Suki Benjamin

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Watch Father John Misty perform ‘Kiss Me (I Loved You)’ on ‘Fallon’

Father John Misty delivered a live rendition of ‘Kiss Me (I Loved You)’ on US TV last night (May 3). Check out the video below. READ MORE: Father John Misty live in London: showman schmoozes with old-school Hollywood sparkle The singer-songwriter – aka Joshua Tillman – appeared as the musical guest on the latest episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in support of his fifth album ‘Chloë And The Next 20th Century’, which came out last month. Having recently shared its David Raboy-directed video, FJM played ‘Kiss Me…’ in Fallon’s New York City studio with the help of a small orchestra. Tillman and co. performed in front of a draped red curtain and purple lights, treating viewers to an intimate version of the romantic ballad. Advertisement Tune in here: In a five-star review of Father John Misty’s new album, NME wrote: “Besides its flirtations with big band-style instrumentals, ‘Chloë And The Next 20th Century’ serves as a gorgeously crafted highlight reel of the singer’s many previous styles and guises, rather than a complete reinvention. “Much of it is delivered with a wink, and is as dramatically brooding as his past work; every track is vivid yet still quietly dark as… Read More →

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Cardi B and Billie Eilish clear up rift rumours over Met Gala “weird” comment

Cardi B and Billie Eilish have cleared up rumours of a rift after a video clip surfaced from the Met Gala appearing to show the latter calling the rapper “weird”. Both artists attended the annual event at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday (May 2), and, in a clip, Cardi was seen making a speech to the crowd as other partygoers filmed her with their phones. READ MORE: Billie Eilish at Coachella 2022: a record-breaking performance from an artist born to headline Eilish, who is closer to the camera, can be seen in the clip saying the word “weird” after watching the rapper interact with the crowd. Advertisement This led many users on social media to conclude that Eilish was calling the rapper “weird”. Billie Eilish caught shading Cardi B. “She’s so weird.” pic.twitter.com/6o34P0wUfC — IG: @MilagroGramz (@MilagroGramz__) May 3, 2022 But the pair have now both cleared up the misunderstanding, with Cardi sharing a subsequent exchange between her and Eilish in their Instagram direct messages. “Oh my God, I was so worried you were gonna see that,” Eilish says in the voice note, in reference to the clip. “I was fucking calling the people around you weird because… Read More →

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LE SSERAFIM unveil audacious music video for debut single ‘Fearless’

Brand-new girl group LE SSERAFIM have unveiled the music video for their debut single ‘Fearless’. READ MORE: Kwon Eun-bi reflects on her career in K-pop: “I might have taken a different path and not become a singer” The fierce clip opens with the girl group practicing the song’s choreography in a sleek gymnasium, before it cuts to individual scenes of the other members. Those include Sakura revving her motorbike, Kazuha sitting atop the trunk of a car suspended in mid-air and Yunjin wearing in boxing gloves. “What you lookin’ at? What you, what you lookin’ at? / Mm-mm-mm-mm, I’m fearless, huh / You should get away, get a, get a, get away / So you don’t get hurt, get hurt,” the girl group sing on the track’s groovy’s chorus. Advertisement ‘Fearless’ is the title track of LE SSERAFIM’s debut mini-album of the same name, which also includes four other B-side tracks ‘The World Is My Oyster’, ‘Blue Flame’, ‘The Great Mermaid’ and ‘Sour Grapes’. LE SSERAFIM is made up of six members, and includes two ex-IZ*ONE members, Miyawaki Sakura and Kim Chae-won, as well as former Produce 48 contestant Huh Yun-jin. The rest of the group comprises newcomers Kim Ga-ram, Hong Eun-chae and… Read More →

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‘Fake Drake’ speaks out: “I didn’t ask to become famous”

