Cindy Choek

Neil Young and Crazy Horse preview ‘Toast’ album with single ‘Timberline’

Neil Young and Crazy Horse have shared a first preview of their upcoming album ‘Toast’ – listen to ‘Timberline’ below. The album was originally recorded by Young and the band in 2001 before being shelved. It was then finally announced for a July 8 release date earlier this year. READ MORE: Neil Young & Crazy Horse – ‘Barn’ review: rugged and rural beauty, with a sense of hope Young revealed his plans to drop ‘Toast’ – named for the San Francisco studio in which it was minted – in a post shared to his blog, the Neil Young Archives. Though that post has since been deleted, ‘Toast’ is locked in for release on Friday (July 8) via Reprise. CD and vinyl pre-orders are available from Young’s webstore, The Greedy Hand, with a sell describing the record as “heavy and distressed, brimming with electrifying tension”. Advertisement Saying that the album was “so sad at the time that I couldn’t put it out,” Young added of ‘Timberline’: “The scene changes to a religious guy who just lost his job. He’s turning on Jesus. He can’t cut any more trees. He’s a logger.” Listen to ‘Timberline’ below. According to Young, ‘Toast’ is “an album that… Read More →

04JULNews

Listen to Baby Queen’s “liberating” new song ‘Nobody Really Cares’

Baby Queen has shared a brand new song – listen to ‘Nobody Really Cares’, a track about not pleasing others, below. The track follows the singer’s recent track ‘Colours Of You’, which appeared on the soundtrack to Netflix show Heartstopper. READ MORE: Baby Queen: “It’s important for pop music to be saying something right now” “’Nobody Really Cares’ is about realising it’s okay to be yourself and do exactly what makes you happy because people are selfish in nature and only have so much space inside their brains reserved for you,” Baby Queen said of the new track in a statement. Advertisement She added: “I think it’s really liberating to know that nobody cares about your self expression as much as you sometimes think they do so filtering yourself to please them is pointless.” Listen to ‘Nobody Really Cares’ below. ‘Nobody Really Cares’ and ‘Colours Of You’ are the artist’s first new music since the release of 2021’s “underdog’s anthem” ‘Wannabe’. At a recent London show, the cast of Heartstopper joined Baby Queen on stage for her performance of ‘Colours Of You’. “To be asked to be a part of a story as beautiful and culturally important as Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper was unbelievable,… Read More →

04JULNews

Jehnny Beth on new solo music: “I’ve never had so much fun in the studio”

Jehnny Beth has given up update on the new solo music she’s been working on, and what to expect from its “light” and “hopeful” direction. Watch our video interview with Beth above. READ MORE: Jehnny Beth interviewed: “Everybody does bad shit and I don’t want to pretend otherwise” Speaking to NME at this weekend’s Open’er Festival, the Savages icon turned solo star explained how her new material following on from 2020’s acclaimed ‘To Love Is To Live‘ was taking shape. “With my solo project I feel like, because of the pandemic, I haven’t really been able to show to the world what I can do,” she told NME. “I had to stay in Paris and I realised the talent I had around me, the amazing people who also wanted to work with me. In a way, I was too blind before to see them as much as I saw them when the pandemic happened.” Advertisement She added, on working with this new creative team, that she had “never had so much fun in the studio, I’ve never laughed that much,” noting that this brings a “lightness” and “hope” to the new music. Elsewhere during the interview, Beth told NME about… Read More →

04JULNews

Big Jeff Johns returns to Twitter to thank fans for “well wishes” following accident

