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The new issue of Uncut, out today (January 31), features Tom Waits, Jimi Hendrix, Richard Thompson and David Bowie. Tom Waits is on the cover, and inside, friends and collaborators tell the story of the singer-songwriter’s development from a Beat-obsessed San Diego youth to a hip Los Angeles troubadour, culminating in the making of his debut album, Closing Time, which is four decades old this year.

The Strokes have confirmed that they will release new album Comedown Machine on March 25. The title is the same one discovered on an album sleeve by fans who found an errant link in the coding of the band's official website last night (January 29). An official statement from The Strokes record label Rough Trade confirmed that the band's fifth album will be released in March with new single "All The Time" preceding it.

Tom Waits is staring back at me from the cover of the new Uncut, which goes on sale this Thursday, January 31. It’s a picture of the young Tom that I’m looking at, long before he ended up with a face that now makes you think a tractor tyre must recently have run over it, a corrugated look he shares with his friend, Keith Richards. He is in fact startlingly young in the picture, even though it would seem he hasn’t shaved for a week and for just as long has been sleeping in the clothes he’s wearing.

In this archive feature from Uncut's May 2003 issue (Take 72), rock's greatest living soap opera tell the story of how they went to hell and back to bring the world some of the most popular, and most perfect, hard-centred easy listening music of all time. However, it nearly cost them their sanity. And their lives… Words: Nigel Williamson _________________

Paul McCartney has said that when he was growing up he always thought of vegetarians as being wimps.

The deluxe reissue of Saint Julian is reviewed in the new issue of Uncut, dated March 2013, and out now, so it seemed time to revisit October 2007's issue (Take 125), when the always-enlightening Julian Cope answered questions from readers and famous fans… Words: John Lewis / Photo: Sam Jones ____________________

Reading a little about the whole Beyoncé lipsynching controversy the other day, I was tangentially reminded of an interview I did with Jim O’Rourke in, I think, 1999 (bear with me…).

Prince has unveiled his new single 'Screw Driver' – listen to it below.

Stephen Stills is to release a career-spanning box set, called Carry On, on March 26. Carry On will be a 4CD set, featuring 82 tracks, 25 of which are previously unreleased. It has been co-produced by Graham Nash and Joel Bernstein. It was also include a 113-page booklet with rare photos and extensive liner notes. The track listing for Carry On is: Disc 1 1 • Travelin'–Stephen Stills (2:21) mono 2 • High Flyin' Bird–The Au Go Go Singers (2:34) 3 • Sit Down I Think I Love You–Buffalo Springfield (2:33) mono

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy discusses his band’s upcoming new album in the current issue of Uncut (dated February 2013, Take 189), out now – but here, in this piece from Uncut’s August 2009 issue, Tweedy answers questions from fans and famous admirers, and discusses Bob Dylan’s beard, hanging with Neil Young and the recipe for the perfect burger (clue: use cranberries)… __________________________