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Introducing… Lou Reed: The Ultimate Music Guide

Michael Bonner
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Introducing… Lou Reed: The Ultimate Music Guide

After Lou Reed died on October 27 last year we began discussing how best we could commemorate the man and his tremendous body of work. The natural solution presented itself in the form of an Ultimate Music Guide. Accordingly, the latest instalment in our series of Ultimate Music Guides – which goes on sale this Thursday [January 16] – gathers together a wealth of interviews with Reed from the archives of Melody Maker, NME and Uncut, as well as brand new, in depth reviews of all Reed’s albums – from The Velvet Underground & Nico up to his final studio album, Lulu, his collaboration with Metallica. In our earliest interview – from 1972 – Richard Williams finds Reed hard at work on his solo debut in – of all places – Willesden. After that, you’ll find some hilarious and often revealing encounters with Reed. Regular readers of Uncut will enjoy re-reading Allan’s various adventures with Lou down the years – scraps with Bowie included. But there’s also some great vintage pieces from the likes of Charles Shaar Murray, Michael Watts and Chris Charlesworth and later interviews with Nick Johnstone and Gavin Martin taken from Uncut’s own archives. Just as importantly, the album reviews present a fresh overview to Reed’s tremendous body of work. While it’s great to be reacquainted with the more familiar albums like the Velvets records or Berlin or New York, the work done by our writers in reassessing Reed’s back catalogue truffles out significant treasures in even his most overlooked or neglected records. Case in point: I had forgotten how good Hudson River Wind Meditations was. There’s also a round up of Reed’s compilations, live albums and miscellany – singles, collectables and guest appearances. Anyway, Lou Reed: The Ultimate Music Guide is in shops and on digital newsstands from Thursday, and to whet your appetite here’s a couple of classic Lou clips for you. Incidentally, here's some links for you to buy this online or digitally. To buy a physical copy, click here. For Apple digital newsstand, click here. For all other digital newsstands, click here. Enjoy the rest of your week. Michael Follow me on Twitter @MichaelBonner. Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable, 1966 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsR4ghMfq0U “Sweet Jane” live in Paris, 1974 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc26EFI1_nw “Romeo Had Juliette” from The United States Of Poetry, 1996 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIw7RO8guX0 “White Light/White Heat” with Pete Townshend, 2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-7Mp41E5sw “Heroin” live in Germany, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlFi53cRskI

After Lou Reed died on October 27 last year we began discussing how best we could commemorate the man and his tremendous body of work. The natural solution presented itself in the form of an Ultimate Music Guide.

Accordingly, the latest instalment in our series of Ultimate Music Guides – which goes on sale this Thursday [January 16] – gathers together a wealth of interviews with Reed from the archives of Melody Maker, NME and Uncut, as well as brand new, in depth reviews of all Reed’s albums – from The Velvet Underground & Nico up to his final studio album, Lulu, his collaboration with Metallica.

In our earliest interview – from 1972 – Richard Williams finds Reed hard at work on his solo debut in – of all places – Willesden. After that, you’ll find some hilarious and often revealing encounters with Reed. Regular readers of Uncut will enjoy re-reading Allan’s various adventures with Lou down the years – scraps with Bowie included. But there’s also some great vintage pieces from the likes of Charles Shaar Murray, Michael Watts and Chris Charlesworth and later interviews with Nick Johnstone and Gavin Martin taken from Uncut’s own archives.

Just as importantly, the album reviews present a fresh overview to Reed’s tremendous body of work. While it’s great to be reacquainted with the more familiar albums like the Velvets records or Berlin or New York, the work done by our writers in reassessing Reed’s back catalogue truffles out significant treasures in even his most overlooked or neglected records. Case in point: I had forgotten how good Hudson River Wind Meditations was. There’s also a round up of Reed’s compilations, live albums and miscellany – singles, collectables and guest appearances.

Anyway, Lou Reed: The Ultimate Music Guide is in shops and on digital newsstands from Thursday, and to whet your appetite here’s a couple of classic Lou clips for you.

Incidentally, here’s some links for you to buy this online or digitally.

To buy a physical copy, click here.

For Apple digital newsstand, click here.

For all other digital newsstands, click here.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Michael

Follow me on Twitter @MichaelBonner.

Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable, 1966

“Sweet Jane” live in Paris, 1974

“Romeo Had Juliette” from The United States Of Poetry, 1996

“White Light/White Heat” with Pete Townshend, 2007

“Heroin” live in Germany, 2012

The Second Uncut Playlist Of 2014

John Mulvey
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The Second Uncut Playlist Of 2014

Quickly today, as there’s an issue to be flung together, but a plug in passing for our latest Ultimate Music Guide, on sale today and dedicated to Lou Reed. More on that later. In the meantime, 25 to dig into here: you’ll note new stuff from Woods and Dean McPhee, some more Neil Young business from last week’s solo shows, and an excellent new album from Pye Corner Audio. Damaged Bug is the new project of John Dwyer, though word is there’s another Oh Sees album forthcoming before they go on hiatus. Oh, and I fished out the Golden Gunn album one sunny morning at the end of last week, having found out that a Steve Gunn band gig in London had suddenly fallen onto the schedule at Café Oto for next Monday (January 20). Wish I could be there. I should be able to make Jessica Pratt show at the same place this Thursday, though; looking forward to that. Sun Kil Moon’s “Benji”, meanwhile, is now revealing itself to be possibly the most harrowing album Mark Kozelek’s ever made. I’ll file something lengthy on the subject when I have an hour or two to spare. Until then… Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey 1 Black Dirt Oak – Wawayanda Patient (MIE Music) Read my review here 2 Joan As Police Woman – The Classic (Play It Again Sam) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfXqJth6Eo4 3 Beck – Morning Phase (Capitol) 4 La Perversita – La Soupeuse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXHjlnlejK0 5 Johnny Cash – Out Among The Stars (Sony) 6 Laibach – Spectre (Mute) 7 Damaged Bug – Eggs At Night (Castle Face) 8 Woods – Leaves Like Glass (Woodsist) 9 Bill Callahan – Have Fun With God (Drag City) Read my review here 10 [NEW! Redacted] 11 Golden Gunn – Golden Gunn (Three Lobed Recordings) 12 St Vincent – St Vincent (Loma Vista) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7LsBjrqqHA 13 The Upsetters – The Good, The Bad And The Upsetters: Jamaican Edition (Hot Milk) 14 Pye Corner Audio – Black Mill Tapes (Type) 15 Future Islands – Singles (4AD) 16 Sun Kil Moon – Benji (Caldo Verde) 17 East India Youth – Total Strife Forever (Stolen) 18 Neil Young – Carnegie Hall 7/1/14 (Bootleg) 19 Alvarius B/Sir Richard Bishop - If You Don't Like It... DON'T! (Three Lobed Recordings) 20 The Men – Tomorrow’s Hits (Sacred Bones) 21 Valentin Stip – Sigh (Other People) 22 Neil Young – Pocahontas (Live at Massey Hall, Toronto, 13/1/14) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGGpT1Y8F4E 23 Lyla Foy – Mirrors The Sky (Sub Pop) 24 Dean McPhee – Smoke And Mirrors (Souncloud) 25 Ronnie Lane And Slim Chance – Ooh La La: An Island Harvest (Island/Universal)

Quickly today, as there’s an issue to be flung together, but a plug in passing for our latest Ultimate Music Guide, on sale today and dedicated to Lou Reed. More on that later.

