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Will Oldham To Play More UK Shows

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Will Oldham To Play More UK Shows

Will Oldham has announced that he will play three further live shows in the UK this month, in support of his brilliant recent album “The Letting Go”. The prolific songwriter – aka Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – has just played two sold-out nights at London’s plush Queen Elizabeth Hall, his first shows since a one-off Green Man festival performance in 2005. You can catch the enigmatic Oldham, supported by Scout Niblett, at the following venues: London Shepherds Bush Empire (February 11) Brighton Corn Exchange (12) Cambridge Junction (13) Oldham is also an accomplished actor, and stars in new film “Old Joy” released in UK cinemas this week. Click here to see a trailer for “Old Joy”

Will Oldham has announced that he will play three further live shows in the UK this month, in support of his brilliant recent album “The Letting Go”.

The prolific songwriter – aka Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – has just played two sold-out nights at London’s plush Queen Elizabeth Hall, his first shows since a one-off Green Man festival performance in 2005.

You can catch the enigmatic Oldham, supported by Scout Niblett, at the following venues:

London Shepherds Bush Empire (February 11)

Brighton Corn Exchange (12)

Cambridge Junction (13)

Oldham is also an accomplished actor, and stars in new film “Old Joy” released in UK cinemas this week.

Click here to see a trailer for “Old Joy”

Listen To First New Dexys Song In 21 Years

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Listen To First New Dexys Song In 21 Years

The first demo from the long-awaited fourth Dexys Midnight Runners album, “It’s Ok Joanna”, is now available on the web. You can access the track – which has a classic Dexys feel – from frontman Kevin Rowland’s official Myspace page. Dexys’ previous album, “Don’t Stand Me Down”, was released way back in 1986 – after which Rowland decided it was time to call it quits. Rowland reformed Dexys in 2003 for an acclaimed sell-out tour, and a message to fans on his Myspace page claims that it was this positive response that convinced the band to reform. The message reads: “In 2003, Dexys were at last reinvented for a critically acclaimed and rapturously received tour. Again, it wasn’t a greatest hits tour, and many of the ideas approaches that were received with bewilderment in 1985 were employed again. But this time, those ideas were understood and very warmly welcomed.The world had caught up with us.” As well as new music, Rowland is also working on his first book, and his message online ends on a upbeat note: “2007 could be a good year for fans of Kevin and Dexys.” Listen to first new Dexys’ material in 21 years by clicking here now

The first demo from the long-awaited fourth Dexys Midnight Runners album, “It’s Ok Joanna”, is now available on the web.

You can access the track – which has a classic Dexys feel – from frontman Kevin Rowland’s official Myspace page.

Dexys’ previous album, “Don’t Stand Me Down”, was released way back in 1986 – after which Rowland decided it was time to call it quits.

Rowland reformed Dexys in 2003 for an acclaimed sell-out tour, and a message to fans on his Myspace page claims that it was this positive response that convinced the band to reform.

The message reads: “In 2003, Dexys were at last reinvented for a critically acclaimed and rapturously received tour. Again, it wasn’t a greatest hits tour, and many of the ideas approaches that were received with bewilderment in 1985 were employed again. But this time, those ideas were understood and very warmly welcomed.The world had caught up with us.”

As well as new music, Rowland is also working on his first book, and his message online ends on a upbeat note: “2007 could be a good year for fans of Kevin and Dexys.”

Listen to first new Dexys’ material in 21 years by clicking here now

Beach Boys legal battle continues

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Beach Boys legal battle continues

Founding members of the Beach Boys, Mike Love and Al Jardine, are awaiting another trial date in the long-running dispute over who owns The Beach Boys’ name. The law seems to favour Love: Superior Court Judge James Dunn ruled this week that there is enough evidence for him to fight Jardine’s claim that he can use name. The legal battle started back in 2001, when Jardine filed against Love because he felt excluded from Beach Boys’ concerts that same year. The original complaint was dismissed, but in 2003 Love then attempted to sue Jardine for his use of variations on the band’s name, such as “Beach Boys Family & Friends” and “Al Jardine of The Beach Boys”. Jardine now calls his group Al Jardine’s Endless Summer Band. Although Love’s legal action was dismissed, he has been permitted to continue seeking $2 million of court costs – and $1 million in earnings. This week’s ruling this week in favour of Love means the battle for the Beach Boys brand will surely continue for some time. Love is still adamant that only he has legal rights to use that name.

Founding members of the Beach Boys, Mike Love and Al Jardine, are awaiting another trial date in the long-running dispute over who owns The Beach Boys’ name.

The law seems to favour Love: Superior Court Judge James Dunn ruled this week that there is enough evidence for him to fight Jardine’s claim that he can use name.

The legal battle started back in 2001, when Jardine filed against Love because he felt excluded from Beach Boys’ concerts that same year.

The original complaint was dismissed, but in 2003 Love then attempted to sue Jardine for his use of variations on the band’s name, such as “Beach Boys Family & Friends” and “Al Jardine of The Beach Boys”. Jardine now calls his group Al Jardine’s Endless Summer Band.

Although Love’s legal action was dismissed, he has been permitted to continue seeking $2 million of court costs – and $1 million in earnings.

This week’s ruling this week in favour of Love means the battle for the Beach Boys brand will surely continue for some time.

Love is still adamant that only he has legal rights to use that name.

Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush – and a kitchen table!

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Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush – and a kitchen table!

Every day, we bring you the best thing we've seen on YouTube - a great piece of archive footage, a music promo or a clip from one of our favourite movies or TV shows. Today: Watch a classic TV performance by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush from 1979. The couple performed a frankly weird cover version of Roy Harper’s “Another Day” on Kate’s Christmas TV special from that year. The duet was even discussed as a possible single release – but as all keen pop historians know, that never happened. Kate later contributed vocals to Peter Gabriel’s 1986 single “Don’t Give Up.” That duet was a huge success, spending 11 weeks in the UK singles chart. For added ‘watchability’, check out the chemistry between Gabriel and Bush as they ‘act’ out the lyrics of the song, including touching arms across a shoddy-looking kitchen table. Sexy stuff. See the talked about Gabriel and Bush duet by clicking here now

Every day, we bring you the best thing we’ve seen on YouTube – a great piece of archive footage, a music promo or a clip from one of our favourite movies or TV shows.

