Now Motorhead are distancing themselves from a box set of their music. After Elvis Costello last year told his fans not to buy a £200+ box set of his music put out by Universal, Lemmy has hit out at a $600+ box set of his band’s early work that has been put out by a company called PID, which owns the rights in those recordings. The box set has fifteen discs and other assorted goodies like photos and badges, though the price point does seem rather high.

Says Lemmy on Motorhead’s website: “Unfortunately greed once again rears its yapping head. I would advise against [buying this box set] even for the most rabid completists!” The official post also notes: “Motörhead have no control over what’s done with these early songs, and don’t want fans to think that the band is involved in putting out such a costly box set”.

The statement adds that Motorhead have a new album and DVD out, which Lemmy and co would much rather fans buy than the overpriced oldies set. That option would presumably leave fans who have set aside $600 for the box set with quite a bit of spare cash. Though last week I saw some Motorhead skis for sale, maybe they could get themselves some of those too.

Having spent time recording out in the back of Texan beyond, art-pop quintet Mystery Jets are at last in readiness to release new album ‘Radlands’, the sequel to the their 2010 suite ‘Serotonin’. It’s due out via Rough Trade in April, with all vinyl versions of the LP including an illustrated comic by British artist Glenn Fabry.

Says singer Blaine Harrison: “We’ve always wanted to make a record in America and after touring ‘Serotonin’ the time felt perfect to go and do it. Our first three albums were entirely conceived and recorded in London so going out to Austin felt like the furthest place from everything we knew”.

The band will bolster the release with an extensive seventeen date tour, the first instalment of which is at the Leeds Brudenell on 28 Mar.

Tracklisting:
Radlands
Had Me At Hello
Someone Purer
Lonestar
Greatest Hits
Saviour
The Nothing
Roses
Sister Everett
Lost In Austin
Luminescence

And for those Mystery Jets purists fearing that ‘Radlands’, given its title, might manifest itself as a flirtation with Weezer-esque quasi frat rock, here’s a reassuring album trailer:

‘DANCE’ instructors Simian Mobile Disco are primed to proffer a brand new album in ‘Unpatterns’, which marks the London production duo’s first studio full-length since 2009′s ‘Temporary Pleasure’. Wichita Recordings will oversee the LP upon its release on 9 Apr.

Tracklisting:

I Waited For You
Cerulean
Seraphim
A Species Out Of Control
Interference
Put Your Hands Together
Your Love Ain’t Fair
Pareidolia

Santigold, aka genre-flexing Brooklynite Santi White, is to give voice to the disenchanted on just-announced new EP, ‘Disparate Youth’, which is released on 8 Apr as a precursor to her second album ‘Master Of My Make Believe’.

Incorporating much more of her signature sound than out-there lead ‘Make Believe’ single ‘Big Mouth’, the EP’s title track will come complete with remixes by 2 Bears, Switch and CMU approved Amateur Best. The album, meanwhile, is out 23 Apr.

Stream ‘Disparate Youth’ here:

American psyche quartet Bad Weather California have made their new album, ‘Sunkissed’, available to stream in full a week ahead of release. Which is nice of them, because it’s a very good album.

Signed to Akron/Family’s Family Tree label, frontman Seth Olinsky said of the album: “The whole album emerged as an unintentional song-cycle revolving around the theme of the sun, but not the Sun Ra pyramid mystical paradigm – rather the sun that shines on you as you’re on your way to the beach, or sneaking out of class to smoke with your friends. This is no childish record about running around in the woods and being kids forever, though, this is actually a pretty real record, one that speaks to you as if you were there, or it noticed your light on at 9pm on a Friday night and calls to invite you to walk around the streets together all night looking for something to do”.

Or, more succinctly, it’s like “a soundtrack to a made up movie about the summer you spent skateboarding, discovering drugs, going to the beach, falling in love”.

Listen to the album via Spinner here.

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.

Swedish singer-songwriter Jonna Lee’s mysterious electronic project, iamamiwhoami, is to release audiovisual album ‘Kin’ via Cooperative Music on 11 Jun.

Described as the ‘first chapter’ of the album, lead single ‘Sever’ is out now. See its very uncanny accompanying video here:

CMU approved avant-pop purveyors Giana Factory have at last confirmed the UK release of debut album ‘Save The Youth’. With the LP set to surface on 7 May, a limited edition CD version – which includes the band’s 2009 EP ‘Bloody Game’, plus rare studio outtakes and reworks of tracks from the new album by Glasvegas, Trentmøller, Autolux and VETO – will also be available.

And now here’s the new video for ‘Save The Youth’ standout ‘Rainbow Girl’:

Having formed in 2007 only to part ways three years later, now-defunct hardcore quintet Throats are offering their full discography or, in the band’s own words, “everything we have ever recorded”, for free.

The collection includes Throats’ first and only album, ‘Throats’, and tracks from their split releases with Rolo Tomassi, Maths and The_Network, and their contributions to volumes one and two of Holy Roar Records’ ‘Happy Holy Roar’ Christmas cassette compilations.

So, download Throats’ full musical output, via their Bandcamp page: http://throatsofgold.bandcamp.com

Here’s what you get:

- Locked Blue, Deathnaps/Comatosed, and Sometimes (Throats’ demo tape)
- Reign Of Low (Tape Version) (from Happy Holy Roar Vol 1)
- Headclouds, Locked Blue, Reign Of Low, Comedown, and Deathnaps (from Throats/Maths split EP)
- Black Thursday, The World Won’t Listen, and Hibernate (from Throats/The_Network split EP)
- Atlas
- The Kill (Napalm Death cover from Happy Holy Roar Vol 3)
- I Love Turbulence (Rolo Tomassi cover from Rolo Tomassi/Throats split seven-inch)
- Throats (full album)
- Odyssey (from Throats/Ergon Carousel split single)

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

Anyone for news of Ed Sheeran’s collaboration with Alabama-based rapper Yelawolf? You bet, coming right up.

