So, they may have failed to show in Shoreditch on that one anti-climactic occasion, but word has arrived by special decree that both Kanye West and Jay-Z are to tour a royal flush of various European venues in respect of their joint album, ‘Watch The Throne’. So… yeah, they’re doing a European tour.

Tickets for the three Britain-based dates, which are priced in excess of a somewhat stately £39.50, will go on sale at 9am on Friday.

Tour dates:
20 May: London, O2 Arena
11 Jun: Manchester Arena
13 Jun: Birmingham, LG Arena

Noisesome lo-fi twosome Crushed Beaks are to partner with London-based associates Torches on a split covers single. Each band will reinterpret a track originally done by the other, with Crushed Beaks taking on Torches ‘VTOO’ while Torches pay homage to Crushed Beaks’ ‘Close-Ups’. Got that? Good. The latter is available to listen to below.

Both acts will appear live at Power Lunches Café in Dalston on 10 Mar, which incidentally is the day of the split single’s release.

Black Sabbath’s upcoming reunion tour has been rebranded as an outing for ‘Ozzy And Friends’, as guitarist Tony Iommi’s ongoing cancer treatment means he is unable to commit to the dates and drummer Bill Ward remains out of the reunion entirely due to an ongoing contract dispute. The band will still release a new album and play the Download Festival as Black Sabbath (minus Ward) as planned, but five dates on the tour have been cancelled altogether, while the remaining fourteen will essentially be Ozzy Osbourne solo shows.

Osbourne will be joined by Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and longtime collaborator Zakk Wylde, amongst other “special guests”, for what are optimistically being billed as the “first ever” Ozzy And Friends shows.

Meanwhile last Friday, Ward issued a new statement informing fans that he still hoped to join Sabbath in the studio and on tour, and was continuing to negotiate his contract. He wrote via Facebook: “I have not declined to participate in the Sabbath album and tour [as a statement by the band claimed]. At the earliest opportunity, I am prepared to go to the UK and record, and later tour with the band. Last week, we sent further communication to the attorney handling the negotiations to try to reach an agreement. At this time we are waiting to hear back. I remain hopeful for a ‘signable’ contract and a positive outcome”.

If Ward and the band can come to an agreement, it’s not clear if the drummer would now join in with the Ozzy And Friends shows or just the Download performance, though it would mean that the new album could go back to its original billing as the original line-up’s first for 33 years.

Jessie J, Florence And The Machine, Paul McCartney, Pulp, Example and comedian Jason Manford are to grace a series of Teenage Cancer Trust concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall, the charity has announced.

Macca will get things going on 29 Mar, before an evening of stadium-sized dancedom courtesy of Brit rapper Example on 30 Mar. Pulp follow the next night, before Jessie J who, being no April fool, will take to the stage to ‘Do It Like A Dude’ in the name of charity on 1 Apr. Comedy is on 2 Apr with Flo wrapping things up on 3 Apr.

Says Roger Daltry of The Who, a longstanding patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust: “The line-up of artists donating their time and talent is incredible. I hope there’s something for everyone”.

With support acts to match each headliner due to be announced very soon, it’s worth checking the Teenage Cancer Trust website for further info.

Chris Cornell is to undertake a solo summer tour in recognition of ‘Songbook’, an album of covers released towards the end of last year. I say ‘covers’, it was more a retrospective across his songwriting catalogue to date, largely consisting of acoustic renderings of Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple Of The Dog standards. So, now you know.

Tour dates:

16 Jun: Manchester, Lowry
18 Jun: London, Palladium
19 Jun: Birmingham, Symphony Hall
20 Jun: Newcastle, City Hall

Singer-songwriter Sam Duckworth has announced he is taking his airborne alias out on a tour throughout the latter half of May, thus marking news of brand new Get Cape track ‘The Real McCoy’. The dates may be a way off yet, but said single is due to premiere on 29 Feb.

Tour dates:

15 May: Bournemouth, Old Fire Station
16 May: London, The Garage
17 May: Birmingham, Academy 2
19 May: Leeds, Brudenell
20 May: Glasgow, King Tuts
21 May: Newcastle, Academy
22 May: Manchester, Deaf Institute
23 May: Oxford, Academy 2

Psychedelic dub-pop couple Peaking Lights have given word of a rather modest three-date tour, which they’ll augment with festival appearances at London’s Field Day (2 Jun), Wales’ Green Man (18-19 Aug) and the Yorkshire-based Beacons (17 Aug) for good measure.

