If Katy Perry has one major achievement beyond her music, it must certainly be putting women at ease, on a global scale, for wearing tonnes of makeup. We first came across it with her bright (dare we say gaudy) nails on her The One of The Boys artwork (to get some Katy Perry style inspiration though check out this showcase of nail art – and while you’re at it this site also has a good collection of updos) which seemed to put her foundation in context. Soon enough we forgot that she’s hiding behind half an inch of war paint.

Then we were suddenly snapped out of it when Russell Brand posted the quickly deleted photo of her in her natural state.

Her recent appearance on X Factor too gave us a bit of a shock. Her pink hair couldn’t take away from the overdone foundation even by the standards of the Saturday night preening fest. The thing is though, she does it so bloody ruddy well. Perhaps if you saw her in a club you might be surprised when the lights came up at the end of the night, but this is showbiz and we reckon she consistently pulls it out the bag.

So here’s out top ten list of who overdoes the makeup to perfection in pop:

1. Katy Perry
2. Lady Gaga – and we’re not talking about her costumes, we mean when she’s looking ‘natural’.
3. JLS – these boys don’t mind being touched up.
4. Gwen Steffani – she’s been rocking the same make up since the early 90s.
5. Rihanna – check out the Shy Ronnie video to see how it should be done.
6. JLO – She’s like Dorain Gray.
7. Cher Lloyd – OK we’re not sure this is a good look, but we’ve become accustomed to her face.
8. Nicola Roberts – She’s always on any list we do.
9. Avril Lavigne – A pioneer of the faux emo look.
10. Christina Aguilera – Have you seen Burlesque?

If you have any further suggestions then let us know.

Picture Courtesy of José Goulão

Two Door Cinema Club, Kaiser Chiefs and Cold War Kids are among the roster of acts who will be showcased on the site in a series of nine episodes known as OFF Shows, which will run until the end of the year.

Part of Universal’s OFF TV, the OFF Shows offer exclusive music content and intimate access to the featured artists.

The site also offers Black XS fans and rock addicts the chance to win concert tickets, backstage passes and free downloads, along with functionality which enables the user to experience being a rockstar for themselves in a totally unique online experience.

Check out some photos of the launch at the famed Paris venue La Maroquinerie. Things got a little crazy with stage-diving, guitars getting smashed all over the place and ill-advised tattoos. (Non-permanent, kids, let’s not get too crazy.)

Find everything at www.bearockstar.com You can also check the Off Shows out on Black XS YouTube channel – www.off.tv.

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Ok So how does it work. Well you need to follow these steps

1) Click through to be in the right place to use your code —–> CLICK HERE
2) When prompted at the checkout enter code SWDISCOUNT5

We’ve just bagged ourselves a fiver off the Isle of Wight extravaganza (press tickets only stretch so far and there should be agang of us heading down this year).

There’s been some interesting talk about the use of these ticket exchanges, for example This is Money have been vocal in expressing their dismay. We have to say though we don’t totally agree (and it’s nothing to do with the aforementioned publication being party of the Daily Mail Group).

Firstly, Seatwave.com is giving out these discount codes….and we’re cheap.

Secondly, they also importantly offer a guarantee to their customers that they will get genuine tickets or their money back. This isn’t a perfect world solution, but it’s as good as we’re going to get in the foreseeable future.

Ticket touting is always an issue, and unless we go to non transferable picture ID models we’re not going to stamp it out. While this could work I’m not really sure we want to be taking our passports to festivals (about a hundred thousand will go missing at Glasto) or to see hundred of girls crying to the O2 each month because they forgot their provisional driving licences.

As always we’d like to join in with the bashing, but Seatwave have been putting in too much to their campaign to stamp out touting. So get using that promotional code and finish your 2011 summer in style!

