two nights at GM Place, which has a capacity to seat 18,000 people.

Its members are doing their damnedest to look humble in the face of widespread adulation, and it couldn't be easy.

Chris Martin, as every breathing person will know, is married to sleepy-faced beauty Gwyneth Paltrow. As you might have heard, they have a daughter named Apple and another baby on the way.

Check out your grocery-store magazine rack for details.

His marriage alone plucked Martin from the pack of British pop bands and transformed him into an identifiable celebrity in his own right. Of course, there is also the fact that every album his band releases turns to platinum, many times over.

The truth is, Coldplay is a decent band that writes thoroughly hummable melodies, particularly the ones from their 2002 album Rush of Blood to the Head (before that, the band released 2000's Parachutes).

The band is also particularly gifted in the imposing big-sound department, that quality of swallowing up its listener in one mighty gulp, an overwhelming, exhilarating sound that is hard to resist for even the most jaded power ballad listener.

And then there is the sanctimonious quality about the band (Martin in particular) that has caused a bit of a backlash.

When Martin sits emoting at his piano, bathed in a tranquil blue light, he leaves the impression that he just might, with enough concentration, be able to cure the common cold with his purity of conviction.

As Mark Twain said of someone, he looks as if he's "waiting for a vacancy at the Trinity."

The band's incongruous marriage of humble lyrics and music of sweeping proportions moved New York Times writer John Pereles to declare Coldplay "the most insufferable band of the decade." While fans hear Martin and hear the healer of his generation, Pereles hears "a passive-aggressive blowhard."

That a band should incense a critic to such superlatives is quite hilarious, especially if you consider that Coldplay is basically a benign band with Hallmark-card-ready messages.

Coldplay makes pretty-enough songs, spreads a decent message, and makes a lot of people happy -- to the tune of a possible 36,000 in Vancouver.

And Coldplay will play at this year's Juno Awards on April 2, live from Halifax. Any superstar band willing to show up at our little awards show deserves at least a slap on the back.

Aside from marrying into American movie-star royalty, it's a band whose story has been heard a thousand times.

Best friends Martin and guitarist Johnny Buckland meet at university in 1996, form a band, play their first gig, release an EP, release a full-length CD in 2000, score a hit with the song Yellow, and off they go.

Initially the band was lost in the fray, alongside sweet-sounding bands like Travis.

But as music industry pundits pronounced the band the next U2, somehow Coldplay broke through and went further than anybody could have expected.

They are breathing a rarefied air because ask yourself this: How many bands these days could expect to fill GM Place two nights in a row?

Perhaps it's that remarkable ascendence that has earned them some wrath.

Source: http://www.canada.com

In a special tribute to legendary funk band Sly And The Family Stone, an all-star cast of artists are set to come together on one stage for a not-to-be-missed performance on the 48th Annual GRAMMY® Awards, The Recording Academy® announced today. The amazing salute to the band’s unforgettable music includes GRAMMY-nominated artists Maroon 5, Will.I.Am of The Black Eyed Peas and John Legend; GRAMMY winners Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith; soul sweetheart Joss Stone; rocker Robert Randolph; and singer Devin Lima.

A music icon of the ’60s and ’70s, Stone is responsible for some of the most engaging anthems (”I Want To Take You Higher,” “Dance To The Music” and “Everyday People”) and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® in 1993.

Previously announced performers include Mariah Carey, Kanye West and John Legend — who are tied with eight nominations; and special performances by Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, U2 and Mary J. Blige, Faith Hill and Keith Urban, Jamie Foxx with Kanye West, Christina Aguilera and Herbie Hancock, Sugarland, and Hezekiah Walker with Mariah Carey. Previously announced presenters include Big & Rich, Tom Hanks and Terrence Howard. More GRAMMY Moments, superstar performances and presenters will be announced shortly.The music industry’s premier event will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). The show also will be supported on radio via Westwood One worldwide, and covered online at www.grammy.yahoo.com.

GRAMMY-winning band Maroon 5 currently is nominated for a Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal GRAMMY (a live recording of “This Love”). The Black Eyed Peas have won one GRAMMY and currently are nominated for three: Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal (”Don’t Lie”), Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group (”Don’t Phunk With My Heart”) and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals (”Gone Going” with Jack Johnson).

