Music News Round-Up: New Guns N' Roses Album, Weezer Record 'Africa' Music Video, Paul McCartney's Children's Book
NEW GUNS N’ ROSES ALBUM ON THE WAY?
Guns N’ Roses’ guitarist Slash has dropped the strongest hint yet that a new album from the legendary rock group might be on the way.
“We want to do something. We’ve been on the road this entire time, we have another leg coming up in November in Asia, then we’re going to start looking at what the next step is going to be,” he told Revolver magazine about the band’s plans once the Not In This Lifetime tour finally ends.
If one doesn’t count the messy debacle of Chinese Democracy in 2008, the prospective new LP would be the first from the (mainly complete) classic line-up of Guns N’ Roses in a quarter of a century.
“I think we’re going to go well on into the future,” Slash explained in a previous interview. “I mean, Axl’s got a ton of shit that he recorded already, so we’re going to get in there and just start getting into that thing, and then if we do a record and then do a tour, I could see that cycle going on endlessly.”
Weezer RECORD VIDEO FOR THEIR ‘AFRICA’ COVER
Clearly not willing to pass on their moment back in the sun, alternative rock icons Weezer have gone the whole hog and recorded a full music video for their cover version of Toto’s ‘Africa’ – and of course, it featured Weird Al Yankovic, because why not?
Back in May, Weezer finally gave in to internet pressure to release a proper cover version of Toto’s 1982 hit, having previously teased fans by covering the same band’s ‘Rosanna’ instead.
This week, a music video featuring the song being performed by Weezer substitutes – with comedy music star Yankovic playing Weezer’s lead singer Rivers Cuomo – dropped.
Last month, Toto responded to the viral success of Weezer’s take by repaying the favour, covering the band’s 2001 hit ‘Hash Pipe’.
You Me At Six TO OPEN POP-UP VEGAN KEBAB SHOP
To mark the release of their sixth album VI next month, British rockers You Me At Six will open a pop-up vegan kebab shop in London – titled ‘You Me At Shish’.
Opening its doors next Friday (October 5th) at 6pm at Temple Goods Café in Hackney Downs Studios, the band have teamed up with Temple of Setian to conjure up a food and cocktail menu inspired by VI, which is released the same day.
Fans will get the opportunity to get their hands on exclusive merchandise and have copies of VI signed by You Me At Six. The band themselves will play an acoustic set.
Chemical Brothers DROP NEW TRACK
British dance legends Chemical Brothers have shared a brand new track, their first original material in two years, called ‘Free Yourself’.
Although they shared a cover of Tim Buckley’s ‘I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain’ with veteran collaborator Beth Orton back in June this year, the new track is the Chems’ first original work since 2016’s stand-alone single ‘C-h-e-m-i-c-a-l’. Their last studio album, Born In The Echoes, dropped in 2015 – so is this a sign of new material?
PAUL McCARTNEY TO WRITE CHILDREN’S BOOK
Former Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney is to write a children’s book, titled ‘Hey Grandude’, inspired by his own grandchildren.
“He calls them ‘Chillers’,” said McCartney, who has eight grandchildren, announced this week. “They love him and they go on adventures with him and he’s kind of magical, so you’ll see that in the book. I wanted to write it for grandparents everywhere – and the kids – so it gives you something to read to the grandkids at bed time.”
Explaining the title during his appearance on ‘This Morning’ on Friday, he said: “I’ve got eight grandchildren and they’re all beautiful and one day one of them said to me ‘Hey Grandude!’. I said ‘What?’ and I thought, I kind of like that, so from then on I was kind of known as Grandude.”
‘Hey Grandude’ will be illustrated by artist Kathryn Durst, and is due to be published in September 2019.
Super Furry Animals ANNOUNCE BBC BOX-SET
Welsh alternative rock wizards Super Furry Animals revealed what they’ve been teasing their fans about for most of this week, unveiling an upcoming box-set collecting their session work with the BBC throughout their career.
Out on November 23rd, the appropriately titled Super Furry Animals At The BBC, will be available as a heavyweight 180g vinyl four-disc box set, an even-more-limited vinyl five-disc set, CD and download. Pre-orders can be made from October 12th via PledgeMusic.
The set covers eight sessions recorded especially for BBC Radio 1, including one unreleased song!
Release Info:
— super furry animals (@superfurry) September 27, 2018
Super Furry Animals at the BBC
23/11/2018
Formats: Heavyweight 180g Vinyl 4-Disc Ltd Edition Box Set x400/Super Limited Edition Vinyl 5-Disc x100 (STR044LP)/CD (STR044CD)/Streaming & Digi DL
Label: Strangetown Records
Pre-Orders 12/10/2018 https://t.co/ZT4X4EK1Ol pic.twitter.com/lGEGduqk6e
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