International War On Simon Cowell

I know it's gonna piss off a few indie kids to open this page and find The Cowell rasp-berrying them, but what the hell, you can't expect the Electric Roulette team to be super hellafied bad-ass dons of untouchably hip record collecting cool 24/7, shit, we gotta take a break from listening to all 9 CDs of The Complete Stax/Volt Singles 1958-1968 Box Set back to back sometime, and this bein' the case you cats is just gonna have to get used to us occasionally wading in the murky waters of ...(enormous clap of thunder etc etc) MAINSTREAM POP MUSIC! WHA HA HA!

From last night's X-Factor -

Simon Cowel:"You're not fighting a war, you're a bloody girl group!"

WOAH. Hold the phone. You mean this isn't 'War Factor'? These people aren't competing to win an 18 month extended tour of duty in Helmand Province? So what's this Boot-Camp they keep talking about? It's just Simon Cowell's 36 room mansion in Beverly Hills? Are you kidding? Seriously, there's no war at all? It's just a regular talent show? I'm not gonna sit here watching that! I've been through all this before with 'Dragons Den!' There wasn't a single dragon in the whole damn show! (Paul Fuzz)

Essential Rock 'n' Roll Fashion # 328: The Fat Gold Chain

It's 1984. The Hip-Hop bug has bitten you like a 10 pound cockroach. You've been honing your beat-boxing skillz all week, and your Mum's pissed 'cos you cut a piece of her living room carpet out so you could practise breakin' in the park. You've got a boom-box the size of a Shetland pony, and you're rockin' a fly box-fresh pair of Adidas Gazelles. And yet, despite all this, something's still missing...you're hangin' round the Arndale Centre droppin' some bad (that's bad meaning good, not bad meaning bad) lyrics in the cipher, your graf is on some next level shit, but you still ain't gettin' the props you so clearly deserve. Then it suddenly dawns on you. It don't matter what sort of game you got...if you don't got a Fat Gold Chain. The mighty Run-DMC, pictured here, knew the power of the Fat Gold Chain. This ain't no ordinary bling. This is a huge gold rope around your neck that says: "I'm takin' care of business."

Recycled record books

What can you do with old records? Turn 'em into ashtrays? Personally, I play 'em. In saying that, there's an awful lot of surplus LPs around, some of 'em sound awful but have lovely middles, so with these recycled vinyl LP books the latest way of getting that surplus down.

What you get are 90 blank pages for your sketches and notes, as well as a couple of pockets for your pens and stationary. When the paper has been filled, you can use standard sheets from any stationers to sit between your records.

Available online, you can pick one up for $28 (around £14).

Find out ore at the Buy Olympia website

via RetroToGo

Art exhibition commemorates 40th anniversary of Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

We've gone Syd/Pink Floyd mad at the moment (mind you, we're all big fans of the early works of Pink Floyd). Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Pink Floyd's debut LP, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, there's going to be an art exhibition based on the early music of Floyd at Lennox Gallery, 19-25th Nov, 2007.

The exhibition focuses on the mood of the psychedelic 67, the London Underground, the ethos and philosophy associated with it. Currently, an online exhibition has been offered to web viewers titled Change Returns Success. You will find more info by clicking here. 

There is also talk of a Syd Barrett tribute site and a separate section of art based on his works which will be also displayed at Lennox. Far out! 

Sex Pistols sell their old spotty arses (again)

Nevermind the bollocks, here comes the cash cows! The Sex Pistols have sold their arses once again ("no futuuuure" my fucking eye... they're walking mortgages) by re-recording their hit "Anarchy in the U.K." for use in the upcoming video game "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock."

It was the first time singer John Lydon, guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook had been in the studio together since the late 1970s. Recording took place at London's Air Studios with producer Chris Thomas. "I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out but it actually turned out great and I think everyone held their own," Jones says. "I like ['Guitar Hero'] because my friends' kids like it. And I like what kids like."

In addition, the group has augmented a previously announced Nov. 8 date at London's Brixton Academy with shows the following two nights. "Guitar Hero III" is sponsoring the first show. As previously reported, next month marks the 03th anniversary of the release of the Pistols' debut, "Never Mind the Bollocks." Virgin will on Oct. 29 reissue the effort on heavyweight vinyl, and the singles "Anarchy in the U.K.," "God Save the Queen," "Pretty Vacant" and "Holidays in the Sun," will appear throughout the month as 7-inches.