In the meantime, 25 to dig into here: you’ll note new stuff from Woods and Dean McPhee, some more Neil Young business from last week’s solo shows, and an excellent new album from Pye Corner Audio. Damaged Bug is the new project of John Dwyer, though word is there’s another Oh Sees album forthcoming before they go on hiatus. Oh, and I fished out the Golden Gunn album one sunny morning at the end of last week, having found out that a Steve Gunn band gig in London had suddenly fallen onto the schedule at Café Oto for next Monday (January 20). Wish I could be there. I should be able to make Jessica Pratt show at the same place this Thursday, though; looking forward to that.

Sun Kil Moon’s “Benji”, meanwhile, is now revealing itself to be possibly the most harrowing album Mark Kozelek’s ever made. I’ll file something lengthy on the subject when I have an hour or two to spare. Until then…

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey

1 Black Dirt Oak – Wawayanda Patient (MIE Music)

Read my review here

2 Joan As Police Woman – The Classic (Play It Again Sam)

3 Beck – Morning Phase (Capitol)

4 La Perversita – La Soupeuse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXHjlnlejK0

5 Johnny Cash – Out Among The Stars (Sony)

6 Laibach – Spectre (Mute)

7 Damaged Bug – Eggs At Night (Castle Face)

8 Woods – Leaves Like Glass (Woodsist)

9 Bill Callahan – Have Fun With God (Drag City)

Read my review here

10 [NEW! Redacted]

11 Golden Gunn – Golden Gunn (Three Lobed Recordings)

12 St Vincent – St Vincent (Loma Vista)

13 The Upsetters – The Good, The Bad And The Upsetters: Jamaican Edition (Hot Milk)

14 Pye Corner Audio – Black Mill Tapes (Type)

15 Future Islands – Singles (4AD)

16 Sun Kil Moon – Benji (Caldo Verde)

17 East India Youth – Total Strife Forever (Stolen)

18 Neil Young – Carnegie Hall 7/1/14 (Bootleg)

19 Alvarius B/Sir Richard Bishop – If You Don’t Like It… DON’T! (Three Lobed Recordings)

20 The Men – Tomorrow’s Hits (Sacred Bones)

21 Valentin Stip – Sigh (Other People)

22 Neil Young – Pocahontas (Live at Massey Hall, Toronto, 13/1/14)

23 Lyla Foy – Mirrors The Sky (Sub Pop)

24 Dean McPhee – Smoke And Mirrors (Souncloud)

25 Ronnie Lane And Slim Chance – Ooh La La: An Island Harvest (Island/Universal)

Paul Weller to play forest gigs this summer

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Paul Weller to play forest gigs this summer

Paul Weller has announced details of five forest gigs he will play this summer. The singer will play a string of outdoor shows in June and July of this year (2014). Starting at Sherwood Pines forest in Nottinghamshire, Weller will then perform in Kent, North Yorkshire, and Staffordshire before ending the run of shows at Delamere Forest in Cheshire. Tickets for the dates go on sale at 9am on Friday, priced £46.20. Scroll down for ticket details. Speaking to NME at his last gig in London last December, Weller confirmed that he is working on a new album in 2014. Discussing new song 'Gravity', which was aired at the Save The Children's Christmas Tree Sessions show, Weller said: "'Gravity' is a song I've had for a while now, and I don’t know what to do with it. I'm working on a new album, writing and collecting songs, and hopefully it'll be out next year. It's what I do, write songs and record them, so I just want to get on with it." Paul Weller will play: Sherwood Pines Forest (June 14) Bedgebury Pinetum & Forest (June 21) Dalby Forest (June 27) Cannock Chase Forest (June 28) Delamere Forest (July 4)

Paul Weller has announced details of five forest gigs he will play this summer.

The singer will play a string of outdoor shows in June and July of this year (2014). Starting at Sherwood Pines forest in Nottinghamshire, Weller will then perform in Kent, North Yorkshire, and Staffordshire before ending the run of shows at Delamere Forest in Cheshire.

Tickets for the dates go on sale at 9am on Friday, priced £46.20. Scroll down for ticket details.

Speaking to NME at his last gig in London last December, Weller confirmed that he is working on a new album in 2014. Discussing new song ‘Gravity’, which was aired at the Save The Children’s Christmas Tree Sessions show, Weller said: “‘Gravity’ is a song I’ve had for a while now, and I don’t know what to do with it. I’m working on a new album, writing and collecting songs, and hopefully it’ll be out next year. It’s what I do, write songs and record them, so I just want to get on with it.”

Paul Weller will play:

Sherwood Pines Forest (June 14)

Bedgebury Pinetum & Forest (June 21)

Dalby Forest (June 27)

Cannock Chase Forest (June 28)

Delamere Forest (July 4)

U2 return to stage for first time in three years at Haiti benefit concert – watch

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U2 return to stage for first time in three years at Haiti benefit concert – watch

U2 played their first live show in three years at a Haiti benefit concert in Beverly Hills this weekend. The band took to the stage at actor Sean Penn's third annual Help Haiti benefit at the Montage Hotel. The brief set consisted of a collection of hits including 'I Will Follow', 'Vertigo', and 'Desire', reports Billboard. Bono and The Edge also performed on their own, covering Leonard Cohen’s 'Hallelujah' with Haitian singer Anaelle Jean-Pierre. Clips from the performance can be seen in the video above. U2 were also the recipients of a Golden Globe at this year's awards, which took place in Los Angeles last night (January 12). The band's 'Ordinary Love', taken from the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom was named Best Original Song at the ceremony. 12 Years A Slave and American Hustle were among the big winners on the night. The awards were hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Reports recently claimed that U2 would release their new album in April and an announcement could be made at Super Bowl XLVIII in February, with representatives for the band currently negotiating a deal with brands to announce the LP. Bassist Adam Clayton recently confirmed that the group were planning to wrap up recording by the end of this year. Last year, U2 were reportedly spotted entering a New York studio with Coldplay's Chris Martin, fuelling speculation that the singer may appear on the band's new album. All four members of the rock group were seen at the Electric Lady Studios in New York in May, where Danger Mouse was reportedly mixing the new material. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6zEhFWGgQE

U2 played their first live show in three years at a Haiti benefit concert in Beverly Hills this weekend.

