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'You need a ringleader who's happy to say: shut up Lily Allen' – five ways to make a girl band

Peter Loraine, who came up with the Spice Girls nicknames, helped create Girls Aloud and managed the Saturdays, talks girl-group chemistry

How is your girl band knowledge? You can probably tell your Spice Girls from your Girls Alouds, your Pussycat Dolls from your Destiny's Childs, and, if pushed, you could name all six former Sugababes employees and possibly hum a Little Mix album track, right? To be honest, it doesn't matter because you'll never know as much about the glorious pop staple that is a good girl band as Peter Loraine. Remember Sporty, Posh, Baby, Ginger and Scary? Loraine helped create those iconic nicknames as editor of Top of the Pops magazine in 1996. Then, once he'd finished accidentally branding one of pop's biggest phenomenons, he helped create Girls Aloud, working with them from Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 to that fateful breakup tweet in 2013. He also auditioned and later managed the Saturdays, before working on the recent All Saints and Bananarama reunions. He currently manages new girl band, Four of Diamonds.

So who better to ask for advice about what makes the perfect girl band than a man who has dedicated his life to them? Here's Peter Loraine's five-point guide to pop perfection …

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How to Be Invisible by Kate Bush review – trying to unravel an enigma

The singer-songwriter's lyric collection is free of explanation yet still explores her curiosity for life and love

Trust Kate Bush, never one to explain, to complicate the straightforward lyrics collection. She doesn't annotate this anthology, unlike Neil Tennant's recent Faber edition. Instead, subtler direction follows an introduction by author David Mitchell, who wrote the spoken-word parts of Bush's 2014 Before the Dawn performances. Mitchell intermingles charming fannish detail with close textual analysis that illuminates familiar songs: it is God, he points out, not the devil, who allows the man and woman to exchange their sexual experiences on Running Up That Hill, an act of divinity rather than transgression.

But Mitchell is wrong on one key point. “Kate's the opposite of a confessional singer-songwriter in the mould of Joni Mitchell during her Blue period,” he asserts. “You don't learn much about Kate from her songs.” Which begs the question of how we might know a songwriter. It's true that Bush's personal life is so opaque that an interview betraying her Netflix habits offered grounding intimacy. Another where she described Theresa May as “the best thing that's happened to us in a long time” burst a bubble some fans were keen to preserve. More dispiriting than partisan matters was her opinion that “it is great to have a woman in charge of the country”. If Bush's songwriting tells us anything, it's that her understanding of gender and power is typically more complex.

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Louis CK, Kevin Spacey, and the No Apology Tour: How Ignorance is Bliss in Trump's America

When Donald Trump was elected president “way, way back” in November 2016, at least half of America had to pick their jaws off the ground. Some were in a daze, some were enraged, some resorted to cannibalism. (Just kidding. I hope.) One of the more vivid reactions was that of news commentator Van Jones, who infamously called the election a white-lash, asking his befuddled CNN co-hosts, “How do I explain this to my children?” He wasn't wrong, and still isn't, but it's clear now that our children are hardly the only thing to be concerned about in the age of Trump. Between the bigoted tragedies in Charlottesville and Mueller's ensuing investigation, the better question might have been, “How do I explain this to the rest of the country?”

Truth be told, you can't. If Trump has succeeded at doing anything in his position - and recent reports suggest he's delivered nothing but chaos to the White House - it's that his sociopathic tendencies have empowered an entire country to be similarly ignorant and reckless. It's the type of old-school mob mentality of “no apologies needed, no fucks given” that can only come from someone with overwhelming power and privilege. The problem is that this isn't relegated to a single political party; it's one of the many luxuries of being an American celebrity. And that's a major issue when we're a country that worships celebrities, treating them like new deities, so untouchable they're almost a figment of our imaginations.

That's why the Weinstein aftermath started off so reassuring. Celebrities who were outed by their victims - the list is sadly ongoing - often dealt with the consequences, be it the law such as Weinstein and Cosby, or the shame in knowing their careers are over. “We did it!” “Let's drink to that!” “Yippie ki-yay, motherfucker.” Except, not really. Literally dozens of women had to be dragged through the mill of public scorn just so two old rapists could go to jail (with one still awaiting trial), while we're all now learning that shame only lasts so long for celebrities. Because like Jason Voorhees, the power of a celebrity never dies, no matter the crime, and while an agent's old adage used to be “just give it time”, the new motto is: “Eh, who gives a shit?”

