INTERVIEW/LIVE REVIEW: British India (HiFi Bar, Melbourne 27/06)

INTERVIEW:
Let's set the scene. It's 8pm at Hairy Canary's on Little Collins St. Some of the Music Universe boys (alla Rich 'Allan' Morris and Gabe 'Harry' Warren) are munching down their pizzas, whilst I'm trying to figure out why the dictaphone aint working. It's only a few hours before British India hit the Hi Fi Bar in Melbourne and in walks Declan (singer/guitarist) and Matty (drummer) for a quick chat. We at Music Universe talk about music all the time, so we thought we'd try and get a bit more personal with the boys and find out what makes them tick.

Declan and Matty let it slip early that apparently if you were to ask former classmates about the four of them forming a band together, most would have laughed. "We were never that close at school, so to some of our school friends may find it strange to this day that we're playing together." Nevertheless, one thing is clear and that is that it was music that brought them together.

After the first round of drinks had been ordered, we though whilst it was fresh on everyone's mind, whether they'd been affected by Michael Jackson's death at all, to which they responded "not really, but Farah Fawcett's death was a tragedy." To find out what the boys were currently listening too, we asked them what albums they had purchased most recently, to which Declan explained "I try to keep up with new music that's been released as best as I can" Declan's most recent purchases were new albums from Animal Collective, Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party.

The Glastonbury festival just finished up in the UK, so we thought we'd ask them about whether they (like The Living End and Temper Trap are currently) would entertain the chance at playing there. "Well we wouldn't want to just make up the numbers. We'd like to be asked based on the fact that it's our music speaking and that there's actually people there that want to hear us play."

After just playing their first UK tour, we asked the boys if they were to win the $90 million jackpot on Tuesday night's lottery (30/06), would they stay with British India, to which they both replied "definitely." They live and breathe British India. When on tour, they not only perform, but are their own techies, roadies and bag handlers! When they return home, they are writing and jamming every single day more often than not in Matty's home garage. Both are also unsure of what they'd be doing if they weren't playing for British India.

Throughout the interview, you could tell that these fellas were genuinely decent blokes who have a very laid back, yet hardworking attitude. This can be further evident in their live show. The boys spoke of their admiration for Leeds band The Music and how they had been a little bit influenced by their 'Take the Long Road and Walk It' EP when producing a couple tracks off their second album 'Thieves' (listen to the track 'This Dance is Loaded' and notice the uncanny resemblance). Like The Music, they also play a hard, frenetic, high intensity show, yet they only decide on which song to play whilst on stage. That's right, they don't put a setlist together pre-gig.

The pizzas were finished, all the beers had been guzzled downand it was time for Declan and Matty to hit the stage. We let them go knowing we were about to see two down-to-earth, everyday blokes, change out of their Clark Kent suits and into their Superman outfits and play one heck of a show.



LIVE REVIEW:
As for the gig, it was yet another fine performance from the Melbourne boys. Kicking things off with the electrifying 'This Dance is Loaded' , British India decided from early on to lay the foundations for the rest of the evenings performance. Belting out hit singles off their latest album 'Guillotine' such as 'God is Dead (Meet the Kids)' and 'I Said I'm Sorry' really got the crowd into the swing of things. There was the usual fist pumping, kids screaming and even a mini moshpit mounting as the songs started to flow.'Black and White Radio', 'Tie Up My Hands', 'Run the Red Light' were obvious favourites. Other notables off their first album such as 'Russian Roulette', 'Teenage Mother' and 'Council Flat' were able to bring out the crowd surfers. To rev the crowd up even more, Declan on various occasions went and smashed the cymbals of Matty's drum kit with great venom.

'You Will Die and I Will Take Over' and 'Nic the Poet' created absolute mayhem. If the crowd weren't sweating yet, these songs were certainly would've certainly triggered their sweat glands. The popular chant of “this ain’t no fucking disco” from the song of the same name rounded out the set, leaving most with a huge smile on their faces knowing they'd just witnessed and survived a kick-ass gig. If you haven't checked out British India yet, you're an idiot. Do yourself a favour and get both of their albums, see them live and get excited because these guys have a bloody bright future!

ALBUM REVIEW: Regina Spektor - 'Far'

After successfully securing both chart and ‘art’ success with 'Begin to Hope', Regina Spektor and her team of producers have released 'Far'.

The new album maintains the smooth, pop-influenced, piano-fueled mischievousness we expect from her. Add in the occasional sad, and sometimes grand, song and you have a neat little formula for a hit album.

Fans of her 'Begin to Hope' will feel very comfortable when first listening to this record. Like an old friend come to dinner, none of the songs stray from the successful sounds of last recording. And here in lies the problem. 'Far' does not offer anything new. Regina does not seem to challenge her music or herself. Perhaps it is the influence of so many different producers trying to make an album which sounded just like ‘the last one’. It feels like Regina has been told what to do, what to record.

There are of course some wonderful songs on the album, first single 'Blue Lips', 'Eet', 'Anthem of the 80s' and 'Genius Next Door'. Then there is 'Machine', which sounds like a commercially viable version of the entire 'Soviet Kitch' album. (If you haven’t heard 'Soviet Kitch', get it!)

There is a clear tone of disappointment here, but in the end, it is a solid album and will undoubtedly be a success. There are more than enough good songs to ignore the poor ones. Not a brilliant follow to 'Begin to Hope', but still worth spending some time with.

Rating: 7/10

Contributed by --- Seb de Rob

Tour leaks for Gossip, Animal Collective and Kasabian

We've just been told that a couple of tours have been leaked through various media sources. Apparently Gossip, Animal Collective and Kasabian will be making their way down to Australia for their respective tours later in the year.

Having just unleashed new album 'Music For Men', disco rockers Gossip will return to Australia around November according to The Sun Herald. They've stated that they will do Sydney and Melbourne shows, although it seems likely they’d expand that to other cities.

While no dates have yet been revealed, a ‘source’ from Sony BMG told the Sun Herald: “It’s true that we’re trying to get Gossip out here before the end of the year. They were considering a trip in August but it’s been pushed back slightly, so it will be a full show tour rather than promo.”

There could be a chance we’ll see Animal Collective at Victoria’s Meredith Music Festival in December. An American website called Jam Base has posted four Animal Collective Australian tour dates out of the blue – Meredith, plus three sideshows.

Riding the success wave of their most recent album 'Merriweather Post Pavilion', Animal Collective have been touring relentlessly across the world. Despite no official word yet, Meredith Music festival just seems like the perfect fit for the psychedelic rock band, so it sounds like this leak could be true.