The band took to the stage at actor Sean Penn’s third annual Help Haiti benefit at the Montage Hotel. The brief set consisted of a collection of hits including ‘I Will Follow’, ‘Vertigo’, and ‘Desire’, reports Billboard. Bono and The Edge also performed on their own, covering Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ with Haitian singer Anaelle Jean-Pierre. Clips from the performance can be seen in the video above.

U2 were also the recipients of a Golden Globe at this year’s awards, which took place in Los Angeles last night (January 12). The band’s ‘Ordinary Love’, taken from the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom was named Best Original Song at the ceremony. 12 Years A Slave and American Hustle were among the big winners on the night. The awards were hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.

Reports recently claimed that U2 would release their new album in April and an announcement could be made at Super Bowl XLVIII in February, with representatives for the band currently negotiating a deal with brands to announce the LP. Bassist Adam Clayton recently confirmed that the group were planning to wrap up recording by the end of this year.

Last year, U2 were reportedly spotted entering a New York studio with Coldplay’s Chris Martin, fuelling speculation that the singer may appear on the band’s new album. All four members of the rock group were seen at the Electric Lady Studios in New York in May, where Danger Mouse was reportedly mixing the new material.

Courtney Love to appear in court next week to defend tweet

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Courtney Love to appear in court next week to defend tweet

Courtney Love will appear in court next Monday (January 20) to defend an allegedly defamatory tweet she wrote. The Hole frontwoman is being pursued by Rhonda Holmes, a lawyer Love hired previously to handle a fraud case against those managing the estate of her late husband Kurt Cobain. According to Billboard, Holmes is suing Love over a 2010 tweet that read in part: "I was fucking devestated [sic] when Rhonda J. Holmes esq. of san diego was bought off." She is also facing claims in relation to a follow-up interview she gave after sending the tweet. It is the first time a celebrity has been called to defend an allegedly defamatory tweet in a US courtroom. The jury must first decide whether Love's Twitter followers would have reasonably understood the statement to have been about Holmes and her law firm. It must also decide whether Love intended to send the tweet, which she claims was meant to be a direct message, but was accidentally made public. If she pursues this defense, wider questions will be asked about her general behavior. Finally, if Holmes is successful in her legal action by showing the tweet was reasonably understood to communicate an untruth about the lawyer taking a bribe, the court must decide on the amount of damages to be awarded to her. Holmes will likely ask for greater damages because of the exposure celebrities' tweets gather. Love, however, will argue that the message cause no professional harm to her former lawyer. Others scheduled to give testimony are journalists, Love's former assistants and language experts.

Courtney Love will appear in court next Monday (January 20) to defend an allegedly defamatory tweet she wrote.

The Hole frontwoman is being pursued by Rhonda Holmes, a lawyer Love hired previously to handle a fraud case against those managing the estate of her late husband Kurt Cobain.

According to Billboard, Holmes is suing Love over a 2010 tweet that read in part: “I was fucking devestated [sic] when Rhonda J. Holmes esq. of san diego was bought off.” She is also facing claims in relation to a follow-up interview she gave after sending the tweet.

It is the first time a celebrity has been called to defend an allegedly defamatory tweet in a US courtroom.

The jury must first decide whether Love’s Twitter followers would have reasonably understood the statement to have been about Holmes and her law firm. It must also decide whether Love intended to send the tweet, which she claims was meant to be a direct message, but was accidentally made public. If she pursues this defense, wider questions will be asked about her general behavior.

Finally, if Holmes is successful in her legal action by showing the tweet was reasonably understood to communicate an untruth about the lawyer taking a bribe, the court must decide on the amount of damages to be awarded to her. Holmes will likely ask for greater damages because of the exposure celebrities’ tweets gather. Love, however, will argue that the message cause no professional harm to her former lawyer.

Others scheduled to give testimony are journalists, Love’s former assistants and language experts.

Blur’s Alex James planning to launch new drink, ‘Britpop’

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Blur’s Alex James planning to launch new drink, ‘Britpop’

Blur's Alex James has reportedly applied to use the name Britpop for a new drink. City AM reports that James applied for the Britpop trademark in October last year and that it was published for consultation by the UK’s Intellectual Property Office last Friday (January 10) It is not yet known what his plans for the drink are but Buzzfeed reports that James' application covers "beverages enriched with added minerals"and "low alcohol beer" as well as "alcopops". The bass player already holds the trademark on a number of different names for cheese, including Blue Monday, Figgy Pudding and Farleigh Wallop. In 2012, UK supermarket Asda decided to stop stocking his six of his cheeses, describing the dairy products' flavours as being "ahead of their time". Meanwhile, Alex James' Blur bandmate Dave Rowntree recently began hosting his own weekly radio show on XFM. The drummer will host an hour-long weekly slot each Thursday between 9pm to 10pm. According to a statement, he will play an "eclectic selection of music alongside some incredible stories about his outstanding music career". Last summer (2013), Damon Albarn reportedly confirmed that Blur will record a new album following the release of his own forthcoming solo LP.

Blur’s Alex James has reportedly applied to use the name Britpop for a new drink.

City AM reports that James applied for the Britpop trademark in October last year and that it was published for consultation by the UK’s Intellectual Property Office last Friday (January 10)

It is not yet known what his plans for the drink are but Buzzfeed reports that James’ application covers “beverages enriched with added minerals”and “low alcohol beer” as well as “alcopops”.

The bass player already holds the trademark on a number of different names for cheese, including Blue Monday, Figgy Pudding and Farleigh Wallop. In 2012, UK supermarket Asda decided to stop stocking his six of his cheeses, describing the dairy products’ flavours as being “ahead of their time”.

Meanwhile, Alex James’ Blur bandmate Dave Rowntree recently began hosting his own weekly radio show on XFM. The drummer will host an hour-long weekly slot each Thursday between 9pm to 10pm. According to a statement, he will play an “eclectic selection of music alongside some incredible stories about his outstanding music career”.

Last summer (2013), Damon Albarn reportedly confirmed that Blur will record a new album following the release of his own forthcoming solo LP.

New Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers album “virtually done”

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New Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers album “virtually done”
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers have nearly completed their new album, according to Benmont Tench. The Heartbreakers' keyboard player has been speaking to Uncut ahead of the release of his solo album, You Should Be So Lucky. When asked about the status of the new Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers al...

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers have nearly completed their new album, according to Benmont Tench.

The Heartbreakers’ keyboard player has been speaking to Uncut ahead of the release of his solo album, You Should Be So Lucky.

When asked about the status of the new Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers album, Tench told Uncut: “I think we’re virtually done. We cut a lot of stuff; Tom just wants to get the right batch of songs. That’s the scoop on it.”

