She came out on top with an impressive 54% of the vote although she also scored an 18% negativity rating. Country-pop hitmaker Taylor Swift also did well with results of 53% positive and 27% negative.

The stars that didn't do so well include Lady Gaga, who is currently recovering from hip surgery after suffering a labral tear on her Born This Way Ball tour earlier this year, Chris Brown and Justin Bieber.

Canadian sensation Bieber attractive 20% positive compared to 54% negative, 'Don't Wake Me Up' superstar Brown only received 13% positive votes alongside 57% negative, and 'Judas' beauty Gaga scored a little higher with 29% positive but also had 50% negative votes.

Meanwhile, a wax figure of Adele is due to be on display at Madame Tussauds in London from July and a photograph of the likeness was teased earlier this month.

She turned up to the hotel's famous Rose Bar on Thursday night last week and sang with Brian Newman, who shared a tweet with his fans to let them know the duet took place. Newman wrote:

"Thanks to the 1 & only @ladygaga for coming out to @GPHhotel tonight and singing a song!! @tommylondon @angiepontani @mrmartye @thedirtypearls."

This marks Gaga's first live performance since she axed the remaining dates on her Born This Way Ball tour after suffering a labral tear, for which she had surgery back in February. 

The couple are currently expecting their first child together, which is due this summer.

Kardashian and West have rarely been spotted out and about together throughout the star's pregnancy, and the brunette beauty has now explained why.

Speaking to Fabulous magazine she said: "I'm definitely more of a recluse since I was pregnant. But I haven't necessarily decided to hold myself back, it's just preparing myself for respecting the privacy of my child and my boyfriend.

Kardashian added: "We live different lives, but I love being open. That's who I've always been. That will never change because that is who I am."

The pair attended the prestigious Met Ball together this week, where West also performed.

Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow hardly gave the rapper rave reviews though - stating in an interview: “Kanye West was playing and he was all furious and he threw his microphone down and it was all drama. I don’t know why [he was mad].”

The five piece - also comprising Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson - are currently on their Take Me Home world tour, and played in Berlin last night (May 11).

Payne took to Twitter after the show to share his disbelief at how fast the tour dates are whizzing by.

He posted: "Cant believe the europe part of tours nearly half way throughhh ! Loved germany tonighttt :) (sic)."

Meanwhile Horan thanked the group's fans for their support.

"Berlin! Amazing show tonight! amazing crowd and amazing arena! Thank you soo much ! Love comin back to Germany! (sic)."

The Irish hunk also shared a particularly funny story with his millions of followers, explaining his braces are still causing him problems.

He wrote: "People at the last hotel ! Put my retainer on warm water now I just have a ball of plastic! Hahahah (sic)."

www.doubledenimrecords.com

Outfit are streaming their debut EP in full exclusively on Dazed, along with recent track 'Drakes' being set to download for 5 days.

'Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again' will be released on Double Denim 14th May on 12" and mp3, hear it here alongside an interview: www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/13358/1/outfit-exclusive-ep-stream.

The new EP, shows a different side to the electronic quintet, not dissimilar to the post r n b of previously released cut 'Dashing In Passing' and full of languid atmospherics.

The band are also uploading their dreams to You Tube on a daily basis all this week, have a look at dream #1 (see below).

Following on from a commanding support slot with Chairlift last month, Outfit will be playing an in-store for the EP at London's Rough Trade East on the 25th May along with a handful of festival appearances throughout summer including Field Day. Full details are below.

The Wirral feels like a strange island - a place connected by small towns that sprawl into big, billowing industrial towers on its outskirts. On a clear day you can see the yearning countryside of Wales. It was from this part of Merseyside that Outfit emerged from, before moving to Liverpool and living in one big house full of friends. If that phase of their early existence was documented by last year's epic post-party plea 'Two Islands' then their debut EP 'Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again' marks the band's shotgun move to the gleaming lights of London.

