Keith Richards has revealed that he's been "playing a lot of bass" on The Rolling Stones' upcoming new material.
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S...
Speaking to the Daily Starnewspaper’s ‘Wired’ column (via Music-News.com), the musician spoke about spending a week in Jamaica to work on music with Stones frontman Mick Jagger.
Richards told the newspaper that him picking up the bass guitar provided “another angle” to the legendary band’s sound. “It’s quite interesting – at the same time it’s Stones man,” he said.
Asked how many new tracks emerged from the sessions, the guitarist replied: “More than I can count – it was a very productive week.”
Richards went on to say that he and Jagger “got a very good sound going”, adding: “Jamaica is good for sound.”
Elsewhere, he told the Daily Star that the Rolling Stones are currently “gearing up” for their recently-announced UK and European 60th anniversary tour, which takes place this summer.
(L-R) Mick Jagger and Keith Richards perform live with The Rolling Stones in 2021. Image: Jason Koerner / WireImage
“Once a year I like to keep my hand in – there’s nothing like playing on stage,” Richards said of his desire to head back out on the road.
Richards previously revealed that Jordan had worked with him and Jagger on “eight or nine new pieces of material”, explaining: “It’ll be interesting to find out the dynamics now that Steve’s in the band.”
The Rolling Stone’s most recent album of original new material, A Bigger Bang, came out in 2005. Over a decade later in 2016, the band released their Blue & Lonesome covers record.
Tickets for The Rolling Stones’ 2022 UK concerts go on general sale at 10am GMT this Friday (March 18). Visit here for other dates and details.
Robert Plant has opened up about Led Zeppelin's reputation for rock 'n' roll excess.
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The former frontman shared his thoughts on the latest episode of BBC...
The former frontman shared his thoughts on the latest episode of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.
When asked about the group’s reputation for “unbridled rock’n’roll hedonism”, he told Lauren Laverne: “The whole deal was sometimes very tough to be a part of. I think the intensity of what we were experiencing and the lack of structure was very difficult. We were flexing one way or the other and I found a lot of it quite tough.”
He continued: “I can’t get my head around it now, I’m so far away from [it]. You can read bits and pieces media-wise but it was so far removed from what it was. The best thing to do was imagine that a lot of it was an incredible exaggeration and most importantly we were able to go home and get new perspective and grow up.”
Keith Richards has said that The Rolling Stones have no plans to sell their publishing.
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His comments come as other acts including Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and ...
Talking to CBS This Morning, Richards said: “Mick and I have not spoken about it on a serious level. I don’t know if we’re ready to sell our catalogue.
“We might drag it out a bit, put some more stuff in it. The only thing about selling your catalogue…it’s a sign of getting old.”
“I think he tried to keep [his health] under the wraps last year,” the guitarist said. “It came as quite a shock. He had had a round with cancer a year or two before, but he beat that one. He just got hit with a double whammy, bless his soul.”
He added that the Stones had considered cancelling the remainder of their delayed No Filter tour last year following Watts’ passing.
“I think Charlie wanted us to go on the road,” Richards said. “He wanted the tour to happen. That was my feeling the last time I spoke with him.”
Additionally, Richards revealed that the band have been working on new material. Their last album of original work was 2005’s A Bigger Bang.
“I was working with Mick last week, and [drummer] Steve [Jordan], and we came up with eight or nine pieces of new material which is overwhelming by our standards,” he said.
The Cure have shared details of a new charity band t-shirt that provides support for Ukraine amid Russia's invasion of the country.
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Blue-and-yellow-coloured t-shirts bearing the band's logo are now available to purchase ...
The Cure have shared details of a new charity band t-shirt that provides support for Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion of the country.
Blue-and-yellow-coloured t-shirts bearing the band’s logo are now available to purchase for £20 here. The hues reflect the colours of the Ukrainian flag.
All net proceeds will go to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a UN agency mandated to aid and protect refugees. Purchases of the round neck and v-neck shirts also come with a free band badge.
Massive Attack have announced plans to sell off new artwork to help victims of the Ukraine conflict.
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The two prints, which you can view below, are both signed by Robert “3D” Del Naja and come with 10 randomly selecte...
Massive Attack have announced plans to sell off new artwork to help victims of the Ukraine conflict.
The two prints, which you can view below, are both signed by Robert “3D” Del Naja and come with 10 randomly selected hand-finished editions.
Both prints are available until March 22 and are priced at £150 plus VAT, with all proceeds going to the Disasters Emergency Committee‘s (DEC) Ukrainian humanitarian appeal.
Del Naja has been vocal about his support for victims of the Ukraine conflict, with the artist recently criticising the government’s response to the growing number of refugees after he posted several photos of the Ukrainian flag on his Instagram page.
“DON’T WAVE FLAGS / WAVE VISAS,” he wrote. You can see that post below.
The band are among a number of artists pledging their support to victims of the Ukraine conflict.
On Monday night (March 14), Arcade Fire performed a last-minute Ukraine benefit concert in New Orleans with all proceeds going to the Plus1 Ukraine relief fund, which is supporting Ukrainian people through non-profits providing humanitarian aid as Russia’s invasion of the country continues.
Mavis Staples and the estate of Levon Helm have announced details of a new album, Carry Me Home.
The album will be released by ANTI- Records on May 20.
Below, you can watch a promo for "You Got To Move" - a gospel and blues standard also recorded by artists including Mississippi Fred McDowell ...
Mavis Staples and the estate of Levon Helm have announced details of a new album, Carry Me Home.
The album will be released by ANTI- Records on May 20.
Below, you can watch a promo for “You Got To Move” – a gospel and blues standard also recorded by artists including Mississippi Fred McDowell and the Rolling Stones.
Recorded in Levon Helm Studios at Woodstock during the summer of 2011, the set turned out to be one of Helm’s final recordings before his death on April 19, 2012.
