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Van Dyke Parks: “Dreaming Of Paris” and “Wall Street”

John Mulvey
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It occurred to me yesterday that I’m pretty bad at covering singles here, having neglected one of my favourite tracks of the year – Radiohead’s “Supercollider” – as a consequence, and also having passed over a bunch of rather good Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy one-offs (the latest in that sequence, “There Is No God”, arrived at the end of last week). Yesterday, though, I came across a couple of especially noteworthy singles, constituting as they did the first new music released by Van Dyke Parks under his own name for a good 15 years – since his underrated Brian Wilson collab, “Orange Crate Art”, I suspect. Serendipity strikes, perhaps, given that I wrote about interviewing Parks around that time in the current issue of Uncut, tying it in to a Wild Mercury Sound column on Robert Stillman’s “Machine’s Song”, a record heavy with “Song Cycle” vibes. In the interim, Parks’ energies seem to have been focused – as far as I can recall – on music and arrangements rather than wordsmithery: I’m thinking of his shifts with Vic Chesnutt and Inara George, and especially his wonderful scores for Joanna Newsom’s “Ys”. I’m struggling with regards to his lyric-writing, though I don’t have particularly fond memories of his contributions to Brian Wilson’s “That Lucky Old Sun”. A new Van Dyke Parks website/label called Bananastan does, however, usher in the full artistic return of this brilliant and capricious singer-songwriter. The plan, as far as I understand, is to release six new and apparently disparate seven-inch singles over the year, each packaged in some high-end bespoke artwork. The first two are available now (I must confess to buying the downloads rather than the actual objets), with sleeves by Ed Ruscha and Art Spiegelman. And, happily, they’re pretty great, especially “Wall Street”, a substantially rococo piece of warped Gershwin/evocation of old Broadway, that flourishes into a macabre reverie where “confetti is covered in blood”. If “That Lucky Old Sun” – and, come to think of it, much of “Orange Crate Art” – privileged wordplay and more nostalgia than mischief, “Wall Street” is as weird and impressionistic and compelling as “Song Cycle”-era Parks. The flipside, “Money Is King”, hovers around similar subject matter, but is delivered as a kind of baroque calypso, which is great if, as I do, you like “Clang Of The Yankee Reaper”. The other single, “Dreaming Of Paris”, begins with – what else? – an accordion riff, and wanders with a quaint elegance into similar melodic territory to “Summer In Monterey”. Before, that is, a brief tonal shift into French chanson, and a selection of other grand themes (a little Hot Club fiddle in there, at one point, perhaps) that less adventurous musicians would’ve smuggled away for entirely separate songs. The instrumental “Wedding In Madagascar”, meanwhile, is as tropical and celebratory as its title. And while, like all these tracks, the sound is a little more synthesised and pert than the woody analogue feel that would be my preference, it’s still really charming; whimsical not being a pejorative for once. As ever, let me know your thoughts if/when you’ve had a listen

It occurred to me yesterday that I’m pretty bad at covering singles here, having neglected one of my favourite tracks of the year – Radiohead’s “Supercollider” – as a consequence, and also having passed over a bunch of rather good Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy one-offs (the latest in that sequence, “There Is No God”, arrived at the end of last week).

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KATE AND ANNA MCGARRIGLE – TELL MY SISTER

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KATE AND ANNA MCGARRIGLE – TELL MY SISTER

Like other things about the McGarrigle sisters, their timing was odd. Their first album arrived in early ’76, just as the pop tide was turning against sensitivity and soft-rock and towards a more rugged engagement with the world. A pumped-up Bruce Springsteen was atop the charts with Born To Run. The Ramones and the Sex Pistols were collecting their first reviews. What price a pair of homey Canadians lamenting hearts that refused to mend, trilling about St Catherine (in French!) or resurrecting cornball folk anthems like “Travellin’ On For Jesus”, all to a backdrop of piano, squeezebox and clarinet? Against the odds, perhaps, Kate & Anna McGarrigle found instant favour among critics, though their acclaim couldn’t stop the record perishing where Warners executives had hoped it might clean up. After all, “Heart Like A Wheel”, one of its songs, had just spent a year on the US charts as the title track of a Linda Ronstadt album. Another hippy princess, Maria Muldaur, had covered the McGarrigles’ “Cool River”. What the critics heard that the American public didn’t (in the UK Kate & Anna… acquired cult status) was firstly a pair of sublime voices, combined in the effortless harmonies that only siblings seem able to provide (a third, elder sister, Jane, also contributed). Clear, confident but wry, the voices were inseparable from songs that dealt coolly with break-up (“Go Leave”, “Kiss And Say Goodbye”), bore sadness stoically (“Heart Like A Wheel”) and recognised beauty with wistful joy (“(Talk To Me Of) Mendocino”). For good measure came “Foolish You”, a perennial unknown outside Canada’s borders and a cover of Loudon Wainwright’s droll “Swimming Song”. Wainwright’s marriage to Kate was foundering as the songs chronicling its demise arrived: “Tell my sister to tell my mother I’m coming home alone…” With its unusual backings, overseen by producers Joe Boyd and Greg Prestopino, Kate & Anna… seemed to have arrived from nowhere. In fact, the sisters had history aplenty, stretching from the parlour of the Quebec home where they had grown up hearing their father play antique Stephen Foster songs, to time in folk group the Montreal City Four, and, in Kate’s case, to a nearly-made-it career in New York. Becoming a duo only arrived after their songs (usually written singly) were picked up by Muldaur and Ronstadt. Demos, including several that never made it to album, are gathered on disc three here, either from a showcase Kate cut in 1971 or run-throughs from 1974. In either case, their facility is startling – Boyd was “afraid they might expose our production as overdone” – and fans will treasure Kate’s “Saratoga Summer Song” where she recalls such teenage delights as “having crushes, dimming lights to hide the blushes”. Early songs like “Southern Boys” showed up on Dancer With Bruised Knees, 1977’s seamless follow-on from their debut. Again it embraced family life (“First Born”, “Kitty Come Home”) and togetherness (“Walking Song”, “Homage A Grungie”). There were waltzes, and a touch of French-Canadian frost on the pretty “Blanche Comme La Neige” (the sisters grew up speaking English at home, French at school). Its charms were solemn and witty. Like its predecessor Dancer… wowed fans while stalling commercially, not helped by the sisters’ aversion to touring schedules; they had children to raise, among them Kate’s Rufus and Martha, who in future would extend the dynasty. Opting for artistry rather than fame, the sisters never did respect music business rules. Their concerts weren’t slick, but like their songs, they showed two women in control. And while the gloss on other songwriters of the era has vanished, the McGarrigles’ groundedness – they never did stray far from that parlour – has prevailed, even after Kate’s death in 2010: the event that occasioned this reissue of family treasures. NEIL SPENCER Photo: Benno Friedman

Like other things about the McGarrigle sisters, their timing was odd. Their first album arrived in early ’76, just as the pop tide was turning against sensitivity and soft-rock and towards a more rugged engagement with the world. A pumped-up Bruce Springsteen was atop the charts with Born To Run. The Ramones and the Sex Pistols were collecting their first reviews.

What price a pair of homey Canadians lamenting hearts that refused to mend, trilling about St Catherine (in French!) or resurrecting cornball folk anthems like “Travellin’ On For Jesus”, all to a backdrop of piano, squeezebox and clarinet?

Against the odds, perhaps, Kate & Anna McGarrigle found instant favour among critics, though their acclaim couldn’t stop the record perishing where Warners executives had hoped it might clean up. After all, “Heart Like A Wheel”, one of its songs, had just spent a year on the US charts as the title track of a Linda Ronstadt album. Another hippy princess, Maria Muldaur, had covered the McGarrigles’ “Cool River”.

What the critics heard that the American public didn’t (in the UK Kate & Anna… acquired cult status) was firstly a pair of sublime voices, combined in the effortless harmonies that only siblings seem able to provide (a third, elder sister, Jane, also contributed). Clear, confident but wry, the voices were inseparable from songs that dealt coolly with break-up (“Go Leave”, “Kiss And Say Goodbye”), bore sadness stoically (“Heart Like A Wheel”) and recognised beauty with wistful joy (“(Talk To Me Of) Mendocino”).

For good measure came “Foolish You”, a perennial unknown outside Canada’s borders and a cover of Loudon Wainwright’s droll “Swimming Song”. Wainwright’s marriage to Kate was foundering as the songs chronicling its demise arrived: “Tell my sister to tell my mother I’m coming home alone…”

With its unusual backings, overseen by producers Joe Boyd and Greg Prestopino, Kate & Anna… seemed to have arrived from nowhere. In fact, the sisters had history aplenty, stretching from the parlour of the Quebec home where they had grown up hearing their father play antique Stephen Foster songs, to time in folk group the Montreal City Four, and, in Kate’s case, to a nearly-made-it career in New York.

Becoming a duo only arrived after their songs (usually written singly) were picked up by Muldaur and Ronstadt. Demos, including several that never made it to album, are gathered on disc three here, either from a showcase Kate cut in 1971 or run-throughs from 1974. In either case, their facility is startling – Boyd was “afraid they might expose our production as overdone” – and fans will treasure Kate’s “Saratoga Summer Song” where she recalls such teenage delights as “having crushes, dimming lights to hide the blushes”.

Early songs like “Southern Boys” showed up on Dancer With Bruised Knees, 1977’s seamless follow-on from their debut. Again it embraced family life (“First Born”, “Kitty Come Home”) and togetherness (“Walking Song”, “Homage A Grungie”). There were waltzes, and a touch of French-Canadian frost on the pretty “Blanche Comme La Neige” (the sisters grew up speaking English at home, French at school). Its charms were solemn and witty.

Like its predecessor Dancer… wowed fans while stalling commercially, not helped by the sisters’ aversion to touring schedules; they had children to raise, among them Kate’s Rufus and Martha, who in future would extend the dynasty. Opting for artistry rather than fame, the sisters never did respect music business rules. Their concerts weren’t slick, but like their songs, they showed two women in control. And while the gloss on other songwriters of the era has vanished, the McGarrigles’ groundedness – they never did stray far from that parlour – has prevailed, even after Kate’s death in 2010: the event that occasioned this reissue of family treasures.

