Mumford And Sons Page 3

Get ready for a magnificent time as Chicago brings you another rollicking year of Lollapalooza with a legendary line-up of mixed genre music from The Cure to Mumford & Sons.

Since it's revival in 2003, Lollapalooza has been bringing you the very best of rock, metal, punk, hip hop and dance from all the major music legends to the up-and-coming rookies of the business. Taking place at Chicago's Grant Park from August 2nd - 4th 2013, the festival this year features a bedazzling headline roster of Las Vegas indie rockers The Killers, West Sussex goths The Cure, Grammy winning folk four-piece Mumford & Sons and long-running industrial rock group Nine Inch Nails. There will also be a huge range of activities to occupy yourself with over the weekend from the Samsung Galaxy Experience where you can check out the latest gadgets, to art stations where you can become a comic strip or be transformed into a work of pop art.

Continue reading: Lollapalooza 2013 To Be Equipped For All Weathers For Another Memorable Weekend

Incredibly, Jay-Z has landed his first ever UK number one album, with Magna Carta Holy Grail storming the chart and holding off Mumford & Sons and Rod Stewart. The rapper's previous highest-charting album was the 2011 collaborate effort with Kanye West, Watch the Throne, which entered at No.3.

Holy Grail managed to hold off Mumford & Sons' Babel despite a surge in sales following the group's triumphant headlining show at the Glastonbury Festival. Jay-Z also comfortably outsold Rod Stewart's number-one album Time. Passenger took the third spot with All The Little Light, with Canadian crooner Michael Buble dropped two places to No.4 with To Be Loved.

Jay-Z has been performing in the UK this weekend, headlining the second night of the Wireless music festival at the Queen Elizabeth Park on the former Olympics site. "I feel the love tonight," Jay-Z, 43, told the crowd, "You've been an incredible audience tonight." The rapper - still one of the biggest hip-hop acts in the world - was joined by Timberlake during the encore for a rendition of Holy Grail.

Continue reading: Q. How Many UK No.1's Does Jay-Z Have? A. Less Than You Think

Mumford & Sons headlined a one-day festival at London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park last night (July 6, 2013) playing to a 60,000 strong hometown crowd. The band closed out the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival on Sunday, though appeared to slight the Pilton crowd in Stratford.

"Were any of you lot at Glastonbury last weekend? It was a very pleasant experience... [but] you guys are sh*t loads better than that gig ever was," said keyboard player Ben Lovett, according to NME.com, "Probably because you haven't done as many drugs as the people there," added banjo player Winston Marshall.

Arriving on-stage at 8.45pm, the band began with the title track from their sophomore album Babel. "We can't tell you how happy we are to be home. Thanks so much for coming tonight," said frontman Marcus Mumford. 

Continue reading: Mumford & Sons Take Dig At Glastonbury Crowd During Olympic Park Show

Liam Gallagher and his band Beady Eye played an unbilled set at the Glastonbury Festival on Friday morning (June 28, 2013), officially opening three days of music set to be headlined by Arctic Monkeys, The Rolling Stones and Mumford & Sons. The show took place on The Other Stage at the rather early time of 11am, though thousands made the journey from their soaked tents to watch the former Oasis man.

Liam Gallagher Performing With Beady Eye At The Glastonbury Festival

Though Beady Eye's show did not feature in the programme, frotman Liam has dropped a major hint earlier in the week, tweeting, "11am Friday - BE there or BE square.LG," while photographs showed the band travelling to Glastonbury on the train. Gallagher had always vowed never to return to the Pilton site following his former band's headlining set in 2004, telling The Sun, "The sound is s*** and really quiet. You can hear the crowd talking while you're playing.It's like Bond Street with mud, with loads of celebrities walking around in their boots and umbrellas. I'm not having it."

