News Round-Up: Vampire Weekend, MOBO Awards


Press photo of Vampire Weekend by Michael Schmelling

Vampire Weekend by Michael Schmelling

A new album announcement from Vampire Weekend and this year’s MOBO Awards winners were among our biggest headlines last week.

Vampire Weekend have confirmed their new album is entitled Only God Was Above Us and will be released on April 5th.

Recording was a global affair; taking place in Manhattan, Los Angeles, London and Tokyo with Ezra Koenig acting as main producer along side the band’s long-term collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid.




Whilst it’s taken half-a-decade to fully realise, the origins of the record go back to the pre-pandemic days of 2019 when Koenig had the bulk of the lyrics laid down.


Portishead‘s Beth Gibbons has announced the details of her debut solo record Lives Outgrown.

The album will reflect on a period in Gibbons’ life when there were ‘lots of goodbyes’ – to family, friends and her former self.

“I realised what life was like with no hope. And that was a sadness I’d never felt. Before, I had the ability to change my future, but when you’re up against your body, you can’t make it do something it doesn’t want to do.”


IDLES have added an appearance at Forest Hills Stadium in New York to their autumn 2024 North American tour.

The band will play the date on September 27th with The Walkmen as part of their lengthy live work behind the forthcoming new album TANGK.

Tickets go on general sale from February 9th.


MOBO Awards 2024

Central Cee was the big winner at the 2024 MOBO Awards ceremony, picking up Best Male Act and Song Of The Year.

Song Of The Year came thanks to his collaboration with Dave on Sprinter, while Little Simz was presented with Best Hip Hop Act and Sault went home with the Best R&B/Soul Act prize.

Honorary recognition went to Soul II Soul and Sugababes; the former with the Lifetime Achievement Award and the latter the Impact Award.


The Lemon Twigs have confirmed the details of their next album A Dream Is All We Know.

Announced with a video for new single They Don’t Know How To Fall In Place, it’s the follow-up to last year’s Everything Harmony LP – one of Live4ever’s top albums of 2023.

It will be released on May 3rd.


Caroline Polachek will put out a deluxe edition of her celebrated 2023 album Desire, I Want To Turn Into You on February 14th.

Dubbed the ‘Everasking Edition’, the reissue is to carry the addition of Dang after the track became a favourite following its live performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, while the updated versions have been primarily co-produced with Danny L Harle and include a new take of Butterfly Net featuring Weyes Blood which is streaming online now.

It’ll come on the first anniversary of the album’s original release.


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