Album Review - Affinity 'Origins: The Baskervilles 1965'

I can't really make or tail of this album. There must be a group called Affinity who were once called The Baskervilles. Presented on this CD is some sketchy info about various band members who were once part of one or both of these bands talking about this and that. It's all largely of no consequence... very much like this long player.

A whopping 32 tracks fill this CD, all of them live, chock to bursting with covers of very famous songs. How famous? Beatle singles... Stones singles... are these versions adding anything to the already overcrowded market for sixties covers?

Beatles Russian dolls

Russian dolls are ace. They're a bit creepy too... but y'know, they're still ace. Well, there's a shop online that sells themed versions from Russia - including these Beatles Russian nesting dolls.

The Beatles range contains a number of different looks, from the early mop top to the late hippy days. There's even one with Yoko. The set here is from Yellow Submarine, five dolls handmade in Russia from linden wood and coated with lacquer.

And you can pick it up online for $40.95 (around £21).

Find out more at the Russian Legacy website

via RetroToGo

Wigan Casino paintings for sale

David W Barrow was born in Parbold near Wigan, spiritual home of Northern Soul and began painting seriously at the age of 19. He's had his work displayed in all kinds of grandiose places, but I'm sure that doesn't interest you none.

He's been commissed by Liverpool Football Club and painted a cover for Ocean Colour Scene's album cover. Don't hold that against him though as Mr Barrow is also rather fond of painting Wigan's most famous nightclub, Wigan Casino.

I imagine his works will set you back a fair bit, but for real aficionados, paintings of the legendary soul club will be a must. If you contact the painter himself, he may have some prints for you at a cheaper price. Click here for more info and prices and the like.

Dave Clark Five 'Inside and Out'

Madonna, the Beastie Boys, the Dave Clark Five, Leonard Cohen, Afrika Bambaataa, John Mellencamp, the Ventures, Donna Summer and Chic have been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next year. Only five acts will make it into the Hall of Fame in 2008. Let's have a look at invasion groooop, The Dave Clarke Five with Inside and Out.

Stephen Malkmus announces new LP

I like Stephen Malkmus. Then again, I like Pavement. So it's no surprise that I'm pretty excited about his announcement of a new album which will be released in March 2008.

The record will be the follow-up to "Face The Truth", which was released in 2005 and will see Stephen Malkmus and his band The Jicks set to play a handful of dates in the US towards the end of December.

Malkmus recently headlined the main stage at this year’s Green Man Festival in the Brecon Beacons but hasn't been seen around much lately. Let's hope the new LP lives up to expectation. Another Brighten The Corners please!

The Silent Way Of Joe Zawinul

Joe Zawinul: A Portrait, 9.00pm tonight, BBC4

Pioneering jazz keys player Joe Zawinul, who passed away aged 75 on September 11^th this year, wrote the all-time classic soul-jazz groove ‘Mercy, Mercy, Mercy’ for The Cannonball Adderley Quintet and the blissful ambient swell of ‘In A Silent Way’, recorded with Miles Davis on his LP of the same name: both are peerless, landmark jazz works. His work with Davis during the ‘In A Silent Way’ / ‘Bitches Brew’ era pushed jazz into an entirely new space, wiring his Fender Rhodes through fuzz boxes and wah-wah peddles in search of The New Sound, embracing the out-thereness of acid rock and entrancing a generation of hippie rock music fans in the process.

I don't really like the Pet Shop Boys... but this is a really weird story...

Pet Shop Boys signal the release of ‘Disco 4,’ the fourth album in a continuing series, with a groundbreaking video for the politically-inspired new track 'Integral.’

Picking up on the song's themes of ID cards and the erosion of civil liberties by the government, Pet Shop Boys have worked with new creative group the Rumpus Room to conceive and create a sinister mix of surveillance type footage and information technology as content for their new music video.

Embedded in this dystopian film are single frames of Quick Response (or QR) Code, a new barcode technology which works in a similar way to supermarket checkout scanners. For the first time ever, Pet Shop Boys fans will be able to access embedded codes linking to featured websites simply by pausing the video on the QR Code frame and taking a snapshot with their mobile camera.

Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band: Hair and Thangs

40 years ago today in 1968 butt naked hippysploitation rock musical 'Hair' opened at the Shaftsbury Theatre where it played 1998 times until 1973. The musical score, by Galt MacDermot, is pop psyche-soul par excellence, and produced THE HIT RECORDS 'Aquarius' and 'Let The Sunshine In'. Since the release of the Original Cast Recording there have been 4672 Hair covers LPs produced. Actually I made that figure up. I don't know if it's 4672, but it's loads. Some Hair covers LPs just plain suck, like the Moogtastic drum machine hell of Mort Garson's 'Electronic Hair Pieces.' Some of them are just plain trad jazz, like the tradtastic trad jazz hell of Sandy Brown & His Gentlemen Friend's 'Hair At It's Hairiest.' Some of them are by James Last. Basically, if you were a musician in 1971 and you'ld run out of ideas and your record company was on your back demanding some new product, you had two options: Beatles covers LP, or Hair covers LP.

Electric Roulette Top Picks

Occasionally at Electric Roulette, we like to impose what we've been listening to down your throat. Of course, it only serves as a guide and hopefully, it will let you in on a few LPs you've ummed and aahed about for a while. I'm sure you, dear reader, like to force your musical opinions on others too... why else would you be reading?

Anyway, here's a list of what's been rocking the boat recently. Read over for September's Top 10. Feel free to share your top picks of the moment in the comments section! We'd love to hear from you.

Buried Treasure - Nirvana 'Dedicated to Markos III'

If there is a grander, more beautiful psychedelic LP than Nirvana's Dedicated To Markos III, then I wanna know about it. The Irish/Greek pairing of Campbell-Lyons and Spyropoulos made the sweetest melancholia in Old Blighty, filled with full-on orchestrations that would make Morricone and Alexrod weep and melodies so fine that it actually makes you want every other band to just pack up and go home.

Nirvana (of course I don't mean that Nirvana you clot) had reached incredible musical heights with Tiny Goddess, Rainbow Chaser, The Girl In The Park and Lonely Boy, but nothing could prepare those who heard the majesty of the Markos III LP. If any album fits the bill of 'why on Earth wasn't this a huge hit?' this is the one... although... in saying that, once heard, you don't want to share it with any old dickhead.

Martin Scorsese to make George Harrison film

Martin Scorsese has confirmed he is to direct a documentary about the life of George Harrison. The director, whose documentary on Bob Dylan, “No Direction Home”, wowed all that saw it (even non believers) and was released to critical acclaim, will also work with Olivia Harrison, who will act as a producer on the film.

Scorsese is keen to focus on the spiritual aspects of Harrison’s life, saying that the late Beatle’s “music and his search for spiritual meaning is a story that still resonates today”. The Oscar-winning director also told Variety he was “looking forward to delving deeper”. Harrison’s widow Olivia added: “It would have given George great joy to know that Martin Scorsese has agreed to tell his story.”

The guitarist died in 2001 from lung cancer which had spread to his brain. Scorsese is currently working on a concert film of The Rolling Stones, titled “Shine A Light”. The film is set to be released in spring 2008.

George 'Shadow' Morton: Trash Pop King Of NYC

George 'Shadow' Morton: This guy wrote wrote & produced, among other melodramatic teen-pop masterpieces, 'Walking In The Sand' and 'Leader Of The Pack', by The Shangri-Las. 'Leader Of The Pack' - featuring talky gossipy girl bits, motorcycle sound effects bits and lasting 2:53 minutes is: The Perfect Pop Song. Then the other day I learnt that he produced proto-heavy rock combo Vanilla Fudge's first two LPs, including their insane hammond powered psyche-soul version of 'You Keep Me Hanging On', and even though Der Fudge couldn't write a decent tune for toffee, I've always thought their SOUND was just incredible, massive drums, loadsa overdriven organ, fuzz guitar, I mean, it's like a PASTICHE of that sorta sound almost, it's a huge, OTT sound, and when I learnt 'Shadow' Morton was the architect of this sound I was like "Oh, MAN! This guy's A TOTAL GENIUS! Of COURSE he produced the first two Vanilla Fudge LPs! The Shangri-Las and Vanilla Fudge! WHAT ELSE DID HE DO?"

