Ripping CDs soon to be legal!

Ripping CDs and DVDs for personal use is to be legalised in the UK as part of new government legislation to update copyright law for the digital age. From June 1, those living in the UK will be free to copy music, movies and e-books purchased from one device, for use on another.

However, it will remain illegal to copy content you do not legally own, or make copies for family or friends.
"The changes make small but important reforms to UK copyright law and aim to end the current situation where minor and reasonable acts of copying which benefit consumers, society and the economy are unlawful," said the UK Intellectual Property Office in a statement.

"They also remove a range of unnecessary rules and regulations from the statute book in line with the government's aim to reduce regulation."

Consumer Focus, the government-backed watchdog, called for the law to be changed in 2010, after, surveying 2,000 adults and finding that 17 per cent did not realise that copying CDs onto their computer or iPad was illegal. According to Ofcom, at the time 41 per cent of the adult population - equating to 18 million people - own an MP3 digital music player, such as an iPod.

Jill Johnstone, International Director, Consumer Focus said at the time, "The credibility of UK copyright law has fallen through the floor. Millions of consumers are regularly copying CDs or DVDs and are unaware they are breaching copyright law.

"The world has moved on and reform of copyright law is inevitable, but it's not going to update itself. If the Government wants consumers to respect copyright law they have to stop sitting on their hands and bring the law in line with the real world."

Hope and Pray Cellino Gets The Green Light..

On the eve of the decision that will colour the future of Leeds one way or another, I have come to the conclusion that almost without reservation, I want Massimo Cellino in charge of Leeds.

That’s an about turn I know from someone who was very anti Cellino from that Mad Friday at the end of January until really quite recently. Until this point I haven’t even uttered his name, referring to him only as the Criminal.

Like most fans, I’ve been  watching and listening to Cellino since that day. Not that there have been huge opportunities to do so, despite his perceived persona he hasn't been all over the press but based on what we do know  I say, it’s time to draw a line under things and judge the man on his actions since that outrageous day.

What we have seen is a man with passion. A man who has developed a real love for this club. One willing to put his own money into the club with no guarantee of ever seeing it again (knowing how the club were / are heading to oblivion), a man who has (on a limited basis) engaged with fans. A man who it seems recognises what a shyster David Haigh is, what “scumbags” GFH are, and isn't afraid to say so.

OK we haven’t been short of rent a gob chairmen or owners in the past, nor short of crooks feeding off our dying corpse, but doesn't this one feel different? Didn't you feel that if you ever shook hands with Bates that you might not necessarily get all five fingers back? With Massimo you probably will but those fingers will be covered in hair gel… Yes Massimo has been convicted (and it seems has a few more potential court dates in his diary) but genuinely does that really matter to us? The only difference between him and ‘certain other people’ around our club is that he got caught.

There is no dying corpse here, its dead and most of the meat has been scavenged by GFH. The only bit of meat left is Ross McCormack and Cellino alleges Ross was going after GFH pushed, but he stopped the transfer.. after all as he said, “you don’t sell the fridge to buy the beer! Whilst we might be disappointed in the news that he wanted away a) who could have blamed him on that Mad Friday and b) who could complain about the effort he has put in since, never mind the goals.

El Diablo..

Cellino can now only make any money from Leeds United (and lets be brutally honest here, everyone buys a club to make money) by pumping money into the club, buying the ground – finally - clearing out deadwood. In his WhiteLeedsRadio chat, he is clear on some of the ridiculous wages being paid to players in the worst team he has ever seen. The wage bill at £18m is clearly too high for a club where we are, though I am cautious at Cellinos stated desire to reduce that to £10m. Whether that gives us enough to really go forward is arguable. It certainly would provide one of the lowest ratios of wages to turnover currently in our league. Whether that turnover might reduce short term seems locked in his comments repeated several times that fans are paying too much at Leeds, those wonderful fans pay too much and we ask them in April to pay for next year when so much is not known” This explains the failure of renewal letters going out and is a bold move, once that was at odds with GFH. Its this that prompted the payments by Cellino, to cover this shortfall.

At the risk of repeating oft quoted word, there is huge potential at Elland Road, turn over can very rapidly increase and presumably the ratio to wages within reason. You see as Leeds fans we are often misunderstood and misrepresented, we do not crave success, we crave effort and hard work. We want our players to give there all, and then that bit more. The evidence was there for all to see with hero’s welcome to Elland Road last week of Vinnie Jones. Never the greatest player to wear the shirt, not even in the top  100 probably, but a player who gave heart and soul for the club every time he crossed that line, he lived and breathed blood, he engaged with the fans and immersed himself in us. That should have been his message to players in the dressing room – give everything, and you too can be loved. Yes even you Rudy Austin.

So with the club being devoid of options, and much as I would like to see myself proved wrong I do not believe Farnan and co are any credible answer. Hoping to get the club at a knockdown price – don’t get me wrong I would love to see GFH on the wrong end of a fire sale. They might muster sufficient funds to get the club…but the ground…the players we need.. is there fire in their belly…are they too nice? Are they in bed with David Haigh, god forbid even cuddly Ken. … Heart in right places but deep enough pockets?

