New Release - Super Furry Animals 'Hey Venus!'

Maybe it's just me, but in terms of mainstream popular culture and music, no-one comes close to the Super Furry Animals unique brand of bearded psychedelia. The Super Furries have always managed to sidestep the rest of the world's bands, treading in experimental pop worlds, and with each release, improve on their last work with more honeyed tones and strange subject matters.

With Creation, SFA frazzled and fuzzed their way through some stonking LPs before making the leap to a major with Sony, fully using the bankroll with lush orchestrations and ambitious lazer filled melody. Now, the group find themselves on Rough Trade, and their first release, Hey Venus, sees the band getting a little more homely and sweet... but is it as good as their previous work?

Clapton Is God! - Early Eric Clapton anthology

For any fans of the blues or British R&B, Clapton Is God, a two-disc collection of Eric Clapton's early work, looks well worth checking out.

It covers most of the man's early career, with disc one covering both live and studio work with The Yardbirds, as well as his work backing blues legend Sonny Boy Wiliamson. Disc two follows that up with some session tracks, the pick of his work with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and some tracks with Jimmy Page and The Immediate All-Stars.

40 tracks, retailing for around £12. It hits the shelves on 17th September.

More about the CD at Amazon.co.uk

Ray Davies gun case dropped

Jerome Barra, the American man(iac) accused of shooting Kinks front-man Ray Davies in 2004, has had charges against him dropped. The case regarded an incident in 2004 in New Orleans, when Davies was shot in the leg. He had been chasing a man who stole his friend's wallet.

Bizarrely, Davies claimed he was only notified of the court hearing, which occurred last Thursday, a few days before he was expected to attend court, so did not have enough time to travel from London. The non-appearance meant charges against Barra were dropped.

The Kinks legend (and arguably the greatest English songwriter ever) said: "I am very disappointed with the way this case has been handled."

British public create terrible supergroup

Phone company O2 asked the British public to create a supergroup and the British public let us all down. Thanks. So who is in this supergroup? Taking to the stage are Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John and Phil Collins. Phil fucking Collins?

To add insult to injury, the second most popular supergroup featured twatface Bono taking the mic, Eric Clapton on guitar, Stevie Wonder on keys and Beatle Ringo Starr drumming.

Basically, it's your turn dear reader, to pick a supergroup that pisses on this lot from a great height. Is there a place for Keith Moon, Gene Krupa or John Bonham on your drumstool? Maybe you'd like Peter Green on axe with James Brown yelling up top? Would you find a place for Kevin Shields to make a wall of sound in your band? Or maybe you'd just choose all The Sonics to make your group? Let us know and pick the British public's choice to pieces.

Joni Mitchell to release albums through Strabucks - is it right?

This week, Joni Mitchell has signed with Starbucks' music imprint Hear Music with a new album due for release on September 24. She isn't the first to sign up with the coffee giant. Previous artists who have released new albums through the coffee chain now include Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney.

What do we make of it all?

Once, Joni, Macca and Dylan were the leaders of the counterculture, like it or not. All three were, in their own way, seen as spokespeople for those who liked to kick against the grain and protest about the giant corporations who were taking over the world... and now? Well, seemingly conscientious artists are happy to make a buck through a company that have been criticised by Oxfam for crushing coffee harvesters in Ethiopia.

Paul Weller – The Changing Man

Claimed to be 'the frankest and most honest portrait of Paul Weller ever written', The Changing Man is a new biography of Paul Weller by Paolo Hewitt - and it's set for release by Bantam Press on 24th September 2007 in hardback for around £18.99.

It's said to be a twist on the typical biography (thankfully - there's plenty of those around about PW), mixing Hewitt's knowledge of Weller and his music making with an examination of Weller's lyrics - selecting the key songs as a tool to explore the man's character, as well as a few personal anecdotes to add a bit more depth and uniqueness to the book.

Note that this isn't to be confused with Suburban 100, the Weller lyrics book that is also due out in September with a Peter Blake sleeve. Although it could well cover similar ground.

More about the book at Amazon.co.uk

Cracked Pepper - The Beatles' Sgt Pepper album mashed up

Bored of the original Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album? Well, how about The Beatles' classic mashed up?

That's what you get with Cracked Pepper - all the original tracks mixed with other non-Fab Four tracks - and available to download absolutely free. Except it's highly likely that this album's material is illegal, so if you want to get it downloaded, I'd get it quick before it gets pulled.

You might like it - or you might like to annoy your Beatles-loving friends with it.

Find out more at the Cracked Pepper website

Direct link to the tracks

The Pinball Count by... The Pointer Sisters?

Remember The Pinball Count from kiddie show Sesame Street? Well, it may surprise some of you to know that the voices you hear on this supremely funky number were provided by the then jobbing Pointer Sisters. Yes really. Now, sit back and enjoy the off kilter break.

Click here to buy the Pinball Count on 12" coupled with the disco floor filler, C Is For Cookie.

Etta James in LA hospital

R&B soulstress Etta James is in stable condition in a Los Angeles hospital, suffering from complications following abdominal surgery, her manager said.

The 69-year-old vocalist was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, following the mid-June surgery, Lupe De Leon wrote in an email to Reuters. James hopes to be well enough by the end of August to join blues icon B.B. King and soul veteran Al Green on a tour that began in Florida on Tuesday.

"If it had been left solely up to her, she would have checked herself out of the hospital and started the tour regardless of her delicate health," De Leon said. "However, her doctor advised that were she to do so, it would put her at very great risk."

Click over for a look at Etta in her prime singing Somethings Got a Hold On Me

Vinylux Bowls

Once upon a time some stupid moron thought that vinyl had had its day, and decided to melt classic LPs into bowls. Record collectors the world over wept. Well, Vinyl Products by Brooklyn artist Jeff Davis have a range in fine Vinylux Bowls,  and are available from a UK stockist, Pop Guru. Thankfully, you won't have to ruin your fave psych LPs to make 'em!

Pop Guru will let you pick the record you want for the bowl.  Already in stock are titles by the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Sly & the Family Stone and the Rolling Stones. If none of those are to your taste, unlike most DJs, they do take requests. The bowls are suitable for serving dry snacks, but with a credible choice of artist, you won't have to worry about needing to cover up the record's label.

Available in either a Smooth or Stepped finish design, they cost £20 each. [via]