A Drake impersonator going by the name of Fake Drake has claimed that his style and personality is all his own, despite booking a variety of public events based on his supposed visual likeness to the rapper. READ MORE: Kanye West and Drake live in Los Angeles: titans unite for a near-religious experience The copycat has attracted attention recently for attending a number of events designed to fool members of the public into mistaking him for the multi-platinum-selling Canadian star, including nightclub appearances. Speaking on Instagram, Fake Drake said: “This is just who I am. I’m just like, I’m just going with the flow, you know? I didn’t ask to become famous.” The women asking him questions in the clip suggest that Fake Drake both looks and acts like Drake, to which he responds: “I act like Drake?” Advertisement Fake Drake also audaciously implied that his haircut, matching the OVO artist’s distinctive heart-shaped style, was his own idea. “I’ve had the heart for like a year and a half,” he claimed. “Nah, ’cause I have the heart because you know, if you do things with your heart it’s come back.” Watch the conversation below, as well as a clip of Fake Drake… Read More →

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Graham Coxon and Elinor Dougal’s The Waeve announce second London show

Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougall‘s new project The WAEVE have announced a second London show, due to high demand. The former Blur guitarist-turned-solo star and the former Pipettes member-turned-Mark Ronson collaborator previously shared details of an intimate launch show at The Lexington set for May 4. Following that gig selling out, The WAEVE have shared that they’ll be playing on May 6 as well. The new date will follow the release of their single ‘Something Pretty’ which is set to drop on May 5 via Transgressive Records. Tickets for the new date are available here. One week to go – The WAEVE will be performing a second show at @TheLexington, London on Friday 6th May. Limited tickets now remaining, don't miss out: https://t.co/oHUG4DsYAk pic.twitter.com/pjX0qzHXUS — The WAEVE (@The_Waeve) April 29, 2022 Advertisement “We are greatly looking forward to unleashing our new sound live at the Lexington,” the band previously said in a statement. “We’ve been locked away, busy translating the varied sounds of our songs into a dynamic live show, with the help of some great musician friends. We invite you to surrender to the world of The WAEVE.” The duo came together after exchanging messages during the lockdown… Read More →

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Watch Maluma bring out Madonna to perform two songs at Medellín concert

Colombian singer Maluma brought out a special guest for his recent hometown concert in Medellín, inviting Madonna to join him for two songs. The performance took place at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot on Saturday night (April 30), wrapping up with an encore. During this, the artist welcomed various guests onstage, such as Feid, Blessd and Grupo Firme, before he was joined by Madonna. The pair threw it back to the noughties with a performance of Madonna’s 2000 hit ‘Music’, as well as an apt rendition of their 2019 collaborative single ‘Medellín’, lifted from Madonna’s album ‘Madame X’. READ MORE: Madame X review: Madonna concert movie proves the Queen of Pop is still in her prime Advertisement In footage of the performance (which was also live-streamed on Prime Video) the pop icon can be seen sporting braids and a pink dress, backed by a troupe of bodysuit-clad dancers. She also shared her own video on Instagram of their rehearsals for the concert, showing behind-the-scenes footage of herself and Maluma learning their choreography. Watch the videos below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) It’s the first time the pair have performed together since 2019, when they took to the… Read More →

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May 2 has officially been declared Megan Thee Stallion Day in Houston

May 2 has officially been declared Megan Thee Stallion Day in Houston, where the rapper grew up. Megan Pete was honoured at a ceremony on Sunday (May 1) in which Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner along with members of Houston City Council celebrated her philanthropic achievements, which include launching the Pete and Thomas Foundation in 2021. The non-profit, set up to honour Pete’s late mother and father, focuses on programs that address education, housing, health and wellness in Houston, Texas, and elsewhere. Advertisement “Megan Thee Stallion has an extraordinary entertainment career, but we wanted to honor her for what she does offstage to lift people’s lives in underserved communities,” Turner said while presenting Megan with the key to the city. “She assisted people after the 2021 winter storm, during the pandemic, and helped those struggling with homelessness. I look forward to watching her grow as an artist and humanitarian.” May 2 is a significant date for Meg, whose mother and grandmother were both born on the date. During her speech, Megan acknowledged both, saying they helped her “grow into the woman that I am today”. “I don’t know what kind of lady I would be if granny didn’t raise me to… Read More →

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Primavera Sound to launch in South America with Arctic Monkeys, Björk, Travis Scott and Lorde