Sia and Donald Trump on SNL, presumably right before The Dump

Trump proved that before he was even president - and with full transparency - proudly declaring that he “could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody” and not lose a single vote. That comment sure as hell didn't diminish his power, and neither has any other one of his actions, even when there's a growing pile of evidence suggesting he's the world's sleaziest and most corrupt scumbag. He doesn't care, because he knows he doesn't have to, and that his lack of decency has not only informed his base, but has since crossed over into the broader world of celebrity. “Hey, all bets are off. The curtain's been burned, but guess what? We never really needed the smoke and mirrors! We just needed to entertain them!”

The proof isn't just in the pudding, it's in the entire line of Snack Packs. Look at this past month alone. You have Kevin Hart shrugging off his homophobic remarks like they don't matter, snubbing the Oscars by refusing to apologize, knowing damn well it won't affect the box office receipts for the next Jumanji film. There's Kevin Spacey, embracing the hubristic villainy of his own Frank Underwood and delivering pizzas to paparazzi with smug baseball caps that poke fun at his accusations of grooming and sexual assault. And of course, who will ever forget Louis CK's hilarious stand-up shows, where he's not only biting his thumb at PC culture, but now throwing school shooting survivors under the proverbial school bus? Sadly, a lot of people will, and judging from the online vitriol on both sides of the coin, there are many who couldn't give less of a shit, and that's the reality we have to finally face in this country.

Kevin Spacey gives pizza to paparazzi

“Finally.” Most already have, and if they haven't, it's likely because they're still clinging onto the hope that things will change, that celebrities, or those in power, will be held accountable for their actions. To their credit, there have been some demonstrative wins this year - see: Cosby - but they're minor in the ensuing tidal wave of support that keeps coming from a general public that's freely willing to laugh with them, share and favorite their tweets, buy their overpriced tickets, and cast another deadly vote. When you have that kind of support, there's absolutely zero need for an Apology Tour, especially when the alternative is to manually delete yourself with no hope of absolution. Celebrities will never do that, which is why they'll continue to live with minimal checks and balances as we continue to slam our fists online and say it's awful.

“My life is over, I don't give a shit,” CK said at his most recent stand-up show, later admitting that he spent some time in France because he felt he needed to leave the nation in the aftermath of last year's sexual assault allegations. This is just more unnecessary smoke and mirrors, and CK knows this, which is why he ultimately doesn't give a shit, and neither does Spacey, who's similarly wearing his shame like a badge of honor. Laugh, scoff, or pout all you want, but these ignorant shrug-offs say everything you need to know about power and celebrity - and not just now, but as it's always been. For those who've been on top, if there's a way, there's a will, and there are plenty of ways to will yourself afloat in Trump's America. Whether that changes remains to be seen, but do yourself a favor and don't hold your breath.

Instead, just get ready for another year of it.

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Travis Scott Reveals Astroworld Festival 2018 Lineup: Lil Wayne, Post Malone, More

Sheck Wes, Young Thug, Rae Sremmurd, Virgil Abloh, and others set for the inaugural Houston event

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Meet the new Seinfeld-inspired death metal band, Grindfeld

Fans of death metal and iconic '90s sitcom Seinfeld are in for a treat, with a new band combining the two in the heaviest way possible.

Ever since Seinfeld first premiered close to 30 years ago, it has continuously made a notable impact on pop culture. While popular jokes and phrases are repeated daily by its legions of fans, the show has even managed to impact the world of music as well.

Now, a group of death metal musicians have come together to pay homage to the show about nothing.

Consisting of current and former members of Wretched, Alterbeast, The Kennedy Veil, and Rivers Of Nihil, Grindfield manages to combine Seinfeld jokes with some brutal music in a way that fans likely would not have thought possible.

“Born out of a mutual love of Death Metal, comical observations, coffee and Hardcore, Grindfeld is a project built on the existential dread hidden just under the surface of daily life,” the band explained in a statement.

“For fans of: Death Metal, Coffee, Pirate Shirts, Hardcore, Grindcore, Wasting your life pouring over minutia of every single daily event, stand up comedy,” they continued. “Not for fans of: Kenny Bania, Nazis.”

So far, the band have released one track from their upcoming EP, Songs About Nothing, and it's both based on and named after Seinfeld's infamous 1992 episode, 'The Contest'.

With lyrics that recap the events of the famous episode, some of the show's iconic scenes are retold with a bleak nihilism that is clearly rather tongue in cheek. Check out some of the lyrics below:

Sleepless nights. Desire consuming. Driven insane by a stupid game. Honor the code, Master of my domain.

The queen is dead.

Grindfeld's Songs About Nothing is available for pre-order over on the band's Bandcamp page, ahead of its November 23rd release.

