Cindy Choek

The National on new music: “It’s the whole history of the band, but with a new exploration”

The National‘s Bryce Dessner has spoken to NME about what to expect from the band’s new material, as well as looking ahead to their remaining summer shows. During their run of 2022 festival dates, the indie veterans have been playing a number of brand new songs. Among them is ‘Weird Goodbyes’, a collaboration with Bon Iver which is due to be released imminently. Speaking to NME about the new batch of tracks, Dessner said: “We wanted to road-test songs. The journey that we were on from [2003 album] ‘Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers’ through to [2019 album] ‘I Am Easy To Find’ was non-stop. There was no breaking between writing and releasing those albums. Just by nature of various things like COVID and things going on in our individual lives, we’ve been able to take time with the new material. Advertisement “Not only are some of the songs informed by playing them live, but we’ve even been recording them in soundchecks from the stage and recording incredibly loud live guitars.” He continued: “The songs are quite far along, but we’re discovering things about them in real-time. We’ve got a small studio backstage, so we’re able to get a lot of… Read More →

17AUGNews

Olivia Rodrigo has returned to the studio with ‘Sour’ collaborator Dan Nigro

Olivia Rodrigo looks to be working on the follow-up to last year’s smash-hit ‘Sour’ album, as she’s officially returned to the studio with collaborator Dan Nigro. READ MORE: Olivia Rodrigo live at Glastonbury 2022: a career and festival defining moment Their return to work was confirmed overnight when Nigro shared a selfie of the pair – Rodrigo taking the photo while Nigro held an acoustic guitar in one hand, and flipped fans off with the other – on his Instagram Story. Another instrument can be seen resting against a shelf in the background. ?| @oliviarodrigo via Dan Nigro’s Instagram Stories pic.twitter.com/KMv8gszwWS — Taylivia Team (@TayliviaTeam) August 16, 2022 Advertisement Back in February, Rodrigo revealed that she’s already decided on a name for her second album, and has “a few songs” in the pipeline for it. “It’s really exciting to think about the next world that’s coming up for me,” she said at the time. “I just love writing songs. I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself [and instead] just sort of explore and have fun right now.” In a later interview with Elle, Rodrigo hinted at a more upbeat feel for her second album, noting that she’s… Read More →

16AUGNews

Confidence Man announce UK and Ireland tour for November

Confidence Man have announced details of their UK and Ireland tour that’s set to take place in November – you can see the dates and find ticket information below. The Brisbane band had previously confirmed shows in London and Manchester in early November, including a pair of gigs at London’s KOKO and a trio of shows at Manchester’s New Century Hall. READ MORE: Confidence Man live at Glastonbury 2022: electro-rave madness from festival’s biggest attention-seekers Confidence Man will now tour the UK and Ireland throughout November, with further gigs set to take place in Glasgow, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Nottingham and Dublin. Advertisement Tickets for these newly announced shows are set to go on sale on Friday (August 19) at 9am, and you’ll be able to buy them here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Confidence Man (@confidenceman_) You can see Confidence Man’s upcoming UK and Ireland tour schedule below. November 1 – KOKO, London 3 – Roundhouse, London 4 – KOKO, London 9 – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow 10 – New Century, Manchester 11 – New Century, Manchester 12 – New Century, Manchester 15 – O2 Academy, Bristol 16 – Tramshed, Cardiff 17 – University Stylus,… Read More →

15AUGHit Singles

Dennis Bovell on his finest albums: “I have no problem calling the shots”

