Kate Middleton, Prince William Appear at Horse Race

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Kate Middleton may be pregnant with the heir to England’s royal throne but that is not keeping the Duchess of Cambridge from heading to the races, literally.
The 31-year-old and her husband, Prince William, made a surprise appearance today at Cheltenham Gold Cup Day, the final day of the annual horse racing event in Gloucestershire.
PHOTOS: The Life and Times of Kate Middleton
The duchess was spotted in the same maternity chic look she has maintained throughout her pregnancy, donning a short camel-peach colored coat over her baby bump, accented by brown suede boots and a brown clutch.    On her head she wore a Betty Boop pillbox hat by designer James Lock, reported by British media to be the same hat she wore to a friends’ wedding with William last month.
RELATED: Kate Middleton’s Pregnant Fashion Frenzy
Middleton and William, 30, arrived to the festival just before lunch and spent with time William’s cousin, Zara Phillips, an Olympic equestrian rider, and her husband, Mike Tindall, the part-owner of a horses competing in the race, according to People magazine.
RELATED: The Royal Bump Blog, Day-by-Day
The high-profile public outing, Middleton’s sister, Pippa, was spotted at the festival yesterday, was another marker for the pregnant Duchess as she continues to raise her profile after a bumpy start to her pregnancy.
Middleton was hospitalized in December, early in her pregnancy, after falling victim to severe morning sickness.
After a vacation on the exclusive Caribbean island of Mustique with William and her family, Middleton stepped out last month to meet with women recovering from addiction and made headlines earlier this month when she may have inadvertently reveal the gender of her unborn child while at a public event in Grimsby.
Middleton is due to give birth in July.

SXSW 2013 Music Picks: 7 Emerging Artists on the Rise

Expensive badges and VIP wristbands may get festival-goers close to the big acts at the increasingly commercial South By Southwest Music and Media Conference, which runs March 12-17 in Austin, Texas, but it’s the smaller showcases where music lovers can still experience the excitement of discovering a new band. AudioFile scoured six days jam-packed with performances. Here are some of the highlights:

Youth Lagoon
At the tender age of 22, Trevor Powers who performs under the name Youth Lagoon, proved his musical chops with last year’s meditative debut, “The Year in Hibernation”. The Boise, Idaho, native continues to explore dreamy landscapes in Youth Lagoon’s 2013 record, “Wondrous Bughouse.”
Watch AudioFile’s interview with Youth Lagoon:

Charli XCX
The next It Girl from across the pond, Charlotte Aitchison, better known by the moniker Charli XCX, has been compared to Marina and the Diamonds, Zola Jesus and Robyn. The 20-year-old played her first SXSW and pleased crowds with her sampling of Gold Panda in “You (Ha Ha Ha)“. Her album “True Romance” is available for pre-order on iTunes.

Anamanaguchi
The band for the Millennial generation, by the Millennial generation, Anamanaguchi conquered the Internet with danceable Nintendo-inspired tunes and meme-filled music videos. It’s been four years since the release of “Dawn Metropolis,” and the Brooklyn quartet teased Austin audiences with tracks from its forthcoming album, “Endless Fantasy.”

Anamanaguchi plays at the Brooklyn Vegan showcase. (Photo Courtesy David DeKeyser)

Marnie Stern
For those in search of powerful female rock, look no further than Marnie Stern, a technically skilled guitarist whose squealing vocals contrasts with her otherwise laidback stage presence. During Under the Radar magazine’s afternoon showcase, the singer’s guitar pick flew out of her hand mid-song. Her band stopped to help her look, and once recovered, Stern fired up the chords again to claps and cheers from the audience.

Shugo Tokumaru
With the album “Night Piece” in 2004, Tokyo-import Shugo Tokumaru first introduced his quirky talents to the U.S. Four records later, the singer-songwriter’s use of unconventional instruments has become a signature element of his pop-friendly music. His box of musical toys at the SXSW stage included a bicycle bell, kazoo and wooden chickens pecking ball paddle.
Hear Shugo Tokumaru’s cover of the 80s classic, “Video Killed the Radio Star”:


Hands
Founded by four friends who, after graduating from college, just wanted to play music together, the LA-based Hands returns to SXSW with California-cool electro-rock. Hoping to quit their day jobs soon, the band recently signed with the label Kill Rock Stars. Hear the new single: “The Game Is Changing Us” from their album “Synesthesia” due out in April 2013.

Hands plays a set at the Terrorbird Showcase. (Mimi Wong)

Cloud Nothings
Fronted by Dylan Baldi, Cloud Nothings roared into 2012 with a darker, heavier record, “Attack on Memory.” Though a risky move, the shift from Baldi’s solo indie pop project to full garage punk band has paid off, it seems. Early comparisons to 90s alternative and grunge music has since faded as Cloud Nothings establishes its own sound.
Watch AudioFile’s interview with Cloud Nothings:

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Dave Chappelle Going on Tour with Chris Rock?

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Speculation of a comeback by Dave Chappelle has begun anew, following a rare three-night appearance by the reclusive comedian at a New York comedy club recently.
Chappelle’s name is trending on social media today after he was joined on stage by Chris Rock at New York’s Comedy Cellar and the two joked about going on tour together.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Rock told Chappelle, “You should come down to Palm Beach,” to which Chappelle replied, “After next Tuesday, I’m free for like 11 years.”
The two even sent a text to Jay-Z and left a voice message for Arsenio Hall from the stage. “This could be the show, — fireside chats with Chris Rock,” Chappelle reportedly said.
“I’m in,” Rock replied, according to the Times.
Asked about the possibility of a Rock-Chappelle tour, Chappelle’s rep told Entertainment Weekly: “I can’t even say.”
Chappelle walked away from Hollywood in 2005, in the middle of his extremely popular “Chappelle’s Show” on Comedy Central.
He spent some time in Africa before hunkering down in rural Yellow Springs, Ohio, with his wife and family.
The comedian told Oprah Winfrey that the experience of having his own show was “incredibly stressful.”
“When you’re a guy who generates money, people have a vested interest in controlling you,” he said.