Daft Punk Think Auto-Tune Ruins Music

Daft Punk thinks Auto-Tune is ruining pop music. Though the duo - Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter - like experimenting with the vocal-tweaking software in a "fun" way, they think it is over-relied on to make a singer's voice sound perfect.

"Pop music is into the uncanny valley. For example, take Auto-Tune. Auto-Tune as an effect is very fun. We put it in the same category as the wah-wah pedal. It's pleasing to the ear and creates those funky artefacts, a bit like the clavinet in Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition.' The other use of Auto-Tune is the invisible one, where you put the voices of the performers in and you set the thresholds so you can't hear the Auto-Tune is there. It makes the voice 'perfect.' If you're using it to solve small imperfections, you're creating something that isn't human. Would you Auto-Tune Roger Daltrey on 'Tommy'? Or Simon & Garfunkel? It stops being a fun effect and becomes like a clone from a terrifying sci-fi movie," Thomas said.

Despite their success as dance music pioneers, the "Get Lucky" duo admit they have always secretly wanted to be like The Strokes, whose frontman Julian Casablancas is one of their collaborators on new album Random Access Memories.

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The Killers’ Record Company Revenge

The Killers were turned down by every major record label in the US.

The "Somebody Told Me" band found it hard to get a deal in their home country at the start of their career, but a good review and radio play in Britain helped kick started their career.

"Every major label in America turned us down, then we got a glowing review in NME magazine and every single one of those labels offered us a record deal. So I will always be thankful to the NME," frontman Brandon Flowers said.

The band were awarded the Best International Band trophy at the recent NME Awards, and said they were amazed to be at the ceremony alongside their hero, guitar player Johnny Marr. Referencing two of Johnny's bands, Brandon added to NME magazine, "It's a big honor just to be here with Johnny Marr. I mean have you ever heard Electronic? But The Smiths were a staple for so many of us that were in that room. It's incredible, the influence they had."

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The Strokes’ Album of the Decade

The Strokes’ Is This It has been named album of the decade.

The American rockers’ 2001 debut LP topped a list compiled by British music magazine NME made up of votes from record producers, label bosses and musicians, including members of Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys who both rank highly.

NME Editor Krissi Murison said: “This is the definitive word on the greatest albums of the ‘00s - as voted for by everyone who helped make music brilliant this decade.”

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