Today: Watch a classic TV performance by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush from 1979.

The couple performed a frankly weird cover version of Roy Harper’s “Another Day” on Kate’s Christmas TV special from that year.

The duet was even discussed as a possible single release – but as all keen pop historians know, that never happened.

Kate later contributed vocals to Peter Gabriel’s 1986 single “Don’t Give Up.” That duet was a huge success, spending 11 weeks in the UK singles chart.

For added ‘watchability’, check out the chemistry between Gabriel and Bush as they ‘act’ out the lyrics of the song, including touching arms across a shoddy-looking kitchen table. Sexy stuff.

See the talked about Gabriel and Bush duet by clicking here now

Robert Plant And Joanna Newsom Go Green

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Robert Plant And Joanna Newsom Go Green

Joanna Newsom and Robert Plant have been confirmed as the first two headline acts for this year’s Green Man Festival, which takes place in August. The festival, now in its fifth year, is located in the magical setting of the Brecon Beacons, in Powys, Wales from August 17-19. Uncut’s favourite harpist, the acclaimed Joanna Newsom, will perform her spell-binding narratives on Friday August 17 – her third time at the event. Legendary Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant plays the festival for the first time, headlining Saturday August 18. Plant’s affinity with Wales is well known, as are the folk roots of his music. More acts are to be confirmed soon, although tickets are on sale now. Weekend tickets including camping are £98. Under 12s are free. For further details about the Green Man Festival – Click here

Joanna Newsom and Robert Plant have been confirmed as the first two headline acts for this year’s Green Man Festival, which takes place in August.

The festival, now in its fifth year, is located in the magical setting of the Brecon Beacons, in Powys, Wales from August 17-19.

Uncut’s favourite harpist, the acclaimed Joanna Newsom, will perform her spell-binding narratives on Friday August 17 – her third time at the event.

Legendary Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant plays the festival for the first time, headlining Saturday August 18. Plant’s affinity with Wales is well known, as are the folk roots of his music.

More acts are to be confirmed soon, although tickets are on sale now.

Weekend tickets including camping are £98. Under 12s are free.

For further details about the Green Man Festival – Click here

Simply Red Announce Albert Hall Residency

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Simply Red Announce Albert Hall Residency

Following on from two intimate shows at legendary jazz club, Ronnie Scott’s, this week, Simply Red have announced five more dates for May. The group will play an unprecedented five nights at the Royal Albert Hall in London from May 25th. They last played the prestigious venue on Autumn 2005, for three sold-out concerts. The latest additional shows will follow the release of their eagerly awaited new album “Stay” on March 12 – which will be their third independently released album. Distributing through the group’s own label Simplyred.com, Mick Hucknall and co secured a Top 3 entry in 2005 with the acoustic album “Simplified.” Simply Red will play London’s Royal Albert Hall from May 25 through to May 31. Tickets go on sale at 9am tomorrow (February 2), priced £32.50 - £50 Click here for more details from Simplyred.com

Following on from two intimate shows at legendary jazz club, Ronnie Scott’s, this week, Simply Red have announced five more dates for May.

The group will play an unprecedented five nights at the Royal Albert Hall in London from May 25th.

They last played the prestigious venue on Autumn 2005, for three sold-out concerts.

The latest additional shows will follow the release of their eagerly awaited new album “Stay” on March 12 – which will be their third independently released album.

Distributing through the group’s own label Simplyred.com, Mick Hucknall and co secured a Top 3 entry in 2005 with the acoustic album “Simplified.”

Simply Red will play London’s Royal Albert Hall from May 25 through to May 31.

Tickets go on sale at 9am tomorrow (February 2), priced £32.50 – £50

Click here for more details from Simplyred.com

Get Your Glasto Tickets Here

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Get Your Glasto Tickets Here

With acts like The Who and Arctic Monkeys already – sort of – confirmed and a million blinding rumours abounding as to who will actually play Glastonbury this year, the question is – are you ready for ticket pre-sale registration? Everyone planning on going to the revered festival of contemporary arts on 22, 23 and 24 June will have to register their information and supply a photograph, in a bid to ensure only genuine music fans get in beyond festival organiser Michael Eavis’ ‘super fence.’ Eavis says that this new way of battling touts is “a much fairer system” “It means unscrupulous people won’t be able to sell their tickets on for a profit. The people who buy the tickets on April 1 will be the people who are actually coming to the festival,” Eavis said. Better set the alarm clock, as registration begins at 8am tomorrow morning (February 1) online, by mail, and in-store at Millets branches. *Click here to register online *Click here to download a postal application form Mail applications will need a passport photo attached and two 1st class stamps and should be sent to Glastonbury, PO BOX 2445, Glasgow, G40 9AG. All applications postmarked before February 28 will be accepted. Branches of outdoor clothing firm Millets will also have registration forms available to collect and post back to the above address. Millets are also donating 10p to WaterAid for every form they distribute. *Click here to find your nearest Millets store Be warned though, registration will not guarantee a ticket for the festival when they go on sale on April 1. Demand will be high.

With acts like The Who and Arctic Monkeys already – sort of – confirmed and a million blinding rumours abounding as to who will actually play Glastonbury this year, the question is – are you ready for ticket pre-sale registration?

Everyone planning on going to the revered festival of contemporary arts on 22, 23 and 24 June will have to register their information and supply a photograph, in a bid to ensure only genuine music fans get in beyond festival organiser Michael Eavis’ ‘super fence.’

Eavis says that this new way of battling touts is “a much fairer system”

“It means unscrupulous people won’t be able to sell their tickets on for a profit. The people who buy the tickets on April 1 will be the people who are actually coming to the festival,” Eavis said.