NEIL SPENCER

Photo: Benno Friedman

ARCTIC MONKEYS – SUCK IT AND SEE

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ARCTIC MONKEYS – SUCK IT AND SEE

We liked Alex Turner as a northern urchin, coming from nowhere armed with a swaggering confidence and funny lyrics that felt like entirely accurate representations of what it’s like to be young and clever in an English town in the 21st century. As a typical rock star, complete with celebrity girlfriend and twin homes in trendy east London and even trendier Brooklyn, Turner seems to have conformed, and lost much of what charmed us in the process. Arctic Monkeys threw something of a curveball with their last record, Humbug, which was recorded with Josh Homme at Queens Of The Stone Age’s studio of choice, Rancho De La Luna. Suck It And See came together in a rather glossier Californian location – Los Angeles’ Sound City, the studio where American rock classics like Nevermind are made, with Turner’s favourite producer James Ford at the controls. The first two tracks to emerge from the sessions, though – a ’60s-style garage rocker called “Brick By Brick” largely sung by drummer Matt Helders, and first single “Don’t Sit Down ’Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”, a jokey list song with a Cramps-ish feel – suggested this remains a band who like to keep their fans on their toes. But Suck It And See is not a trip into beat group retro or dank gothabilly. It does sound familiar, though. It sounds, mainly, like The Smiths. Or, more accurately, like solo Morrissey; mid-tempo rhythms, themes of curdled romance, guitars that ring and jangle, and an unmistakeably Smithsian edge to Turner’s increasingly deep and restrained vocals. Oh… and jokes. Except Turner’s waggish wordplay isn’t that funny anymore. The smartarse puns and pop culture references that made debut Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not so striking appear to have become a trap that Turner can’t break free from. Five of the 11 songs here – this is a short, sharp album – are almost scuppered by the singer-guitarist’s increasingly strained attempts to be witty. “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” is a lovely mix of chiming highlife guitars and uplifting chorus. But Turner’s obsession with the theme of the femme fatale finds him fighting the law of diminishing poetic returns. “Home sweet home, home sweet home, home sweet booby trap/I took the batteries out my mysticism and put them in my thinking cap” he croons, and the song’s over before you’ve finished wincing. And “Don’t Sit Down…” remains a bizarre choice for a single, not least because no decent list song should find room for the clumsiness of “Fill in a circular hole with a peg that’s square”, let alone its nonsense about a “chip pan fire fight” and doing “the Macarena in the devil’s lair”. Turner and co broke a habit of in-studio arranging and overdubbing for this record, rehearsing the songs and asking Ford to capture them as live as possible. Perhaps this explains the surprise twist in the Arctics’ career, whereby Turner’s lyrics have declined while Jamie Cook’s guitar playing has improved beyond recognition. Finding a ringing, sky-scraping style that combines elements of Johnny Marr, John Squire and The House Of Love’s Terry Bickers, Cook’s emergence as a guitar hero on the likes of “Black Treacle”, “All My Own Stunts” and “Piledriver Waltz” lends a whole new dimension to a band that initially depended on a kind of thrashing staccato clatter. The closing “That’s Where You’re Wrong” sends the album out on a high, reminding you that the Arctics always sounded more Manchester than Sheffield. Even the biggest Arctics fan wouldn’t have suggested beauty among the band’s key qualities. But Suck It And See is full of beautiful tunes, beautifully played and beautifully produced. It’s a record that goes a long way toward breathing new life into the busted flush of English indie with a romantic Britpop sound that stands comparison with The Smiths, The La’s and New Order. But in order to complete that leap – and make a record that equals the impact of their first – the lead guitarist needs to give the songwriter a good, hard kick up the arse. Garry Mulholland

We liked Alex Turner as a northern urchin, coming from nowhere armed with a swaggering confidence and funny lyrics that felt like entirely accurate representations of what it’s like to be young and clever in an English town in the 21st century. As a typical rock star, complete with celebrity girlfriend and twin homes in trendy east London and even trendier Brooklyn, Turner seems to have conformed, and lost much of what charmed us in the process.

Arctic Monkeys threw something of a curveball with their last record, Humbug, which was recorded with Josh Homme at Queens Of The Stone Age’s studio of choice, Rancho De La Luna. Suck It And See came together in a rather glossier Californian location – Los Angeles’ Sound City, the studio where American rock classics like Nevermind are made, with Turner’s favourite producer James Ford at the controls. The first two tracks to emerge from the sessions, though – a ’60s-style garage rocker called “Brick By Brick” largely sung by drummer Matt Helders, and first single “Don’t Sit Down ’Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”, a jokey list song with a Cramps-ish feel – suggested this remains a band who like to keep their fans on their toes.

But Suck It And See is not a trip into beat group retro or dank gothabilly. It does sound familiar, though. It sounds, mainly, like The Smiths. Or, more accurately, like solo Morrissey; mid-tempo rhythms, themes of curdled romance, guitars that ring and jangle, and an unmistakeably Smithsian edge to Turner’s increasingly deep and restrained vocals. Oh… and jokes. Except Turner’s waggish wordplay isn’t that funny anymore.

