If you fell in love with Florence and the Machine's soulful pop on their powerful debut, Lungs, then I have some good news. The band has just released a new single from their next, not-yet-titled album. Titled "What the Water Gave Me," it's more of Florence Welch's signature mesmerizing croon set to lyrics that are both mournful and captivating. The album isn't slated for release until November 7, but you can get your first listen to the track when you read more
I was disappointed last year when the individual performances for the nominations for Best Original Song were cut from the Oscars, so I was happy to learn that not only are the performances coming back this year, but they're pretty star-studded. Gwyneth Paltrow will take the stage again (right after she performs with Cee-Lo at the Grammys) for her Country Strong number, while Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore will show off their duet from Tangled. For "If I Rise" from 127 Hours, composer A.R. Rahman is enlisting Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine, and Randy Newman will perform his tune from Toy Story 3.
I can't wait to hear all of the performances on the big night, but I'm particularly pumped to see Levi and Moore team up since we didn't actually get to see their faces in Tangled. What about you — which performance are you looking forward to the most?
If you know Florence and the Machine, then you know Florence Welch, the band's lovely titian-headed lead singer. She arrived at the European premiere of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World last night looking amazing. It's a great transitional palette — her copper shadow would be cabana-party-ready paired with a red lipstick, and her brown-pink lipstick would be at home any time of year. It's a good way to put shades you might be wearing already to good use for the new season, and if you have any red in your hair, the combination is fantastic. So to see shades and product pairings like Florence's, just click through the widget below.
That's a wrap, folks! Coachella ended its run with a bang on Sunday with big-name acts like Phoenix and Gorillaz. I'm still coming off my high from a whirlwind weekend, where I not only saw people like Jay-Z (and Beyonce!) perform live, but I also got a chance to meet several celebrity fans, like Rachel Bilson and Katy Perry — and frankly, I'm exhausted. So without much further ado, let's recap five of the big acts from Day 3! (And don't forget to check out my recaps from the other two days of the festival.)
Later today, I'll be heading to Indio, CA along with Fab and the winners in our H&M contest to check out the awesome lineup of artists at this year's Coachella Music Festival. Friday alone has enough bands to make my head spin between She & Him, Vampire Weekend, and Jay-Z, so something tells me I'm going to be very, very tired when all of this is over.
Follow me on Twitter throughout the next few days — I'll be there through Monday! I'll send you guys any star sightings and band pics I get as I wait for each act to take the stage (and, of course, you can check back on Buzz for the highlights). To prep for the whirlwind weekend, I'm jotting down a few must sees to help me prioritize. Give the list a look when you read more
As much as I love to see one of my favorite bands put out their latest album, the most wonderful thing about the music world is that new artists continue to emerge. A very special few come out of nowhere and manage to blow your mind — so tell me, whose debut do you think is the best breakthrough album of 2009?
Don't forget to vote on all of my Best of 2009 polls!
It's one of my favorite days of the week: Tuesday! Which means I get to add DVDs to my Netflix queue, along with some brand new tunes for my iPod. So check out today's music releases for what you should download. (And if you like to review albums, don't forget to take a peek at the Music Review Group in the community.)
A smooth ride: Sufjan Stevens takes a breather from his states project with BQE, an ode to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. He originally performed the work to accompany a film about the road, but the music stands on its own as a beautiful orchestral arrangement. Warning if you like Stevens's mellow voice: BQE is all instrumental. Still, it proves that he has what it takes as a composer, and I'd like to see him lend his talents to more of this sort of work. My picks: Movement II: Sleeping Invader, which sounds like a ballet dream sequence, and Traffic Shock, which mixes in clashing electronic sounds like a busy gridlock.
Pretty packs a punch: If you haven't heard of Florence and the Machine, get ready. Florence Welch is the latest spunky Brit singer on the scene, and her debut Lungs already went platinum in the UK. Today, it's available to buy stateside. She's the singer I'd want to be if I had my own band — a woman who wails while banging the tambourine — and her album veers between tough-chick anthems and haunting ballads a la Sarah McLachlan. Make sure you try the hand-clapping, feel-good Dog Days Are Over or the romantic Cosmic Love.
See two more releases when you read more