Set to feature select highlights from the Domino-signed duo’s 2011 album ’936′, if not new and unreleased material, the London and Leeds shows will see critics favourite Julia Holter in support.

Tour as follows:

3 Jun: Dublin, Forbidden Fruit
5 Jun: Leeds, Brudenell
6 Jun: London, XOYO

Indie sorts Dry The River are to hit a landmark moment in their touring record to date, having booked a headlining appointment at the Shepherds Bush Empire on 1 Nov. Due to release their debut album, ‘Shallow Bed’, on 5 Mar, the London-based band will also embark on a series of in-store shows and tour dates throughout March, April and May.

The three alt-pop Swedes of Niki And The Dove want us all to know that they’re releasing ‘Instinct’, their much-anticipated debut album, on 4 May. So, now we know. The trio, which comprises singer Malin Dahlström, keyboardist Gustaf Karlöf and drummer Magnus Böqvist (so not a single Niki, or even a dove), will begin a tour in the LP’s honour on 27 Apr at Sheffield venue Bungalow & Bears.

Now for a screening of the animated video for ‘The Fox’, which is out now as a single and also features on ‘Insight’. You’ll find it underneath these Niki And The Dove dates:

27 Apr: Sheffield, Bungalow & Bears
28 April: Reading, Oakford Social Club
4 May: Kasbah, Coventry
5 May: Leeds, Live at Leeds Festival
9 May: Southampton, Joiners
21 May: Newcastle, Cluny
22 May: Birmingham, Institute Temple
23 May: Cardiff, The Full Moon

‘Bedshaped’. ‘Somewhere Only We Know’. ‘Everybody’s Changing’. These are but several of the many, many classic singles attributed to popular soft-rock band Keane, who have issued details of an extensive UK tour to take place later this very year.

It’s thought the band will use said run as an opportunity to debut songs from the as-yet unnamed successor to their 2008 album ‘Perfect Symmetry’. And if they don’t do that, I’ll eat my hat.

Tour dates:

23 May: Newcastle, Academy
24 May: Glasgow, Academy
25 May: Birmingham, Academy
29 May: Leeds, Academy
3 Jun: Manchester, Apollo
4 Jun: Folkestone, Leas Cliff Hall
5 Jun: Bristol, Academy
6 Jun: Leicester, De Montfort Hall
8 Jun: London, Brixton Academy

The folks at esteemed independent Double Denim are to present several of their finest artists during an evening of live music at the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room.

Taking place next week on 22 Feb in association with London promoters Hush, the showcase will comprise performances from Estonian avant-pop soloist Maria Minerva, lauded Liverpool band Outfit and R&B electronic sort NZCA/LINES, plus DJ sets by Juk Juk, aka producer Caleb Waterman, and the always fabulous Jon Hillcock.

Tickets for the event are on sale now, so snap those up here.

Alt-pop sorts Marina & The Diamonds, aka crown jewel Marina Diamandis and co, have announced an eight-date outing in live aid of new album ‘Electra Heart’, which is released on 30 Apr.

Singer-songwriter Marina has various things to say of her new record, one being this: “It’s an ode to dysfunctional love. I based the project around character types commonly found in love stories, film and theatre, usually ones associated with power and control in love, as opposed to weakness or defeat. I guess it was a way of dealing with the embarrassment that, for the first time in my life, I got ‘played’. Rejection is a universally embarrassing topic and ‘Electra Heart’ is my response to that. It is a frank album”.

The band will release new single ‘Primadonna’ on 16 Apr, with the next natural progressions being said tour and an appearance at the Live At Leeds festival on 5 May.

Dates as follows:

4 May: Manchester, Cathedral
7 May: Edinburgh, Queens Hall
8 May: Glasgow, ABC
10 May: Leamington, Assembly Hall
11 May: Birmingham, Institute
12 May: Sheffield, Leadmill
14 May: Norwich, Waterfront
15 May: Cardiff, Coal Exchange

Word of something that’s both new and nostalgic at once from The Futureheads now, as the Sunderland art-rock artistes announce a capella album ‘Rant’. Released via the band’s own Nul Records label on 2 Apr, the LP comprises new acoustic arrangements of several staunch Futureheads favourites alongside covers (of tracks originally by Kelis, Sparks, Richard Thompson and The Black Eyed Peas) and versions of traditional folk standards.

Says the band’s Barry Hyde: “The Futureheads have been together for a long time now. And we have the right to do something different”.

His bandmate Ross Millard, meanwhile, says this: “If we were going to carry on making music, we needed to change it up. Making another Futureheads record as per usual wasn’t something that appealed to us. We’ve always been a four-part harmony group; it’s been a massive part of the genetics of this band”.