“It never crossed my mind that it might be the last time we’d see each other,” says Staples. “He was so full of life and so happy that week. He was the same old Levon I’d always known, just a beautiful spirit inside and out.”
Carry Me Home features a mix of Staples’ and Helm’s bands working their way through songs made famous by the likes of Nina Simone, The Impressions, Bob Dylan and the Stones.
The tracklisting for Carry Me Home is:
This Is My Country
Trouble In My Mind
Farther Along
Hand Writing On The Wall
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
Move Along Train
This May Be The Last Time
When I Go Away
Wide River To Cross
You Got To Move
You Got To Serve Somebody
The Weight
Meanwhile, Staples will tour Europe and the UK in June, often accompanied by Levon Helm’s daughter, Amy.
Their tour dates are:
MAVIS STAPLES TOUR DATES
04 June – Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound 2022
07 June – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique *
08 June – Paris, France – La Cigale *
10 June – Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands – Best Kept Secret 2022
11 June – Kidlington, UK – Kite Festival 2022
13 June – Stroud, UK – Subscription Rooms *
14 June – Edinburgh, UK – Usher Hall *
16 June – London, UK – Union Chapel *
17 June – London, UK – Union Chapel *
19 June – Newport, UK – Isle of Wight Festival
* – with Amy Helm
AMY HELM TOUR DATES
07 June – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique *
08 June – Paris, France – La Cigale *
11 June – Bristol, UK – Louisiana
13 June – Stroud, UK – Subscription Rooms *
14 June – Edinburgh, UK – Usher Hall *
16 June – London, UK – Union Chapel *
17 June – London, UK – Union Chapel *
20 June – London, UK – St. Pancras Old Church
Fontaines D.C. have shared a new cover of U2's "One" – listen to their version of the 1992 track below.
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"One" is the third track ...
Fontaines D.C.have shared a new cover of U2’s“One” – listen to their version of the 1992 track below.
“One” is the third track from U2‘s 1991 album Achtung Baby, and it was released as the record’s third single in February 1992. The song was a benefit single, with proceeds going towards AIDS research.
The Dublin band’s version of the song was recorded as part of Apple Music Home Session, Vol.2 and follows previous covers by them, which include The Velvet Underground‘s “The Black Angel’s Death Song” and The Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”.
Listen to Fontaines D.C.’s version of “One” below.
Earlier this month, Fontaines D.C. were announced on the Glastonbury 2022 line-up, alongside new headliners Paul McCartneyand Kendrick Lamar. They’ll also be playing Reading & Leeds Festival, Sam Fender’s Finsbury Park gig and TRNSMT Festival.
In April, the band will release their third album Skinty Fia, which they’ve previewed with the singles “Jackie Down The Line” and “I Love You”.
“I Love You” is described by Fontaines frontman Grian Chatten as “the first overtly political song we’ve written”.
Jack White has shared a video and written an open letter to major record labels, urging them to build their own vinyl pressing plants.
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The White Stripes frontman owns the Nashville-based Third Man Records, who have their...
Jack White has shared a video and written an open letter to major record labels, urging them to build their own vinyl pressing plants.
The White Stripes frontman owns the Nashville-based Third Man Records, who have their own pressing plant and opened a new London store last year. His letter comes after the vinyl industry has experienced huge delays due to COVID, meaning many smaller artists have been forced to delay album releases due to wait times at pressing plants.
“At least once a week, without fail, someone will reach out asking me to help expedite their vinyl record manufacturing,” White’s message began. “It’s a natural thought… knowing that I own a pressing plant and have my own record label, ‘if anyone could help, it’s this guy!'”
In the written message he went on to call the idea for major labels to build their own plants a “no-brainer,” writing: “We have ALL created an environment where the unprecedented demand for vinyl records cannot keep up with the rudimentary supply of them.”
“We’re all on the same team with the same goals,” he added. “I truly believe that with a good faith investment in the infrastructure that got us here, we can continue on this upward trajectory and further inspire the worlds around us. Now is the time.”
Watch the video and read the full written statement below.
“At least once a week, without fail, someone will reach out asking me to help expedite their vinyl record manufacturing. It’s a natural thought… knowing that I own a pressing plant and have my own record label, “if anyone could help, it’s this guy!”
With industry-wide turnaround times for vinyl currently leaning towards the length of a human pregnancy, it’s obvious, in a world so contingent on being of-the-moment and timed just right (a single, an album, a tour etc.), these timelines are the killers of momentum, soul, artistic expression, and far too often, livelihoods.
I’ve done everything within my power to help. Third Man Records began a concentrated focus on vinyl in 2009 with hopes of exposing its wider potential to the farthest reaches of the music industry. In 2017 I furthered my commitment by opening Third Man Pressing… a plant which has always been open to anyone and everyone who walks in the door and wants to press a record, from bedroom hip hop artists to field recording documentarians. And in the last year, I’ve doubled down and invested in even more record presses, more employees to run them, and more shifts to try and accommodate the insane growing demand for vinyl product.
There are people who will say – isn’t this good for Third Man? More demand than you can handle? To which I say, even though Third Man benefits in the short term, in the long term it ultimately hurts everyone involved in the vinyl ecosystem given the bottlenecks and delays. Something needs to be done.
While the entirety of vinyl investment and framework in the past decade has originated from independent companies and investors, the bigger problems we now see require major solutions.
In this spirit, I turn to our collegial big brothers in the music world, Sony, Universal, and Warner, and politely implore them to help alleviate this unfortunate backlog and start dedicating resources to build pressing plants themselves.
To be clear, the issue is not big labels versus small labels, it’s not independent versus mainstream, it’s not even punk versus pop. The issue is, simply, we have ALL created an environment where the unprecedented demand for vinyl records cannot keep up with the rudimentary supply of them.
