News Round Up: Week Ending 23rd September 2005

[Revan]

Brian May Discovers New Freddie Mercury Material
Queen guitarist Brian May has revealed he has stumbled upon previously unheard tapes of Freddie Mercury in the studio which he may be able to shape into songs. "There are still some things in the vaults with Freddie messing about on vocals which fans won't have heard. There are bits of him tinkering around, which could be used”, said May. “I expect they will get released at some point because I am sure people will want to hear them”.


Joshy Homme, Brody Dalle Update
Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme and The Distillers' Brodie Dalle are engaged and expecting their first child, reports MTV News. But the news came not from Dalle or Homme, but from Jesse Hughes, who is singer for Hommes side-project, Eagles Of Death Metal. “Joshua and Brody are expecting their first little baby girl. And Brody's a glowing, beautiful bride-to-be with child. They're going to be married. They call each other 'momma' and 'daddy.' Brody is a beautiful, expecting woman who is also the queen of rock and roll, in my opinion. She's almost five months pregnant. Joshua truly is a family man".


Coldplay To Explore Hip Hop?
Coldplay singer Chris Martin has been in the studio with uber-producer Timbaland. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Martin described the session as “Amazing” and “The best fun I’ve ever had”, though where it leads nobody knows. Of course any suggestion Coldplay will dramatically alter their trademark, widescreen sound is purely speculative, but damn! ever since The Beatles there’s been an unspoken onus on ‘the biggest band in the world’ to adopt an experimental edge, if only because it sets the template for so much that follows. Rattle & Hum may have been, in many ways a fairly average U2 album, but the album that followed it, Achtung Baby is arguably the greatest album in the U2 canon. Is the day of reckoning nearer than we think? Let's hope so.


Michael Jackson Speaks!
Michael Jackson has given his first interview since being cleared of child molestation charges in June. He said the trial was the "hardest thing I've ever done in my life". The singer, who has been living in Bahrain since the trial, has said he is still "resting and recovering" and confirmed that his Hurricane Katrina charity single, which will feature a host of stars including Mariah Carey, James Brown and Snoop Dogg, is definitely going ahead - though a release date is yet to be announced.


Tom Delonge’s Rock Revolution!
Former Blink 182 singer Tom Delonge has broken his self-imposed silence since Blink’s surprise split earlier this year by announcing he’s spent the last six months working with his new band – Angels & Airwaves - on an album he humbly describes as “the greatest rock and roll revolution for this generation (!)” But that’s not all Delonge has to say to about the project. “I am two songs from finishing the best ****ing album anybody has heard in 20 years… It is so much more powerful, emotional and melodic than Box Car and Blink put together, that I am currently *****ing my pants”. We'll let you know soon whether the album justifies the hype.