The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by Cossette Productions in association with Ken Ehrlich Productions for The Recording Academy. John Cossette and Ken Ehrlich are executive producers, Walter C. Miller is producer/director, Tisha Fein is the coordinating producer and Tzvi Small is executive in charge of production.

Established in 1957, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., also known as The Recording Academy, is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards, The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs — including the creation of the national public education campaign What’s The Download® (www.WhatsTheDownload.com). For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.

Source: http://home.businesswire.com

Coldplay have been named at the UK’s top earners of 2005.

The rock band collectively earned a massive £37million in just one year thanks to the release of their third album ‘X&Y’ which to date has sold over 10million couple.

Although Chris Martin and co topped the OK! Rich List they were not the only musicians to make their mark.

U2 also featured in the list as did Elton John, Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones and Sir Paul McCartney.

The top 20 looked like this:

1. Coldplay - £37million

2. U2 - £35million

3. Sir Elton John – £30million

4. The Rolling Stones - £28million

5. Sir Paul McCartney - £25million

6. Rod Stewart - £22million

7. Simon Cowell - £20million

8. Sir Anthony Hopkins - £20million

9. The Osbournes - £18million

10. Catherine Zeta-Jones - £16million

11. Pink Floyd - £15million

12. Sting - £14million

13. Colin Farrell - £12million

14. Queen - £12million

15. Ewan McGregor – £12million

16. Kate Winslet - £12million

17. Robbie Williams - £11million

18. Phil Collins - £10million

19. Orlando Bloom - £10million

20. Oasis - £9million

Source: http://www.entertainmentwise.com

Wednesday the 25th January saw the second leg of the U.S tour begin in Seattle (congratulations on their impending Superbowl debut!).

The support came from the more than capable Fiona Apple, well worth getting there early for. The set has stayed pretty much the same, with a few extras, but went down a storm.

Don't forget to check out our free members area to get updates from the road, courtesy of Miller's diaries on the Coldplayer.

Source: Coldplay.com

Live From the Red Carpet (Entertainment)

Starting: 22:00 on Wednesday 8th February. Duration: 3 hours

Showing on E!.

Live From the Red Carpet (Entertainment)

Starting: 02:00 on Thursday 9th February. Duration: 3 hours

Showing on E!.

Live From the Red Carpet (Entertainment)

Starting: 06:00 on Thursday 9th February. Duration: 3 hours

Showing on E!.

Live From the Red Carpet (Entertainment)

Starting: 10:00 on Thursday 9th February. Duration: 3 hours

Showing on E!.

Live From the Red Carpet (Entertainment)

Starting: 14:00 on Thursday 9th February. Duration: 3 hours

Showing on E!.

Live From the Red Carpet (Entertainment)

Starting: 17:00 on Thursday 9th February. Duration: 3 hours

Showing on E!.

More on TV schedules here and here [uK and US only]

The band wander onto stage early in the afternoon with a few thing they want to work through. The setlist doesn’t vary wildly across the tour, but it has to change enough to keep the guys interested if nothing else. To this end, there’s a few new things being tried out that are new to everyone. Firstly, there’s just some general loosening up and getting used to being back up there. Will is first up, and heads for the piano. He’s joined by Jonny and they end up stumbling into playing a Blur track.

Pretty soon, everyone’s up there, and out of the first noodling jam, ‘A Fairytale of New York’ by the Pogues emerges. The Shane McGowan impression is pretty flawless - and being as from where I am, I can hear but not see Chris, it’s all the more easy to believe he’s gone away for a few weeks and come back a broken toothed old lush…There’s not too much to work through and what there is, goes pretty well, so the afternoon proceeds at a pleasant and leisurely pace. The guys are working on The Hardest Part, which somehow morphs into a rather ridiculous jazz chord ending. This amuses the guys to such a degree that they can’t play it wihtout veering off down that route. It’d also be a shame if they remember to play the ending proerly come the gig tomorrow. There’s a ‘Soundcheck Party’ at 6pm, so we break for some food, ready to get back to that and then call it a night.

‘Politik’ kicks off proceedings at the soundcheck party, which can’t fail to blow away the cobwebs after a month off the road. The guys try out a couple of new acoustic things that may or may not get into the set. One receives a rather lukewarm reception, from the small gathered crowd and so is looking unlikely. The other however, is an old number which plainly works a treat and will definitely be in tomrrow night.