The release will be the band’s 13th studio album, and their first since 2010.

Tench’s You Should Be So Lucky includes contributions from Petty, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Ryan Adams, Ringo Starr and Don Was. It is released on Blue Note.

Christine McVie rejoins Fleetwood Mac

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Christine McVie rejoins Fleetwood Mac

Christine McVie has rejoined Fleetwood Mac. The news was broken on Saturday night [January 11] by Mick Fleetwood during a concert in Hawaii. According to a report on Consequence Of Sound, Fleetwood told the audience at Uncle Willie K's BBQ Blues Fest in Maui,”This is the worst kept secret there is, but Christine McVie will be rejoining Fleetwood Mac.” McVie, who left the band in 1998, had rejoined her former bandmates in September last year at London's 02 Arena; you can watch footage of the performance below. In other good news for Fleetwood Mac fans, bass player John McVie, who was diagnosed with cancer in October 2013, made his return to the stage at the band's shows at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 30 and 31. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJPhM5oQepw

Christine McVie has rejoined Fleetwood Mac.

The news was broken on Saturday night [January 11] by Mick Fleetwood during a concert in Hawaii.

According to a report on Consequence Of Sound, Fleetwood told the audience at Uncle Willie K’s BBQ Blues Fest in Maui,”This is the worst kept secret there is, but Christine McVie will be rejoining Fleetwood Mac.”

McVie, who left the band in 1998, had rejoined her former bandmates in September last year at London’s 02 Arena; you can watch footage of the performance below.

In other good news for Fleetwood Mac fans, bass player John McVie, who was diagnosed with cancer in October 2013, made his return to the stage at the band’s shows at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 30 and 31.

Kim Gordon to publish book of essays

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Kim Gordon to publish book of essays

A book of essays by Kim Gordon is set to be published this month. Is It My Body?: Selected Texts will be released by Sternberg Press and collates essays the musician wrote for art and culture magazines in the 1980s and early 1990s. The book has been edited by Branden W. Joseph and discusses the work of Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham, Tony Oursler and Raymond Pettibon, reports FACT. Last year it was reported that the former Sonic Youth member had begun work on an autobiography. Set to be titled Girl In A Band and published by HarperCollins, it will "chronicle her choice to leave Los Angeles in the early ’80s for the post-punk scene in New York City, where she formed Sonic Youth". Gordon was a member of the iconic group from their foundation in 1981 until 2011, when the band went on hiatus after her separation from bandmate and husband Thurston Moore. She has since formed a new band, Body/Head, with Vampire Belt member Bill Nace. Their album 'Coming Apart' was released in September 2013. Gordon will make an appearance in the third series of Lena Dunham's hit US TV series Girls. In an interview with Slate, Gordon was asked if she knew the creator of the show and replied: "I'm actually on an episode [of Girls] next season." The show will be broadcast in the UK on Sky Atlantic from January 20.

A book of essays by Kim Gordon is set to be published this month.

Is It My Body?: Selected Texts will be released by Sternberg Press and collates essays the musician wrote for art and culture magazines in the 1980s and early 1990s. The book has been edited by Branden W. Joseph and discusses the work of Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham, Tony Oursler and Raymond Pettibon, reports FACT.

Last year it was reported that the former Sonic Youth member had begun work on an autobiography. Set to be titled Girl In A Band and published by HarperCollins, it will “chronicle her choice to leave Los Angeles in the early ’80s for the post-punk scene in New York City, where she formed Sonic Youth”. Gordon was a member of the iconic group from their foundation in 1981 until 2011, when the band went on hiatus after her separation from bandmate and husband Thurston Moore. She has since formed a new band, Body/Head, with Vampire Belt member Bill Nace. Their album ‘Coming Apart’ was released in September 2013.

Gordon will make an appearance in the third series of Lena Dunham’s hit US TV series Girls. In an interview with Slate, Gordon was asked if she knew the creator of the show and replied: “I’m actually on an episode [of Girls] next season.” The show will be broadcast in the UK on Sky Atlantic from January 20.

Tom Morello compares new solo album to Jimi Hendrix

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Tom Morello compares new solo album to Jimi Hendrix

Tom Morello has revealed that he is working on a solo rock album. The Rage Against The Machine guitarist is currently part of Bruce Springsteen's live band, and will fill in for the E Street Band's Steven Van Zandt on Springsteen's upcoming Australian tour. Morello also plays on eight songs on the Springsteen's new album 'High Hopes', which is due out on January 13. In a new interview with Billboard, Morello confirms that he is working on a "big solo rock record" which will be his first solo release following four albums as The Nightwatchmen. Comparing his work to that of Jimi Hendrix, Morello says: "I want to make the craziest guitar record that anyone's ever heard. The idea is that this is the Hendrix of now." He also says that it is the influence of Springsteen that led him back to the electric guitar. "The first time I ever sang with an electric guitar in my hands was 'The Ghost of Tom Joad' (with Springsteen) at the Anaheim Pond in 2008. Until then I'd kept my folk singing career and my electric guitar shredding career completely separate." Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Tom Morello has revealed that he is working on a solo rock album.

The Rage Against The Machine guitarist is currently part of Bruce Springsteen’s live band, and will fill in for the E Street Band’s Steven Van Zandt on Springsteen’s upcoming Australian tour.

Morello also plays on eight songs on the Springsteen’s new album ‘High Hopes’, which is due out on January 13.

In a new interview with Billboard, Morello confirms that he is working on a “big solo rock record” which will be his first solo release following four albums as The Nightwatchmen.

Comparing his work to that of Jimi Hendrix, Morello says: “I want to make the craziest guitar record that anyone’s ever heard. The idea is that this is the Hendrix of now.”

He also says that it is the influence of Springsteen that led him back to the electric guitar. “The first time I ever sang with an electric guitar in my hands was ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad’ (with Springsteen) at the Anaheim Pond in 2008. Until then I’d kept my folk singing career and my electric guitar shredding career completely separate.”

Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Brian Wilson to headline Hop Farm Music Festival 2014

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Brian Wilson to headline Hop Farm Music Festival 2014

Brian Wilson is set to headline The Hop Farm Music Festival 2014. The Beach Boys legend will head up the event, which takes place July 4-6, on The Hop Farm Family Park site in Kent. Tickets go on sale February 1 and the rest of the bill will be released on March 7. For more information visit thehopfarmmusicfestival.com. Confusingly, two festivals will be put on under the Hop Farm Music Festival name this summer. Vince Power's festival of the same name will also run, but on a new site in Tunbridge Wells, following an announcement made on the festival's Facebook page. Last year Power's festival released a statement which read: "Reports suggest that another festival is to be hosted on The Hop Farm Family Park site, called the Hop Farm Music Festival, but this event has no association with the well-established Hop Farm Music Festival. This is an unfamiliar event organised by an entirely different promoter and team. Despite the naming of this event it is not in any way connected with the esteemed Hop Farm Music Festival." The original Hop Farm Music Festival has not yet announced its 2014 dates. Promoter Vince Power said of the event's return: "I have been building the Hop Farm for six years now, unfortunately due to the economic climate we had to cancel last year, but the festival is not over. We have a strong brand in the festival market, an instantly recognisable festival and you can't keep a good festival down." 2013's Hop Farm Festival was cancelled, with organisers blaming poor ticket sales and the economy. My Bloody Valentine and Rodriguez were due to headline the festival with The Horrors, The Cribs and Dinosaur Jr also set to perform.

