The new Uncut’s only been on sale since the end of last week, but there’s already been a fair amount of correspondence about our cover story on The Byrds. Most of it’s been about our Top 20 countdown of The Byrds’s greatest tracks. You were broadly in agreement with what was included, but many of you wondered aloud at certain omissions – “Chestnut Mare” was particularly missed by many, including me it must be said.
It's now seven years since Damage, the last Blues Explosion album, a hiatus during which Jon Spencer got to indulge his psychotic rockabilly side with three albums with Heavy Trash, and also pursue a few other alternative musical endeavours with the likes of Andre Williams, Solex and Cristina Martinez. It was also a period during which the original punk-blues pioneers saw their influence put to more remunerative use not just by The White Stripes but by The Black Keys as well, as stripped-back roots riffage unaccountably became one of rock's more commercially potent modes.
Blur made an electrifying return to Hyde Park last night (August 12).
The Britpop legends played as part of the Mayor of London's Olympic closing ceremony celebrations in central London.
Performing under a giant stage set of London's Westway dual carriageway, the band kicked off with a buoyant "Girls And Boys" before launching into Parklife favourites "London Loves", "Tracy Jacks" and "Jubilee".
John Murry first entered Uncut airspace in 2006 with World Without End, the bleakly brilliant album of country death songs he wrote and recorded with Bob Frank. Six years on, Murry has just released his first solo album, The Graceless Age, an album of almost symphonic emotional turmoil, co-produced by late American Music Club drummer Tim Mooney. The songs on the record deal sometimes explicitly with Murry’s heroin addiction, specifically the 10-minute ‘Little Coloured Balloons’, a harrowing account of a near-fatal OD. I reviewed The Graceless Age for the current issue of Uncut and emailed Murry some questions, to which he replied in detail and at illuminating length, as you will see from the fascinating transcript that follows.
Peter Hook will release his memoirs detailing his time in Joy Division this October.
The former New Order bassist's new tome Unknown Pleasures – Inside Joy Division will be released on October 1 through Simon & Schuster and will recount the band’s journey from their formation and early days to frontman Ian Curtis’ tragic suicide.
Metronomy, Savages and Coda have been added to the bill for this year's Green Man Festival.
The festival, which will be headlined by Mogwai, Feist and Van Morrison, takes place in Wales' Brecon Beacons from August 17-19.
Also newly added to the line-up are Loney Dear, Tom Williams & The Boat, Dizraeli & The Small Gods, Polaroid 85, Laid Blak and Heymoonshaker.
They join a bill that already includes Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, The Walkmen, Jonathan Richman, The Felice Brothers, Tune-Yards, Of Montreal, King Creosote & Jon Hopkins, Michael Kiwanuka and over 30 other acts.
Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts is to release an album with his other band, The A, B, C & D Of Boogie Woogie.
The album, Live In Paris, is released next week by Eagle Records.
Recorded in September 2010 at the Duc Des Lombards jazz club in Paris, the album mixes originals alongside blues and boogie woogie standards, including "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66", which the Stones recorded for their debut album in 1964.
The A, B, C & D Of Boogie Woogie features Axel Zwingenberger, Ben Waters, Charlie Watts and Dave Green.