The record is characterised by a hazy fug of electronic textures that dance in and around beaming pop melodies. It's a dreamworld they describe as "tangible, alive, and no less real than waiting for a bus or being in love". 'Everything All The Time' opens the set, rubbing against a droning house chord for its four and a half minutes, sounding paranoid, ecstatic and confident all at once. 'Humboldts' threatens to lose itself to romantic introspection, this time remarking "Take a look at everything / It's the best it's ever been". Here and elsewhere Outfit's sweet spot is found in the space between melancholy and euphoria - a shadowy feeling they throw darts at on each of the four tracks that make up 'Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again'. Above all Outfit's music is darkly psychedelic, evocative and honest. The E.P. serves as a snapshot of their first winter as a band; returning home to twin flats in Stepney Green at strange hours, running low on security and heat. Were they tempted to return to the North West? In their words: "to go back there is to go home and to not be there is to be in the middle of something more important."

'Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again' Tracklisting:

1. 'Everything All The Time' // 2. 'Humboldts' // 3. 'Drakes' // 4. 'Dashing in Passing'

Pre-order the EP here: http://doubledenimrecords.bigcartel.com

Current Live Dates

25th May- London In Store @Rough Trade East- EP Release 
2nd June- Field Day, Victoria Park, London 
9th June- SWAYS warehouse Manchester w/Weird Era 
17th August- Beacons Festival Yorkshire 
31st August - Underage Festival, Shoreditch Park 
1st-2nd Sept- End of The Road, Dorset

For promos, guestlist and feature requests for Outfit, please contact debbie@createspark.co.uk

Following on from storming Land of Kings and Camden Crawl shows, O Children are pleased to announce their first single 'Chimera' from their new album will be released 11th June. This is taken from their forthcoming sophomore album 'Apnea'.

‘Chimera’ – the album’s closing track – is a delicately, propulsive track that showcases O Children’s talent for writing compelling, dramatic pop songs that are accentuated by frontman Tobi O’ Kandi’s sonorous vocals.

Taking in krautrock, garage rock, post-punk and West Coast melodies, 'Apnea’ – due June 4th through Deadly People - represents a distinct new chapter in their career, O’ Kandi has taken production influences from a variety of genres and their sound has richly developed from their 2010 debut.

The album also represents the culmination of over 2 years of torturous travails as O’Kandi found himself “essentially stateless, stuck here, a prisoner in England”.

Having played a string of warm up dates for Vice in March, O Children have announced their first full live performances in over 12 months. The quartet will headline Hoxton Bar & Kitchen for their album launch 4th June and will also be playing The Great Escape before making their debut on European shores later this summer.

Upcoming UK dates
Saturday 12th May – The Great Escape – Urban Outfitters, Brighton, 1.45pm
Saturday 12th May – The Great Escape - The Hope, Brighton, 11.30pm 
Thursday 7th June - Album launch @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London get tickets

O Children are Tobi O'Kandi (vocals), Gauthier Ajarrista (keys), Harry James (bass) and Andrew Sleath (drums).

For album promos, guestlist and interview requests, please contact debbie@createspark.co.uk orlauren@createspark.co.uk

Listen to 'Chimera' below:

Firstly Debbie Ball from Create Spark is gritting her teeth and preparing to speak at the convention tomorrow Thurs 10th May as part of the DIY panel. Do come along and hear what she has to say about promoting new bands, details are here.

Then the debut Canada House event kicks off on Thurs afternoon with the first of four showcases atThe Blind Tiger Club. Canada House features a range of Canadian talent from the XXisms of Gold & Youth and Hot Panda's hooky indie pop to Rich Aucoin and Misteur Valaire's electronic pop and the gentler folky strains of Slow Down, Molasses and Ben Caplan. Full details of the showcases hosted each afternoon are here, alongside a mixtape of all the Canadian artists at this year's festival. All delegates are also welcome to come to the daily pre-gig networking brunches too, do email debbie@createspark.co.uk to find out more and RSVP.

