Johnny Marr

After Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler had to write a second cease-and-desist letter to Donald Trump asking him to stop playing their songs during his rallies this week – having already called him out for doing the same with ‘Dream On’ three years ago – we thought we’d compile some other famous moments when politicians got scolded by musicians for using their songs without permission.

Almost inevitably, such clashes come up when songs are used by right-wing or conservative parties and candidates. Musicians are a fairly liberal bunch, understandably, and they don’t want their messages and sentiments getting confused with those counter to their own beliefs and ideologies.

So, here’s seven other famous moments when politicians tried to get some credibility off pop stars.

Continue reading: 7 Times Politicians Tried To Use Pop Songs Without Permission

As football fans all around the world buzz about Transfer Deadline Day, watching the flurry of activity online as clubs make the most of their last chance to transfer players, it got us thinking about how many big musicians transferred their careers from the pitch to the stage.

Robbie Williams and Olly Murs at Soccer Aid 2018

Here are 7 artists who pursued music despite having a promising football future:

Continue reading: 7 Stars That Swapped A Football Career For Music

Ahead of the release of his new album 'Call the Comet' this summer, Johnny Marr opens up about the sort of themes that have inspired him to write lately, including how Donald Trump and Brexit spurred the album into motion. The first single from the album, 'The Tracers', drops this week.

Johnny Marr at the Q Awards

They may be the two major issues currently dividing Western society, but there's light at the end of the tunnel if we get an album out of it from The Smiths songwriter.

Continue reading: Johnny Marr Drops New Single 'The Tracers' And Album Release Date

Modest Mouse are set to make a very welcome return with their first album in eight years 'Strangers To Ourselves'. It's been a long time coming for this Washington quartet but fans can now breathe a sigh of relief for their comeback.

Modest Mouse to release their new album 'Strangers To Ourselves'

After that nautical fun that was 2007's US number one album 'We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank', fans were no doubt eager to see what they brought up next. When Johnny Marr (formerly of The Smiths) was replaced by Grandaddy's Jim Fairchild a little before the album's release to join The Cribs, recording took a backseat for a while. While they continued to tour, play festivals and release 2009 EP 'No One's First and You're Next', it's only now that album seven has finally come to fruition.

Continue reading: Modest Mouse Return After Eight Years With New Album 'Strangers To Ourselves'

Musical campaigners have successfully reversed a ban that had prevented inmates of British prisons from being able to use steel strings on guitars.

Billy Bragg had led the campaign to reverse the steel guitar string ban in British prisons

The ban had meant that the only strings available to inmates were nylon ones, used primarily for classical and Spanish styles and largely unsuitable for steel-strung acoustic guitars due to the way that they’re attached. But now steel strings will be available again, to be paid for out of prisoners’ wages and earned on a privileges basis at the discretion of individual governors.

Continue reading: Musicians Succeed In Reversing Prison Guitar String Ban

Morrissey appears to have ended his dispute with publisher Penguin and will finally release his memoir, titled Autobiography, as part of the Penguin Classics range on October 17, 2013.

According to a statement from the publisher, the book will come out in the UK, Europe and the British Commonwealth, though there are no plans to release Autobiography in the US or any other territory. 

This could have been the stumbling block that resulted in an initial delay in publication, with the fan-site True To You claiming that "a last-minute content disagreement . caused the [Penguin] venture to collapse," however it most likely hinged on Morrissey's desire for the book to be published as a classic.

Continue reading: Bigmouth Strikes Again: Morrissey To Publish Memoirs As 'Penguin Classic'

Albums Of Note... Get Up! pairs modern blues idol and expert slide guitarist Ben Harper with harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite. Aiming for blues authenticity, that’s exactly what Ben and Charlie achieve here. The pair of talented blues musicians fly in the face of modernity and instead strive to recreate the dusky glamour of a Chicago blues club.

“In general, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite have delivered a strong, yet candid and fun blues album. This album really does not care that it is 2013, and why should it? Each of the ten songs contains something of merit. Both musicians involved are fairly prolific but this collection will doubtlessly shoot to the high end of the fans favourites in no time at all.”

Continue reading: A Week In Music - Classic Blues From Ben Harper And Charlie Musselwhite, Raunchy Videos From The Weeknd, Jay Z And Justin Timberlake, Get Up Close And Personal With Rihanna In 'Stay'