But thanks to GFH gross incompetence in handling this takeover, to my mind it verges on bringing football and Leeds United into disrepute, Farnan remains no option. Denying a place at the table when their own dossier highlighted the chances of Cellino failing…is rank stupidity of the highest order. Should the decision go against Massimo tomorrow then where do we go….and who will turn the lights off..

So for all this, still slightly guarded but I hope and pray that Cellino gets the green light…only then can we have some confidence that our club remains, only then can we begin to move forward.

More Acts Added: Bingley Music Live

Jess Glynne, The Selector and The Strypes are amongst seven more acts to join the Bingley Music Live lineup!

Jess Glynne, ska legends The Selecter and The Strypes are among the latest seven acts to be added to the bill for Bingley Music Live.

These additional acts join the tremendous lineup for this year's festival, rapidly gaining the reputation as “The North’s last party of summer, which already boasts The Pet Shop Boys, Example and Shed Seven. An incredible festival at £49 for a three day weekend.

Jess Glynne has already sung on two of the highest selling number one singles of the year and is the first addition - Clean Bandit's dance hit 'Rather Be' and Route 94's 'My Love'. When the latter was premiered as Zane Lowe’s ‘Hottest record in the World’, Adele tweeted "TUUUNE" with Lily Allen tweeting that Jess was "slaying the top 3!!!!!!!" as ‘My Love’ hit the top of the charts whilst ‘Rather Be’ held the number three position.

The Selecter formed in Coventry in 1979 will also be performing at Bingley Music Live. They are considered to be one of the most successful ska bands of the 2 Tone era, had a string of hits including 'On My Radio', 'Three Minute Hero' and 'Missing Words'.

Also playing this year's festival are fast rising act The Strypes who count rock legends Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, Dave Grohl, Jeff Beck and Roger Daltrey amongst their fans. Miles Kane is also a fan and Sir Elton John liked them so much when he saw them on Youtube that he immediately signed them to his music management company, Rocket Music. 

Other additions are haunting singer/songwriter Emma Garrett, Port Isla and psychedelic indie rock outfit Neon Waltz, currently being pursued chase for their signature by major labels, and Yorkshire outfit The Sherlocks who have fan band Reverend and the Makers amongst their admirers.

This year's event will be held on 29th,30th and 31st August and will be the North's last big party of the summer. The festival is outstanding value for money, as it is over four times cheaper than some of the region's other festivals. Previous acts have included Nile Rodgers and Chic, Primal Scream, Jake Bugg, Calvin Harris, Nero, Editors, Cribs, DJ Fresh and Doves.

www.bingleymusiclive.com/

Book Review (fiction): Run / Blake Crouch - A landscape of American Genocide

Book Review: Run / Blake Crouch

Picture this: A landscape of American genocide...

5 days ago

A rash of bizarre murders swept the country...

Senseless. Brutal. Seemingly unconnected.

A cop walked into a nursing home and unloaded his weapons on elderly and staff alike.

A mass of school shootings.

Prison riots of unprecedented brutality.

Mind-boggling acts of violence in every state.

4 days ago

The murders increased ten-fold...

3  days ago

The President addressed the nation and begged for calm and peace...

2  days ago

The killers began to mobilize...

Yesterday

All the power went out...

Tonight

They're reading the names of those to be killed on the Emergency Broadcast System. You are listening over the battery-powered radio on your kitchen table, and they've just read yours.

Your name is Jack Colclough. You have a wife, a daughter, and a young son. You live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. People are coming to your house to kill you and your family. You don't know why, but you don't have time to think about that any more.

You only have time to...

RUN

RUN begins with an unnamed female arriving at an unknown site, a mass grave and we are left wondering what is going on? The book then shifts to Deanna “Dee” Colclough who has a scary encounter with her bit on the side, Kiernan as he asks her to get away from him before anything happens to her, there is a clear threat to her. We are then introduced to her husband Jack Colclough and his and Dee’s family, his teenaged daughter Naomi and his son Cole. Jack is a professor at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque and Dee is a physician. They are packing their things and trying to get their bearings as they plan to flee the city when Jack’s name gets called out on the emergency radio. Jack and his family rush out of their house and are brutally attacked  by people who are tracking the people whose names have been announced.

Thus begins their odyssey as they seek travel to the North not knowing who or what awaits them. The events which have caused this meltdown are alluded to and are slightly explained, its in common with the rest of this book which chooses not to go into too much detail, and ultimately it’s up to the reader to decide what triggered this situation. There is much more happening, but to describe them would ruin the story.. The action is shown throughout the lower continental US, Northern Mexico and southern parts of Canada with Jack and Dee’s journey taking them through the western half of the US as they try to avoid the ‘affected’’ and survive along with their children.

The book focuses deeply on the Colclough family, specifically the story of a father striving to do right by his progeny, RUN sees the world (well the United States at least) teetering on the verge of collapse.

Blake Crouch’s fuels this high-strung tale as he showcases a slightly dysfunctional family: Jack, the father struggling to save his family; Dee, the estranged wife who has to choose between her feelings for her lover and her family; and Naomi and Cole, the children who are shockingly thrust into a world where they have no control and no way to adapt... Crouch efficiently showcases the struggle faced by both parents as they try to explain the situation to themselves and their kids, with emotional family moments brilliantly juxtaposed by harrowing action scenes that will have readers turning the pages to see what happens next.

