Ringo Starr's birthplace has been saved from demolition, according to UK Housing Minister Grant Shapps. The Beatles drummer's former home will not be knocked down by Liverpool City Council as part of their plans to regenerate the Welsh Streets area of the city, and it will now be refurbished. According to the BBC, the house on 9 Madryn Street, in Dingle, is one of 16 on the street spared from the bulldozer; although 400 homes in the area will be pulled down.

Yeasayer have announced a short UK tour for September. The Brooklyn indie band, who announced recently that they will release their third studio album Fragrant World on August 20, will play three dates in the UK in September as well as an intimate London show in July. The gigs kick off at London's O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on September 27 before the band travel north to play Glasgow's Arches venue on September 28. They round things off at Manchester's HMV Ritz on September 29.

The pianist, singer and songwriter Mac Rebennack, known better as Dr John, faces your questions in the latest Uncut (dated July 2012), out now – but back in October 2010 (Take 161), he took us on a fascinating journey through his most important, and interesting, releases, from Gris-Gris to Exile On Main St. "We went to a nudist camp somewhere, we made up a song called 'The Symphony Of Frogs'…" ______________________________

Bon Iver have announced that they will be releasing a new EP next week. The EP, which is simply titled iTunes Session EP, which will be released on Tuesday (June 19) and contains a total of seven tracks, all of which were recorded live. Among the tracks scheduled for release is a cover of Bjork's "Who Is It?" and the band's recent single "Holocene". Bon Iver recently announced two UK dates for later this year. Apart from headlining this summer's Latitude festival, they will play shows in Glasgow and Belfast in November too.

Former Cocteau Twins singer Elizabeth Fraser is set to play her first full show since 1998. The singer will debut her new material, as well as perform re-interpretations of Cocteau Twins songs, at Bath Pavillion on Saturday August 4. The show is as a warm-up gig for her two sold-out nights at the Royal Festival Hall in London later in August, as part of this year's Antony Hegarty-curated Meltdown festival.

Paul McCartney has praised The Queen, describing her as "fabulous" and even saying that he has "lot of time for her". The Beatles man, who turns 70 on Monday (June 18), headlined the Queen's Diamond Jubilee gig earlier this month and has now spoken to the Daily Telegraph about how much he admires the long-serving monarch.

Alice Cooper has announced a large-scale UK tour for later this year. The singer, who released his 22nd studio album Welcome 2 My Nightmare in September of last year, has booked in seven shows for the tour, including a Halloween date in Edinburgh. The run of shows kicks off at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena on October 24 and runs until November 1, when Cooper headlines Sheffield's City Hall. Support at each of the shows will come from Ugly Kid Joe and also from former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff MacKagans band Loaded.

Metallica have taken part in a publicity campaign to help the FBI to catch a man wanted in the death of a student who disappeared after one of the band's concerts. The student, 20-year old Morgan Harrington, attended Virginia Tech college and disappeared after a Metallica concert in October 2009 in Charlottesville. Her skeletal remains were discovered about three months later in a remote hay field about 10 miles from the concert venue.

A rare poster of The Beatles, which was used to promote a show at Liverpool’s Cavern Club has fetched £27,500 at auction. London auction house Christies said that it was the earliest Beatles poster they had ever been offered, reports whatsellsbest.com. According to the listing, the poster had been hand-painted specifically for the lunchtime concert, which took place on November 30, 1962.

Former REM singer Michael Stipe has put his Manhattan penthouse loft apartment up for sale, according to Wall Street Journal via Rolling Stone. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Stipe explained that this was part of his plan to reinvent himself as an artist, and that he is currently looking for a large studio space where he can work on his sculptures. "I wake up in the morning thinking of sculpture, not lyrics," he said. "Lyrics are too hard."