Also, Kasabian are meant to tour in August, despite July approaching us in a few days and still no mention of any tour. However, Serge promised on triple j a couple weeks ago that that the band will be in Australia to play launch shows this year. "Yes, yes, very soon actually. I think that we're pending to be coming in August. That should be wild. But it'll be just down to how the record's being received. We should be down there quite a bit because it seems to be hitting a nice chord."

As soon as the official news hits our desk, Music Universe will let you know when and where the shows will be.

Michael Jackson's death - great career move

We said from the beginning, like the King of Rock n Roll (Elvis), the King of Pop made the best career move he could make - he most likely overdosed and died. Elvis has sold more records since dying, than when alive. Michael Jackson may have sold a gazillion records whilst alive more than fifteen years ago, but nothing recently.

Here's the proof that dying, was a great career move.

Michael Jackson's untimely death on Thursday has sparked an unparalled sales surge and sees the late king of pop dominate both the UK single and album charts tonight.

Jackson’s greatest hits album 'Number Ones' is number one. He has another four albums in the Top 20. A total of seven Jackson albums are in this week’s Top 75. A total of 11 Michael Jackson or Jackson 5 albums are in this week’s Top 200. All but two of the albums are new entries.

On the singles chart, the response to the death is equally as telling. A staggering 43 out of the top 200 singles feature Michael Jackson. The highest Jackson entry is 'Man In The Mirror' at number 11. There are a total of five Jackson singles in the Top 30 and 20 in the Top 75.

In total Michael Jackson accounts for over 300,000 record sales (across singles and albums) in just two days this week.

Michael Jackson Top 75 Official Albums Chart entries (according to The Official Charts Company)

1. 'Number Ones' (up from 121 last week)
7. 'Thriller' (up from 121 last week)
14. 'King Of Pop' (new entry)
17. 'Off The Wall' (new entry)
20. The Essential Michael Jackson (new entry)
45. 'Thriller 25' (new entry)
59. 'Bad' (new entry)

Michael Jackson Top 75 Official Singles Chart entries (new entries, except where stated):

11. 'Man In The Mirror'
23. 'Thriller' (last week 193)
25. 'Billie Jean'
28. 'Smooth Criminal'
30. 'Beat It'
38. 'Earth Song'
44. 'You Are Not ALone'
45. 'Black Or White'
47. 'The Way You Make Me Feel'
48. 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough'
50. 'Dirty Diana'
55. 'I Want You Back' [The Jackson 5]
57. 'Bad'
58. 'Ben'
65. 'ABC' [Jackson 5]
67. 'They Don't Care About Us'
71. 'I'll Be There' [The Jackson 5]
72. 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
73. 'Rock With You'
75. 'Blame It On The Boogie (The Jacksons)

Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

We at Music Universe can't believe we are writing this. Michael Jackson is dead. He was 50.

Michael Jackson was the King of Pop and one of the most popular artists of all time. His life story is of one that only Hollywood could dream of tellin.

The son of a steelworker, he rose to fame as the lead singer of the Jackson 5, a band he formed with his brothers in the late 1960s. The group's first four singles, 'I Want You Back,' 'ABC,' 'The Love You Save' and 'I'll Be There' went to No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart, the first time any group had pulled off that feat.

By the late '70s, as a 'black African American' solo artist, he was topping the charts with cuts from 'Off the Wall,' including 'Rock With You' and 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough.'

In 1982, he released 'Thriller,' an album that eventually produced seven hit singles. This album cemented his status as the biggest star in the country as the album became the best-selling album in history, with 50 million copies sold worldwide.

On the Motown Records' 25th-anniversary special in 1983, with notable turns by the Temptations, the Four Tops and Smokey Robinson, it was Michael Jackson who stopped the show. His electrifying performance of 'Billie Jean,' complete with the patented backward dance moves aka 'the moonwalk', boosted his stardom to a new level.

Fans worldwide adored him. He created mayhem when ever he came out into the public. At the time, Jacko was the biggest and most recognised entertainer in the world.

It all happened very fast too. Just after that Motown special, he hadn't even turned 25 himself, but he'd been a star for more than half his life. He was given the nickname the 'King of Pop' -- a spin on Elvis Presley's status as 'the King of Rock 'n' Roll' and few questioned it.

'Thriller's' follow-up, 1987's 'Bad,' sold almost as many copies. However, towards as the 90's drew neaer, the pop music landscape was changing. Rap, hip-hop and alternative music were taking over.

His next release, 1991's 'Dangerous,' debuted at No. 1 but "only" produced one top-ranking single 'Black or White' and that song was the song that first brougght about Jacko's clutching of his crotch routine. Then 'Dangerous' was knocked out of its No. 1 spot on the album charts by Nirvana's 'Nevermind', suggesting Jacko's music career was coming to an end.

After that, more attention was paid to Jackson's private life than his diminishing music career. His 1995 two-CD greatest hits, 'HIStory,' sold relatively poorly, and then his 'comeback' album in 2001, 'Invincible,' did even worse.

Throughout his life, even more in recent years, rumours and speculation surrounded Jacko. At different points in his life there were rumours that he slept in a hyperbaric chamber and even purchased the bones of John Merrick, the "Elephant Man." (Neither was true.) He was a man of very interesting ways, he had a pet chimpanzee, Bubbles; underwent a series of increasingly drastic plastic surgeries; established an estate, 'Neverland', filled with zoo animals and amusement park rides; married Elvis Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie and managed to purchase the Beatles catalog from under Paul McCartney's nose, which displeased the ex-Beatle immensely.

In 1990s and 2000s, Jacko found himself in a bit of bother with the public after statements during a 2003 interview with British journalist Martin Bashir done for a documentary called "Living With Michael Jackson;" questions over his changing physical appearance; and, above all, the accusations that he sexually molested young boys at Neverland.

In July 2008, after three years away from the spotlight, Jackson announced a series of concerts at London's O2 Arena as his "curtain call." Some of the shows, initially scheduled to begin in July, were eventually postponed until 2010.

Michael Jackson R.I.P 1958 - 2009

Michael Jackson dead at 50

Below is a report taken directly off CNN. Prepare yourself.

Entertainer Michael Jackson has died after being taken to a hospital on Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest, according to multiple reports including the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press. CNN has not confirmed his death.

Jackson, 50, had been in a coma at the hospital, sources told CNN.

Brian Oxman, a Jackson family attorney, said he was told by brother Randy Jackson that Michael Jackson collapsed at his home in west Los Angeles, California, Thursday morning.

