Damon Albarn has denied that he is finished with both Blur and Gorillaz.

The singer was recently quoted as saying that it is “unlikely” that there will be any more new material from Gorillaz and that Blur’s Hyde Park gig on August 7 might be the band’s final show.

However, speaking to the Metro, Albarn denied this and said that he and his bandmates had not discussed “the beginning or the end” of Blur.

Asked if Hyde Park would be Blur’s last show, Albarn said: “No. That comes from an article which was an interesting take on a very long conversation. I don’t know how we’ll feel when we play Hyde Park. Some days I feel one way and other days I feel the other. If you don’t see something as a career but as an important part of your life, you don’t know how you’re going to feel about it. We want to put on a great performance but nothing’s been said between us about the beginning or the end.”

Then asked if Gorillaz was finished as a project, Albarn also denied this, adding that when he and partner Jamie Hewlett reconciled after their recent fallout, they’d make another album.

He said of this: “When Jamie Hewlett and I have worked out our differences, I’m sure we’ll make another record. We’ve been through too much together for it to be that big of a mountain to climb. We’ve just fallen out like mates do sometimes. I’m not the only person to fall out with mates and then make up again – everyone does it.”

Albarn also said he was really looking forward to the band’s show at Hyde Park. He added: “Very much so. I love playing with Blur – it’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. At the same time, though, I don’t want to cock it all up by staying around too long and making a fool of myself. At 44, there’s a little trepidation about jumping around on stage but I love it.”

Blur are also embarking on a comprehensive reissue campaign this summer. All seven of the band’s studio albums will be re-released on July 30 in expanded Special Edition formats, each featuring a bonus disc of previously unreleased material, booklets, and more.

Ray Davies, The Waterboys, Nick Lowe and Seasick Steve have been confirmed to play the new Westport Festival of Music and Performing Arts in County Mayo, Ireland.

Running on Saturday, June 23 and Sunday June 24, the festival line-up also includes Lloyd Cole, Marc Almond and Hothouse Flowers.

More information about the Westport festival can be found at westportfestival.com.

Davies will also join Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and Suede at this year’s Hop Farm festival, which takes place in Paddock Wood in Kent from June 29 – July 1.

For more information visit www.hopfarmfestival.com. More acts will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Jack White will write, produce and perform the soundtrack to the new adaptation of The Lone Ranger, the film’s producer has said.

The project will be White’s first film soundtrack, following the release of his solo album Blunderbluss on Monday.

“Jack’s an amazing songwriter with a unique style,” producer Jerry Bruckheimer told Variety. “We’re all very excited to have him on board.”

Starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, The Lone Ranger tells the story of a masked crime-fighter (played by Hammer) and his sidekick Tonto (played by Depp). It is based on the popular television series from the 1950s.

Johnny Depp is said to be “thrilled” that White will write the soundtrack.

The former White Stripes frontman had a small role in the 2003 film Cold Mountain, penning several songs for the soundtrack and singing traditional American folk songs such as “Wayfaring Stranger”. He also co-wrote and performed the song ‘Another Way to Die’ with Alicia Keys for the James Bond film Quantum Of Solace.

Jack White played his first solo UK show this week [April 23].

White is set to return in June for more UK gigs, including a set at Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend event in London on June 23.

Sinead O’Connor has cancelled all her planned tour dates for the remainder of 2012 after revealing that she is “very unwell”.

O’Connor, who suffers from bipolar disorder, posted a message via fan website Sinead-Oconnor.com which said that she had suffered a “very serious breakdown” between December 2011 and March of this year and would not be touring for the rest of 2012.

She also said she was advised by her doctors not to tour in support of her new album How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?, but went ahead anyway, a decision she now regrets.

She wrote: “With enormous regret I must announce that I have to cancel all touring for the year as am very unwell due to bipolar disorder. As you all know I had a very serious breakdown between December and March and I had been advised by my doctor not to go on tour but didn’t want to ‘fail’ or let anyone down as the tour was already booked to coincide with album release.”