The soundcheck party dissolves into a ‘meet and greet’ as everyone gets to say hello, get stuff signed and take photos. The guys also get some pretty natty Jerseys as gifts, which are large enough to fit the whole band in earch. Guy gets enthused and puts his straight, on which sets jonny off. Chris pulls his trousers down to his knees in full gangsta stylee and grabs his crotch. Will ever the straight man folds his neatly over his arm and is having none of it, choosing to carry on chatting to the fans.

The Coldplayer

A primary school's website, a cloud appreciation site and a blog detailing one man's attempt to meet 500 celebrities, including Chris Martin, are among winners in Yahoo's Finds of the Year awards.

Now in their fourth year, the awards aim to celebrate the best of the web. The judging panel were looking for originality, creativity, design and relevance across eight categories. A People's Choice Award - which allows the public to vote for their favourite - will be announced in February.

"The Yahoo Search Finds of the Year awards celebrates the huge diversity on the web and we've found some of the most informative, unusual, clever or bizarre websites out there," said Andy Williams, from Yahoo Search.Woodland Grange Primary School beat off stiff opposition from a Nasa site dedicated to the Mars Rover Mission to win in the educational category. The pupils received the news that they had won at morning assembly. They are no strangers to awards. The site has been recognised in the past for the depth of material and resources on the site as well as acting as a showcase for the school work of the children.

Winner of the Best Celebrity Website was a blog set up by Julian Segal, who agreed to meet 100 celebrities from a list of 500 drawn up by his friend as part of a bet. So far he has met around 50 of the celebrities listed - including the BBC's former political editor Andrew Marr, Chris Martin, lead singer of the band ColdPlay and Sir Patrick Moore. He has just two weeks to go to meet the rest or face a series of forfeits.

An overall winner from the eight categories will be chosen on 2 February in the People's Choice Award. Those interested in voting can log on to Yahoo's Finds of the Year website to select their favourite out of the all the websites short listed.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

British rock activists Coldplay and New Jersey’s favorite son, Bruce Springsteen, will perform at this year’s Grammy Awards on February 8 at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, where a tribute to funk legends Sly and the Family Stone will put Maroon 5, John Legend, Will.I.Am and members of Aerosmith on the same stage.

The Boss and Chris Martin’s X&Y gang were added Thursday (January 26) morning to a list of Grammy performers that includes Mariah Carey, a collaboration between U2 and Mary J. Blige, Christina Aguilera with Herbie Hancock, and Oscar-winning chart-topper Jamie Foxx with Kanye West, who is up for eight awards. Foxx and West are set to perform Record of the Year candidate “Gold Digger” as part of a Late Registration medley (see “Jamie Foxx And Kanye Go For The ‘Gold,’ U2 And Mary J. Team Up At Grammys”).

The Grammys will also feature an onstage tribute to funk legends Sly and the Family Stone, featuring nominees Legend, Maroon 5, and Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas, as well as Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Joss Stone, Robert Randolph, and LFO’s Devin Lima.There’s no word yet on what tracks Coldplay and Springsteen will take on in two weeks. Between them, the two rock acts possess an imposing 16 Grammys — Bruce has received a dozen over the course of his career, and Coldplay have won four during their shorter spell in the limelight.

This year, both acts could add more trophies to their collections. Springsteen is in the running for five Grammys: Song of the Year (which pits him against fellow performers Legend, U2, and Carey), Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, Best Rock Song, Best Long Form Music Video and Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Coldplay are up for three Grammys, and face off with U2 for each one. The band contends for Best Rock Song (a category that also features Springsteen) and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Speed of Sound.” Their album X&Y has been nominated in the Best Rock Album category.

It was also revealed Thursday that Brooklyn, New York’s Pastor Hezekiah Walker will direct his Grammy-winning Love Fellowship Tabernacle Church Choir during the awards as part of Mariah Carey’s planned performance.

Source: http://www.vh1.com

Last night's setlist ran as follows

Square One

Politik

Yellow

Speed of Sound

God Put a Smile Upon Your Face

X & Y

How You See the World

White Shadows

The Scientist

(Acoustic Portion)

'Til Kingdom Come

Ring of Fire

Trouble

(Back to Electric)

Clocks

Talk

Encore:

The Hardest Part

In My Place

Fix You

More on the reviews and discussion here, here and here

You can now purchase the brand new-version of Talk.

