Madonna confirms new album release in spring 2012 - video

Madonna has confirmed she will release her new album next spring.

The singer said she has started work on the record with producer William Orbit and is expected to be busy in her New York studio until the end of the year in a video interview for Sweden's Sveriges Television. Watch the interview by scrolling down and clicking below.

Madonna revealed the news during promotion for her new movie W.E. at theVenice Film Festival. She recentlyconfirmed that the first single for the record is due out in February or March.

Her manager Guy Oseary previously confirmed she had started work on the record in July.

The album, which is the follow-up to 2008's 'Hardy Candy', will be her first in a deal to release music in partnership with concert promoter Live Nation.

Conrad Murray's lawyers appeal over jury isolation decision in Michael Jackson trial

Lawyers for Michael Jackson's doctor are appealing against a decision not to isolate the jury in the forthcoming manslaughter trial.

Attorneys for Dr Conrad Murray urged the sequestering of the jury because of fears that massive media coverage could influence them.

But Judge Michael Pastor who will oversee the trial, said he didn't think it would be necessary and said it would be unlikely the Los Angeles court system would be able to afford it, with costs likely to exceed $500,000 (£308,000). He also said it would be difficult to cut members of the jury off from their families.

Jury selection officially begins on Thursday (September 8) and the trial is set to get under way later this month, reports Perezhilton.com.

Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

The trial will take place more than two years after Jackson's death from an overdose of a powerful anesthetic used as a sleeping aid.

Prince on the brink of $4 million (£2.4 million) payout to perfume company

Prince is facing the prospect of being forced to pay almost $4 million (£2.4 million) by a perfume company that claims he failed to help promote the '3121' fragrance named after his 2006 album.

A New York judge has recommended the singer pay the amount to Revelations Perfume And Cosmetics Inc, but the sum will have to be confirmed by a second judge.

The company said it licensed the musician's name, likeness and the album title to market its fragrance and that he broke promises to help promote the scent after its launch in July 2007.

It also claims Prince's refusal to give interviews and stage in-store events forced the cancellation of the licensing agreement because the fragrance failed to meet its minimum sales requirements.

But the singer's lawyer told the New York Law Journal he will fight to ensure he doesn't have to pay compensation. The lawsuit was first filed in November 2008.

The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt releases collection of early recordings

The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt is set to release 'Obscurities', a 14-track collection of his early material on October 10.

'Obscurities' is made up of songs which were all released prior to 1999’s triple album,'69 Love Songs' and features five previously unreleased songs.

Three of the five come from The Song >From Venus, an unfinished sci-fi musical by Merritt and Daniel Handler, the US author who writes under the pen-name Lemony Snickett.

Five songs from The Magnetic Fields’ 7” vinyl singles are also included as well as '69 Love Songs' outtake 'The Sun And The Sea And The Sky’. "This song didn’t go on'69 Love Songs' because it wasn't actually about romantic love," says Merritt.

'You Are Not My Mother And I Want To Go Home', a song written by Merritt for the audiobook version of Coraline by Neil Gaiman is also included.

The tracklisting for 'Obscurities' is:

'Forever And A Day' (previously unreleased)
'Rats In The Garbage Of The Western World' (The Magnetic Fields)
'I Don't Believe You' (The Magnetic Fields)
'Plant White Roses' (Buffalo Rome)
'Rot in the Sun' (the 6ths)
'The Sun And The Sea And The Sky’ (previously unreleased)
'Yet Another Girl' (the 6ths)
'Scream (Till You Make The Scene)' (previously unreleased)
'The Song from Venus' (previously unreleased)
'Beach-A-Boop-Boop (The Magnetic Fields)
'When I'm Not Looking, You're Not There' (The Magnetic Fields)
'Take Ecstasy With Me' (The Magnetic Fields)
'When You’re Young And In Love' (previously unreleased)
'You Are Not My Mother And I Want to Go Home' (The Gothic Archies)

Summer Camp to release debut album on Halloween

Summer Camp have announced plans to release their debut album, 'Welcome To Condale', on October 31.

Working with Pulp’s Steve Mackey, who helped produce the 12 track album, the record includes debut single 'Ghost Train', as well as song named after a character from 1990s teen drama My So-Called Life, 'Brian Krakow'.

The duo part-financed their debut by offering mixtapes and homemade chocolate brownies to fans in exchange for contributions to the recording process.

The London based act, made up of former anti-folk singer songwriter Jeremy Warmsleyand Elizabeth Sankey release the album on their own Apricot Recording Companyimprint, with support from Moshi Moshi and Pledgemusic.

The album will be preceded by a single, 'Better Off Without You', which will be released on September 12.

The 'Welcome To Condale' tracklisting is:

'Better Off Without You'
'Brian Krakow'
'I Want You'
'Losing My Mind'
'Summer Camp'
'Nobody Knows You'
'Down'
'Welcome to Condale'
'Done Forever'
'Last American Virgin'
'Ghost Train'
'1988'

Arctic Monkeys' Matt Helders talks solo album - video

Arctic Monkeys' drummer Matt Helders has jokingly made it known that he wishes to release a solo album.

The band were speaking to NME at V Festival where they played at the weekend and were joined onstage by Miles Kane, click above to watch the video.

When asked where they wanted to be in five years, Helders said: "Doing my debut record, or celebrating four years since I've done my debut record."

Helders has previously done backing vocals for the band and most recently taken the lead for the track 'Brick By Brick'. The drummer also curated an album as part of the 'Late Night Tales' series in 2008.

On that album he covered the Livin Joy dance anthem 'Dreamer' with vocalist Nesreen Shah.

During the interview Alex Turner also spoke about being one of few guitar bands on the weekend's bill. He said:"It not like you make a plan want to play V Festival and save rock and roll, but it's cool that you get a guitar band, because not many play it."

"I'm sure a lot of people who saw us play in the arenas would see us here."

Owner of 'Amy Winehouse Foundation' website name refusing to give it up

Amy Winehouse's father Mitch has become embroiled in an argument with a Londonbusinessman over the domain name 'Amywinehousefoundation.com'.

According to The Sun, Martin McCann, who purchased the domain name hours after plans for the foundation were announced, is refusing to sell the name and has said he believes he is "not exploiting anything."

Asked why he had bought the web domain name and if he believed he was exploiting anything, McCann replied:
I'm not exploiting anything yet. I've just bought some domain names. Anybody could have. It only takes the click of a mouse. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed. Detach yourself from emotions and think business. He [Mitch Winehouse] is making every effort to hijack this charity to satiate his own needs for the charity. She's not the only Amy Winehouse in the world.



McCann also criticised Mitch for calling him a 'dickhead' on Twitter. He said of this: "I'm not the dickhead. The dickhead is sitting over there without the name in his possession." He has also said he will not sell the name until Mitch apologises to him.

The late singer's father revealed recently that they had been forced to start handing donations back after delays to the foundation being set up and this is sure to push the start date back even further.