When the EP finally drops, you can expect to hear songs that cover classic episodes like 'The Bizarro Jerry', 'The Letter', 'The Limousine', and of course, 'The Soup Nazi'.

Check out Grinfeld's 'The Contest':

5 Songs About Nothing by Grindfeld

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Kanye West has again delayed the release of his upcoming album, 'Yandhi'

Kanye West fans will have to wait a little longer for his upcoming album, with the rapper again postponing the release of Yandhi.

Earlier this year, Kanye West went through a rather productive period, overseeing the release of five albums in as many weeks. However, it seems that he was far from done, announcing the release of Yandhi back in September.

Ostensibly a follow-up to Yeezus, the record features similarly minimal artwork, and was originally slated to be released on September 20th  – coinciding with West's Saturday Night Live appearance.

However, as that date came and went, Kanye soon revealed that the record was being pushed back until November 23rd so that he could go to Africa to finish recording it.

Nov 23 Black Friday YANDHI TRUST ME it is worth the wait

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Guardian Critic Dan Hancox's Book on the History of Grime to Receive TV Adaptation

Longtime Guardian journalist Dan Hancox published the book Inner City Pressure: The Story of Grime earlier this year. The non-fiction work, which documents the early-aughts rise of grime from the streets of London into an internationally renowned phenomenon, is now potentially being turned into a television series by Pulse Films and Paramount Television, who have…

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Song of the Week: Jamila Woods Lifts Us Up with Empowerment Jam “Giovanni”

Each week we break down our favorite song, highlight our honorable mentions, and wrap them all up with other staff recommendations into a playlist just for you. 

Jamila Woods' new single, “Giovanni”, is a force of nature, a story of self-love and confidence in the face of adversity. “You got questions, I know that's right/ There must be a reason why,” she sings, understanding the allure of her own talented mystique while keeping it for herself in the end. The song is a rhythmic marvel, ebbing and flowing between thumping beats and Woods' impeccable flow between lines both spoken and sung. By the end of “Giovanni”, it has become an organism of some kind: Woods' talent for imbuing each one of her songs with an individual and cinematic mood is evident in the woven effect present in the track, as it seems to breathe and move with each turn of phrase. The single is more than a declaration of Woods' belief in herself, exploring her history, future, and past. “Giovanni” is a fantastic song to chill or dance to, but also serves as a clever, innovative look into the mind of an artist on the cutting edge of R&B.

–Clara Scott Contributing Writer

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Honorable Mentions

Mick Jenkins and Kaytraynada – “Understood”

“Understood” finds Mick Jenkins stepping up his game with a whimsical Kaytranada collaboration, mulling over what it feels like to be understood against a guiding melody that sways and winds along its path. –Laura Dzubay

Soccer Mommy – “I'm on Fire”

Sophie Allison cuts a six-inch valley straight through the middle of Bruce Springsteen's “I'm on Fire”, perfectly capturing the inherent emotional desperation and sadness of the song with her stripped-down production and wistful, melancholy vocals. –Laura Dzubay

Tenacious D – “Take Us into Space”

In addition to being rollicking, sex-fixated, and just plain fun, “Take Us Into Space” is also a genuinely good and impassioned rock song - a balance that speaks well of Tenacious D's strengths as a duo. –Laura Dzubay

Bibi Bourelly – “Writer's Song”

“Writer's Song” is a masterful translation of feeling for anyone who has found themselves feeling self-conscious in a creative situation: minimalist both in sound and in length, Bibi Bourelly's single demonstrates the frustrations of artistic pressure within a piece of music that is, in fact, wonderfully well written itself. –Laura Dzubay

Speedy Ortiz – “DTMFA”

When hard-edged guitars and Sadie Dupuis' sweetly fluctuating vocals come into play, it's hard not to agree with the cheerful condemnation that is Speedy Ortiz's “DTMFA” and equally difficult to ignore the song's playfully imploring message: Just “dump the motherfucker already.” –Laura Dzubay

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Other Songs We're Spinning

Elvis Costello – “Under Lime”

Not only does “Under Lime” demonstrate Elvis Costello's uncanny ability to match his songwriting sensibilities to almost any musical genre you can name, but it also exemplifies just how layered and textured his new songs off Look Now are - the type where a new detail, or several, gets discovered with every additional listen. –Matt Melis 

Kurt Vile – “Hysteria”

On “Hysteria”, Kurt Vile builds a tale of surreal love and its hazy effects, tossing between the reality of his feelings for the song's subject and self-doubt, at one point even comparing the infectious quality of new romance to rabies: and he “don't mean maybe.” –Clara Scott