Continue reading: Liam Gallagher Opens Glastonbury Festival With Oasis Songs [Pictures]

Glastonbury Festival will be returning after a year off this weekend (June 28 - 30) and after a year away it looks as though at least one classic Glasto tradition will be void from this year's itinerary; the rain. Weather forecasts are indicating that in a much-needed break from the norm, the weather at this years Glastonbury will actually be good for a change and the sun will shine on in Somerset for the full stretch festivities.

BBC Weather is predicting an overall mix of sun and cloud over the course of the week, with a few chances of rain cropping up at points. Of course this is the British summer, and the British summer is never complete without buckets of rain at the worst possible time. Forecasters are predicting that the rainfall will only really be a problem on Tuesday and Thursday, which might make setting up the festival a living hell for organisers, and the same for earlier-comers on Thurs, but hopefully the sun will pull through and things will go off without too much disruption.

Temperature wise, weather experts are predicting an average in the mid-teens, with highs of 24C on the Sunday, when the headliners are Mumford And Sons. Also playing headlining slots during the weekend are the Arctic Monkey and Rolling Stones, who are making their first ever appearance at the festival in it's many years as a British summer institute - not that you'll be able to see them unless you have tickets for the festival that is.

Continue reading: The Forecast Looks Good For A Sunny Glastonbury Festival

Mumford And Sons had a few American fans aggrieved when they decided to drop out of a number of performances whilst the group's bassist, Ted Dwane, recovered from a blood clot in his brain, rather than just hire a replacement bassist. Well feel aggrieved no more (or should it be, Sign No More) North America because the Brit boys have rescheduled and will be returning to the States very soon to make up for the lost time.

The band are heading out on the 'Full English' tour in mid-August, taking fellow Brit artists Bear’s Den and The Vaccines with them, but would have been out on the road earlier if it wasn't for Dwane's health issues. The band were due to perform two shows in Texas, one in Louisiana and another in Kansas, but each of the shows have now been move back a month and will take place during mid-September instead. On September 16 the band play at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans and then they're head to Texas to perform at Cynthia Woods Pavilion in Woodlands on Sept 17, heading to Dallas' GEXA Energy Pavilion the next day. On the twentieth the folk-rockers will play the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Bonner Springs, KS.

Before they can reach the rescheduled venues, the band will first be heading north of the border and playing at Toronto's Molson Canadian Amphitheatre on August 26 before heading down to Queens, New York and then performing across America for the rest of August and September. The performance Bonner Springs will be their last of the 'Full English' tour.

Continue reading: Mumford And Sons Re-Schedule Concert Appearances Now That Ted Dwane Is All Better

Arctic Monkeys have returned with 'Do I Wanna Know,' the first single to be taken from their fifth studio album.

The new track, first played at a concert in California last month and subsequently used as a set opener during the bands Scandinavian shows, is now available to download on iTunes. A new video for the track has also rolled out online.

Featuring a thudding beat throughout and a rip-roaring Queens of the Stone Age-esque chorus, Do I Wanna Know is certainly an interesting track, if a little unremarkable. The band have also premiered new song 'Mad Sounds' at the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden on Friday (June 14, 2013) and again at the Danish NorthSide festival on Sunday. Both new songs re likely to feature on the band's forthcoming new album.

Continue reading: Arctic Monkeys Return With New Single 'Do I Wanna Know' [Listen]

Jack Johnson's announcement could not have come at a better time. The 'Better Together' singer appeared at the Bonnaroo festival, in Tennessee, at the weekend. Johnson replaced British folk band Mumford And Sons on Sunday. The band had to pull out as their bassist Ted Dwane had recently undergone brain surgery to remove a blood clot. He dedicated the two hour set to the band, playing his own version of one of their hits 'The Cave'.

Johnson was praised for his last-minute performance. His 'calm and collected' attitude and his gentle humour in the face of difficulties have made him the critic's favourite.

All proceeds from the tour will go to charity, something Johnson has done for every one of his tours since 2008. The charity All at Once, set up by Johnson 5 years ago, supports projects worldwide including relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Other projects include supporting the efforts of 75 separate community groups hoping to find ways of living sustainably in some of the world's poorest countries.