Family members were told of the situation and were either at the hospital or en route, Oxman said.

Fire Capt. Steve Ruda told CNN a 911 call came in from a west Los Angeles residence at 12:21 p.m.

Ruda said Jackson was treated and transferred to the UCLA Medical Center.

Asked specifics of the patient's condition, he said he could not discuss them because of federal privacy laws.

The music icon from Gary, Indiana, is known as the "King of Pop." Jackson had many No. 1 hits and his "Thriller" is the best-selling album of all time. Jackson "as big as it gets" »

Jackson is the seventh of nine children in a well-known musical family. He has three children, Prince Michael I, Paris and Prince Michael II.

At the medical center, every entrance to the emergency room was blocked by security guards. Even hospital staffers were not permitted to enter. A few people stood inside the waiting area, some of them crying.

A large crowd was also gathering outside the hospital, according to video footage.

Outside Jackson's Bel Air home, police arrived on motorcycles. The road in front of the home was closed in an attempt to hold traffic back, but several people were gathered outside the home.

Source: CNN

more to follow.......

Jamie T announces Wave Rock Weekender sideshows

To co-inside with the Wimbledon Tennis Grand Slam, Wimbledon born Jamie T is returning to Australia. Two and a half years after the release of his Mercury nominated debut album ‘Panic Prevention’, and almost 2 years since his last Australian visit, Jamie T and his band The Pacemakers are returning to Australia this September for a highly anticipated national tour.

Considered one of the best emerging artists to come out of the UK in recent years, Jamie T has a new album about to be released called 'Kings and Queens'. Already announced as a headliner for the Wave Rock Weekender festival, Jamie T and The Pacemakers will be performing hits such as 'Shelia', 'If You Got The Money', 'Salvador', 'Calm Down Dearest' and new single 'Sticks and Stones'. With a live show that’s deliciously entertaining, Jamie T is sure to rock the country.

Tickets on sale now from lovepolice.com.au

September 17th - Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW
September 20th - The Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne VIC
September 23rd - The Hi Fi Bar, Brisbane QLD
September 24th - Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, Adelaide SA
September 25th - Fly By Night, Perth WA
September 26th - Wave Rock Weekender Festival, WA

http://www.jamie-t.com/

Dirty Projectors in car accident

The Dirty Projectors have been involved in a car accident. Thankfully, no one has been seriously injured.

According to a statement on their website the "Dirty Projectors' van flipped outside of Detroit, MI on their way up to Toronto. Although the crash was serious, we're happy to report that all members of the band have been safely discharged from the hospital. The band will be flying home to New York in the morning to regroup and rest. Unfortunately, the band will have to cancel Toronto and Montreal. Thank you for understanding and sending your well wishes."

The band have been on tour in support of their sensational new album 'Bitte Orca' (potential to be on Music Universe 'Best Albums of 2009' list) and are a little R&R, will continue across North America in July, and then head to Europe.

www.myspace.com/dirtyprojectors

ALBUM REVIEW: The Temper Trap - 'Conditions'

Well it's about time. The Temper Trap have finally released their debut album 'Conditions' and my god is it a great album. Dubbed by us as one of the hot acts to breakthrough in 2009, The Temper Trap have teamed up with in-demand producer Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, The Editors, Adele, Kasabian) to ensure this debut album matched the momentum of the hype building around the band.

The Temper Trap first arrived on the scene a couple of years ago with the EP 'My Sun'. If you were one of the peeps who at the time thought "this band will be great", well you weren't wrong. Their first EP however, sounds nothing like anything you will hear on 'Conditions'. Their new album sounds a lot more polished and refined, and possibly could be the one of the best produced Aussie albums of the year.

Starting off with a fantastic first track 'Love Lost', the band lay the foundations for the rest of the album. Having seen the band live a few times, this track has all the right ingredients for the audience to be clapping in unison with one another. Don't let the title of the next tune fool you. 'Rest' ups the tempo and really allows the listener to hear the what the rest of the band members can do.

'Sweet Disposition' was the first single off the album a while ago, however it never seems to get old. Easily one of the songs of the year last year, you can hear lead singer Dougy Mandagi's vocals start to soar and shine. The Killer's sounding 'Down River' has the potential to be the next single off the album with Dougy shouting "Go, don't stop" throughout suggesting that the band are ready for worldwide domination.

It's the midway point of the album and it's time to take a breather. 'Soldier On' allows for that. Then comes 'Fader' (apparently the third single off the album) which the more and more you listen, sounds like a U2 song ready-made for mainstram radio. It's a good song, but as much as we listen to it, we can't stop cringin thinking about how uncool this song could make the band. Nevertheless 'Fools' gets us back on the how-good-is-this-album track, with a beautifully crafted, soothing tune which doesn't stop making us smile.

Starting like a crawl and building up into something explosive at the end, 'Resurrection' is one of the standout tracks because of its ultimate build up. Yet it doesn't stop there. 'Science of Fear' is next up. Some may have preferred to hear this earlier, however, it's a nice touch that this comes on towards as it is one hell of an epic song. Arguably the best track on the album (if ya can listen to the Mitsubishi remix version), this tune echoes Bloc Party and is no doubt one of the standout singles of 2009. Finishing with 'Drum Song' allows the band to have one massive jam before they sign off.

This truly is a brilliant first album from a band who we hope have a successful future. Some bands dream of debut's like this, The Temper Trap are living that dream. We can safely assume that it will definitely make Music Universe's 'Best Albums of 2009' list. We're so happy that this lived up to expectation. Nice one bruva!

NB. Some questioned our rating for the new Kasabian album. Kasabian have had three chances at producing the goods, the Temper Trap have had only one. For that reason, we've given this a higher rating.

Rating: 8/10

--- Contributed by Jase S

Kate Moss destroys The Kills' new music

The irresistable Kate Moss has thrown a tantrum and destroyed new music from The Kills.

Ms Moss and her boyfriend Jamie Hince, one half of The Kills, were enjoying a romantic weekend away (imagine a weekend away with Kate Moss!!) when things turned sour.

According to the Daily Mirror newspaper in the UK, Moss and Hince started bickering out of nowhere and the row quickly escalated. She stormed off outside and, before he had a chance to react, Kate grabbed his bag and hurled it into the pool. Unfortunately it contained his laptop, BlackBerry and personal diary.

Apparently Jamie was heard screaming “noooooooo” in slow-motion and plunged in after it. His panic was understandable because on that laptop were six brand-new, not backed up, songs by The Kills.

“Jamie was speechless. He waded into the water to fish the bag out, and tried to resuscitate the laptop – removing the hard drive and shoving it into an airing cupboard.