Originally published in Uncut’s July 2022 issue Pioneering producer, songwriter, dubmaster and now MBE, Dennis Bovell has been busy as ever as he heads towards his eighth decade. In the last year alone, there have been ongoing dub reimaginings for the likes of Animal Collective and The Smile, various archival and new Bandcamp releases, and Y In Dub, a new version of The Pop Group’s seminal Bovell-produced debut. “I got to get back into those tracks and marvel at the sounds I’d put down on the tape,” he explains of the latter. “They’re mad about dubbing, Mark Stewart especially, so they were going crazy!” Advertisement His latest project is a career-spanning anthology, The Dubmaster, so Bovell’s agreed to take Uncut through nine of the pivotal albums he’s helped create, from Matumbi’s reggae classics through to production work for The Pop Group, The Slits and Fela Kuti, and right on to his latter-day dub work. “I have no problem calling the shots,” he says of his firm approach to making music. “You need that iron fist. If I didn’t like something, I let it be known. And if I thought it could be better done some other way, I let that… Read More →

15AUGNews

50 Cent responds to The Game’s claim that he wrote ‘What Up Gangsta’

50 Cent has responded to claims from The Game that he was in fact the writer behind 50’s 2003 hit ‘What Up Gangsta’. The song originally appeared on 50’s 2003 debut album ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin”. The following year, 50 Cent wrote a number of songs for The Game’s project ‘The Documentary’. In a conversation back in March, The Game’s associate Wack 100 revealed that The Game had claimed to have written ‘What Up Gangsta’. Advertisement Asked about 50 Cent’s contributions to ‘The Documentary’, Wack said: “I’m going to speak on something you don’t never speak on,” while reciting the track’s chorus: “‘What up cuz, what up Blood, what up Gangsta.” He added: “Who you think wrote that? I’mma leave it alone … Bro just don’t be beating his chest.” Referencing the claim in a new interview on The Breakfast Club, 50 Cent said: “[The Game] said he wrote ‘What Up Gangsta’. I’m like, ‘C’mon on, bro. You wasn’t even around when we did that. That was before you even came into the picture’. “We didn’t even know who he was until after. There’s a point when you [reach] desperation and you’ll say anything.” Watch the interview below. View… Read More →

15AUGNews

Watch Snail Mail cover Muse’s ‘Starlight’ during US tour

Snail Mail covered Muse‘s ‘Starlight’ during a recent date on her US headline tour – see footage of the rendition below. Lindsey Jordan is currently on a headline tour around North America in support of her second album ‘Valentine’, and stopped by the Fête Music Hall in Providence, Rhode Island on Friday (August 12). READ MORE: Snail Mail: “It’s awesome seeing lots of women and queer people in music” During the set, she took on a rendition of Muse’s 2006 single, which appeared on the album ‘Black Holes and Revelations’. Advertisement Check out Snail Mail’s Muse cover below. At the end of the rendition, she said: “Fuck it, Muse.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dan (@clucleclucle) Earlier this summer, Snail Mail shared a new cover of Superdrag’s ‘Feeling Like I Do’ as part of the Spotify Singles collection. The original version of ‘Feeling Like I Do’ was recorded at the famed Electric Lady Studios in New York and appeared on Superdrag’s 2002 LP, ‘Last Call for Vitriol’. “It’s been really cool getting to cover ‘Feeling Like I Do’ by Superdrag because I love it and I’ve loved it for a while and I was able to make… Read More →

15AUGNews

Kula Shaker announce one-off London show for December

Kula Shaker have announced details of a one-off show in London that they’ll play in December. With the gig, the four-piece will cap off a year in which they released their most recent album ‘1st Congregational Church of Eternal Love and Free Hugs’ and returned to touring for the first time since 2016. READ MORE: Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! – Kula Shaker Kula Shaker will perform at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on December 8, with tickets set to go on general sale from here at 9am on Friday (August 19). Advertisement Speaking about the gig, Kula Shaker frontman Crispian Mills commented: “We only had time to play a handful of UK shows this summer so we wanted to wrap the year up with a special show in our hometown and chance to say thank you to our fans. “We’re planning a few surprises and a new single release before Christmas, so ‘come on down’ as they say…” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kula Shaker (@kulashakerofficial) Mills added that “December 8 is also a significant date for John Lennon fans [Lennon was killed on December 8, 1980], so we’re going to mark the occasion… Read More →

15AUGNews

Director of Girls’ Generation’s ‘Forever 1’ music video apologises after plagiarism allegations