Besides the Colclough family, we also get bits and pieces of information about the environment from other characters we meet during the course of the story, although they are fleeting. The affected people meanwhile, seem sane enough in understanding what they are doing and the author provides clues about their motivations, but nothing is clearly spelt out.  For the affected, think less Shaun of the Dead and more the occasional headline grabber who goes crazy and offloads a shotgun on the high street.

There are very few drawbacks with the book. Readers might get frustrated at the absence of a concrete explanation for what is happening, but like in real life, many things occur which have only theories instead of rational explanations, we only have to examine the recent headlines played out over the missing Malaysian aircraft.  Also certain elements feel rushed one mid way through but more importantly the climax. It’s a common problem I find, the writer is in such a rush to get to the conclusion that the paced logical writing they have been using goes out of the window. There were certain passages in the last but one chapter that I had to re-read to ensure I understood what was going on. Its that inexperience of a relatively young author that detaches a tiny bit of credibility from the tale. Fortunately, the ending is not too over-the-top, (though brief) as to ruin the overall effect.

Summary: RUN is a simple, but effective rollercoaster, page turning tale about survival, the bonds of family, and the endurance of the human spirit. RUN exceeded my expectations and it’s an author and probably a title I will enjoy re-visiting in the future.

Kaiser Chiefs in really rather good new album shocker

Kaiser Chiefs have never again reached the heights of their 2005 debut album Employment save for a flirtation with No.1 for the superior Ruby . In fact, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that the career of the Leeds five-piece has been on a downward spiral ever since, with each subsequent release more forgettable than the last. However, while the albums have not lived up to expectations, the Kaiser Chiefs have managed to pull the odd single out of the bag every now and then.

Their second album Yours Truly, Angry Mob had the addictive and aforementioned Ruby and Everything Is Average Nowadays, while even 2008’s Off With Their Heads had UK Top 5 single Never Miss A Beat. It was for perhaps this reason that they took the brave – or as it seems they now feel foolish – decision to give fans the opportunity of picking their 10 favourite tracks from 20 possible songs to create their own version of the band’s fourth album, The Future Is Medieval.

Whether it was an artistic move or something done for purely marketing purposes, the choose-your-own album project didn’t quite reinvigorate their career in the way they probably wanted it to – although it did have the obligatory catchy single in Little Shocks. Two years on from that venture and following the departure of drummer Nick Hodgson, Kaiser Chiefs are back with their fifth record, the snappily titled Education, Education, Education & War.

In many ways, the band’s new record is a case of them going back to basics – with none of the gimmicks of its predecessor – but with lead singer Ricky Wilson now a judge on BBC talent show The Voice, Kaiser Chiefs didn’t need to do anything too drastic to get attention this time around. The music is not a massive departure from what we’ve come to expect, either, as demonstrated by the lead single, Misery Company.

“It’s hard to believe that I smile in my sleep/ cause everyone leaves me/ I’m so hard to keep company,” sings Wilson, over a thumping beat and a gritty guitar hook. While the demonic laughter that punctuates the track is, admittedly, something new for Kaiser Chiefs, the rest of the song falls in line with the sort of spiky, punk pop that created popular anthems such as I Predict A Riot during the first phase of their career.

There are other similarities between Kaiser Chiefs’ fifth album and their Mercury Prize-nominated debut, too. Opener The Factory Gates sets the tone for the record, which sees the band retread Employment thematically, with lyrics about their dissatisfaction with the modern age. Ignoring the sound of seagulls that opens the song, it is actually one of the album’s highlights, with an incredibly infectious chorus.

“You and me on the front line, you and me and every time,” Wilson yells on Bow And Arrows, which continues the combative approach they take on Education, Education, Education & War – a title that takes inspiration from Tony Blair’s famed 1997 speech. Although the political angle is not fully explored in the way the record’s title suggests, six-minute Cannons does deliver an intriguing and rather damning verdict on politicians.
Elsewhere, the problem of delivering an album that is consistently strong from start to finish rears its head again. While tracks such as the anthemic Coming Home and Ruffians On Parade are perfectly serviceable, they are not particularly memorable when compared to the likes Oh My God. The same can be said of Meanwhile Up In Heaven or One More Last Song, with both tracks essentially Kaiser Chiefs in second gear.

That said, Education, Education, Education & War is a vast improvement on its predecessor. It may lack the standout radio hits of the band’s earlier material, but is radio even listening any more. The record does at least have the direction and purpose that has previously been missing. The Chiefs seem invigorated, perhaps Nick leaving gave the band a kick up the arse they needed? Whether Kaiser Chiefs can re-establish themselves as one of Britain’s best is yet to be seen, but this is a really good way to start.

Watch the new single, Coming Home..

Chrissie Hynde to release debut solo album

Pretenders lead and musical icon, Chrissie Hynde will release her first ever solo album 'Stockholm' on June 9.

Recorded at Ingrid Studios in Stockholm with co-writer, guitarist and producer Bjorn Yttling (Peter, Bjorn and John), the album features cameos from Neil Young and tennis legend John McEnroe. The album, 11 tracks in total incudes the first single 'Dark Sunglasses', which will be released  on April 21. 

Summing up her aims with the album, Chrissie told us; "I wanted to make a power pop album you could dance to - Abba meets John Lennon". I think life is serious, and you should take it seriously, but in rock n roll either have a laugh or don't come to the party.so much of rock n roll has become what I would call Glory Rock, with family values. It's the irreverence in rock that was always the turn on". 