“He whacked the BlackBerry under the hairdryer and left his diary out to dry over a radiator.” Jamie was absolutely livid and kept yelling, ‘Why would you do such a f*****g stupid thing?! You’re acting like a fishwife!’” By the way, what exactly is a fishwife?

Unfortunately, we may never hear those soak-ridden songs, but we still love you Kate.

Green Day officially announce '21st Century Breakdown' tour of Australia

Well it's official, Green Day are touring Australia and tickets are on sale very soon.

In 2004 Green Day unleashed American Idiot on the world. A boundary smashing, genre confounding work of art, American Idiot changed the face of music, welcoming a new generation of music fans to the cult of Green Day.

In 2009 Green Day returned to stamp their authority on the music world releasing 21st Century Breakdown. Hailed as the jewel in an already impressive crown, 21st Century Breakdown has confirmed Green Day’s status as one of the greatest rock bands in the world.

There's only a couple of shows announced so far, but just like when they toured in 2005, expect the '21st Century Breakdown' tour to sellout in a matter of minutes and expect more shows to be announced straight after.

Green Day '21st Century Breakdown' tour dates:
December 4th - Burswood Dome, Perth WA
December 6th - Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide SA
December 8th - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane QLD
December 11th - Acer Arena, Sydney NSW
December 14th - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne VIC

On sale July 1st from ticketek.com.au
For Frontier tour members, pre-sale tickets on sale from June 26th.
Go to frontiertouring.com.au for more details

www.greenday.com

Matisyahu returns to Australia in 2009

Matisyahu is returning to Australia this August. He was last here in 2006 thrilling fans at a bunch of sold out headline shows along the East Coast, and a performance before thousands at Splendour In The Grass. He will be supported this time round by Snob Scrilla.

His return coincides with the release of his third album 'Light' (in store August 7). Recorded with David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor) across Jamaica and the USA. Reports suggest that this new album sees Matisyahu blend infectious melodies with classic messages of hope, peace and understanding, creating a sound that is undeniably his own. First single ‘One Day’ is another reggae infused song, which illustrates Matisyahu at his ultimate best.

Even those who've never heard of him should get their butts down to the show. Matisyahu has the ability to captivate the audience with his uplifting and powerful performances. Matisyahu’s debut tour of Australia saw attendees converted by his unique musical outlay. Expect the crowd to be filled with both Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Scientologists and possibly Jehovah's Witnesses. Matisyahu's music and live performances bring all walks of life together.

Tickets on sale Tuesday 30 June.

Wednesday 12th August - Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW
Thursday 13th August - Prince Bandroom, Melbourne VIC

www.matisyahuworld.com

RIAA collects $AUS2.4 million for music piracy

Reports have come out from the United States that a Minnesota jury has awarded the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) $US1.92 million ($AUS2.4 mill) in their lawsuit against a single-parent woman named Jammie Thomas-Rasset. The jury found that she had willfully infringed on record labels' copyrights after she downloaded and shared 24 songs on Kazaa. That works out to $US80,000 ($AUS100,000) in damages per song.

During the trial, Thomas-Rasset testified that it was probably her two sons, eight and 10 years old at the time, or her ex-boyfriend who did most of the downloading.

The money will be dispersed to six record companies: Capitol Records, Sony BMG Music, Arista Records, Interscope Records, Warner Bros. Records and UMG Recordings.

Thomas-Rasset had been convicted previously, in October 2007, and ordered to pay $US220,000 ($AUS275,000) in damages but the judge who presided over that trial threw out the verdict calling it "wholly disproportionate" and "oppressive". Cara Duckworth, a spokesperson for the RIAA, claims that the RIAA does not actually intend to collect the full $1.92 million from Thomas-Rasset: "Since day one, we have been willing to settle this case and we remain willing to do so."

The RIAA and major music labels have brought suit against thousands of people for illegally downloading and sharing music, with most agreeing to settlements of between only $3000 and $5000. However, Thomas-Rasset was the first among those being sued to refuse a settlement and instead took the case to court.

In December, the RIAA said it would stop suing people who download music illegally and focus instead on getting Internet Service Providers to take action.

The move away from litigation represented a major shift in strategy for the music industry group, which had filed lawsuits against some 35,000 people for online music piracy since 2003.

Here's the list of 24 songs from the trial of Jammie Thomas-Rasset:

- Guns N Roses "Welcome to the Jungle"; "November Rain"
- Vanessa Williams "Save the Best for Last"
- Janet Jackson "Let's Wait Awhile"
- Gloria Estefan "Here We Are"; "Coming Out of the Dark"; "Rhythm is Gonna Get You"
- Goo Goo Dolls "Iris"
- Journey "Faithfully"; "Don't Stop Believing"
- Sara McLachlan "Possession"; "Building a Mystery"
- Aerosmith "Cryin'"
- Linkin Park "One Step Closer"
- Def Leppard "Pour Some Sugar on Me"
- Reba McEntire "One Honest Heart"
- Bryan Adams "Somebody"
- No Doubt "Bathwater"; "Hella Good"; "Different People"
- Sheryl Crow "Run Baby Run"
- Richard Marx "Now and Forever"
- Destiny's Child "Bills, Bills, Bills"
- Green Day "Basket Case"

Unlucky about the US$1.92 mill, considering it would have cost her a total of US$24 to download them from iTunes.

Source: Billboard, The Age

Blueprint Festival 2009 announces Jebediah, Bertie Blackman, Pablo Discobar and more

This September, over three days and nights, Ararat (Victoria) will host the Blueprint Festival.

This year will earmark something special as veteran Perth band Jebediah will be performing. The Jebs have been in hiding for the past few years, except for Kevin Mitchell (frontman) who has gone on to have some genuine success under the alias name of Bob Evans. Word is that they recently stepped back into the studio for the first time since 2004 and are eager to test out their new tunes.

As for the rest of the peeps performing are The Panics, Blue King Brown, The Beautiful Girls, Bertie Blackman, Resin Dogs, The Dirty Secrets, Galvatrons, Hungry Kids Of Hungary, Pablo Discobar and many more local favourites. In addition to the music, the organisers are setting up a beer hall with some of Australia’s best micro-brews on tap. Sounds sweet.