Shin Hee-won, who directed Girls’ Generation’s ‘Forever 1’ music video, has issued an apology following allegations that one of the video’s props plagiarised a logo by the theme park Tokyo DisneySea. READ MORE: Girls’ Generation – ‘Forever 1’ review: K-pop’s most illustrious girl group prove why they’re timeless and boundless On August 14, Shin shared a post on his production house storieswetell’s official Instagram page addressing allegations that he had plagiarised a logo used in Girls’ Generation’s recent music video for ‘Forever 1’, the title track of their comeback album of the same name. In the music video, the girl group are seen performing on a parade float decorated with a prop bearing the number “15”, commemorating their 15th anniversary as an act. However, the logo drew comments for apparent similarities to the 15th anniversary logo of Tokyo DisneySea from 2016. Advertisement Credits (L-R): Screengrab from Girls’ Generation Official YouTube Channel / Screengrab from Tokyo Disney Resort Official YouTube Channel “First, I am sorry for causing trouble for members of Girls’ Generation and SM Entertainment due to this controversy about plagiarising a set design in the ‘Forever 1’ music video” he wrote, per KoreaJoongAngDaily. “After being commissioned for this music video,… Read More →

15AUGNews

Machine Gun Kelly Day declared by Cleveland mayor

During a special event at Cleveland, Ohio’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Mayor Justin Bibb declared August 13 to be Machine Gun Kelly Day. READ MORE: ‘Good Mourning’ review: it’s Machine Gun Kelly’s Excellent Adventure The event, which took place last Saturday (August 13) marked the opening of a new MGK exhibition that features several of the born-again punk rocker’s personal items – among them are his ‘Tickets To My Downfall’ outfit and Schecter PT Model electric guitar. As part of proceedings, Bibb handed MGK – real name Colson Baker – a framed celebratory document in front of the artist’s own 27 Club Coffee shop. Advertisement In a post to Instagram, Baker (who hails from Cleveland) shared a video of the moment, in which Bibb is heard saying: “Four years ago, I met MGK, and I didn’t know that someone could love the city of Cleveland as I did. But he does, and so today is officially ‘Machine Gun Kelly Day’.” The caption alongside Baker’s post read: “These are happy tears.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by the Blonde Don (@machinegunkelly) On his own Instagram account, Bibb shared a photo of the pair, adding: “We’re Cleveland… Read More →

14AUGNews

The National are teasing a new song with Bon Iver

The National appear to be on the precipice of a new single release, as posters for a song titled ‘Weird Goodbyes’ (featuring Bon Iver) have begun to circulate. READ MORE: The National’s Matt Berninger on 10 years of ‘High Violet’: “We wanted to reach everybody” The band have been performing ‘Weird Goodbyes’ live, sans the guest spot from Bon Iver – which, presumably, will comprise some of its lyrics being sung by Justin Vernon – since late May. They played it for the first time in Pamplona, Spain on May 28 – the first National show to go down in three years – where it was billed on the setlist as ‘Bathwater (Mount Auburn)’. It’s been performed at seven show since, including this week’s headliner in Dillon, Colorado and at the Outlandia festival on Friday (August 12). The first show to have it printed on the setlist as ‘Weird Goodbyes’ was the Cooperstown, New York date of their current North American tour, which they played on July 20. They’ve been performing other new songs, too, including ones titled ‘Grease In Your Hair’ and ‘Space Invaders’. Advertisement The posters were first spotted by Reddit user u/Dannydarko, who noted that they’d popped… Read More →

