Franz go 'disco' on third record

Franz Ferdinand have told Newsbeat their third album, out next January, will be "wilder" and more "disco driven" than their previous records.

Frontman Alex Kapranos says the band are putting the finishing touches to the follow-up to You Could Have It So Much Better in their Glasgow studio.

There's no title yet but Alex said the record was "inspired by whatever was round about me".

The band have already road tested some tracks during a series of club shows.

Despite early indications that the album took an afro-beat direction following their recent Africa Exprez gig with Damon Albarn, the band denied they would be adopting that sound.

Some of the songs are kicking about on bootlegs and YouTube which is really cool Alex Kapranos Franz Ferdinand

"The album has more of a disco dance floor sort of tempo," said Kapranos. "While the music is not necessarily disco music, it is around about that tempo and it makes you move in that kind of a way.

"There's definitely a different feel. I've been noticing the audiences moving in a different kind of way to the way they might have moved to the older songs."

He went on: "I think the African thing got a little exaggerated because we did the Africa Exprez gig a wee while ago and I think drummer Paul (Thomson) and I mentioned we'd been listening to some Ethiopian bands.

"Suddenly everybody thought we were making an afro-beat album. But we're not really. I think we're incapable of making an afro-beat album. It's always going to sound like a Franz Ferdinand album."

BY-BBC NEWS

Oscars ticket poster to be sued

Oscars organisers have been given the identity of someone who tried to sell two tickets for this year's ceremony without permission for $5,000 (£2,516).

A judge in Los Angeles ordered website Craigslist, where the tickets were offered, to reveal the vendor's name.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences said that person would join other individuals and companies it was suing for selling or brokering tickets.

It said invitees were forbidden from selling these for security reasons.

Lawyer David Quinto, for the Academy, said: "If you don't know who's inside the theatre, it's very difficult to provide security."

'Trespasser'

The poster identified themselves on Craigslist only as Daniel.

In March, the Academy announced it was suing a number of parties over the sale of tickets. Some of these cases have now been thrown out.

Those attending February's ceremony were explicitly told they could not give away or sell their tickets, court documents stated.

Mr Quinto said the Academy was keen to find out who had bought the tickets.

It considers anyone who uses someone else's ticket to be a trespasser at the event in Los Angeles.

BY-BBC NEWS

50 Cent suing US fast food chain

Rapper 50 Cent is suing Taco Bell claiming the US fast food chain has used his name and image without permission in an advertising campaign.

New York court papers say the advert features the star, real name Curtis Jackson, being encouraged to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent.

The rapper is accusing the chain of "diluting the value of his good name".

The advertisement is part of Taco Bell's "Why Pay More?" campaign, which promotes items for under a dollar.

50 Cent also accuses Taco Bell of employing a guerrilla advertising campaign to fool consumers into thinking he had endorsed the chain.

The lawsuit says the Mexican-themed chain sent a letter to media organisations encouraging the rapper to change his name for one day to promote its advertising campaign.

The letter said that, if the star agreed, Taco Bell would donate $10,000 (£5,000) to the charity of his choice.

BY-BBC NEWS