From Here to Now to You is Johnson's sixth studio album. It is due to be released 17th September 2013 and tickets for certain tour dates are available to online.

Jack Johnson performing at 2006 Brit Awards.

Continue reading: Jack Johnson Announces 2013 Tour To Coincide With His New Album 'From Here To Now To You'

Jack Johnson stepped in at the last minute to cover Mumford and Son's slot. Not only did the singer have to find a band, learn a whole host of new and old and quickly practise, he also made the time to compose a short acoustic song about the festival.

The four day festival which takes place in Manchester, Tennessee was first held in 2002 and has been hugely popular and influential. Johnson has a history with the festival, having performed at the first one and headlined in 2008. Johnson was, conveniently, already at the Bonaroo Festival when he received a call on Thursday (13th June 2013) as he was appearing as a special guest, performing alongside Animal Liberation Orchestra.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the singer said he was expecting 'a train wreck' owing to the short time he had in which to prepare. Johnson has recently been out of the limelight, working on his new album entitled 'From Here To Now To You', due to be released on 17th September. The singer paid homage to the British folk band, singing his version of 'The Cave' which was greeted with vast audience participation and applause.

Continue reading: Jack Johnson Replaces Mumford And Sons At Bonnaroo Festival

Recommended Albums... New York garage-rock new-wavers The Strokes are on album number five and Comedown Machine marks a return to form for Julian Casablancas & co. Whilst they may not be trying to replicate the pared down sound of their now-iconic debut This Is It, they have at least re-captured some of that raw energy. With a sound now owing as much to 80s synth bands such as A-Ha and Human League as it does to their beloved garage rock idols.

As a result, The Strokes, circa 2013 finds the band fully rejuvenated and seemingly enjoying themselves. They may struggle to regain the popularity that they enjoyed when the band first emerged but they have at least done themselves proud with Comedown Machine.

Continue reading: A Week In Music - The Strokes Return With New Sound, Justin Timberlake Comeback Hits The Spot, Mumford And Sons Rumble On With New Video

One Direction have proved that they will top the charts 'one way or another' with their Comic Relief single featuring a mash-up of Blondie's hit song and The Undertones' 'Teenage Kicks'.

The boyband's new cover song 'One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)' has become the fastest selling single of 2013 yet selling a massive 113,000 copies just in its opening week. It now serves as the pop group's third number one chart hit following 2011's 'What Makes You Beautiful' and 2012's 'Little Things'. It is also their sixth top 10 single in 18 months with the boys selling over 14 million singles in their short career and 8 million albums; the second of which, 'Take Me Home' was a worldwide number one hit.

1D performed the new track at the BRIT Awards this year where they also received the Global Success award. They didn't win the award for Best British Band, however; that went to indie folk group Mumford & Sons who, despite their coveted accolade, felt the need to snub their pop counterparts backstage for winning in another category. 'Mumford's reaction was disappointing', Louis Tomlinson told The Mirror. 'We're really big fans and wanted to congratulate them. It was a shame.'

It might be the Brit Awards 2013 tonight, but as far as the press were concerned, it was a star from the US who captivated them as the stars arrived for the UK's musical industry awards showcase this evening in London (February 20, 2013). Much has been made of Taylor Swift and Harry Styles both being at the event tonight, and it's believed that they're to keep kept apart; that's just as well because if he gets a sight of Taylor tonight we reckon he'll be itching to get back together with her.  

Taylor Swift turns up for tonight's Brit Awards

Continue reading: Taylor Swift, Emeli Sande And Jessie J Mumford The Stand Outs As Stars Arrive For The Brit Awards 2013 (Pictures)

This year’s Bonnaroo Festival takes place in Manchester, Tennessee, on June 13-16 and the lineup is boasting some pretty heavyweight talent, with the likes of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Mumford & Sons and Sir Paul McCartney stealing the headline slots. Beyond the draw of the top billing, though – who should you go and see if you manage to bag a ticket to Bonnaroo 2013? Here’s our Top 5 Bonnaroo Bets.