 Track listing: 1. You Or No One 2. Dark Sunglasses 3. Like In The Movies 4. Down The Wrong Way 5. You're The One 6. A Plan Too Far 7. In A Miracle 8. House Of Cards 9. Tourniquet (Cynthia Ann) 10. Sweet Nuthin 11. Adding The Blue 'Stockholm' will be available on CD/LP/Digital. Preorder the album here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/stockholm/id839957478 

 A limited edition 7" of 'Dark Sunglasses' / 'Tourniquet (Cynthia Ann)' will be released on Record Store Day, April 19.

 Watch Chrissie perform a six song Pretenders Medley a couple of years ago,

 

Movie Review: Labor Day: Ever so slightly tedious

Labor Day
With one of Kate Winslet's most layered, resonant performances, this film is definitely worth a look, even though the indulgent filmmaking style pushes it perilously close to Nicholas Sparks-style sappiness. Clearly, writer-director Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) is shifting gears as a filmmaker, but the movie is in dire need of just a hint of his usual jagged wit.


It's set in 1980s New Hampshire, as the agoraphobic Adele (Kate Winslet) is struggling to raise her sensitive teen son Henry (Gattlin Griffith) on her own after her husband (Clark Gregg) left. Then one night escaped convict Frank (Josh Brolin) arrives at their house in need of a place to hide. 

The next day, Frank offers to help with some repairs on the house. He also notices that Henry needs to learn how to throw a baseball. And that Adele needs some affection. So over the long Labor Day Weekend, he becomes the badly needed man of the house. Then when a neighbour (J.K. Simmons) and a cop (James Van Der Beek) start snooping, they make a plan to run for the Canadian border.

Instead of a dark, menacing edge, Reitman washes the film in sun-dappled earnestness, ramping up the soapy emotions rather than the grittier issues these people so badly need to deal with. This reaches a low point when Frank teaches Adele how to bake a peach pie in a scene reminiscent of the lusty pot-spinning sequence in Ghost: laughably ridiculous. Fortunately, Winslet and Brolin generate some uneasy chemistry, and Griffith is a fine young actor in a very difficult role. Together, they pull the film back from the sudsy brink just in time for a genuinely tense final sequence.

But it's not easy, as Reitman throws every schmaltzy trick at them, from Rolfe Kent's mood-signposting score to Eric Steelberg's sunshiny cinematography to Tobey Maguire's crinkly voiceover narration as the adult Henry. All of these things continually remove us from the essentially riveting story of three loners who find an awkward solace together, threatened by the big bad world around them. That story is here, but you have to work to stay in it.

Watch the trailer below

Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad Sequel - what we know!

We know that there isn’t a single Breaking Bad fan out there who can’t wait for Better Call Saul to start! The highly anticipated spinoff series will be written by Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan and is planned to be a prequel to the intense action in Breaking Bad.  The show will see shady lawyer Saul before he landed the walk-in-the-park gig as crystal meth mastermind, Walter White’s, lawyer.

Unsurprisingly, Better Call Saul will star Saul Goodman, who will once again be played by Bob Odenkirk and even more excitingly Mike will be resurrected, once again played by Jonathan Banks. Banks has said of the show, “My guess is that Saul will be the lighter side as far as humor goes, and the dark side would be Mike. And I look forward to that.” That does sound how we had imagined the show to pan out. We envisage a load of hardened criminals entering Saul’s office for a few wacky scenes involving him, before Mike goes and actually takes care of business!

We’re sure Banks is looking forward to reprising his character, especially after he recently explained, “I love the mystery of Mike. I love that he can be tender, when the reality was that he was a murderous, drug-dealing bad guy. Unlike some of the other characters, he knew that. He knew his soul was lost.” We wonder whether we’ll meet Mike in a similar mindset to his Breaking Bad character, or whether, as this is set in the past, he won’t yet feel that he is a lost cause.  We'd like to see the abiguous relationship with his family developed at little more.

Breaking Bad alum Aaron Paul has indicated he would like to be involved in the new show, and has said that he’d had “serious talks” with the Gould and Gilligan. He continued “Anything Vince is involved with, I’m there. I owe him my entire career. And the idea of jumping into the skin of Jesse Pinkman again in his lighter days...it would be fun.”

Saul’s character always added some much needed light relief to Breaking Bad, so we’re guessing that as the show revolves around him this time there will be a lot more comedy than in it’s predecessor. For the time being we’ll just spend some time on the Better Call Saul website http://www.bettercallsaul.com/, the “one stop shop for all your legal needs”, whether it’s “parking tickets” or “mass murder”. Sounds totally legit to us.
Better Call Saul will air at the end of the year, will you be tuning in to see Saul get up to his old shenanigans?

The show will be arriving on AMC next year for US and Canadian fans to enjoy and hopefully not be majorly let down as the show tries to live up to the standards set by Vince Gilligan's masterpiece series. But what what about all those fans who will want to tune in in Europe and Latin America, where AMC isn't available? Don't worry people, Netflix has got you covered.