Better set the alarm clock, as registration begins at 8am tomorrow morning (February 1) online, by mail, and in-store at Millets branches.

*Click here to register online

*Click here to download a postal application form

Mail applications will need a passport photo attached and two 1st class stamps and should be sent to Glastonbury, PO BOX 2445, Glasgow, G40 9AG. All applications postmarked before February 28 will be accepted.

Branches of outdoor clothing firm Millets will also have registration forms available to collect and post back to the above address. Millets are also donating 10p to WaterAid for every form they distribute.

*Click here to find your nearest Millets store

Be warned though, registration will not guarantee a ticket for the festival when they go on sale on April 1. Demand will be high.

The Beautiful South In Shock Split

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The Beautiful South In Shock Split

The Beautiful South have released a short and simple statement this afternoon (January 31): “The Beautiful South have split up due to musical similarities. The band would like to thank everyone for their 19 wonderful years in music.” No other details as to why the group has disbanded have been revealed. It was thought that the group were writing a follow-up to last year’s “Superb” which reached a respectable No 6 in the UK albums chart. The Beautiful South were formed in Hull in 1989 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, out of the remnants of popular group The Housemartins. They went on to have several caustic-pop hits, including “Song For Whoever”, “Perfect 10” and their UK No 1, “A Little Time”.

The Beautiful South have released a short and simple statement this afternoon (January 31): “The Beautiful South have split up due to musical similarities. The band would like to thank everyone for their 19 wonderful years in music.”

No other details as to why the group has disbanded have been revealed. It was thought that the group were writing a follow-up to last year’s “Superb” which reached a respectable No 6 in the UK albums chart.

The Beautiful South were formed in Hull in 1989 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, out of the remnants of popular group The Housemartins. They went on to have several caustic-pop hits, including “Song For Whoever”, “Perfect 10” and their UK No 1, “A Little Time”.

The greatest shows on Earth

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There were years when I seemed to be out all day and up all night, in pursuit of great rock'n'roll and a generally rowdy time. Those days are now somewhat behind me, and I'd have to say that it mostly takes something special to lure me forth into the sweating throngs of yore. Bob's Never-Ending Tour is a rock saga that I will never tire of being witness to and I’d walk through fire to see Babyshambles at their best, despite the witless mutterings Pete Doherty provokes among people who just don’t get how good he can be. Looking at what’s coming up over the next month or so, however, I am resigned to becoming once more the creature of the night I once was. Here come Arcade Fire, for instance – and who wouldn’t want to see them? - quickly followed by The Decemberists, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Richmond Fontaine, The Hold Steady, Babyshambles. . .and in April, of course, Dylan is back. We were talking in the office this morning about how great this line-up looked and the chat then turned to the great shows we’d seen and we started quickly scribbling down lists. Without giving it much thought, I’d suddenly filled a small notebook with great gigs I’ve seen – but with a gun pointed at my head, and Michael Bonner cocking the trigger, managed to narrow my list down to four unforgettable shows... 1. David Bowie. London Wembley Arena, 1975 An early night of the Ziggy Stardust tour at Bristol Colston Hall was definitely a major contender for the best gig I’ve ever seen, but for sheer dramatic spectacle and great music, the five Station To Station/Thin White Duke shows at Wembley (then the Empire Pool) remain unbeatable, the shows I most want to see again to find out if they were really as good as I thought they were at the time, when every night seemed simply brilliant. 2. Bob Dylan London Wembley Arena, 1987 Most longstanding Bob fans were appalled by this show and what they considered the desecration by Dylan of his classic back catalogue. I thought it was an inspired vandalisation, brutal and challenging, a scorched earth triumph, charred and astonishing. 3. Jimi Hendrix Cardiff Sofia Gardens, 1967 How mind-blowing do you think this was for a 15-year old, especially as Jimi was headlining a package tour that also included Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd in their brief but unforgettable prime? I went into this show a music fan and came out a prisoner of rock’n’roll. 4. The 101'ers The Elgin, Ladbroke Grove, 1975 Joe Strummer marched into legend with The Clash, but this is where it all started for him - in the back room of a Labdbroke Grove pub where The 101’ers played a Thursday night residency for a crowd of rowdy regulars, many of whom remain defiantly convinced The Clash were never this great. I think I saw nearly all the shows, and there was nowhere else in the world I would have wanted to be on those Thursday nights. It’d be great to hear from anyone else who was there.

There were years when I seemed to be out all day and up all night, in pursuit of great rock’n’roll and a generally rowdy time.

Those days are now somewhat behind me, and I’d have to say that it mostly takes something special to lure me forth into the sweating throngs of yore.

Continue

Timbaland in hip hop/pop/rock crossover shock

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Timbaland in hip hop/pop/rock crossover shock

US rapper/producer Timbaland has declared war on hip-hop clichés by enlisting the help of a multitude of chart-topping artists on his new album. Björk, Elton John, The Hives and Fall Out Boy are amongst the surprising collaborations on Timbaland’s latest LP “Timbaland Presents Shock Value.” Timbaland is credited with creating a ‘sound’ for mega selling popstars, Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado, most notably on JT’s hit single “SexyBack” and Furtado’s comeback hit “Maneater.” Both stars are now returning Timbaland’s favour, duetting together on new track “Give It To Me” – the first single to be taken from the album. “Timbaland Presents Shock Value” tackles a eclectic variety of genres – an aim that is deliberate. Timbaland, despite his successful career, has worries about being clichéd. "I'm not just hip-hop. My mission is to take over Top 40 radio – what they call popular music, different genres of music – and reach all types of people,” he said. The following tracks and collaborations have already been confirmed: Give It To Me – Feat. Justin Timberlake & Nelly Furtado Scream – Feat. Nicole Scherzinger Put It On Me – Feat. The Hives F.R.E.A.K.S – Feat. Nelly Furtado Last Piece of the Puzzle – Feat. Elton John I’ma – Feat. Jay-Z One And Only – Feat. Fall Out Boy “Timbaland Presents Shock Value” will be released in the UK on March 26.