The Black On White Affair: Bold Soul Sister, Bold Soul Brother / A Bunch Of Changes

Deep funk freaks will probably be familiar with these two A1, super heavy psyche-soul tracks, but as they've just been reissued on 45 by tasty new French label Sausage Records I'm gonna conduct a little refresher course. Straight outta late 60s Seattle, The Black On White Affair got their break as the rhythm section for Mr Clean & The Cleansers, workin' some sawdust shack known as The Soul Cellar. After initial success with RnB nearly-hit 'Sweet Soul Lady' and having changed their name their name to something more befitting their socially conscious philosophy, The Black On White Affair took their tough soul sound to LA, where they played a whole bunch of psychedelic Hollywood dungeons.Somewhere in that story is an explanation of how they came up with the wild, acid-fried Hammond powered wig-out funk presented on both sides of this essential 7".

The Who chart rise to the top in film

Never-before-seen concert and archival footage is at the center of "Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who" and its companion film "Six Quick Ones," due out in November on DVD. The movies were made with the cooperation of Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, who also contributed material from their personal archives.

"We decided the film was really about the journey to the top," producer Nigel Sinclair tells Billboard.com. "You really see these four young people putting it together. Then, the band becomes successful and many things happen: some good and some bad. We discerned from it that the most interesting thing was the evolution of Pete and Roger's relationship. The fact that these two are able to continue as the Who, it is almost like it was meant to be that way. Discovering, as we did from interviewing them, what the magic or their working partnership was, that was very exciting."

Radiohead reveal details in secret code

Radiohead appear to be revealing details of their new album, rumoured to be due for release in 2008, on their new website. Fans (radioheads?) are convinced that the band are communicating information about their seventh album through a code, and have cracked what they think are the very first details of its track listing.

A series of 'Radiohead hieroglyphs' appear by clicking on the link 'Hodiau Direkton'. The first code, which appeared on September 20, was deciphered as stating: 'Yes we are still alive'. A further posting on September 21 reads: 'Blink your eyes one for yes two for no code code code.' Fans posting on the band's message board have deciphered that these are in fact the lyrics for new song 'Bodysnatchers'. There's loads more to go at if you fancy cracking it yourself.

Cried For No One (Except Brain Wilson)

Everybody knows that Paul McCartney, ex-bass player with popular Merseybeat combo The Beatles, is a sensitive sorta chap. He wasn't called 'The Weepy One' for nothing. He is the godfather of blub pop, an architect of emotion - only the most jaded of Beatle fans could deny having shed the odd tear to sad-core landmarks like 'She's Leaving Home', 'The Long And Winding Road' and 'Maxwells Silver Hammer'. What, you don't think 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' is sad? Maxwell bludgeoned Joan's head with his silver hammer until "she was dead"!  Are you made of stone? Anyway, with Macca having been responsible for jerking so many tears, it was fascinating to learn in a Radio 1 interview yesterday what song makes him bawl like a little girl. The picture opposite probably gave it away; Macca says The Beach Boy's 'God only Knows' "reduces him to tears every time I hear it", adding "It's really just a love song, but it's brilliantly done." If it's sad enough for the big M, it's sad enough for me - it's Friday night, and I'm off to sit in a darkened room and let Wilson's lush teen lullaby drag me wailing into a pit of despair.

Reissued Stylophone on sale now!

Check this rascal out. It's the newly-reissued Stylophone, which is being offered for sale by Firebox in October. For those of you who just can't wait, you should get yourself down to HMV, which is offering the new Stylophone now - and in white.

Just like the black version, this one has all the new features, including the volume control, the MP3 function so you can play along and the new sounds to play alongside the classic sound. But if you want one in white, you can only get in from HMV - and only while stocks last. Powered by 3x batteries (not included), it retails in the retro packaging for £14.99. What's this got to do with rock'n'roll? Ask Kraftwerk and David Bowie about Stylophones...

Find out more from the HMV website

Sex Pistols tickets on sale!

The Sex Pistols seem a little twee to me. I'm sure they were filthy and furious way back when... but really, it all seems a bit silly now. Anayway, the Pistols have announced they will play a one-off gig in London on November 8.