Charles Bradley – “Can't Fight the Feeling”

Most of us got to know Charles Bradley, “the screaming eagle of soul,” far too late and had to say goodbye much too soon, but a track like “Can't Fight the Feeling”, in all its raw and ragged emotion, reminds us of why every moment of that acquaintance is treasured. –Matt Melis 

Joyce Manor – “Big Lie”

One of many highlights on Joyce Manor's new album, Million Dollars to Kill Me, “Big Lie” is self-accusatory and honest, full of deftly crafted, diary-esque lyrics and vivid scenery anchored around a strong guitar hook. –Laura Dzubay

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This Week's Playlist

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Spotify Ad Banned From UK TV for Being “Likely to Cause Distress to Children”

“Killer songs you can't resist” spot features Camila Cabello's “Havana”

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Tame Impala forced to cancel Desert Daze set over rain and lightning

Desert Daze got off to a rocky start on Friday night when Mother Nature opted to step in. Rain and lightning forced the festival to cancel Tame Impala's highly anticipated headlining set only three songs into the performance.

According to Stereogum, organizers at first insisted that the band would still play, only to cancel the set entirely nearly two hours later. However, their own correspondent reports that confetti was enjoyed during “Let It Happen”, so that' s nice.

Currently, the festival is scheduled to go on as planned for the remainder of the weekend, which will include equally anticipated sets by My Bloody Valentine, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Slowdive, and a reunited Mercury Rev.

In the meantime, stay tuned to the festival's Twitter for more updates.

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Watch Will Ferrell play cowbell alongside Coldplay's Chris Martin

Will Ferrell  has made a guest appearance during Chris Martin's charity set on Saturday night, playing cowbell alongside the Coldplay frontman.

If you ever had to educate someone on the topic of musical comedy, the iconic 'More Cowbell' sketch from Saturday Night Live will inevitably come up. One of Will Ferrell's finest moments, he's since brought out the cowbell on numerous occasions since, including with Queens Of The Stone Age, the Beastie Boys, and even alongside Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.

Now, the comedian has teamed up with Coldplay's Chris Martin for his latest performance.

As Rolling Stone notes, Chris Martin was a musical guest at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre on Saturday night for the 'Best Night Of Your Life' cancer benefit.

Performing a two-song set, Martin was halfway through a rendition of his 2008 track 'Viva La Vida' when Will Ferrell took to the stage.

With Chris Martin unable to control his laughter at times, Will Ferrell played the cowbell with such finesse that Martin soon challenged him to an impromptu guitar vs. cowbell battle that ended as quickly as it began.

However, this wasn't the only memorable performance of the night, with Chris Martin being joined by a number of huge musical stars for his last song of the night, a cover of Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb'.

With the evening's band consisting of Duff McKagen (Guns N' Roses), Mick McCready (Pearl Jam), Chad Smith & Josh Klinghoffer (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band), and Brad Paisley, Chris Martin was in good company as he ripped through a performance of the 1979 classic.

While the rest of the evening featured a number of comedians and entertainers keeping the crowd going, Will Ferrell was a constant presence throughout the night, reviving his Ron Burgandy character, twerking as Donald Trump, and even posing as Brad Paisley's fictional brother Gary. Needless to say, it seems like quite an event.

Check out Chris Martin performing Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb':

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Nao Drops New Song, Covers Aretha Franklin: Listen

“Curiosity” is from her forthcoming LP Saturn

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Cliff Richard review – from ghastly to sublime in determined return

City Hall, Newcastle Performing for the first time in England since the end of his fight with the BBC, Cliff traced a haywire route through his career – with rock'n'roll masterworks and late-career horrors

“That song means a lot to me, and you know why,” says Cliff Richard, after new song Rise Up sees him insisting, “They'll never take me down.” It's a solitary, oblique reference to the televised 2014 police raid on his Berkshire home over strongly denied alleged historic child abuse, which ended with dropped inquiries and a six-figure sum in damages from the BBC. Otherwise, this 60th anniversary tour returns the focus to the otherwise squeaky-clean pop phenomenon with No 1s in five consecutive decades, who at 77 is weirdly youthful enough for dance moves that would put most men his age in traction.

The chronological, two-hour performance traces a mercurial if at times bonkers trajectory from Move It's “British Elvis” to later horrors such as The Millennium Prayer, which turns the venue into something akin to a religious rally. Still, Living Doll (“I'm gonna lock you up in a trunk”) remains one of the cutest-creepiest hits ever, and a rocky Devil Woman seems to try and reposition him as black metal pioneer.