The smartarse puns and pop culture references that made debut Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not so striking appear to have become a trap that Turner can’t break free from. Five of the 11 songs here – this is a short, sharp album – are almost scuppered by the singer-guitarist’s increasingly strained attempts to be witty. “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” is a lovely mix of chiming highlife guitars and uplifting chorus. But Turner’s obsession with the theme of the femme fatale finds him fighting the law of diminishing poetic returns. “Home sweet home, home sweet home, home sweet booby trap/I took the batteries out my mysticism and put them in my thinking cap” he croons, and the song’s over before you’ve finished wincing. And “Don’t Sit Down…” remains a bizarre choice for a single, not least because no decent list song should find room for the clumsiness of “Fill in a circular hole with a peg that’s square”, let alone its nonsense about a “chip pan fire fight” and doing “the Macarena in the devil’s lair”.

Turner and co broke a habit of in-studio arranging and overdubbing for this record, rehearsing the songs and asking Ford to capture them as live as possible. Perhaps this explains the surprise twist in the Arctics’ career, whereby Turner’s lyrics have declined while Jamie Cook’s guitar playing has improved beyond recognition. Finding a ringing, sky-scraping style that combines elements of Johnny Marr, John Squire and The House Of Love’s Terry Bickers, Cook’s emergence as a guitar hero on the likes of “Black Treacle”, “All My Own Stunts” and “Piledriver Waltz” lends a whole new dimension to a band that initially depended on a kind of thrashing staccato clatter.

The closing “That’s Where You’re Wrong” sends the album out on a high, reminding you that the Arctics always sounded more Manchester than Sheffield. Even the biggest Arctics fan wouldn’t have suggested beauty among the band’s key qualities. But Suck It And See is full of beautiful tunes, beautifully played and beautifully produced. It’s a record that goes a long way toward breathing new life into the busted flush of English indie with a romantic Britpop sound that stands comparison with The Smiths, The La’s and New Order. But in order to complete that leap – and make a record that equals the impact of their first – the lead guitarist needs to give the songwriter a good, hard kick up the arse.

Garry Mulholland

Arctic Monkeys stream new album ‘Suck It And See’ online

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Arctic Monkeys stream new album ‘Suck It And See’ online
Arctic Monkeys are streaming their fourth studio album 'Suck It And See' online. The album isn't officially released until next Monday (June 6), but you can hear it now, in full, by heading to the band's official website Arcticmonkeys.com. The album, which is the follow-up to 2009's 'Humbug', was r...

Arctic Monkeys are streaming their fourth studio album ‘Suck It And See’ online. The album isn’t officially released until next Monday (June 6), but you can hear it now, in full, by heading to the band’s official website Arcticmonkeys.com.

The album, which is the follow-up to 2009’s ‘Humbug’, was recorded in Los Angeles with producer James Ford, who was also at the controls for the recording of the band’s second album ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ and for selected tracks on ‘Humbug’.

‘Suck It And See’ features the previously available tracks ‘Brick By Brick’, ‘Reckless Serenade’ and lead-off single ‘Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair’, as well as ‘All My Own Stunts’, which includes Queens Of The Stone Age mainman Josh Homme on backing vocals.

Arctic Monkeys are currently at the tail end of a North American tour and return to the UK next week to play two huge shows at Sheffield‘s Don Valley Stadium next Friday (June 10) and Saturday (June 11).

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

PJ Harvey announces two new UK shows for September

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PJ Harvey announces two new UK shows for September
PJ Harvey has announced two new UK live shows for September. The singer, who is currently promoting her eighth studio album 'Let England Shake', will play Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall on September 4 and Manchester's O2 Apollo on September 8. PJ Harvey is also booked for several festival appearan...

PJ Harvey has announced two new UK live shows for September.

The singer, who is currently promoting her eighth studio album ‘Let England Shake’, will play Glasgow‘s Royal Concert Hall on September 4 and Manchester‘s O2 Apollo on September 8.

PJ Harvey is also booked for several festival appearances around the same time as these dates, including high profile slots at Bestival and Electric Picnic festival in Ireland.

She is additionally set to support Portishead at All Tomorrow’s Parties‘ I’ll Be Your Mirror festival in London in July, playing alongside the likes of Grinderman and Caribou.

Harvey recently said that though she has lots of ideas for the follow-up to ‘Let England Shake’, it could take her up to 10 years to record it.

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

Coldplay to release new single ‘Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall’ on Saturday (June 4)

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Coldplay to release new single ‘Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall’ on Saturday (June 4)
Coldplay have announced they are to release a brand new single 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall' this Saturday (June 4). The band revealed the news on their official website Coldplay.com this morning (May 31) and have said they will be streaming the new track from Friday (June 3). They have also put...

Coldplay have announced they are to release a brand new single ‘Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall’ this Saturday (June 4).

The band revealed the news on their official website Coldplay.com this morning (May 31) and have said they will be streaming the new track from Friday (June 3). They have also put up the single’s lyrics and artwork.

The announcement ends a week in which the band have posted two cryptic updates, which are now revealed to have been lyrics from the new single.

Drummer Will Campion has also posted a message, which reads: “We’re about to play a bunch of summer festivals so it’s as good a time as any to put out a new song. ‘Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall’ will be available digitally on Friday 3rd June at 12pm (BST), except in the UK where it’ll come out on the stroke of midnight between Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th June. We’ll also stream it here on Friday and give it a run out at Rock Im Park.”

The Rock Im Park festival takes place this weekend in Nuremberg, Germany, with Coldplay headlining the Saturday night (June 4).

The band have not said whether ‘Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall’ will feature on their forthcoming fifth studio album.