1. Bjork – We can’t remember the last time there was an opportunity to see Bjork in such a superb festival setting (okay, we probably could, if we cast our minds back a little but it’s far from a frequent occurrence). The eccentric Icelandic songstress always puts on a fabulous show, both visually and sonically, setting fire to all of your senses, whether you are a hardened Bjork fan or simply wandering past the stage, wondering what the hell might be going on.

2. Cat Power – OK. This one comes with a warning. When she’s on form, Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) will provide you with one of the most emotionally charged, cathartic live music experiences that you’re likely to experience. On a bad day, though, it can be torturous to witness. All part of the Cat Power charm, of course, but a gamble, nonetheless.

Continue reading: Bonnaroo Festival 2013 Lineup Announced: Our Top 5 Picks Beyond The Headlines

Adele, Mumford & Sons, Emeli Sande, blah, blah, blah: nobody really cares who walks away with the Brit Awards right? Lets face it, we tune in every year in the hope of some clunky presenting, a stiletto heel break, or a wardrobe malfunction. However, something else that appears to be of interest before every Brit Awards ceremony is the shadowy goody bags that each nominee and performer gets to take home. The Academy Awards put the stoppers on their Oscars gift bags years ago, owing totax concerns, but the British don't care about that. The Brit Awards goody bags and back - but what's in them this year?

Well, according to ceremony organizers, the biggest names in pop music will be taking home a Lucky Voice Karaoke Kit, in order to practise at home, we assume. For the girls, there's also a Jack French London Primrose Bag, while for the boys, it's a Twenty8 signature bag from The London Collection. Elsewhere, there's a Paperblanks journal ensuring telephone numbers can by duly scribbled down at the after-party, and there's also some Highland Angel cufflinks and Ti Senti Milani jewellery. Fancy.

Hey, there's also a scarf (for the cold weather) and some bamboo sunglasses (for the hot weather), as well as JBL headphones and a JBL 'flip' portable wireless stereo system. Should - heaven forbid - any of the celebrities forget to shower themselves in perfume and aftershave, the goody bag contains a Hugo Boss fragrance for the guys, and a Boss Nuit perfume for the ladies.  

Continue reading: Forget The Gongs, What's In This Year's BRIT Awards Goody Bag?

The Bonnaroo festival line-up has been released and it's something to get yourself excited about. Not got a ticket? You'll definitely want to get yourself one once you see who'll be performing. 

The Bonnaroo festival info page is a veritable delight of explaining Out There and In Here. Out There is out here, where we are now, beyond the limits temporally or spatially of the festival itself, but In There, in the festival, the festival organisers want it to be a haven of positivity, safety and, above all, supreme amounts of fun. They describe it as "4 of the best days ever" and "an escape into Excitement. Music. Art. Discoveries. Trees. Fresh Air. Green Grass... Friends (Old / New). Adventure. Overwhelming happiness. Hugging a stranger by accident. Sharing and Generosity. Bonnaroovian Dancing. Hyperbolic verbiage..." and the list goes on. Sounds good, right? Well, the line-up is even better, and suitable for all genres you may find yourself remotely interested in. 

Here's the best of the list, from the headliners down to the early stars: Paul McCartney, Grammy winners Mumford & Sons, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Bjork, R Kelly, Wu-Tang Clan, The National, The Lumineers, David Byrne, St Vincent, Passion Pit, The XX, Kendrick Lamar, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Of Monsters and Men, Nas, ZZ Top, Beach House, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, A$AP Rocky, Tame Impala, Gaslight Anthem, Billy Idol, Foals, Local Natives, Alt-J, The Tallest Man on Earth, Earl Sweatshirt, The Vaccines, Frank Turner, Purity Ring... and once again, the list goes on. Check out the website to see the rest.

