Victor Spinetti, the comic actor who appeared in three Beatles films, has died aged 82. The Welsh star appeared in a string of acclaimed movies as well as appearing on the West End and Broadway. He died in a hospice in Monmouth this morning after battling with pancreatic cancer, reports BBC. Once described by Paul McCartney as "the man who makes clouds disappear", Spinetti was the only non-Beatle to appear in the films A Hard Day's Night, Help! and Magical Mystery Tour.

Michael Nesmith, the former Monkee and country rock pioneer, is to play the UK for the first time in over 30 years. Nesmith, who left the Monkees in 1970, went on to release three albums with The First National Band between 1970 and 1971, which were later hailed as country rock classics.

One of the records I’ve been playing the absolute hell out of these last couple of weeks is The Graceless Age, the new album by John Murry, who Uncut regulars may remember from World Without End, a sensationally bleak 2006 collection of contemporary murder ballads he made with the Memphis singer-songwriter Bob Frank. The Graceless Age, like World Without End, produced by Tim Mooney, the former American Music Club drummer, at Closer Recording, the studio Tim owned in San Francisco, at 1441 Howard Street. The more I played it, the more The Graceless Age sounded like one of the best things Mooney had been involved in, as either producer or musician, a dark and festering masterpiece.

Tom Petty is a man of many guitars, most of which seem to make an appearance on stage at some point in tonight’s proceedings. Here’s a red Fender, a blonde Rickenbacker, a white Gibson, back to the Fender, and on. It seems fitting, I suppose: Petty’s first show in the UK for 13 years is very much about craft and musicianship.

An in-depth Uncut interview with Jack White from the time of Blunderbuss

Richard Hawley has unveiled the video for his new single, "Down In The Woods". Scroll down to watch it. The heavy, psychedelic single is the second to be taken from his latest album, following "Leave Your Body Behind You". The album, Standing At The Sky's Edge, is Hawley's seventh solo LP and it debuted at Number Three in the Official UK Album Chart last month, his highest ever chart placing.

Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo and Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis have collaborated on a cover of Peter Green's guitar instrumental "Albatross" for a new Fleetwood Mac covers compilation. To be released on August 14 via Hear Music/Concord, the compilation also features contributions from Marianne Faithful, Antony Hegarty and MGMT. The track listing for the compilation is: Entrance Band – 'Green Manalishi' Crystal Ark – 'Tusk' Best Coast – 'Rhiannon' The New Pornographers – 'Think About Me' MGMT – 'Future Games'