Mumford & Sons Reveal 2011 Artists Of The Year Picks

As MTV reveals our picks for 2011's best artists, we ask breakout stars Mumford & Sons to weigh in on their favorites.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias


Mumford & Sons' Marcus Mumford
Photo: MTV News

Mumford & Sons may have stumbled onto Stateside success in 2010 with their debut disc, Sigh No More, but in 2011, they not only grew comfortable with their newfound fame, they ran with it. Sigh was the year's best-selling rock album (by a mile), and they nabbed four Grammy nominations — including Record and Song of the Year — for their song "The Cave."

So, as 2011 draws to a close, and as MTV reveals our picks for the artists of the year, we're reaching out to a host of acts that not only dominated the past 12 months, but came to define them, for their takes on the year in music. And who better to ask than Mumford, a band that began 2010 as relative unknowns but wrap up 2011 as one of the biggest rock acts in the U.S. ... with a hotly anticipated new album due in 2012.

We spoke to Marcus Mumford and Ben Lovett about their favorite artists of the year, and in keeping with their breakout status, they chose a thoroughly under-the-radar act ... and a rapper who busted through to the big time in 2011. Of course, they could only pronounce one of their picks' names correctly.

"Dawes are a really important band for us," Mumford said. "You would say 'Dawes,' because you can differentiate between 'Dawes' and 'Doors' — more like 'Pawn' and 'Porn' — where we can't, it's just 'Porn' and 'Porn' to us, so you never know which one we're talking about."

"I've watched the video for Tyler, the Creator's 'Yonkers' 50 times this year," Lovett added. "It's f---ing amazing. Brilliant video."

They didn't just stop there. They've already picked their favorite act of 2012 too, an up-and-coming Harlem rapper who they expect big things from next year.

"I just heard an incredible song by Azealia Banks called '212,' " Lovett said. "[It's] mind-blowing."

All this week, watch "AMTV" on MTV every day at 8 a.m. ET for our Best of 2011 lists. Then, come to MTVNews.com at 5 p.m. as we reveal our top picks of the year!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676054/mumford-and-sons-best-artists-of-2011.jhtml

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Madonna Signs A 3 Album, Multi-Million Dollar Deal With Interscope Records

While the world waits for the release of Madonna‘s next album, reportedly due out early next year, we get happy news that Madonna has signed a deal with Interscope Records that will pay her at least $1 million dollars for her next 3 albums. That’s right folks, in addition to the new album that we [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pinkisthenewblog/~3/Ee25RGt6J8o/

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Report: Kanye West "All Over" Kim Kardashian

It?s no secret they've been good friends for awhile, but it sounds like things may just be heating up between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

On Tuesday night (December 13), Kim and the Kardashian clan (mom Kris, sister Khloe and Scott Disick) attended the rapper's ?Watch the Throne? concert at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.

After taking in the show from a raised VIP suite behind center stage, West joined the reality TV family at an after-party - where he "couldn?t keep his hands off Kim," according to a source.

?Kanye was eating Kim up like she was a piece of cake. He was all over her ? caressing her head, touching her waist,? the NY Daily News insider dished, adding, ?I think he was dying to kiss her, but there were too many people in the room."

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/kim-kardashian/report-kanye-west-all-over-kim-kardashian-569454

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Lilo vs. Naomi vs. Michelle -- Which Marilyn Monroe Would You Rather?

Filed under: Lindsay Lohan, Naomi Watts, Michelle Williams, Beauty, Who'd You Rather?

1214_marilyn_monroesHere's Lindsay Lohan in Playboy, Naomi Watts in some magazine called West East and Michelle Williams in the film "My Week with Marilyn" ... all in their best Marilyn Monroe drag.

Question is ...


TMZ
Lilo vs. Naomi vs. Michelle -- Which Marilyn Monroe Would You Rather?

