"Do you like Jay-Z?" he asked British radio jock Thom Costall of station Harborough FM during an interview Friday. "I've been listening to Jay-Z and Kraftwerk a lot, trying to get inspiration for the last few songs on our album."When he hasn't been listening to hip-hop and electronic music, Martin has been writing lyrics, some of which reflect his recent entry into fatherhood; in May, wife Gwyneth Paltrow gave birth to their daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin.

"Once you're gonna have a baby, [writing about] that kicks in anyway," he said. "So it's been happening for 10 months, but I mean, I'm not singing about [diapers] or anything."

Coldplay have been working on the new album with producer Ken Nelson in New York. Earlier this year, the band recorded some tracks in London and much of the material was demoed in Chicago.

In addition to working on their new record, due early next year, Coldplay hooked up with U.K. rapper Mike Skinner (a.k.a. The Streets) late last year to work on the song "Dry Your Eyes" for his A Grand Don't Come for Free. Originally, Martin was supposed to appear on the chorus, but his vocals were pulled. "There was this version of it in which I sang the chorus," he said, "but I said I didn't think it was as good as the version where [Mike] sang the chorus. Then he didn't think that was as good as the version where some other dude sang the chorus, so neither him nor me sings on the chorus.

"It was cool to spend the day with him," continued Martin. "He's an amazing guy. You know, there are some great rappers coming out, [though] I don't know whether he'd class himself as a rapper or a MC or whatever."

While Martin wasn't too happy with how he sounded on "Dry Your Eyes," he was even less thrilled with one of the tracks he sang on Faultline's 2002 album, Your Love Means Everything, which was recently re-released. Martin's connection with Faultline dates back to 1999, when Coldplay were looking for a producer and he met with Faultline frontman DJ David Kosten. They ended up hiring Ken Nelson but stayed in touch with Kosten.

"He said, 'I've got a couple tracks. Do you want to have a go at singing on them?' And I said, 'That'd be cool,' and then we did [it]. So those two tracks, ['Your Love Means Everything' and 'Where Is My Boy?' are] on there, and ['Where Is My Boy?'] I don't like. I'm embarrassed about my performance on it."

Source: MTV

You can read the full list and details here.

Click on the 'extras/live' section in audio on the official site to listen to part 1.

Titanic star Kate, 28, splashed out £2.1million on the five-bed lovenest with her film director husband Sam Mendes, 38, two years ago. Now Oscar winner Gwyneth and Chris Martin have snapped it up for £2.52million after a boom in prices.The couple, who have a two-month-old daughter, Apple, will count actors Jude Law and Helena-Bonham Carter as neighbours in a leafy area of North London. Higher walls and security gates are being installed at the sprawling four-storey property ready for them to move in later this month.

They had been keen to leave their current £2million home in upmarket Belgravia. A source said: "Chris and Gwyneth were desperate to live in this new home. The house is in a beautiful conservation area and has a huge garden.

"They will get much less hassle now - there are lots of celebrities in the area seeking normal lives away from the unwanted attention you get in other parts of London."

Kate has been friends with Gwyneth for years - and took over the Titanic role which propelled her to stardom after the American turned it down. Gwyneth has also known Sam since the 1990s when she appeared in a play at London's Donmar Warehouse theatre when he was the director there.

Mother-of-two Kate and Sam will hardly be left out in the street after selling the house. They own a string of properties in London and in Oxford and are currently renovating their dream home in the Cotswolds which they bought two years ago for £3.5million.

Source: Sunday Mirror

The singer - who gave birth to her daughter in September 2003 - enjoyed a string of romantic dates with the Chris Martin before he went on to find happiness with new wife Gwyneth Paltrow.

So when the roving reporter asked if Nelly had remained in contact with Martin - who is now the proud father of baby Apple - Nelly happily replied, "Yeah, we speak all the time." But when the journalist inquired whether Nelly had been chatting to the Oscar-winning actress about motherhood, Nelly snapped, "Yeah, you're really funny, you know that?"

Source: ContactMusic

The most popular 104 songs from this year's poll will make up the shortlist which will be played out in full on August Bank Holiday. Vote now for the chance to win 104 Xfm gig tickets and help Coldplay beat their number 8 spot.

For more details, click here.

It's a subtle yet striking detail for an artist who appears on the covers of his album dressed as a charro, surrounded by mariachis, horses and tequila. The truth is, this singer has a rock 'n' roll soul.

Sure, Aguilar can talk for hours about ranchera music, especially about his famous parents, ranchera icon Antonio Aguilar and legendary actress Flor Silvestre. But it's when he talks about rock, especially about such bands as Rush, Pink Floyd or System of a Down, that excitement truly takes over.

"Pink Floyd is the real deal," said the 35-year-old Grammy-winning singer. "The last album by (Argentine rock-pop singer) Gustavo Cerati was awesome, and so was (Mexican hip-hop group) Control Machete's. But I really like Coldplay. Wow, it's been a long time since I heard such a cool band."

Read the rest of the article here.

The song, originally recorded with the working titled 'Coldplay', also features lyrics from Coldplay's 'Sparks'.

The Brandy song starts "I'm sittin' home on a cold day / Underneath the covers like a little baby I think I wanna hear some Coldplay/ Especially that song where the man says / "Did I drive you away? I know what your sayin'"/ (Yeah, yeah, yeah) / Ooh, whoa, whoa / I know all about your ways."

The Coldplay fascination goes even further. The final track on the album titled 'Should I Go' samples Coldplay's 'Clocks'. Brandy makes no secret of the fact she is a fan of Coldplay. "I think they are one of the greatest bands alive" she told MTV.

