Alternative Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Young Fathers have spoken to NME about the huge response to their fourth album ‘Heavy Heavy’, and revealed that they are already in the process of making new music. Watch our interview above.The trio – comprised of Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham Hastings – spoke to NME on the red carpet of the 2024 BRIT Awards on Saturday night (March 2).

CMAT has spoken to NME about the rising popularity of country music in the mainstream, as well as new music and plans to start a religion devoted to Kylie Minogue. Watch our interview above.Speaking to NME at the BRIT Awards 2024 – where the singer, real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, was nominated for International artist of the year – told us how the Australian pop icon inspired her as a child.“She is the love of my life and the most important woman.

Pixies have announced that bassist Paz Lenchantin has left that band.In a post shared to social media today (March 4), the band announced the musician’s departure and revealed her replacement for their upcoming tour, writing: “Paz Lenchantin, who joined Pixies in 2014, has exited the band to concentrate on her own projects.“We’re grateful for Paz’s many contributions, and wish her all the very best going forward.”In her place, the band announced that they were “delighted” to welcome Emma Richardson, formerly of Band of Skulls.“Emma will make her worldwide touring debut with Pixies on the first night of the Bossanova x Trompe le Monde” European tour, beginning this Friday in Dublin.”An announcement from Pixies.La la love you… pic.twitter.com/TUqbRcoNaA— PIXIES (@PIXIES) March 4, 2024“See you on the road!” the post concluded. “La la love you, Pixies.”Lenchantin was previous a member of Zwan and A Perfect Circle.

Editors have announced a headline show at the re-opened O2 Academy Brixton this May. Find ticket details below.The band will perform at the South London venue on May 2, which will mark one of the first performances at the venue since its closure in December 2022 following a fatal crowd crush.Special guests are also set to be announced for the performance at a later date.Tickets will go on general sale this Friday (March 8) at 10am GMT, which you’ll be able to purchase from here.A post shared by EDITORS (@editorsofficial)“We’re extremely excited to return to @o2academybrix in London on May 2nd!” the band wrote on social media today (March 4).The newly announced show follows Editors’ 2024 UK tour, which wrapped up yesterday (March 3), and sees them join The Black Keys in being among the first acts to perform at the re-opened space this year.The venue announced its re-opening today, after being shuttered since the tragic incident that occurred at an Asake concert.

Garbage have announced a UK and European headline tour, kicking off this summer. Find all the details below.The alt-rock pioneers – comprising frontwoman Shirley Manson, Duke Erikson, Steve Marker, and Butch Vig – will perform across June and July, including a stop at the Wembley OVO Arena on July 20.The European leg of the tour will open at Magnolia in Milan on June 26, followed by shows in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and more.The UK shows will kick off with a festival slot at Glasgow’s TRNSMT Festival on July 12, before they hit Edinburgh, Bridlington, Wolverhampton, Manchester and London.Tickets for the tour will go on sale Friday (March 8) at 10am GMT, following a fan pre-sale on Thursday (March 7) at 10am local time.

The Dandy Warhols have reflected on what it was like to be named as one of David Bowie’s favourite bands.The moment arose during a new discussion with the group’s frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor, when he sat down for the latest instalment of NME’s Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! series.During the conversation, the singer-songwriter was quizzed about the band’s history, and opened up topics including his time on the road, Dig! documentary with the Brian Jonestown Massacre and his 2009 graphic novel One Model Nation.At one point in the interview, Taylor-Taylor was asked if he could recall which two bands The Dandy Warhols played between during the 2000 edition of Glastonbury.“Bush went on before us, then I have no idea because when I started walking offstage, David Bowie and his band – who had been watching us at the side – came towards us like a wave of black Gucci jackets and teeth,” he answered.The correct answer turned out to be Saint Etienne and Muse, however, the conversation did lead to the singer recalling his working relationship with David Bowie – in particular, being named as one of the artist’s favourite bands.“I have no idea what happened that day. Hours are gone from my memory.

The Jesus & Mary Chain have shared details of a memoir, set for release later this year.Titled Never Understood, The Story Of The Jesus & Mary Chain, the book was written by the band’s founding members, William and Jim Reid, with the help of critic and ghostwriter Ben Thompson.Set for release via White Rabbit, the book will arrive on August 15 in the UK, and September 3 in the US (via Hachette Books).In the memoir, both William and Jim will delve into the origins of the band, their rise to fame and the personal battles they faced along the way.“For five years after they’d swapped sought-after apprenticeships for life on the dole, brothers William and Jim Reid sat up till the early hours in the front room of their parents’ East Kilbride council house, plotting their path to world domination over endless cups of tea, with the music turned down low so as not to wake their sleeping sister,” reads a description.“They knew they couldn’t play in the same band because they’d argue too much, so they’d describe their dream ensembles to each other until finally they realised that these two perfect bands were actually the same band, and the name of that band was The Jesus & Mary Chain.”Over 40 years since they first emerged, the book will see the musicians tell the story of the band for one of the very first times, and open up about their first-hand perspective of being in the group. This includes their brotherly strife, struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and extreme shyness, but is said to come together as somewhat of “a love letter to the Scottish working-class family.”“It’s got plenty of warts, we can assure you of that,” Jim Reid said of the book.