The online streaming service confirmed this week that Better Call Saul will be uploaded to the site as soon as it has broadcast on AMC, available for users in Europe and Latin America to enjoy the show almost in unison with their American counterparts. The show will be available for US and Canadian Netflix users to watch in full once the first season has aired in full. Unfortunately fans in the US and Canada won't be able to revisit older episodes in the season via Netflix until the finale has aired.

Movie Review: Need For Speed (aka Need For Sleep)

I cant believe I wasted valuable sleep time on this turgid waste of celluloid.


It's difficult to understand how a movie about fast cars, tough guys and feisty women could be so little fun to watch. But the filmmakers, working from a popular videogame, have managed to make something only a gaming nerd could love and even that might be a stretch. It's strikingly well shot, with a likeable cast and an eye-catching use of real stuntwork, but the limp script leaves it utterly joyless. Just a tiny hint of self-awareness goes a long way in these kinds of movies. 


Our hero is Toby (Breaking Bads' Aaron Paul), a super-talented driver and mechanic stuck in small-town New York while his high school rival Dino (Cooper) makes millions on the racing circuit. Dino has also stolen Toby's ex-girlfriend (Johnson), and rubs salt in the wound by asking Toby to fix up a wildly valuable Mustang for him. Toby needs the cash to save his garage, so takes on the job with his pals (Cudi, Malek and Rodriguez). But things take a dark turn when Dino leaves Toby to take the fall for manslaughter. And when he gets out of prison two years later, Toby vows to get revenge, working with hellcat racing chick Julia (Poots) to enter the underground winner-take-all race organised by a radio deejay (Keaton). 


Despite trying to fool us with various plot twists, the film's script is so by-the-books that we can predict everything that will happen next. So as it heads to its jaw-droppingly implausible finale, there isn't a single moment that surprises us. All we can do is try to engage with the characters, but they take themselves so seriously that this isn't easy. Clearly, director Waugh is much more interested in the cars than the people. So at least the driving scenes are visceral and sometimes thrilling in that choreographed stunt-driver sort of way. And they're notable because there isn't a digital effect in sight. 

But watching cool cars zoom around and crash spectacularly isn't a lot of fun without a meaningful story or characters. The actors are relatively watchable in the rare moments when they aren't glowering and grunting manfully. Even the comic relief characters like Poots and Cudi seem to be working too hard. And if we can't see them having any fun making the movie, it's a fair bet that we won't have much fun watching it. And we didnt. Not even worth an Orange Wednesday. Watch the trailer: Its as much as you need to see...

Movie Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel: Goofy, dark, thrilling and exciting!

Wes Anderson's entertaining filmmaking style clicks beautifully into focus for this comical adventure. Films like The Darjeeling Limited and Moonrise Kingdom are packed with amazing detail and terrific characters, but this movie is on another level entirely: fast, smart and engaging, packed with both silly slapstick and intelligent gags. And the sprawling cast is simply wonderful.

It's a story within a story within a story, as an author (Wilkinson) narrates the tale of his 1968 conversation as a young writer (Law) with ageing hotelier Zero (Abraham), who in turn recounts his life as a lobby boy in 1932. Young Zero (Revolori) learned his craft alongside legendary concierge Gustave (Fiennes) at the Grand Budapest Hotel somewhere in Middle Europe, and stuck by Gustave's side when he became embroiled in an inheritance battle with a spoiled heir (Brody) and his evil henchman (Dafoe). As things get increasingly nasty, Zero and his baker girlfriend (Ronan) help Gustave fight for justice, and when that doesn't work he helps orchestrate an elaborate prison escape. Meanwhile, war breaks out twice across Europe.




The double flashback structure makes this a film about the power of storytelling itself, and even more potent is the reminder that we need to remember the old ways, especially as the world changes around us. This simple idea is woven so cleverly into the DNA of the script that it continually takes our breath away, conveying the true importance of history and nostalgia. At the centre, Fiennes gives his best-ever performance, showing a real gift for comedy (who knew?) as he makes the bristly Gustave deeply likeable. 

His camaraderie with newcomer Revolori is priceless, as are the cameos from an array of Anderson veterans including Murray, Wilson and the always astonishing Swinton.

Anderson keeps everything moving so briskly that we immediately want to see it again, simply to take in all of the details. The plot barely pauses for breath as it races through exciting action, goofy slapstick and dark drama, all infused with Anderson's wry humour. And it looks utterly gorgeous, as production designer Adam Stockhausen heightens reality to an almost mythical level. And as scenes evoke our own personal memories and thoughts, we find ourselves wishing that life was really like this. Which of course is the reason we love stories.

Watch the final trailer below: )

Bingley Music Live: Amazing Headliners 2014

Bingley Music Live 2014
Bingley Music Live 2013 party was one hell of an event last year and was attended by 15,000 people. CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers were undoubtedly the star of the show, and were so priviledged to have been up on stage with him, The Human League and Primal Scream were the other headline acts turning in amazing set.

This year's event will be on 29 - 31st September and the first headliners have been announced:
The Pet Shop Boys bring their amazing hit packed live show to Bingley


 

Example


and local boys make good Shed Seven complete this years headliners

  

Elsewhere across the weekend, Gaz Coombes (ex Supergrass), Naughty Boys, Simon and Oscar (Ocean Colour Scene), Gorgon City, The Wytches and many more

But a better bargain you will not find, a 3 day festival for less than £50 a ticket. BOOM

Adult tickets are an amazing £49 + bf so it doesn’t make sense to miss out.