Source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/12/14/lindsay-lohan-vs-naomi-watts-vs-michelle-williams-which-marilyn-monroewould-you-rather/

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Justin Timberlake -- TRASHED By Jessica Biel's Little Brother

Filed under: Jessica Biel, Justin Timberlake, Celebrity Feuds, Celebrity Justice, Exclusive

0_gtef78ye_1_mbzvghmrJessica Biel's little brother is slamming Justin Timberlake's 901 Tequila company -- claiming the brand is a massive failure and JT is to blame.

Justin Biel -- who we're told worked for the 901 brand until a few weeks ago -- just posted a couple of videos to his Facebook page ... in which he claims Timberlake sabotaged the company by refusing to promote his own liquor.   

Biel rants, "I've been waiting for [Timberlake] to do something with this f**king brand -- make a song about it, put it in a god damn video, hold it up, take some pictures, I don't care -- just do something because we're dying on the motherf**king vine here!"

Biel -- seemingly bitter with the brand -- sarcastically launches into a series of new "angles" he thinks could help sales ... claiming among other things:

-- "901 Tequila ... mixes well with a bump of cocaine"
-- "901 Tequila ... Steve Jobs used to drink it ... oh man that's too soon."
-- "901 Tequila ... I only s**t my pants once on it."
-- "901 Tequila ... so god damn exclusive our own CEO doesn't even drink it."

Biel continues, "Sales dropped drastically from last year ... way to go sales team!  Our distribution partners still couldn't give two f**ks about the brand, repping Patron all the way, and giving us the ol' fist up the ass."

Sources connected to Biel and Timberlake tell us Jessica's brother left the company on good terms ... even though it doesn't appear that way in the videos.

A rep for 901 tells TMZ ... "Justin Biel’s video was intended to be one in a series of videos created by 901 Tequila employees (including the brand owner) as part of a larger viral marketing campaign slated for the end of December. It was released prematurely without our knowledge and prior to the final edit.”

You buyin' it?

update_bar
11:37 PM PST -- Justin posted a statement on his Facebook page saying, "For all you knuckleheads that haven't figured it out. This is just a joke. hahah. Got ya."

The statement contradicts the 901 rep ... who insisted the videos were not a "joke" -- but a key part of a large viral marketing campaign that was released without permission of the company.

TMZ
Justin Timberlake -- TRASHED By Jessica Biel's Little Brother

Source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/12/14/justin-timberlake-901vodka-jessica-biel-brother-justin-biel/

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Amy Winehouse Family Open To Biopic

Dad Mitch Winehouse reversed course and said he'd consider a movie.
By Gil Kaufman


Amy Winehouse
Photo: Marc Broussely/ Redferns

Singer Amy Winehouse had a brief career full of jubilant highs and crushing lows. From Grammy wins and multiplatinum worldwide sales for her breakthrough Back to Black album and recording with Tony Bennett
 to drug arrests, struggles with substance abuse and her untimely death at age 27
 as a result of excessive alcohol intake, Winehouse's roller-coaster ride seems primed for the big screen.

After initially rejecting reports that a biopic was in the works and saying that the family would not grant the rights to the "Rehab" singer's music for such a project, a spokesperson for the Winehouses clarified on Tuesday that "[father] Mitch [Winehouse] and the family would entertain ideas perhaps for a film but only one they were sure would tell the truth," according to Entertainment Weekly.

On Monday, Mitch Winehouse told England's Daily Mail that he would not let Amy's music be used in a rumored biopic that is reportedly being shopped and produced by his daughter's boyfriend, Reg Traviss. "It would hardly be a biopic without the music and we'd never allow the songs to be released," Winehouse told the paper.

He also threw cold water on rumors that Lady Gaga could be up for the role of his late daughter. "I never said Lady Gaga will play Amy in film," he tweeted on Monday. In the meantime, Mitch is working on a memoir, "Amy, My Daughter," due out in October. Winehouse's posthumous album, Lioness: Hidden Treasures,
 debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 charts this week on sales of nearly 114,000.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1675953/amy-winehouse-biopic.jhtml

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