Continue reading: Bjork, Paul McCartney And R Kelly: Variegated Lineup For Tennessee's Bonnaroo Festival

It wasn’t only Justin Bieber that the Black Keys had in tears on the evening of the Grammys, it would appear. Mumford & Sons’ bass player Ted Dwayne found himself in tears that night too. Not because either of the Black Keys had been nasty to him but because he’s been a die-hard fan of the band for so long that being sat next to them was a little overwhelming. Not to mention beating his idols to the Album of the Year Grammy.

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine after their triumph, Dawyne revealed “I remember seeing the Black Keys at a venue twice the size of this dressing room” and added “I was a die-hard fan. It's just so weird being in a category with them. Sitting next to them, these people I've had posters of. I was in tears.” Of course, it wasn’t just the Black Keys that had the British folk band in awe that night. Marcus Mumford told the magazine’s reporter that he was surprised that Jack White was as friendly as he was. And banjo player Winston Marshall was over the moon to meet Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello. “I loved Tom Morello. To have him liking our music – apparently he'd been to our gigs – for me was just f***ing surreal. We talk to these people, and whether it's f***ing Jack White or Elton John, they're just lovely people who love music as much as you do."

Mumford And Sons won the Album of the Year Grammy for Babel, their sophomore release. 

Continue reading: Why Did The Black Keys Make Mumford And Sons Cry At The Grammys?

A Week in Videos...The popularity of Unknown Mortal Orchestra has been on a slow burning rise for some months now. Taken from their forthcoming second album, helpfully entitled II, ‘So Good At Being In Trouble’ sees the band in a particularly catchy mode, a lilting melody lifting the trademark stoner vibe. The video features the actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse (you’ll know him as McLovin’ from the movie Superbad) causing a scene and trying to snatch a hippy from a scene that could well be set in a 1960s era Venice Beach.

In this video, Nina Simone talks about freedom and love, before the film cuts to a grainy performance of her performing ‘I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free.’ One of music’s legendary performers, Simone’s rendition of the song showcases her warm and passionate vocal. On the subject of freedom, Simone insists that she couldn’t possibly describe how it feels to be free, just as much as its impossible to describe the feeling of being in love. To hear her perform the track, though, you get just a glimpse of what freedom might feel like.

Continue reading: A Week In Music - My Bloody Valentine Make Victorious Return, Mumford And Sons Take Home Top Grammy Award

British folk types Mumford & Sons have caused a minor surprise at the 2013 Grammy Awards to beat off strong competition and take home the much-coveted Album Of The Year for Babel.

The banjo-playing, farm-loving Mumfords beat out the likes of Frank Ocean, The Black Keys, Jack White and Fun. to take the top prize at the glossy awards show, and were presented their gong by last year’s Stateside-breaking Brit, Adele. Up for six awards, the folk group were never likely to match Adele’s winning total of the same number last year, but nevertheless their achievement is an impressive one, and also indicative that their brand of nu-folk – prominent for a couple of years in their native UK now – is catching on in a big way Stateside.

Continue reading: Mumford & Sons The Surprise Of The Grammy Awards 2013 With Album Of The Year Win

Sting, Alabama Shakes, Neil Young, Elton John Mumford & Sons and John Legend all paid tribute to Bruce Springsteen as he was named Musicares Person of the Year for 2013 at last night's pre-Grammy award show. 

The event recognises a star's philanthropic work as well as their efforts as an artist, something that "The Boss" - as Springsteen has become known - can't separate. "Whatever philanthropy I've ever done usually involved playing the guitar," he said. "I was going to play the guitar anyway." In attendance were some previous honourees: Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett and Bonnie Raitt. Springsteen is a deserving honoree "because he lives his life in such an exemplary way," Raitt said before the gala. "He's committed to his art. He's a good family man. He's a real inspiration for how to give back. I couldn't fault him in any aspect of his life."