Across the globe, there are now a handful of NEW companies, building both automated and manual vinyl presses. It’s easier to purchase a vinyl press now than it has been in four decades. And with more ancillary innovators popping up every day helping advance every facet of the industry, this isn’t a difficult decision to make. It’s a no-brainer.
We’re all on the same team with the same goals. I truly believe that with a good faith investment in the infrastructure that got us here, we can continue on this upward trajectory and further inspire the worlds around us. Now is the time. Thank you.
jack white III”
Jack White performs from a balcony on Marshall Street to celebrate the opening of Third Man Records’ London store in September 2021. Image: Jo Hale / Getty Images
Last year saw vinyl sales hit their highest since the 1990s, having seen huge growth for the 13th year in a row. Figures revealed that nearly one in five (18 per cent) of all albums purchased across 2020 were vinyl, with 4.8 million LPs being purchased. The new numbers are 10 per cent up on 2019’s figures.
White is gearing up to release the new album Fear Of The Dawn in April. It’s one of two records he will release this year, the other being Entering Heaven Alive. Hear two songs from the first album: “Taking Me Back”and “Fear Of The Dawn”.
White has also announced two London shows as part of his 2022 world tour.
Alana Haim and Jonny Greenwood accepted Paul Thomas Anderson's award for Best Original Screenplay at the 75th BAFTAs – check out the video below.
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Taking to the stage with Haim in Anderson’s place, the Radiohead guitarist said: “Paul is gonna be very excited to win this – not least because it means I’ve been forced to come and give a very awkward and inarticulate speech on his behalf, which he will find very funny.
“Paul is an amazing director and an amazing screenwriter, and he even films lots of his films. And if he didn’t sing like a donkey, he’d probably do the music as well. But he’s gonna be very happy to see this.”
Haim added: “This is for the [San Fernando] Valley [in Los Angeles]. I love you, Paul!” You can watch the speech below.
Alana Haim & Jonny Greenwood accept Paul Thomas Anderson’s BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay on his behalf. #EEBAFTAspic.twitter.com/1NjF0Cyvb4
Licorice Pizza shared the Outstanding Screenplay category with Being The Ricardos, Belfast, Don’t Look Upand King Richard. It was also in the running for Best Film and Editing, with Anderson receiving an additional nod in the Director list.
Alana Haim, meanwhile, was up for the Leading Actress award for her performance in the movie along with Lady Gaga (House Of Gucci), Emilia Jones (CODA), Renata Reinsve (The Worst Person In The World), Tessa Thompson (Passing) and winner of the category, Joanna Scanlan (After Love).
Fatoumata Diawara has announced details of a new album, Maliba.
The record is a collaboration with the Google Arts & Culture platform and will be available digitally only on March 11.
The seven new songs on Maliba form the soundtrack to a special online presentation of the Timbuktu Manuscripts...
Fatoumata Diawara has announced details of a new album, Maliba.
The record is a collaboration with the Google Arts & Culture platform and will be available digitally only on March 11.
The seven new songs on Maliba form the soundtrack to a special online presentation of the Timbuktu Manuscripts. This collection was imperilled when members of the militant Islamist group Ansar Dine seized Timbuktu in 2012 and began destroying many historic artefacts. Maliba tells the story of their preservation.
Says Diawara, ““This project means a lot to me. To be involved in the protection of the Timbuktu Manuscripts is a huge honour. Conditions for men and women in Mali are very different and for a woman to be involved in this cultural preservation is very important. It is unbelievable to be part of it and it feels like a dream. I’m so proud and so happy. I’m very in touch with my ancestral past. Many of the visuals and ideas I use come to me in my dreams, dreams about my ancestors. To be given a chance to help protect our ancestral and cultural legacy is so special to me.”
You can hear the first track, “Yakandi“, here:
The tracklisting for Maliba is:
An Ka Bin
Kalan
Maliba
One Day
Save It
Sini
Yakandi
How often do you get the opportunity to put a question to a real-life Sex Pistol – not to mention one who co-wrote most of their best-known anthems? Well now's your chance, as Glen Matlock is the latest luminary to volunteer for a gentle grilling from you lot in Uncut's next Audience With feature....
How often do you get the opportunity to put a question to a real-life Sex Pistol – not to mention one who co-wrote most of their best-known anthems? Well now’s your chance, as Glen Matlock is the latest luminary to volunteer for a gentle grilling from you lot in Uncut’s next Audience With feature.
After playing a pivotal role in the punk explosion, Matlock, of course, went on to form The Rich Kids, before recording numerous albums with The Philistines and The International Swingers. He’s also played with everyone from Iggy Pop and The Damned to Primal Scream.
He recently inked a new solo deal with Universal and “a timely and politically pertinent new album” is promised very soon.
So, what do you want to ask Glen Matlock? Send your questions to audiencewith@www.uncut.co.uk by Monday March 21 and he’ll answer the best ones in a future issue of Uncut.
From Uncut's 300th issue, bassist Laura Lee chooses the grooves that helped make Khruangbin cratedigger rock sensations. Read more in Uncut 300 - available now for home delivery from our online store.
THE BEATLES
REVOLVER
PARLOPHONE, 1966
We had all the Beatles cassettes on rotation in the ...
We had all the Beatles cassettes on rotation in the car growing up. I actually taught myself to read from the liner notes – you think about it, “Love Me Do”, they’re all kinda short words! But my Beatles record was Revolver. Still today, every time we record an album I always go back and listen to Revolver because it’s such a study in freedom. “Tomorrow Never Knows” is a pretty wild experimental choice and sometimes people are afraid to make those choices now. I like Revolver for its all-over-the-placeness because you really can hear each band member. My dad used to quiz me in the car on who wrote each song!