She continued: “So very stupidly I ignored his advice to my great detriment, attempting to be stronger than I actually am. I apologise sincerely for any difficulties this may cause. While touring will be cancelled I do hope and plan to appear at the Curtis Mayfield tribute in The Lincoln Centre in July.”

O’Connor has endured a difficult year, admitting in January that she took an overdose days before issuing her cry for help on Twitter.

‘How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?’ was released in February and is the ninth studio album of O’Connor’s career.

New Order, Primal Scream and Spiritualized are all confirmed to play a new festival named Festival Number 6 in September.

The event will take place in the town of Portmeirion in North West Wales from September 14 – 16. It takes its name from the 1960s TV series The Prisoner, which was filmed in the town from 1967 – 1968.

Festival Number 6 is a newly launched event and is being put on by the promoters of Beach Break Live, Snowbombing and Lounge On The Farm festival.

As well as performances from Primal Scream, New Order and Spiritualized, the event also promises to offer punters arts installations and “surreal street theatre”. For more information about the event, visit Festivalnumber6.com.

The Beach Boys are set to release an album comprising all-new material in June, according to band member Bruce Johnston.

The band are reuniting for an extensive world tour to celebrate their 50th anniversary this summer, with founding members Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine all involved.

Now speaking to Billboard.com, Johnson has said the band are planning to release a new album to coincide with the jaunt on June 5, with Wilson contributing a large portion of the material. The album’s first single is set to be “That’s Why God Made The Radio“.

Johnson commented: “It’s all brand new,” before adding: “There’s a lot of what you’d hope to hear from Brian [Wilson] on there. It’s not a quilt or a pot luck dinner, it’s not like, ‘OK, everybody show up with your songs.’ It’s not one of those kind of albums.”

He added: “There’s a lot of Brian in there, and Mike [Love]. It’s just nice to know there is a Mike Love and a Brian Wilson still around to write together.”

Johnston, who first joined the Beach Boys in 1965, said he has a new song in contention for inclusion on the album, ‘She Believes In Love’, which dates back to the 1980s. “I took it from a recording we made of it in ’85 and just stripped it down and softened it up and finally got it right. I have no idea if it’s going in or not. The label picks the songs, not me,” he commented.

Johnson added that the band’s reunion tour will be a one-off, rather than a permanent arrangement. The jaunt kicks off in Arizona in July before taking in dates across Europe and finishing up in Japan.

The new Uncut is on sale from Thursday, and we’re blushingly pleased with it. Dexys are on the cover, and we have an exclusive interview with Kevin Rowland in advance of their keenly-awaited comeback album, the astonishing One Day I’m Going To Soar.

I know a lot of people who still had hair when Dexys released their last album, so it’s been a while – a quite unbelievable 27 years, in fact. This is a long time to keep your fans waiting for a new record, unless you’re dead or Sting, who can take as long as he likes to put out another record and in a perfect world actually won’t release anything new in my lifetime or yours.

Anyway, in a brilliant interview with Stephen Trousse, Kevin looks back with what you can only describe as candid honesty at a career correctly described “as one of the most strange and gripping as any in British rock history, involving addiction, theft, international No 1s and penury” and also, let’s not forget, includes some of the greatest music of the last 30-odd years.

Admittedly, there’s not that much of it – Searching For The Young Soul Rebels, Too-Rye-Ay and Don’t Stand Me Down by Dexys Midnight Runners, Kevin’s two solo albums, The Wanderer and My Beauty, and now the glorious One Day I’m Going To Soar – but nigh on every minute of it is something as a fan you will have cherished.

There’s also a preview in the new issue of Neil Young’s Americana, a new album on which in the company of a reunited Crazy Horse, he attacks the Great American Folk Songbook with typically grizzled gusto with rampaging versions of campfire favourites of yore like “My Darling Clementine”, “Tom Dula”, “Jesus’ Chariot (She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain)” and “Oh, Susannah” (which took me back to The Byrds’ version on Turn! Turn! Turn!).

