Trans am

Massive Attack have been added to the line-up for this year's Manchester International Festival.

The Columbia Albums Collection, the new 17-album boxset from Blue Öyster Cult, is reviewed in the new issue of Uncut, dated April 2013, and out now. The collection unsurprisingly includes the band’s signature hit, ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’, and in this piece, originally published in Uncut’s November 2010 issue, the band discuss the writing and recording of their “trans-awesome” tune, perhaps the spookiest FM staple ever. “Nothing like The Byrds”, apparently… Words: Jaan Uhelszki

The solo debut by The Smiths guitar ace is a joyous return to the sound of his greatest triumphs...

Dan Toler, former guitarist for the Allman Brothers, has died at 65 in his hometown of Sarasota, Florida, reports Ticket Sarasota.

The arch druid goes POPTASTIC...

Kevin Ayers, one of Britain’s most gifted and idiosyncratic singer-songwriters, has died at the age of 68. Ayers was born in Kent in 1944. Though he spent his childhood in Malaysia – moving there with his mother and British district officer stepfather – he returned to London at 12, only to be told to leave the city by a magistrate five years later following a drug bust. Ayers always maintained the bust that sent him into exile (and more importantly, into Canterbury) was a set-up. Whether it was or wasn’t, it was certainly an act of fate.

Revitalised by Grinderman, Cave and band return with an aquatic, slow-moving work of hushed beauty...

As part of our Mick Ronson feature from the issue of Uncut dated February 2013, Morrissey kindly agreed to answer our questions about working with Ronson on his 1992 album, Your Arsenal. Here, then, is the complete transcript of that interview.

Lots going on here, not least the fact that I have to write a long review of the mostly amazing Kraftwerk show that I saw next door at the Tate Modern the other night.

Kraftwerk opened their eight-night residency at Tate Modern on Wednesday by playing in full their fourth album, Autobahn. Kraftwerk played a two-hour set that also included most of their best loved numbers. Those lucky enough to secure tickets for Kraftwerk’s first night in the London art museum’s imposing Turbine Hall were each given a cushion, a crib sheet on the band and a pair of 3D spectacles. However, virtually the whole audience stood to appreciate Kraftwerk’s impressive visuals, displayed on a massive screen behind.