Pixies continue to tease out new material with the release of a second EP to follow last September’s ‘EP1’. ‘EP2’ builds on the momentum of the first release – showing Pixies to be a band far from content to mellow out. The EP features four new songs:  ‘Blue Eyed Hexe’, ‘Magdalena’, ‘Greens and Blues’ and ‘Snakes’.

Talking about the tracks Black Francis says that ‘Blue-Eyed Hexe’ “took on different forms, different music and different sets of lyrics before it settled where it is now. It’s a tale from the northwest of the country and it’s a witch-woman kind of a song”. Of ‘Greens and Blues’ he says they were looking to create a “show closer... a good night song. A song that would – musically, emotionally and psychologically – sit in the same place that ‘Gigantic’ has sat”.

The nominees for the Brit Awards 2014 were announced yesterday, with songwriters and artists signed to Universal Music Publishing receiving an impressive eighteen nominations in total. Bastille and Disclosure lead the way with four nominations each., including the prestigious British Album Of The Year.

It’s been a phenomenal year for Bastille, and to top it off, their No. 1 Platinum selling album ‘Bad Blood’ has been named the UK’s biggest selling debut album of 2013, shifting over half a million copies.  It was also the most successful digital artist album of 2013.

Angels Haze’s debut album ‘Dirty Gold’ is out now on Island/Republic. Talking about the album to Rolling Stone magazine, Angel Haze describes it as “a melting pot of a ton of different genres”. The Guardian has hailed 'Dirty Gold' as a “brave and original” debut, noting that “Haze is a smart, striking and original lyricist”.

The nominations for the 56th Grammy Awards were announced on Friday, with Disclosure, James Blake, Florence Welch, Adele and Coldplay amongst the UMP writers in the running for an award.

The Killers continue their very own festive tradition with a Christmas single and video released to raise money for Project (RED)  - with all proceeds going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS. ‘Christmas in L.A.’ finds a melancholy Owen Wilson drifting around L.A. at Christmas time, and slips between a film and an animation. It also features the voice of actor Harry Dean Stanton and folk rockers Dawes.

Lily Allen has revealed her new single ‘Hard Out Here’ – a phenomenal slice of pop perfection which takes a swipe at sexism in the music industry with its witty lyrics and inspired video.

In celebration of their first decade together, The Killers release ‘Direct Hits’ on November 11th - a collection of singles from their four albums, plus two brand new songs. Ten years after the band took to the stage for their first ever London show, they have gone on to sell over 20 million albums. Each of The Killers’ four studio albums has topped the UK charts, and the band ranks in the Top 3 of Amazon’s biggest selling artists of the past decade.

To celebrate ten incredible years of success, Keane release ‘The Best of Keane’ on 11th November through Island Records, alongside  new single ‘Higher Than the Sun’. Since releasing their debut single ‘Everybody’s Changing’ on Fierce Panda, Keane have gone on to become one of the biggest British bands of the decade, selling over 11 millions albums; winning 2 Brit Awards, 4 Q Awards and an Ivor Novello.

Annie Lennox has been honoured with the prestigious Music Industry Trusts Award, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to British Music and her charity work. Receiving the award, Annie said: “I'm incredibly touched and honoured to be considered as a recipient of the 22nd Music Industry Trusts Award. Music has given me a lifetime of experiences and opportunities that I never would have dreamed possible, and I feel very privileged to have been able to become an artist and communicator, especially as a woman.”