Big Jeff Johns has taken to Twitter to thank fans for “well wishes” following his accident last month. In a statement released in June it was confirmed that the much-loved gig-goer was “very seriously injured” in a recent fire at his home in Bristol, and that he was receiving treatment in a specialist burns unit in Swansea. Johns’ family, along with his art manager Lee Dodds, then followed the news up with an update on his condition, explaining that he was “stable in intensive care, but still under heavy sedation and unconscious whilst a series of procedures and skin grafts are beginning”. Advertisement At the end of June though, his family and Dodds revealed that Johns was now off his ventilator and conscious. “Jeff is beginning to be able to receive the wonderful messages of love, support and goodwill,” said the statement. And over the weekend (July 1), Big Jeff took to Twitter for the first time since the accident. “Hello everybody, I love you all,” he wrote. “Thank you for the get well wishes! See you soon.” Hello everybody, I love you all. Thank you for the get well wishes! See you soon Jeff — Jeffrey Johns (@BigJeffJohns) July… Read More →

04JULNews

STAYC describe new project ‘We Need Love’ as “less like idol music”

K-pop girl group STAYC have shared their thoughts on their upcoming single album ‘We Need Love’. READ MORE: STAYC say they’re not fazed by their meteoric rise: “It’s not too difficult or heavy to carry” Today (July 4), the six-member girl group shared a new behind-the-scenes video where they discussed their upcoming single album ‘We Need Love’ with their producers Black Eyed Pilseung, comprising Jeon Goon and Rado, as well as Flyt. In the clip, STAYC opened up about their experiences recording for the new title track, and revealed that it felt “different” from their previous releases. “I don’t think idol music can be defined as a genre, but it felt less like idol music,” said Sieun, as the group nodded in agreement. “I really liked that about it.” Advertisement “Our previous albums could be summarised as ‘Teen Fresh’, but that isn’t the right description for the new song,” chimed in Yoon, as the other members voiced their love for the upcoming track. Elsewhere in the video, the group’s producers discussed their process behind the song. “I’d always tried to make music that would contribute something to K-pop,” said Rado. “But this time, I just started out from thinking about… Read More →

04JULNews

Harry Styles cancels Copenhagen show following mass shooting near venue

Harry Styles cancelled his concert in the Danish capital of Copenhagen, after three people were killed (and another three were critically injured) in a mass shooting close to the venue. Styles was scheduled to perform at the Royal Arena last night (July 3). In a statement sent out by Live Nation, the show was cancelled at the direction of Danish authorities. “We are looking into future possibilities for the show,” the statement read, “and hope to be able to give ticket buyers direct information as soon as possible.” Styles also posted about the cancellation on his own social media, writing: “I’m heartbroken along with the people of Copenhagen. I adore this city. The people are so warm and full of love. I’m devastated for the victims, their families, and everyone hurting. I’m sorry we couldn’t be together. Please look after each other.” I’m heartbroken along with the people of Copenhagen. I adore this city. The people are so warm and full of love. I’m devastated for the victims, their families, and everyone hurting. I’m sorry we couldn’t be together. Please look after each other. H — Harry Styles. (@Harry_Styles) July 3, 2022 As per Reuters, three people were shot dead… Read More →

03JULNews

Red Hot Chili Peppers announce 2023 Australian and New Zealand tour with Post Malone

Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced a six-date tour of Australasian stadiums, for which they’ll be joined by Post Malone. READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Red Hot Chili Peppers: “We feel fresh, like a new band” It’ll be the first tour for both acts in 2023, kicking off in the New Zealand city of Auckland on Saturday January 21. They’ll play in Dunedin next, before heading over to Australia for shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Tickets for all shows can be found here. Those for the Auckland and Brisbane shows go on sale at 12pm next Monday (July 11), while Dunedin, Melbourne and Perth will all be available from 1pm, and Sydney’s from 2pm. Advertisement A pre-sale for Live Nation members will open this Friday (July 8), starting at 11am in Dunedin and Brisbane,12pm in Auckland, Melbourne and Perth, and 1pm in Sydney. Find details on the Live Nation pre-sales here (New Zealand) and here (Australia). Additionally, Australian fans signed up with Telstra will be able to access a pre-sale this Wednesday (July 6), beginning at 10am in Brisbane, 11am in Melbourne and Perth, and 12pm in Sydney. Kiwi fans will have a similar pre-sale via Vodafone, with… Read More →