Source: Undercover.

The vocalist, who releases her new album 'Afrodisiac' later this month, told MTV News about her love of Chris Martin and co. "I love Coldplay," she said. "I think they’re one of the greatest bands alive."

"We sampled their song 'Clocks' for the track 'Should I Go'." Brandy went on to say that Coldplay provided inspiration for 'I Try'. "I sing about how if I’m depressed and need to know my spirits are lifted, I turn on a Coldplay song."

Brandy's new single 'Talk About Our Love', featuring Kanye West, was released on Monday (June 14) and looks set to enter inside the top ten.

Source: MTV

Britney is a huge fan of the band and her dream if for them to play their hit song Yellow on her big day. According to reports, Spears has enlisted mutual friend Madonna to arrange a meeting.

A source tells British newspaper the Daily Star, "She's willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Money is no object."

Source: ContactMusic

Read the full article here.

The band flew out earlier this month with producer Ken Nelson to a top-secret studio to record more songs for the follow-up to A Rush Of Blood To The Head. It's their third studio session after demoing the album in Chicago and recording in London earlier this year.

A source told NME.com: "The group have been in London working at various studios and now they've flown out to the US. It's still very much early days but they're hoping to get it finished before the year's out."

Source: Ananova

Oasis smash (What's the Story) Morning Glory (1995) came second in the poll.

Californication was released five years ago and has gone on to sell more than 15 million copies for the American rock band, who first emerged in 1983. Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) takes third place, in front of the album Irish legends U2 released in the same year, All that You Can't Leave Behind.

Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) and Radiohead's OK Computer (1997) take joint fifth and sixth place. Coldplay's debut Parachutes (2000) is seventh in the FHM poll, followed by the Prodigy's the Fat of the Land (1997).

The oldest album in the top 10 - Blur's Parklife (1994) - came ninth, followed by The Verve's Urban Hymns (1997). U2 were also voted the best band of the past decade in the survey by FHM magazine, followed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis and Coldplay.

The Matrix (1999), starring Keanu Reeves, was voted the best film of the decade, followed by the last in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Return of the King, Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994), The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and Fight Club (1999).

FHM surveyed 100,000 people online.

Source: Sky News

1 Eminem Bad-boy rapper Marshall Mathers III has sparked controversy with his extreme lyrics and courtroom battles with his former wife and mother (for lines such as "my mother smokes more dope than I do"), but he is an astute businessman with his own range of clothes. He also used his influence to persuade 75,000 young people to register to vote. And he doesn't do cheesy endorsements - he sued Apple for using one of his songs without permission.

2 Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive The co-founder of Apple and his creative sidekick have revolutionised the music industry with the invention of the iPod. The iTunes music store has been heralded as the saviour of the industry.

3 L Lowry Mays As the chief executive of the world's largest media conglomerate, Clear Channel, Mays employs 60,000 people in 66 countries. A former associate of George Bush, Mays owns more than 50 per cent of rock radio in the US.

4 Doug Morris The chief executive of Universal has been in the music business for more than 40 years, starting out as a song writer and penning hits such as the Chiffons' "Sweet Talkin' Guy". Wields huge power in the industry.

5 Edgar Bronfman Jnr As chairman of the Warner Music Group, the 49-year-old father of seven oversees artists including Madonna and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But he is planning to cut 1,000 jobs.

6 Andre 3000 The frontman of OutKast, Andre "3000" Benjamin is refusing to play the music industry's game and has threatened to quit music for film.He is about to star in Be Cool, the sequel to Get Shorty.

7 Jimmy Iovine A former producer, Iovine built up Interscope records, whose artists include Eminem and U2 in America. His recent contract with parent company Universal Music was worth $50m.

8 Sir Howard Stringer Chief executive of the Sony Corporation and highest placed Brit on the list. The saviour of Columbia Pictures and CBS Television, his next task is to launch Sony's online music store.

9 Bono The Irish rock legend has forged a second career as a campaigner on global issues, including Aids. When he is not managing the U2 brand, which nets about £35m a year, he is doing good deeds.

10 Chris Martin One minute the Coldplay frontman was a geek in an anorak, the next he was a world famous singer with two albums and a Hollywood star, Gwyneth Paltrow, on his arm.11 50 Cent The bullet-scarred gangsta rapper signed by Eminem and Dr Dre has his own line of trainers. His new album and an autobiography about his upbringing in New York are out in the autumn.

12 Rick Rubin The most influential producer working today, he co-founded Def Jam, worked with Run-DMC and Aerosmith, made albums with Johnny Cash and produces the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

13 Rolf Schmidt-Holtz Chairman and chief executive of BMG, he oversees Avril Lavigne and Pink. Currently masterminding BMG's merger with Sony and expected to become chairman of the group.

14 Clive Davis The head of BMG North America was axed in 2000, and retaliated by setting up his own label and discovering Alicia Keys. BMG then offered him $150m to rejoin the company.

15 Simon Fuller The creator of Pop Idol and former manager of the Spice Girls owns 19 Entertainment, managing artists such as Gareth Gates. The Pop Idol format has been exported to 18 countries.

16 Sir Paul McCartney The 62-year-old former Beatle, who headlined the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday night, is currently on a summer tour of Europe and also has a new album on the way.

17 Britney Spears The show is not over. She duetted with Madonna and her last hit, "Toxic," was her first number one since "Oops! I Did It Again". She has a greatest hits album coming out next year.

18 Jack White Fans of the White Stripes frontman range from Iggy Pop to Joss Stone and he is dating the actress Renée Zellweger. He turned down $1m for a Gap advert.