The gig at Brixton Academy will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols. Posting on his official site, John Lydon, who’ll be joined onstage by his original sneering cohorts Glen Matlock, Steve Jones and Paul Cook, said: “Maybe it's because we're all Londoners, but there would be no Sex Pistol without dear old London town.”

Tickets go on sale this Friday (September 21) at 9am and will be available from http://www.brixton-academy.co.uk/. The gig will coincide with the reissue of the band’s first four singles on limited edition 7” vinyl - a special edition of Never Mind The Bollocks...will follow.

Album Review - Kid Acne 'Romance Ain't Dead'

I first became aware of Kid Acne through his brilliant artwork for Plaid's 'Rest Proof Clockwork' LP. When I bought the album, the chap in the record informed me that he thought that this Kid Acne made his own tracks. I ignored him but presumed that it would be some wonky electronica. Is it bollocks. Kid Acne makes boisterous UK hip-hop from the mean streets of Yorkshire.

You can imagine that when I stuck Romance Ain't Dead on, how stunned I was to hear "OI! DON'T FUCK WITH EDDY FRESH!" and lines about burns on knees from lino. Kid Acne, amazing graf' artists that he is, had made an album that has left me unsure whether it's a joke or not.

What is your favourite Pink Floyd track?

Forty years ago, Pink Floyd unleashed the mind boggling and brilliant Piper At The Gates Of Dawn to an unsuspecting world. Tales of Gnomes rambled on with Interstellar Overdrives whilst advising Eugene to be careful with that axe. It's bonkers stuff... but quintessentially English.

This month sees a re-release of the legendary LP in a 3 CD set (read more about it here). Many fans feel that the soul of Floyd was ripped out on the departure of Syd... which begs the question...

...which is your favourite Pink Floyd track? If you like, you can include Syd's solo work (we're not music Nazi's here...). Read over for some of ours.

Barry Manilow makes political stance

Of all the popstars in the world who may make a political gesture against the right wing bastards, you wouldn't pick Barry Manilow would you? The nasally challenged on scrapped plans to appear on the USTV talk show "The View," because he did not want to be interviewed by its conservative co-host.

Manilow was scheduled to appear on the show to promote his new album, "The Greatest Songs of the Seventies". However, those plans fell through because of his issues with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, an abortion opponent and supporter of the Iraq war. "I had made a request that I be interviewed by (co-hosts) Joy (Behar), Barbara (Walters) or Whoopi (Goldberg), but not Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Unfortunately, the show was not willing to accommodate this simple request so I bowed out," he said in a statement on his Web site. "It's really too bad because I've always been a big supporter of the show, but I cannot compromise my beliefs." He'd previously referred to the TV witch as "dangerous" and "offensive." I guess we won't see him smooching with George Dubya Bono style will we? Go Barry!

Bob Dylan messaging service!

Fancy getting Bob Dylan to send a message on your behalf? Well, you can write on the cards from the iconic Subterranean Homesick Blues video and tell someone you love them... or call them a jessie. It's up to you! Click here if you want in on this brilliant idea!

K-Billy's Super Sounds Of The 70s: Tarantino & The Art Of The Modern Motion Picture Soundtrack

With Death Proof out on general release this Friday, I figured it was worth reminding ourselves of why a new Tarnatino movie is an event not just in the motion picture world, but in the world of motion picture soundtracks too.Reservoir Dogs revolutionised the Various Artists Motion Picture Soundtrack. Not since Scorsese had a movie maker shown such an understanding and love of pop music. This wasn't some unit shifting Bodyguard blockbuster ballad bollocks, or some grungy, studio execs-trying-way-too-hard 'alt. rock' collection; this was genuine, straight-up, hipster cool, and it totally rewrote the rules of how pop music was used in cinema.

Old Stone Face Vs Bozo Dionysus: In Defence Of The Lizard King

"I am the Lizard King. I can do anything." 40 years ago today, the Lizard King, aka Mr James Morrison of Los Angeles, California, lead vocalist of acid rock group The Doors, demonstrated how one of the things he could 'do' was ignore broadcasting regulations. Having cheerfully agreed to a request by the Ed Sullivan Show team that he change the lyrics of  'Light My Fire' from 'Girl we couldn't get much higher' to the 'Girl we couldn't get much better', Jimbo did exactly the opposite during the live broadcast and cooly delivered the original lyric, as he had always planned to. Dig Robby Krieger's knowing smirk as Jim grabs the zeitgeist.

