Music News

Weekly Round-Up: Friday 21st March

Friday 21st March, 2014 3:56PM

Possibly the biggest tour news this week was the The Rolling Stones postponing their downunder tour due to the sudden death of Mick Jagger’s long-term girlfriend, designer L’Wren Scott. The group was just about play the first of six shows in Australia, ahead of one concert in Auckland on April 5th. There are whispers the Stones are planning to head over in October, but no dates are confirmed and concert-goers are being asked to hold tight to tickets in the meantime. Also hitting the headlines is news Justin Timberlake will be heading to New Zealand for one show in October, it will be his first trip to the Shaky Isles since 2007, when tickets sold out within minutes. Also heading this way is accomplished German free-jazz musician Peter Brötzmann for a series of shows around the country. And much to the delight of Die! Die! Die! fans, the nomadic punks have announced an April tour before they embark on their regular jaunt to Europe.

In release news, The Melvins frontman Buzz Osbourne has revealed plans to release his first solo album in June. The acoustic offering is titled This Machine Kills Musicians, but despite the Woody Guthrie-inspired titled, Buzz asserts it will not sound like the deceased folk singer. Also in June, Canadian hardcore punk outfit Fucked Up will be unleashing new album Glass Boys, which they announced with the release of first single ‘Paper the House’ this week. Staten Island rappers Wu-Tang Clan gave fans a taste of their first album in six years with the drop of single ‘Keep Watch’. The album entitled A Better Tomorrow is due out later this year. Closer to home, multi-instrumentalist Conrad Wedde (The Phoenix Foundation) has revealed his second solo effort. And Christchurch group Doprah are poised to release their debut EP following being signed to indie label Arch Hill Recordings (check out the single San Pedro over here).

Finally, on to the gossip, Tyler the Creator (Odd Future) was arrested earlier this week for inciting a riot at his show at the South By Southwest festival, however his lawyer claims it wasn't a riot and that Tyler wouldn’t do anything to risk others being hurt. The Flaming Lips have made the interesting decision to pair up with Miley Cyrus to record a cover of The Beatle’s song ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’, according to the Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, Andrew VanWyngarden from MGMT was roped into the project too. And while not strictly music news, we have also been enjoying this little Tumblr, which poses the question: Lorde or Kurt Vile? No doubt they both have luxurious locks, but do the differences stop there?

This week’s Caught Live is Damon Albarn performing hit ‘Clint Eastwood’ at South by Southwest, live with original contributors (for the first time) Snoop Dogg, Del the Funky Homosapien and Dan the Automator. Enjoy!