Twenty One Pilots have announced a new album ‘Clancy’ and shared its lead single, ‘Overcompensate’.The Columbus duo’s sixth LP – the follow-up to 2021’s ‘Scaled and Icy’ – will drop on May 17 via Fueled By Ramen.The band had been teasing their new era in recent weeks, with fans noticing that across Twenty One Pilots’ digital platforms, all of the artwork for their previous albums now featured strips of red tape covering all the eyes on each cover on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.Some fans also received cryptic messages in the post with the letters coming from the Sacred Municipality of Dema. As highlighted by Kerrang!, the clues build on the lore explored across 2018’s ‘Trench‘ and 2015’s ‘Blurryface’.Last week, the band released a trailer foreshadowing what’s to come, seemingly teasing a new character and location.“I am trapped, stuck in a cycle I have never been able to break,” narrates frontman Tyler Joseph at the trailer’s beginning.

ANOHNI has announced her first shows with The Johnsons in 14 years – find all the details below.Following the release of 2023 album ‘My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross’ – her first in seven years – the artist will be reuniting with The Johnsons for a concert series in the UK and Europe which will include two nights in London.The first show will take place on June 13 at Epidaurus Festival Herodion in Athens, followed by dates in Madrid, Paris, Berlin and more.On July 1 and 2, she’ll stop at the Barbican for consecutive shows and finish up with another two at DR Koncerthaus in Copenhagen on July 12 and 13.General sale tickets will be available from 10am GMT on Friday (March 1). Alternatively, fans can sign up to pre-sale via ANOHNI’s website to purchase tickets from 9am GMT Wednesday (February 28).ANOHNI will be joined by a nine-piece band including Julia Kent (cello), Maxim Moston (violin), Doug Wieselman (multi-instrumentalist) and Jimmy Hogarth (guitarist/producer).The shows will see her draw from new material as well as songs from across her back catalogue.

Kid Cudi has revealed that he will be taking a break from making music for a year to focus on his film and television career.January saw the Ohio rapper release his 10th studio album ‘INSANO’– a more trap-inspired record that included verses from Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, DJ Drama, Pharrell and Travis Scott – before he dropped the LP’s sequel ‘INSANO (Nitro Mega)’ last week; taking a more experimental and alternative route assisted by the likes of Wiz Khalifa, Layzie and Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs ‘n’ Harmony and Pusha T. The two records mark Cudi’s final albums as part of his Republic Records deal.Shortly after the release of ‘Nitro Mega’, Cudi took to X/Twitter to tell fans he would be taking a break from music and to expect new music “every other year.””“My next album is already about 80 per cent done, and it’ll be out in 2026,” he wrote.

Hozier and Wembley Arena have responded after a fan was told to remove their ‘Free Palestine’ scarf upon entry at the venue last year.In December 2023, a concert attendee named Hiba Ahmad recounted their experience on X/Twitter of being “pulled aside and escorted to wardrobe” for wearing a scarf in solidarity with Palestine at the concert.The Irish artist performed at the OVO Arena Wembley on December 15 as part of his 2023 UK and Ireland tour.The fan wrote that they wear the ‘Free Palestine’ scarf “everywhere as a show of solidarity” and “because it is fucking cold”.“They then proceeded to tell me they are taking my scarf for my own protection as I might get ‘hate crimed’ for wearing it,” the social media thread stated.The attendee added that staff said they would not confiscate their pride key chain, because they are “not political”.“On the way in I saw people being let in with all sorts of political slogans – especially one memorable tote bag about animal cruelty and testing,” the posts added.

The Jesus & Mary Chain have released their latest single ‘Girl 71’ from their forthcoming LP ‘Glasgow Eyes‘.The upbeat, retro-sounding track features buzzing instruments and a steady drum beat along with angsty lyrics sung by Jim Reid such as: “But that wouldn’t last a day / Well, nothing does, so that’s okay / Piss doesn’t touch the ground / Give up what you need.”‘Girl 71’ is the third track to be released from ‘Glasgow Eyes’, following ‘Chemical Animals‘ and ‘Jamcod‘. Their eighth studio album is set for release on March 8 and is available for pre-order/pre-save here.Speaking to NME in a recent interview about how they know when it’s the right time for a new record, Reid said: “The big gap between ‘Munki’ [1998] and ‘Damage & Joy’ [2017] was probably largely to do with me.“When the band got back together I thought, ‘Well, this is OK, it’s working’ – but everybody kept saying, ‘Make a record’.