Elsewhere, we are at home in Malibu with Tom Petty, Paul McCartney recalls the trauma of recording of Ram in the grim aftermath of The Beatles’ messy break-up and the legal strife that duly followed, Lenny Kaye looks back at Nuggets, his legendary compilation of 60s’ garage rock and John Lydon is at hand to deliver some typically rasping opinions on this and also that.

Also appearing in the issue are Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Nick Cave, Bob Seger, Peter Hook, Greg Dulli, Sharon Van Etten and The Adverts, while a packed reviews section includes the definitive word on new albums by Damon Albarn, PiL, Father John Misty, Richard Hawley, Paul Buchanan, Beach House. Our recently-introduced Archive section, meanwhile, features reissues from My Bloody Valentine, The Small Faces, Billy Bragg & Wilco and a 4CD box set dedicated to the great Vanguard label.

For this month’s free CD, I’ve put together Americana 2012, which pulls together 15 brilliant new tracks of Cosmic American Music, and includes tracks from new albums by Dr John, Beachwood Sparks, Father John Misty, Spain, Deer Tick, Hans Chew and new favourites The Deep Dark Woods and Sons Of Bill.

Anyway, have a good week, enjoy the issue when you get it and let me know if you have a moment what you think of it. You can reach me at the usual address: allan_jones@ipcmedia.com.

Allan

Jack White played his first solo UK show last night [April 23], headlining the HMV Forum the day his debut solo album Blunderbuss’was released.

The former White Stripes man was watched by stars including The Mighty Boosh duo Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt, plus Alabama Shakes, who are set to support him on his May UK tour dates, and BBC Radio One’s Fearne Cotton.

Blunderbuss hit the shelves yesterday and the set was heavy with songs from the record. However, he and his all-female backing band also found space for The White Stripes “My Doorbell”, “Hotel Yorba”, “We’re Going To Be Friends” and “Seven Nation Army”.

Tracks by his other bands The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather also got a look in, with “Top Yourself” and “Carolina Drama” by the former and “Blue Blood Blues” and “I Cut Like A Buffalo” by the latter making the setlist. He also played “Two Against One”, from his Rome collaboration album with Danger Mouse and Daniel Luppi, plus folk standard “Goodnight, Irene” to close the show.

White is set to return in June for more UK gigs, including a set at Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend event in London on June 23.

Jack White played:

‘Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground’

‘Freedom At 21’

‘First song on album’

‘Love Interruption’

‘Top Yourself’

‘Hotel Yorba’

‘Hypocritical Kiss’

‘Weep Themselves To Sleep’

‘I’m Slowly Turning Into You’

‘Two Against One’

‘We’re Going To Be Friends’

‘On And On And On’

‘I Cut Like A Buffalo’

‘Blue Blood Blues’

‘Ball And Biscuit’

‘Take Me With You When You Go’

‘My Doorbell’

‘Carolina Drama’

‘Seven Nation Army’

‘Goodnight, Irene’

Cat Power is set to release her ninth album, Sun, this autumn.

The LP will follow the singer songwriter’s 2008 covers album Jukebox and 2006’s The Greatest and will be out in the UK on September 10.

Over Christmas last year Cat Power posted the video for her single “King Rides By” featuring a cameo from boxer Manny Pacquiao online. The track was available as a download from the singer’s official website, with its proceeds going towards the charities the Festival Of Children Foundation and The Al Forney Centre.

In December 2011, the singer also took to her Twitter page Twitter.com/catpower to confirm that she had nearly finished work on the new album.

Previously, Cat Power had stated her intention to play every instrument on the record. “There’s an inspiration in being furious that you want to achieve your goals. I think I was inspired by being disappointed in myself that I’d just been holding the microphone and I was disappointed in myself that I hadn’t been playing an instrument,” she explained.