From Create Spark's roster proper, we also have Aussie psych rockers Pond creating a sizeable buzz at the festival, Grecian downbeat duo Keep Shelly in Athens, Porcelain Raft's divine synth pop, Canadian artrockers The Darcys, charismatic electronic trio We Have Band, London indie gang O Children and the cerebral post classical of A Winged Victory For The Sullen playing this weekend.Full shows and timings are as follows:

The Darcys 
Thursday May 10th 7.45pm The Guardian New Band of the Day @ The Warren

A Winged Victory For The Sullen 
Friday May 11th 9pm Drowned in Sound/Erased Tapes @ St Mary's Church

Keep Shelly in Athens 
Friday May 11th 10.15pm The Guardian New Band of the Day @ The Warren

O.Children 
Sat May 12th 1.45pm @ Urban Outfitters 
Sat May 12th 11.30pm @ The Hope

Pond 
Thurs May 10th – 8.15pm - NME @ The Dome, TGE, Brighton 
Fri May 11th – 12.45pm Republic of Music @ Shipwrights Yard, 73 Middle Street 
Fri May 11th - 8.45pm - NME @ Corn Exchange

Porcelain Raft 
Thurs May 10th - 2.15pm CMJ @ The Albert 
Sat May 12th - 8.45pm Resonance FM @ The Haunt

We Have Band 
Fri May 11th - 3.45pm Republic of Music @ Shipwright’s Yard, 73 Middle Street 
Fri May 11th 7.15pm @ The Haunt

For more info about The Great Escape, meet-ups, interviews and fish and chip advice, please contact debbie@createspark.co.uk and lauren@createspark.co.uk

“Norwegian outfit Maribel could soundtrack the most hallucinogenic dream or hellish nightmare at the flick of a switch.” – DrownedinSound

"Maribel’s 'Jezebel Jive' is one of the finds of the year.”– Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins)

Released earlier this year, 'Reveries' by Oslo's Maribel gained plaudits for its dark and dreamy pop lead by the breathy siren call of Rebekka Markstein.

Following the release of the LP the band garnered attention not only from the press but also their musical peers. The fruits of this will now be released as the 'Reveries Remixed' EP, with tracks from being reworked by the likes of Deerhoof, Keep Shelly In Athens, Asobi Seksu, Siinai and more. The digital EP is set for worldwide release 22nd May on Oslo independent Splendour.

Maribel - Reveries Remixed by Splendour

'Reveries Remixed' Tracklisting:

1. Falling Down the Stairs (Snasen remix)
2. Falling Down the Stairs (Sandra Kolstad remix)
3. Jezebel Jive (Asobi Seksu remix)
4. Jezebel Jive (Keep Shelly in Athens remix)
5. Meow! (120 Days remix)
6. Meow! (SIINAI remix)
7. Devil’s Sigh (Greg Saunier [Deerhoof] remix)
8. The Thief (Ulrich Schnauss remix)
9. The Thief (Torkelsen remix)
10. The Thief (Violet Dream remix)

Maribel's music taps into a rich lineage of dark, distorted pop recalling the seminal My Bloody Valentine through to the recent stylings of The Raveonettes and School Of Seven Bells. Off the back of their debut album ‘Aesthetics’ (produced by Serena-Maneesh frontman Emil Nikolaisen) the band led by songwriter/lead guitarist Pål Espen Kapelrud received high praise from the Norwegian press and critical plaudits from the likes of Drowned in Sound (UK), Soundvenue (DK) and GAFFA (DK) amongst others. It also saw Maribel implode, break-up and then reform with a new line-up: the afore-mentioned Rebekka Markstein (Pica Pica) on vocals plus Bjarne Stensli (Harrys Gym) on percussion.

On ‘Reveries’ Maribel chose to co-produce the record again with Emil Serena-Maneesh on synth and string arrangements and Nicolai Hængsle Eilertsen of Big Bang on organ.

Maribel has toured in Scandinavia and the UK, including opening for Crystal Stilts and Interpol and most recently supporting Lanterns In The Lake and School Of Seven Bells in London this year.

For more info on Maribel, please contact debbie@createspark.co.uk or lauren@createspark.co.uk

“Pond, an Australian rock band, toppled the stateliness of Britpop anthems into psychedelic turbulence, melting down grandiose riffs or pushing them toward screaming tantrums.” - New York Times

“This is music that references a bygone era of classic rock with such genuine love and ability, with such a dynamic frontman, that I stopped thinking about derivation, or imitation, or affiliation, but rather about how I was going to tell you guys to go see them. So, go see them.” - Stereogum

“from sleazy rock excess, to introspective, cracked psychedelia and back again” - Fader

Western Australian band Pond are stoked to announce they’ll make their virgin voyage to the UK and Europe this May and June. The tour is a 6 date run including London's Cargo, and bookended by appearances at The Great Escape, Field Day and Dot To Dot.