Brian Wilson is set to headline The Hop Farm Music Festival 2014.

The Beach Boys legend will head up the event, which takes place July 4-6, on The Hop Farm Family Park site in Kent. Tickets go on sale February 1 and the rest of the bill will be released on March 7. For more information visit thehopfarmmusicfestival.com.

Confusingly, two festivals will be put on under the Hop Farm Music Festival name this summer. Vince Power’s festival of the same name will also run, but on a new site in Tunbridge Wells, following an announcement made on the festival’s Facebook page. Last year Power’s festival released a statement which read: “Reports suggest that another festival is to be hosted on The Hop Farm Family Park site, called the Hop Farm Music Festival, but this event has no association with the well-established Hop Farm Music Festival. This is an unfamiliar event organised by an entirely different promoter and team. Despite the naming of this event it is not in any way connected with the esteemed Hop Farm Music Festival.”

The original Hop Farm Music Festival has not yet announced its 2014 dates. Promoter Vince Power said of the event’s return: “I have been building the Hop Farm for six years now, unfortunately due to the economic climate we had to cancel last year, but the festival is not over. We have a strong brand in the festival market, an instantly recognisable festival and you can’t keep a good festival down.”

2013’s Hop Farm Festival was cancelled, with organisers blaming poor ticket sales and the economy. My Bloody Valentine and Rodriguez were due to headline the festival with The Horrors, The Cribs and Dinosaur Jr also set to perform.

Watch four songs from Neil Young’s January 12 2014 Massey Hall show

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Watch four songs from Neil Young’s January 12 2014 Massey Hall show
Neil Young played the first night of his 'Honor The Treaties' run of concerts to raise money for the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Legal Defense Fund. The show took place at Massey Hall, Toronto. The set list was almost identical to Young's recent run of shows at New York's Carnegie Hall, with ...

Neil Young played the first night of his ‘Honor The Treaties’ run of concerts to raise money for the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Legal Defense Fund.

The show took place at Massey Hall, Toronto.

The set list was almost identical to Young’s recent run of shows at New York’s Carnegie Hall, with the addition of “Pocahontas”.

Scroll down to watch fan footage of “Ohio”, “Southern Man”, “Pocahontas” and “Heart Of Gold”.

The Honor The Treaties concerts will aid the native Canadians in their battle against oil companies and the government to preserve their land.

The remaining ‘Honor The Treaties’ shows take place on:

January 16 at Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg, Manitoba

January 17 at Conexus Arts Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan

January 19 at Jack Singer Concert Hall, Calgary, Alberta

Neil Young’s set list for January 12 2014 at Massey Hall show was:

From Hank To Hendrix

On The Way Home

Helpless

Love In Mind

Mellow My Mind

Are You Ready For The Country?

Someday

Changes

Harvest

Old Man

A Man Needs A Maid

Ohio

Southern Man

Mr. Soul

Pocahontas

After The Gold Rush

Journey Through The Past

Needle Of Death

Heart Of Gold

Encore:

Comes A Time

Long May You Run

Ohio

Southern Man

Pocahontas

Heart Of Gold

Iggy Pop, New Order, Patti Smith to play Tibet House benefit concert

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Iggy Pop, New Order, Patti Smith to play Tibet House benefit concert

Iggy Pop, New Order and Patti Smith are among the names announced to play the Tibet House benefit gig. The Philip Glass-curated event will take place at New York’s Carnegie Hall on March 11 and will also see performances from The National’s Bryce Dessner, Joe Walsh and Nico Muhly, with more to be announced. Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and her husband Peter Sarsgaard are to be the event’s honorary chairpersons, reports Rolling Stone. Last year’s concert saw performances from Ariel Pink, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, tUne-yArDs and Patti Smith. Tickets to this year’s concert are available here. Meanwhile, former New Order bassist Peter Hook is to perform two more of the band's albums with his current band The Light. The band will play New Order's third and fourth albums 1985's 'Low-Life' and 1986's 'Brotherhood' from beginning to end at two special gigs in September. The shows will take place in London and Manchester and will also include classic singles dating from 1983 to 1987. The Light have previously performed Joy Division's 'Unknown Pleasures' and 'Closer' albums in full. At the beginning of last year (January 2013), they performed 1981' 'Movement' and 1983's 'Power, Corruption & Lies' too.

Iggy Pop, New Order and Patti Smith are among the names announced to play the Tibet House benefit gig.

The Philip Glass-curated event will take place at New York’s Carnegie Hall on March 11 and will also see performances from The National’s Bryce Dessner, Joe Walsh and Nico Muhly, with more to be announced. Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and her husband Peter Sarsgaard are to be the event’s honorary chairpersons, reports Rolling Stone.

Last year’s concert saw performances from Ariel Pink, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, tUne-yArDs and Patti Smith. Tickets to this year’s concert are available here.

Meanwhile, former New Order bassist Peter Hook is to perform two more of the band’s albums with his current band The Light. The band will play New Order’s third and fourth albums 1985’s ‘Low-Life’ and 1986’s ‘Brotherhood’ from beginning to end at two special gigs in September. The shows will take place in London and Manchester and will also include classic singles dating from 1983 to 1987.

The Light have previously performed Joy Division’s ‘Unknown Pleasures’ and ‘Closer’ albums in full. At the beginning of last year (January 2013), they performed 1981′ ‘Movement’ and 1983’s ‘Power, Corruption & Lies’ too.