19 Dr Dre The founding father of gangsta rap with NWA in the Eighties was behind artists including Tupac, Snoop Dogg and Eminem, and can claim much of the credit for the success of 50 Cent. Dr Dre recently decided to abandon recording the final album of his career, which was to be called Detox. He is currently producing Busta Rhymes' next album, due for release next year, and continues to work with rappers including The Game.

20 Van Toffler The president of MTV is credited with reviving the career of Ozzy Osbourne by bringing his dysfunctional family to the small screen. He also brought the wacky gore-fest Jackass to MTV.

21 Lyor Cohen

The new chief executive of US recorded music for Warner Bros.

22 Kanye West

The producer-turned rapper dubbed "the new Pharrell".

23 Bob Dylan The rock legend whose debut album was released 42 years ago.

24 Michael Gondry Music video director behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

25 Dave Grohl Lead singer of the Foo Fighters.

26 Alan Levy The Frenchman who runs EMI.

27 Madonna The pop legend who now wants to be known as Esther.

28 Beyoncé Knowles Solo artist and former member of Destiny's Child.

29 Michael Bebel The boss of Napster, the now legitimate former music pirates.

30 Thom Yorke Radiohead frontman.

31 Rich Harrison R&B producer whose clients include Janet Jackson and Usher.

32 Yoko Ono John Lennon's widow and the chief curator of his legacy.

33 Terry McBride Head of Nettwerk Productions and manager-mogul to Dido

34 R Kelly R&B legend who is facing child-porn charges.

35 Spike Jonze Music video producer for the Beastie Boys and Fat Boy Slim

36 Antonio "LA" Reid R&B hitmaker turned Def-Jam chairman.

37 Linda Perry Grammy-nominated songwriter who penned Pink's "Get the Party Started".

38 Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo, The Neptunes Music producers behind Justin Timberlake..

39 Jay Berman Head of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.

40 Dido The British female solo artist who has enjoyed huge international success.

41 Rod Smallwood & Andy Taylor Heads of music management group Sanctuary.

42 Usher America's favourite R&B singer.

43 Jeff Kwatinetz Chief executive of The Firm whose clients include Limp Bizkit.

44 Kevin Weatherly Head of Los Angeles radio station KROQ and the Infinity radio network.

45 David Bowie The rock star is recording an album.

46 Justin Timberlake The former boy-band member who has made it as a solo star.

47 Red Hot Chilli Peppers: Anthony Keidis, Flea, John Fruscianti, Chad Smith Californian rockers who have recently enjoyed a revival.

48 Jay Z Hip-hop legend who turned the Roc-A-Fella label into an urban lifestyle brand.

49 Prince The pint-sized artist is touring the world with his new album Musicology.

50 Norah Jones Ravi Shankar's daughter has sold more than 25 million records in her own right.

51 Korda Marshall Managing director of East West UK and the executive behind The Darkness and Muse.

52 Beastie Boys The rappers have now turned into political activists.

53 Mick Jagger & Keith Richards The pair have made more than $750m out of Rolling Stones tours since 1989.

54 Simon Cowell Pop Idol presenter and music tycoon.

55 Robbie Williams Former Take That member is planning new singles and a greatest-hits album.

56 George Michael The most-played artist on UK radio over the past 20 years.

57 Gwen Stefani The frontwoman of No Doubt

58 Tim Armstrong Californian rocker and songwriter.

59 Christina Aguilera US pop diva.

60 Big Boi Andre 3000's partner in OutKast

61 Bruce Springsteen Rock veteran whose tours still sell out.

62 Cliff Burnstein & Peter Mensch A&R men at Q Prime Management behind Metallica, Def Leppard and Shania Twain

63 Martin Dodd Senior vice president Worldwide A&R, Sony who masterminded Britney Spears's success

64 Timbaland R&B producer who made Missy Elliott and Aaliyah

65 David LaChappelle Pop photographer who was given his first job by Andy Warhol.

66 Cathy Dennis Former

90s pop singer turned songwriter.