US rapper/producer Timbaland has declared war on hip-hop clichés by enlisting the help of a multitude of chart-topping artists on his new album.

Björk, Elton John, The Hives and Fall Out Boy are amongst the surprising collaborations on Timbaland’s latest LP “Timbaland Presents Shock Value.”

Timbaland is credited with creating a ‘sound’ for mega selling popstars, Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado, most notably on JT’s hit single “SexyBack” and Furtado’s comeback hit “Maneater.”

Both stars are now returning Timbaland’s favour, duetting together on new track “Give It To Me” – the first single to be taken from the album.

“Timbaland Presents Shock Value” tackles a eclectic variety of genres – an aim that is deliberate. Timbaland, despite his successful career, has worries about being clichéd. “I’m not just hip-hop. My mission is to take over Top 40 radio – what they call popular music, different genres of music – and reach all types of people,” he said.

The following tracks and collaborations have already been confirmed:

Give It To Me – Feat. Justin Timberlake & Nelly Furtado

Scream – Feat. Nicole Scherzinger

Put It On Me – Feat. The Hives

F.R.E.A.K.S – Feat. Nelly Furtado

Last Piece of the Puzzle – Feat. Elton John

I’ma – Feat. Jay-Z

One And Only – Feat. Fall Out Boy

“Timbaland Presents Shock Value” will be released in the UK on March 26.

John Cale LP – make mine a triple

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John Cale LP – make mine a triple

A special collector’s edition triple vinyl edition of John Cale’s new album “Circus Live” is to be produced for its release next month. The new live album is culled from several Cale concerts, recorded throughout Europe on his 2004 and 2006 tours. Songs expected to be on the album include “Venus In Furs” and “Femme Fatale” from his Velvet Underground era as well as some classic solo material. “Hanky Panky Nohow” from his 1973 opus “Paris 1919” and Cale’s cover of “Heartbreak Hotel” also stand out. Dave McKean – of Sandman graphic novels fame – has designed the gatefold sleeve, and the album also contains an exclusive poster and a bonus 7” of last July’s CD single “Jumbo In Tha Modernworld.” “Circus Live” will also be available as a CD/DVD package – which includes a 45 minute film of Cale’s band rehearsals in Los Angeles, where they perform 10 live electric and acoustic songs. Cale has also announced three additional UK shows for March: London, Mean Fiddler (March 17) Reading, Fez Club (18) Oxford, Zodiac (19) “Circus Live” is released through EMI on February 19.

A special collector’s edition triple vinyl edition of John Cale’s new album “Circus Live” is to be produced for its release next month.

The new live album is culled from several Cale concerts, recorded throughout Europe on his 2004 and 2006 tours.

Songs expected to be on the album include “Venus In Furs” and “Femme Fatale” from his Velvet Underground era as well as some classic solo material.

“Hanky Panky Nohow” from his 1973 opus “Paris 1919” and Cale’s cover of “Heartbreak Hotel” also stand out.

Dave McKean – of Sandman graphic novels fame – has designed the gatefold sleeve, and the album also contains an exclusive poster and a bonus 7” of last July’s CD single “Jumbo In Tha Modernworld.”

“Circus Live” will also be available as a CD/DVD package – which includes a 45 minute film of Cale’s band rehearsals in Los Angeles, where they perform 10 live electric and acoustic songs.

Cale has also announced three additional UK shows for March:

London, Mean Fiddler (March 17)

Reading, Fez Club (18)

Oxford, Zodiac (19)

“Circus Live” is released through EMI on February 19.

Devendra Banhart Gets Shirty

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Devendra Banhart Gets Shirty

Folk troubadour Devendra Banhart is just one of several musicians putting their shirts where their mouths are, for a Montreal-based charities project. He has designed a distinctive T-shirt for the Yellow Bird Project – which donates 100% of profits to the artists’ chosen charity. Several of Uncut’s favourite new acts, including Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Wolfmother and Joseph Arthur have also created designs. Charities currently benefiting from the sales of these tees range from the Teenage Cancer Trust to the Elliot Smith Memorial Fund. To see the great t-shirt designs & buy a piece of your favouite band – click here for the Yellow Bird Project website

Folk troubadour Devendra Banhart is just one of several musicians putting their shirts where their mouths are, for a Montreal-based charities project.

He has designed a distinctive T-shirt for the Yellow Bird Project – which donates 100% of profits to the artists’ chosen charity.

Several of Uncut’s favourite new acts, including Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Wolfmother and Joseph Arthur have also created designs.

Charities currently benefiting from the sales of these tees range from the Teenage Cancer Trust to the Elliot Smith Memorial Fund.

To see the great t-shirt designs & buy a piece of your favouite band – click here for the Yellow Bird Project website

Pray For Salvation With The Best Metallica Song Ever

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Pray For Salvation With The Best Metallica Song Ever

Every day, we bring you the best thing we've seen on YouTube - a great piece of archive footage, a music promo or a clip from one of our favourite movies or TV shows. Today: See surreal video for Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” The song written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich is a jagged, rifftastic anaysis of childhood nightmares – and the video matches this perfectly. You can read the guys describe in their own words the writing and recording of this 1991 classic in the March issue of Uncut, available now. But first, brace yourself for a classic horror film condensed into 5½ minutes. Kid, watch out for that lorry! See the video by clicking here now

Every day, we bring you the best thing we’ve seen on YouTube – a great piece of archive footage, a music promo or a clip from one of our favourite movies or TV shows.

Today: See surreal video for Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”

The song written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich is a jagged, rifftastic anaysis of childhood nightmares – and the video matches this perfectly.

You can read the guys describe in their own words the writing and recording of this 1991 classic in the March issue of Uncut, available now.

But first, brace yourself for a classic horror film condensed into 5½ minutes.

Kid, watch out for that lorry!