Arcade Fire tease ‘Her’ film score in new trailer – video

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Arcade Fire tease ‘Her’ film score in new trailer – video

Arcade Fire’s film score features in the new Her trailer - you can watch the promo by scrolling down the page and clicking ‘play’. The soundtrack will feature instrumental versions of 'Porno' and 'Supersymmetry'. Both tracks appeared on the Canadian band’s UK Number One album, 'Reflektor'. The latter was apparently written for the film, according to its director Spike Jonze. In an interview with Hitfix, Jonze explained: "The [band] was working on [Reflektor] as they were working on this. Win and I started talking about the score about two years ago, and then it kinda seemed like the record sort of informed the soundtrack and the soundtrack informed the record a little bit, and there's like a song on [Reflektor]—the last one, 'Supersymmetry'—that he wrote for the movie, but then it sort of became something else. It's actually the last song in the end credits." The film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role, tells the story of a man who falls in love with a computer operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) following a difficult break-up with his ex-wife, as played by Rooney Mara. Amy Adams, Olivia Wilde and Chris Pratt will also all feature in the film, which is released in UK cinemas on January 24, 2014. It was revealed last this year that [a]Yeah Yeah Yeahs[/a] singer Karen O had also contributed a solo track titled 'The Moon Song' for the film's score. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xakaZwsUMio

Arcade Fire’s film score features in the new Her trailer – you can watch the promo by scrolling down the page and clicking ‘play’.

The soundtrack will feature instrumental versions of ‘Porno’ and ‘Supersymmetry’. Both tracks appeared on the Canadian band’s UK Number One album, ‘Reflektor’. The latter was apparently written for the film, according to its director Spike Jonze.

In an interview with Hitfix, Jonze explained: “The [band] was working on [Reflektor] as they were working on this. Win and I started talking about the score about two years ago, and then it kinda seemed like the record sort of informed the soundtrack and the soundtrack informed the record a little bit, and there’s like a song on [Reflektor]—the last one, ‘Supersymmetry’—that he wrote for the movie, but then it sort of became something else. It’s actually the last song in the end credits.”

The film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role, tells the story of a man who falls in love with a computer operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) following a difficult break-up with his ex-wife, as played by Rooney Mara. Amy Adams, Olivia Wilde and Chris Pratt will also all feature in the film, which is released in UK cinemas on January 24, 2014.

It was revealed last this year that [a]Yeah Yeah Yeahs[/a] singer Karen O had also contributed a solo track titled ‘The Moon Song’ for the film’s score.

Red Hot Chili Peppers to play Super Bowl half-time show

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Red Hot Chili Peppers to play Super Bowl half-time show

Red Hot Chili Peppers will play this year’s Super Bowl half-time show. The band will join Bruno Mars as special guests at the American Football event, which this year takes place at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The news was announced by the official Super Bowl Twitter account on Saturday (January 11). They tweeted:

Red Hot Chili Peppers will play this year’s Super Bowl half-time show.

The band will join Bruno Mars as special guests at the American Football event, which this year takes place at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The news was announced by the official Super Bowl Twitter account on Saturday (January 11).

They tweeted:

Meanwhile, Foo Fighters will headline a special gig in the run up to the Super Bowl. Imagine Dragons, The Roots and Fall Out Boy will also perform at the event, which will be sponsored by the Bud Light Hotel, and will take place at New York’s Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

The Roots are celebrating New York hip-hop at the first gig on January 30, joined on the bill by Run-DMC and Busta Rhymes. Imagine Dragons headline the second concert the day after on January 31. Foo Fighters, meanwhile, will team up with the Zac Brown Band for the February 1 gig. Dave Grohl recently worked on the country band’s latest EP.

The festival-of-sorts comes to an end directly before the big game on February 2. That will be headlined by Fall Out Boy and Jake Owen.

David Bowie to release “Rebel Rebel” 40th anniversary picture disc

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David Bowie to release “Rebel Rebel” 40th anniversary picture disc
David Bowie is to release a limited edition picture disc commemorating the 40th anniversary of "Rebel Rebel". This the latest in the run of 40th anniversary 7" picture discs released by Parlophone Records, following on from "Starman", "John I'm Only Dancing", "The Jean Genie", "Drive In Saturday", ...

David Bowie is to release a limited edition picture disc commemorating the 40th anniversary of “Rebel Rebel“.

This the latest in the run of 40th anniversary 7” picture discs released by Parlophone Records, following on from “Starman”, “John I’m Only Dancing”, “The Jean Genie”, “Drive In Saturday”, “Live On Mars” and “Sorrow”.

“Rebel Rebel” was originally released in February 1974 and reached No 5 in the UK singles chart.

The A-side of the limited edition 7″ picture disc features the original single mix of the track which hasn’t been available on 7″ since the early 80’s and is still unavailable on CD to this day.

The AA-side has the US Version of “Rebel Rebel” which is a remixed version of the song with extra overdubs that was released in May 1974 three months after the first issue, but only in the US, Canada and Mexico.

The artwork for the picture disc features two shots from a session that took place in Amsterdam at the television show Top Pop in February 1974.

The single will be released on March 10.

Bottle Rockets – Bottle Rockets/The Brooklyn Side

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Bottle Rockets – Bottle Rockets/The Brooklyn Side

Blue-collar blast: Roots-rock masterpieces, back in print... The Jayhawks hewed closest to Gram Parsons’ cosmic vision. Uncle Tupelo were visionaries themselves. But Festus, Missouri quartet Bottle Rockets not only held the moral, working-class compass of the ’90s alt.country wave, they – with their ferocious Skynryd-meets-Crazy Horse thunder – rocked harder than the whole lot. Later, the Drive-By Truckers took their blueprint and ran with it. Nothing fancy: their amped-up country/rock is as meat-and-potatoes as you can get. But leader Brian Henneman’s hypocrisy detector and fierce identification with the downtrodden – tracing a line from Guthrie to Haggard to Springsteen – is regularly set to stun. The debut is rawer, combining bluegrass, hard country/rock and bar-band fare with the scoot-scatting country sound that drove Waylon Jennings’ more upbeat work. It’s not all memorable, but the pissed-off “Wave That Flag” and the abject horror of “Kerosene” in particular, make for withering commentary on society’s failures. By the time of 1995’s Brooklyn Side, the group was slicked-up a tick, courtesy of producer Eric Ambel, enough to unveil more range. Tears-in-your-beer balladry (“Queen Of The World”). Top-shelf rockabilly (“Idiot’s Revenge,” with that classic line: “She likes Dinosaur Jr but she can’t tell you why”). Even ZZ Top boogie (“Radar Gun”). Henneman’s songs are yet sharper, mixing humour and pathos. There’s a rarely topped song about being poor (“1,000 Dollar Car”) and stories of wasted lives (“Welfare Music”). Although populist rage and savage humour is never far beneath the surface, the group also reveals a surprising, almost power-poppy feel for ringing, sing-song hooks (“Gravity Fails”, “I’ll Be Comin’ Around”). In short – a monumental album. 19 bonus tracks – acoustic demos, live cuts, pre-Rockets material – plus generous notes, photos and testimonials, provide perspective amid an embarrassment of riches. Luke Torn

Blue-collar blast: Roots-rock masterpieces, back in print…

The Jayhawks hewed closest to Gram Parsons’ cosmic vision. Uncle Tupelo were visionaries themselves. But Festus, Missouri quartet Bottle Rockets not only held the moral, working-class compass of the ’90s alt.country wave, they – with their ferocious Skynryd-meets-Crazy Horse thunder – rocked harder than the whole lot. Later, the Drive-By Truckers took their blueprint and ran with it.

