Is the rapper back from Somalia?
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Singer speaks about vocal problems before her Grammys comeback
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As Odd Future fans and New Yorker readers both know, OF member Earl Sweatshirt has been M.I.A. since the group began attracting attention (it's presumed that he has been at a youth camp in Samoa). Back in November, OF leader Tyler, the Creator engaged in some heavy trolling by claiming that Earl had returned from whereever he'd been all this time-- but this time, it looks like he might actually be back.
The long-absent teenage MC appeared to start a fresh Twitter with an announcement of being home.
Van Halen might be on its way to a sixth career No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart -- unless Adele's "21" stands in the veteran band's way.
The first bash will take place in Hoxton on February 24
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Rocker reckons being lumped in with '21' singer means they're 'doing something right'
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Tyler, the Creator Tweeted the artwork for the Odd Future collective album OF Tape Vol. 2, which is scheduled for release on March 20 through Odd Future Records. Visually, it's characteristic Odd Future, featuring the face of OF associate Lucas Vercetti.
Fancy showing off your impeccable taste in music? Share your playlists with us
From next week we'll be changing the format of the Now Listening series â€' and we'd like your help.
Each week we'll be inviting a reader to share with us a playlist of songs they've been listening to recently. We'd like a selection of between six and 10 tunes â€' ideally ones released in the last few weeks, but there'll be room for a few oldies as well â€' along with a line or two about each.
If you'd be interested in contributing, email adam.boult@guardian.co.uk with the subject line "Now listening" and tell us who you are, and one or two tracks you'd include if you were to compile a playlist.
To give you an idea of the kind of thing we're after, take a look at this week's Film&Music playlist â€' and let us know what you think below.
Listen on guardian.co.uk/music
Listen on guardian.co.uk/music
Rapper posts artwork of 'OF Tape Vol 2' and says it'll be out on February 20
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We will be heading out across Europe again this summer to play a host of festival dates and we can now tell you about the first couple of events we will be playing at. We have already announced via Facebook that we will be playing at Gurtenfestival in Switzerland, which takes place from 12th until 15th July, but we can now reveal we will be playing at Sonar Festival in Barcelona between 14th and 16th June. If you can’t make it to either of these, we will be performing plenty more shows across the continent and throughout the summer, so be sure to check back soon to find out more.
14-16 Jun Sonar Festival, Barcelona, Spain [Tickets]
12-15 Jul Gurtenfestival, Bern, Switzerland [Tickets]
Sigur Ros, Justice, Hot Chip have also joined the festival's roster
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UPDATE: Best Coast Tweets, "LOUtallica + METallica are 2 different bands the latter being one of mine + Bobbs favorites We are honored 2 be playing," and "stop worrying about my life and live your own"
Haha, remember when Bethany Cosentino called the Metallica/Lou Reed album "the worst thing I've ever heard"? That apparently didn't stop Metallica from hand-selecting Best Coast for their new Atlantic City festival, Orion Music & More.
Singer will play six UK shows as part of his first European run
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Adele and Coldplay help UK acts nab highest market-share in 15 years
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'X Factor' finalist says Jack and Meg's fans haven't taken too kindly to his reworking of 'Seven Nation Army'
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Bon Iver, Beck, St. Vincent, The Shins, Feist and the newly announced solo project from Jack White will be featured at the Sasquatch! Music Festival.
Florence And The Machine, Bombay Bicycle Club, Deadmau5 have also been added to the bill
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Reminiscent of deeper cuts on the last few White Stripes albums, "Love Interruption" is an unusual but tantalizing lead track.
For all the cynicism about money-grabbing majors, labels still offer artists the security they need to produce their best work
In the thread beneath one of my most recent articles about the 2012 report on digital music from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, StevieBee123 asked: "Sorry â€' what exactly do we need record companies for again?" LawlessGreed replied with a question of his own: "If there is no music industry, how are musicians supposed to earn a living from their work?" to which malcolm replied: "Try, ehhh, selling direct to the pubic ... no brainer!" That discussion, as well as one I had on Twitter has highlighted a certain confusion regarding what today's record labels actually do.
It's true the internet has been brilliant for artists in many ways, giving them an alternative route to make contact with and sell directly to fans, but record labels do much more than distribute to retailers. I recently spoke to Ed Sheeran's producer, Jake Gosling (more of which will appear in next week's Behind the Music), and asked why Sheeran had decided to sign with Asylum/Atlantic, part of Warner Music Group. After all, by working extremely hard for years the two of them had been able to record numerous EPs on their own, get to No 2 on the iTunes charts with one of them, get millions of hits on his SBTV video for You Need Me as well as...