A new poll has seen 22% of Americans go for Bruce Springsteen as their first choice if they had to name someone to compose a new National Anthem.
Dolly Parton was second favourite to write a replacement track for The Star Spangled Banner as the country music superstar polled 19%, while Stevie Wonder came in third scoring 18% of the vote in the The 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll, via Politico.
Bob Dylan was next up with 11%, followed by composer John Williams with 10%, Jay-Z with 8% and Madonna with 5%.
Hey there. I hope you all had a good Bank Holiday weekend. Allan’s off today – an extra day holiday, no less – so I’m filling in on newsletter duties.
Grizzly Bear have revealed that they will release their new album in September.
The Brooklyn indie band will release the album, which doesn't have a title as yet, on Warp Recordings on September 17. It is the fourth record of their career to date.
The band have also unveiled the album's opening track "Sleeping Ute", which you can hear by scrolling down to the bottom of the page and clicking.
Herb Reed, the last surviving original member of 1950s doo wop group The Platters, has died.
Reed, who was 83, passed away in a hospice in the Boston area, reports AP.
Reed (front left in the photograph) was the only member of the vocal group to appear on all 400 of their recordings and toured with one of the numerous incarnations of the band until 2011.
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins has signed on to play Iggy Pop in CBGB, a new film about the legendary New York venue.
Meanwhile, Rupert Grint will play Cheetah Chrome, the guitarist for Dead Boys, a punk band who played a prominent role during the club's rise, while Rock Of Ages actress Malin Akerman is lined up to play Blondie's Debbie Harry. Alan Rickman will appear as venue owner Hilly Kristal, Mickey Sumner will play Patti Smith and Johnny Galecki will take on the role of Television's manager Terry Ork.
Paul McCartney has confirmed rumours stating that he would be playing this summer's Olympic Games opening ceremony in London.
Speaking to BBC 5 Live, the former Beatle said: "I've been booked" and explained that he would be "closing the opening" of London 2012.
The opening ceremony will take place on July 27 in East London and has an Isles of Wonder theme. The ceremony is being staged by Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire director, Danny Boyle, who is the event's artistic director.
Neil Young and Crazy Horse have announced plans for a string of shows in the US and Canada later this year, including an appearance at the Austin City Limits festival in October.
They will play two stand-alone shows at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, on August 5-6, before a host of US dates in October and Canadian shows in November. As of yet, no plans for a UK or European tour have been announced.
The xx have announced that their second album, released on September 10, is to be titled Coexist.
The London trio, who played six new songs at their live comeback in the capital last month, recorded the follow-up to their 2009 self-titled debut in their own London studio.
The band's Jamie Smith once again took on production duties on the album, which they began work on in early November 2011 before completing the sessions last month.
Speaking to NME, singer and guitarist Romy Madley Croft said the new songs show the evolution of the band over the past few years.
The Black Keys have released a new video, directed by Harmony Korine.
The clip for "Gold On The Ceiling", taken from the group's 2011 album El Camino, sees the group joined by mini-doppelgangers.
Korine is best known for directing the films Gummo and Mister Lonely, and for writing 1995's controversial Kids.
Watch the video for "Gold On The Ceiling" below.
Spinal Tap star Michael McKean has been released from hospital after being hit by a car last week.
McKean, who played rock singer David St Hubbins in the classic 1984 spoof This is Spinal Tap, has been discharged from St. Luke's Hospital in New York, and will attend the Roosevelt Hospital for 'extensive rehab', reports TMZ.