See the video by clicking here now

Snow Patrol Hoping To Open Your Eyes

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Snow Patrol Hoping To Open Your Eyes

Snow Patrol will be donating the proceeds from their next single “Open Your Eyes” to a long-term Save The Children’s campaign, to help standards of education in war-torn countries. The rockers will giving 10% of royalties to boost the campaign, and the band’s record label Polydor, have also shown their charitable side by agreeing to match the donation. Gary Lightbody explained why they have chosen to back the Save The Children’s Rewrite The Future campaign, saying, "The donation from this single will help, but it is also about putting pressure on governments to open their eyes and their pockets and provide enough funding to make sure all children get a chance to go to school." A spokesman for the charity, Ben Hewitt, has expressed his delight at having Snow Patrol on board, saying, "Having Britain's biggest selling band supporting one of Save the Children's key campaigns keeps the issue alive. We need to keep the momentum generated by Make Poverty History. By helping children now we set them up for the future." Snow Patrol are renowned for supporting humanitarian causes. They have previously supported Amnesty International’s Make Some Noise campaign. The group also appeared in London at Live8 in 2005. "Open Your Eyes" is due for release on February 12. To see the video for the new single – click here to go to Snow Patrol’s official website

Snow Patrol will be donating the proceeds from their next single “Open Your Eyes” to a long-term Save The Children’s campaign, to help standards of education in war-torn countries.

The rockers will giving 10% of royalties to boost the campaign, and the band’s record label Polydor, have also shown their charitable side by agreeing to match the donation.

Gary Lightbody explained why they have chosen to back the Save The Children’s Rewrite The Future campaign, saying, “The donation from this single will help, but it is also about putting pressure on governments to open their eyes and their pockets and provide enough funding to make sure all children get a chance to go to school.”

A spokesman for the charity, Ben Hewitt, has expressed his delight at having Snow Patrol on board, saying, “Having Britain’s biggest selling band supporting one of Save the Children’s key campaigns keeps the issue alive. We need to keep the momentum generated by Make Poverty History. By helping children now we set them up for the future.”

Snow Patrol are renowned for supporting humanitarian causes. They have previously supported Amnesty International’s Make Some Noise campaign.

The group also appeared in London at Live8 in 2005.

“Open Your Eyes” is due for release on February 12.

To see the video for the new single – click here to go to Snow Patrol’s official website

Iron Maiden To Rock Donington Once More

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Iron Maiden To Rock Donington Once More

The first three headliners for this years’ Download rock festival have been announced, and it looks like it’s going to be even bigger than last year. The event, now in it’s fifth year, is to take place on the 8, 9, and 10 June at the historically rocking venue, Donington Park. Download 2007 will see headline performances from three of the biggest-selling rock acts in the world – Iron Maiden, My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park. Iron Maiden are continuing their love affair with Donington Park. Bruce Dickinson’s mob have played many storming headline sets at the racetrack-turned-venue since 1988. They last headlined in 2003. My Chemical Romance are to headline the opening night, showing just how quickly their legion of fans have grown. MCR guitarist Frank Lero is delighted to have landed the gig: “Being asked to headline Download festival was definitely a milestone in our lives. Just two years ago we were playing the side stage and now we’re closing the main stage – a slot previously filled by Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and even Black Sabbath! These are legendary bands. I just can’t wait to play.” Festival organisers have promised enhancements to the festival site this year – there will be extended camping facilities and an environmentally friendly ethos, with provisions for recycling being implemented for the first time. Weekend tickets including camping are available from today, priced £145. More acts will be confirmed soon. Click here for the Download Festival website

The first three headliners for this years’ Download rock festival have been announced, and it looks like it’s going to be even bigger than last year.

The event, now in it’s fifth year, is to take place on the 8, 9, and 10 June at the historically rocking venue, Donington Park.

Download 2007 will see headline performances from three of the biggest-selling rock acts in the world – Iron Maiden, My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park.

Iron Maiden are continuing their love affair with Donington Park. Bruce Dickinson’s mob have played many storming headline sets at the racetrack-turned-venue since 1988. They last headlined in 2003.

My Chemical Romance are to headline the opening night, showing just how quickly their legion of fans have grown. MCR guitarist Frank Lero is delighted to have landed the gig: “Being asked to headline Download festival was definitely a milestone in our lives. Just two years ago we were playing the side stage and now we’re closing the main stage – a slot previously filled by Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and even Black Sabbath! These are legendary bands. I just can’t wait to play.”

Festival organisers have promised enhancements to the festival site this year – there will be extended camping facilities and an environmentally friendly ethos, with provisions for recycling being implemented for the first time.

Weekend tickets including camping are available from today, priced £145.

More acts will be confirmed soon.

Click here for the Download Festival website

The Police finally confirm reunion

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The Police finally confirm reunion

The long-anticipated reformation of The Police has finally been confirmed. The group have announced that they will perform together at the Grammy Awards next month, the BBC reports. Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers’ comeback gig will be the opening act of this year’s ceremony in Los Angeles on February 11. It is 30 years since the group formed, and rumours have been circulating recently that the trio would undertake a highly profitable anniversary tour. In a recent interview with Uncut.co.uk, Stewart Copeland was remarkably candid about the prospect of a reunion, dismissing criticism that it would just be a publicity stunt: “Are reformations pointless? Not if the music is really good and there’s an audience for it. I don’t think in terms of strategy; for me, if a show looks like fun, with good players, I’ll go do it and I don’t think about what the ramifications are” Will the one-off gig tarnish their legacy? “I don’t think in terms of “spoiling” the past,” said Copeland. “If there was a show, I would have no doubt that the three of us would be everything that we’d need to be.” Today’s announcement has further fuelled industry gossip about the possibility of further concerts – and maybe even that tour. Watch this space for more. To read Stewart Copeland's Uncut Q&A - click here

The long-anticipated reformation of The Police has finally been confirmed.

The group have announced that they will perform together at the Grammy Awards next month, the BBC reports.

Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers’ comeback gig will be the opening act of this year’s ceremony in Los Angeles on February 11.

It is 30 years since the group formed, and rumours have been circulating recently that the trio would undertake a highly profitable anniversary tour.