Portishead are reissuing their classic live album ‘Roseland NYC Live’ on CD and vinyl for its 25th anniversary.‘Roseland NYC Live 25’, a remastered version of the live album recorded in New York City’s Roseland Ballroom on November 1998, will arrive on April 26. It will have an expanded tracklisting to include ‘Undenied’ and ‘Numb’ from the accompanying concert film, as well as the full-length performance of ‘Western Eyes’, a snippet of which played over the credits of the film.Meanwhile, the reissue includes the original versions of ‘Sour Times’ and ‘Roads’, which had been previously substituted on the album release with recordings from other gigs.Portishead’s Adrian Utley, who oversaw the full production of the reissue, said: “I’ve always held the memory of this show which we played before our second album was released.

MGMT have collaborated with Christine & The Queens for their new song ‘Dancing In Babylon’.The blissful new track is the final preview of MGMT’s new album ‘Loss Of Life‘ (out February 23).The song – which marks the first-ever duet on an MGMT album – unveils a lush musical arrangement of piano chords, retro synths and keys with new wave influences.The new track arrives with a music video that features Chris of Christine and the Queens.Check out ‘Dancing In Babylon’ below.“I always loved MGMT’s multiverse, their freedom and talent, their limpid songwriting and killer soundscapes. Regal, inspiring,” Chris said of the collaboration in a press statement.“When they reached out for this power ballad, I was honored and also excited to dive into their dream, because I have the same all-encompassing approach with my work.

St. Vincent has revealed that Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl features on her new album.The US singer-songwriter shared that both the Foos frontman and Cate Le Bon will appear on her new record, which she’s described as “psychotic” and “post-plague pop”.The artist – real name Annie Clark – revealed in a new interview with MOJO that she began work on the new album soon after 2021’s ‘Daddy’s Home‘, which NME described in a four-star review as “her warmest album yet”.While she has not yet revealed many details about what fans can expect, the singer confirmed that Foo Fighters’ new drummer Josh Freese is also among their “pretty tight little Wrecking Crew” of contributing musicians.St.

J. Mascis has shared a rendition of Phoebe Bridgers’ song ‘Motion Sickness’.

Lana Del Rey has shared a cover of Irving Berlin’s ‘Blue Skies’ – written for the soundtrack to the new series The New Look. Check it out below.Shared today (February 14), the song is the latest to be taken from the Jack Antonoff soundtrack to the new Apple TV+ series, centred on iconic fashion designers as they navigated the horrors of World War II.The new cover sees Lana Del Rey put her own signature spin on the classic song ‘Blue Skies’, shared by Irving Berlin.

Keanu Reeves’ band Dogstar have shared details of a tour of the UK and Europe – set to kick off this summer. Find ticket details below.The ‘90s alt-rock trio – comprising vocalist Bret Domrose, drummer Rob Mailhouse and bassist Keanu Reeves – are set to embark on a series of 13 headline shows across the continent later this summer.The live dates will commence at the end of May, when the band kick off with a slot at La Sala Teatro in Madrid, Spain on May 30, followed by a gig in Paris on June 2 – taking place at La Cigale.

Lana Del Rey has claimed that she “did not feel one ounce of negative emotion” at this year’s Grammys.The 2024 ceremony for The Record Academy took place over the weekend, and was held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday night (February 4). On the night, Del Rey was nominated in five categories: Album of the Year and Best Alternative Music Album (‘Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd’), Song of the Year and Best Alternative Music Performance (‘A&W’) and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (‘Candy Necklace’ with Jon Batiste).Ultimately, she went home empty-handed on the night, and it was Taylor Swift who snatched up the award for Album of the Year with her 2022 LP ‘Midnights’.

Dylan has shared a new single that is an ode to Bonnie and Clyde, titled ‘The Alibi’. Check it out below.Shared today (February 9), the new track sees the singer, songwriter and guitarist take a step back from her usual guitar-driven sound and instead take a more emotional approach.Instead of honing in on her inspirations from the rock world, this time around Dylan focuses her energy on capturing more of an ambient pop sound – revealing her more vulnerable side and creating an anthem for those familiar with heartbreak.“I saw it in your eyes on the night that we met/ Devil in disguise, lover, I won’t forget/ Caught me by surprise, baby, I was a mess/ And, of all my mistakes, you’re the one I regret,” she sings.The track also comes alongside a stripped-back music video, which sees the singer reflecting on her past decisions and coming out stronger because of it.

