Bat for Lashes: ‘I don’t want to hide any more’
After the success of her first two albums, Natasha Khan, better known as Bat for Lashes, found herself in a dark place, pursued by demons. Here, she talks about finding peace in a patch of dahlias, posing naked – and why Björk keeps her sane Read article here.
How rave music conquered America
After 20 years, electronic dance music has made it big in the US. And big means big. With Las Vegas’s Electric Daisy Carnival grossing $40m and DJ Skrillex commanding rock-star fees, the scene is leaving its druggy underground roots behind and being reborn as bombastic super-spectacle. Dutch DJ Tiesto earned £14m last year according to...
Yeasayer: men versus mammon
They’re po-faced but funny, worried about death – and life. Yeasayer talk to Michael Hann about music (including their new album ‘Fragrant World’), self-promotion and compromising with commerce. Read article here.
It’s a rap: Hollywood and hip hop
The movie industry has never known what to do with rap music from Niggaz With Attitude to Ol’ Dirty Bastard, the extreme lives of it’s stars offer epic stories for the big screen. Read article here
The Rolling Stones 50 years – interactive
The Rolling Stones are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first-ever live performance, which took place at the Marquee Club in London on 12 July 1962. To mark the occasion, here are 50 images of the band with links to videos and stories in the Guardian and Observer – showing you how they covered their tumultuous...
Hip-hop on trial, but is the accusation false?
An Intelligence Squared debate on rap, involving everyone from Jesse Jackson and Q-Tip to PJ O’Rourke and Emily Maitlis, was more baffling than anything else. The notion: “Hip-Hop Doesn’t Enhance Society, It Degrades It.” Read article here.
Dizzee Rascal: ‘The music just got bigger & better’
Who’d have predicted that Dizzee Rascal would go from grime pioneer to global pop star? He discusses the pros and cons of fame and his new life in Miami. Read interview here.
The Beach Boys: That’s Why God Made the Radio – review
As the Beach boys unveil a new track (which you can listen to here) from their 50th anniversary album ‘That’s Why God Made The Radio’, Alex Petridis says, “there’s some rotten stuff on it, but parts of the Beach Boys’ new album seem like the perfect way to end their story”. Read review here.
Hear highlights and remixes from Words and Music by Saint Etienne
UK band Saint Etienne, have offered up a selection of tracks from their new album for you to listen to. Entitled ‘Words and Music by Saint Etienne’, it is the band’s 8th studio album and the first since 2005′s ‘Tales from Turnpike House’. Enjoy here.
Rockstar yearbook photos – who are they?
As a new photograph of future Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Keith Richards at primary school emerges, can you work out who these future megastars are from their high-school yearbook pictures? And just why are the images so compelling? Start guessing here.
“Australia’s Last Dinosaurs are proof that indie pop doesn’t deserve to be driven to extinction”
Ahead of their appearance at this weekend’s Great Escape festival in the UK, Brisbane’s Last Dinosaurs get the thumbs up from The Guardian’s Paul Lester. Read here.
Beth Ditto: ‘I’m constantly learning how to be confident’
Now in her 30s, Beth Ditto’s priorities – and her music – are changing. Here she discusses her forthcoming marriage and how Abba became an influence on Gossip’s latest album. Read article here.