In a recent interview with Uncut.co.uk, Stewart Copeland was remarkably candid about the prospect of a reunion, dismissing criticism that it would just be a publicity stunt: “Are reformations pointless? Not if the music is really good and there’s an audience for it. I don’t think in terms of strategy; for me, if a show looks like fun, with good players, I’ll go do it and I don’t think about what the ramifications are”

Will the one-off gig tarnish their legacy? “I don’t think in terms of “spoiling” the past,” said Copeland. “If there was a show, I would have no doubt that the three of us would be everything that we’d need to be.”

Today’s announcement has further fuelled industry gossip about the possibility of further concerts – and maybe even that tour. Watch this space for more.

To read Stewart Copeland’s Uncut Q&A – click here

Uncut’s 2007 Sundance Film Festival Top 10

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Uncut’s 2007 Sundance Film Festival Top 10

1. Manda Bala (Send a Bullet) Jason Kohn’s dystopian doc is a brilliant, eye-opening essay on endemic corruption and inequality in Brazil, filtered through stories of kidnapping, frog farms, ear reconstruction and political chicanery. The winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary lives up to the director’s own description: Robocop for real. 2. Son of Rambow An irresistibly inventive, slapstick celebration of pre-teen DIY movie-making from Hammer & Tongs (Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, REM’s “Imitation of Life” clip). Rushmore meets Science Of Sleep in early 1980s middle England. Shown out of competition, it sold for $8 million to Paramount. 3. Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten Hard to think of a filmmaker better qualified to do the honours than Julian Temple (though Martin Scorsese and Jim Jarmusch both figure as interviewees). This is both an affectionate tribute – with rare archive footage stretching right back to the first rehearsals of The Clash – and a multifaceted portrait of a complex man. 4. Rocket Science A minor gem from director Jeff Blitz, making his first fiction feature after the successful documentary Spellbound. Hal Hefner (Reece Daniel Thompson) is a tongue-tied teenager seduced into joining the school debate team by the ambitious Virginia (Anna Kendrick), who believes that the handicapped have something to prove. The spirit of Wes Anderson is never far away, but the movie refuses to go where you expect. 5. Snow Angels Couples falling in and out of love supply the emotional epiphanies in this small-town tragedy from director David Gordon Green, changing pace and working on a bigger canvas after George Washington and Undertow. With a knock-out Sam Rockwell performance at its heart, this ambitious drama was short-changed by the jury. 6. The Great Wall of Sound Green also produced this first rate debut from protégé Craig Zobel (shown out of competition). A throwback to Jarmusch-style minimalism, it’s the story of a couple of middle-aged trainee recording scouts who slowly realize the amateur acts they’re signing for a fee are pigeons in a scam. 7. Padre Nuestro The Best Dramatic Feature, but in truth the competition wasn’t too intense. Christopher Zalla’s movie is a grippingly directed and well-acted thriller tied to the plight of an illegal Mexican immigrant whose money and identity are stolen en route to meet his long-lost father in New York. It falls down in the script department, which is contrived to say the least. 8. Zoo Robinson Devor’s non-fiction film finds a somber, poetic path to understanding a taboo tale of sexual perversity: bestiality. The artful reconstructions withhold your pound of flesh, but if you let it, this is a rare movie that might challenge your preconceptions. 9. A Very British Gangster Donal Mac Intyre gets up close and personal with Manchester gang boss Dominic Noonan (who changed his name to Lattloy Fottfoy by deed poll). Noonan is an extraordinary character, and to his credit Mac Intyre sticks his camera where most of us would fear to tread (he even asks if he’s gay), but the film is indulgent and overlong, with several Manchester tunes too many. 10. Smiley Face Having reestablished his credibility with Mysterious Skin, Gregg Araki plays it unsafe with this wacky pothead comedy – and scores. The delectable Anna Faris stars, running the gamut from A-Z in pursuit of some very special cupcakes. And the worst… 1. Hounddog The most hyped movie turned out to be the biggest dog. Protestors unhappy about 12-year-old Dakota Fanning playing a rape victim were complaining for the wrong reasons: the movie is passably discreet, but it’s also an unpalatable stew of regressive southern clichés. 2. An American Crime Depressingly shrill melodrama with Catherine Keener’s bible basher beating the holy crap out of teen punching bag Ellen Paige, with a little help from the neighbourhood kids. Based on a true story, this had to be a lot more insightful to justify its sorry existence. 3. On the Road with Judas Kevin Corrigan and Aaron Ruell both play writer-director JJ Lask in this painfully self-aware travesty of a movie. For Lask, self-referentiality is only the ultimate in narcissism. TOM CHARITY

1. Manda Bala (Send a Bullet)

Jason Kohn’s dystopian doc is a brilliant, eye-opening essay on endemic corruption and inequality in Brazil, filtered through stories of kidnapping, frog farms, ear reconstruction and political chicanery. The winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary lives up to the director’s own description: Robocop for real.

2. Son of Rambow

An irresistibly inventive, slapstick celebration of pre-teen DIY movie-making from Hammer & Tongs (Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, REM’s “Imitation of Life” clip). Rushmore meets Science Of Sleep in early 1980s middle England. Shown out of competition, it sold for $8 million to Paramount.

3. Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten

Hard to think of a filmmaker better qualified to do the honours than Julian Temple (though Martin Scorsese and Jim Jarmusch both figure as interviewees). This is both an affectionate tribute – with rare archive footage stretching right back to the first rehearsals of The Clash – and a multifaceted portrait of a complex man.

4. Rocket Science

A minor gem from director Jeff Blitz, making his first fiction feature after the successful documentary Spellbound. Hal Hefner (Reece Daniel Thompson) is a tongue-tied teenager seduced into joining the school debate team by the ambitious Virginia (Anna Kendrick), who believes that the handicapped have something to prove. The spirit of Wes Anderson is never far away, but the movie refuses to go where you expect.

5. Snow Angels

Couples falling in and out of love supply the emotional epiphanies in this small-town tragedy from director David Gordon Green, changing pace and working on a bigger canvas after George Washington and Undertow. With a knock-out Sam Rockwell performance at its heart, this ambitious drama was short-changed by the jury.

