Paul McCartney has registered his support for Rage Against The Machine in the battle for the Christmas Number One single.

Despite performing on The X Factor with winner Joe McElderry last Sunday (December 18), McCartney said he thinks it would be "kind of funny" if 'Killing In The Name' beats McElderry's 'The Climb' to Number One position.

"I like the idea of this Rage Against The Machine thing that's happening," he told Sky News. "I think that's kind of interesting."

Watch the video interview with McCartney by clicking below.

When asked if he would be pleased if the band do make it to Number One, McCartney said: "Yeah I think so, because it's out of leftfield you know. Everyone expects Joe to do it, and he certainly will sell a lot of records. And if he gets to Number One, good luck to him. But it would be kind of funny if a band like Rage Against The Machine got it, because it would prove a point."

In terms of sales McElderry is currently gaining on the US rockers, with 'The Climb' around 9,000 sales behind 'Killing In The Name' as of last night. He had trailed behind them by 36,681 copies 24 hours previously

The BBC was forced to apologise yesterday when Rage Against The Machine played an expletive-ridden version of the song live on BBC Radio 5live.

Joe McElderry, meanwhile, recently revealed that he has never heard the song (or indeed anything by Rage Against The Machine) before.

Simon Cowell has slammed the Facebook campaign to get Rage to the top spot, calling it "stupid", "cynical" and "very Scrooge".

Source NME

John Frusciante has confirmed that he has quit the Red Hot Chili Peppers. On Sunday (13 December), MusicRadar broke the news that the guitarist had split from the group, and now Frusciante has spoken out.

"When I quit the band, over a year ago, we were on an indefinite hiatus," the guitarist writes on his blog on John Frusciante.com dated 16 December. "There was no drama or anger involved, and the other guys were very understanding. They are supportive of my doing whatever makes me happy and that goes both ways.

"To put it simply, my musical interests have led me in a different direction. Upon rejoining, and throughout my time in the band, I was very excited about exploring the musical possibilities inherent in a rock band, and doing so with those people in particular. A couple of years ago, I began to feel that same excitement again, but this time it was about making a different kind of music, alone, and being my own engineer."

Still "loves" the Chili Peppers

"I really love the band and what we did," Frusciante continues. "I understand and value that my work with them means a lot to many people, but I have to follow my interests. For me, art has never been something done out of a sense of duty. It is something I do because it is really fun, exciting, and interesting.

"Over the last 12 years, I have changed, as a person and artist, to such a degree that to do further work along the lines I did with the band would be to go against my own nature. There was no choice involved in this decision. I simply have to be what I am, and have to do what I must do.

"Sending love and gratitude to you all."

What now for the band?

While the Red Hot Chili Peppers have yet to issue any kind of official statement, the question now remains: Is Josh Klinghoffer, with whom the band has been working, slated to become a permanent member?

The group is scheduled to perform at the 2010 MusicCares Person Of the Year tribute to Neil Young on 29 January in Los Angeles. Perhaps this will be Klinghoffer's coming-out party.

Source musicradar

Sly Stone, troubled funk legend and leader of the Family Stone, has signed a new record deal with L.A.-based Cleopatra Records.

Reports suggest that a new album is being slated for release next summer. If all goes well, the LP will contain Sly's first new material since 1983's Ain't But The One Way. It will follow a strange few years of Sly shenanigans that has seen the funk master emerge from decades of drug abuse and seclusion to play short festival sets in Europe and the US.

2010 is also set to be the year of the Sly Stone documentary. Check out the trailers for Coming Back For More: Finding Sly Stone and Higher: The Story Of Sly Stone below:

Source MOJO

Sir Paul McCartney and U2 have both been shortlisted for Best Original Song at the Golden Globe film awards, which are set to take place in Hollywood on January 17, 2010.

McCartney has previously revealed that his new studio track 'I Want To Come Home' penned for the Robert De Niro-starring drama Everybody's Fine, was written in just one evening. The song goes up against U2's 'Winter', from the Jim Sheridan (In The Name of The Father, My Left Foot) directed thriller Brothers.

Also unveiled in the shortlist for the 2010 ceremony is Yeah Yeah Yeah's frontwoman Karen O - in the Best Score category, for her collaboration on the soundtrack to Spike Jonze's adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are.

The Golden Globes 2010 music category shortlists are as follows: full list at Goldenglobes.org

Best Original Score:

Michael Giacchino – Up
Marvin Hamlisch - The Informant
James Horner - Avatar
Abel Korzeniowski - A Single Man
Karen O, Carter Burwell - Where The Wild Things Are

Best Original Song:

'Cinema Italiano', Nine (Maury Yeston)
'I Want To Come Home', Everybody's Fine (Paul McCartney)
'I See You', Avatar (James Horner, Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell)
'The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)', Crazy Heart (Ryan Bingham,
T Bone Burnett)
'Winter', Brothers (U2)

Pic credit: PA Photos

Source UNCUT

Rufus Wainwright will tour the UK in Aprl next year in support of his new solo album, All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu.

The tour will coincide with the London opening of his debut opera Prima Donna. It follows a series of celebrated performances at Manchester's International Festival in July.

All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu is the first Wainwright studio album since 2007's Release the Stars.

The orch-pop troubadour plays:

LONDON, Sadler's Wells (April 13)
GLASGOW, Royal Concert Hall (15)
EDINBURGH, Usher Hall (16)
SHEFFIELD, City Hall (17)
GATESHEAD, The Sage (19)
BIRMINGHAM, Symphony Hall (20)
MANCHESTER, Apollo (22)
BRISTOL, Colston Hall (23)
NOTTINGHAM, Royal Concert Hall (25)
OXFORD, New Theatre (26)
IPSWICH, Regent Theatre (29)

Tickets go on sale on Friday (December 18).

Source MOJO

Depeche Mode will play a special show at London's Royal Albert Hall on February 17, 2010 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Teenage Cancer Trust's annual run of performances.

The electro superstars have spent most of 2009 touring the world with their Sounds Of The Universe show.

The band's Martin Gore said: "We're absolutely thrilled to be a part of Teenage Cancer Trust and very proud to be kicking off the 10th year of gigs. We've never played the Royal Albert Hall before, so we're really looking forward to that too."

Since they began in 2000, Teenage Cancer Trust's Albert Hall concerts have raised over £8.7million to help teenagers fight cancer.

To commemorate this one-off show, Swiss watchmakers Hublot are set to donate a series of specially designed watches each depicting one of Depeche Mode's 12 studio albums.

For further information on this auction, visit www.hublot.com or www.depechemode.com

Tickets for the Royal Albert Hall show go on sale Friday (December 18).

Source MOJO