13AUGNews

One dead, dozens injured after stage collapses at Spanish EDM festival

Catastrophic weather conditions have put an early end to the Medusa Festival in Spain, after a collapsing stage – reportedly caused by winds exceeding 80 kilometres per hour – caused one death and at least 40 injuries. The dance music festival, which was being held in east coast province of Cullera, began on Wednesday (August 10) and was scheduled to run until Monday (August 15). In a statement shared to social media, organisers explained that “an unexpected and violent gale devastated certain areas of the festival” around 4am this morning (August 13), leading the site to be evacuated “to guarantee the safety of the attendees, workers and artists gathered”. Advertisement COMUNICADO MEDUSA FESTIVALEstamos completamente desolados y consternados ante lo sucedido la pasada madrugada.La… Posted by Medusa Festival on Saturday, August 13, 2022 The Guardian reports that as a result of the aforementioned gale, parts of a stage collapsed and were flung into the crowd, killing one attendee and leaving three with “serious trauma injuries”. Regional emergency services confirmed that 14 more had been treated for minor injuries, while a total of 40 people were attended to altogether. See footage from the festival below: Un fallecido y 17 heridos, 9 de ellos… Read More →

13AUGNews

The Wrecking Crew guitarist Bill Pitman has died, aged 102

Bill Pitman, a renowned guitarist and member of iconic collective The Wrecking Crew, has died at the age of 102. As reported by The New York Times, Pitman died on Thursday August 11 at his home in La Quinta, California. No cause of death has been revealed, however the guitarist and bassist reportedly spent the last month of his life recovering from an accident that left him with a fractured spine. Born on February 12, 1920, Pitman was raised in a musical household, as his father worked as a staff bassist for programming at NBC. His journey with music began at age five and through high school, making regular treks from New Jersey to Manhattan as an admirer of the local jazz scene. He began playing in jazz clubs around LA in 1951 (at age 31) and his career catapulted after scoring a regular gig in Peggy Lee‘s backing band. He went on to perform regularly for The Rusty Draper Show, a radio gig that he stuck with for three years before being poached for session work by artists like Al Hendrickson, Howard Roberts, Buddy Rich and Red Callender. His intro to rock’n’roll came at the hand of Phil Spector, who, after… Read More →

12AUGNews

Michelle Branch arrested for domestic assault following Patrick Carney split

Michelle Branch was arrested for domestic assault on Thursday night (August 11). The arrest follows Branch’s split from Patrick Carney after three years of marriage. On Wednesday (August 10), the singer tweeted and then deleted a comment on the Black Keys‘ drummer’s alleged infidelity, writing, “Just found out my husband cheated on me … while I was home with our 6-month-old daughter.” According to Rolling Stone, police were called to the couple’s Nashville, Tennesse home yesterday in response to a domestic disturbance. Branch told officers at the scene that she’d slapped Carney in the face “one to two times”. The singer’s bail was set at $1,000 and she was released on the same day of the arrest. Advertisement On Thursday evening, Branch spoke to People in a statement about her recent split from Carney. “To say that I am totally devastated doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family. The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me and now I must figure out how to move forward,” Branch added. “With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness.” Carney has not yet publicly commented on that or the separation. Patrick Carney and… Read More →

12AUGNews

Wolf Alice’s Joff Oddie on post-Brexit touring: “We could lose this world-leading position if we don’t act now”

Wolf Alice guitarist Joff Oddie has written an op-ed for NME regarding the ongoing problems for UK artists wishing to tour Europe post-Brexit, arguing that action is needed now for Britain to retain it’s “world-leading position” in music. READ MORE: UK touring bands are suffering due to “Brexit fuck-ups and a lack of government control” Last year, the UK music industry spoke out together on how they had essentially been handed a “No Deal Brexit” when the government failed to negotiate visa-free travel and Europe-wide work permits for musicians and crew. As a result, artists attempting to hit the road again after COVID found themselves on the predicted “rocky road” for the first summer of European touring after Britain left the EU. Last month, a study by Best For Britain – a group “pushing for closer relationships with Europe and the world” – showed that the number of British artists scheduled to perform in Europe as part of this year’s festival season had fallen by 45 per cent when compared to 2017-2019 (pre-Brexit). Advertisement Today, NME published news of the industry insiders claiming that the first summer of touring post-pandemic proves that the ongoing situation is “strangling the next generation of… Read More →