“I think I wanted to prove to myself that I could try to create a relationship with it [playing an instrument] again and feel like I felt close to it. It’s definitely there and it’s a need [for me to play], but it hasn’t been around.”

Chris Ethridge, bass player with The Flying Burrito Brothers, has died at the age of 65, from complications from pancreatic cancer according to the Los Angeles Times.

Ethridge also played with the Willie Nelson Family Band, and it was Nelson who confirmed news of his bandmate’s death, via Twitter, writing:

WN&F are sad to hear of the passing of Family member & friend Chris Ethridge he was a talented musician & we were honored to call him Family

Last week, musician Booker T Jones wrote on Twitter: “Just talked to Chris Ethridge, (Burritos, Willie Nelson), hospitalized in Meridian, MS – send love and hope – doctors say he will pass soon.”

Ethridge co-wrote a number of songs with fellow Flying Brother Brothers member Gram Parsons, who died in 1973, including Parson’s solo track, ‘She’. Both were also members of the International Submarine Band. The Flying Burrito Brothers released their debut album, The Gilded Palace of Sin, in 1969.

In the late 1970s, Ethridge became a well respected session player in the country rock world, working with the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder and Leon Russell.

Ex-Byrd and Burrito Brother Chris Hillman said in a statement to the LA Times: “Here’s what people don’t know or don’t remember. Three of Gram’s greatest songs were co-written by Chris: those would be ‘Hot Burrito #1,’ ‘Hot Burrito #2’ and ‘She.’ And I’ve always said: Gram Parsons’ greatest recorded vocals were those two [‘Hot Burrito’] songs. Maybe it’s my opinion, but I was there and I know I never heard him sing better than he did on those two songs. He just nailed ‘em.”

Bob Dylan has paid tribute to Levon Helm, the former drummer with The Band, who passed away on Thursday April 19, aged 71.

Dylan collaborated with The Band over the course of their career, first on Dylan’s 1965 American tour. They worked together on the 1967 sessions that were eventually released as The Basement Tapes, and also a joint 1974 tour.

Writing on bobdylan.com, Dylan said:

“He was my bosom buddy friend to the end, one of the last true great spirits of my or any other generation.

This is just so sad to talk about.

I still can remember the first day I met him and the last day I saw him. We go back pretty far and had been through some trials together. I’m going to miss him, as I’m sure a whole lot of others will too.”

Meanwhile, Martin Scorsese, who filmed The Band’s final live performance in 1976 at San Francisco’s Winterland, issued this statement:

“The late Jim Carroll once said that Levon Helm was the only drummer who could make you cry, and he was absolutely right. Levon’s touch was so delicate, so deft, that he gave you more than just a beat — he gave the music a pulse. And his high, ringing voice was just as soulful. His bandmate Robbie Robertson wrote “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” for Levon to sing, and I’ll never forget how moving it was to watch him sing it during their final performance at Winterland, which is one of the high points of the movie we made from that show, The Last Waltz. Levon was a gentleman, a consummate artist (and, I might add, a wonderful actor — his performance as Loretta Lynn’s father in Coal Miner’s Daughter is rich, understated and very moving), and he loved music as deeply and truly as anyone I’ve ever met. I consider myself fortunate to have worked with Levon, and I am one among many, many people who will miss him.”

Spiritualized have announced a six-date UK tour for November.

The band – whose new album, Sweet Heart Sweet Light, entered the UK Album Charts yesterday at No 11 – will play the following dates:

Thu 1 November Gateshead, The Sage Gateshead

Fri 2 November Cambridge, The Junction

Sat 3 November Leeds, Metropolitan University

Sun 4 November Coventry, Warwick Arts Centre

Mon 5 November London, Roundhouse

Tue 6 November Brighton, Corn Exchange

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Wednesday, April 25.