Neon

Flaming Lips are to release their The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends album on July 30. The album was originally given a limited, vinyl-only release for Record Store Day on April 21 this year. Recorded in collaboration with artists including Nick Cave, Yoko Ono and Bon Iver, the album will be released by the band's new label, Bella Union, on both CD and vinyl. The track listing for The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends is: 1. “2012 (You Must Be Upgraded) (w/ Ke$ha, Biz Markie & Hour Of The Time Majesty 12)

Moving epitaph for The Blue Nile’s melancholic grace...

In their early years, it was easy to dismiss My Bloody Valentine as just another cutie band, anoraked, bobbed and locked into an indie obsession with a 60s ideal of perfect pop on singles like “Sunny Sundae Smile”. Then in 1987 founder member Dave Conway left and was replaced by Bilinda Butcher, who reportedly wowed the group’s Kevin Shields, Colm Ó Coisóig and Debbie Googe by singing Dolly Parton’s “Bargain Store” at her audition.

Flaming Lips' frontman Wayne Coyne has confirmed that Heady Fewnds, the Lips' vinyl-only collaboration with Bon Iver, Nick Cave, Yoko Ono, Ke$ha, Neon Indian and others is due for a future digital release. Coyne confirmed in a Twitter conversation with Ke$ha that the album, released for Record Store Day, will be released via iTunes in "about a month". The full tracklisting for Heady Fewnds is: 1. '2012 (You Must Be Upgraded)' (featuring Ke$ha and Biz Markie) 2. 'Ashes in the Air' (featuring Bon Iver)

Alex Chilton’s wild, idiosyncratic life after Big Star is examined in the new issue of Uncut (Take 180, May 2012), out now. But what happened before the demise of Chilton’s greatest group? They should have been rock superstars, but Rob Jovanovic explains how drugs, in-fighting and personal tragedy meant Big Star had to settle for being the biggest cult band of all time (from Uncut's Take 94, March 2005). ________________________________

Parts of Manchester's legendary Hacienda nightclub have recreated for a new design exhibition.

The Flaming Lips' frontman Wayne Coyne has revealed that he could feature on Ke$ha's second album.

The Flaming Lips have unveiled their collaboration with Bon Iver, which is titled 'Ashes In The Air' – scroll down to the bottom of the page and click to listen.

The Flaming Lips have reached out to some of their "fwends", including 'Tik Tok' singer Ke$ha, to release a limited edition double album.

Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire and The Clash are among the artists releasing new records as part of this year's Record Store Day.