After slaying SXSW recently the band will hit the UK for the very first time completely on top of their game and ready to rip. Their debut album 'Beard Wives Denim' is out now on Modular Recordings, full list of dates is as follows:

Thursday May 10 – The Great Escape – Brighton 
Friday May 11 – The Great Escape – Brighton

Friday May 18 – Sound City – Liverpool 
Saturday May 19 – Cockpit – Leeds 
Sunday May 20 – Hare & Hounds – Birmingham 
Tuesday May 22 – Cargo – London 
Wednesday May 23 – Craufurd Arms – Milton Keynes 
Friday May 25 – Arches – Glasgow

Saturday June 2 – Field Day – London 
Saturday June 2 – Dot To Dot - Bristol 
Sunday June 3 – Dot To Dot – Nottingham 
Monday June 4 – Dot To Dot – Manchester

Tickets are available here: http://www.artistticket.com/link/?s=Pond

Pond is a Tame Impala side project: a distorted, nostalgic adventure into kaleidoscope pop no less.

Pond - Pond In A Park by modularpeople

Pond - Mystery by modularpeople

Mixed by Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) and Rob Grant at Poon’s Head Studio in Perth, ‘Beard Wives Denim’ is an audio diary of ten friends’ strange, terrible and blissful time in the country trying in vain to be a wholesome family band. It sounds just like it, distorted and woozy and fractured and ultimately nostalgic and loving and coming to your closest hip and with it record vendor in 2012.

Pond was born under a mulberry tree in Daglish, Western Australia, by Joseph Ryan, Nick Allbrook and Jay Watson. Under said mulberry tree they conceived the idea of an album of tropical psychedelic idiocy that they performed that night at a friends party in North Perth. That album, recorded in their living room about twenty meters from the mulberry tree, was called ‘Psychedelic Mango’, released on local Perth label Badminton Bandit.

In the next few years Pond recorded two albums with producer and buddy Sam Ford,‘Corridors of Blissterday’ (Badminton Bandit) and 'Frond' (Hole in the Sky) and played a bunch of shows in around Australia and Japan, supporting MGMT and playing at the St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival.

It was around this time that Pond determined to pursue their goal of living out the ultimate pop music career cliché from start to finish, from the lo-fi bedroom beginnings, through the rambling unfocused jam album and into the bombastic studio pop sellout. The next step, of course, was to make a not-as-good follow up to the studio pop album, complete with over inflated egos, internal conflict and rehab. This step didn’t sound that great, so Pond skipped it and went straight to the next rock’n’roll archetype; the country get away to rediscover their love of making music and find God and grow beards and chop wood and all that business.

So in 2010, at a friend’s farmhouse in Eagle Bay, Western Australia, Pond piled in with all their instruments, amplifiers, friends, recording equipment and Sam Ford to record ‘Beard Wives Denim’. The house had three rooms, a large living room-kitchen-bedroom which held the instruments, the children’s bedroom which served as the studio room, and the toilet, which served as the vocal booth. This left no room for sleeping, so tents were erected in the yard, the gate shut against the roaming cows and kangaroos, and Pond began recording.

After two weeks of Lord of the Flies-esque bonding with Frisbee and guitars and absolutely no religion or wood chopping or wives or beards, the album was finished. It’s a whole lot less like Neil Young, the Grateful Dead or The Band than Pond had imagined when the idea started, but it’s the thought that counts.

For promos and interviews for Pond, please contact debbie@createspark.co.uk orlauren@createspark.co.uk

Watch the video for first Pond single ‘Fantastic Explosion Of Time’ below:

Stream 'The House That Heaven Built' here: http://soundcloud.com/polyvinyl-records/7-the-house-that-heaven-built/

King recently talked to Pitchfork about recording the album, which was created in Vancouver at The Hive with engineer Jesse Gander, who they had previously worked with on 'Post-Nothing':

"On a lot of this new record, we actually tried to simulate the sound of what we thought the crowd would do during the songs," says King. "Dave and I were in the studio just screaming out as if we were in the audience at our own show."

