Thursday, August 9, 2012

QUICK NEWS

This summer was supposed to see / hear the release of Noel Gallagher and Amorphous Androgynous collaboration. Now, Gallagher has admitted that the electro/rock record may never happen. He told The Sun, "It was supposed to be delivered the night I did that press conference and I hadn’t been involved in any of the mixing at that point due to being busy with other things. Anyway, it was a toss-up whether to announce it in the first place, but I just thought fuck it, I've done it, let’s announce it. But since then I've been on the road and because of that I’ve not been in the mixing, and I’m not happy with any of the mixes. They’re going backward and forward so then the plan was to get mixing done after the tour, but this tour has gone on so long that there’s been no time, and that means looking at it next year. But by then I fear the moment may have passed."

As many have speculated, Sunday's Olympic ceremonies closing concert headlined by Blur, may in fact be the Britrock bands last. Guitarist Graham Coxon spoke to Shortlist and said, "Blur are like my extended family, We have ups and downs, much like brothers do, but it’s great that we have that connection and we’re always there for each other. Our relationship seems to be more relaxed these days. The less pressure we’re under to do anything, the better we are." Coxon was then asked if more music will be released and he said, "No, that’s it really. Sorry, but there just aren’t any more. My only hope is that we carry on doing what we really want to do. That’s it. I don’t think we like having things pencilled in too much or feeling pressured into anything. That’s our relationship now. We record when we want to see each other and try something. There’s no point in forcing it if it doesn’t feel good."

Bombshell news for fans of The Clash. The bands former manager, Caroline Coon, spoke to NME recently and said that the legendary punks "never reformed because of The Sex Pistols." Coon said, "On some level, Joe [Strummer] was too dependent on what the press thought about him. They always said that rock'n'roll was for the young, and that The Clash should never reform," she says. "And just when Joe would get his confidence together together and say, 'Fuck the press, we're going to get together again!', do you know what happened? The Sex Pistols would reform! It happened a number of times. Joe – insecure as he was – had quite a big ego, and he just couldn't reform The Clash on the tail of the Sex Pistols."

As the three women of Russian riot grrl band, Pussy Riot, awake to hear their verdict on August 17. The members of the  band spoke out in a Russian courtroom to announce their innocence and further slam the Russian government they have famously protested and which landed them in jail and in court. Maria Alyokhina, one of the three, said. "I am not afraid of your poorly concealed fraud of a verdict in this so-called court because it can deprive me of my freedom. No one will take my inner freedom away." For more information on Pussy Riot and how to sign a petition to get help get them out of facing a long and undeserving prison term, please click HERE. The band has gained international support from the likes of Madonna, Franz Ferdinand, Jarvis Cocker, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Brandon Boyd  and many others.