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Baby Driver's Ansel Elgort to star in a different kind of musical as the lead in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story

After his breakthrough turn in Edgar Wright's wonderful Baby Driver, rising actor Ansel Elgort is likely faced with no shortage of upcoming projects. He's got the highly anticipated adaptation of Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch on the docket, and he's now secured a high-profile follow-up in Steven Spielberg's upcoming West Side Story remake. It makes sense, we suppose, as Baby Driver was just one step away from being a full-blown musical.

Elgort will star as Tony, the one-time gang member who falls in love with Maria, the sister of the leader of his old crew's rival gang. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Spielberg and his team chose Elgort after a casting search that looked at thousands of actors and dancers, an approach that many thought would lead to Spielberg casting an unknown.

(Read: Ranking Every Steven Spielberg Movie from Worst to Best)

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, who wrote Spielberg's Munich, penned the adaptation, which is slated to begin production in the summer of 2019. Spielberg is also at work on Indiana Jones 5 and an adaptation of DC Comics' Blackhawk.

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MNEK: Language review – people-pleasing pop and camp braggadocio

(Virgin)

Uzoechi Emenike is best known for his Top 10-scaling duets with more famous artists including Stormzy and the Swedish singer Zara Larsson. It's a state of affairs the musician is immediately keen to flag up and rectify on his debut album. The cringey but admittedly memorable opener Background is half moody electro track, half skit revealing the right way to pronounce his moniker (it's emin-e-kay), before Correct delivers an onslaught of camp braggadocio outlining why listeners should respect the south Londoner as a solo proposition.

The album bears out these boasts, to an extent. Correct is an infectiously spasmodic slice of afrobeats-infused pop, while Crazy World's crackling beats and insistent soul samples provide an arresting bed for Emenike's dreamy vocals. Occasionally, however, it can feel as if he is courting the charts in a slightly soulless way: Colour, a tropical pop track featuring US star Hailee Steinfeld and umpteen zeitgeisty production bells and whistles, is cookie-cutter stuff made for Spotify playlists.

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Coldplay almost didn't let a movie use their song 'Yellow' over racism fears

Coldplay's 'Yellow' is arguably one of the group's finest moments, serving as not only their breakthrough hit, but also one of the most memorable songs of the early '00s. However, the group were recently forced to rethink the song's usage in an upcoming film after becoming concerned about the track's possible racist connotations.

If you haven't been paying attention to the current movie box office releases, then you might not be aware of Crazy Rich Asians, the cinematic adaptation of of Kevin Kwan's 2013 book, which is set to be released in Australia shortly.

The film has already been released overseas, and is already bringing in rave reviews, with viewers praising the its comedy, acting, and diverse cast. However, the movie's closing scene apparently took a little bit of work to get right.

As Quartzy reports, Crazy Rich Asians closes with a Mandarin-language performance of Coldplay's 'Yellow', delivered by former The Voice contestant Katherine Ho. While all accounts indicate the presence of the song in the film almost seems like a perfect fit, it seems the band took a little bit of convincing.

As director Jon M. Chu explains, Coldplay had a little bit of trouble getting on board with the track's inclusion in the movie, due to their unwillingness to be associated with the racial slur 'yellow'.

“They were like, 'Whoa, we can't do that, what do you think people will say?',” explained Chu. “And I told them, 'Well, a white director couldn't do it.'”

While Chu noted that Warner Bros. Pictures sided with him on his musical choice, he explained that he had to write Coldplay a letter in order to sell them on the concept.

“For the first time in my life, it described the color in the most beautiful, magical ways,” Chu wrote in his letter. “The color of the stars, her skin, the love. It was an incredible image of attraction and aspiration that it made me rethink my own self image.”

Chu explained that by using the song in the movie, he felt that it would provide “a whole generation of Asian-Americans, and others, the same sense of pride I got when I heard your song.”

In Coldplay's defence though, they've previously been accused of racism on a couple of occasions, so it's easy to see why they might have baulked at the initial idea.

As Quartzy points out, Coldplay were first accused of racism over the video for 2012's 'Princess Of China', which saw guest artist Rihanna dressed in “gangsta goth geisha” attire, while 2016's 'Hymn For The Weekend' saw the band cop heat for filming their video during the Indian festival of Holi, and for the culturally-insensitive clothing that Beyoncé wore throughout.

Needless to say, while the band might have been nervous to let their song be used, most reviews of the movie are tending to agree they made the right choice, with Katherine Ho's cover being deemed a highlight of the entire film.

Check out Katherine Ho's cover of Coldplay's 'Yellow':

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Wavves and Beach Fossils Announce Tour

The “I Love You” tour kicks off in October