Beck has a new album out - Song Reader: Twenty New Songs By Beck. It is available only as sheet music. We dispatched Uncut's very own musical expert, John Lewis, to play the album, track by track, on his beloved piano. Below, you can watch the results - and let the magic of Beck's music wash over you...
I’m off to see the second of the Stones’ 50th anniversary shows at the O2 on Thursday, and pretty excited about it. This morning, rummaging through some back issues of Uncut, I came across something I’d written about going to see them at Wembley Stadium in 1982, when they were touring in celebration of their 20th anniversary, amid much speculation that surely this would be their last go-around, retirement their next stop, which is very much what people have thought every time since then that they’ve toured. And yet here they are, 30 years further down the line, and no hint yet that we have seen the last of them.
Anyway, here’s the piece I came across earlier today. Have a good week.
Sufjan Stevens' new Christmas compilation, Silver & Gold: Songs For Christmas, Vols. 6-10, is out now, and reviewed in the new issue of Uncut, dated January 2013.
Graeme Thomson tackles the mammoth album in the reviews section of the new issue, in shops now, and also interviews Stevens about the project – a short excerpt can be found in the issue, but below is the pair's full conversation…______________________________
The reunited Beach Boys' new concert DVD is reviewed in the latest issue of Uncut (dated January 2013, out now) – so it seemed like a good time to revisit this fascinating piece from our October 2006 issue (Take 113). We were talking to Wilson, primarily, to discuss the 40th anniversary of Pet Sounds, reissued in deluxe format that month. But Wilson agreed to revisit five other pivotal Beach Boys albums, too. “If you’re a young guy or girl going out and buying Pet Sounds for the first time, you’re gonna be knocked out when you hear it, right?” Words: Rob Hughes
AC/DC are releasing their back-catalogue on iTunes, having previously taken a stance against digital releases.
The Australian rockers had been among the biggest bands missing from the digital download service, but just as Apple reached an agreement to land long-time hold-outs The Beatles and Led Zeppelin on iTunes, AC/DC's label Columbia Records have agreed terms.
The band's entire catalogue, including the 16 studio albums from 1976 debut High Voltage to 2008's Black Ice, will be available, along with four live albums and three compilation albums.
Alabama Shakes were asked to enter X Factor USA, according to lead singer Brittany Howard.
The band were approached by a researcher to appear on the US version of the popular television talent contest before they got signed to Rough Trade Records.
When asked what her opinion was on TV talent shows, Brittany Howard said they are "kind of fucked up" before revealing that the band were asked to appear on Simon Cowell's programme.
Michael Haneke has often meted out cruel and unusual punishments to his characters. You might think of the middle class couple in Funny Games, an oppressed music professor in The Piano Teacher, or an entire town in The White Ribbon. Amour, however, provides a corrective of sorts.