Like politics, dogs and Cher, Time seems to affect The Music Industry differently to how it affects normal human beings. A year in human terms is like a decade in the music world; sounds, styles and genres continually boom in and out of fashion, while an endless litter of new artists bounce eagerly onto the scene to nip at the ankles of established acts. Artists who take a year out to write a new album soon feel like they’ve been gone forever *COUGH* La Roux *COUGH*, while Lady Gaga’s almost continuous presence in the charts since her debut in 2009 makes it feel like she’s been knocking around far longer than her relatively short two years.

For an artist to be celebrating ten years in the industry is therefore quite a big deal- the kind of big deal where your Nan puts Corrie on mute for twenty minutes and gets out the fondant fancies and Babysham. When that artist is a TV talent show winner who managed to maintain a career during a decade which saw the industry morph into something almost unrecognisable from its pre millennium incarnation, AND do it with the same record label he first signed to, AND still be achieving platinum album sales, it’s nothing short of amazing.

Yes, prepare to feel old- this month marks exactly ten years since an unknown Will Young first ambled politely into a Pop idol audition and sang ‘Blame It On The Boogie’ in front of an equally unknown Simon Cowell. Young went on to win Pop Idol in February 2002, and while the careers of most of his talent show contemporaries soon went to that Big Karaoke Bar in the sky, Young’s distinctive style and sound soon garnered a loyal fan base who appeared to stick by him as social networking saw the industry fragment into a series of smaller sub genres with smaller sales. During his ten years in the industry he’s managed to sell eight million albums worldwide, and while his last few single sales have been disappointingly low (representing a wider trend in the industry as a whole), his album sales have continued to perform well– each one achieving platinum status.

So what do you do if you’re Will Young and want to celebrate your tenth birthday in the music biz? Down your own weight in WKD and end up sprawled in your own vomit outside a cash point while singing Swagger Jagger to alarmed bystanders?? OF COURSE NOT. This is Will Young, and he’s been very sensibly writing his new album ‘Echoes’, along with producer Richard X and a team of co writers which reads like a modern pop fans wet dream: Sound of Arrows, Groove Armada and Fred Falke to name but a few.

The first single to be released from the album is ‘Jealousy’- a beautiful ‘tears on the dance floor’ electro ballad about unrequited love and the slightly creepy stalker tendencies it can induce. The departure from Young’s usual sound is striking; dance edged and synth heavy, ‘Jealousy’ is Young’s mission statement for the next phase of his career- having the confidence to make music which he genuinely loves while still maintaining a commercial edge. Having written or co-written every song on Echoes it also feels like this could be his most personal album to date, and while a change in direction is always a risk, now feels like the right time for him to take it.

‘Jealousy’ is available to buy from 21^st August

‘Echoes’ is available to buy from 22^nd August

Where? The Pyramid stage, Glastonbury Festival 2011

The Saturday night headliners selected a rather random yet brilliant, well for me any way, entrance tune as they casually strolled on stage to the Back to the Future theme tune. Could this have represented the fact that this is the greedy bands headlining slot for the third time in nine years? Perhaps, yet I saw this as a good sign and hoped that I would not be disappointed and regret my decision for choosing them over The Chemical Brothers who were now playing on the Other stage. And I am more than happy to say that I was not disappointed, they knew what we wanted and they delivered: creating a moving and uplifting atmosphere which only increased throughout their performance. Chris Martin’s recognisable voice carried far across the fan infested crowd only drowned out when well known favourites such as ‘The Scientist’ and ‘Politik’ were played. Their songs were no doubt accompanied with an impressive laser show, added strength and power to their meaningful songs or there just to literally represent the lyrics: such as ‘Yellow’ unsurprisingly spurring on a mass of yellow lighting radiating over the crowd.

Even though their passionate performance was consistent, I felt like something was missing. Perhaps a surprise guest or an unexpected cover was needed just to give it that extra edge and transform their commendable performance into an unforgettable one. However towards the end of their set the band acknowledged the crowd and the legendary location to the tune of Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a wonderful world’ causing cheers to spread through the never ending crowd. ‘Clocks’ and ‘Fix You’ were the highlights of the night; with not one person in sight standing still: showing us that Coldplay were indeed worthy of headlining once again.