Arctic Monkeys, Björk, Travis Scott, Lorde and more have been announced for the debut edition of Primavera Sound in South America later this year. READ MORE: Primavera Sound: the 12 best acts we caught at the Spanish festival’s groundbreaking 2019 edition Three events are set to take place in Brazil, Chile and Argentina in November with the line-ups also including Jack White, Pixies, Interpol, Charli XCX, Beach House, Father John Misty, Phoebe Bridgers and Mitski. Notably, the trio of performances mark Travis Scott’s return to the festival stage for the first time since the Astroworld tragedy. Advertisement The rapper has played a series of intimate, private engagements in recent months, including a Coachella afterparty. O lineup por dia do #PrimaveraSoundSaoPaulo também já está entre nós!?Confira qual dia os seus artistas favoritos irão se apresentar e também os shows que acontecerão no #PrimaveraNaCidade ??Garanta seu ingresso: https://t.co/1uf8PQrtbg pic.twitter.com/ZJfdmncCK1 — Primavera Sound São Paulo (@PsSaopaulo) April 27, 2022 Este es el cartel completo de #PrimaveraSoundStgo?️ 7 – 13 de noviembre 2022 Recuerda que se está llevando a cabo la venta general de abonos ahora mismo en @puntoticket https://t.co/m81sVowNZV pic.twitter.com/7vPSyPfuQU — Primavera Sound Santiago de Chile (@Primavera_STGO_) April 27, 2022 Do YOU wanna know?…… Read More →

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YouTuber reimagines Eminem in the style of Linkin Park

YouTuber Anthony Vincent has shared a cover of Eminem‘s ‘Lose Yourself’ in the style of Linkin Park – watch below. READ MORE: Mike Shinoda on writing an album on Twitch, 20 years of ‘Hybrid Theory’ and Chester Bennington’s voice The YouTuber, who has become known for his unique interpretations of well-known songs over the past few years, recruited guitarist Jonathan Young for this latest cover. Vincent’s merging of Eminem and Linkin Park fuses the angst found in both sets of artists, with Eminem’s lyrics aligning with the band’s glitchy rock backdrop. Advertisement While he raps the majority of the song, channelling Mike Shinoda‘s style of rap heard in Linkin Park verses, Vincent also brings in Chester Bennington-style vocals and screams in the chorus. Vincent has previously brought us such delights as Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ in the style of Deftones and a jazz cover of Foo Fighters’ ‘Everlong’. Last year, he shared a reimagining of Metallica‘s ‘Master Of Puppets’ in 50 different styles. For the new version, the track is recreated in the style of 50 different bands or genres, including Harry Styles, Daft Punk, The Weeknd, Soundgarden and many, many more, including Vincent’s own cat. Advertisement Linkin Park have been on hiatus since the death of… Read More →

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Calvin Harris, Carl Cox and more announced for Glastonbury’s Arcadia

Calvin Harris, Carl Cox, Chase & Status, DJ EZ and Four Tet are among the names that have been announced on the 2022 line-up for Glastonbury‘s Arcadia stage. READ MORE: We’re gonna need a bigger farm: why Glastonbury 2022 could be the best in history The Arcadia spider makes its return to the festival for the first time since 2018, with both the 2020 (due to be headlined by McCartney, Lamar and Taylor Swift) and 2021 festivals both cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019, Arcadia replaced their iconic spider with new sculpture Pangea. Speaking about what to look forward to in 2019, Glastonbury boss Emily Eavis said: “I would say the new structure for Arcadia. It’s called Pangea, and it’s an enormous crane that you can see from pretty much the entire site.” Advertisement The spider will be back at the Worthy Farm festival from June 22-26, with Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar set to headline the Pyramid Stage. Other names on the Arcadia line-up include Jon Hopkins, Kurupt FM, Nia Archives, Nina Kravis, TSHA and more. See the full list below. The legendary @A_rcadia Spider returns with an incredible line-up for Glastonbury 2022! ?️? pic.twitter.com/UcC38b72E2 — Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) April 27, 2022 Yesterday… Read More →

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Bob Dylan re-recording classic songs from his catalogue with T Bone Burnett