11AUGNews

David Ellefson speaks about being fired from Megadeth: “You find out who your friends are”

Ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has spoken about being fired from the band after claims emerged that he’d groomed an underage girl online last year. READ MORE: The 20 best ’80s metal albums Ellefson denied any wrongdoing at the time saying explicit text messages were between consenting adults and that the woman was not underage at the time. Last year he filed revenge-porn charges against the person whom he alleged illegally leaked a video and screenshots that prompted the allegations against him, and he met police in Scottsdale, Arizona, last June to pursue the charges. Speaking about his sacking in a new interview with Real Music With Gary Stuckey, Ellefson said: “You find out who your friends are and you find out who your friends aren’t pretty fucking quick when the shit hits the fan, ‘Cause everybody wants to be around you when you’re picking up your Grammy.” He added: “Look, life is… You’re never on top all the time. Your life ebbs and flows, your career ebbs and flows – all of that. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a career musician and I’ve had to go with the ebbs and flows of the good, the bad and the otherwise, sometimes from within, sometimes from… Read More →

11AUGNews

Watch Green Day perform with 10-year-old fan in San Francisco

Green Day invited a 10-year-old fan on-stage to perform with them during their recent headline show at Outside Lands festival. The rock trio topped the bill at the three-day San Francisco event last Saturday (August 6), delivering a career-spanning 22-track set on the Lands End main stage. READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Green Day: “We live our lives as if we have nothing’ At one point in the gig, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong singled out a young crowd member called Montgomery – who the singer nicknamed Monty – and asked him to join Green Day for a special performance. Advertisement “Do you really know how to play?” Armstrong questioned Montgomery. “Alright, kid – get your ass up here!” Today (August 11), Green Day shared footage of the wholesome moment on social media. The clip sees Armstrong help Monty put on a white guitar. In another fan-shot video, the youngster enthusiastically fist pumped at the crowd. The child – who sported an ‘American Idiot’-style black-and-red get-up – then began strumming along to a cover of Operation Ivy‘s 1989 track ‘Knowledge’, before making his way down the runway towards the audience. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Green… Read More →

11AUGNews

Spotify launches new concert tickets website

Spotify has launched a new concert tickets website where fans can buy gig tickets directly from the streaming service. The website, Spotify Tickets, went live yesterday (August 10). According to MusicAlly, the site is “strictly a test rather than a full commercial launch”. READ MORE: Streaming – what happens next? Artists demand “a shift in the way business is done” Through the site, Spotify users can buy tickets for a string of upcoming US shows by TOKiMONSTA, Limbeck, Annie DiRusso, Crows, Dirty Honey, Four Years Strong and Osees. These tickets will be taken from each artist’s pre-sale allocation for the forthcoming gigs. Advertisement In a statement shared with Billboard, a Spotify spokesperson clarified that the ticketing site is currently serving as a test. “At Spotify, we routinely test new products and ideas to improve our user experience,” the statement read. “Some of those end up paving the path for our broader user experience and others serve only as important learnings. Tickets.spotify.com is our latest test. We have no further news to share on future plans at this time.” The Spotify logo on a phone screen CREDIT: Chesnot/Getty Images In other Spotify news, Ed Sheeran recently became the first artist on the platform… Read More →

11AUGNews

Travis Barker returns to Machine Gun Kelly tour “against his doctor’s orders”

Travis Barker has returned to Machine Gun Kelly‘s ‘Mainstream Sellout’ tour “against his doctor’s orders”. MGK is currently out on the road in the US, having kicked off the extensive run of shows back in June. READ MORE: Machine Gun Kelly – ‘Mainstream Sellout’ review: the one-man pop-punk revival rolls on Barker – a friend and collaborator of Machine Gun Kelly’s, who regularly drums in his live band – was hospitalised with pancreatitis later that month. The Blink-182 sticksman later made a surprise appearance at Kelly’s gig in LA. Advertisement Earlier this week, MGK (real name Colson Baker) wrote on Instagram Stories (via Billboard): “Against his doctor’s orders AND with a broken thumb, I convinced @travisbarker to come join us for the last couple days [of the North American tour].” The message appeared alongside a screenshot of the pair on a FaceTime video call. Yesterday (August 10), Barker confirmed that he’d be making an appearance at last night’s concert at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. “I’m impregnating the entire crowd at the @machinegunkelly show tonight,” he tweeted. “With a broken thumb and torn tendons.” You can see that post below. With a broken thumb and torn tendons —… Read More →