This was the record where she got back to her Cuban/Miami roots. My mom, who’s Latina, adored Gloria Estefan because she represented this woman who crossed over into the American diva world. Then when she put out this record, she was harking back to where she came from. It was the record I probably sang the most with my mom. It feels like a really old-school record and it was my first taste of Latin music. It still has the polished-ness of being on a giant label, but because she was trying to highlight the fact that she was Cuban, the production does feel a little less clean, a little bit smokier.
XSCAPE TRACES OF MY LIPSTICK SO SO DEF/SONY, 1998
We’re talking middle-school, so around age 13. My parents got divorced and I moved around a lot in the city. My dad had a new girlfriend and I was living in a black community, and via that I got incredibly into rap and R&B. So this is my coming-of-age album as a teenager. I should definitely not have been singing those lyrics! Xscape were all incredibly powerful singers, I assume they came from church. It was still that time in R&B when vocal melodies felt so much more dynamic than they do to me now. While the production of this era was kinda flat, the melodies were really full. I’m a melody person.
UB40 PROMISES AND LIES VIRGIN, 1993
This was introduced to me by my stepdad and became a huge part of my life in high school. I go back and listen to UB40 a lot, they’re an amazing band. They get a bad rap for some reason – I think people have a concept in their head of what reggae is supposed to be and it doesn’t meet up with that. But being in a band that I have no idea what genre we are, I’m grateful that we weren’t put in a category like they were! I remember the first time we played Birmingham, we were like, “Can we play a UB40 song?” We weren’t sure if they were heroes or not, so we were too scared to play it in the end. But if we ever go back, we will.
RADIOHEAD OK COMPUTER PARLOPHONE, 1997
When I was 16, I got this tattooed on the back of my neck because I feel like this record saved my life. I was going through a traumatic time in my young life and it made me feel that I wasn’t alone – it made sense of the world to me. A record had never given me that much emotional support. I would come home from school, lay down on the ground and listen to this because it made me feel calm. There are some frantic, manic things that happen on the record, but it was calming for me. I’ve been lucky enough to see Radiohead maybe 10 times and they’ve blown me away every time. I look up to them as a band because they never let me down.
CLUTCH SLOW HOLE TO CHINA RIVER ROAD, 2003
In late high-school/college I got really into stoner rock and metal. I went to see Mastodon play and Clutch opened up for them. I’ve seen big metal bands, I’ve seen Metallica play a giant stage, and that’s also an amazing experience. But seeing stoner metal in a sweaty basement, I really love that energy. The rush you get from those shows made an impression on me. This record in particular is full of riffs. Clutch are a powerhouse – they never broke big, but within the stoner rock scene they’re very well regarded. There’s something actually really funky about stoner metal and I really like that aspect of it. There’s a groove, in this hypnotic, hazy way.
THE ELECTRIC PRUNES RELEASE OF AN OATH REPRISE, 1968
When I was in this stoner rock/psychedelia phase, it somehow led me to find The Electric Prunes. I’m still blown away by this record. I grew up going to Catholic school, and a lot of the progressions and the feeling I get from this record, it feels Catholic to me – and that’s before I saw the song titles like “General Confessional”. It has that kind of baroque quality to the music while also being psychedelic, and I found that to be a really inspiring, interesting juxtaposition. This was my introduction to David Axelrod, he’s infinitely fascinating. The DVD of his performance at the Royal Festival Hall [from 2008] is essential bus content!
MARVIN GAYE I WANT YOU TAMLA, 1976
If I had to pick one record to listen to for the rest of my life, it would be this. I think it’s perfect. This is when he was breaking away from the mould that had been defined for him, so I think it’s quite a rebellious record. While literally it’s about a love affair, you could also probably make the argument that it’s about him wanting a life that was different to the one that he had. He stops following a formula because he wasn’t trying to appease the heads of a label in terms of creating songs for pop radio. Songs start and stop in odd places. That’s a beautiful thing to keep in mind when crafting a record, to not feel like you have to do anything to please anyone.
The Rolling Stones have announced details of their 60th anniversary tour dates.
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The tour - called, perhaps unsurprisingly, SIXTY - includes two shows as part of American Express presents BST Hyde Park on Saturday, June 2...
The Rolling Stones have announced details of their 60th anniversary tour dates.
The tour – called, perhaps unsurprisingly, SIXTY – includes two shows as part of American Express presents BST Hyde Park on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, July 3.
The tour comprises fourteen shows in 10 countries including the band’s first gig in Liverpool in over 50 years.
The full run of dates are:
JUNE
Wednesday, June 1 – Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain
Sunday, June 5 – Olympic Stadium, Munich, Germany
Thursday, June 9 – Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, UK
Monday, June 13 – Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Friday, June 17 – Wankdorf Stadium, Bern, Switzerland
Tuesday, June 21 – San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy
Saturday, June 25 – American Express presents BST Hyde Park, London, UK
JULY
Sunday, July 3 – American Express presents BST Hyde Park, London, UK
Monday, July 11 – King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
Friday, July 15 – Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria
Tuesday, July 19 – Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France
Saturday, July 23 – Hippodrome ParisLongchamp, Paris, France
Wednesday, July 27 – Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Sunday, July 31 – Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
The American Express® Cardmembers pre-sale for Tickets for BST Hyde Park starts Monday, March 14; Rolling Stones mailing list and BST Hyde Park pre-sales start Wednesday, March 16 at 10am GMT. General tickets go on sale 10am Friday, March 18. Ticket prices start at £79.95.
Meanwhile, Keith Richards talks about the future of the Stones in the new issue of Uncut – in shops now or available to buy direct from our online store.
Belle And Sebastian have shared a new single called "If They're Shooting At You" alongside an accompanying video in support of those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
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The Scottish group enlisted various photographers ...