Bob Dylan is currently in the process of re-recording some of his classic songs in high fidelity audio, producer T Bone Burnett has revealed. READ MORE: Bob Dylan – ‘Rough And Rowdy Ways’ review: arguably his grandest poetic statement yet According to Burnett, he and Dylan have been in the studio to record the new songs as part of the launch for Burnett’s new high fidelity medium Ionic Originals. The new medium is hailed as the first major breakthrough in the reproduction of analogue sound in over 70 years, and Burnett said: “An Ionic Original is the pinnacle of recorded sound. It is archival quality. It is future-proof. It is one of one. Not only is an Ionic Original the equivalent of a painting, it is a painting. Advertisement “It is lacquer painted onto an aluminum disc, with a spiral etched into it by music. This painting, however, has the additional quality of containing that music, which can be heard by putting a stylus into the spiral and spinning it.” It’s not clear what form an Ionic Original will take, when we might hear Dylan’s newly re-recorded tracks, or which songs have been redeveloped, but a press release says Burnett’s creation aims… Read More →

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Michael Stipe opens up about ‘Losing My Religion’ lyric change

Micheal Stipe has opened up about a lyric change from R.E.M’s hit song, ‘Losing My Region’. READ MORE: NME meets R.E.M.: “We needed swagger – to be loud and raw” He was talking to Rick Rubin on the Broken Record podcast when he revealed a key change in the lyrics to the classic song from 1991. Rubin asked Stipe if he knew the song was special when writing it, something he denied. “We released it as a first single thinking it was going to set up the next song,” he said. “It’s such a weird song, we had no idea it was going to resonate the way that it did.” Advertisement On making the track, he added: “I changed one lyric,” he recalled. “‘That’s me in the corner / That’s me in the kitchen’, what I was pulling from was being the shy wallflower who hangs back at the party or at the dance and doesn’t go up to the person that you’re madly in love with and say ‘I’ve kind of got a crush on you, how do you feel about me?’” “There’s this whole relationship that’s happening only in the person’s mind and he doesn’t know whether he’s said… Read More →

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Harry Styles says it’s “outdated” to ask him to label his sexuality

Harry Styles has discussed his sexuality in a new interview, saying it’s “outdated” to have to put a label on it. READ MORE: Harry Styles live at Coachella: spectacular showman makes a bid for rock god status Styles’ sexuality has been a big talking point for fans, and around the release of his self-titled debut album in 2017, he somewhat evasively addressed the rumours for the first time, saying he “never felt the need” to label his sexuality. The following year, he shared a new track called ‘Medicine’ on which he sings: “The boys and the girls are in, I’ll mess around with them, and I’m OK with it.” Advertisement In a new interview with Better Homes & Gardens, Styles discussed the conversation around his sexuality, saying: “I’ve been really open with it with my friends, but that’s my personal experience; it’s mine. “The whole point of where we should be heading, which is toward accepting everybody and being more open, is that it doesn’t matter,” he added, “and it’s about not having to label everything, not having to clarify what boxes you’re checking.” In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Styles said it was “not like I’m sitting on an… Read More →

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Bonobo and Caribou to open Manchester’s Warehouse Project new season

Bobobo and Caribou are set to perform at Manchester’s Warehouse Project this summer. READ MORE: Bonobo – ‘Fragments’ review: veteran dance don offers a richly rewarding start to the year The pair will perform the opening concert at The Warehouse Project’s new season, which will begin earlier than ever this year on the August Bank Holiday weekend. Bonobo will perform a “special full live performance” alongside Dan Snaith’s Caribou for the bank holiday weekend double-header. Advertisement Pre-sale tickets will be available to previous fans from tomorrow, April 27 at 10am BST while general tickets will be available from the same time on Thursday (April 28). You can get tickets for the event here. The venue, which is located in Manchester’s Depot Mayfield, will announce further acts for the 2022 season in the coming weeks. WHP22 /// NEW – BONOBO + CARIBOU Bonobo makes his Depot Mayfield debut for a special performance, alongside Caribou, who return to WHP for August Bank Holiday to kick off the season. Pre-sale 10AM 27th AprilGeneral Sale 10AM 28th AprilRegistration — https://t.co/AnqDK52ouI pic.twitter.com/4eswhKwN65 — The Warehouse Project (@WHP_Mcr) April 26, 2022 Bonobo, aka Simon Green, released his new album ‘Fragments’ earlier this year – it was… Read More →