Hear, hear. Now hear the boys’ choral battle cry in this here acoustic reboot of ‘Robot’:

There’s also a tour to consider:

3 Apr: Bristol, Colston Hall
4 Apr: London, Union Chapel
5 Apr: Leeds, Wardrobe
6 Apr: Stockton, Georgian Theatre
8 Apr: Gateshead, Sage
9 Apr: Glasgow, Oran Mor
10 Apr: Birmingham, Glee Club
12 Apr: Nottingham, Glee Club
13 Apr: Manchester, Royal Northern College Of Music

Swedish alt-pop craftsmen Miike Snow, whose shiver-inducing Lykke Li collaboration ‘Black Tin Box’ we approved of so very highly last month, are poised to present themselves at two British shows in support of sophomore album ‘Happy To You’.

The trio will make a live appearance at the Manchester Ritz on 30 May, also stopping at London’s Brixton Academy the following evening. Niki And The Dove will provide support on both dates.

With ‘Happy To You’ due out on 19 Mar, you can watch the video for key component ‘Paddling Out’ here:

Jagjaguwar-signed singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten has scheduled a run of additional tour dates on top of a couple of previously announced shows at London’s Rough Trade East (29 Feb) and Cargo (1 Mar). She’ll release ‘Leonard’, the second single from her brilliant current LP ‘Tramp, on 12 Mar.

You can download its predecessor, ‘Serpents’, for free here:

Tour dates:

16 May: London, The Scala
17 May: Manchester, The Deaf Institute
18 May: Dublin, Whelans
20 May: Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
21 May: Brighton, Komedia

We Have Band will begin a brief UK tour in support of their second album, ‘Ternion’, which was released last month, tonight at Cargo in London.

Check the full list of tour dates below, and then scroll down to listen to a selection of remixes of latest single ‘Where Are Your People?’.

15 Feb: London, Cargo
17 Feb: Manchester, Ruby Lounge
18 Feb: Dublin, Academy 2
22 Feb: Glasgow, Captain’s Rest
24 Feb: Bristol, The Cooler
25 Feb: Brighton, Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar

Azealia Banks is set to splash a profane verse or two across a new EP, which will be released by Polydor on 25 Mar. As well as a number of tbc remixes, the collection will include ‘Liquorice’, ‘Pineapple Crush’ and Banks’ viral smash ’212′, which is rumoured to be her next official single.

The MC and singer has also shared details of an autumn tour, dates for which are as listed:

28 Sep: Manchester, Club Academy
29 Sep: Glasgow, ABC
1 Oct: Newcastle, Academy 2
2 Oct: Liverpool, Academy 2
3 Oct: Leeds, Met Uni
5 Oct: Birmingham, Library
6 Oct: Oxford, Academy
7 Oct: Norwich, Waterfront
9 Oct: Cambridge, Junction
10 Oct: Brighton, Concorde 2
12 Oct: London, Shepherds Bush Empire

Having sold out his current UK tour, retro-aping soul sort Michael Kiwanuka has plotted a further run due to take place in spring.

The outing comes by way of a promotional prop for the singer-songwriters’s debut album ‘Home Again’, which is released via Polydor/Communion on 12 Mar.

Catch Kiwanuka’s live act on these dates:

13 May: Bournemouth, Old Fire Station
14 May: Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall
15 May: Manchester, HMV Ritz
17 May: Glasgow, ABC
19 May: Dublin, Academy
21 May: Sheffield, Leadmill
22 May: Cambridge, Junction
23 May: London, Shepherds Bush Empire

An apparent affiliate of all sorts of soundsystems, one-time LCD figurehead James Murphy has been booked to appear at a Gorillaz Sound System show happening on 15 Feb.

Murphy, who has collaborated with Gorillaz and Andre 3000 on one-off track ‘DoYaThing’ (out on 23 Feb) as part of Converse’s ‘Three Artists. One Song’ project, will stop by at London’s 100 Club for a DJ set, as will electronic producer Om Unit.

Free tickets for the event are still available at www.converse.co.uk

Having completed a brief UK tour supporting Mastodon with an amazing performance at Brixton Academy on Saturday night, The Dillinger Escape Plan have already announced their return to our nation’s capital. They will play a headline show at The Garage in London on 26 Apr. This is excellent news. And from excitement, let’s move straight on to confusion, with DEP’s new video for ‘Parasitic Twins’, taken from their 2010 album ‘Option Paralysis’.