The Helping Haiti version of Everybody Hurts has gone straight in at number one in the UK music charts, racking up 453,000 dales in just six days. This makes it the most successful charity single of the century, despite it not actually being very good.

I have mixed feelings on charity records. They raise money for good causes, which is great, yet a lot of them rely solely on that factor to sell, not actually being any good. And they always sell well, regardless of quality.

Read More – Simon Cowell’s Helping Haiti Charity Single Breaks Record

JLS may have been runners-up on The X Factor 2008 but their success since then has shown what can be achieved if you apply yourself and take the opportunities afforded you. They’re now one of the best pop acts in the country, and their live showing proves as much.

JLS performed exclusively for ‘Nokia Comes With Music’ and ‘T-Mobile’ at a secret, invite-only gig at the Hammersmith Apollo in London on Saturday (Feb. 13). Michelle Kitching attended the gig for Brit Music Scene, and her review of the event is after the cut.

Read More – JLS Gig Review – Hammersmith Apollo – Feb. 13, 2010

The UK music charts may mean less now than they used to but they’re still an indicator of what’s hot on the popular British music scene right now. This week’s Top 10 singles and Top 10 albums are listed below.

Helping Haiti with the charity version of R.E.M.’s Everybody Hurts has unsurprisingly entered straight in at number one on the singles chart, knocking Owl City to number two in the process. And surely no one can bemoan this, with all the money raised going to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Brilliantly. Jedward’s debut single, Ice Ice Baby, fell out of the top ten altogether, dropping to number 12. The Glee Cast now have two songs in the top ten, with Halo/Walking On Sunshine entering at number nine.

The albums chart has seen less movement, with Alicia Keys retaining the number one spot, and Andre Rieu and Paolo Nutini remaining at numbers two and three respectively. Sade’s first album for a decade, Soldier Of Love, entered at number four, while Massive Attack’s Heligoland debuts at number six. Corinne Bailey Rae’s return with The Sea has been short-lived, with the album already dropping to number 15.

Read More – UK Music Charts – Feb. 14 – Helping Haiti & Alicia Keys

I was a huge fan of Kate Nash’s first album, Made Of Bricks, and have been eagerly awaiting her second album ever since. Thankfully, the wait is almost over. Nash has revealed the tracklisting and release date of the as-yet-untitled LP and even thrown in a free download.

Although the album hasn’t yet got a name, it will be released on April 19, almost a full two years after the release of her debut. I guess that’s what having a celebrity boyfriend (Ryan Jarman from The Cribs) does to you and your sense of timing.

The tracklisting, according to NME, is:

‘You’ll Never Listen’
‘Kiss That Girl’
‘Don’t You Want To Share The Guilt?’
‘I Just Love You More’
‘Do Wah Doo’
‘Higher Plane’
‘I’ve Got A Secret’
‘Oh Jay’
‘Later On’
‘Pickpocket’
‘You Were So Far Away’
‘I Hate Seagulls’

I Just Love You More is also being offered as a free download until Monday (Feb. 15). You need to sign up to the Kate Nash mailing list and then it’s all yours. You’ll Never Listen will be the first single release from the new album.

I really hope this new album lives up to Made Of Bricks. As long as Nash hasn’t lost her quirky pop vibe coupled with heartfelt lyrics then I’m sure it’ll be fantastic.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

Glastonbury always pulls out massive headliners, and 2010 is no exception. This year’s line-up could even go down in history as the greatest of all time.

The three headliners for the Glastonbury Festival have now been confirmed. U2 will close Friday night, Muse will end Saturday night, and the whole thing will be finished off on Sunday night by the legend that is Stevie Wonder.

U2 were confirmed a while ago, but Muse and Stevie Wonder were just rumors until now.

Unfortunately for anyone who wants to attend the festival on the strength of the headline acts alone, Glastonbury is already sold out. If you haven’t already secured your ticket then you’re not going.

It’s just a shame those damned flags will once again be fluttering in the wind and getting in the way of us actually seeing who is on stage.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

After reaching Christmas Number One, Rage Against The Machine promised to hold a free gig in the U.K. to celebrate the fact and to thank all the fans who bought Killing In The Name. And they’re now delivering on that promise, with the free gig to be held in London in June.

As you’re no doubt aware, Rage Against The Machine nabbed the Christmas Number One from The X Factor winner Joe McElderry. This followed a grassroots campaign started on Facebook intended to make sure a reputable song made the holiday top spot rather than another one of Simon Cowell’s manufactured muppets.

It worked, with the chart battle being one of the most exciting for years and making sure both records sold in record numbers.

Read More – Free Rage Against The Machine Gig Announced In London

The Kaiser Chiefs have done little for nearly a year, apart from a few festival appearances. But they’re now back, working together on new material which will inevitably form the basis for a new album. Just don’t rush them, OK.

It was last March that the Kaiser Chiefs decided they were taking a break from writing, recording, and playing music. The rumor at the time was that Ricky Wilson was eager to forge a career in television, although that seems to have erroneous.

However, there was probably some truth to the fact that the band wanted to go on musical hiatus after the release, and subsequent lukewarm reception to, Off With Their Heads, their third album to be released in four years.

In August it was claimed that the band were splitting up completely, but that proved to have been the word of an overeager journalist tweeting some misinformation. In fact, the Kaiser Chiefs are now on their way back.

Read More – The Kaiser Chiefs Working On New Album After Hiatus

Noel Gallagher is planning to attend the sentencing of the man who attacked him on stage in 2008. We Brits may forget easily but it takes us a while to forgive. That’s what you get for being a part of a secular society.

In September 2008, former Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher was assaulted on stage by a crazed fan, being pushed to the floor and landing awkwardly on a speaker. Gallagher was badly injured to the point that Oasis had to cancel five gigs.

Read More – Noel Gallagher To Attend Oasis Assault Sentencing

Unsure whether to follow the example set by Download, and Reading and Leeds, Glastonbury Festival decided to ask the people actually affected by the trend for the selfish waving of oversized flags. The people have spoken, and flags will be staying put. Unfortunately.

I was really hoping Glastonbury would ban flags, but no, it’s taking on board the views of its patrons and allowing them to remain part of the annual mudfest.

The final results of the poll were 55 percent in favor of keeping the flags, 45 percent in favor of a ban. And I have a sick feeling in my stomach that the publicity surrounding this issue will mean more people take flags to Glasto this year than ever before.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

If you’re not British and have never heard of Jedward before then prepare to bring your dinner up. The novelty act of this year’s The X Factor have released a single. It’s a mash-up of Queen and David Bowie’s Under Pressure, and Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby. And it’s terrible. Unsurprisingly.

We’ve had Darius, we’ve had the Cheeky Girls, and now we have Jedward. All acts from a reality TV show who have defied belief in getting as far as they do on the show before releasing a few pointless and utterly crap records after they were finally booted off.

This isn’t the official video for Jedward’s Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby) because the record companies are idiots and won’t allow embedding. So I’ve had to post a live performance of the track from GMTV instead. But no matter, as if anything it shows up the twin turds for their lack of talent even more.

Read More – Jedward – ‘Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)’ Single Review