03JULNews

Ricky Martin issued with restraining order in Puerto Rico

According to Puerto Rican authorities, Latin pop hitmaker Ricky Martin has been issued a restraining order. The Associated Press reported earlier today (July 3) that judge Raiza Cajigas Campbell had signed off on the order on Friday (July 1), although police were unable to discern Martin’s whereabouts until a day later. Police spokesman Axel Valencia refused to tell the publication who requested the restraining order, as the party’s anonymity is secured under Puerto Rico’s domestic violence law. Further details came courtesy of Puerto Rican newspaper El Vocero, who reported that, per legal documents obtained from the court, Martin and the petitioner dated for seven months. It’s alleged that the pair separated two months ago, but Martin did not “accept” the separation, and has repeatedly attempted to make contact with the petitioner. Advertisement The document claims that Martin calls the petitioner frequently, and has been seen loitering outside of his residence on at least three occasions, leading the petitioner to fear for his safety. Martin has been ordered to refrain from making any contact with the petitioner, physically or via telecommunication, extending to emails and social media. El Vocero reports that the restraining order is set to expire on Thursday July… Read More →

02JULNews

Rex Orange County cancels remainder of 2022 touring plans: “This is the last thing I want to do”

Rex Orange County (aka Alex O’Connor) has cancelled the bulk of his touring plans for 2022, effective following his show in London next month. READ MORE: Rex Orange County: “I want the music to sound and feel free – because I feel free” The Grayshott singer-songwriter will perform at Gunnersbury Park on Saturday August 13, following two shows in Glasgow – one of which has sold out, with remaining tickets to the other available here – as well as sold-out shows in Manchester and Dublin later this month. The Gunnersbury Park gig will be O’Connor’s last for the rest of the year, he announced today (July 2), meaning 17 shows across Australasia and Europe have now been cancelled. Tickets for the Gunnersbury park show can be found here. Advertisement In a post shared to his social media pages, O’Connor wrote: “It is with a great deal of sadness to announce that due to unforeseen personal circumstances, I am having to spend some time at home this year and I will not be able to continue with touring as planned.” Noting that tickets for the cancelled dates – which were scheduled to go down between September and November – will be refunded… Read More →

02JULNews

Watch Guns N’ Roses perform with Carrie Underwood in London

During the first of their two shows at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last night (July 1), Guns N’ Roses brought out country-pop superstar Carrie Underwood. READ MORE: Guns N’ Roses – Rank The Albums The 2005 American Idol winner joined Axl Rose and co. twice during their 22-song set – first towards the end of the main performance to sing on ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, and then during the encore to close the night out on ‘Paradise City’. It echoed Rose’s guest appearance during Underwood’s set at this year’s Stagecoach Festival in May, where the frontman joined her and her band to perform those same two songs. Have a look at fan-shot footage of Underwood singing with Guns N’ Roses below: Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Creative Works London (@creativeworkslondon) Elsewhere in the set, Guns N’ Roses played both of the original songs on this year’s ‘Hard Skool’ EP – ‘Absurd’ and the title track – and a quadrant of the covers that have long remained staples in their setlists: ‘Live And Let Die’ by Wings, ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ by The Stooges (for which bassist Duff McKagan took over on lead vocals), ‘Knockin’ On… Read More →

01JULNews

Guns N’ Roses fans left queuing for hours at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Fans attending the Guns N’ Roses show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight (July 1) have taken to social media to express their anger at the severe delays in entry to the event. The band are due to play two shows at the venue tonight and tomorrow (July 2), with early doors entry at 3.15pm and main doors at 3.30pm. READ MORE: Guns N’ Roses – Rank the albums The first support act, Gary Clark Jr, was due to kick off at 4.30pm but according to Twitter, as of 5.30pm, fans were still waiting to be let in. Guns N’ Roses are due to be on stage at 6.45pm. Advertisement One person on Twitter wrote: “Anyone know why we’re still stood outside 3hrs after it was supposed to start?”, while another added: “We’ve been standing outside for 2 hours. Why don’t open the stadium? This is ridiculous.” Someone else Tweeted: “Over an hour waiting for #GunsNRoses wtf is going on @Ticketmaster.” As of 6pm, some audience members appear to have made it inside, while others continue to queue. See more reactions below. We’ve been standing outside for 2 hours. Why don’t open the stadium? This is ridiculous @SpursStadium #GunsNRoses pic.twitter.com/GzSyi9yu9L — Julie… Read More →