Belle And Sebastian have shared a new single called “If They’re Shooting At You” alongside an accompanying video in support of those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
The Scottish group enlisted various photographers who are on the ground covering the ongoing crisis to create a powerful “visual collage” set to their latest single, which will appear on their 10th album A Bit Of Previous.
As well as offering a message of solidarity and hope, Belle And Sebastian have pledged to donate all artist income from the song – including streaming, digital sales and publishing royalties – to the Red Cross.
Additionally, donations made via Bandcamp until next Friday (March 18) will be matched by the UK government as part of a joint appeal with the Disasters Emergency Committee. An option to donate directly is also available with the song on streaming platforms.
“When the situation in Ukraine first started to happen it became clear that the lives of the people there, and probably ‘ours’ too, were never going to be the same,” said frontman Stuart Murdoch.
“The band had just started rolling out tracks for our new album, and it all felt a bit silly to be honest. We had one track called ‘If They’re Shooting At You’, it’s a song about being lost, broken and under threat of violence. The key line is: ‘If they’re shooting at you kid you must be doing something right’.”
Murdoch continued: “We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and hope that their pain and suffering can be brought to a halt as soon as possible.
“We got in touch with various photographers and creatives in Ukraine and they generously said that we could put their pictures to music. In creating this we aspire to show a hopeful, defiant side, as well as bringing an awareness to the plight of the people there.”
He added: “We think any way in which we can get behind Ukraine – politically, culturally, practically, spiritually – it must all add up in the end. Together we have to do what it takes to help Ukraine beat this tyranny.”
Murdoch went on to ask fans to consider making a donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee, the Red Cross “or any other humanitarian charity involved in the crisis”.
“If you choose to donate to the Red Cross, please visit here redcross.org.uk/ukraine,” he wrote. “They are part of the joint appeal with the DEC until March 18th, and money donated before then will be matched by the UK government.”
Ukraine flag. Image: Ayhan Altun/Getty Images
Many figures from the worlds of music and entertainment have posted messages of support and solidarity with the people of Ukraine in recent weeks. Elton John said he was “heartbroken” over the “nightmare” that civilians are facing.
On Wednesday (March 9), the latter band made a last-minute appearance at a fundraising gig for Ukraine at the Roundhouse in Camden, London. The Night For Ukraine event also featured performances from the likes of Bob Geldof and Chrissie Hynde.
In other news, Factory Records co-founder Alan Erasmus recently travelled to Ukraine to work with humanitarian organisations in the country.
Pink Floyd and David Gilmour are removing their music from streaming services in Russia and Belarus to show their support for Ukraine.
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Ukraine officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law afte...
Pink FloydandDavid Gilmour are removing their music from streaming services in Russia and Belarus to show their support for Ukraine.
Ukraine officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation on February 24. At the time of writing, the Russian invasion has killed at least 549 citizens, including 41 children. 957 civilians have also been injured.
Pink Floyd have removed all their music from 1987 onwards to stand in solidarity with Ukraine, as has former lead singer Gilmour.
Writing on Twitter, Pink Floyd said: “To stand with the world in strongly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the works of Pink Floyd, from 1987 onwards, and all of David Gilmour’s solo recordings are being removed from all digital music providers in Russia and Belarus from today.”
To stand with the world in strongly condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the works of Pink Floyd, from 1987 onwards, and all of David Gilmour's solo recordings are being removed from all digital music providers in Russia and Belarus from today. pic.twitter.com/lTV7T3y29u
A NOTE FROM ROGER REGARDING UKRAINE. BUT FIRST, A NOTE FROM ALINA:Hello!My name is Alina Mitrofanova, I am 19 years old, and I live in Ukraine. Today my country is resisting the Russian invasion and the real war started by Russian president and led by Russian army. I am a huge Pink Floyd and Roger Waters fan, and it was very important for me to hear Roger's opinion on this whole situation. It may not seem as urgent and critical, because this war can be considered as only "our problem", but unfortunately it rapidly becomes a catastrophe for the entire Europe and world.The war started 11 days ago, and everyday we hear sirens that signalize about bombs thrown by Russian occupants. Russia's aggression destroys MY country, kills hundreds of innocent adults and children in MY country, and I cannot explain how many Ukrainians are forced to leave their homes and run away from this madness. Ukrainian Eastern cities are being destroyed by Russian army, hundreds of thousands of people are evacuating and becoming refugees, and their number is increasing every minute. I'm in pain, as many other Ukrainians, because it hurts a lot to see how MY country becomes a military target for Russia and its mad leader, who's convinced that there are "neo-Nazis", who have to be killed. It's absolutely false, because I live here, and I can tell 200% that there are no such people there!I ask Roger to speak publicly about this war, because I still cannot understand how a person, who wrote a significant number of anti-war lyrics, hasn't spoken about tragedy yet. Furthermore, fully understand that Roger's point of view may be different, but I ask him to share his own opinion on this war. It's better than just being silent, because in this situation, silence is one of the worst enemies – it's impossible to build a wall in this situation and stay isolated from this problem. I'm 95% sure that this letter will not be delivered to Roger directly, and it would be just a miracle if a have an answer. However, a man who speaks about risks of nuclear catastrophe and about the senselessness of the war cannot be silent in this situation. Tell the world your position!Best regards from Ukraine, Alina Mitrofanova—Dear Alina, I read your letter, I feel your pain, I am disgusted by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, it is a criminal mistake in my opinion, the act of a gangster, there must be an immediate ceasefire. I regret that Western governments are fueling the fire that will destroy your beautiful country by pouring arms into Ukraine, instead of engaging in the diplomacy that will be necessary to stop the slaughter. Rest assured if all our leaders don’t turn down the rhetoric and engage in diplomatic negotiations there will be precious