For the latest news on the event visit www.bingleymusiclive.com or follow them on Twitter @BingleyFestival or Facebook at www.facebook.com/BingleyMusicLive

Don’t worry - they’ve not forgotten the kids. A limited number of child tickets are also available (3 - 12 y/o) at just £34 + bf for the whole weekend and as we will be availing ourselves of this year with babies first festival, under 3's go absolutely FREE!

24 hr ticket hotline Tel: 0871 220 0260

Morrissey reveals new album title / details

Morrissey today revealed the title of his forthcoming album — the ever-subtle World Peace Is None Of Your Business — and announced that the 12-track album is “provisionally” set to be released in late June or early July worldwide by Capitol subsidiary Harvest Records.

According to a post to the singer’s quasi-official fansite, True To You, Morrissey is “beyond ecstatic” with the album, which was recorded recently in France and produced by Joe Chiccarelli.

No further details were revealed, but it previously has been announced that Morrissey’s touring band — Boz Boorer (guitar), Jesse Tobias (guitar), Solomon Walker (bass), Matthew Walker (drums) and Gustavo Manzur (keyboards) — performs on the album.

World Peace Is None Of Your Business is Morrissey’s first studio album since 2009′s Years of Refusal.

Morrissey last month announced a full 25-date U.S. tour this May and June that will hit many of the cities and venues that saw cancellations — some multiple times — during the former Smiths singer’s disastrous late-2012 and early-2013 American tour. UK dates are inevitable with a show at Manchesters Move Festival the most heavily tipped.

Meet Joe, our new addition, aged 4 days

Thank you very much to Emma who has been holding the fort for us since Saturday morning.. we have been a little bit preoccupied here at Just Music Towers...

Can we introduce our newest correspondent and reviewer, Joe Jack (aka JJ) born at 16.58 on Saturday 1st March. Weighing in at 5lb 14oz he is slight but healthy.

My wife and assistant editor Karen, cam home with Joe on Monday morning and its been a rollercoaster since then, what day is it, when did we last eat, or sleep come to that.

As I write this Joe has had a bath, a feed and is asleep in the sun streaming through the window.

Whilst Joe may well take over our lives, our trusty band of volunteer contributors are stepping up to help, thank you to Emma but honourable mentions to Luke, Rich and Lisa, thank you!

Normal service may be resumed soon... In the meantime, first bath started in tears...ended ok though

ABBA - Waterloo, 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

The ABBA Deluxe Edition series continues with a landmark release this April. The series began in 2006 with the release of the Arrival album and now reaches its eighth album, celebrating the 40th anniversary of ABBA’s victory in the Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Waterloo’, with a Deluxe Edition of the album of the same name. On this Waterloo Deluxe Edition the original album has been expanded with 8 bonus tracks, plus a DVD of rare and many previously unreleased television clipsl. 



This Waterloo Deluxe Edition will be released April 7, 2014

The first disc in the 2-disc package is a CD, which features the original album plus 8 bonus tracks. The bonus selections feature all the various versions of ‘Waterloo’ – the Swedish, French and German versions, as well as an alternate mix of the English version – plus the Swedish version of ‘Honey, Honey’; the remix of ‘Ring Ring’ that was first released on the American version of the Waterloo album; the single remix of ‘Ring Ring’ released as the follow-up to ‘Waterloo’ in the UK; and the Spanish version of ‘Hasta Mañana’.

The DVD features no less than 13 TV selections, most of which are previously unreleased. Naturally, ABBA’s performances of ‘Waterloo’ in the Eurovision Song Contest and the Swedish selection, Melodifestivalen are featured on the DVD. In both instances, the first performance as well as the winner performance has been included. There is also the rare performance of ‘Waterloo’ intended for Eurovision preview programmes; the equally rare performance of the German-language version of ‘Waterloo’; ABBA’s three appearances on Top Of The Pops, performing ‘Waterloo’; an interview with Frida and ABBA manager Stig Anderson on Eurovision night; plus three performances of ‘Honey, Honey’ from German and Austrian television.

The package also includes a 20-page illustrated booklet featuring an extensive essay on the making of the album, with brand new insights from Björn and Benny.

WATERLOO – DELUXE EDITION
Disc 01, CD:
1. Waterloo
2. Sitting In The Palmtree
3. King Kong Song
4. Hasta Mañana
5. My Mama Said
6. Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)
7. Honey, Honey
8. Watch Out
9. What About Livingstone
10. Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
11. Suzy-Hang-Around

Bonus tracks:
12. Ring Ring (US Remix 1974)
13. Waterloo (Swedish Version)
14. Honey, Honey (Swedish Version)
15. Waterloo (German Version)
16. Hasta Mañana (Spanish Version)
17. Waterloo (French Version)
18. Ring Ring (1974 Remix, Single Version)
19. Waterloo (Alternate mix)

Disc 02, DVD:
1. Waterloo (Eurovision Song Contest performance I, BBC)
2. Waterloo (Melodifestivalen performance I, SVT)
3. Waterloo (Melodifestivalen performance II, SVT)
4. Waterloo (Eurovision Song Contest preview performance, SVT)
5. Waterloo (Eurovision Song Contest, performance II, BBC)
6. Interview with Frida and Stig after the Eurovision victory (Rapport, SVT)
7. Waterloo (Top Of The Pops performance I, BBC)
8. Honey, Honey (Disco, ZDF)
9. Waterloo (Top Of The Pops performance II, BBC)
10. Honey, Honey (Spotlight, ORF)
11. Waterloo (German version) (Musik aus Studio B, NDR)
12. Honey, Honey (Ein Kessel Buntes, Fernsehen der DDR)
13. Waterloo (Top Of The Pops performance III, BBC)
14. International Sleeve Gallery

Watch a glam version of Waterloo from German TV (not featured on the DVD)


In addition, the same day see the release of Waterloo the single as a 7” Single Picture Disc. The song of course won ABBA the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest on 6 April and began their path to worldwide fame. 