The new remix by the White Duke, Stuart Price, is available to purchase here

Label: EMI UK

Released: 21/01/2006

Total time: 8:27

Coldplay have topped OK! magazine's 2005 pop rich list after raking in an estimated $66.5 million (GBP37 million).

The band sold approximately 10 million copies of their album X&Y which, coupled with the clout of their sell-out tour, helped them beat several legendary acts to the top spot.

In second place was U2, whose income was $63 million (GBP35 million), followed by Sir Elton John who earned $54 million (GBP30 million). The Rolling Stones were in fourth place with earnings of $50 million (GBP28 million) before Sir Paul McCartney, who was fifth with $45 million (GBP25 million).

The remaining artists to make the top ten were veteran rocker Rod Stewart, music mogul Simon Cowell, Hollywood actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, rock family The Osbournes and Welsh beauty Catherine Zeta Jones.

Source: ContactMusic

You smashed all your piggy banks, took on three extra paper routes, and forwent hot lunch for a whole month. And now, at last, the moment you saved for has finally arrived: Tonight, Coldplay launch the second go-round of their "Twisted Logic" North American tour.

The massive 33-date stretch will take Chris Martin and his mates through pretty much every major American metropolitan area and across the U.S.-Canadian border a mind-boggling six times. Let's hope the border patrol believes in making trade fair.How many corporate sponsors can you spot?:

01-25 Seattle, WA - Key Arena *

01-26 Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place *

01-27 Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place *

01-30 Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena *

01-31 Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena *

02-01 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion *

02-03 Las Vegas, NV - MGM Garden Grand Arena *

02-04 Los Angeles, CA - The Forum *

02-06 Anaheim, CA - Arrowhead Pond *

02-07 Anaheim, CA - Arrowhead Pond *

02-19 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center *

02-20 Omaha, NE - Qwest Center *

02-22 Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills *

02-23 Louisville, KY - Freedom Hall *

02-25 Houston, TX - Toyota Center *

02-26 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center *

02-27 Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center *

03-02 Washington, DC - MCI Center *

03-04 Orlando, FL - T.D. Waterhouse Center *

03-05 Tampa, FL - Ford Pavilion *

03-17 Kanata, Ontario - Scotiabank Place #

03-19 Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center #

03-20 Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena #

03-22 Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre #

03-23 Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre #

03-25 East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena #

03-26 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum #

03-27 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum #

03-30 Chicago, IL - United Center #

03-31 Chicago, IL - United Center #

04-03 Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena #

04-04 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena #

04-06 Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center #

* with Fiona Apple

# with Richard Ashcroft

For latest Coldplay reviews, previews and fan discussion as it happens, keep an eye on the Coldplay Live forum here

The year 2005 was quite a good one for music. Coldplay released the lush X&Y [pictured], with biggest-band-in-the-world written all over it. Kanye West dropped Late Registration, an over-the-top, self-indulgent, yet somehow musically sophisticated record. Late Registration encapsulated the highs and lows of the savior of what I like to call “hip-pop” music. Smaller groups like Arcade Fire and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, as well as not-so-small-anymore rockers The Killers, saw their musical careers go from café gigs to sold-out stadium concerts.

The big question still remains, though... can 2006 top 2005? We’ve already seen disappointing releases, including a weak record from The Strokes. Will the next 11 months bring redemption? We can’t be certain, but here are 10 upcoming releases that just might be your ears’ new best friends (and one that might be their worst)...Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stadium Arcadium — Due out on May 9, one of rock’s biggest bands will emerge with their follow-up to 2002’s By The Way with a double album of 25 funky tracks. With rock and roll legend Rick Rubin on production, it’s hard to see how this is going to be a bad album.

The Shins, Sleeping Lessons or Wincing The Night Away — Expected sometime in May, The Shins’ new release has more of the catchy and uplifting themes that we’ve seen from them in the past. Anyone smell an encore performance at CMU Carnival?

Outkast, Idlewild — It seems like it’s been forever since Outkast put out the boundary-breaking Speakerboxx/Love Below (hard to believe it’s been less than two years). Idlewild — the soundtrack to the movie of the same name — has been pushed back so many times, you’d think it was a Guns ’N Roses album. Alas, the current tentative release date is Valentine’s Day.