little of Ukraine left when the fighting is over. A long drawn out insurgency in Ukraine would be great for the gangster hawks in Washington, it’s what they dream of, “playing the game” as they do, ”with the bravery of being out of range” I desperately hope your President is not a gangster too and that he will do what is best for his people, and demand of the Americans that they come to the table. Sadly however, many world leaders are gangsters and my disgust for political gangsters did not start last week with Putin. I was disgusted by the gangsters Bush and Blair when they invaded Iraq in 2003, I was and still am disgusted by the gangster government of Israel's invasion of Palestine in 1967 and its subsequent apartheid occupation of that land which has now been going on for over fifty years. I was disgusted by the gangsters Obama and Clinton ordering NATO's illegal bombings of both Libya and Serbia. I am disgusted by the wholesale destruction of Syria initiated, as it was, in 2011 by outside interference in the cause of regime change. I was disgusted by the invasion of Lebanon in 1982 when the gangster Shimon Peres connived with the Christian Phalangist Militias in the murder of Palestinian refugees in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in the south of that country. I feel for you Alina, and your Mum and Dad and your uncles and aunts and brothers and sisters and cousins, I lost both my father Eric Fletcher Waters and my grandfather George Henry Waters in wars fighting the Germans. Please believe me when I tell you that I believe in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights signed in Paris 1948. I have fought as hard as I know how to foster and support human rights for all my brothers and sisters all over the world for as long as I can remember, and I support you and yours now, with all my heart. Speaking of gangsters, I do have to take issue with you about one thing in your letter, your “200%” belief that there are no Neo-Nazis in your country is almost certainly mistaken. Both the Azov Battalions in your army, the National Militia and C14 are well known self-proclaimed Neo Nazis groups. They are gangsters too. Also, I have not been silent on Ukraine, I wrote a piece which was distributed six days ago by Globetrotter, I shall append it to this post: https://braveneweurope.com/roger-waters-the-war-profiteering-gangsters-will-kill-us-all-unless-we-unite-against-themWhat else Alina? Well, we the people, all of us in every country in the world, including Ukraine and Russia, can fight the gangsters, we can tell them we will not be part of their obscene and deadly wars to garner power and wealth at the expense of others, we can tell them that our families, in fact all families all over the world mean more to us than all the power and money in the world. Where I live in the USA we can join Black Lives Matter or Code Pink or BDS or Veterans For Peace or myriad other anti-war, pro law, pro freedom, pro human rights organizations. I will do anything I can to help effect the end of this awful war in your country, anything that is except wave a flag to encourage the slaughter. That is what the gangsters want, they want us to wave flags. That is how they divide and control us, by encouraging the waving of flags, to create a smokescreen of enmity to blind us to our innate capacity to empathize with one another, while they plunder and rape our fragile planet. I will do everything in my power to help bring peace back to you and your family and your beautiful country. The long drawn-out war/insurgency that Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice and the rest of the has been gangster Washington Hawks are encouraging is not in your nor Ukraine’s best interests. I wish you well Alina. Thank you for your letter, and if you chose to send a reply to this. I will print that reply. I promise.LoveR.PS. Have you got a dog? If so please send a pic.
Posted by Roger Waters on Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Gilmour added: “Russian soldiers, stop killing your brothers. There will be no winners in this war. My daughter in law is Ukrainian and my grand-daughters want to visit and know their beautiful country. Stop this before it is all destroyed.”
“I am disgusted by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” he continued. “It is a criminal mistake in my opinion, the act of a gangster. There must be an immediate ceasefire. I regret that Western governments are fueling the fire that will destroy your beautiful country by pouring arms into Ukraine instead of engaging in the diplomacy that will be necessary to stop the slaughter.”
Many figures from the worlds of music and entertainment have posted messages of support and solidarity with the people of Ukraine in recent weeks. Elton Johnsaid he was “heartbroken” over the “nightmare” that civilians are facing.
On Wednesday (March 9), the latter band made a last-minute appearance at a fundraising gig for Ukraine at the Roundhouse in Camden, London. The Night For Ukraine event also featured performances from the likes of Bob Geldof and Chrissie Hynde.
Radiohead side-project The Smile have unveiled details of a new one-time single pressing for recently released singles "You Will Never Work In Television Again" and "The Smoke".
ORDER NOW: Paul McCartney is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut
READ MORE: Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood o...
The trio – comprising Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner – released their debut single “You Will Never Work In Television Again” and its follow-up, “The Smoke”, earlier this year.
The single is a limited 7″ pressing and fans can win a copy of the single by entering a lottery.
Fans can pick up a free lottery ticket at selected record stores around the world between March 12-24.
The single will not be available to purchase. Fans must scan the QR code on their ticket by March 24 to enter for a chance to win one of the pressings.
You can find a full list of the participating record stores here.
A video on the band’s social media pages showed Thom Yorke and long-time artistic collaborator Stanley Donwood pressing the singles – you can watch below:
We have made a limited pressing 7” of “You Will Never Work In Television Again” & “The Smoke”. Pick your free lottery ticket in-store while they last for a chance to win one of the copies worldwide. No purchase, scan the QR code on your ticket to enter. https://t.co/fLBeKLMQxZpic.twitter.com/Kju9orEV2r
The band will hit the road this spring for a run of European headline shows. Kicking off in Zagreb on May 16, the tour also includes appearances in Vienna (May 17), Prague (19), Berlin (20), Stockholm (23), Oslo (24) and Amsterdam (27).
Yorke and co. will then return to these shores for a two-night billing at the Roundhouse in Camden, London on May 29/30. Further UK concerts are scheduled for Edinburgh’s Usher Hall (June 1) and Manchester’s Albert Hall (2).
Bobbie Nelson, Willie Nelson's sister and bandmate, has died aged 91.
Bobbie was the pianist in the original line-up of the Willie Nelson Family band and had recently co-authored two books with her brother.