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

Weyes Blood & The Dark Juices: “The Outside Room”

John Mulvey
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0

Kind of out of practice with blogging, I’ve been so distracted by other stuff these past few weeks. I have a long list of stuff to cover, though, and this album by Weyes Blood & The Dark Juices seems a good place to start. There’s a fair amount of focus on the Not Not Fun label at the moment, not least that recent Wire cover, at a time when I’m personally finding some of their releases less to my taste (a bit too much refracted ‘80s neon and not enough psych murk, I guess); Sun Araw has flown the coop too, with a new album imminent on Drag City. The candlelit, sepulchral and corroded “The Outside Room” by Weyes Blood is a big exception to the rule, though. Weyes Blood, a little googling reveals, is the project of Natalie Mering, once of Jackie O-Motherfucker (though since JOMF have had more lineup changes than The Fall in the past decade, I couldn’t say where or when she figured in the band). The last record on NNF that entered this territory was probably by Zola Jesus, but Mering’s gothic sensibilities take in a lot more folk – and a lot more "Marble Index"-era Nico, too. Consequently, the opening “Storms That Breed” is a supernaturally-distorted waltz, with Mering’s beautiful and somewhat forlorn vocals gradually being subsumed by rust-covered clanking which manages to be aesthetically harmonious rather than distorted. Imagine Linda Perhacs if she’d never emerged from that avant-garde well she falls into halfway through “Parallelograms”, or maybe a darker companion to Julianna Barwick. That clank appears to have been orchestrated, at least in part, by The Shadow Ring’s elusive Graham Lambkin, and it really comes to the fore on “Candyboy”, where the toolshed jam session co-exists with a wandering guitar lead, whirling organ and Mering’s mournful wail to outstanding effect. Again, the vibe is devotional and ethereal, but with an edge, hammered home by the long coda, in which a Bach-like organ fugue is given a characteristically unsettling sonic treatment. Next up, though, the beautiful “Romneydale” resembles nothing so much as Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You”, heard through soup. Very good record, anyhow. If you’re in the mood for braving Myspace, give Weyes Blood a listen and let me know what you think.

Kind of out of practice with blogging, I’ve been so distracted by other stuff these past few weeks. I have a long list of stuff to cover, though, and this album by Weyes Blood & The Dark Juices seems a good place to start.

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Paul Simon, Carlos Santana protest against Grammy Award changes

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Paul Simon, Carlos Santana protest against Grammy Award changes
Paul Simon and Carlos Santana are among a host of musicians who are protesting against Grammy Award plans to axe over 30 categories from the annual event. The artists, who argue the changes were made without consulting academy members, have delivered a letter of protest to the Recording Academy. ...

Paul Simon and Carlos Santana are among a host of musicians who are protesting against Grammy Award plans to axe over 30 categories from the annual event.

The artists, who argue the changes were made without consulting academy members, have delivered a letter of protest to the Recording Academy.

In a letter to the president of the Recording Academy Neil Portnow, Simon wrote: “I believe the Grammys have done a disservice to many talented musicians by combining previously distinct and separate types of music into a catch-all of blurry larger categories.

“They deserve the separate Grammy acknowledgements that they’ve been afforded until this change eliminated them.”

In a separate letter, Santana added: “To remove Latin Jazz and many other ethnic categories is doing a huge disservice to the brilliant musicians who keep the music vibrant for their fans – new and old.

“We strongly protest this decision and we ask you to represent all of the colours of the rainbow when it comes to music and give ethnic music a place in the heart of music lovers everywhere.”

In response, Portnow said a members committee had been consulted, reports BBC News.

Contemporary Blues, Native American, Hawaiian and Latin Jazz are among 31 categories that are being axed from the prestigious awards show.

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

Pulp make live comeback at intimate Toulouse show

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Pulp make live comeback at intimate Toulouse show
Pulp made their live comeback last night (May 25) with an intimate show in Toulouse – their first gig since 2002. Jarvis Cocker's returning Britpop legends played the Le Bikini venue in the French city to warm up for their headline slot at Spain's Primavera Sound festival, scheduled for Saturday ...

Pulp made their live comeback last night (May 25) with an intimate show in Toulouse – their first gig since 2002.

Jarvis Cocker‘s returning Britpop legends played the Le Bikini venue in the French city to warm up for their headline slot at Spain’s Primavera Sound festival, scheduled for Saturday (27).

Accoridng to Setlist.fm, the band opened with their 1994 single ‘Do You Remember The First Time?’ and played hits including ‘Disco 2000’, ‘Sorted For E’s & Wizz’, ‘Common People’ and set-closer ‘Mis-Shapes’.

Watch some rather shaky fan footage of the show by clicking below.

The band are set to play festivals including the Isle Of Wight Festival on June 11, London‘s Wireless on July 3 and Scotland’s T In The Park on July 10.

Pulp played:

‘Do You Remember The First Time?’