The single became their first No. 1 hit in several countries, reached the U.S. Top 10 and went on to sell nearly six million copies making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. At the 50th anniversary celebration of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005, it was chosen as the best song in the competition's history!

BBC Good Food Show, Harrogate Show Announced.

River Street Events, organisers of the BBC Good Food Shows, recently announced the launch of a new Spring Show, in the beautiful spa town of Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The newly confirmed line up for the event consists of Mary Berry, John Torode, James Martin, The Hairy Bikers, Shellina Permalloo, Lisa Faulkner and Dhruv Baker.





The Show will follow the format of the established event that takes place in Scotland, London and Birmingham, bringing some of the most popular features to the Harrogate International Centre. This includes celebrity chefs & experts, the best producers of fine food and drink, state of the art kitchenware and gadgets and live cookery demonstrations.

Visitors can look forward to:

The Supertheatre - Hosting live sessions from the nation’s TV favourites, the 950-seater Supertheatre will occupy the Edwardian grade II listed Royal Hall. This stunning performance hall and theatre, built in 1903, will contrast the pop-up theatres seen at the other shows.


BBC Good Food Bakes & Cakes Village - If you’ve caught baking fever then don’t miss out on all things bakes and cakes. You will find an array of gifts, home-wares, new kit and accessories to inspire you to bake like the experts. Plus you can pick up advice from top baking and cake crafting enthusiasts and specialists.

Interview Stage - Discover the secrets of our experts’ success at this stage. Come along to one of the many free Q&A sessions taking place giving you the opportunity to quiz the stars of the show.

Producers' Village - The Producers' Village is a speciality food market at the heart of the show, packed with small artisan producers who pride themselves on the quality and provenance of their produce. Taste and buy the finest seasonal ingredients and talk directly to the producers to get tips and advice on how to get the best out of their food and drink. 

Look out for the Deliciouslyorkshire section of the village, where you can find producers local to the area.

Our sister mag, Just Families have been huge supporters of the Good Food Show over the years, an essential day out and not just for foodies.

Tickets are now available for the BBC Good Food Show Spring HERE

Interview: The Jezabels

With their second album 'The Brink' having been recently released in the UK, fresh off the back of a prestigious support slot to Depeche Mode, we spoke to The Jezabels' lead singer Hayley Mary as the band prepare to head out on tour once again. Having previously taken a break from the world of touring after a bad case of land-sickness, the group are well and truly ready to reach their fans live once again.


Hayley spoke to us about the trials and tribulations of being on the road, getting bad reviews and adapting their music for live shows.

Your new album 'The Brink' is out in the UK today, what can you tell us about that?
Hayley: I think it's a little shorter than our last album, I think it's a little bit more optimistic, warmer, possibly a little bit more poppy and concise. The themes we touched on were gender and romance which are things I tend to be attracted to but I think moving to London and writing this record kind of made us a bit more aware of the world and world issues and the things that the UK has in contrast to Australia. It's colder and harder here, it's less isolated, there's class issues and they're inherent, there's immigration and there's people coming from places where I can't even imagine how hard it is. There's just a hell of a lot more going on in every way and I think there's also a sort of cynicism that I had not encountered in such quantity before, living here. I think that affected the record quite a bit. I think everyone expected to write a darker record but I think we made a lighter record, a more upbeat, positive record as a result of feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the issues of the world.

After the success of your previous releases, did you feel any pressure to ensure 'The Brink' lived up to that level?
Yeah, but successes are relative. People say that 'Prisoner' was successful and I guess to an extent it was; we got to tour internationally and we live off our music. There was definitely pressure but it was probably to make something more successful. We tried to be more concise in our songwriting and a little bit less indulgent with how much we put into a song; we kind of were a little bit more ruthless with ourselves. That might have been pressure, subconsciously that might have been a desire to break through some kind of wall into a more mainstream world but we never really talked about that. We just wrote more poppy stuff.


You've previously mentioned that it was tough taking a year out after all the touring you did, does that come through at all in the album? 
I think it does. I think it was kind of like land-sickness; you know when you go on a boat for ages and then you get off and you still feel like you're on a boat? That's worse than sea-sickness. It's just a bit of a whirlwind going all over the world, a different city every day and knowing you're doing the same thing in every place. When we arrived in London which was a new city to us at the time, we were like, 'Okay, it's freezing, it's raining, everyone's a little bit depressed and we're now here for good until we make a record.' I think the touring had both physical and mental tolls on us; some of us got physically sick, some of us got mentally not so good. That comes out in the record I think, in that maybe I talk a little bit about cynicism and feeling alienated and that kind of thing, but I think also we used the music as a kind of therapy. We made a really positive record because of how down and out we felt.

