To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Grateful Dead, longtime fans, The National are spearheading a tribute album for the iconic jam band. The have been planning a tribute record for a while, and now, thanks to the magic of social media we know it will arrive this year. It will feature members of Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver, Kurt Vile, The Walkmen, Lee Ranaldo, Bonnie "Prince' Billy, The Tallest Man on Earth, and others. It is being recorded now.
Frank Turner will release The Third Three Years, his compilation of non-album rarities, in April. This is, obviously, the third in the series. Turner is also set to release a new album later this year.
Following her blockbuster return at this year's Super Bowl, Missy Elliott has confirmed that she is working with Pharrell on her new album. No word yet as to when the record will arrive.
Speaking to NME, Damon Albarn has revealed the meaning behind one of Blur's new songs that will be on their upcoming album, The Magic Whip. The song, "There Are Too Many of Us," he says, was inspired by last year's unfortunate hostage situation inside a Lindt Chocolate story in Australia. Albarn said, "but I actually finished the lyric after having come back from Australia. I was there the day they had the hostage situation in the chocolate shop, which was an extraordinary thing to witness. I was staying in a hotel where I could literally see what was going on outside and watch it on television. I’ve never been in that position before, and as a songwriter that was a very interesting standpoint to have. To be seeing something on TV, and then out the window it’s happening. Seeing the reality of what was happening and how it was being distorted through the prism of [the camera] was kind of fascinating." The Magic Whip arrives in April.