Kanye West, Graduation — The third CD in a four-part series, Graduation is expected to drop in late 2006. With a long winter tour of college campuses (including a stop at the University of Pittsburgh) and concert halls behind him, Kanye will (hopefully) return to the studio shortly to work on his upcoming release. The sooner the better, Kanye, the sooner the better.

The Fugees, yet untitled — It’s been a decade since the biggest name in hip-hop put out a record, but the time has finally come. The Fugees have been in the studio and are slated to release their newest CD later this year.

Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not — You may not have heard of them yet, but you sure will on February 21 when their album drops in the U.S. Brit teen-rockers Arctic Monkeys signed with U.K. indie rock label Domino Records (home to rock giants Franz Ferdinand) last spring, and have been getting serious recognition ever since.

Pearl Jam, yet untitled — After relentless touring, Seattle’s grunge-rockers will drop their first disc with J Records, and their eighth overall, in the spring.

John Mayer, Continuum — Love him or hate him, John Mayer has gained recognition from the world of braless babes and legendary musicians. From gigs with jazz legend Herbie Hancock to sold-out concerts of his own, Mayer has undertaken the role of a talented blues guitar player who can appeal to the masses. Look for his new disc this spring.

Tool, yet untitled — It’s been about four years since Tool re-emerged with Lateralus. Although very few details have been released about the new record, the long-awaited follow-up is supposedly due in April or May.

Christian Scott, Rewind That — Nephew of legendary jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison, 22-year-old trumpet phenom Scott will release his debut CD from Concord Jazz on March 28. Although many young jazz musicians are technically proficient, few are creatively exciting. Look for Scott’s record this spring to join the likes of Robert Glasper and other young jazz musicians who are both technically and creatively inspiring.

What not to look for in 2006:

Paris Hilton, yet untitled — Teaming up with producer extraordinaire and ex-Roots keyboardist Scott Storch (who produced hits like Beyoncé’s “Naughty Girl,” 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop,” and many others), Paris Hilton is expected to release her first (and hopefully last) record in April.

Although 2006 got off to a rocky start, it’s showing a lot of promise with these and many other upcoming releases. Look for numerous edgy acts that will push the envelope of pre-existing genres, as well as more generic groups who may lack originality, but make up for it with instrumental prowess and group chemistry. It looks like 2006 might just be the year that the suffering music industry has been waiting for.

Source: http://thetartan.org

You can now vote for Coldplay in the UK’s biggest music awards ceremony - the BRITs. it is to be held at London's Earls Court Arena on 15th February 2006. The show goes out live on ITV1 the following night.

Not only will Coldplay perform at the event, but they have received 4 nominations:

Best British Group

Best British Album [X&Y]

Best British Single [speed of Sound]

Best Live Act [which is voted for by the public]

You can vote online for Speed of Sound [also via UK Commericial radio stations] between 17-29 January 2006 and Best Live Act [also via Radio 2] between 20-29 January 2006.

Click here for more voting details and click here for the full list of nominations on the Official BRITs website.

The debut album by The Arctic Monkeys sold close to 120,000 copies on its first day of release, figures showed today.

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not had been estimated to shift 60,000 copies. But the album did almost double that with sales of 118,501, outselling the rest of the top 20 album chart combined and taking the industry by surprise. It is on course to become the fastest-selling debut album in chart history. The record is currently held by Hearsay's debut Popstars, which sold 306,631 copies in its first week in March 2001, but chart experts believe the Arctic Monkeys could sell more than 350,000.

The Sheffield band's record label Domino has only shipped 250,000 copies of the album to record stores, more will have to be supplied or shops will run out by the end of the week.

HMV head of music Phil Penman said: "We knew Day One sales were going to be big, but nobody could have expected them to be this huge. It's pretty phenomenal, really, it's as if they'd won the X Factor, but achieving the same kind of sales without the benefit of a massive TV audience. They're well on their way to having the first million-selling album of 2006. If it continues to sell at this rate, there's even a danger shops could sell out by the end of the week."

The album has already sold more in one day than the debut efforts from Kaiser Chiefs, Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand sold in their first week.

The four-piece, fronted by Alex Turner, are currently number one in the singles chart with When The Sun Goes Down. They rocketed to fame last year with I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor. The band have four nominations at next month's NME Awards, Best British Band, Best New Band, Best Live Band and Best Track.