United Kingdom
Staff Entertainment Video producer at the Associated Press in London.
Produce music/film/fashion video packages and write the occasional news wire/music review.
Fan of literature, photography, film, fashion and art, and other cliched things that people say they like.
LONDON -- Ben Affleck is an optimist. The Hollywood star thinks the next four years will at least be interesting after watching President-elect Donald Trump's first press conference. "I didn't get to watch the entire news conference although what I did see of it, I was quite entertained by.
Aerosmith's Joe Perry says the band's European dates will not be canceled in the wake of Monday's deadly attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. Perry says that the band "doesn't want to live like that" and "the fans don't want to live like that."
Hugh Jackman arrived at the premiere of "Logan" with a small bandage on his nose after taking to Twitter to announce he had been treated for skin cancer once again. But Jackman insisted he's OK. "It is fine, it is all done, all fixed, all out.
LONDON (AP) - Daniel Radcliffe says he finds the concept of celebrity and the level of interest in the trivia of actors' lives "weird." While promoting his first romantic comedy - "What If," directed by Michael Dowse -the 25-year-old British star was keen to keep the conversation away from his own love life.
Over the last couple of years, Rufus Wainwright staged his first opera while also penning a batch of emotionally charged tunes that appear on his latest album, "All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu."
During a summer tour with her musical duo She & Him, Zooey Deschanel has performed songs about tortured love and broken hearts. Since she wrote the songs with her partner, M. Ward, and she's recently gone through a divorce herself, she's obviously using her musical career to purge some emotions, right?
LONDON (AP) - Tom Cruise attended the European premier of his new film "Rock of Ages" in London's Leicester Square on Sunday and was joined on the red carpet by fellow stars Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti and Mary J. Blige.
Kasabian, "48.13" (Harvest Records) "48.13" is precisely the amount of time it takes to listen to Kasabian's fifth studio album. Storming around the world with gusto after triumphantly closing the Glastonbury festival, "48:13" is hitting the shelves in the United States after entering the U.K. charts at No. 1 in June.
Posted: The 1975, "The 1975" (Dirty Hit/Polydor) The 1975's self-titled debut is a mixed bag. Jumping from guitar-heavy indie hits to disco funk dance-floor tracks, the boys from Northern England say the varied sound of the album is down to their "lack of identity."
LONDON (AP) - The stars of "Prometheus" landed in London on a special blue carpet Thursday night for the world premiere of Sir Ridley Scott's new sci-fi thriller. Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender and Guy Pearce joined the director to meet fans at Leicester Square.
LONDON (AP) - The north London band Bombay Bicycle Club faced a dilemma when their single "How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep?" was chosen for the latest "Twilight" movie. Lead vocalist Jack Steadman admitted the band was worried that featuring in a teen movie like "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1" could damage their folksy, indie reputation.
Daughter, "If You Leave" (Glassnote) Many of the tracks on Daughter's debut album "If You Leave" are quite similar, with their monosyllabic titles and melancholy feel. It's anything but a boring listen, though, and Elena Tonra's smooth, silky voice is a delight to hear.
Little Dragon, "Nabuma Rubberband" (Seven Four Entertainment/Republic) Three years after the release of its 2011 breakthrough, Little Dragon returns with the quirky sounding and titled "Nabuma Rubberband." After gaining underground prominence with tracks such as "Twice" and "Ritual Union," Swedish electronic band Little Dragon's fourth studio album "Nabuma Rubberband" references the group's earlier records while pushing the boundaries of its electronic soul sound farther.
MGMT, "MGMT" (Columbia) Leave your preconceptions at the door - the new self-titled MGMT album is worlds apart from the group's debut "Oracular Spectacular" and 2010's "Congratulations." Gone are the days when the Connecticut boys sing of models and drugs. "MGMT" is dark.
Sky Ferreira, "Night Time, My Time" (Capitol) There has been plenty of talk about Sky Ferreira for quite some time now, despite the 21-year-old only having released two EPs over the last three years. That may have to do with the buzz she built following the release of "Everything is Embarrassing," one of 2012's top tracks.
Biffy Clyro, "Opposites" (Warner Bros. Records) Biffy Clyro is going to have a busy few months. They return to the airwaves after three years with their sixth album, "Opposites," head on tour with rock giants Muse and play both weekends at the Coachella music festival. Luckily, the Scottish trio's new album rocks.
Empire of the Sun, "Ice on the Dune" (Astralwerks) Empire of the Sun's new album opens with the instrumental track "Lux," using drums of epic grandeur to build the anticipation for a record we have waited five years to hear. That's followed by "DNA," a surefire single and the strongest track on "Ice on the Dune."
Charli XCX may not be a household name, but if you're a fan of HBO's "Girls" then you would have heard her vocal and songwriting prowess already. The British singer co-wrote Icona Pop's "I Love It," which features in a hedonistic clubbing scene in the second season of the show.
Lana Del Rey, "Paradise" (Interscope Records) Lana Del Rey's new eight-track EP "Paradise" shows the singer is still in the same emotional flux she was when she released her debut album 10 months ago. She's lamenting the pains of love.
The Flaming Lips, "The Terror" (Warner Bros.) Expectations for a new Flaming Lips record are soaring high, mostly based on the fact the band always delivers brilliant music. The feeling is you can always rely on a Flaming Lips record. Or can you?
Various Artists, "Girls Soundtrack Volume 1: Music From the HBO Original Series" (Fueled by Ramen) Lena Dunham's "Girls" is a cult TV phenomenon, so it's only right that the soundtrack matches the quirkiness of the on-screen action.