67 Courtney Love The key custodian of Kurt Cobain's back catalogue

68 Metallica: James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammet, Rob Trujillio Veterans of heavy rock.

69 Axl Rose The front man of rockers Guns'N'Roses.

70 John Silva The manager of Nirvana who now oversees the Foo Fighters and the Beastie Boys.

71 Sharon Osbourne The power behind Ozzy.

72 Alex Jones Donnelly Editor of music policy, Radio 1

73 Missy Elliott Hip-hop singer who starred in a Gap advert with Madonna (sorry, Esther).

74 Nigel Godrich Record producer favoured by Radiohead and Travis.

75 Kelly Jones Stereophonics frontman.

76 Beck Individualistic artist whose record contract allows him to do whatever he wants.

77 Morrissey The iconic former frontman of the Smiths.

78 Noel Gallagher Oasis singer-songwriter.

79 Kylie Minogue Australian pop singer who has enjoyed enduring success.

80 Irving Azoff Manager whose clients include Christina Aguilera and the Eagles.

81 Russell Simmons The head of a $300m hip-hop empire.

82 Matt Bellamy The frontman of West Country indie band Muse, who headlined Glastonbury on Sunday.

83 Josh Homme The front man of Queens of the Stone Age.

84 Geoff Travis The indie mastermind behind the Strokes and the Libertines.

85 Janet Jackson Still going strong despite her "wardrobe malfunction" on stage this year.

86 Marilyn Manson The weird-looking rocker and bane of US Christians.

87 Joseph Kahn MTV video director who made the video for Britney Spears's Toxic.

88 Lil' Jon Rap DJ and producer.

89 Sean Paul Jamaican R&B star who has duetted with Beyoncé.

90 Alicia Keys Singer-songwriter who rose to fame as a teenager.

91 Danger Mouse Producer behind the Grey Album, a mix of Jay-Z and the Beatles.

92 Michael Parkinson The Saturday night chat-show host and Radio 2 DJ.

93 Vince Power The head of the Mean Fiddler Group, the festival promoters behind Glastonbury, Reading and Creamfields.

94 Jack Black Star of the film School of Rock.

95 Tim Westwood Veteran hip-hop DJ.

96 Liam Howlett The mastermind of The Prodigy.

97 Ryan Adams Singer-songwriter whose second album Love is Hell was rapturously received.

98 Rollo Armstrong Dido's producer, co-writer and brother.

99 Michael Eavis Founder of Glastonbury.

100 Mike Skinner The voice of The Streets, credited with capturing Britain in 2004.

He started life in a trailer park, has been sued by his mother for claiming she smokes more dope than he does and strikes curious poses with chainsaws.

It might not be the typical profile of a mogul, but in a new survey Marshall Bruce Mathers III, aka Eminem, has been voted the most powerful person in the music industry.

The famously foulmouthed rapper burst onto the music scene in 1999 with his Slim Shady album, but away from his bad boy image Eminem has shown cool business prowess, launching Shady-wear clothing.

He recently used his massive popular appeal to persuade 75,000 young people to register to vote for the first time at the Hip Hop Summit Action Network in Detroit in May.

"There's a generation of people who listen to what he has to say in the same way as the great spokespeople for previous generations, such as Bob Dylan and John Lydon," said Gareth Grundy, the deputy editor of Q magazine, which has compiled a list of the 100 most powerful people in music.

"These are the kind of people who can get what they want just by making a phone call. How much can they get just by picking up the phone? With someone like Bono - he can get through to the White House," Mr Grundy added.

Bono, who combines managing the U2 mega-brand with campaigning on global issues - he recently testified to the US Congress on why President George Bush should put more money into fighting Aids - is at number nine.

Americans dominate the list, with about half of the top 100 hailing from the US.

The highest placed Brit, at number eight, is Sir Howard Stringer, the rugby-loving, Oxford-educated Welshman who is the chairman and chief executive of the Sony Corporation. But Sir Howard, whose next big task is to oversee the launch of Sony's online music store in the UK and Europe, moved to the US in the 1960s.

"It reflects the state of the global music industry, which is dominated by US multinationals," Mr Grundy said.

Traditionalists will be relieved to see Sir Paul McCartney, who headlined the main stage at Glastonbury on Saturday night, at 16; Bob Dylan, who recently played the London Fleadh 42 years after the release of his debut album, at 23; and David Bowie at 45.

John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, also makes it onto the list at 32, because "without her there'd be nobody to say 'No' to Paul McCartney". Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, who have generated $750m from Rolling Stones tours since 1989, are ranked at 53.

The cream of the British music scene is recognised, including Coldplay frontman Chris Martin (10), Radiohead's Thom Yorke (30), Dido (40) and her producer, co-writer and brother, Rollo, placed at 98.

Mainstream pop artists including Kylie Minogue (79), Madonna (27), Britney Spears (17), George Michael (56) and Robbie Williams (55), are also included.

The list was drawn up by a 17-strong panel of rock royalty, including the Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie, Universal Music's UK chief, Lucian Grainge, the hop-hop DJ, Tim Westwood, the Glastonbury founder, Michael Eavis, and School of Rock star Jack Black.

Perhaps one of the greatest surprises is the presence of the Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, and his creative sidekick Jonathan Ive at number two on the list. The high positioning of the computer industry executives reflects the burgeoning online music sales industry, with the recent relaunch of Napster and Apple's iTunes.

"Their move into the music business is what everybody's looking at," Mr Grundy said. "They've really shaken things up with iPods and iTunes. It looks as though they're going to turn out to be as important as the compact disc. It seems to be a seismic shift in the way we consume music."

According to The Sun, the bad boy of the music industry won over rock icons like Bob Dylan who was voted as the 26th most powerful musician and Sir Paul McCartney who was listed at number 16.

U2 frontman Bono piped Coldplay singer Chris Martin to the 9th spot on the list, which named the 100 most powerful people in the music industry. Britney Spears was voted as the 17th most powerful artist.

The survey threw up more surprises as the creator of iPod, Jonathan Ive tied up with Apple boss Steve Job to be voted at the second spot. The two were chosen because of their contribution to he music industry.

Source: WebIndia123

There is a 15% discount for visitors to Coldplaying.com. The promotion code is "RRFANS." Please quote that code and this website.

Visit the site and Download the press release.

Tracklisting is as follows:

01. SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY - U2*

02. PRIDE & JOY - Stevie Ray Vaughan

03. POLITIK - Coldplay

04. BREAK YOU OFF - The Roots

05. SCREAMING JOHN - Soniadada

06. SOULSHINE - Gov't Mule

07. A SORTA FAIRYTALE - Tori Amos

08. DIAMONDS ON THE INSIDE - Ben Harper

09. BEER FOR MY HORSES - Willie Nelson

10. PRETTY PERSUASION - R.E.M.

(*previously released)

A friend says: "Gwyneth wants Apple to appreciate classical music. Mozart is on most of the time - with a teeny bit of Coldplay, but only softly."

The star has reportedly even taken to putting a DVD of her film Shakespeare in Love on when she goes out, so Apple can be comforted by her mother's voice. It certainly sounds like Gwyn hasn't lost her sense of humour, accepting an award on her late father's behalf earlier this week, she told the crowd: "I feel so honoured that you have honoured our family – sorry, repetition of the word honoured. Sorry, I've just had a baby. My brain cells are coming out of my breast milk."

