The Smiths

When time is of the essence and you need a quick fix you require some succinct songs to get you through the day. On the shortest day of the year your time is precious but you don't have to forego anything, you just need to scale it down. When daylight is scarce and the temperature is dropping a short sharp super-charged dose of high octane music is just the ticket. To help you through the day we've put together a playlist of some of the best short songs we could think of. Our top ten has all you need and it comes in at less than 19 minutes in it's entirety.

 Blur

The White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl.

Continue reading: Short Songs For The Shortest Day: When Brevity Is A Necessity You'll Want This Playlist

You're probably stuck at home with little to do, no gigs to go to and no parties to attend, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun. We've put together a completely inappropriate playlist of songs about self-isolation, sickness and the apocalypse so you can have your very own CORVID-19 party. On your own.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Down with the Sickness - Disturbed

Continue reading: Stay In And Rock Out: A Playlist To Get You Through Quarantine

With the massive headline news that the Spice Girls have (eventually) decided to reunite once again, nailing on a huge stadium tour of the UK next summer, it got us thinking – what other bands would we love to see reform?

Below are five bands from the worlds of pop and rock who are still holding out on the lucrative reunion dollar – all their members are still alive, so come on guys, bring it on!

Girls Aloud

Continue reading: Five Bands We'd Love To See Reunite!

British indie legends The Smiths have teamed up with animal rights group PETA to create a new video game based on the group’s 1985 song ‘Meat Is Murder’.

The track, from the Mancunian group’s album of the same name, has long been an anthem for vegetarians and has been specially rendered in 8-bit form, with the song playing in the background as players get to save cows, chickens, pigs and turkeys from being killed in a slaughterhouse as bombs fall in all direction. The retro-styled game, titled 'The Beautiful Creature Must Die', has been created in partnership with tech firm This Is Pop.

Morrissey has given permission for PETA to use 'Meat Is Murder' in a new video game

Continue reading: The Smiths And PETA Team Up For 'Meat Is Murder' Mobile Game

Actor James Franco and his band Daddy have signed a record deal to release an album and film inspired by The Smiths. The album will be titled Let Me Get What I Want in reference to The Smiths' song 'Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want’ and will be released in 2016 through Kobalt records.

James Franco and his band Daddy will release a Smiths inspired album.

Daddy is comprised of the actor and multi-instrumentalist Tim O’Keefe, while the album will also feature actual Smiths' bassist Andy Rourke playing on every track. Franco has previously written poetry influenced by The Smiths’ music and will use them as the basis for the album.

Continue reading: James Franco Signs Record Deal For The Smiths Inspired Album

This year’s longlist of nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been released, and there’s a number of familiar faces among the new names.

Janet Jackson, who last week released her first new music in seven years with her eleventh album Unbreakable, is the biggest new name on the list, which also includes Chicago, Steve Miller, Chaka Khan, Cheap Trick, The Cars, The J.B.'s and Los Lobos as first-time nominees.

A number of artists have been nominated in the past – most notably Chic, the influential disco and funk band fronted by Nile Rodgers, who have been nominated on 10 occasions without being inducted. Other artists for whom this represents a multiple nomination include The Smiths, N.W.A., Nine Inch Nails, Deep Purple, Yes and The Spinners.

Continue reading: Janet Jackson, The Smiths And N.W.A. Among Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees 2016

Legendary indie music icon Morrissey has spoken out against crowdsourcing in pop. Currently without a record deal and having a reputation for falling out with record label bosses over the years, the star has vowed never to resort to raising money online as a means of making new music.

In an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais, the Mozfather took aim at artists who use the internet to source the money for album projects. “It is a desperate measure, and insulting to your audience,” he railed. “We have already provided sufficient amounts of money. What is the next thing you're going to ask?”

Morrissey performing live in London, 2014

Continue reading: Morrissey Derides Crowdsourced Music As "Desperate" And "Insulting"

Arcade Fire treated fans to a cover of London by The Smiths and Echo And The Bunnymen's classic track The Cutter during their second show at Earl's Court Exhibition Centre in London on Sunday (June 8, 2014). 

Arcade Fire covered The Smiths at Earl's Court

London, the B-side to 1987's Shoplifters of the World Unite, featured Will Butler on vocals and was a solid, hard-driving rendition of the Smiths favourite. The Cutter was less of a cover, given the band were joined on-stage by Echo frontman Ian Mcculloch. 

Continue reading: Arcade Fire Cover The Smiths, Echo And The Bunnymen At Earl's Court Show

Morrissey likes to make a statement, but he especially likes to speak his mind when it may be for a good cause. The Smiths singer is an outspoken animal rights activist, and his latest comments have him comparing eating meat to molesting children.

Morrissey signing copies of his new autobiographical book

"I see no difference between eating animals and pedophilia. They are both rape, violence, murder," he said in response to a fan question on website True To You (via the Huffington Post).

Continue reading: Morrissey Compares Eating Meat To Pedophilia, Nazism

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'