Having previously previewed their joint EP, ‘The Slumdon Bridge’, with initial track ‘You Don’t Know (For Fuck’s Sake)’, the transatlantic twosome yesterday tweeted this link permitting fans to download the full four-track set for free.

Spanning the space between Yelawolf’s deep Southern hip hop sensibility and Sheeran’s Yorkshire street smarts, said EP carries this tracklisting here:

London Bridge
You Don’t Know (For Fuck’s Sake)
Faces
Tone

Arcade Fire have composed a couple of songs for ‘Songs From District 12 And Beyond’, the soundtrack to the first big-screen adaptation of adolescent adventure series ‘The Hunger Games’.

Win Butler and Regine Chassagne of the band have written and recorded two songs for the movie – ‘Horn Of Plenty’ and ‘Abraham’s Daughter’ – adding to a score that also features music by Kid Cudi, Taylor Swift, Birdy and The Decemberists.

Co-starring Jennifer Laurence of ‘Winter’s Bone’ and, for some reason, Lenny Kravitz, the film, which is being billed as the new ‘Twilight’, will open across UK cinemas on 23 Mar.

The full tracklisting for the soundtrack, which is released on 19 Mar, is as follows:

Taylor Swift – Safe And Sound
Taylor Swift – Eyes Wide Open
Arcade Fire – Abraham’s Daughter
Kid Cudi – The Ruler And The Killer
Miranda Lambert – Run Daddy Run
The Civil Wars – Kingdom Come
The Decemberists – One Engine
Glen Hansard – Take The Heartland
The Low Anthem – Lover Is Childlike
Punch Brothers – Dark Days
The Secret Sisters – Tomorrow Will Be Kinder
Birdy – Just A Game
Ella Mae Bowen – Oh Come And Sing
Jayme Dee – Rules
Carolina Chocolate Drops – Reaping Day

Oh, and for all you over seventeens out there who have no idea what all this ‘Hunger Games’ palaver is about, here’s the film’s official trailer. Equally informative is this YouTube parody as performed by ‘Lana Del Rey’, aka US comedienne Holly Laurent:

Now minus fly-by-night guitarist Johnny Marr, the original and best Cribs line-up have announced details of their Steve Albini and Dave Fridman-produced fifth studio album. Entitled ‘In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull’, it will be released by the Brothers Jarman come May 7. As seems only right and proper for a band with a brand new LP to promote, The Cribs are also to tour awhile, having set out a six-date jaunt to take place in May.

Tour dates:

7 May: Nottingham, Rock City
8 May: London, Troxy
9 May: Bristol, Academy
10 May: Glasgow, Barrowlands
11 May: Manchester, Academy
13 May: Eastbourne, Winter Gardens

Tracklisting:

Glitters Like Gold
Come On Be A No-One
Jaded Youth
Anna
Confident Men
Uptight
Chi-Town
Pure O
Back To The Bolthole
I Should Have Helped
Stalagmites
Like A Gift Giver
Butterflies
Arena Rock Encore With Full Cast

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

The Dandy Warhols are poised to release ‘This Machine’, their ninth studio album to date, on 14 Apr. In due recognition of that very fact, the band have tacked a full European tour on to two previously announced dates at the Manchester Academy 2 (20 Apr) and London’s Forum (21 Apr).

New UK and Ireland dates are thus:

18 Apr: Dublin, Vicar St
19 Apr: Glasgow, Garage

No longer the ‘Sex Bomb’ showman perhaps, a rather serious and snowy-haired Tom Jones has announced he’ll release a two-part single via Jack White’s Third Man Records on 5 Mar.

Produced by White himself, and featuring a brand new version of Jones’ 2002 song ‘Jezebel’, the package will also include a big, brash and brassy cover of Howlin Wolf’s blues standard ‘Evil’. The latter also co-stars assorted members of The Raconteurs and My Morning Jacket, don’t you know. ‘Jezebel/Evil’ is the latest product of Third Man’s ‘Blues Series’, which last year issued a bizarre collaboration between US TV pundit Stephen Colbert and Insane Clown Posse.

Battles are in readiness to release the sequel to their CMU approved remix compilation ‘Dross Glop 1′, with two further instalments (3 and 4) yet to come.

Out on twelve-inch vinyl via Warp on 21 Feb, the remix roster on ‘Dross Glop 2′ will feature contributions from hip hop producer The Alchemist (‘Futura’), rap collective Shabazz Palaces (‘White Electric’), and British electro type Kode9 (‘Africastle’).

Stream Shabazz Palaces’ immaculately good ‘White Electric’ redo here:

Veteran singer-songwriter Richard Hawley has announced that he intends to release a new studio LP, ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’, on 7 May. Touted in PR speak as a meld of “psychedelia, space rock and ragas with heavy riffs and raw, visceral guitar solos”, it seems the album will mark a departure from Hawley’s traditional sound.

Says he: “I wanted to get away from the orchestration of my previous records and make a live album with two guitars, bass, drums and rocket noises”.

She Brings The Sunlight
Standing At The Sky’s Edge
Time Will Bring You Winter
Down In The Woods
Seek It
Don’t Stare At The Sun
The Wood Collier’s Grave
Leave Your Body Behind You
Before

CMU approved act Death Grips are to expand their dark hip hop discography by two full-length albums this year alone, they have announced. The news came accompanied by a new track, presumably taken from the first new LP, which is slated to arrive in April.

Listen to that very track, which by all accounts is entitled ‘Blackjack’, here: