Michael Davis, bass player with seminal garage rockers MC5, has died at the age of 68. Davis died on Friday (February 17) at the Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California after a month-long battle with liver disease, reports The Associated Press.

First things first: you can grab this one for free right now, by heading over to http://natchmusic.tumblr.com. As you’ll see there from the Tumblr’s subtitle, this marvellous Steve Gunn/Black Twig Pickers session is the first in a series of “collaborative recordings from Black Dirt Studio”; Black Dirt being a facility in upstate New York that’s birthed a bunch of superb records in the past few years.

Saint Etienne have announced a UK tour for May.

Jack White is set to launch his live solo career next month, performing on the long-running US sketch show Saturday Night Live.

Pulp will play a one-off London show as part of this year's Concerts for Teenage Cancer Trust gigs.

Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon unveiled a brand new Blur song during a short gig in London last night (February 19).

Pete Doherty has claimed that he has stopped injecting drugs.

Paul McCartney has revealed that he's given up smoking marijuana for his daughter.

Justin Vernon of Bon Iver has spoken out after winning two Grammy Awards on Sunday (February 12), something he said he was 'uncomfortable' about during his acceptance speech for Best New Artist.

The Beach Boys have announced a mammoth run of US dates for their reunion tour this April.