Nothing fancy: their amped-up country/rock is as meat-and-potatoes as you can get. But leader Brian Henneman’s hypocrisy detector and fierce identification with the downtrodden – tracing a line from Guthrie to Haggard to Springsteen – is regularly set to stun. The debut is rawer, combining bluegrass, hard country/rock and bar-band fare with the scoot-scatting country sound that drove Waylon Jennings’ more upbeat work.

It’s not all memorable, but the pissed-off “Wave That Flag” and the abject horror of “Kerosene” in particular, make for withering commentary on society’s failures. By the time of 1995’s Brooklyn Side, the group was slicked-up a tick, courtesy of producer Eric Ambel, enough to unveil more range. Tears-in-your-beer balladry (“Queen Of The World”). Top-shelf rockabilly (“Idiot’s Revenge,” with that classic line: “She likes Dinosaur Jr but she can’t tell you why”). Even ZZ Top boogie (“Radar Gun”). Henneman’s songs are yet sharper, mixing humour and pathos. There’s a rarely topped song about being poor (“1,000 Dollar Car”) and stories of wasted lives (“Welfare Music”). Although populist rage and savage humour is never far beneath the surface, the group also reveals a surprising, almost power-poppy feel for ringing, sing-song hooks (“Gravity Fails”, “I’ll Be Comin’ Around”). In short – a monumental album.

19 bonus tracks – acoustic demos, live cuts, pre-Rockets material – plus generous notes, photos and testimonials, provide perspective amid an embarrassment of riches.

Luke Torn

Read the set list for Neil Young’s fourth Carnegie Hall show

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Read the set list for Neil Young’s fourth Carnegie Hall show
Neil Young brought to a close his four-date residency at New York's Carnegie Hall last night [January 10]. The set was almost identical to the three previous shows, with the exception of the addition of Buffalo Springfield's "Out Of My Mind". Young's next live engagement will be on January 12, a...

Neil Young brought to a close his four-date residency at New York’s Carnegie Hall last night [January 10].

The set was almost identical to the three previous shows, with the exception of the addition of Buffalo Springfield‘s “Out Of My Mind”.

Young’s next live engagement will be on January 12, at Massey Hall, Toronto – the first of four shows in Canada under the title of ‘ Honor The Treatise .

Young and Crazy Horse will play London’s Hyde Park on July 12.

Neil Young’s set list for Carnegie Hall on January 10:

Set 1:

From Hank To Hendrix

On The Way Home

Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Love In Mind

Mellow My Mind

Are You Ready For The Country?

Someday

Changes

Harvest

Old Man

Set 2:

Goin’ Back

A Man Needs A Maid

Ohio

Southern Man

Mr. Soul

Out Of My Mind

Needle Of Death

The Needle And The Damage Done

Harvest Moon

Flying On The Ground Is Wrong

Journey Through The Past

Heart Of Gold

Encore:

Comes A Time

12 Years A Slave

Michael Bonner
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12 Years A Slave

In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery... 12 Years A Slave marks the big step-up for film director Steve McQueen, as he leaves behind hunger strikes and sex addicts for a larger project about another difficult yet hefty subject: slavery. Significant awards talk is in the air. McQueen is keen to make his mark on this material – but nevertheless is sensitive to the demands of the marketplace in which his film will be shown. On one hand, there is a silent tableau of slaves filmed standing by the side of a plantation, rich with the kind of experimental vibes you’d expect from a former Turner Prize winner. On the other, to acknowledge the milieu in which McQueen now moves, there is the score – a violin theme that, you suspect, in the hands of, say, Hans Zimmer, would have been delivered by a massed orchestra with added choirs. 12 Years A Slave is based on a memoir by Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free-born African American who was kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery. McQueen’s film follows his passage through a succession of owners – Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender. The worst of the lot is Fassbender – enjoying his Amon Goeth moment as cotton planter Master Epps, a man for whom money, power, lust and whiskey have stripped all morality. If he is to survive, Northup – an intelligent, educated man – must keep the truth about his abilities from his masters. As a corrective to Tarantino’s cartoon Django Unchained, 12 Years A Slave is entirely successful – it is a sober, non-judgmental study that does not preach to audiences. In contains many powerful and lasting images, not least a prolonged shot of Northup, strung up from a tree as punishment, his feet barely reaching the ground, while plantation life continues around him. But for all its commendable points, as a film it never quite hangs together cohesively. Its at least 20 minutes too long, while the episodic structure – as Northup passes from owner to owner – breaks the film’s pacing. A late cameo from Brad Pitt (incredibly, given star billing on an early version of the Italian film poster) jolts you out of the movie entirely. It's unflinching in its portrayal of the privations suffered during slavery, but some voices worry it's too unsparing for American audiences. It's certainly not as worthy as Spielberg's Amistad - or as syrupy as The Butler, which tells the history of the civil rights movement as witnessed by a black butler who served through eight White House administrations. In essence, this is a terrifically well-intended and necessarily difficult movie to watch: but I'm not entirely convinced McQueen has delivered quite the masterpiece some would suggest it is. Michael Bonner Follow me on Twitter @MichaelBonner.

In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery…

12 Years A Slave marks the big step-up for film director Steve McQueen, as he leaves behind hunger strikes and sex addicts for a larger project about another difficult yet hefty subject: slavery. Significant awards talk is in the air. McQueen is keen to make his mark on this material – but nevertheless is sensitive to the demands of the marketplace in which his film will be shown. On one hand, there is a silent tableau of slaves filmed standing by the side of a plantation, rich with the kind of experimental vibes you’d expect from a former Turner Prize winner. On the other, to acknowledge the milieu in which McQueen now moves, there is the score – a violin theme that, you suspect, in the hands of, say, Hans Zimmer, would have been delivered by a massed orchestra with added choirs.

12 Years A Slave is based on a memoir by Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free-born African American who was kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery. McQueen’s film follows his passage through a succession of owners – Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender.

The worst of the lot is Fassbender – enjoying his Amon Goeth moment as cotton planter Master Epps, a man for whom money, power, lust and whiskey have stripped all morality. If he is to survive, Northup – an intelligent, educated man – must keep the truth about his abilities from his masters.

As a corrective to Tarantino’s cartoon Django Unchained, 12 Years A Slave is entirely successful – it is a sober, non-judgmental study that does not preach to audiences. In contains many powerful and lasting images, not least a prolonged shot of Northup, strung up from a tree as punishment, his feet barely reaching the ground, while plantation life continues around him. But for all its commendable points, as a film it never quite hangs together cohesively. Its at least 20 minutes too long, while the episodic structure – as Northup passes from owner to owner – breaks the film’s pacing. A late cameo from Brad Pitt (incredibly, given star billing on an early version of the Italian film poster) jolts you out of the movie entirely.