Blueprint Festival
18th-21st September 2009
Ararat, Victoria

LINE-UP:
Jebediah
The Panics
The Nation Blue
The Vandas
Calerway
Labjacd
Sleep Parade
Zoophyte
Matheson
Twelve Foot Ninja
Sierra Fin
ME
Blue King Brown
The Beautiful Girls
Drapht
Resin Dogs
Ash Grunwald
Galvatrons
Bertie Blackman
Shane Nicholson
Old Man River
The Basics
Phrase
The Boat People
Epicure
Calling all Cars
Pablo Discobar
The Dirty Secrets
Red Ink
Bonjah
Wagons
Tijuana Cartel
Ryan Meeking and The Few
The Hello Morning
The Frowning Clouds
Hungry Kids Of Hungary
The Fearless Vampire Killers
Matt Joe Gow and The Dead Leaves
Goodbye Motel
Royal Chant
Winter Street
Shannon Kennedy
The New Black
Matt Katsis

www.blueprintfestival.com

Beck to collaborate with friends MGMT

Beck is getting together with a group of friends to form the ‘Beck & Friends Music Club’ in which they will re-record entire albums in one-day sessions and post a track a week on Beck's website.

A single album will be chosen to be covered and used as a framework, with nothing rehearsed or arranged ahead of time.

The first album in the series to be re-worked is ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’.

MGMT, Devendra Banhart, Jamie Lidell and Nigel Godrich (known as 6th member of Radiohead) have all been enlisted so far to take part in the club.

If only we could all have friends like these.

Go to www.beck.com over the next couple weeks to hear some of the tracks.

Dananananaykroyd announce Splendour sideshows

Feisty Glaswegian band Dananananaykroyd are known for their electricity-running-through-vein live shows. They are already appearing at this year's Splendour In The Grass festival, but have now just announced two sideshows.

Being compared to Fugazi and At The Drive-In, and with six members, two drumkits and shouty vocals, Dananananaykroyd will ensure that the crowd will turn into mayhem. They are about to release their debut album 'Hey Everyone' on July 17 and after playing down under will be making their way back over to Europe/UK to perform at a number of festivals including the Reading/Leeds festival.

Supporting Dananananaykroyd on stage beforehand will be Sydney group Regular John. Regular John were recently talked about on Music Universe as a hard rocking band on the rise. They just released their debut 'The Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb' with rave reviews. The band believe that their live show is a culmination of two intense years of hard living and hard partying. Sweet.

Dates (not including Spelndour):

July 29th - Annandale Hotel, Sydney NSW
July 30th - East Brunswick Club, Melbourne VIC

www.myspace.com/dananananaykroyd

Jamie T set for Wave Rock Weekender Festival

Producers, Soul Highway, have organised for Jamie T and Stephen Malkmus (formed the band Pavement) to perform over the long weekend for this year's Wave Rock Weekender Festival

Soul Highway believe that the Wave Rock Weekender combines a quality blend of holiday, adventure, festival, party, pub, nature, escape and rest....i.e. totally sweet times!

Wave Rock Weekender leaves patrons with a euphoric experience thanks to the meaningful delivery of great music, incredible location, the spring weather, the salt pool, the positive environmental action and the connection you feel with the authentic Australian bush and the other discerning people around you.

Jamie T is about to release his first single off his new album 'Kings and Queens', titled 'Sticks n Stones'. Scheduled for an official release on June 29th, you can already hear snipets of it on sites such as hypem.com and even watch the music video for it on youtube. After releasing 2007 Mercury Prize nominated debut album 'Panic Prevention', Jamie T went on to win Best Solo Artists at the NME Shockwave Awards beating Jarvis Cocker and Thom Yorke. Let's hope he'll do some sideshows in conjunction with his appearance the festival.

Wave Rock Weekender 2009 lineup so far:
Jamie T, King Tide, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Sugar Army, Emily Barker, Mo Wilson and The Driver, Kelly Malone, Sunshine Brothers, Boom! Bap! Pow!, Steve Parkin, Lee Memorial, Day Of The Dead

26 Sep - 28 Sep
Wave Rock
WA

Tickets on sale Monday June 22nd through OZTIX.

www.soulhighway.com.au

Reading/Leeds festival add Faith No More and Dance Tent stage

The Reading/Leeds festival organisers must be loving life. After securing a number of unbelievable acts already, they've just added some welcome additions in case you weren't already satisfied.

After announcing they're reforming a few months ago, Faith No More has been included on the NME/Radio One stage for Aug 28th (Reading) and Aug 30th (Leeds). Performing at a number of European festivals already, Faith No More are sure to attract every single festival goer when they hit the stage.

The Dance Tent stage has been announced too. The acts that will get every heart racing and hips moving include Deadmau5, Vitalic, MSTRKRFT and old schoolers The Crystal Method. The stage will be setup in Leeds on August 29 then at Reading on August 30.

The Dance Tent line-up in full is:

Deadmau5
Vitalic
MSTRKRFT
Chase And Status (DJ set)
Lady Sovereign
The Crystal Method
The Qemists
Das Pop (Reading only)
Mixhell (Leeds only)
Chipmunk
3 Oh! 3
Master Shortie
L'Amour La Morgue (DJ set)

http://www.readingfestival.com/

Blur return to for first reunion show

We at Music Universe usually have quite a bit to say, but after reading the latest headline on NME's website, we've been left quite speechless.

Last night, Blur played their first gig since reforming at the same venue that they played their first show at only 20 years ago.

Here's the setlist:

She’s So High
Girls And Boys
Tracy Jacks
There’s No Other Way
Jubilee
Badhead
Beetlebum
Trimm Trabb
Coffee & TV
Tender
Country House
Charmless Man
Colin Zeal
Oily Water
Chemical World
Sunday Sunday
Parklife
End Of A Century
To The End
This Is A Low
———
Popscene
Advert
Song 2
Out Of Time
Battery In Your Leg
Essex Dogs
For Tomorrow
The Universal

Not much else can be said besides RIDICULOUS!

www.nme.com

At The Drive-In reunion?

Online magazine - Drowned in Sound - caught up with Cedric Bixler-Zavala (Mars Volta) recently to discuss the new album 'Octahedron' and its change in musical style for the band, their future live shows and future as a band and even a possible At The Drive-In reunion!

In summation, Cedric explains that the idea behind the new album was that "we wanted to make the opposite of all the records we've done. All along we've threatened people that we'd make a pop record, and now we have." He goes on to say that "what we wanted to make was an acoustic album. So this is our version of that, but obviously not sticking to the rules. It's always good to get rid of one audience to gain another. The old audience always knows what to expect. And I'm sure whatever audience comes from this album, we'll disappoint them with the next record."

As for their future gig setlists, Cedric says that "they'll play the majority of the record and then we'll probably end the set with some of the older stuff that we can include improvisation on. I think the game plan is to play all the new stuff as individual songs, unless something opens up and we recognise it as a spot to fool around with."