Joy Division back catalogue gets complete reissue

The entire Joy Division back catalogue is being reissued from today (September 17). The highly influential albums 'Unknown Pleasures', 'Closer' and 'Still' have all been re-mastered and will each come as a double CD - with the second discs all featuring live Joy Division shows; from High Wycombe, London ULU and Manchester Factory.

The punk (or post punk if you prefer) legends' most famous single 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' is also being re-released today, on 7" vinyl and two-track CD. The re-issues are timed to coincide with the release of Control, photographer Anton Corbijn's biopic of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. Read over for tracklistings.

Bobby Byrd RIP

The legendary Bobby Byrd, soul musician and James Brown’s longtime sideman, died yesterday of cancer in his home in Loganville, GA.

Byrd penned well-known R&B songs like “Hot Pants,” and he founded the Famous Flames, Brown’s longtime backing band. Byrd can be heard on classic Brown tracks like “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine.” He was seventy-three years young.

The Greatest YouTube Video Ever - James Brown gives YOU dancing lessons

Album review - Patrick Briscoe 'Colours Will Fly'

When dealing with a new release that promises to deliver something folky, it's easy to get despondent. I love folk music, don't get me wrong on that... it's just that, well, you could end up with a James Blunt, and no-one (who owns ears) wants that.

Thankfully, that's not the case here. Now, the blurb that accompanied my review copy of Colours Will Fly by Patrick Briscoe drops Nick Drake, which for me is far too lazy. Too many artists are compared to Nick when the truth of the matter is, no-one could ever hope to be in the same breath as the late folkie. No, Briscoe is a very different creature and has come armed with a very accomplished long player.

The Ramones Musem Is Forced To Move out

The place - Berlin. Time - September, 10, 2007. The news? The official museum of the legendary New York punk gang Ramones’, the only one in the whole world, and one of the most Rock’N’Roll sites in Europe, is forced to soon close their doors.

According to the museum’s representative Florian Hayler, they are being asked by the landlord to leave the building they currently occupy at Solmsstrasse, 30, and there is no new location for the museum as yet. More than 300 unique and original Ramones’ items from 1975 to 1996, from unpublished photographs to signed posters, promo-gimmicks, setlists and tons of original tour-shirts and other collectables won’t be available to public for an uncertain amount of time.

Album Review - My Drug Hell 'This Is My Drug Hell'

When My Drug Hell got in touch, I couldn't really believe it. I remember the group from my youth when someone put their hit, Girl At The Bus Stop on a compilation tape for me. I looked for it on 45, but couldn't find it. It's laconic fugged groove breezed along telling an adolescent tale of love and lust. It was great. It was weird. I couldn't quite make head-or-tale of it. It was pop, but not as I knew it.

At the time of This Is My Drug Hell's release, and reviews that said "perfect pop", "one of the best debuts ever made" and "delicious left the band without a hit. Mysterious. Was it cursed? I certainly recall trouble with their line-up way back when. 10 years later, I find myself sat with the re-issue and thank God I found it. The difference between being 27 years old rather than the green-seventeen of when I first craned a neck has left me  with better equipped ears and with the news that one of the great psychedelic LPs came and went completely unnoticed. Time to change that.

Small Faces sing All Or Nothing on the Morecambe and Wise show

This day, in 1966, The Small Faces sat at the toppermost of the poppermost with All Or Nothing. So, to celebrate, let's have a look at the group playing their hit... on The Morecambe and Wise show.

Neil Young to tour

Neil Young is going off on tour again. Ready to set off around North America in October, fans will be ready for either the best gig of their life, or, the most awkward and stubborn performance they've ever seen.

The tour is due to begin in the week following the release of Neil Young's new studio album 'Chrome Dreams II' and end with two nights in New York City. The Harvest singer, who played eight songs at the Farm Aid concert in New York; including 'Silver and Gold' and 'Beautiful Bluebird.' Young will apparently tour with the musicians who worked on the album; Ben Keith (pedal steel, dobro), Ralph Molina (drums) and Rick Rosas (bass).