‘Pink Glove’

‘Pencil Skirt’

‘Something Changed’

‘Disco 2000’

‘Babies’

‘Sorted For E’s & Wizz’

‘F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E’

‘I Spy’

‘Underwear’

‘This Is Hardcore’

‘Sunrise’

‘Bar Italia’

‘Common People’

‘O.U. (Gone, Gone)’

‘Countdown’

‘Joyriders’

‘His ‘n’ Hers’

‘Acrylic Afternoons’

‘Mis-Shapes’

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

The Who’s Roger Daltrey cancels UK shows due to poor ticket sales

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The Who’s Roger Daltrey cancels UK shows due to poor ticket sales
The Who frontman Roger Daltrey has cancelled three UK shows he was scheduled to play this summer due to poor ticket sales. Daltrey was due to perform at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire on July 3, Ripley Castle in Harrogate on July 17 and at Powderham Castle near Exeter on July 24, but all these dates ...

The Who frontman Roger Daltrey has cancelled three UK shows he was scheduled to play this summer due to poor ticket sales.

Daltrey was due to perform at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire on July 3, Ripley Castle in Harrogate on July 17 and at Powderham Castle near Exeter on July 24, but all these dates have now been cancelled. Ticket buyers have been told they can claim a full refund from their point of purchase.

According to Stereoboard organisers have cited poor ticket sales as the reason for the cancellation, with Simon Fishwick, General Manager at Powderham Castle commenting: “It’s all to do with poor ticket sales, I’m afraid. It was an exciting event, but it just does not seem to have got anyone going.”

The dates were booked as part of The Who frontman’s UK tour, which will see him performing the band’s rock opera ‘Tommy’.

Roger Daltrey will now play:

Gateshead Sage (July 4)

Glasgow Clyde Auditorium (6)

Manchester Bridgewater Hall (7)

Nottingham Royal Centre (9)

Newport Centre (10)

Bristol Colston Hall (12)

Southend Cliffs Pavillion (13)

Guildford Guilfest (15)

Hampshire Broadlands (16)

Hull City Hall (19)

London Indigo O2 (21)

Norwich Blicking Hall (22)

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

First Look – X Men: First Class

Michael Bonner
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X MEN: FIRST CLASS HHH DIRECTED BY Matthew Vaughn STARRING James McAvoy, Michael Fassbinder OPENS JUNE 1 // CERT 12A // 131 MINS As evangelists, millenarians and scholars have learned to their disappointment, predicting the apocalypse has never been an entirely accurate business. After The R...

X MEN: FIRST CLASS

HHH

DIRECTED BY Matthew Vaughn

STARRING James McAvoy, Michael Fassbinder

OPENS JUNE 1 // CERT 12A // 131 MINS

As evangelists, millenarians and scholars have learned to their disappointment, predicting the apocalypse has never been an entirely accurate business.

Continue

Eddie Vedder streams ‘Ukulele Songs’ album online – audio

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Eddie Vedder streams ‘Ukulele Songs’ album online – audio
Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder is streaming his new album 'Ukulele Songs' online before its official release – click below to hear it. The album, made available to stream via We7, is set to come out on Monday (May 30). It's available to pre-order on iTunes now. The record features original and cover s...

Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder is streaming his new album ‘Ukulele Songs’ online before its official release – click below to hear it.

The album, made available to stream via We7, is set to come out on Monday (May 30). It’s available to pre-order on iTunes now.

The record features original and cover songs played on the ukulele with Cat Power, aka Chan Marshal, guesting on the song ‘Tonight You Belong To Me’. It also features versions of the Mamas & The Papas‘ ‘Dream A Little Dream Of Me’ and Pearl Jam‘s own ‘Can’t Keep’.

The tracklisting of ‘Ukulele Songs’ is:

‘Can’t Keep’

‘Sleeping By Myself’

‘Without You’

‘More Than You Know’

‘Goodbye’

‘Broken Heart’

‘Satellite’

‘Longing To Belong’

‘Hey Fahkah’

‘You’re True’

‘Lights Today’

‘Sleepless Nights’

‘Once In Awhile’

‘Waving Palms’

‘Tonight You Belong To Me’

‘Dream A Little Dream’

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

Radiohead: ”The King Of Limbs’ wasn’t going to be an immediate record’

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Radiohead: ”The King Of Limbs’ wasn’t going to be an immediate record’
Radiohead’s Phil Selway has said that the band knew from the outset that their new album 'The King Of Limbs' "wasn’t going to be an immediate record." Speaking to Drowned In Sound before he performed a solo gig at Liverpool Sound City festival, the drummer also said the album was "a reaction" t...

Radiohead’s Phil Selway has said that the band knew from the outset that their new album ‘The King Of Limbs’ “wasn’t going to be an immediate record.”

Speaking to Drowned In Sound before he performed a solo gig at Liverpool Sound City festival, the drummer also said the album was “a reaction” to the band’s 2007 effort ‘In Rainbows’. “With ‘The King of Limbs’, we all knew that it wasn’t going to be an immediate record but a lot of great records have been 38 minutes long,” he said. “It’s that old chestnut of a grower.”

He added: “Every record that we’ve done has been a reaction to the last one and ‘The King of Limbs’ carried on that tradition for us.”

Radiohead‘s ‘newspaper album’ version of ‘The King Of Limbs'[/url] came out earlier this month. Selway, meanwhile, is confirmed to perform a solo gig at this summer’s Truck Festival in Oxfordshire.

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

Michael Eavis tried to get Prince for Glastonbury 2011

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Michael Eavis tried to get Prince for Glastonbury 2011
Michael Eavis has said that he tried to get Prince to play this year's Glastonbury festival. The purple-themed funk rock legend had long been rumoured to headline the festival, as one of the world's remaining heavy musical hitters who has yet to play. And now organiser Eavis has admitted that he n...