01JULNews

Jack White clarifies his plans for releasing lost Prince album ‘Camille’: “I would never mess with his music”

Jack White has clarified the previous comments he made about his plans to “re-edit” Prince‘s unreleased album ‘Camille’. As Ultimate Classic Rock reports, the musician’s label Third Man Records secured the rights to the late icon’s scrapped 1986 record in March. READ MORE: Jack White live at Glastonbury 2022: guitar hero literally smashes his secret set out of The Park Although ‘Camille’ was never shared as a complete body of work, all eight tracks that were initially intended to feature on the record have been released in some form (as B-sides or on other reissues etc). Advertisement For the project, Prince used a pitch-shifting studio technique in order to make his vocals sound more feminine and planned to share the finished product under a mystery pseudonym, Camille. This week, White appeared to share his plans for the lost album during an interview with the Daily Star newspaper’s ‘Wired’ column. “We are able to re-edit it as it was originally planned,” he reportedly explained (via Music-News.COM). “So that is great news. It’s very difficult to confirm because Prince himself changed his mind about ‘Camille’ when he was about to release it. “[But] I don’t think [releasing] it goes against his will, because… Read More →

01JULNews

The Chainsmokers respond to ‘Paris’ becoming pro-abortion anthem on TikTok

The Chainsmokers have spoken out after their track ‘Paris’ began trending on TikTok as a pro-abortion anthem. The EDM duo’s 2017 song started gaining traction on the video platform following the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that protects a person’s right to safely terminate a pregnancy in the US. READ MORE: The Chainsmokers: “I promise you, we’re not assholes” For the first time in nearly five decades, abortion will no longer be protected as a federal right in America. Each state will be able to decide individually whether to restrict or ban abortion. Advertisement Many artists have since spoken out to condemn the move, including Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. As NBC News reports, numerous TikTok subscribers have used The Chainsmokers’ ‘Paris’ to soundtrack videos in which they express their pro-choice views – with particular emphasis on the line: “If we go down, then we go down together.” The song has been used in over 137,000 clips on the site at the time of writing. On Sunday (June 26) The Chainsmokers took to Twitter to acknowledge the resurgence, writing: “It was brought to our attn that our song Paris is trending… Read More →

30JUNNews

Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming shares abortion experience following Roe v. Wade repeal

Sunflower Bean‘s Julia Cumming has shared a candid statement about her abortion experience after Roe v. Wade was overturned last week. READ MORE: Five things we learned from our In Conversation video chat with Sunflower Bean On June 24, the Supreme Court decided to overturn the landmark decision, meaning abortion will no longer be protected as a federal right in the US for the first time since 1973. Each state will now be able to decide individually whether to restrict or ban abortion. Along with her statement, the band has also released the first episode of a four-part mini-documentary about the making of their most recent album ‘Headful Of Sugar’. The video is soundtracked by the song ‘Otherside’ which details Cumming’s abortion experience. Watch the video below. Advertisement “In the fall of 2020, I had an abortion,” Julia said. “I was stunned by the range of emotions I experienced when it was over. Women’s bodies are constantly politicized, and it didn’t feel like there were any conversations surrounding abortion [that] touched on the nuance of loss while knowing that you had to make a decision that gives you a chance at your own life.” She continued: “I felt completely isolated,… Read More →

30JUNNews

Norfolk’s Wide Skies And Butterflies festival cancelled due to “unprecedented rise in production costs”