6. The Great Wall of Sound

Green also produced this first rate debut from protégé Craig Zobel (shown out of competition). A throwback to Jarmusch-style minimalism, it’s the story of a couple of middle-aged trainee recording scouts who slowly realize the amateur acts they’re signing for a fee are pigeons in a scam.

7. Padre Nuestro

The Best Dramatic Feature, but in truth the competition wasn’t too intense. Christopher Zalla’s movie is a grippingly directed and well-acted thriller tied to the plight of an illegal Mexican immigrant whose money and identity are stolen en route to meet his long-lost father in New York. It falls down in the script department, which is contrived to say the least.

8. Zoo

Robinson Devor’s non-fiction film finds a somber, poetic path to understanding a taboo tale of sexual perversity: bestiality. The artful reconstructions withhold your pound of flesh, but if you let it, this is a rare movie that might challenge your preconceptions.

9. A Very British Gangster

Donal Mac Intyre gets up close and personal with Manchester gang boss Dominic Noonan (who changed his name to Lattloy Fottfoy by deed poll). Noonan is an extraordinary character, and to his credit Mac Intyre sticks his camera where most of us would fear to tread (he even asks if he’s gay), but the film is indulgent and overlong, with several Manchester tunes too many.

10. Smiley Face

Having reestablished his credibility with Mysterious Skin, Gregg Araki plays it unsafe with this wacky pothead comedy – and scores. The delectable Anna Faris stars, running the gamut from A-Z in pursuit of some very special cupcakes.

And the worst…

1. Hounddog

The most hyped movie turned out to be the biggest dog. Protestors unhappy about 12-year-old Dakota Fanning playing a rape victim were complaining for the wrong reasons: the movie is passably discreet, but it’s also an unpalatable stew of regressive southern clichés.

2. An American Crime

Depressingly shrill melodrama with Catherine Keener’s bible basher beating the holy crap out of teen punching bag Ellen Paige, with a little help from the neighbourhood kids. Based on a true story, this had to be a lot more insightful to justify its sorry existence.

3. On the Road with Judas

Kevin Corrigan and Aaron Ruell both play writer-director JJ Lask in this painfully self-aware travesty of a movie. For Lask, self-referentiality is only the ultimate in narcissism.

TOM CHARITY

Richmond Fontaine – Thirteen Cities

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Richmond Fontaine – Thirteen Cities

Willy Vlautin has not been idle since the 2005 release of his sparse masterpiece, The Fitzgerald. There was an album of re-recorded work, showing Richmond Fontaine’s Portland roots in hardcore; an internet-only live set; and a novel, The Motel Life, which read like a prose version of one of his songs, following two losers round Reno as they waited for their luck to change. As the laureate of the lost, the lonely, and the rootless, Vlautin was never likely to stand still, and while there is no dramatic change in the texture of his lyrics, the geography has altered. Vlautin’s drifters are still skirting the borders of oblivion, but their tales unfold against a desert backdrop. On “Ghost I Became”, he sends this stark postcard: “Desert dreams/Always sunny/And never grey/No noise/Just wind and sage.” The words are spare, but the sound has expanded. Recording in Tucson, Arizona, producer JD Foster drafted Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb (piano on “$87 And A Guilty Conscience That Gets Worse The Longer I Go”) and Calexico’s Joey Burns and Jacob Valenzuela. The widescreen sound, with the melancholy mists of Paul Brainard’s pedal steel cooling Calexico’s Mexican spaghetti stylings, is a surprise after The Fitzgerald. Sometimes it masks the blunt beauty of Vlautin’s storytelling, but it can also add a noirish sheen: Valenzuela’s gorgeous trumpet on “The Kid From Belmont Street” turns a maudlin song into a shimmering pulp opera. Vlautin has been inspired by his surroundings, and there are at least two classics. The closer, “Lost In This World” (with Burns on piano) is worthy of early Tom Waits, though Vlautin’s voice displays vulnerability where Waits offers beat-up defiance. “St Ides, Parked Cars, And Other People’s Homes” is little more than a short poem, and Vlautin almost talks the words. But when he gets to the part about “fuck-ups, hanging on in our own way”, you know, as ever, he’s not faking. ALASTAIR McKAY To hear Vlautin tell us about Thirteen Cities - Click here for the Uncut Q&A

Willy Vlautin has not been idle since the 2005 release of his sparse masterpiece, The Fitzgerald. There was an album of re-recorded work, showing Richmond Fontaine’s Portland roots in hardcore; an internet-only live set; and a novel, The Motel Life, which read like a prose version of one of his songs, following two losers round Reno as they waited for their luck to change.

As the laureate of the lost, the lonely, and the rootless, Vlautin was never likely to stand still, and while there is no dramatic change in the texture of his lyrics, the geography has altered. Vlautin’s drifters are still skirting the borders of oblivion, but their tales unfold against a desert backdrop. On “Ghost I Became”, he sends this stark postcard: “Desert dreams/Always sunny/And never grey/No noise/Just wind and sage.”

The words are spare, but the sound has expanded. Recording in Tucson, Arizona, producer JD Foster drafted Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb (piano on “$87 And A Guilty Conscience That Gets Worse The Longer I Go”) and Calexico’s Joey Burns and Jacob Valenzuela. The widescreen sound, with the melancholy mists of Paul Brainard’s pedal steel cooling Calexico’s Mexican spaghetti stylings, is a surprise after The Fitzgerald. Sometimes it masks the blunt beauty of Vlautin’s storytelling, but it can also add a noirish sheen: Valenzuela’s gorgeous trumpet on “The Kid From Belmont Street” turns a maudlin song into a shimmering pulp opera.

Vlautin has been inspired by his surroundings, and there are at least two classics. The closer, “Lost In This World” (with Burns on piano) is worthy of early Tom Waits, though Vlautin’s voice displays vulnerability where Waits offers beat-up defiance. “St Ides, Parked Cars, And Other People’s Homes” is little more than a short poem, and Vlautin almost talks the words. But when he gets to the part about “fuck-ups, hanging on in our own way”, you know, as ever, he’s not faking.