Source: Ananova

Read the full article here.After a phenomenal debut that appears to be a certified indie classic, newcomer Brit rock outfit Keane is fast looking to take bigger steps abroad. ZACK YUSOF gets on the line with the biggest band, so far, in Britain this year.

THE typical record company attitude towards British alternative bands in Malaysia nowadays is that they are notoriously hard to promote unlike their ultra commercial and infinitely less interesting American counterparts. Apparently, these acts are viewed as too controversial, too intelligent or too ironic for the predictable tastes of “no-brains-required” format radio here. You can pick your excuse.

When is the last time you heard a Radiohead track or even a whiff of The Streets on the airwaves in this country? Never.

So how about Franz Ferdinand, anyone? Didn’t think so.

In the recent years, the only rare Brit breakthrough act was the multi-million unit-shifting Coldplay, who’s universal appeal makes a mockery of the national radio’s unwarranted bias towards British acts.

Following hot on the heels of Coldplay success (and current absence) is the newly crowned epic pop outfit Keane, Britain’s official “next big thing” this year. Treading the same mellow, melodic path as Chris Martin and company, Keane is the alternative band that even your parents could take to.

While local radio may invariably find grounds to dismiss Keane’s catchy, anthemic rock from our airwaves, the rest of the world seems to be catching to Keane’s vast potential quickly.

Touted by the impressionable Brit music press as “the new Coldplay” and “one of the greatest British bands to emerge in the last 10 years,” Keane has emerged as a household name in record time, in the Britain at least. Comprising baby-faced front man Tom Chaplin, gangly and slightly dishevelled pianist Tim Rice-Oxley and drummer Richard Hughes, the band formed in 1997 at a posh Hastings secondary school.

After attracting acclaim last year with a deal with London’s Fierce Panda (the influential indie label that housed early Idlewild, Coldplay and Supergrass), it can’t be denied Keane had a steady start to the top of the pile. The group’s Everything Changes single from Fierce Panda has been trading hands at exorbitant prices. The indie fans were hooked. But the masses were ripe for the taking – plying the dingy indie club circuit and playing music festivals followed next. An audience was building and the Brit music press were fawning. The guitar-less trio sparked off a frenzied bidding war by the majors late last year.

The result? Island Universal snapped up the band. The wheels were set in motion.

The group’s first major label single proper, the majestic Somewhere Only We Know, made its debut at No.3 on the Brit singles charts. The second, an equally melodic Everybody’s Changing (different from the Fierce Panda version) also did brisk business in the charts, confirming the band’s status as the hottest new band in Britain.

If the hit singles were headline grabbing, then the band’s debut long player Hopes and Fears served notice that Keane were out to impress further. Walking the fine line between anthemic stadium rockers, sensitive balladry and overblown bombast, Keane’s music evokes the yearning melodies and atmospherics of Brit indie rock at its finest.

Think Travis, Radiohead and Coldplay with sweeter melodies and lush radio friendly production and you’ll be in the ballpark. Apart from the singles, Hopes and Fears manages to maintain the quality without going over old ground. After a only few a listens, memorable songs like This Is The Last Time, Sunshine, Bedshaped and We Might As Well be Strangers will seem like old friends.

While the band’s success may have seemed like it happened overnight to a lot of people, the fact of the matter is that Keane was the by-product of years of perseverance and hard graft.

“I think in a way that sort of makes it feel doubly satisfying because we sort of feel that we’ve put in the time and effort,” reckoned Keane’s affable drummer Richard Hughes over a crackly international connection recently.

Hughes was calling from Chicago where the band were supporting West-Coast outfit Rooney.

“We’ve been doing this for a long time and we’ve put everything that we had into it. So yeah, it’s incredibly satisfying to have an album out and be able to tour and have people show up because they want to hear your songs. It’s incredible.”

Many detractors feel Keane, with big budgets to work on, were a product of a massive major label onslaught.

Hughes argued: “We really didn’t think beyond the album and we certainly had no idea that it would take off so quickly. We didn’t expect anything because we have learnt not to expect things (laughs). We just try and do what we can and see what happens. Like I said before, we had played shows for a very long time and it’s been a long haul for us just to get the album out.”

The fact that Keane operates without a guitarist has probably hampered the band more than anything. Keane has been described as a “guilty pleasure” to a lot of indie rock fans in that they are not your typical cool rock ‘n’ roll outfit to fall in love with, a claim which Hughes strongly refutes. It hardly has the swagger of early Oasis or the common people edge that Pulp could boast.

“I don’t know if that is true actually. I’ve never had the impression that people are kind of ashamed to like us. Our opinion is that being rock ‘n’ roll is either made up or just for show with a lot of bands around today, “ sneered the drummer, sounding more animated than any point during the interview.

“I mean, we don’t go out and get wasted every night. I don’t even think that all the bands that say they do, necessarily do it that much. Do you know what I mean? We’re not ashamed about it; we’re just who we are. We don’t pretend to be anything but quite normal people. The whole rock ‘n’ roll thing is a load of rubbish and we are not ashamed to say that. People are either going to accept us for that or laugh at us for not being cool. I don’t get the impression that people particularly care about that with us. We’ll just have to wait and see. It’s not the 1970s anymore, no matter what The Darkness will have you believe.”

For the record, Keane used to have a guitarist when it first started out but he left the band in 2001.

“He just had enough. We weren’t making any progress and he decided to do something else,” recalled Hughes. Without a guitarist, the band then happened upon its sweet, melodic sound, arriving at its current set of instruments by “by default.”