Were the songs written more for a live audience or more as a narrative for the album?
Probably to be played live. 'Prisoner' turned out to be a concept album; it wasn't written like that once I had the idea that it should be a letter to a prisoner, it became a story for the album. We played live for a couple of years on that record and we played a lot live on the EPs and we discovered things that just don't work and things that do. We really are a live band; it's a contemporary thing to be a live band because that's where bands exist now, in the live sphere. Albums don't sell unless you're massive/mainstream.

So were you adapting your songs for live purposes with this last record?
Yeah, we were. It was a real struggle. Part of it is just practice, some things just click easier and some things need a lot of practice, but some things are just impossible. You just can't do them live without six session musicians or something and not many indie bands can afford that. You've always got the advantage of being live as an element in itself that the record can never give you, but records also have that magic that live can never give you, that perfect sound. We're adapting a lot and we were conscious of trying to make songs that work live this time.

You've been compared to Paramore and Evanescence, - both bands which you're very different to -  how do feel seeing those sorts of comparisons?
I find it interesting because that wasn't the case with our last record which was much more gothic and possibly should've been more comparable with those bands. This one is much more pop and I'm sort of surprised but as a musician you start realising that even Paramore and Evanescence deserve a little bit of respect for how hard they've probably worked and how much skill goes into actually making a pop record. The honest answer is I think people making those comparisons are missing the point with that record and missing the meaning entirely. That's fine but it's just lazy; particularly as a female vocalist, I've gone through my career noticing the different female vocalists that I get compared to. None of them have actually knocked the nail on the head except Kate Bush - sometimes I am influenced by her but the majority of my influences are male. 

The album art is very unique, who was behind the design?

Jarek Puczel. He's a Polish artist and we honestly just found him because we were talking about the themes of the album with our graphic designer and we decided that the record was sounding a lot warmer than our previous stuff and that photography might be a little cold for what we were doing and we wanted to make a painting instead. I talked to him about intimacy versus alienation and that resonated with him and he found those artworks. The cover artwork is beautiful; I believe it's two people kissing but you can't see their faces and it's the perfect contrast between the most intimate thing and the most anonymous thing.


Were you listening to any albums whilst writing the record and did they influence the sound?
The guitarist, Sam, was listening to Talk Talk a bit; I don't know Talk Talk but I'm told they influenced the sound. For me, I think Cocteau Twins. I discovered them in the last couple of years and think they're pretty cool, mainly because people told me I would like them because we sounded like we were influenced by them before but weren't. I think influences are not as direct a thing as people think. I don't feel like I had anything that I was particularly listening to as I don't really listen to much music while I'm writing. I don't listen to much music full stop, actually. Influences are just there; you can't always name them, it's not always conscious.

Do you find it difficult to make the contrast between upbeat melodies and darker lyrics?
I don't find it difficult, I find it necessary. I love epic and beautiful melodies that make you feel good but I find it really hard to sing like that. I write some pretty cheesy lyrics, don't get me wrong, but there's a level that I just won't go to when it comes to cheese and  I think if you have a really cheesy, melodramatic melody that sounds uplifting and then you put uplifting lyrics in it as well, it's almost intolerable. You need a poetry to it all, you need a contrast or juxtaposition otherwise it is one-dimensional. I can't believe in something unless it has some ambiguity to it because I don't believe that there is some kind of fundamental truth in the world. Similarly, I can't just write depressing shit, there has to be a positive angle or a silver lining otherwise it doesn't really reflect life or who we are as people.

You're back on the road soon, are you glad to get back to touring?
I wondered why people asked, "Do you prefer touring to writing and recording?" because I didn't really think about it but this time round I realised I loved touring. I need people to be clapping at me nightly or I get depressed [laughs]. I love being in the same place and I love London and various other cities but there is something magical about playing shows and getting on stage and playing songs that you've worked on. There's nothing like it, it's just the best part of music I think.

Do you have that spotlight mentality that you like to be the centre of attention?
Well, sort of but I also, like most people who like to be centre of attention, underneath it all have low self-esteem. I don't think I'm particularly great but I'm not particularly happy when people say I'm not great. Any singer who pretends they're not an egotist is, again, lying. Anyone in a band who pretends they're not doing it for other people to love them is also lying.

Where'd been your favourite place to perform so far?
I really like Scotland and Ireland for some reason. I like the peripheries of the really major markets like Canada, Scotland and Ireland, and New Zealand. When you're just outside America or England, it's that regional vibe that you get where people are not as snobby and spoiled for music as they are in London, for example. I love Germany as well. There's nothing like home as well; Australia has the greatest crowds. It's not a coincidence that our shows are selling out in Scotland and Ireland, I like playing those places because they like coming. I like people who like us.

What can we expect to see for the rest of 2014 from The Jezabels?
It all depends on whether you people stop giving us terrible reviews or not. We might never come back here! [Laughs] No, it's all about touring for us this year. I don't know how long it will last for; it depends on how many people come and how many people buy the record. I think we'll go to America after the UK and Europe and then we'll go to Australia - we get to play the Opera House which I'm pretty excited about. Two nights and one of them's on my birthday. Then we're not sure; maybe we'll come back to Europe for some festivals if they'll have us.