Springsteen said of receiving the award, "It's kind of a freaky experience. This is the huge Italian wedding Patti and I never had. I had one of the loveliest nights of my life ...John Legend made me sound like Gershwin. Neil Young made me sound like the Sex Pistols. What a night." He also talked about the power and magic of music, adding, "The Taliban will never win, not now or ever, by banning music and dancing. The minute you do that, you label yourself a tyrant and your cruel days are numbered."

Annually, the Grammys is one of the biggest events for music across America and in Europe. In fact, it has dubbed itself 'music's biggest night'. Celebrating the best in pop, hiphop, soul, R&B and much of what comes in between, it never fails to be a veritable who's who from the Spotify playlists of the masses. And this year will be no different. Not only are the nominees ones to look out for, absences are worthy of note, as are this year's presenters and some very special performances.

As Yahoo report, this year's presenters include Grammy royalty, Prince, Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez, all of whom have been nominated or won Grammys before.  

In terms of performances to look forward to, this year we have some unusual and largely unexpected pair ups. Elton John and Ed Sheeran will take to the stage together. An unusual pairing, they're both Brits with unusual song writing talent. While John is a true showman and is well known for his intereSting outfits and outrageous glasses, Sheeran is distinctly more low key. We're not sure how this is going to work, but we're guessing it'll be great. Bruno Mars, Sting and Rihanna will all also perform together, as will Alicia Keys and Maroon 5, and Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert. 

Continue reading: 55th Grammys Preview: 'Music's Biggest Night' Wont Fail To Impress

Mercury Music Prize winners Alt-J have been given their first BRIT Award nods, after being nominated for three awards: Best British Group, Best British Album and British Breakthrough.. Still, despite earlier success the band have admitted that they were still taken by surprise with the announcement of their recognition.

Speaking to NME, keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton described the news as "incredible," but admitted that he and the rest of the band were taken by surprise by the announcement, saying: "thought this this wouldn't be for the likes of us."

Last year the group's debut album, An Awesome Wave, received wide-spread acclaim and was awarded the title of BBC Radio 6's Album of 2012 as well as the Mercury Award and with the BRITs constantly vying to remain relevant and 'cool' it looks like the group might also be in contention to take away at least one gong at February's awards show, regardless of what the modest group members may think of their chances.

Continue reading: Alt-J Taken By Surprise By BRIT Nominations

This year’s Brit Awards nominations look as though they were concocted by a group of strangers, with wildly different cultural backgrounds, on a drunken night out. Is this a sign that the mainstream music world is finally starting to accept that it’s becoming more and more acceptable to have diverse musical tastes? Or are the organisers of the BRITS simply trying to spark controversy? have they lost the plot? Or is this an honest reflection of the mindset of a 2013 British music buying public? Let’s take a look at the evidence, and scrutinise some of the more baffling categories…

British Female Solo Artist Nominees – One of the more sensitive and contentious issues, here, in the British female solo artist category. Of the five nominees, only four of them were alive this year. We understand that Amy Winehouse has a lasting legacy in British pop music. We understand that she was – and, in many ways remains - a tour de force. But, for the sake of the awards, we simply have to ask, at the risk of sounding flippant, what has Amy Winehouse done for British music in the last 12 months? Sadly, nothing. Her posthumous album (released in December 2011, we should add), Lioness: Hidden Treasures was politely and quietly denounced for being little more than cuttings from the studio floor. We simply can’t get our heads around her inclusion on this list. With Bat For Lashes throw in as the ‘alternative’ wild card, to lend a touch of outsider cool to the category, it’s between Emeli Sande, Paloma Faith and Jessie Ware to catch this one, we reckon. 

Watch Jessie Ware's video for 'Sweet Talk'

Continue reading: BRIT Awards 2013 Nominees Announced: Diverse? Or Just Weird?

All eyes will be on Bruce Springsteen during Grammy’s week, as the New Jersey rocker will be the recipient of the MusiCares Person of the Year award. To celebrate the honour, a Bruce Springsteen tribute concert will take place in Los Angeles on February 8, 2013, featuring some of the biggest names in rock and pop and hosted by Jon Stewart.