The first ever Wide Skies And Butterflies festival has been cancelled due to “unprecedented rise in production costs”. READ MORE: Industry hit back at Rishi Sunak’s defence of government’s approach to music, Brexit, clubs and venues The Norfolk event was due to take place on the Raynham Estate between August 5 and 7, with a line-up that included The Vaccines, Hot Chip, Laura Mvula and Natalie Imbruglia. However, organisers SMS Event Production have issued a statement stating that the festival will no longer go ahead because of increased costs and “lower than expected ticket sales”. Advertisement “It is with deep regret that we announce that Wide Skies & Butterflies will no longer be able to go ahead,” the statement on their website read. “Despite the anticipation of a summer free of restrictions, 2022 is proving an incredibly challenging year for live music and events. The statement continued: “The industry has seen an unprecedented rise in the costs of production alongside lower than expected ticket sales due to rising costs of living. “For a festival in its first year the combination of these obstacles, as well as a key investment failing to come through, has made it impossible for us to… Read More →

29JUNNews

Broken Bells announce first new album in eight years, ‘Into The Blue’

Broken Bells have announced a brand new album, ‘Into The Blue’ – listen to lead single ‘We’re Not in Orbit Yet…’ below. READ MORE: Broken Bells – ‘After The Disco’ review The duo – comprising Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and The Shins frontman James Mercer – put out their last album, ‘After The Disco’, back in 2014, following the release of their debut self-titled LP in 2010 and the ‘Meyrin Fields’ EP in 2011. Broken Bells – who are often joined by Dan Elkan and Jon Sortland when performing live teased a return to music back in 2018, and later shared the tracks ‘Shelter’ and ‘Good Luck’. Advertisement Today (June 29), Broken Bells announced the their third album would be “coming soon” and they shared its first single, ‘We’re Not in Orbit Yet…’, which you can listen to below. Earlier this month, Danger Mouse and Black Thought shared new track ‘Because’, the second to be released from their upcoming debut collaborative album ‘Cheat Codes’. Set to be released on August 12 via BMG, ‘Cheat Codes’ is Danger Mouse’s first hip-hop full-length project since his ‘DANGERDOOM’ collaboration with the late MF DOOM which was released in October 2005. The album follows Black Thought’s pioneering output with… Read More →

29JUNNews

Halsey responds to fans that left gig during abortion rights speech

Halsey has responded to reports that some fans walked out of their recent concert in Phoenix during a speech about abortion rights. READ MORE: Halsey: “I’ve always been driven to reinvent myself and reinvent my genre” At Sunday’s (June 26) show, Halsey encouraged fans to take a stance on reproductive rights, delivering a powerful speech about the need to be active following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling. “This has been happening for a very long fucking time,” Halsey said to approximately 20,000 concert-goers at the Ak-Chin Pavilion. “I know that we want to sit at home and we want to wait for some revolutionary to come along, to make a difference, but no one is fucking coming.” Advertisement They continued: “Nobody is fucking coming. It is up to every single one of you, myself, every single person in this building to do our fucking part to protect bodily autonomy and bodily integrity. To protect medical privacy.” Receiving an outpouring of cheers from their crowd, Halsey then led a chant, yelling “my body” and spurring the audience to respond with “my choice”. One Twitter user has since claimed that a number of concert-goers… Read More →

29JUNNews

Calvin Harris confirms release date and guest artists for new album ‘Funk Wav Bounces Volume 2’

Calvin Harris has confirmed the release date and guestlist for his new album, ‘Funk Wav Bounces Volume 2’. READ MORE: Calvin Harris live at Glastonbury 2022: Fans amplify the hit-fueled Arcadia set Back in April, Harris announced that he’ll be releasing a new album “this summer” but didn’t elaborate further on the release date at the time. Now, Harris has confirmed the release date on his website as August 2, and shared a full list of its featured artists. Besides Dua Lipa and Young Thug, who appeared on the single ‘Potion’ released last month, hip-hop artists who will appear on ‘Funk Wav Bounces Vol 2’ include 21 Savage, Stefflon Don, Pusha T, Lil Durk, Offset, Coi Leray, Busta Rhymes, Donae’o, Latto, Pharrell, Swae Lee and Snoop Dogg. Advertisement Pop and R&B artists that have been confirmed for the record are Chlöe, Shenseea, Tinashe, Normani, Halsey, 6LACK, Justin Timberlake and Jorja Smith. https://t.co/lsLZjPtcZ5 — Calvin Harris (@CalvinHarris) June 29, 2022 ‘Funk Wav Bounces Vol 2’ will be his first in five years and the follow-up to the first volume of ‘Funk Wav Bounces’, which arrived in 2017. That album included the singles ‘Slide’, ‘Heatstroke’, ‘Rollin’, ‘Faking It’, and the chart-topping ‘Feels’ featuring… Read More →