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Sigur Rós announce Asia tour dates for August 2022

Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós have announced the Asia leg of their upcoming world tour. READ MORE: Jónsi – ‘Shiver’ review: Sigur Rós frontman lets his hair down with a little help from Robyn The Asia leg of the upcoming tour will take place in August with shows in Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Thailand. Venues have yet to be confirmed for the band’s concerts in Seoul, South Korea and Bangkok, Thailand. Posted by Sigur Rós on Monday, April 25, 2022 Advertisement The tour will see Sigur Rós perform in Singapore on August 17, with fan presales starting on Wednesday (April 27) and general tickets going on sale via Sistic this Friday (April 29). Tickets to the two Japan shows – slated for August 22 and 25 – will go on sale on May 21 for general passes and April 29 for fan presales. More information can be found here. The Asia shows are the latest to be added to a sprawling list of Sigur Rós tour dates that the band have planned for 2022, including shows in Australia and New Zealand, the UK and Europe, and North America. The band – who are “in the process of writing and recording their… Read More →

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Nine Inch Nails reveal 100 Gecs, Yves Tumor and more as US support acts

Nine Inch Nails have revealed the list of support acts joining them on their first US tour since 2018. Boy Harsher, 100 Gecs, Yves Tumor, Ministry and Nitzer Ebb are among the openers personally curated by frontman Trent Reznor. The tour, which was announced back in February, is set to kick off on Thursday (April 28) in Raleigh, North Carolina. READ MORE: The Roots Of… Nine Inch Nails The line-up announcement comes after the news that Nine Inch Nails would be replacing Foo Fighters at two festivals this summer, following the death of the band’s drummer Taylor Hawkins. They are now set to headline Rockville which takes place May 19-22 and Boston Calling which takes place May 27-29. Advertisement See the full list of dates below and view ticket details here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nine Inch Nails (@nineinchnails) APRIL 28 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater 30 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival MAY 1 – Franklin, TN – First Bank Amphitheater 22 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville 24 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia 25 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia 27 – Boston, MA – Boston… Read More →

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New Foundation launched to help survivors of sexual abuse in music industry

A new foundation has been launched in a bid to help survivors of sexual abuse in the music industry. As Mixmag reports, the initiative – which is called Face The Music Now – was set up by author and talent manager Dorothy Carvello, who became the first female A&R scout for Atlantic Records. READ MORE: How gigs can be made safer for women: “We need to involve acts, venues and gig-goers” “As a survivor myself, I have seen and experienced firsthand how sexual harassment and abuse shatters survivors psychologically, financially, and professionally,” Carvello said in a statement. “It’s not a matter of money; it’s about helping them put the pieces back together. This is about the decades-old and widespread abuse of power in the music industry. We want to help survivors find their voices and take back some of what they have lost.” Face The Music Now aims to provide a safe space for survivors, as well as a platform to help educate, highlight prevalence in the music industry, and focus on changing institutionalised abuse. Cision – who first reported on FTMN – stated that 72 per cent of women in the music industry have reported discrimination of some kind, with… Read More →

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Live music revenue fell even further in 2021

A new report has revealed that royalties from performances of live music fell close to 30 per cent in 2021, despite some concerts returning last year. READ MORE: Gig, festival and nightclub bosses talk masks, testing and COVID safety for re-opening According to PRS for Music, the organisation that collects royalties for songwriters, revenues from concerts was £8million in 2020, down from £11.3million in 2020 and £54million in 2019. 19,300 setlists were reported last year, compared to 124,000 pre-pandemic. Advertisement CEO of PRS for Music, Andrea Martin said :”It’s a huge decrease, but we will see a bounce back this year” (via BBC). Martin also went on to say that with 240 tours planned for this year, there was some “renewed optimism”. Crowd at a concert in London in September 2021. Credit: Christie Goodwin/Redferns. Last year, a new forecast by PwC in their ‘Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2021–2025’ report, predicted that the UK’s live music sector wasn’t expected to return to its pre-coronavirus pandemic revenues until the year 2025. Mark Maitland, UK head of Entertainment and Media at PwC, said: “UK consumers’ rapid migration to digital behaviours in the pandemic has now become embedded in their day-to-day lives, helping to sustain… Read More →