The Last Dinner Party have announced a UK and Ireland tour for 2024 – check out the details below.The British baroque-pop group will be playing 16 dates this autumn, including their biggest headline show to date at London’s Eventim Apollo in October.The tour will kick off at O2 City Hall in Newcastle on September 23, followed by dates in Leeds, Norwich, Birmingham, Dublin and more, before they wrap up in London on October 16.The tour will follow the band’s lengthy run of European and North American dates this year in support of debut album ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ (out February 2).Fans can pre-order the album before 5pm GMT next Tuesday (February 6) to access a pre-sale code for the tour. Pre-sale tickets will be live from 8am GMT on Wednesday (February 7), before general sale at 8am on Friday (February 9).

Bambie Thug will be representing Ireland in this year’s edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.Ireland held Eurosong, their annual contest to select their Eurovision entrant, last night (January 26). Bambie Thug triumphed with their song ‘Doomsday Blue’ after winning the most combined votes from a combined vote from viewers, and national and international juries.Speaking to Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty after winning, Bambie Thug said: “I don’t know how I feel – I feel incredible.“My words are gone – as a lyricist you’d think I’d have more to say but I’m speechless – I’m so excited and I promise I’m going to do you so proud.”The self-described “ouija pop” artist was born in Macroom, County Cork, and is now based in London.

Thom Yorke has written a new music score for the upcoming film Confidenza.The Radiohead and The Smile frontman composed the original music for the film (which translates to “Trust”) from Italian director Daniele Luchetti, based on the book by Domenico Starnone.The film stars Elio Germano, Vittoria Puccini and Isabella Ferrari, and follows Pietro Vella who works in a run down Roman high school. A synopsis reads: “He strongly believes he can help students strive for a better future and Teresa, and bright and rebellious student, is totally taken with him and his lessons.

The Smile have announced an extra London date on their March 2024 UK tour after phenomenal demand.The Radiohead side project – comprising Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner – announced their UK and European tour back in November, alongside their new album ‘Wall Of Eyes‘.The band are due to kick off the tour at Dublin’s 3Arena on March 7 and play dates in Brighton, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham before finishing up with a show at London’s Alexandra Palace on March 23.They’ve now added a second London show at the Eventim Apollo on Sunday, March 10 due to “exceptional demand”.Tickets for the extra show go on sale this Friday (January 26) at 9am GMT from here. Fans can also sign up to the pre-sale here.A post shared by The Smile (@thesmiletheband)MARCH7 – Dublin, 3Arena 10 – London, Eventim Apollo 13 – Copenhagen, K.B. Hallen 15 – Brussels, Forest National 16 – Amsterdam, AFAS Live 18 – Brighton, Brighton Centre 19 – Manchester, O2 Apollo 20 – Glasgow, SEC Armadillo 22 – Birmingham, O2 Academy 23 – London, Alexandra PalaceThe Smile’s second album ‘Wall Of Eyes’ is out Friday, which NME described in four-star review as a “masterclass in pushing rock forward”, adding that it features “some of their best work since ‘In Rainbows'”.It added: “Where previously the comparisons to their Radiohead catalogue could warp expectations, the breadth of the material on offer here suggest that it could, eventually, flip that dynamic right on its head.”Reviewing The Smile live in New York City in 2022, NME described the show as an “expansive and dazzling spectacle”.

Ghostpoet has described the new German culture strike as “misdirected”, while also declaring his support for Gaza.In recent weeks figures from the arts and entertainment industry have voiced their support for the Strike Germany movement in response to the government’s “use of McCarthyist policies that suppress freedom of expression” related to showing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.An open letter from the movement claims that Palestine solidarity protests have been “mislabeled as anti-Semitic and banned” while activist spaces are “raided by police, and violent arrests are frequent”.It adds that Strike Germany is a “call for international cultural workers to strike from German cultural institutions”.However, British artist Ghostpoet – real name Obaro Ejimiwe – has expressed scepticism over the strike’s “wave of blanket cancellations”.In an Instagram post shared last week, the Mercury Prize-nominated singer-songwriter wrote that while he shares the anger over “Germany’s unforgivable support of Israel’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians”, it will not “achieve the desired results”.A post shared by Ghostpoet (@ghostpoet)He added that the strike is “misdirected”, because many of the affected institutions are “spaces for dissent against these genocidal policies” but are the ones “paying the price for the government’s position”.Other shortcomings he claimed to be hindering the strike included that there was “no mutual aid plan” that would help provide financial, political, legal and logistical support to strikers, while also noting that arts and culture workers in Germany were “not a cohesive category”.He said most were freelancers whose income depended on exhibitions, gigs and events.“Ultimately, instead of bearing