Picture Courtesy of Beacon Radio

Where? The Pyramid stage, Glastonbury Festival 2011

Considering it was a Friday night at the legendary Pyramid stage and there were only fifteen minutes to go the crowd was worryingly small. Though with an open mind I used the spaces to my advantage and waded through the mud to get a closer look. The lights went down and instantly David Bowies’s ‘Space Oddity’ blasted out of the speakers tricking the crowds excitement into overload only to let it come crashing back down to earth when Bono’s serious face appeared. I noticed that more people had arrived but it felt more like they were just there with nothing else to do. The flat atmosphere then turned for the weird as fairly disturbing images of mating insects appeared on the screen as the band nodded along in time with the uninspiring opening ‘Even better then the real thing’. Next they attempted to brainwash us with phrases such as “Everything you know is wrong” followed by a whole compilation of rude words and ‘intelligent’ messages you couldn’t help but fixate on as they rapidly flashed from one to the next: probably to distract the crowd from the dull song being performed.

However an attempt at an uplifting atmosphere, that is usually found around the Pyramid stage, occurred with ‘One’ and a mass sing along to ‘I still haven’t found what I’m looking for’. They eventually went back to their vague space theme by playing a message from astronaut Mark Kelly to his wife, though what was to be achieved by this still boggles me as as far as I’m aware his wife was not present at the U2 performance. Though the classic ‘Beautiful Day’ saved the show slightly as it never fails to create a slight warm fuzzy feeling inside, even though the rain hadn’t stopped. Obviously ‘With or without you’ set us all swaying in our now sobered up state, desperately needing a strong drink and not being able to ignore the part of us that cruelly wished that Bono’s back problems had returned for the festival this year.

Picture Courtesy of Beacon Radio

Ok, so imagine vintage swing music, ra-ra dresses and top hats; the lot. Now mix in some electro beats and a touch of drum n bass and the result should be very similar to what The Correspondents produce. Off the stage, for me, the music does not in any way create the same effect as it does when performed live, as what really carries this diverse duo is front man Mr Bruce. Even if the idea of electro swing does not inspire your dancing feet then this man certainly will. The vocalist’s movements are unlike anything you have ever seen and appear to be interpretive dancing at its best as he represents every beat and sound with a forceful yet controlled jolt of an arm or a high kick of a leg. His feet move as if he is gracefully leaping off of hot coals and his face exudes a crazy pleasure: an expression that would be fitting around the time of Halloween. Accompanied with extremely tight leggings, slick hair and a masquerade inspired top Mr Bruce is a sight for sore eyes. Though once his enviable energy hits you, you find yourself utterly and totally jealous that your body parts do not quite achieve the same animated coordination.

Being at Glastonbury Festival, in the bizarre surroundings of Shang-ri La, The Correspondents really pulled out all the stops with Mr Bruce transporting his moves to a conveyor belt; creating a confusing yet clever effect. His singing altered from strong long notes to a fast speed, border lining on the realms of beat-boxing: whipping the crowd up into a frenzy. Their finale featured a remix of High Contrasts ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ and with the cheers continuing long after they left the stage it was clear that everyone wanted more.

Where? The Pyramid stage, Glastonbury Festival 2011

There, stood in front of a blinding bright pyramid backdrop was the bootylicious silhouette of the Goddess herself, Beyoncé Knowles. The response was deafening; an eruption caused by the weekend-long anticipated wait for the a-list diva. There was a tense build up with an indistinguishable tune soon revealing itself to be the introduction to the explosive hit ‘Crazy in Love’ with fireworks encouraging the famous trumpet opening and the entrance to an overwhelmed Beyoncé who stood strong with an expression of pure happiness and disbelief on her face. Managing to achieve a fairly close spot within the crowd, and being the case that most of the crowd consisted of shorter females, I could see well and thank god as I did not want to miss a thing.