Michael Eavis has said that he tried to get Prince to play this year’s Glastonbury festival.

The purple-themed funk rock legend had long been rumoured to headline the festival, as one of the world’s remaining heavy musical hitters who has yet to play. And now organiser Eavis has admitted that he negotiated for Prince to play the event that will now be headlined by U2, Coldplay and Beyonce.

He told the Daily Star: “I tried to get Prince earlier on. At once point, he was, then he wasn’t, then he was. It was a question of a bird in the hand. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, if not three in a bush. In the end I went for the bands we have on the bill now, which ain’t bad.”

Instead Prince is playing at the Hop Farm Festival in July. Eavis joked: “I think I must’ve set that one up.”

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb reveals Michael Jackson collaboration

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Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb reveals Michael Jackson collaboration
Bee Gees frontman Barry Gibb has posted a 30-second clip of an unreleased collaboration with Michael Jackson online. The footage shows Gibb and Jackson in the studio writing and recording the track 'All In Your Name'. Watch it by clicking below. The singer first posted the clip on Barrygibb.com...

Bee Gees frontman Barry Gibb has posted a 30-second clip of an unreleased collaboration with Michael Jackson online.

The footage shows Gibb and Jackson in the studio writing and recording the track ‘All In Your Name’. Watch it by clicking below.

The singer first posted the clip on Barrygibb.com with a message explaining that the track was recorded in 2002. “Michael Jackson and I were the dearest of friends, that’s simply what it was,” he explained. “We gravitated towards the same kind of music and we loved collaborating and he was the easiest person to write with.”

He added: “The more we got to know each other the more those ideas entwined and it all came to this song ‘All In Your Name’. “All in Your Name” is in fact the message that Michael wanted to send out to all of his fans all over the world that he did it all for them and for the pure love of music. I hope and pray that we all get to hear it in its entirety. This experience I will treasure forever.”

Some media sources are speculating that the track was written in response to the US government’s plan to invade Iraq. The footage was shot by Gibb‘s daugher Ashley.

U2 wish Bob Dylan happy birthday at 360° Salt Lake City show

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U2 wish Bob Dylan happy birthday at 360° Salt Lake City show
U2 wished Bob Dylan a happy 70th birthday during their 360° tour show in Salt Lake City last night (May 24). The band performed a rare rendition of 'Love Rescue Me' from their 1998 album 'Rattle And Hum' at the Rice-Eccles Stadium, a track Dylan co-wrote. Bono then wished the folk legend many happ...

U2 wished Bob Dylan a happy 70th birthday during their 360° tour show in Salt Lake City last night (May 24).

The band performed a rare rendition of ‘Love Rescue Me’ from their 1998 album ‘Rattle And Hum’ at the Rice-Eccles Stadium, a track Dylan co-wrote. Bono then wished the folk legend many happy returns with the help of the crowd.

Watch footage of the singer paying tribute to Dylan by clicking below.

Later in the show Bono threw snippets of Dylan classics ‘Times They Are A-Changin’ and Blowin’ In The Wind’ into ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ into the setlist.

U2 were among a host of stars who paid tribute to Dylan on his big day yesterday, with Arcade Fire, Kings Of Leon, Slash and My Chemical Romance among those offering their best wishes to him.

Liam Gallagher wants Johnny Depp for his Beatles film

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Liam Gallagher wants Johnny Depp for his Beatles film
Liam Gallagher has declared that he wants Johnny Depp to star in his forthcoming Beatles feature film. The Beady Eye mouthpiece has set up a company, In 1 Productions, to make a film adaptation of the book The Longest Cocktail Party: An Insider's Diary Of The Beatles, Their Million Dollar Apple Emp...

Liam Gallagher has declared that he wants Johnny Depp to star in his forthcoming Beatles feature film.

The Beady Eye mouthpiece has set up a company, In 1 Productions, to make a film adaptation of the book The Longest Cocktail Party: An Insider’s Diary Of The Beatles, Their Million Dollar Apple Empire And Its Wild Rise And Fall. The book is by Richard DiLello and features an account of life with the band between 1968 and 1970.

Gallagher said he’d like Depp to play Derek Taylor, the band’s publicist. “Derek Taylor was a dude,” he told Q. “He’s up there with Lennon. The film script is done. It’s gonna blow people’s minds, man. I’m just waiting to find out when we choose the actors. I want Johnny Depp to play Derek Taylor. It’s got Johnny Depp written all over it, man.”

The singer and and In 1 Productions are collaborating in the project with Revolution Films, whose co-founder is Andrew Eaton, producer of 2002 Factory Records biopic 24 Hour Party People.