ALASTAIR McKAY

To hear Vlautin tell us about Thirteen Cities – Click here for the Uncut Q&A

Cold War Kids – Robbers & Cowards

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Cold War Kids – Robbers & Cowards

The emergence of The Hold Steady has prompted chatter of a blue-collar rock revival in America. The gothic Americana and wry whimsy that are US indie’s current default settings are purportedly on the way out, leaving the spotlight to dead-end dreamers who blow their paychecks at the bar on a Friday night in fervent but futile pursuit of the runaway American dream. Few of the bands involved have punched the clock for longer than a college vacation, but that hardly seems the point. Cold War Kids have been conveniently tucked into this rickety scene, thanks to their piano-propelled bar-room stomps and noble tales of night shifts, alcoholic breadwinners and “street thugs who clip the tyres”. It’s not an entirely errant piece of pigeonholing, but there’s a starchy, precocious detachment to Cold War Kids’ street-level chronicles that distances them from their working-class characters. And while The Hold Steady appear to find redemption through hedonistic bonhomie, Cold War Kids subscribe to a higher power: the band formed at a private Christian university – although the song “God, Make Up Your Mind” suggests that, like the best bluesmen, their faith is not unquestioning. Cold War Kids originally hail from suburban LA, which belies their wan complexions and fondness for sensible knits. Their music, too, is tantalisingly unplaceable. Swampy bass rumbles rub up against spiky post-punk guitar chimes, primitive percussion and the aforementioned earthy piano boogie that gives Cold War Kids their Springsteen-esque majesty. Nathan Willett’s voice veers from a cracked Jack White croon to a sensual Jeff Buckley drawl. But overall their closest musical compatriots are heroic Canadians Wolf Parade and Belgian art-drunks Deus. There’s a real gift for drama here, as revealed by the tempo abruptly slowing down in “We Used To Vacation”’s confessional chorus, and by Willett’s sleazy, metaphorical evocation of “the muck and mire” on “Hang Me Up To Dry”. Give Cold War Kids an episode of Six Feet Under or The Wire to script and soundtrack, and they’d excel. SAM RICHARDS

The emergence of The Hold Steady has prompted chatter of a blue-collar rock revival in America. The gothic Americana and wry whimsy that are US indie’s current default settings are purportedly on the way out, leaving the spotlight to dead-end dreamers who blow their paychecks at the bar on a Friday night in fervent but futile pursuit of the runaway American dream. Few of the bands involved have punched the clock for longer than a college vacation, but that hardly seems the point.

Cold War Kids have been conveniently tucked into this rickety scene, thanks to their piano-propelled bar-room stomps and noble tales of night shifts, alcoholic breadwinners and “street thugs who clip the tyres”. It’s not an entirely errant piece of pigeonholing, but there’s a starchy, precocious detachment to Cold War Kids’ street-level chronicles that distances them from their working-class characters. And while The Hold Steady appear to find redemption through hedonistic bonhomie, Cold War Kids subscribe to a higher power: the band formed at a private Christian university – although the song “God, Make Up Your Mind” suggests that, like the best bluesmen, their faith is not unquestioning.

Cold War Kids originally hail from suburban LA, which belies their wan complexions and fondness for sensible knits. Their music, too, is tantalisingly unplaceable. Swampy bass rumbles rub up against spiky post-punk guitar chimes, primitive percussion and the aforementioned earthy piano boogie that gives Cold War Kids their Springsteen-esque majesty. Nathan Willett’s voice veers from a cracked Jack White croon to a sensual Jeff Buckley drawl. But overall their closest musical compatriots are heroic Canadians Wolf Parade and Belgian art-drunks Deus.

There’s a real gift for drama here, as revealed by the tempo abruptly slowing down in “We Used To Vacation”’s confessional chorus, and by Willett’s sleazy, metaphorical evocation of “the muck and mire” on “Hang Me Up To Dry”. Give Cold War Kids an episode of Six Feet Under or The Wire to script and soundtrack, and they’d excel.

SAM RICHARDS

Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City

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Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City

From edgy and earnest to puffed-up and precious, working with Snow Patrol producer Jacknife Lee seems to have sterilised Bloc Party – or perhaps all the partying Kele Okereke sings about on this album has numbed his integrity. Either way, A Weekend In The City is a very different beast to the London quartet’s million-selling debut. This is Okereke’s record - his stories, one assumes. But even the most ardent admirer will struggle to swallow these gauche tales of hipsters gallivanting around East London, looking for kicks in seedy pubs (“On”, “Song For Clay (Disappear Here)”), projecting middle-class guilt. The other three – ostensibly Okereke’s backing band – are on better form. Guitarist Russell Lissack enchants on “Kreuzberg” and there’s a vaguely daring, Muse-ly electronic approach to indie anthems “The Prayer” and “Waiting For The 7.18”. But still, for an album that strives to articulate the youthful pleasure-rush of love, drugs and power, this is a worryingly pedestrian effort. PIERS MARTIN

From edgy and earnest to puffed-up and precious, working with Snow Patrol producer Jacknife Lee seems to have sterilised Bloc Party – or perhaps all the partying Kele Okereke sings about on this album has numbed his integrity. Either way, A Weekend In The City is a very different beast to the London quartet’s million-selling debut.

This is Okereke’s record – his stories, one assumes. But even the most ardent admirer will struggle to swallow these gauche tales of hipsters gallivanting around East London, looking for kicks in seedy pubs (“On”, “Song For Clay (Disappear Here)”), projecting middle-class guilt. The other three – ostensibly Okereke’s backing band – are on better form.

Guitarist Russell Lissack enchants on “Kreuzberg” and there’s a vaguely daring, Muse-ly electronic approach to indie anthems “The Prayer” and “Waiting For The 7.18”. But still, for an album that strives to articulate the youthful pleasure-rush of love, drugs and power, this is a worryingly pedestrian effort.

PIERS MARTIN

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