'Celebration Rock', featuring eight new tracks, will be available on CD/LP/Digital. There is also a limited edition of 1,000 on 180-gram red vinyl available for pre-order here.

'Celebration Rock' track listing:

1 The Nights Of Wine And Roses 
2 Fire's Highway 
3 Evil's Sway 
4 For The Love Of Ivy 
5 Adrenaline Nightshift 
6 Younger Us 
7 The House That Heaven Built 
8 Continuous Thunder

Starting mid-May, Japandroids will head out on what will be a long road of touring, starting in the UK in mid-May and winding up in Vancouver in July. Full dates are as follows:

Japandroids on tour!

5/17 Cardiff Club Ifor Bach 
5/18 Brighton Green Door Store 
5/19 Netherlands London Calling/ Paradiso 
5/21 Bristol Cooler 
5/22 London CAMP Basement 
5/23 Manchester Soup Kitchen 
5/24 Glasgow King Tuts 
5/25 Leeds Cockpit 2 
5/26 Nottingham Bodega 
5/31 Barcelona Primavera 
6/11 Seattle, WA Neumos
6/12 Portland , OR Doug Fir
6/14 San Francisco, CA Independent
6/15 Los Angeles ,CA Echoplex
6/16 San Diego, CA Casbah
6/19 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
6/21 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
6/22 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
6/23 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
6/25 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa
6/26 Boston MA Brighton Music Hall
6/27 NYC, NY Bowery Ballroom
6/29 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brendas
6/30 Washington, DC Rock & Roll Hotel
7/3 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry 
7/7 Vancouver, BC Biltmore

For promo, interview and guestlist requests for Japandroids, please contactdebbie@createspark.co.uk or lauren@createspark.co.uk

Listen to  'Headed For the Door' below: 

Moonface "Headed For The Door" by Jagjaguwar

'With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery' will be available in physical and digital retail stores on 16th April in the UK, following the day after in the US via Jagjaguwar. The album is the third product of an ongoing series of changing collaborations and approaches to tune-making by Spencer Krug. The record was made this time with the help of some new friends, namely Finnish band Siinai.

The album pre-order link is now live, with every pre-order receiving an instant digital download of the entire record. Deluxe bonuses, including a limited-edition 7" with bonus material and poster, are available.

Click here for the Pre-Order Page.

Moonface "Teary Eyes And Bloody Lips" by Jagjaguwar

Praise for 'Teary Eyes And Bloody Lips' track:

"It’s a piece of intensely buzzing new-wave, and it absolutely kicks ass." Stereogum

"No matter the musical backing —be it the boysy chug of Wolf Parade, the mad chaos of Sunset Rubdown, or the repetitious minimalism of Moonface— the highlight, as always, is Krug's lyricism."About.com

"In a little over two minutes, it delivers more pop sugar than anything he’s been involved with since At Mount Zoomer." Coke Machine Glow

UK/EU Live Dates:

11-MAY - KORJAAMO, HELSINKI (FIN) 
14-MAY - LILLA HOTELBAREN, STOCKHOLM (SWE) 
15-MAY - MONO, OSLO (NOR) 
16-MAY - KJOTT, BERGEN (NOR) 
18-MAY - GROTTENE, STAVANGER (NOR) 
19-MAY - POP REVO FESTIVAL, AARHUS (DK) 
20-MAY - PUSTERVIK, GOTEBORG (SWE) 
21-MAY - DEBASER, MALMO (SWE) 
22-MAY - HAFENKLANG, HAMBURG (GER) 
23-MAY - KATER HOLZIG, BERLIN (GER) 
24-MAY - GREEN ZOO FESTIVAL, KRAKOW (PL) 
25-MAY - NaTo, LEIPZIG (GER) 
26-MAY - LE GUESS WHO? FESTIVAL, UTRECHT (NL) 
27-MAY - SINXEN FESTIVAL, KORTRIJK (B) 
29-MAY - CARGO, LONDON (UK) get tickets 
31-MAY - POINT FMR, PARIS (FR) 
01-JUN - KILBI FESTIVAL, DUDINGEN (CH)