After her explosive entrance, which coincidentally informed us that Jay-Z would not be joining her, Beyoncé continued to impress us with fiery dance moves and sultry sounds to help deliver her message of independence to all us ‘single ladies’: so much so that I could actually sense the brave male viewers squirm slightly in their muddy wellies. Not that they would have minded too much as unsurprisingly Beyoncé looked stunning, sporting a shimmering gold number, high sparkled heels and sensationally wild hair. She surprised the crowd with fresh covers such as a raunched up cover of The Kings of Leon’s ‘Sex on Fire’, the enchanting Etta James’ ‘At Last’ and by intertwining ‘Sweet Dreams’ with the Eurythmics classic. With her fans in mind, who have supported her 15 year long career, she thanked us with a Destiny’s Child mega mix, covering originals such as ‘Say My Name’ and top hits like ‘Survivor’. Her passion and energy was an unstoppable force lifting the spirits of everyone out there in the endless sea of festival goers. Her all female backing band exuded sass and confidence, with her backing singers the ‘Momma’s’ providing humour with their comments on the men in the crowd.

Even though Beyoncé is clearly a born performer, with her fierce moves, attitude and sex appeal; she still remained humble and graceful. These admirable qualities shone brighter then the tip of the Pyramid stage when she stepped down into the crowd during her finale ‘Halo’ and joined her fanatic, tearful fans who even after all the mud have probably not washed since in order to savour their dream encounter. The screens played a montage of the past three days, presenting the beauty of Glastonbury Festival and touching a rather overwhelmed crowd; drawing the festival to a momentous close. Even now I cannot help but find myself drifting back to Beyoncé’s unforgettable performance: witnessing her radiance and feeling a sense of empowerment. Being the first female to headline in 20 years, and without the need for any famous friends, Beyoncé truly showed us how independent women can ‘run the world’.

Picture Courtesy of Beacon Radio

You probably haven’t heard of Junica. And if you haven’t heard of Junica you probably haven’t heard Junica’s amazing song ‘Living In My House’ featuring Ladyhawke. And if you haven’t heard Junica’s amazing song ‘Living in My House’ featuring Ladyhawke then you *definitely* probably didn’t know that it’s been available to buy on iTunes since March.

THIS IS GOING WELL ISN’T IT?

But for those of you currently looking back on the last three months of your lives and thinking ‘I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHARING THOSE MONTHS WITH JUNICA! WE’LL NEVER GET THOSE MONTHS BACK!!!’ before running barefoot into the street and sobbing against a lamp post, don’t panic! Junica forgives you. Junica is just glad you found each other in the end.

So who/what is Junica? Well, Junica is the latest musical project from the rather talented New Zealander Nick Brinkman, whose previous groups include Over The Atlantic and Psychic Powers. He’s decided to go it alone for this one, and he’s managed in the process to make a bit of a pop indie gem. ‘Living In My House’ is the first single to be released from Junica’s self titled E.P and features bouncy synths, an addictively catchy chorus and a very New Order-esque guitar riff which adds a dreamy, nostalgic quality to proceedings. For those of you who wish Ladyhawke would stop dicking around and get on with releasing her second album, there’s also the added bonus that her vocals make a rather welcome feature. (Now make us a new album Ladyhawke you big amazing genius!!!)

There’s a small treasure trove of songs currently on Junica’s Soundcloud page. One is a brilliantly atmospheric remix of ‘Living In My House’ by Kids Of 88, and another is ‘The Wrong House’- a beautiful pensive lament which allows Nick Brinkman’s earnest vocals to shine through.

The Wrong House by junica

It’s still very early days in the Junica life cycle, but it would be nice to see the E.P sell more than the ten copies it probably will in the UK when first released. Brinkman’s previous projects show he has an accomplished talent for song writing, and the Junica songs we’ve heard so far make us really quite excited for a full album. WELL DONE JUNICA!

‘Living In My House’ is currently available to download on iTunes.

The ‘Junica’ E.P is available to download from 4 July

So we’ve had a few days now to calmly and rationally consider the fact that Girls Aloud will be returning in 2012. We’ve calmly danced our tits off to ‘Something Kinda Ooooh’ approximately 37 times, and very rationally spent our ‘should probably be working’ time watching every Girls Aloud video that currently exists on youtube.

