The Week Ahead In UK Music: Releases, Gigs & Broadcasts


Hawley (photo: Getty)

Richards Hawley (photo: Getty)




Our highlights this week include a new album from one of the biggest US acts around, the beginning of a UK tour by one of the best live bands in the country, and a documentary on one of the greatest records of the seventies.

Albums

US heavyweights Pearl Jam release their ninth studio album ‘Backspacer‘ this week, which has already received widespread praise from music critics. Former Longpigs and Pulp guitarist Richard Hawley releases ‘Truelove’s Gutter‘. Hawley is enjoying a successful period in his career; after his 2005 record ‘Coles Corner’ was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, he was nominated in the Best Male category at the 2008 Brit Awards. He will now be hoping for further success with his new album, which one critic has described as “quietly passionate, graceful, elegant, utterly moving, and unequivocally beautiful in its honesty and sophistication.”

Singles

Ian Brown’s first single from new album ‘My Way’ is out today. ‘Stellify‘ is seen by many as one of his strongest singles to date and bodes well for his upcoming solo record. Elsewhere, VV Brown releases ‘Game Over’, the fourth single from her debut album ‘Travelling Like The Light’.

Gigs

The Cribs begin a sizable UK tour this week in support of new record ‘Ignore The Ignorant’. They start with a date at Norwich U.E.A on Thursday, before moving on to Cambridge on Friday and Liverpool on Saturday. Also, Live4ever favourties The Boxer Rebellion have dates in Cardiff (Tue), Southampton (Wed) and Birmingham (Sun).

Television



Lou Reed’s classic 1972 album ‘Transformer‘ is documented on Sky Arts tonight (9pm), the same channel also screens a film following Brian Wilson on his first solo tour from 11pm on Wednesday. Editors and Dizzee Rascal are amongst the acts joining Jools Holland on Later… this week. The half-hour live show (Tue 10pm) is again followed by an extended edition on Friday at 11.35pm. Channel 4 screens a gig from Florence & The Machine at midnight on Thursday, which was filmed at the Rivoli Ballroom in London.

Radio

London newcomers The Jim Jones Revue join Marc Riley on BBC 6Music tonight from 7pm, while former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley is on Cerys Matthews’ afternoon show on the same station on Tuesday (1pm). On Tuesday evening (7pm), Reverend & The Makers are live in the studio with Geoff Lloyd on Absolute Radio. BBC Radio 2 presents a tribute to Bruce Springsteen on Wednesday (10pm). ‘The Boss: In His Words’ will present highlights from 30 years of Springsteen interviews.

related links:

www.bbc.co.uk/6music
www.bbc.co.uk/radio2
www.absoluteradio.co.uk


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