10AUGNews

Matty Healy on deleting Twitter: “I don’t wanna be a pawn in the culture war”

The 1975‘s Matty Healy has opened up in a new interview about his departure from Twitter. The frontman deactivated his account on the social media platform in 2020 after being criticised for sharing a post about George Floyd that included a link to the band’s single ‘Love It If We Made It’. READ MORE: New song ‘Part Of The Band’ finds The 1975 ripping up their own rule book Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American, died in the custody of local police in Minnesota in May that year. Footage subsequently emerged of an officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Floyd’s neck. Advertisement His death sparked international outrage, protests and a renewed focus on the Black Lives Matter movement. Last year, Chauvin was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years in prison having been convicted of second-degree murder. Responding to Floyd’s death, Healy tweeted: “If you truly believe that ‘ALL LIVES MATTER’ you need to stop facilitating the end of black ones.” His message was accompanied by a link to the aforementioned politically-charged track, which includes the line: “Selling melanin and then suffocate the Black men.” The singer later apologised, writing: “Sorry I did not link my song in that tweet to make it about me it’s just… Read More →

10AUGNews

Black Country, New Road lead new additions to Pitchfork Music Festival London 2022

Black Country, New Road are among the latest additions to the line-up of Pitchfork Music Festival London 2022. The festival will return for its second London edition from November 9-13 and will take places in a number of venues in the capital, including The Roundhouse and EartH. READ MORE: Black Country, New Road – ‘Ants From Up There’ review: majestic, romantic indie-rock The likes of Courtney Barnett, Animal Collective and Faye Webster have already been announced on the line-up, which has grown today (August 10) with the addition of a number of new acts. Advertisement Black Country, New Road, O., Okay Kaya, Yaya Bey, Goya Gumbani, Julien Chang, Ekkstacy, Hannah Jadagu, M Field, Elanor Moss and Clara Mann will also perform as part of Pitchfork Music Festival London 2022. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pitchfork London (@pitchforklondon) Tickets for each Pitchfork Music Festival London event are being sold separately, and are on sale now from here. “We were blown away by the reception to the launch of Pitchfork Festival in the UK last year, and we can’t wait to develop the event into its second year,” Dan Monsell, Co-Managing Director at the festival’s promoters FORM Concerts,… Read More →

09AUGNews

The Pogues bassist Darryl Hunt dies aged 72

The Pogues bassist Darryl Hunt had died at the age of 72. READ MORE: From the archives – The Pogues on how they wrote ‘Fairytale Of New York’ Hunt, who joined the band in 1986, died in London yesterday (August 8). The Pogues wrote on Twitter that they were “saddened beyond words” to share the news. No information about the cause of his death has been shared publicly. The band posted a black-and-white photo of Hunt holding a guitar case, paying tribute by quoting the lyrics of their song ‘Love You Till the End’ (written by Hunt) with: “I know you want to hear me catch my breath/ I love you till the end.” We are saddened beyond words. Our Darryl passed away yesterday afternoon in London. Darryl Gatwick Hunt 04/05/1950 – 08/08/2022 ‘I know you want to hear me catch my breathI love you till the end’ pic.twitter.com/9TZWx8eLLc — The Pogues (@poguesofficial) August 9, 2022 The Pogues singer Shane MacGowan described Hunt as a “great friend and a great bass player” in his own tribute. “I am very very sorry that Darryl has passed on, he was a really nice guy and a great friend and a great bass… Read More →