But after the initial excitement some creeping doubts have started to nibble away, arising mainly from the rumours that Xenomania won’t be producing a new Girls Aloud album. Xenomania have produced every Girls Aloud album except their first one, and are basically responsible for that distinctive ‘Girls Aloud’ sound that came to define a large part of the noughties. It’s incredibly rare in today’s current pop climate for an artist to work with a single producer for such a long space of time, let alone to knock out four albums together. The result is that you can hear a pleasant continuity between ‘What Will The Neighbours Say’ and ‘Out Of Control’, along with a progression and maturing of the sound. You couldn’t imagine a song like ‘Call The Shots’ on ‘What Will The Neighbours Say’, but you can definitely hear the seeds of songs like ‘Call The Shots’ planted in earlier material.

So where do the Aloud go from here? Well they’re standing in the middle of a big musical crossroads and they could go one of four ways:

1) Girls Aloud and Xenomania get back together.

This would be a pleasant outcome, but we’re not really sure how it would happen. Sometimes it’s better to move on from something and try new things, but at the same time it’s hard to let go of something you know is amazing. Perhaps Xenomania might start sending Girls Aloud 3am drunken texts to the effect of:

‘G.A WE WOZ AMZING 2GETHER WHY DID WE EVA BREAK UP????? XX’

‘LMAO. You’re drunk. LOL. Go to bed’

‘IM NO DRUMK I ONLY AD 2 STELLAS AMD A JAGERBOMB. MISS U SSSSO MUCH XXXX’.

We’re pretty sure this would have a successful outcome. Drunken texts are almost always successful, right?

2) Girls Aloud find a new producer.

This is where it could get interesting. There’s no shortage of amazing British producers out there, and the right match could see Girls Aloud taking a new and intriguing direction. A Richard X produced Girls Aloud album could be quite exciting couldn’t it? YES IT COULD.

3) Girls Aloud go it alone.

In theory this is quite an interesting idea- Girls Aloud alone in the studio bouncing off one another, staying up all night drinking Diet Pepsi and writing songs together. Sarah would rock up at 2am with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a kebab, while Cheryl would make everyone cry with tales of cheating husbands and malaria. Then they’d write a cool electro synth ballad about cheating husbands who catch malaria and it would all be VERY CREATIVE AND EDGY.

Or it could just be five women sitting silently in a room counting ceiling tiles and looking pretty.

4) Cheryl Cole gets her old mate Will. I. Am to produce.

Let’s try not to get all hysterically overdramatic about this, but this scenario would be THE WORST THING TO HAPPEN TO THE WORLD OF MUSIC SINCE SCATMAN DIED. Birds would fall out of the sky, small children would claw their mother’s eyes out and old ladies would start chanting biblical versus on the number 19 to Chorley. In others words the world would be a BAD AND SCARY PLACE. It’s not that Will. I. Am is completely terrible- he’s had his fingers in a fair few musical pies, and some of those pies have been quite tasty thanks. But Will. I. Am and Girls Aloud would be like dunking doughnuts in lamb stew. It doesn’t work. It will never work.

Overall we’re not really too demanding. We’d just like Girls Aloud to return on top form- to remind us why we love them so much, but also show us something new and exciting. The first single should also sound a bit like ‘The Loving Kind’, with bits of ‘Untouchable’ and ‘Jump’ thrown in for good measure. And it should have the amazing ‘five choruses instead of versus’ structure of ‘Biology’. And Nicola should get to sing at least 29% of it. And Kimberly should have a talking bit, because she hasn’t had a talking bit since the brilliant ‘Oh. Boy…..’ bit in ‘Something Kinda Ooooh’, and if there is one thing that Kimberly Walsh is VERY good at, it is talking in a song.

BUT LIKE WE SAY, WE’RE NOT TOO DEMANDING.

Let’s remind ourselves why Girls Aloud are amazing shall we