kaiser Chiefs are back on track!

Kaiser Chiefs latest updates...

Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson is "excited" to be up against Take That and Girls Aloud at the BRIT Awards.

The 30-year-old rocker is proud to be facing such "massive" pop stars in the British Group category at the London ceremony on February 20, and insists he would rather lose out to a "bigger band" than any of their indie rivals.

He said: "I'm surprised to be in the same category as Take That and Girls Aloud but it's exciting. You think of them as being massive bands and I think it's healthy to think of people as bigger than you. "You can't really compete with Girls Aloud. But if The Editors or The Arctic Monkeys win, then I'd be a bit angry."

The Kaiser Chiefs have already tasted BRITs glory with the success of their debut album 'Employment' helping them win awards for Best British Group, Best British Rock Act and Best British Live Act in 2006. However, Ricky insists success would be sweeter this time around.

He told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "It is better being nominated for your second album than five times for your first. It shows we're still relevant and vital. You forget the BRITs are like the Oscars. Being nominated for them is a better feeling than you think."

The Kaiser Chiefs - which also includes drummer Nick Hodgson, guitarist Andrew White, bassist Simon Rix and keyboard player Nick Baines - have also been nominated for Best British Live Act and Best British Single for 'Ruby', which they intend to perform at the ceremony at London's Earl's Court.

Trance music and the 2008 preview

It seems that trance music is gaining influence....

Utrecht, Saturday February 23rd – We knew that they would go fast, but not this fast! Tickets for the Trance Energy anniversary event are already completely sold out, more than five weeks in advance of the big night!

The hard core of the international dance community is set to converge on Utrecht from every continent: never before has Trance Energy attracted so much interest from abroad. No fewer than 30,000 partygoers are going to be part of this extra-special fifteenth event, under the musical guidance of the crème de la crème of the world’s DJs. They include Tiësto, Ferry Corsten and Marco V on the Main stage, with Marcel Woods, Alex M.O.R.P.H. and Ronald van Gelderen topping the bill on the High Contrast stage. Jean is one of the feature acts on the Club stage, while the Future stage will be showcasing up-and-coming young talents like Sean Tyas and Airbase.

Mdonna is very well covered!

Madonna is being covered, it seems...

Following the critical success of 2007’s A Brighter Beat and an improbable bid for the Christmas number one slot with We’re All Going To Die, Malcolm Middleton is back to business with a new, stripped-back-record. Sleight of Heart includes Malcolm’s version of Madonna’s Stay, alongside 2 other covers and 6 original new songs.

Comprising tracks written during the Brighter Beat sessions and a handful of cover versions, Sleight Of Heart bookends what Middleton describes as his 'boo-hoo/way-hey! period', using up all the leftovers and tying up the loose ends. 'I'd like to do something different next so this kind of forces my hand. For once I've nothing prepared or ready to fall back on,' he says.

Initially conceived as an acoustic LP – and largely remaining so – the album was recorded at Chemikal Underground Studios in Glasgow. Malcolm’s recording band (featuring Mogwai’s Barry Burns on piano, ex-Delgadoes man Paul Savage on drums, touring bassist Stevie Jones and Jenny Reeve on backing vocals) joined in when he 'got carried away'.

'I suppose this album is a reaction to the production of A Brighter Beat, which I love, but I felt it was time for something quieter,' says Middleton. 'My songs are usually written on a guitar so this way they are closer to the original form.'

There’s plenty to cherish in the nine new tracks here. Opener A Week Off has the wonderful line 'I’ll write a good song just give me more time, it’s easy hating yourself it’s hard making it rhyme,' and is surely the only tune to name check Fleetwood Mac released this year. Elsewhere, Love Comes In Waves is what Middleton sarcastically describes as 'over-blown Glasgow indie-pop', Total Belief finds Malcolm contemplating his 'unworthiness' – a common strand in his solo work – and Blue Plastic Bags is a brilliantly observed song about British drinking culture.

'Surely everyone understands the longing / despair / contentment / self-contempt / confusion in this song,' says Malcolm. 'As a nation we're all drinking too much. Not the binge drinking of the '90s but the sneaky innocent couple every night. If the fridge is empty at 9:30pm, you start sweating and run out to buy some for 'just in case’.'

The covers on the album are fairly unpredictable. Here, a tortured version of Madonna’s Stay rubs shoulders with a lively take on King Creosote’s Marguerita Red and Jackson C. Frank’s Just Like Anything. Stay is an old favourite of Middleton’s, while Just Like Anything is beloved by his girlfriend, 'So I thought I’d ruin it for her,' he says.

It all amounts to a captivating record from a man who’s fast becoming one of the UK’s most cherished – and prolific – artists. While you enjoy this one, Malcolm’s already beavering away on his next full-length release, with mixed results so far.

Lily Allen and her show...

These are the latest news from Lily Allen...

Lily Allen has shot the pilot episode of her forthcoming chat show, with Alex James set to be amongst the guests.

As previously reported, the UK pop songbird will make her TV presenting debut in the coming months on the as-yet-untitled programme.

Scheduled for broadcast on BBC 3, the Blur star and comedian Alan Davies both appear in the pilot.

The opening edition was filmed earlier this week and is currently being worked on by the production team.

Lily's show is expected to centre on the emergence of social networking groups, with interactive elements for the audience.