Bobbie died on March 10 and news of her passing was confirmed in a family statement.
...
Bobbie Nelson, Willie Nelson’s sister and bandmate, has died aged 91.
Bobbie was the pianist in the original line-up of the Willie Nelson Family band and had recently co-authored two books with her brother.
Bobbie died on March 10 and news of her passing was confirmed in a family statement.
“Her elegance, grace, beauty and talent made this world a better place,” the statement from the Nelson family began.
“She was the first member of Willie’s band, as his pianist and singer. Our hearts are broken and she will be deeply missed. But we are so lucky to have had her in our lives. Please keep her family in your thoughts and give them the privacy they need at this time.”
Bobbie was raised in Abbot, Texas, and learned to play the piano as a child. After working odd jobs as a musician, she joined Willie’s band in 1972 soon after he’d signed with Atlantic Records. She was a part of her brother’s band for over 50 years and despite being Willie’s senior by two years, he always referred to her as his “little sister” on stage.
Bobbie was a regular performer at her brother’s shows and appeared on several of his albums including Red Headed Stranger, Shotgun Willie, Stardust, To Lefty From Willie and more.
Bobbie’s debut solo album Audiobiography was released in 2008 aged 76. Over the last two years, she released two books with her brother. They released the memoir Me and MySister Bobbie: True Tales of the Family Band in 2020 and Sister, Brother, Family: An American Childhood in Music, in 2021.
Last year, Bobbie also joined Willie, nephews Lukas and Micah Nelson, and nieces Paula and Amy on The Willie Nelson Family album, an LP of gospel songs.
In their memoir, Willie credited Bobbie with his success, saying “If I was the sky, Sister Bobbie was the Earth. She grounded me,” he wrote. “There is no longer or stronger or steadier relationship in my life.”
Many tributes have been paid to Bobbie on social media. Margo Price wrote: “Nobody played piano like Bobbie Nelson and nobody ever will. She was the epitome of class, grace and style. I’m sure gonna miss seeing her on stage next to @WillieNelson…my heart goes out to Willie and the family band.”
You can read some of the tributes here:
Nobody played piano like Bobbie Nelson and nobody ever will. She was the epitome of class, grace and style and I’m sure gonna miss seeing her on stage next to @WillieNelson… my heart goes out to Willie and the family band ? pic.twitter.com/A6cpK1Yivb
Bobbie Nelson was one of the first women musicians that I ever saw on stage. She was the first example I had of a woman playing music while also having a family. I’m honored to have known her. My deepest sympathies to the Nelson family.
At times like these we can always take heart from the musical community, whether they are directly trying to raise money and awareness or simply putting more joy and understanding into the world. Belle And Sebastian’s new single “If They’re Shooting At You” (“…kid, you must be doing some...
At times like these we can always take heart from the musical community, whether they are directly trying to raise money and awareness or simply putting more joy and understanding into the world. Belle And Sebastian’s new single “If They’re Shooting At You” (“…kid, you must be doing something right”) comes with a video created in collaboration with photographers covering the conflict in Ukraine. All income and royalties will go to the Red Cross/DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal and you can also donate directly here.
This playlist includes some similarly emotional and thought-provoking new videos from the likes of Fantastic Negrito and El Khat; there are also people in horror film costumes dancing goofily on their patios. Plus terrific new tunes from The Black Keys, Gruff Rhys, Hannah Peel, Altin Gün, Spiritualized, Kevin Morby, Fatoumata Diawara, José González, Floating Points and lots, lots more…
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN
“If They’re Shooting At You”
(Matador)
THE BLACK KEYS
“Wild Child”
(Nonesuch)
FANTASTIC NEGRITO
“Oh Betty”
(Storefront Records)
SPIRITUALIZED
“The Mainline Song”
(Bella Union)
KEVIN MORBY
“This Is A Photograph”
(Dead Oceans)
OLIVER SIM
“Romance With A Memory”
(Young)
VEPS
“Ballerina (Norah)”
(Kanine)
ALTIN GÜN
“Badi Sabah Olmadan”
(Glitterbeat)
LALALAR
“Abla Deme Lazım Olur”
(Bongo Joe)
HANNAH PEEL & PARAORCHESTRA
“We Are Part Mineral”
(Real World)
FLOCK
“Expand”
(Strut)
JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ
“El Invento (Sofia Kourtesis Remix)”
(City Slang)
FLOATING POINTS
“Vocoder”
(Ninja Tune)
FATOUMATA DIAWARA
“Yakandi”
(Google Arts & Culture)
TOMBERLIN
“Tap”
(Saddle Creek)
GRUFF RHYS
“People Are Pissed”
(Rough Trade)
EL KHAT
“La Sama”
(Glitterbeat)
JOHN CARROLL KIRBY
“Dawn Of New Day feat. Laraaji”
(Stones Throw)
THE UTOPIA STRONG
“Shepherdess”
(Rocket Recordings)
A vivid presence on the Austin music scene for nearly a decade now, Carson McHone drew wider acclaim with 2018’s exceptional Carousel, issued on Loose the following year. And while subsequent tours of the UK and Europe furthered her reputation as a country traditionalist with leftfield leanings, S...
A vivid presence on the Austin music scene for nearly a decade now, Carson McHone drew wider acclaim with 2018’s exceptional Carousel, issued on Loose the following year. And while subsequent tours of the UK and Europe furthered her reputation as a country traditionalist with leftfield leanings, Still Life feels altogether more ambitious.
It’s certainly rockier in places, with McHone and producer/multi-instrumentalist Daniel Romano driving hard on tunes like “Hawks Don’t Share” and “Only Lovers”, punctuated by fat brass and gnarly guitars. Saxophonist David Nardi and Mark Lalama (piano, organ and accordion) are key to all this too, helping bring an intuitive sense of motion. There’s swishy R&B and some Southern soul as well, though McHone and her acoustic guitar remain squarely front and centre of these captivating songs, so that any embellishments are complementary rather than a distraction.
