Damon Albarn

As the days get progressively colder and shorter, and world leaders try to attempt to agree on a way to arrest the rise in global temperatures, November ushers in celebrations of light, gunpowder and treason. As well as Diwali and Guy Fawkes night, November also sees people observing The Day Of The Dead, All Saints Day, Remembrance Sunday and Thanksgiving. Whilst some may be excited that November is also the month to mark World Television Day, or even Dr Who Day, some of you may be eagerly awaiting Taylor's Version of Red or even Gary Barlow's first festive album - The Dream Of Christmas. Other 'notable' releases this month include Hanson's new album - Against The World, Westlife's Wild Dreams and Sting's The Bridge. As good as they be, they weren't hot enough to make the cut! Let's see who fired up our imagination and lit the blue touch paper. 

Elbow - Flying Dream 1.

Continue reading: Upcoming Releases: Our Favourite Five New Albums Due Out In November 2021

In a recent open letter to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, major players in the UK music industry, including Sir Mick Jagger, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Tom Jones, have called for a major reform of the way that they, and their fellow musicians, are paid by streaming sites. They argue that, "the law has not kept up with the pace of technological change." It is true that streaming sites pay in a different way to how payments were and are calculated for radio air play, but does that mean that the payment is too small or that the way it is calculated needs to change? 

It was recently reported by the BBC that, "On streaming services, labels retain the majority of the money - with the artist receiving about 13% on average, and session musicians receiving nothing." This compares to a radio payment model where "royalties are split evenly between the record label and the artists/songwriters, with a small portion going to session musicians and backing performers, a system known as equitable remuneration."

Continue reading: Streaming Until You're Blue In The Face: Are Artists Under Paid Each Time You Listen To One Of Their Songs?

Two decades ago the popular musical landscape was changed substantially by a creation that embraced a cohesive fusion between music and virtual reality in a way that had not been explored on such a scale before. With the advent of Gorillaz there was something new, something vital and something to challenge the turgid norm that permeated much of the music scene around the turn of the century. Brit Pop was in the death throws of it's final spluttering breathe, dance music was reaching a point of mild stagnation and Hip-Hop was limping along to the familiar tune of Jay-Z and Naz. 

In a near perfect storm of coincidence and creative longing, Blur were also in a state of fluctuating turmoil. There were on-going differences beginning to surface within the band, and tensions were high. Graham Coxon in particular was unhappy with the direction of the band, and it's musical output. This, coupled with a yearning desire to explore wider musical channels, and realise creative goals that were not deemed possible within Blur at the time, gave Damon Albarn the ideal set of circumstances in which he could seize his moment.

Continue reading: Album Of The Week: The Twentieth Anniversary Of The Eponymous Debut Album By Gorillaz

It's been 20 years since Britpop extraordinaires Blur unveiled their Mercury Prize nominated sixth album 13; a record which was very different sonically and thematically from their previous work, but nonetheless became their fourth consecutive number one album in the UK upon its release. 

Blur - 13

13 saw a strong departure from their initial Britpop sound with William Orbit (Madonna, Beth Orton) taking over from previous producer Stephen Street. This time they took on a more alternative rock direction with pronounced electronic tones. 

Continue reading: Album Of The Week: The 20th Anniversary Of Blur's Experimental Album 13

Drake BREAKS BEATLES CHART RECORD

Rap megastar Drake has just overhauled a Billboard chart record held by The Beatles for over half a century, after his new track with Bad Bunny landed in the top ten this week.

The 32 year old’s guest spot on ‘MIA’ means that he’s now had 12 songs reach the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2018 – the most that any artist has had in a single year. It meant that a chart record that had stood for 54 years, when The Beatles scored 11 top ten hits in 1964 when both ‘I Feel Fine’ and ‘She’s A Woman’ entered the charts in America on December 26th that year.

Continue reading: Music News Round-Up: New Ian Brown And Gerard Way Songs, Drake Breaks Beatles Record

After a week of speculation, Damon Albarn has confirmed that there will indeed be a new Gorillaz album coming this year, unveiling two new tracks and videos from the animated band.

Speaking to Zane Lowe on Beats 1, the former Blur frontman confirmed that Gorillaz’ sixth studio album will be released on June 29th, titled The Now Now. It comes a little over a year after the project’s last record, Humanz, was released to critical acclaim.

Gorillaz, consisting of Albarn and animator Jamie Hewlett, are renowned for using a galaxy of guest stars to bring their studio creations to life, but the sixth album features very few outside collaborators. However, in typical fashion, the few they have chosen are stellar, including hip-hop star Snoop Dogg and legendary American guitarist George Benson.

Continue reading: Gorillaz Confirm New Album 'The Now Now'

Steve Earle has called Noel Gallagher ''the most overrated songwriter ever''.

The 'Copperheard Road' hitmaker has slammed the Oasis legend's lyrical ability and thinks his band rocketed to fame in the 1990s because they ''behaved badly'', but hailed fellow British musician Damon Albarn - who sang and penned tracks in rival group Blur - a ''real f**king songwriter''.

He told The Guardian newspaper: ''I dislike Man City because it is Oasis's club. Noel Gallagher is the most overrated songwriter in the whole history of pop music. They were perfect for the Brit press because they behaved badly and got all the attention. Blur were really great. That guy Damon Albarn is a real f**kin' songwriter.''

Continue reading: Steve Earle: Noel Gallagher Is 'most Overrated Songwriter Ever'

Damon Albarn has ''no agenda'' with Gorillaz.

The 49-year-old singer loves the fact his animated band are able to adapt to whatever he is writing or whatever musical direction he is keen to explore and insists it doesn't matter if their songs don't match up with collaborator JAMIE HEWLETT's drawings of band members 2D, Murdoc, Russel and Noodle.

He said: ''I don't think that matters.

Continue reading: Gorillaz Have No Agenda

JAMIE HEWLETT has confirmed that Gorillaz will soon be returning with a new album. The artist who is preparing to host an exhibition at London's Saatchi Gallery, titled The Suggetionists, said the band are planning to release their new album next year and make 2016 all about Gorillaz.

Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz are set for a return in 2016.

When asked about a new Gorillaz album, Hewlett told DIY magazine, "That's next year. I'm working on it at the moment, and it's going very well. I'm very excited. I don't want to say too much about it, but I'm at that phase of experimentation.”

Continue reading: Jamie Hewlett Confirms New Gorillaz Album And 2016 Plans

Blur frontman Damon Albarn just didn’t know when to call it a night on Saturday evening and ending up being carried from the stage after playing a five-hour set. Albarn embarked on the lengthly set at Denmark’s Roskilde festival, where he was appearing with his Africa Express side project, which also features Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Damon Albarn had to be forcibly removed from the stage on Sunday night.

At 4am festival organisers came onstage to ask Albarn to put an end the show, with the Blur frontman refusing to stop the party. Taking a microphone Albarn told the audience, : "F--k what everyone says. You want more, we're going to give you more." Before encouraging the crowd to chant ‘more’.

Continue reading: Blur's Damon Albarn Has To Be Carried Off Stage After Mammoth Five Hour Set