The event, which is already sold out, will feature musical highlights such as Elton John, Kenny Chesney and Mumford And Sons. A whole host of musicians of varying genres and eras have been included in the line-up. Patti Smith, with whom Bruce co-wrote the hit ‘Because The Night’ will be there, as will Faith Hill, Emmylou Harris, as well as Alabama Shakes, Eddie Vedder and Neil Young. Proceeds for the concert will go to MusiCares, an organisation set up to provide support for struggling musicians in financial, medical and personal need.

The annual MusiCares Person of the Year award is attributed to a star whose artistic accomplishments are as worthy of merit as their philanthropic work. Previous winners of the award include Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney and Bono.

Taylor Swift’s latest album Red has remained steadfast at the top of the Billboard albums chart for a second week. Swift’s popularity appears to know no bounds, as she has made a successful and seamless transition from her country roots into the pop arena. She seems equally at home at the Grand Ole Opry as she does wooing a crowd of teenagers at an MTV Awards event. This dual appeal has translated nicely into CD sales for Swift, who shifted 344,000 copies of Red in the last week in the United States.

The rapper Meek Mill made a seriously impressive dent in the chars with his major label debut, Dreams and Nightmares, and sold approximately 165,000, according to MTV News (sourced from Nielsen Soundscan). It may be a long way off Swift’s total, but it still landed him the number two slot, in a week where sales were affected by Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast of America. The previous week, it had been another rapper snapping at Taylor’s heels (albeit from a distance!). This week, Kendrick Lamar has slipped down to number five with good kid, m.A.A.d. City, making room for Rod Stewart’s Christmas album Merry Christmas Baby.

Mumford & Sons, who impressed with their initial ascent to the top of the US charts with Babel, have dropped to number seven with sales of 44,000. We’re predicting a third week at the top for Taylor; this week’s releases seem to contain little in the way of a threat to the 23 year-old global star.

Both Idris Elba and Mumford & Sons are absolutely at the top of their game, so their collaboration in a music video for the band, though somewhat unexpected, is a really good idea on paper. The surprise pairing reflects the equally surprising role that Elba is in in the partnership as he took up the non-standard role of director.

Being a Golden Globe winning actor for his role in Luther, Elba's appearance in the video is genuinely affecting. Nevertheless, despite stunning cinematography, an interesting concept and the absolutely beautiful surroundings of Pembrokeshire, where it was filmed, there is a distinct disconnect between the video and the song. Unlike some of the most iconic music videos in history, such as Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' or the lesser known, but captivating video for Mars Volta's 'Televators', in which both the video and the song come together as one and truly compliment one another, Elba's offering gives very little to the Mumford song. Nevertheless, both are absolutely excellent examples of what they are alone- film making, and music. 

Quoted in the Sun, Mumford said  "We are huge fans of Idris's work, as he's the most badass British actor since RICHARD BRIERS. So we trusted him... We've been fortunate to work with some great directors but we've never really enjoyed being in videos... making a video that we're not in made it a lot more fun. What [Elba and writer Dan Cady] directed we are proud to present."

It’s a mixed bag for UK albums, as the release schedule starts to slow in preparation for the big race for the Christmas sales market. This week, Jake Bugg toppled Mumford & Sons from what looked to be a pretty comfortable reign at the top of the albums chart. But can he stay there for a second week or do any of this week’s releases have what to takes to shift him?

The strongest competition for Jake will be coming from across the pond, in the shape of the fourth studio album from Taylor Swift entitled Red.

She performed on the X Factor results show here last weekend and her last album, 2010’s Speak Now reached number six. Her profile has increased considerably since then, though – thanks in no small part to her contribution to the Hunger Games soundtrack. If anyone can shift Bugg from the top spot, we reckon it’s Taylor.

Continue reading: UK Album Releases, October 22, 2012: Taylor Swift, Swedish House Mafia, Dappy, Kate Rusby