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Hard-Fi announce special London reunion gig and hint at new music

Hard-Fi have announced a special reunion gig to take place in London and hinted at new music, as well as the potential of a wider tour. The band last performed live together in 2014, the same year that they released the greatest hits album ‘Hard-Fi: Best Of 2004-2014’. READ MORE: Richard Archer on new political band OffWorld and Hard-Fi’s “unfinished business” After teasing their return with posters around London, the group have now confirmed they will get back together for a show in the city later this year. Speaking to fans on a Facebook Live stream earlier this evening, frontman Richard Archer shared details of the gig, which will take place at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town on October 1, 2022. Advertisement “You may have seen the signs around town – 1st of October 2022, we’re getting the band back together,” Archer began. “As if you hadn’t guessed.” Forgot to mention new website!! https://t.co/30o66kTA0t and we’ll be emailing our mailing list later tonight with details please check your spam folder, if not already signed up -sign up!! X x x https://t.co/NJMwt0NgZR — Hard-Fi? (@HARD_FI) April 24, 2022 He went on to call the venue one of his favourites, saying: “I’ve… Read More →

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Hard-Fi continue to tease ‘Stars Of CCTV’ anniversary gig

Hard-Fi have revealed that they will be making an announcement later today (April 24). READ MORE: The term ‘landfill indie’ is pure snobbery from people who don’t know how to have fun In a clip shared on social media, Hard-Fi confirm that they will be going live here at 6:30pm tonight with a “big announcement”. The video also displays the cover art for their 2005 debut album ‘Stars of CCTV’ alongside a date – 1st October 2022. Check it out below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hard-Fi (@hardfiofficial) Advertisement It comes as a few weeks ago, a series of posters appeared over London with the same information, with fans jumping to the conclusion that Hard-Fi were teasing an anniversary gig. Those posters appeared after a series of not-so-cryptic Instagram posts. Not only have the band been sharing footage of them back in their practice space but in a New Year’s post, Hard-Fi wrote “there’s a rumour some lads from Staines are dusting off their Lacostes.” ‘Stars Of CCTV’ was originally released in 2005, going on to reach Number One and being nominated for that year’s Mercury Prize. It contains the singles ‘Hard To Beat’, ‘Cash… Read More →

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Pavement announce 30th anniversary reissue of ‘Slanted & Enchanted’

Pavement have announced a 30th anniversary reissue of their debut album, ‘Slanted & Enchanted’. READ MORE: Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! – Stephen Malkmus The 1992 album came out 30 years ago earlier this week via Matador Records, and comes ahead of the band’s live reunion this summer. The new reissue, set to come out on August 12, will see the original LP released on red/white/black splatter vinyl, alongside a cassette edition titled ‘Courting Shutdown Offers’, which features demo versions of the album that the band used to shop the alnum to record labels. Advertisement The band’s latest reissue follows the release of ‘Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal’, a special reissue of their final studio album ‘Terror Twilight’. The band’s fifth studio LP was originally released in June 1999 and was produced by Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich. See the tracklist for the 30th anniversary edition of ‘Slanted & Enchanted’ below, and pre-order your copy here. ‘SLANTED & ENCHANTED’ 1. ‘Summer Babe’ (Winter Version) 2. ‘Trigger Cut / Wounded-Kite At :17’ 3. ‘No Life Signed Her’ 4. ‘In the Mouth a Desert’ 5. ‘Conduit For Sale!’ 6. ‘Zurich Is Stained’ 7. ‘Chesley’s Little Wrists’ 8. ‘Loretta’s Scars’ 9. ‘Here’ 10. ‘Two States’ 11. ‘Perfume-V’… Read More →