Rice-Oxley, who was playing bass in the band at this point, decided that he wanted to concentrate on playing piano. At the same time, Chaplin stopped playing guitar because he felt that it was a barrier between him and the audience. From that point, everything just fell into place for these Sussex-raised lads. The tunes just kept flowing.

Asked to pick his favourite song on the album, Hughes opted for one of the songs that the band wrote quite late on entitled We Might As Well Be Strangers.

“That’s definitely one of my favourite songs on the album. It’s really raw and definitely one of the darkest moments on the album. It’s a real favourite and one that really goes down well live.”

At the end of the day, what Keane demands (from the music) is that it makes an emotional connection with the audience whether live or on record. For the band, that remains an absolute.

“The music and the songwriters that we love all strive to do that, to make music that one can relate to. Put it this way: the emotional connection is a major part of our music. We try to write honest songs. We always try to write from the heart and not hold anything back. The best thing that we can ever find out about our music is that people send us an email or come up to us at gigs and say ‘that song really means something’ or ‘that song really helped me out.’ That’s pretty much the biggest compliment you can get,” Hughes said.

Keane might not blaze format radio stations here despite its mass appeal and indie cred everywhere else. The fingers point at local radio programmers and their reluctance to inject more Brit quality on the airwaves.

But obviously, this is one promising Brit band that won’t be denied if the indie groundswell gets going.

Keane’s Hopes and Fears is now out on Universal Malaysia.

The interview has surfaced on Coldplay's official website recently appeared in the painfully fashionable Andy Warhol-lauched US style mag ‘Interview’. In it Martin raves about Elbow's last album 'Cast Of Thousands' stating "I think it’s the best album by anybody except Coldplay. Ever."When Martin asks Garvey about what he’s up to next the Elbow singer reveals that he’s been working on a new track with legendary ‘60s French chanteuse Jane Birkin in mind.

“I’m writing a duet and there’s a chance Jane Birkin is going to sing it with me,” explains Garvey, “so I’m really chuffed about that.”

”Wow! The lady who sang with Serge Gainsbourg!” Martin exclaimed [birkin recorded heavy-breathing classic ‘Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus’ with Gainsbourg in 1970] Are you as much as a womaniser as he was?”

“No Chris,” replies Garvey, “I won’t be putting no saucy trousers on again.”

There is also a confirmation that despite rumours to the contrary, Coldplay will not be playing any live dates this year (at all) and while the band have been out of the public eye, work is still progressing on the follow up to 2002’s ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’.

“2004 has so far been a fairly quiet year for Coldplay as far as releases and live dates,” a statement from a band representative reads, “Behind the scenes however, there has been much activity in the Recording Studio. The last two years have been extremely busy for the band and they want to take their time over the next album and have some well earned rest before coming back.

"It's too early to make any official comments yet and as is the norm, the band are keeping everything under wraps, so I haven't heard anything yet. I can tell you that things are going very well and those in the know say it's sounding amazing!

"There will be no gigs in 2004, this includes festival appearances. The next live dates will probably coincide with new material so there are no definite dates at all as yet. As usual, all such tour news will be announced on the website."

Source: XFM

There are also doubts over Apple’s claims of having more than 700,000 tracks on iTunes, with just four records in the current Top 10 available for purchase. Furthermore, big name artists such as Coldplay, Oasis and David Gray are conspicuous by their absence - despite being available on the US store.The lack of songs from artists on independent record labels - which account for a quarter of the UK market - has left iTunes looking like a poorly-stocked American import store, lacking local talent such as Travis and Franz Ferdinand.

"Most Scottish acts are on independent labels," says Alison Wenham, chairman and chief executive of the Association of Independent Music (AIM), which represents the majority of the UK’s indie labels.

"Celtic acts typically start off very strong in their home market and this niche initially makes them attractive to independent labels. It’s a great shame many of them aren’t on iTunes."

Scotland on Sunday has learned that AIM first called a meeting with Apple last summer following the hugely successful launch of iTunes in the States, where it commands 70% of the music download market.

"I sent a team to explain how we work in Europe," says Wenham, "but they refused to recognise collective management as a more efficient way to secure rights."

In an apparent bid to force their hand, Apple instead issued contracts directly to a select few independent labels a mere seven days before the UK store’s launch.

On close inspection the indies discovered they were being offered a lesser deal than the major record companies - a claim Apple publicly rejects - and talks between the two sides last weekend broke down.

One record industry insider said: "It seems as if the timing of the iTunes launch was dictated more by the speed of the competition, rather than a desire to offer a complete service."

It is believed Apple was pressured into an early launch following Napster’s entry into the UK market a month ago.

Napster, once the scourge of the music industry for its illegal online song-swapping service, was relaunched as a legal, paid-for service in the US last October.

Napster’s song prices, at £1.09 per track, are much higher than Apple’s 79p. Napster also offers a monthly subscription service which offers users extra features such as unlimited song streams, in which music can be listened to but not copied.

Revenue from subscription services is important to many companies in the digital music market because profits on individual song downloads are extremely slim.

Indeed, Apple’s chief executive, Steve Jobs, finds it difficult to understand how his competitors are making money. "We’re breaking even, maybe making a tiny bit of money," claims Jobs. Pressed on how much the record companies make, Jobs would only say: "It’s large!"

Apple’s primary profit stream comes from sales of its iPod - the portable music device on which users can play tracks that have been downloaded to their PCs.

Until now, iPod users copied (or ‘ripped’) music from their own CDs or acquired it illegally through peer-to-peer applications such as KaZaA and LimeWire. The launch of the iTunes store is simply designed to make the process of acquiring music much more convenient.

