Blur

Mike D of the Beastie Boys has spoken about the death of his bandmate, Adam Yauch. Yauch, who was also known as MCA, was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and succumbed to the disease on Friday [May 4], aged 47. Writing on the band's Facebook page, Mike Diamond said how much he missed his bandmate: "I know, we should have tweeted and instagrammed every sad, happy and inspired thought, smile or tear by now. But honestly the last few days have just been a blur of deep emotions for our closest friend, band mate and really brother. I miss Adam so much.

The Who's Roger Daltrey has confirmed that organisers of the London 2012 Olympics asked whether drummer Keith Moon – who died in 1978 – would be able to take part in this summer's celebrations. In an interview on US TV show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the frontman joked that the band's management had responded to the invitation by suggesting they try contacting the deceased rocker themselves by holding a séance.

Damon Albarn has hinted that there could be another Gorillaz album without his partner, Jamie Hewlett. Speaking in an interview with Shortlist, Albarn said that nothing would change musically if he went ahead and made a record without Hewlett, but that there would be no cartoon element in the form of Murdoc. He said:

Bobby Womack has unveiled the title track from his new Damon Albarn-co-produced album 'The Bravest Man In The Universe', which you can hear below.

Duran Duran, Snow Patrol, Paolo Nutini and Stereophonics will all play a huge show in London's Hyde Park this summer to mark the start of the Olympics.

Graham Coxon was forced to evacuate a hotel Falmouth earlier today (April 30) after it caught fire. The Blur guitarist, who is staying at the Beach Hotel ahead of his gig in the Cornish town tonight, spoke about the drama in a series of tweets. He wrote: "We have rooms at the Beach Hotel and had to leave when the smell the smell of smoke for [sic] a little much." Coxon then tweeted pictures of the burning hotel, before adding: "We watched it... We had to leave the foyer and then watch it get worse and worse...rather sad."

In 1570, a few years before he became preoccupied with alchemical quests, heretical visions and attempts to divine the language of angels, Dr John Dee was commissioned to write a government report on the state of England.

Last year, I spent a fair amount of time listening to a mighty blown-out Philadelphia band called Purling Hiss, whose mainman Mike Pollize was sprung from another excellent local band called the Birds Of Maya.

Frantic riffs, motorik grooves and "perverse sounds" define Blur guitarists eighth solo album...

Relentlessly violent French cop thriller...