Pixies and Modest Mouse have announced their joint 2024 US tour with Cat Power which is set to kick off later this year.The co-headlining tour will see Power provide opening support and is set to kick off on Friday, May 31 at the Firefly Distillery in Charleston, South Carolina. From there, the are set to make stops in major cities such as Nashville, Atlanta, Pittsburg, Toronto, Philadelphia, Queens, Mansfield, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Austin, Irving and more.The tour will wrap up on Sunday, June 30 at Fiddler’s Green in Denver, Colorado.

The Last Dinner Party have announced a tour across North America for 2024.The UK baroque-pop band will be heading across the pond in March, April, July and August in support of their debut album ‘Prelude To Ecstasy‘, which is out February 2.The group will begin the 20-date stint at Lunario in Mexico City on March 19, making stops in Boston, New York, Toronto, Portland, San Francisco and more, before they wrap up at The Complex in Salt Lake City on August 7. Miss Grit will also perform as support across select dates.Pre-sale starts Tuesday (January 23) at 10am ET, ahead of general sale Friday (January 26) at 10am ET from here.A post shared by THE LAST DINNER PARTY (@thelastdinnerparty)“North America Dinner Guests!!! We are thrilled to unveil that we will be gracing your beauteous towns and charming cities from March, with support from @miss_grit,” the band shared on Instagram.“Chime the bells, flare the beacons, and signal the alarms to secure thy tickets swiftly!”MARCH19 – Mexico City, MX, Lunario21 – Austin, TX, Scoot Inn22 – Dallas, TX, The Studio at The Factory 24 – Boston, MA, Royale Boston*26 – New York, NY, Webster Hall*27 – Brooklyn, NY, Brooklyn Steel* 29 – Montreal, QC, Le Studio TD*30 – Toronto, ON, The Concert Hall*31 – Detroit, MI, The Majestic Theatre*APRIL2 – Columbus, OH, Newport Music Hall*4 – Minneapolis, MN, First Avenue*5 – Milwaukee, WI, Turner Hall Ballroom*9 – Portland, OR, McMenamins Crystal Ballroom*10 – Vancouver, BC, Hollywood Theatre*11 – Seattle, WA, The Showbox*14 – Phoenix, AZ, Crescent Ballroom*16 – San Francisco, CA, Bimbo’s 365 Club*JULY 31 – Kansas City, MO at The TrumanAUGUST2 – St. Charles, IA, Hinterland Festival6 – Englewood, CO, Gothic Theatre7 – Salt Lake City, UT, The Complex*with

KoRn’s Brian “Head” Welch has announced his partnership in the opening of a mental health treatment centre.The guitarist has launched Atlantic Behavioral Health, a treatment centre which provides intensive outpatient treatments in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Its focuses include addressing anxiety, depression, and various mental health disorders.

The Jesus & Mary Chain have released their brooding new single ‘Chemical Animal’ – listen to it below.The track is the second preview of the band’s forthcoming new album ‘Glasgow Eyes’, following November single ‘jamcod’.The Scottish alt-rock band announced that their eighth studio album would be arriving March 8 (pre-order/pre-save here), which will be followed by a UK and European tour.‘Chemical Animal’ is a heavy rumination on the past suppressed by dense guitar lines and an ominous soundscape of fizzing instrumentals.Listen to it below.“Our work on our autobiography definitely bled into our work on the album,” said Jim Reid. “‘jamcod’, the first single from the album, was about that night in 1998 in the House of Blues when the band broke up.

Ed Harcourt has shared his latest single ‘Deathless’, a haunting track from his forthcoming LP ‘El Magnifico’.‘Deathless’ is the second single to be released from the forthcoming LP, following ‘Strange Beauty‘. “I’ve been dying to live for something / It’s better than dying for nothing / I want to be deathless / want to be deathless” he sings over a haunting and pounding beat.Directed by Steve Gullick, the song’s accompanying black-and-white video features Harcourt standing still and singing in the middle of the desert under trees and next to cacti and agave plants.Speaking of the song in a press release, Harcourt said: “Written in a mad fever dream one night, this is a darker and heavier track from the record; basically it’s my attempt to write ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ but if it was trying to punch it’s way out of a metal box.”He continued: “Absolutely blessed to have a brilliantly woozy string arrangement from Fiona Brice (John Grant / Placebo).