The iPod has achieved

iconic status since its launch in 2001, becoming the Walkman of the internet generation. It has stacked up sales of more than three million, becoming a particular hit in the UK where it accounted for one in six of global iPod sales last Christmas - the biggest single market in Europe.

It is the vertical integration between iTunes (the software) and the iPod (the hardware) that has been key to Apple’s success. Because it owns "the whole widget", Apple can control the user experience from beginning to end.

As well as being an online store, iTunes acts as a digital jukebox for organising and playing songs. When the iPod is connected to a PC it seamlessly grabs any songs that have been added to iTunes since the last update. Quite simply, it lets users take their entire music collection and enjoy it on the go.

Curiously "vertical integration" was used by Apple last week as an argument against the merger by music giants Sony and BMG. In its submission to the European Commission, Apple expressed fears that Sony, which is expected to launch its own online service in the UK later this month, will offer favourable terms to its own artists.

Whatever the outcome of the proposed merger, analysts still predict Apple will continue to be one of the dominant players in this emerging market. But as a relative latecomer in the UK market, Apple may not achieve the monopoly it has enjoyed in the States. Analysts say we will not be able to judge whose launch has been most successful until the start of next year, following the crucial Christmas season.

"The success of these stores is so inextricably linked to the sales of digital devices," says Mark Mulligan of Jupiter Research. "This is where Apple wins as they’ve created a powerful brand around both iTunes and the iPod."

Perhaps the biggest threat, as Apple’s Steve Jobs points out, is the pirate services which continue to prosper.

The challenge is immense: how do you convince a whole generation of teenagers, now accustomed to acquiring their music for free, to start paying 79p per track?

Apple doesn’t believe you can. With the most popular model of iPod retailing at nearly £300, it is clear their core market is the over-25s. Furthermore, all the online stores currently require a credit card to purchase music, therefore excluding most teenagers.

Busy, tech-savvy professionals seem to be a particular target. Jobs says iTunes will attract the kind of people who just don’t have the time to search for illegal tracks.

"You get really unreliable downloads," he says of the illegal download services. "You have to try several times before you actually get the song. And then you find that it was encoded by a 10-year-old and the last five seconds was cut off."

Jobs believes that by offering a better, more reliable product, Apple can attract music fans willing to pay. The company is also providing added-value services such as exclusive songs and music videos. It is also trying to persuade the record companies to offer deleted records which cannot be found in the high street shops.

Indeed, it is those bricks-and-mortar stores that are likely to see the biggest challenge from the online world. Recognising the threat, both HMV and Virgin have launched their own online stores backed by OD2, the distribution and technology platform co-founded by rock star Peter Gabriel.

"We very much expect to be a player in this market," says Paul Barker of HMV. "But it’s a market in its pre-infancy and nobody knows for sure how big it will be."

Currently, online revenues account for just under 2% of the US record market. Jobs thinks this could rise to 5% within the next two years but remains cautious.

"All these transitions take a long time," he says. "Who knows what’s going to happen in the long run, but in the short run I think record stores have their own issues."

The big issue for Apple remains its public spat with the independent record companies. Both sides are keen to come to an agreement and continue to talk following last week’s iTunes launch.

Given Apple’s 70% market share in the States, it might be argued that the independents need Apple more than Apple needs them. However, Simon Wheeler of Beggars Group, doesn’t see it that way.

"It simply makes it even more important that we get acceptable terms, otherwise they’ll become an even bigger monopoly, and that would be incredibly dangerous thing for the independent industry," he says.

Source: Scotsman

She explains, "Sometimes I listen to music in order to help me cry in a scene - I listen to Coldplay for that. Music definitely helps me in my acting. Especially Coldplay."

Source: ContactMusic

The Webster Hall crowd was teeming with feverish anticipation for these Glaswegian post-punkers. Hipsters were dressed in full regalia, the female contingent was out in force and celebrity sightings included Coldplay's Chris Martin, Kate Moss (who reportedly pitched a fit when she was denied backstage access), Julian Lennon, the Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr., actress Natasha Lyonne and Johnny Knoxville.Decked out in tight-fitting, stylish shirts (stripes and dots), coiffed hair, sharp slacks and dress shoes, you'd think the Franz boys were off to a GQ photo shoot instead of Webster Hall's stage. The band's songs often deal with the darker side of relationships, so it was appropriate that the 45-minute set started off with "Cheating on You." Drummer Paul Thomson rode the song's disco-ish, hi-hat-driven beat like his life depended on it as the crowd danced along furiously.

Although bassist Bob Hardy was virtually motionless (glaring at the crowd with an eerie, serial-killer-like stare), singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos and guitarist Nick McCarthy held the crowd's attention with ease, shaking their hips and apparently enjoying themselves as much as the fans.

Part of the band's appeal is that it manages to incorporate a wide variety of '70s and '80s influences without ever sounding like anyone else. Prickly, asymmetrical guitar lines ("Tell Her Tonight") brought to mind the British post-punk era of Josef K and the Fall; "Jacqueline" began like a suave Serge Gainsbourg lullaby before erupting into a nervy and bouncy collision of spiky guitars and vigorous drums; and the new-wave keyboards of "Come on Home" evoke visions of Roxy Music and Let's Dance-era David Bowie (see "Franz Ferdinand Get The Jaded Hipsters To Shake It").

Yet most striking is the incredible confidence the band displays onstage. Self-assured, poised and cool, the skinny boys had the swagger of Mick Jagger in his prime (they also seemed to bite his style a little).

The lid came off when Franz tore into their hit single, "Take Me Out," causing the audience to erupt into a pogo stomp that you could feel through the floor. The band left the stage after delivering the jagged punch of "Darts of Pleasure," with Kapranos and McCarthy falling to a heap on the floor after posing back-to-back a là Slash and Izzy.