Martha Wainwright, "Come Home to Mama" (Cooperative Music) 2012 is the year of the Wainwrights. Rufus Wainwright gave us a smooth, poppy record with the Mark Ronson-produced "Out of the Game," and now his little sister delivers a top-notch album with her third CD.
Calvin Harris, "18 Months" (Columbia Records) Calvin Harris' third album, "18 Months," plays like a greatest-hits record, and it is hard to shake the feeling that the electronic singer-DJ-producer is trying to sell us something that we already have.
Palma Violets, "180" (Rough Trade) There were lots of whispers and mumbles about Palma Violets before the release of its debut album '180' in home country Great Britain, and quite rightly so. The quartet really is bringing something fresh to a somewhat stale chart with growling guitars and pounding drums, and there isn't anything quite like it kicking around at the moment.
Hot Chip, "In Our Heads" (Domino) Hot Chip rules the dance floor. With five albums now spanning eight years, each record has produced at least one track that could be heard blaring at an indie disco - from "Over and Over" to "Boy From School" to the anthem "One Life Stand."
Beach House, "Bloom" (Sub Pop) "Bloom" is the fourth studio album from Beach House and follows the duo's successful 2010 album "Teen Dream." Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand created "Bloom" on the road during the band's two-year tour.
"Out of the Game," Rufus Wainwright (Decca) Prolific singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright proclaimed after the release of his last album that he was dying to have a pop hit. Who better to team up with to achieve that goal on his latest album "Out of the Game" than Grammy-winning producer Mark Ronson, whose had pop success with artists like Amy Winehouse, ...
The xx, "Coexist" (Young Turks) It's been three years since The xx's last album. The wait was worth it. "Coexist" is note perfect. The South London trio has moved away from the slightly poppy direction of its Mercury Prize-winning self-titled debut in favor of a more stripped-down approach.
Alt-J, "An Awesome Wave" (Canvasback) Alt-J defies genres. Often categorized as trip-hop by those who want to pigeon hole, the band prefers not to be labeled at all. The indie quartet's debut album "An Awesome Wave" is out now in the U.S.
Two Door Cinema Club, "Beacon" (Glassnote) Two Door Cinema Club blasted onto the airwaves in 2010 with its debut "Tourist History." The group's wistful and perfectly constructed ditties about youth and love lodged them firmly in the indie set and spread optimism through the hearts of losers and geeks with a positive love song, "Something Good Can Work."
Passion Pit, "Gossamer" (Columbia Records) From their achingly hip EP "Chunk of Change" to their 2010 follow-up "Manners," anticipation has been turbo-charged for another pitch-perfect, electro-pop album from Passion Pit. And their latest, "Gossamer," hits all the right notes. The band keeps exploring the themes of hipster life - intoxication, love lost and hopelessness sung in their beautiful, uncontrived manner.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Mosquito" (Interscope Records) From the opening seconds of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' fourth album, you'll wonder how you have lived without the dulcet tones of Karen O for the four years since the release of their third album, "It's Blitz." No one else has a voice quite like hers.
She & Him, "Volume 3" (Merge Records) Is there any limit to Zooey Deschanel's creativity? With her comical hit show, "New Girl," it's hard to work out when she would have the time to write music. And the new album "Volume 3" from her duo, She & Him, with singer-songwriter M.
Eels, "Wonderful, Glorious" (Vagrant Records) Fans of the Eels will be surprised to know that the band's frontman, Mark "E'' Everett, seems to have been lifted from his melancholy - a sentiment that has inspired the band's previous material. Even the title of the Eels' 10th record, "Wonderful, Glorious," oozes optimism.
Laura Marling, "Once I Was An Eagle" (Ribbon Records) "I'm the first to admit that I'm still pretty young," sang Laura Marling on her debut single, "New Romantic," back in 2008. The track was full of teenage yearning and angst, sung in Marling's beautiful melancholy tones.
Foals, "Holy Fire" (Warner Bros. Records) One thing you can say about the Foals is that they always mix it up. Their first album, "Antidotes," was loaded with heavy drumbeats, while "Total Life Forever" was more melancholic with beautiful lyrical prowess. The British band sticks to their wild formula on the new album, "Holy Fire."
Beatles fans, rejoice: More live rarities from the Fab Four are on the way to stores. Nearly 20 years after the first volume of long-lost BBC recordings sold millions of copies, a second volume is here, and with it, a coffee table book with rare photos and heretofore unseen historical documents chronicling the band's interaction with the BBC.
The Magnetic Fields, "Love at the Bottom of the Sea" (Merge Records) The Magnetic Fields are still on the quest for romance. "Love at the Bottom of the Sea" finds the band once again exploring the theme of failed love affairs using biting lyricism, thanks to leader and songwriter Stephin Merritt, but this time with added synth.
The Darkness, "Hot Cakes" (Wind-Up) In the opening lines of "Every Inch of You," the first track on The Darkness' new album "Hot Cakes," Justin Hawkins laments his past misfortunes: "Oh baby I was a loser/Several years on the dole/An Englishman with a very high voice."
Metric, "Synthetica" (Metric Music International) Canadian rock band Metric is known to grace their albums with at least one standout song. There was "Help I'm Alive" on 2009's "Fantasies," and on "Live It Out," the gem was "Monster Hospital," which was remixed by MSTRKRFT, making it a massive dance jam too.
