Kaiser Chiefs to release 'Off With Their Heads' October 13

Leeds boys Kaiser Chiefs have announced the details of their third album. The follow-up to last year's Yours Truly, Angry Mob is called Off With Their Heads, and it comes out October 14 via Universal Motown (October 13 in the UK).

Lily Allen and members of New Young Pony Club contributed backing vocals to "Never Miss a Beat", while Lily appears again on "Always Happens Like That". Pal Mark Ronson, who had a hit with his cover of the Kaisers' "Oh My God" featuring Lily on vocals, produced the album with Eliot James. Off With Their Heads also features contributions from grime MC Sway and film composer/Björk arranger David Arnold.

Kaiser Chiefs tour Europe this month then head to the U.S. in November for a trio of dates.

Off With Their Heads:

01 Spanish Metal

02 Never Miss a Beat

03 Like It Too Much

04 You Want History

05 Can't Say What I Mean

06 Good Days Bad Days

07 Tomato in the Rain

08 Half the Truth

09 Always Happens Like That

10 Addicted to Drugs

11 Remember You're a Girl

http://www.kaiserchiefs.co.uk/

The Byron Bay Arts and Music Festival returns in 2009

After a 12-year hiatus, The Byron Bay Arts and Music Festival returns in January 2009 and the old folk at Music Universe would like to give a round of applause for this well-deserved comeback.

The two-day event is a joint outing from the original Byron Arts crew and the minds behind The Falls Festival, meaning a handful of the Falls headliners will also be heading up north.

The organisers promise “a utopian environment of world-class music, comedy, writers’ workshops, yoga, drumming circles, interactive art installations, burlesque, and international cuisines”. When you put all that in the context of high-summer Byron Bay, it really starts to look like a winner. All we know so far is the location and dates, but there is sure to be a brilliant batch of acts on board.

The first line-up is announced 13 August. Stay tuned to Music Universe for details.

The Byron Bay Arts & Music Festival

7 & 8 January 09

Belongil Fields, Byron Bay

Is Burial really Fatboy Slim??

Mercury Music Prize nominee Burial’s real identity is rumoured to be that of Norman Cook.

In an investigation by The Sun newspaper, the dubstep-pioneer’s true identity is being attempted to be unmasked prior to the Mercury Prize ceremony in September.

Alongside the alter-ego of Fatboy Slim, the paper also claims that the “musical equivalent to Banksy” could also be the more experimental artist, Aphex Twin.

Artists who attend the ceremony are required to play one of their songs live ahead of the revealing of the winner. There has never been a case before in the ceremonies sixteen-year span in which the winner has not been there to pick up the award. This could make for a very interesting ceremony in 2008.

Burial is the bookies’ favourite to win the prestigious prize next month, ahead of Radiohead and The Last Shadow Puppets who are also among the likely winners.

www.myspace.com/burialuk

P.S. For those that have no idea who Banksy is, check out his masterpieces at his website, or just hit up London!! www.banksy.co.uk

Muse collaborate with The Streets?

Muse have cleared up a heated debate, denying that a track that surfaced last night, which features a collaboration with the Streets, had any serious purpose.

In a statement on their official website, the band said: “The MP3 floating around on the message boards at the moment is a track we recorded with Mike Skinner a few months ago. "The track was the result of a late night jam session and something we did for a bit of a laugh featuring a blues riff we have been playing live recently upon which Skinner recorded some vocals. "It is not intended to be a serious release so we are happy for it to be leaked around unofficially. Hope you enjoy, Cheers. Matt, Dom & Chris.”

Despite what was previously thought, ‘Who Knows Who’, which only features vocals from Mike Skinner, won’t be featuring on the forthcoming Streets album, ‘Everything Is Borrowed’.

http://www.muse.mu/