Finally, the interviewer, as most usually do, mentions his former band At The Drive-In. It would seem that this would be a tireless, boring and annoying question that Cedric would have to deal with in most interviews. However, Cedric seems happy to respond with some shall we say very interesting commnets. "We've been making amends with a lot of the members and having some really good talks with them. And we've been trying to get our financial business in order because a lot of people have been ripping off that band really badly... as far as the business side goes. I wouldn't mind it. Y'know, it might happen, we just have to iron out a lot of personal things. A lot of it we've dealt with already and I've apologised for a lot of things I've said and the way it ended... we'll see what happens."

Imagine. I think these comments will cause mayhem amongst At The Drive-In fans, including ourselves. To us at Music Universe it would feel like the Messiah had finally arrived.

By the way, we believe that 'Ocathedron' is the Mars Volta's best album since their 'Frances The Mute' album from way back in 2005. Yeah, we said it.

For the full interview click here

Bertie Blackman announces 'Thump' national tour

Bertie Blackman has just announced a huge national tour following the release of her spanking new album ‘Secrets and Lies’. The tour kicks off in Tasmania, and will see Bertie playing metropolitan and regional shows in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA and WA through July and August.

‘Secrets and Lies’ was released on May 8th with hit single 'Heart' being one of the most downloaded singles of the week ever on iTunes. After a short tour last month, Bertie will take the live show to the rest of the country as she releases her second single, ‘Thump’.

The hype surrounding Bertie has been immense, yet justified. Easily being one of the best female talents in Australia right now, Bertie's voice is seductive and mesmerizing. 'Secrets and Lies' is definitely one of the contending albums to make Music Universe's 'Best of 2009' list.

'Thump' was produced by Sydney-based UK producer, Lee Groves (Goldfrapp/Depeche Mode) and mixed by Dave Bascome (Tears for Fears/Royksopp) in the UK. The single will be available in store and online from August 7th.

Bertie Blackman will be supported on tour by Hungry Kids of Hungary and Kimbra.

July 31st - Republic Bar & Cafe, Hobart TAS
August 1st - Hotel New York, Launceston TAS
August 6th - Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle NSW
August 7th - Gaelic Theatre, Sydney NSW
August 8th - ANU Bar, Canberra ACT
August 13th - Beach Hotel, byron Bay NSW
August 14th - Hi Fi Bar, Brisbane QLD
August 15th - Woombye Pub, Woombye QLD
August 16th - Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast QLD
August 20th - Karova Lounge, Ballarat VIC
August 21st - Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne VIC
August 22nd - National Hotel, Geelong VIC
August 27th - Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, Adelaide SA
August 28th - Fly By Night Club, Fremantle WA
August 29th - Amplifier Bar, Perth WA

REVIEW: Bliss n Eso (Festival Hall, Melbourne 12/06/09)

*All photos by Lisa Schattner

Picture this....

It's 8.45pm. Outside, it's a cold wintery Melbourne Saturday night. Inside, it feels like the fireplace has just been lit. On stage, hip hop artist Pez is the one igniting that fire.

Melbourne born Pez had the crowd bouncing so high, at times it felt as if he was the main act. If his role was to warm the crowd into a dose of some aussie hip hop, then he definitely played his part. Finishing his set by bringing on talented singer Hayley Cramer, Pez together with partner 360, wowed the crowd with 'The Festival Song'. If you hadn't started moving by now, this song surely would've fired you up.



Only 20 minutes after getting the heart racing, Bliss n Eso appeared on stage to a rapturous applause. Kicking things off with 'Woodstock 2008', BnE had the crowd eating out of their palms. Anything the duo (plus Dj Izm) asked of the young crowd, they complied with a wonderful energy.

Standouts of the set included (as per usual) some of the better songs off album 'Flying Colours' such as 'Eye of The Storm', 'Bullet and A Target' and 'Happy In My Hoodie'. Clearly getting some footage for their yet-to-be released DVD, BnE added some old faves into the set like 'Up Jumped The Boogie', 'Party At My Place' and were even joined on stage for an encore by Paris Wells for the tune 'Field of Dreams'. Thanks to the crowds' chants of wanting more, BnE came on for one more party favourite, 'Sea is Rising'.



There was a lot of sweat, west-side hand gestures and moshing from the crowd. Clear signs that this was one hell of a concert. It's not everyday that you can say how an artist is better live than recorded, well Bliss n Eso are one of those bands. They're a hands down must see act. This was a seriously kick-ass show.

Regular John aren't that regular

We've been listening to Regular John's debut album 'The Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb' for a little bit now and we feel compelled to share our love with this band with you.

Released through Universal, 'The Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb' has been described by Rolling Stone magazine as “the perfect distillation of everything good that’s happened since rock found a heavy, fuzzy imagination in the late Sixties”. According to the band's bio, they have spent the last couple years armed with nothing more than J Mascis’ songwriting smarts, Bill Hick’s sense of humour and a shit load of hallucinogenic drugs. 'The Peaceful Atom Is A Bomb' isn't the most mind blowing album, but it's a fantastic start to a band that are still very young and still trying to find their feet.

Named after a Queens Of The Stone Age song (correlates with their sound), Regular John's arrival onto the Sydney music scene has come at a time when Wolfmother have helped put rock back into the city. It's about time a couple of kick-ass, grungy and noisy rock n roll outfits came outta that city. Regular John kinda sound like the aussie version of The Datsuns (NZ) mixed with a whole lot of other heavy sounding rock bands. We are yet to taste the band live, but if this album is anything to go by, then jeeez we are in for one hell of a show. Their album hasn't left our stereo system all week and we can guarantee you that we will be at the front of the stage when they hit Ding Dong lounge next week in Melbourne.

Get your hands on the album and get along to one of their gigs....you won't be dissapointed, just sweaty!

Regular John are on tour at the moment at the following locations:
Karova Lounge, VIC - Thu, June 18
Ding Dong Lounge, Vic - Fri, June 19
Oxford Tavern, The, NSW - Thu, June 25
Oxford Art Factory, NSW - Fri, June 26
Coolangatta Hotel, QLD - Thu, July 2
Step Inn, The, QLD - Fri, July 3
Great Northern Hotel (Byron Bay), NSW - Sat, July 4
Beach Road Hotel, NSW - Wed, July 8
Sodens, NSW - Fri, July 10
Mona Vale Hotel, The, NSW - Fri, July 17

www.regularjohn.com

Reading/Leeds Festival add The Living End and Temper Trap

The Reading/Leeds Festival organisers have announced even more acts to join the already impressive bill.