Fittingly, the gang of four ended their encore with a raucous version of "This Fire," the song's chorus providing a perfect metaphor for the show: "This fire is outta control/ We're gonna burn this city, burn this city!"

Set list:

"Cheating on You"

"Come on Home"

"Auf Achse"

"Tell Her Tonight"

"Jaqcueline"

"40 Feet"

"Take Me Out"

"Love and Destroy"

"The Dark of the Matinée"

"Van Tango"

"Michael"

"Darts of Pleasure"

Encore:

"Shopping for Blood"

"This Fire"

Source: MTV.com

By the time the rest of the world bear-hugged the group's 2002 follow-up, "A Rush of Blood to the Head," Coldplay had become the only British band to successfully steamroll into the rough-and-tumble American market since the Beatles. (Last year, they sold out the 14,000-seater Madison Square Garden in less than 45 minutes.) Two Grammys and loads of best-of lists later, their sophomore CD has also managed to make top-drawer celebrities like David Bowie, Rachel Weisz, Mike Myers and Woody Harrelson woefully hysterical. That's a crazy huge jackpot for a band that frontman Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion once named Starfish.

Turning down blindingly lucrative deals from Coke and Gap, Coldplay has stuck to a relatively medieval all-for-one stance, which has made them the poster boys for fledgling pop stars with integrity. On the other side of the deal, record companies have also started to chain smoke bands in search of one that possesses a similar mix of grassroots dedication, sensitive songwriting, and overwhelming ordinariness.

However, now that radio has pushed the Coldplay sound to the brink of overkill and their scruffy front man has been effectively Paltrowed by the tabloids, will Coldplay soon become Oldplay? (On that note, is Gwyneth the Yoko who'll tear the band apart? I really hope not.) If Coldplay is the post-Radiohead band of the British indie scene, who will take their place in a post-Coldplay world? According to word on the street, these are the five likely gonnabes:

Keane

Provenance: Hastings, England

Breakout single: "Everybody's Changing" (2004)

All 12 scuffed up tracks on "Hopes and Fears" sum up life at the deeper end of the pool but lift the introspection to slightly happier levels with the use of a new serious rock instrument called the piano. Keane have nothing in common with Coldplay save for a predilection for decadent sleeper-style choruses and perhaps indie label Fierce Panda, who once housed both acts as well as Supergrass and Idlewild. Tom Chaplin's articulate warbling on this, Keane's inaugural effort, will not culture shock hardcore Coldplay fans, especially those who prefer to swaddle themselves with tortured, forlorn music even on a really sunny day.

Coldplay quality: High

Turin Brakes

Provenance: South London, England

Breakout single: "Mind Over Money" (2001)

Ollie Knights and Gale Paridjanian made their entrance as Turin Brakes in 1999 with "The Door EP." Five years on, Turin Brakes are poised to eat daytime radio alive with their elegantly eerie and almost skeletal trademark sound. On "Ether Song," Turin Brakes -as though chanting in a circle outside your house - make music for complex, introverted souls. However, Turin Brakes sometimes sound uncomfortably like a Jeff Buckley cover band, never leaping head first into a crowd. The duo's melancholic musical vision finds its strength on the swirling "Panic Attack" and "Falling Down." And at its finest moments, "Ether Song" can strum like a youthful version of Neil Young's "Harvest."

Coldplay quality: Medium

Starsailor

Provenance: Chorley, England

Breakout single: "Poor Misguided Fool" (2002)

Clicking culturally with both swaggering art types and intimidatingly cool spaz rockers, Starsailor's brand of restrained and beguiling folk-tinged Britpop is reminiscent of the Verve and Tim Buckley. Once hailed as the future of British rock, Starsailor is now recast as the Last Big Thing, a successful fixture in the indie music boxcar race. The melancholic atmosphere of "Silence Is Easy," especially "Restless Heart" and the title track, can easily hold their own either as music in a film's pivotal rescue scene or during a 30-minute session of extremely low-impact aerobics. It's your pick, but stick with it and let it politely tap you on the shoulder while you slam dance in slow motion.

Coldplay quality: High

Snow Patrol

Provenance: Glasgow, Scotland

Breakout single: "Run" (2004)

Like a fuzzier, darker, and heavier version of indie label mates Belle and Sebastian, Snow Patrol like their pop spiked with a bit of grunge. "Final Straw," their third album, fills in the noisier end of after-five introspection. With a sometimes-uneven sound that recalls The Pixies and Super Furry Animals, the band nonetheless leaves no amp unturned as they wear their hearts on checkered sleeves on tracks such as "Gleaming Auction" and "Tiny Little Fractures." Mopey but in a boozed-up frat boy kind of way, Snow Patrol captures the essence of sad music on the verge of becoming happy.

Coldplay quality: Low

Aqualung

Provenance: Southampton, England

Breakout single: "Strange & Beautiful" (2002)

The strong nostalgic streak of Aqualung's music has prompted diverse entities such as the Tate Modern, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen to employ several tracks for their respective ends. Far from selling out, however, front man Matt Hales' latest "Still Life," has the emotional blueprint of gray clouds in search of a massive rainstorm and considers solitude as its bedfellow on "Easier To Lie," "Brighter Than Sunshine," and "Breaking My Heart Again." With a soulful musical monologue comparable to Electric Soft Parade's "Holes In The Wall," "Still Life" sure beats running off to New Mexico for enlightenment.

Coldplay quality: High

There will be an archive selection of British Rock Favourites, including Coldplay, on this programme tonight. For more information on the line up, please click here.