Youngs wife Pegi will be the show's opening act. The tour dates include a return to Toronto's Massey Hall - the venue where Young recorded his acclaimed 1971 solo album. As previously reported, the singer, and his wife are also hosting their annual Bridge School Benefit shows at the end of October which will include Metallica and Tom Waits. For the dates of the tour, read over.

Album Review - King Creosote 'Bombshell'

Right. Let's get some things out of the way. When anyone does a review of a King Creosote release they always mention the fact that he's released about a million LPs and that he's folk. He's from Fife and was (is?) part of the Fence Collective. His brother is Lone Pigeon. His other brother is the brilliant Pip Dylan. OK, hardly anyone mentions that last fact, but it's worth knowing.

Kenny Anderson has a new album by the name of Bombshell and, as ever with a King Creosote release, there's a healthy amount of trepidation. Having seen him live on countless occasions, it seems that he can veer from beautiful folk heartache to some that definitely has the smell of indie about. So where does Bombshell fall into this? Is it DIY and intriguing or is Kenny going for some serious Radio 2 airplay?

Yoko Ono to realise John Lennon Peace Tower in Iceland

On October 9th, which would have been John Lennon's 67th birthday, Yoko Ono will unveil the Imagine Peace Tower dedicated to her late husband, in Reykjavik, Iceland.

In 1967, John Lennon predicted that the conceptual light tower, envisioned by Yoko Ono, would one day become a reality. On October 9th of this year, exactly 40 years later a permanent landmark for peace will be unveiled in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The tower s surrounded by a Wishing Well Wall on which the words "IMAGINE PEACE" are engraved in 24 languages. The Imagine Peace Tower "gives light and power to the realization of World Peace" which was John Lennon's lifetime wish... apart from when he gave money to the IRA but that's just nit pickin' eh?

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion to release rarities

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are to release a singles collection based on their former vinyl singles collection as 'Jukebox Explosion' next month. The band, since 1992, have released certain tracks as part of their In The Red 7" single club - paying homage to rockabilly legend Charlie Feathers in the '70s.

The band featuring former Pussy Galore frontman Jon Spencer, drummer Russell Simins and guitarist Judah Bauer had a cult following, signed to Matador records, in the mid-90s, the grooop had an insane mix of garage, punk and hip hop mixed into their tracks. The five long out-of-print singles from the 7" club plus eight rarities from the Blues Explosion will be released as 'Jukebox Explosion' on October 29 on CD and 12" LP.

Read over for full tracklisting

Small Faces fans to honour Kenney Jones on Carnaby Street

This Saturday (8th September) fans of the Small Faces can come and pay tribute to legendary  mod drummer Kenney Jones, as he will guest appear in Carnaby Street.

From 12pm until 4pm there will be live performances on stage in Carnaby Street from Mod artists; The Small Fakers, Darron J Connett and Redtrack. As well as DJ set from Eddie Piller. 2pm – Kenney Jones will unveil a Westminster City Council green plaque that has just been awarded to the Small Faces as recognition of their musical achievement. The plaque is placed on the Puma flagship store, 52-55 Carnaby Street.

The Small Faces share the plaque with their impresario manager, Don Arden, who sadly passed away recently. Fittingly, Arden first met the band in his Carnaby Street offices, and The Small Faces became very much part of the world-famous Carnaby Street scene. Kenney Jones, Small Faces band member, “It’s great to see the Small Faces being officially recognised at this stage of my life especially when my latest band “The Jones Gang” had a No 1 in America last year. There’s a sense of reflection, when I think back to everything we did in those days and how the Small Faces was responsible for creating much of the mod music and fashion revolution in the UK. I guess although I’m lucky enough to still be gigging all over the world, I can certainly say there will always be part of me back in Carnaby Street”.

Beatles' Help to be rereleased on DVD

Something that has always puzzled me is why The Beatles back catalogue of films has not seen a release years ago. Surely they'd sell bucket loads? I for one wouldn't mind a decent copy of Let It Be.

Well, this fact is slowly being rectified with the rerelease of 'Help!' due out on DVD on October 29.

Not that you need telling, but the flick follows the Fab Four in '65 as they are chased around various exotic locations around the globe after Ringo takes possession of a sacrificial ring. The DVD will have two discs and is digitally restored with a newly created 5.1 enhanced soundtrack. The second disc will include exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of The Beatles on the film set, as well as a documentary about the restoration process of the 60s film.