The Festival Republic Stage will host some of the best new bands in Britain and the world. It has been known that some of the biggest acts of today played on this stage when they were only emerging acts.

This year Marmaduke Duke, The Blackout & La Roux will be headlining the Festival Republic Stage over the three day festival. Others that will appear over the three days include some of Music Universe's hot tips for best breakthrough band of 2009 such as Amazing Baby, Hockey, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Temper Trap, as well as one of our favourite acts from 2008 - Lightspeed Champion.

Complete list of additions: A Day To Remember, A Place To Bury Strangers, Amazing Baby, Atreyu, Baddies, Bear Hands, Bring Me The Horizon, The Big Pink, Black Lips, The Blackout, Bombay Bicycle Club, Bring Me The Horizon, Broken Records, The Chapman Family, Detroit Social Club, Fight Like Apes, Go Audio, Golden Silvers, Grammatics, Hockey, The Hot Rats, Jack's Mannequin, The Joy Formidable, La Roux, Lightspeed Champion, Magistrates, Marina And The Diamonds, Marmaduke Duke, Middle Class Rut, Pulled Apart By Horses, The Rumble Strips, Single File, Skint And Demoralised, The Soft Pack, Soulsavers, Sweethead, The Temper Trap, Titus Andronicus, White Denim.

Also just announced, additions to the Main Stage include Mariachi El Bronx, The View and The Living End. Great to see The Living End finally getting the credit they deserve from the UK. Both The Living End and Temper Trap were recently announced to perform at Glastonbury Festival too.

All these ridic new additions will be joining Radiohead, Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, Kaiser Chiefs, Placebo, The Prodigy, Eagles of Death Metal, Jamie T, The Gossip, Friendly Fires, Florence and The Machine, Glasvegas, Patrick Wolf, Passion Pit and a thousand more over the Bank weekend in late August.

http://www.readingfestival.com/

The Coaster Festival welcomes GZA

After extraordinary success in it's first year last year, the Coaster Festival is back with a sensational lineup.

Known as the Central Coast's very own music festival (set in Gosford), this year's lineup boats some mouth-watering acts both national and international. On Saturday 12th September, Eskimo Joe, Bliss n Eso, Does It Offend You, Yeah? (UK), British India, GZA (USA), The Bronx (USA), Van She, Grafton Primary, Children Collide, The John Steel Singers, The Scare and more will be performing.

Considering that Eskimo Joe just released a new album, GZA is from the original Wu-Tang Clan lineup, Bliss n Eso are working on new material and The Scare's latest EP was produced by Daniel Johns - this year's Coaster Festival will no doubt be very exciting for those that attend.

The Coaster Festival
September 12th
Gosford Showgrounds, Gosford NSW

Tix on sale June 24th.

www.coasterfestival.com.au

Green Day announce Australia tour for December

According to Green Day's official fansite (www.greendayauthority.com), the threesome will be touring their '21st Century Breakdown' album in Australia this December.

Only their first shows have been announced so far, but fans can definitely expect more shows just by looking at the amount of days between each gig.

More details will be released as soon as we hear something. Keep up-to-date with Music Universe and any news by subscribing to the newsletter today!

Green Day '21st Century Breakdown' tour dates:
December 4th - Burswood Dome, Perth WA
December 6th - Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide SA
December 8th - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane QLD
December 11th - Acer Arena, Sydney NSW
December 14th - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne VIC

On sale July 1st from ticketek.com.au
Ticketek
132 849

Peter Doherty - same story, different needle

We don't know why they call themselves 'NEW' Musical Express magazine (NME) when all they do is talk about OLD, repetitive news. Once again, (as reported by OME!)Peter Doherty was arrested after an alleged drugs bust on a flight on Friday.

The singer was detained in Geneva after being found slumped in a bathroom on board a British Airways plane. A hypodermic needle was found at the scene.

The Babyshambles man was fined by police and then allowed him to go free and play at the Neuchatel Open Air festival.

"Swiss police met BA730 from Heathrow to Geneva on Friday and a man was arrested," a British Airways spokesperson told the reporters. "We were contacted by the captain of a BA flight and a passenger was controlled by police. He was charged — but I cannot say what with. He paid a fine and was allowed to go."

Pete Doherty went on to play a gig the next night too, at Camden Underworld as part of the Camden Rocks festival.

Just not cool anymore Peter. Boring actually.

Japandroids - the new At The Drive-In?

Canadian duo, Japandroids, are releasing their debut album 'Post-Nothing' worldwide on August 4th.

Music Universe believe that these boys have released one of the most high-energy rock records since At The Drive-In and will easily make the 'Best Albums of 2009' list by a country mile.

The record was released in Canada on Canadian indie label Unfamiliar in April. However, Polyvinyl have picked the band up to try and put them on the international stage.

Those who prefer sitting on their backsides and not dipping too much into their pockets, can purchase the record digitally when it hits online marketplaces June 9, too.

If you liked At The Drive-In, do yourself a favour and get your ears stuck into this one.

www.japandroids.com

Pukkelpop Festival 2009

It's that time again to talk about great festivals overseas. This time it's Pukkelpop in Belgium.

Held over the weekend of August 20th - 22nd, majority of the festival hoppers attend this before the Reading/Leeds festival in the UK the following weekend.

Today Pukkelpop has become one of the biggest alternative open-air festivals in Belgium. Pukkelpop prides itself on its progressive music programme, with its idiosyncratic blend of unforgettable top acts and surprising new talent. About 200 acts play on one of the 8 Pukkelpop stages during the three-day festival and this year without a doubt the main drawcards are Faith No More (20th), Placebo (21st) and Artic Monkeys (22nd).

However, there's plenty more for those that aren't the biggest fans of those three. On the 20th, those to grace the stages include Beirut, Bon Iver, Razorlight, Dizzee Rascal, Grizzly Bear, Simian Mobile Disco, Passion Pit, The Offspring and our very own Howling Bells.

The 21st will bring out the likes of Snow Patrol, Vitalic, The Ting Tings, Glasvegas, Phoenix, Patrick Wolf, Metric and our very own The Living End (well done boys).

Just in case you hadn't had enough yet, the final day of the fest will showcase NERD, Eagles of Death Metal, Dinosaur Jr., Klaxons, Whitest Boy Alive, Peaches, Florence and The Machine, Gang Gang Dance, Deerhunter, Micachu and The Shapes and our very own once again The Temper Trap (again, well done boys).