Her supple voice is a thing of understated beauty, bonded to tales of emotional attachment and release in a way that suggests full closure is still a little way off. With its nod to Dolly Parton’s “Little Sparrow”, the narrator of the expertly measured “Folk Song” is blindsided by reckless desire, leaving herself hopelessly vulnerable in the process: “But let it be known I was not broken/I let myself become undone”. At other times, self-preservation seems to be paramount. The conflicted character in the piano-led “Sweet Magnolia” attempts to resolve their turmoil by pre-emptively cutting themselves loose from heartbreak; On “Spoil On The Vine”, a lonely folk dispatch that slowly gains colour from strings and electric guitar, McHone trusts no-one, least of all herself.
“Dream scars across my face/Ain’t it strange/A privileged pain,” she sings, waking from troubled slumber. McHone navigates all this knotty psychic terrain with real assurance, be it the forbidden thrills of “Someone Else” or the search for completeness that guides the elegant “Fingernail Moon”. In the end, as she points out in the upbeat “Only Lovers”, it might just be safer to stay strangers.
Time has a way of smoothing the rough edges of songs, sanding down what was once shocking until it feels safe. Some moments are curiously resistant, though: The Beatles’ “Revolution”, say, its stinging fuzz still as unhealthily exciting as it must have been almost 54 years ago.
ORDER NOW:...
Time has a way of smoothing the rough edges of songs, sanding down what was once shocking until it feels safe. Some moments are curiously resistant, though: The Beatles’“Revolution”, say, its stinging fuzz still as unhealthily exciting as it must have been almost 54 years ago.
The Coral’s “Skeleton Key”, too, has proved rather hardy: the first proper taste of their self-titled 2002 debut, it combined unhinged Beefheartclatter with shanty chants and a space-rock middle-eight seemingly beamed in from a post-SydFloyd album. Oh, and a jokey disco-funk coda in which the band seem to shout-out kids TV series Byker Grove. The mixing of these elements isn’t noteworthy in itself, but the way the sextet managed to make the result feel so natural and cohesive certainly is.
The Coral were in their late teens or early twenties by this point, and had been playing since the late ’90s, feverishly handing around music – Safe As Milk and Forever Changes were two big favourites – and joints. Alan Wills formed the Deltasonic label primarily to release their early stuff, and debut single “Shadows Fall” appeared in July 2001, with the NME immediately championing them. If they were part of the ‘New Rock Revolution’, though, they were outliers: “Shadows Fall” mixed psychedelic dub, monastic harmonies and Shack melodicism with a swing-jazz middle-eight at a completely different tempo.
After “The Oldest Path” EP, their debut arrived in July 2002. “Skeleton Key” is – of course – the weirdest thing on it, but other cuts at least match its ambition and sense of adventure, if not the sonic maelstrom. “Wildfire” is packed with tiny sections that other bands might have expanded into full songs; “Waiting For The Heartaches” moves from a jazz and bossa nova verse to a garagey, fuzz-toned chorus; “Goodbye” spices its Gregorian Merseybeat with a 90-second break of freeform, interstellar psych.
These recordings have an unusual, crystalline sound – even more pronounced on this 2022 version – with each player sounding strangely separated from the rest even though much of it was recorded live: a result, James Skelly tells Uncut, of wanting to crossbreed The Beatles with Dr Dre’s 2001. It works, too; Nick Power’s single-note organ lines are a sonic trademark across the record, with Bill Ryder-Jones’ echoed lead guitar and Lee Southall’s glassy Telecaster riffs just as hooky. Skelly’s voice is a wonder throughout, from the soulful roar of “Dreaming Of You” and the high, tender coo of “Simon Diamond” to his McCulloch-does-Walker croon on closer “Calendars And Clocks”.
The latter is the most mature moment on the record, written by Skelly after the band went tripping on a Wirral beach. It’s very Arthur Lee, majestic and melancholy, even as it moves into swampy spaghetti western and then a gorgeous, acoustic lull. This being The Coral, that moment of transcendence is followed by the hidden “Time Travel”, diseased conspiracy-theory dub that morphs brilliantly into something like Bob Marley’s “Get Up Stand Up”.
The album now comes with a second disc of EP tracks, B-sides and previously unreleased cuts that really showcase their range and point to the future. “The Oldest Path” EP’s freakbeat title track hinted at “Skeleton Key”, but the other songs presented the acoustic style that would come to dominate their sound in the years to come. “God Knows” is especially good, capturing their juvenile high jinks over a mournful shuffle and melodica.
“Dressed Like A Cow”, from the “Skeleton Key” EP, descends into psychedelic madness before exploding like Love’s “Seven And Seven Is”, while “Sweet Sue” is a soulful stomp delivered with lysergic glee: 20 years on it sounds like pure, unadulterated Coral, a fine distillation of their tricks and tics.
Two previously unreleased tracks from the sessions round things off. “She’s The Girl For Me”, a mid-tempo lament with jangling guitars and unsteady horns, is a little vanilla, but points the way to the classicist Roots & Echoes five years later. Spacey ballad “Tumble Graves”, however, written by drummer Ian Skelly after that fabled beach trip, captures the magic and mystery of their early days. It’s astonishing that it’s remained buried for so long.
Despite some brilliant later records, including 2003’s UK No 1 Magic And Medicine and last year’s Coral Island, the group have not managed to equal the boundless invention of their debut, its EPs and singles. A special kind of sorcery was at work then, an unrepeatable alchemy of youthful naïvety, potent influences and cheap weed. The results? As a voice mutters at the end of “Sweet Sue”, “fucking mega”.