29JUNNews

R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking

R. Kelly has today (June 29) been sentenced to 30 years in prison, following his conviction last year on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. The R&B singer (real name Robert Sylvester Kelly) stood trial last summer for racketeering, bribery and violating the Mann Act last year, which criminalises the transportation of any woman or girl across state lines for “immoral” purposes, such as illegal sexual activity. He was found guilty on nine accounts. Prosecutors initially sought a 25 year sentence for the singer while lawyers for Kelly said he should receive no more than 10 years. “In light of the seriousness of the offences, the need for specific deterrence and the need to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant, the government respectfully submits that a sentence in excess of 25 years is warraned,” the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York wrote to the judge in the case. The US Attorney’s Office also said the singer relied “on his fame, money and popularity as an R&B recording star… to both carry and conceal his crimes”. “He continued his crimes and avoided punishment for them for almost 30 years and must now be held… Read More →

29JUNNews

Morrissey’s upcoming tour will feature “no rules, regulations or restrictions”

Further details have been shared for Morrissey‘s upcoming 2022 UK and Ireland tour, confirming the gigs will feature “no rules, regulations or restrictions”. READ MORE: Morrissey at Riot Fest review: pop’s problematic uncle wisely shuts up and plays the hits The soloist and former Smiths singer announced the tour earlier this month – more than two years on from his last UK live date at Wembley’s SSE Arena in London. Following a Las Vegas residency to be held in July, the UK and Ireland tour will then take place in October and feature a London date at Brixton Academy. Advertisement In a new post on Morrissey’s official Instagram page, guidelines around the tour were set out. The post read: “The dates are fixed for September and October. No rules / regulations / restrictions will be in place for these concerts – everyone is welcome.” See the post and the tour dates below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Morrissey (@official_morrissey_central) SEPTEMBER 2022 Saturday 24 – Killarney INEC Arena Wednesday 28 – Blackpool Opera House Friday 30 – Doncaster Dome OCTOBER 2022 Sunday 02 – Glasgow SEC Armadillo Tuesday 04 – Manchester O2 Apollo Wednesday 05 – 2022 Birmingham O2 Academy Friday 07… Read More →

28JUNNews

Ozzy Osbourne reportedly wants to install bat boxes in his UK home

Ozzy Osbourne reportedly wants to install bat boxes in his UK home, hoping to protect the species. The Black Sabbath frontman notoriously bit the head off a bat during a gig with the band, but is now hoping to help the animals. Ozzy and wife Sharon recently revealed that they’re set to leave Los Angeles, California for a life in Buckinghamshire due to high taxes in the United States, and local news reports hint that the pair have an elaborate plan for their home. Advertisement According to The Mirror (via Buckinghamshire Live), the Osbournes have made plans to turn their Grade II listed mansion near Beaconsfield into a bat sanctuary. The couple have made no comment on the reported plans yet. Ozzy Osbourne. Credit: John Shearer/AMA2019/Getty Images for dcp Earlier this week, Osbourne announced his new album ‘Patient Number 9’ with the release of its title track ahead of the record’s release this September. The album’s title track also features guitar work from Jeff Beck, who joins an A-list cast of musicians guest-starring on the track including Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Zakk Wylde, and producer Andrew Watt. Set to be released on September 3, the album also includes… Read More →