For a full listing of the lineup, go to www.pukkelpop.be/en/line-up/

Parklife 2009 announces Empire Of The Sun as headliner

As I sit here writing this piece, I can't help but continue to look at the lineup over and over and over again, each time getting more and more excited. Don't worry about the festival itself, think about the sideshows!!

Thanks to Fuzzy, in a couple of months Australia will get to witness the likes of The Cool Kids, Crystal Castles, Erol Alkan, Junior Boys, La Roux, Metric, Metronomy, The Rapture, Tiga and our very own Empire of The Sun LIVE!

Yeah thats right, you heard correct. Erol Alkan, Junior Boys, La Roux, Metric and even Empire of The Sun will be playing their first ever shows (for some, their first ever live show) in Australia. Not sure if you're the same as us, but we certainly in the office are jumping for joy at the thought of seeing some of these acts. The idea of seeing Junior Boys and Empire of The Sun play live, 5 metres away from us, causes some of us to premature. Sorry - we said it, but its true.

So, get yourselves prepared for what could be the start of a really special summer.

Parklife 2009 lineup, in alphabetical order:

Aeroplane
Art vs Science
The Aston Shuffle
A-Trak
AutoKratz
Beni
Bertie Blackman
Busy P (DJ & host)
Claude VonStroke
The Cool Kids
Crystal Castles
Empire of the Sun
Erol Alkan
The Glimmers
Junior Boys
Kaskade
La Roux
Lady Sovereign
Little Boots
Metric
Metronomy
MSTRKRFT
The Rapture
Tiga
Shazam

More artists have just been announced including:
JOAKIM
THE STAFFORD BROTHERS AND TIMMY TRUMPET
MIAMI HORROR
PURPLE SNEAKERS DJS
AFRO DIZZI ACT
YACHT CLUB DJS
THE CAIROS
SAMPOLOGY
BABY GEE
ANIKI
TIM FUCHS
ELKE
JUNKBEATS
CHARLIE HUSTLE
MITZI
EMBER
YOUTH
FANS DJS
DZ
YOKOO
OPERON
DUBMARINE
THE LOOPS OF FURY
TIGERMOTH
LOWKEY+NUDE
DOOM DOOM

Sat 26th Sep – Botanic Gardens & Riverstage, Brisbane
Sun 27th Sep – Wellington Square, Perth
Sat 3rd Oct – Birrarung Marr, Melbourne
Sun 4th Oct – Kippax Lake, Moore Park, Sydney
Mon 5th Oct – Botanic Park, Adelaide

Tickets:
FUZZY MEMBER'S PRESALE THURSDAY 18th JUNE
GENERAL TICKETS ON SALE MIDDAY THURSDAY 25th JUNE

www.parklife.com.au

Pearl Jam debut new album 'Backspacer' on The Late Show with Conan O'Brien

Pearl Jam are working on their ninth studio album, titled 'Backspacer'. It has been tentatively scheduled to be released on September 22.

Pearl Jam did not re-sign its deal with J Records after their last record, so the band will be releasing the album without a label in the United States and through Universal Music Group internationally. They have apparently reached a deal with Target to be the exclusive big-box store retailer for the album in the United States, however the album will also see release through the band's official website, independent record stores, and an as-yet-confirmed online retailer.

A few days ago, on the first episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (Jay Leno retired), Pearl Jam played a new song from 'Backspacer' called 'Got Some'. Watch it below.

Editors back with third album - 'In This Light And On This Evening'

Indie UK band Editors have released some details about their highly anticipated third album. Titled 'In This Light And On This Evening', Editors have slated the new album to be released sometime this September.

The boys from Birmingham (UK) debuted onto the scene with the stellar album 'The Back Room' (2005), drawing major comparisons with US band Interpol. Their second album 'An End Has A Start' (2007) was released soon after with their sound now being compared to that of U2!

Editors, named as the second biggest British band of the decade after Arctic Monkeys by The Sunday Mail newspaper (UK), have been lying low for the past few years, but thanks to the help of producer Mark 'Flood' Ellis, they're back. The band say the material will have a more raw and anthemic sound compared to their previous work.

God we're looking forward to it. We're ready for the Editors to reappear in our lives once again.

www.editorsofficial.com

Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode cancer scare

Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan's had to cancel the band's European tour because what was reported earlier that he had severe gastroenteritis was actually in fact, a "low-grade malignant tumour."

The tumour was discovered in Gahan's bladder while in hospital after he collapsed just minutes before taking the stage at the band's Athens concert on 12 May.

good news though, the tumour has been successfully removed and Gahan is now under doctors' orders to rest.

An official statement released by the band read: "Dave Gahan sincerely thanks his fans for their support, understanding and patience. Depeche Mode deeply regret any problems or inconveniences the cancellations and postponements may have caused."

Get well soon Dave!

www.depechemode.com

The Libertines reforming - UPDATE

**Libertines reforming update**

Peter Doherty (pronounced Dockerty for those who didn't know) has said that The Libertines will reform next year.

The guitarist was fired as the band's frontman in 2004 following a series of rows with bandmate Carl Barat over Doherty's drug use - and the band subsequently split.

But the pair, along with drummer Gary Powell, put their problems behind them and reunited for an impromptu gig in London last month.

And now Doherty said he is looking forward to a full Libertines reunion, with bassist John Hassall, in 2010.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper (not the most reliable of sources), he said: "Definitely next year, we will do it."

Keep checking out Music Universe for all the latest on The Libertines and other music news.

Arctic Monkeys are back with their 3rd album

In case you were missing them from your life, the Arctic Monkeys are back with a third album for all you fans. The yet-to-be-named album will be released on August 24th.

The Monkeys of our era, as previously mentioned, have joined up with two producers for the album - James Ford (half of Simian Mobile Disco) and Josh Homme (frontman of Queens of The Stone Age). We at Music Universe have no idea what mashed-up sound we are going to get from this new album, but we are definitely interested. James Ford has already worked with the Monkeys producing their second album 'Favourite Worst Nightmare'. That album claimed to be called the most anticipated second album in a decade. It was stronger, harder, sharper, faster and also left us thinking what might they do next. One can only guess having Josh Homme on board now.....you thinking stoner rock??? Going by their latest picture (seen above) - maybe.

Tracklist:
01 My Propeller
02 Crying Lightning
03 Dangerous Animals
04 Secret Door
05 Potion Approaching
06 Fire and the Thud
07 Cornerstone
08 Dance Little Liar
09 Pretty Visitors
10 The Jeweller's Hands

www.arcticmonkeys.com