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

The 20th Uncut Playlist Of 2011

John Mulvey
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Thank you one and all for your extraordinary patience and willingness to play along with the game, and my apologies for not publishing messages from those of you who guessed correctly. Today, finally, I can reveal the tremendous mystery record that’s been preoccupying me for the past few weeks: check out Number Four in the list below. I’ll try and write something about it next week, and hopefully get back into a more rigorous blogging routine. My time has been taken up of late working on the next Uncut Music Guide, which has involved a lot of grappling with the collected works and thoughts of Pink Floyd. That’ll be out early in June. In the meantime, these are the records I’ve played this week: some good ones and, as implied, a pretty great one. 1 Michael Chapman – Growing Pains 3 (Market Square) 2 Popol Vuh – Revisited & Remixed (SPV) 3 La Big Vic – Actually (Underwater Peoples) 4 Gillian Welch – The Harrow And The Harvest (Acony) 5 Marissa Nadler – Marissa Nadler (Box Of Cedar) 6 Frank Fairfield – Out on the Open West (Tompkins Square) 7 Fatoumata Diawara – Kanou (World Circuit) 8 Tuusanuuskat - Nääksää Nää Mun Kyyneleet (Fonal) 9 Steve Mason/Dennis Bovell – Yesterday Dub (Domino) 10 Julian Lynch – Terra (Underwater Peoples) 11 Various Artists – True Soul Volume 2: Deep Sounds From The Left Of Stax (Now Again) 12 Wolf Gang – Suego Faults (Atlantic) 13 The Horrors – Skying (XL) 14 Deep Magic – Lucid Thought (Circa) 15 Jozef Van Wissem – The Joy That Never Ends (Important) 16 Carol Kleyn – Love Has Made Me Stronger (Drag City) 17 Quiet Evenings – Transcending Spheres (Circa) 18 Barn Owl & The Infinite Strings Ensemble - The Headlands (Important)

Thank you one and all for your extraordinary patience and willingness to play along with the game, and my apologies for not publishing messages from those of you who guessed correctly. Today, finally, I can reveal the tremendous mystery record that’s been preoccupying me for the past few weeks: check out Number Four in the list below.

Continue

Al Pacino to play Phil Spector in HBO TV movie

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Al Pacino to play Phil Spector in HBO TV movie

A film based on Phil Spector's murder trial is being made, with Al Pacino set to play the producer. US network HBO have commissioned the TV movie, which will also see Bette Midler take up the role of Linda Baden, Spector's defence lawyer in his first murder trial over the killing of actress Lana Clarkson. The film will explore Baden and Spector's relationship during the first court case, which was declared a mistrial in 2007 after jurors were deadlocked. Spector was given a 19-years-to-life jail sentence in May 2009 for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003, after a second trial. Arrested Development star Jeffrey Tambor has also joined the cast to play Bruce Cutler, another defence lawyer for the convicted producer, according to Variety magazine. An appeal by [url=http://www.nme.com/news/phil-spector/56423]Spector's lawyers against his murder conviction[/url] was rejected earlier this month. The lawyers had urged the court to throw out the original sentence on the grounds that it was prejudiced by testimony from five women who claimed to be victims of gun-related incidents with the producer in the past. Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk. Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

A film based on Phil Spector‘s murder trial is being made, with Al Pacino set to play the producer.

US network HBO have commissioned the TV movie, which will also see Bette Midler take up the role of Linda Baden, Spector‘s defence lawyer in his first murder trial over the killing of actress Lana Clarkson.

The film will explore Baden and Spector‘s relationship during the first court case, which was declared a mistrial in 2007 after jurors were deadlocked.

Spector was given a 19-years-to-life jail sentence in May 2009 for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003, after a second trial.

Arrested Development star Jeffrey Tambor has also joined the cast to play Bruce Cutler, another defence lawyer for the convicted producer, according to Variety magazine.

An appeal by [url=http://www.nme.com/news/phil-spector/56423]Spector’s lawyers against his murder conviction[/url] was rejected earlier this month. The lawyers had urged the court to throw out the original sentence on the grounds that it was prejudiced by testimony from five women who claimed to be victims of gun-related incidents with the producer in the past.

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

Kings Of Leon, Slash, Arcade Fire, MCR pay tribute to Bob Dylan on his 70th birthday

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Kings Of Leon, Slash, Arcade Fire, MCR pay tribute to Bob Dylan on his 70th birthday
Kings Of Leon, Slash, Arcade Fire and My Chemical Romance are among the musicians who have been paying tribute to Bob Dylan, who turns 70 today (May 24). Kings frontman Caleb Followill said: "He's a huge hero. Anyone who's ever tried to write a song feels stupid when they hear one of his. We met hi...

Kings Of Leon, Slash, Arcade Fire and My Chemical Romance are among the musicians who have been paying tribute to Bob Dylan, who turns 70 today (May 24).

Kings frontman Caleb Followill said: “He’s a huge hero. Anyone who’s ever tried to write a song feels stupid when they hear one of his. We met him on tour. I almost passed out.” Slash was similarly effusive in his praise, saying: “I’ve played with some of the greats but Bob Dylan is one of the greatest without a doubt.”

The Kooks‘s Luke Pritchard also spoke highly of Dylan. He wrote in The Sun today: “People say he’s a terrible singer, but his voice is unique. He was not only a musical trailblazer, he was the icon for a generation.”

My Chemical Romance‘s Gerard Way, meanwhile, said it was “an honour” for his band to be able to cover Dylan‘s ‘Desolation Row’ and that the singer was “an inspiration to a lot of people.”

Arcade Fire‘s Win Butler said of Dylan: “Once I was exposed to his music it made the radio a lot harder to listen to.”

Latest music and film news on Uncut.co.uk.

Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.

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