It’s unflinching in its portrayal of the privations suffered during slavery, but some voices worry it’s too unsparing for American audiences. It’s certainly not as worthy as Spielberg’s Amistad – or as syrupy as The Butler, which tells the history of the civil rights movement as witnessed by a black butler who served through eight White House administrations. In essence, this is a terrifically well-intended and necessarily difficult movie to watch: but I’m not entirely convinced McQueen has delivered quite the masterpiece some would suggest it is.

Michael Bonner

Follow me on Twitter @MichaelBonner.

“Have Fun With God”: Bill Callahan in dub…

John Mulvey
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“Have Fun With God”: Bill Callahan in dub…

Sometimes, with Bill Callahan, the focus on his records is so unwaveringly on his lyrics, it is tempting to treat them as recited poetry rather than actual music. On an old Smog record like “The Doctor Came At Dawn”, say, the music seems barely there; just a little shading to point up the melodic undertow of a baritone that often wanders closer to speech than song. And while his records have been generally warmer-sounding, more discreetly ornate, since the switch from Smog to his given name, Callahan still seems like an unlikely artist to entertain a dub makeover. Here, though, is “Have Fun With God”, a complete version of the eight tracks on last year’s masterful “Dream River” - my favourite album of 2013, that I wrote about in this blog. There’s a small trend emerging of notionally rootsy/singer-songwriterish American artists making dub excursions, or adding production tricks learned from King Tubby and Lee Perry records to the sort of songs that seem built out of a quite different tradition – without, I should say, sounding either tokenistic, gimmicky or as ungainly hybrids. A couple of examples I thought of this morning: Hiss Golden Messenger’s reworking of “Jesus Shot Me In The Head”, and the version of Howard Ivans’ “Pillows” prepared by Trey Pollard and Matthew E White.

Sometimes, with Bill Callahan, the focus on his records is so unwaveringly on his lyrics, it is tempting to treat them as recited poetry rather than actual music. On an old Smog record like “The Doctor Came At Dawn”, say, the music seems barely there; just a little shading to point up the melodic undertow of a baritone that often wanders closer to speech than song.

And while his records have been generally warmer-sounding, more discreetly ornate, since the switch from Smog to his given name, Callahan still seems like an unlikely artist to entertain a dub makeover. Here, though, is “Have Fun With God”, a complete version of the eight tracks on last year’s masterful “Dream River” – my favourite album of 2013, that I wrote about in this blog.

There’s a small trend emerging of notionally rootsy/singer-songwriterish American artists making dub excursions, or adding production tricks learned from King Tubby and Lee Perry records to the sort of songs that seem built out of a quite different tradition – without, I should say, sounding either tokenistic, gimmicky or as ungainly hybrids. A couple of examples I thought of this morning: Hiss Golden Messenger’s reworking of “Jesus Shot Me In The Head”, and the version of Howard Ivans’ “Pillows” prepared by Trey Pollard and Matthew E White.

Hiss Golden Messenger “Jesus Dub” Teaser from Harlan Campbell on Vimeo.

White’s notes on that Soundcloud page are eloquent and especially salient, I think: “At Spacebomb we are dedicated to [the dub] process and to the continuous redefinition of what a record can be. We want to see our recordings work in many different ways, in many different frames, maximizing what we do in the studio and demonstrating that a record can be malleable, bendable, and changeable. We are dedicated to improvisation not only as musicians, but as engineers, performers, producers, and creatures of imagination, and hope that our dubs stand as lively, fresh and courageous interactions…

“‘Pillows (Version)’ was given life on November 5th in the Spacebomb attic. We took our work on Howard Ivans’ satin-lined R&B and sent it through a kaleidoscope of delay and reverb, sailing it through the Spacebomb void, through circuits, tubes, tape and out the other side. Improvising, reimagining, and playing with electricity until we discovered something–recognizable and related, but sincerely new.

“Spacebomb holds tight to the idea that Dub is not a genre, but a way of interacting with recorded music–a process that becomes philosophy.”

Callahan, meanwhile, chose to preview the release of “Dream River” by leaking the dub version of “Javelin Unlanding”, “Expanding Dub”, and at the time I wrote, “After 20 years of discreet obfuscations and evasions, “Expanding Dub” seemed to signal a new strategy in Callahan’s ongoing project to confound – and, in the process, delight – his loyal audience; a substantially more playful strategy, at that. Reggae does not feature noticeably on the finished version of “Dream River”, but the experiment does serve to draw attention to the enduring spaciousness of Callahan’s music; to the sense that the most significant details in his songs are unspoken, hidden in the interstices between his lines.”

This last point is hammered home very hard when you hear the project in its entirety. Brian Beattie, who mixed “Dream River” and handled the remixes for “Have Fun With God”, hasn’t wandered too far from the original: the eight songs run in the same order, and are recast not as reggae, exactly, but as reverb-heavy and mostly instrumental pieces that point up the rich musical subtleties that initially underpinned Callahan’s vocals. A lot of things I’ve read about Callahan’s recent live show – arriving here in the UK in a matter of weeks, excitingly – conscientiously draw attention to the excellence of his band (ie this cover of “White Light/White Heat”, a regular show opener, which also reminds me I need to plug our Lou Reed Ultimate Music Guide special which goes on sale next week…).

“Have Fun With God” is full of echo deck trickery, enhanced space, vaguely disorienting drop-outs, but it also pushes the textural detailing of the “Dream River” recordings to the fore: the willowy flute and violin cycles, Matt Kinsey’s always thoughtful and inventive guitar-playing. The mood of that original album remains, too, and is revealed as ideal for the washed-out treatments: a kind of contemplative mellowness that plays on the relaxing rather than unnerving possibilities of dub, even when Callahan’s voice drifts back into the mix to proclaim, more ominous than ever, “You look like worldwide Armageddon.”

More of Callahan’s baritone than you might expect makes the cut, so much so that in some passages – in “Small Dub” (“Small Plane”), for instance – Beattie’s work feels more like an alternate version rather than a broadly instrumental dub one. It’s hard to imagine many people will prefer these takes to the “Dream River” ones, though there’s a lot of charm and wit to be found, not least from Callahan’s booming cameos, where the heavy reverb plays up his already stentorian tones into something thematically akin to the Voice Of a God. Most profound, perhaps, is the point in the opening remake of “The Sing”, “Thank Dub”, when his command for “BEER!” becomes, uncannily, hilariously portentous.

Anyhow, a new reissue of The Upsetters’ “The Good, The Bad And The Upsetters” turned up in the post this morning. I really should play that now, shouldn’t I?

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey

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