It’s a busy week here at Uncut. Last night, John and I went to see Roy Harper play a predictably excellent show at Rough Trade East – you can read all about it on his blog here. Tomorrow, I’m off to see Pixies at the Roundhouse and on Friday, it's Fleetwood Mac at the O2. Oh, and at some point there’s the final episode of Breaking Bad to watch...
With Kings Of Leon’s sixth album, Mechanical Bull, set for release on September 23, we thought it would be time to take a trip through the archives into November 2010 (Take 162), when we joined the Followill clan on the road in America – we hear of uncanny robberies, an army of Kings lookalikes, whiskey-fuelled anxieties and a new power struggle within this most volatile of bands. Do they want to be rootsy outlaws or modern rock superstars? Words: Jaan Uhelszki
Can’t hang around today as deadline hassle mounts, but lots to listen to here: an Atoms For Peace mix, something from Nicolas Jaar’s fine new Darkside project, a precious and ancient demo from Roddy Frame, a remix from The Avalanches, and my favourite track from Light In The Attic’s New Age comp, among other things.
The National were joined onstage by Grateful Dead's Bob Weir at the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco – you can watch footage below.
The band performed the track, which appeared on their High Violet album, with Weir on Friday (August 9). Last year, Weir covered Cass McCombs' "Love Thine Enemy" with members of the band during a 'Bridge Sessions webcast.
Prefab Sprout have recently announced their long-awaited return with a new album, Crimson/Red – to tide you over until its release on October 7, here's a piece from Uncut's September 2009 (Take 148) issue, where Paddy McAloon tells us about the music that changed his world, including Dylan, Bowie and Puccini. Interview: Sharon O'Connell
When unpleasant right-wing governments seize control by one means or another, a lot of wishful thinking often goes on among radical artists. Hard times, they speculate, will encourage a new counterculture; angry political art will flourish in the face of oppression. We heard a lot of this rhetoric from dissenters trying to put a positive gloss on the election of David Cameron in 2010. But as yet, a provocative cultural revolt against the Tories, if there is one, remains too underground to register on most radar.
Glastonbury properly begins today (Friday, June 28), with headline performances from Arctic Monkeys and Portishead – and Uncut will be blogging from the festival all weekend.
