NME Blogs

 

Matthew Horton

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

 
Charli XCX Covers The Backstreet Boys

One's a pop icon and the other's - well - a pop icon, and yesterday (21 May) they came together in Chicago in the most dramatic way as Hertfordshire's own Charli XCX covered The Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way'. It happened in Chicago's Borderline Music store with Charli taking the Boys' angst anthem and sprinkling it with '86-era Madonna dreaminess. Did she improve it? Did she murder it? Have a listen and tell us what you think.

 

NME Blog

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

 
Remembering Trevor Bolder

There has been near-universal consensus following his death that bass player Trevor Bolder was a good egg. The man who played in David Bowie's band on 'Hunky Dory', 'Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars', 'Aladdin Sane' and 'Pin Ups' passed away yesterday, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. The usually silent Bowie himself led the tributes: "Trevor was a wonderful musician and a major inspiration for whichever band he was working with.

 

Matthew Horton

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

 
Kanye West's 'Yeezus' And 10 More Egotastic Album Titles

If Kanye West's new album really is called 'Yeezus' - and we know the single is 'I Am A God' - then he's unleashing the ego motherlode. It's been coming, let's be honest. The man has never had a low opinion of himself.

 

Kevin EG Perry

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

 
The Doors' Ray Manzarek's 5 Greatest Keyboard Riffs

His face might not adorn a million posters and t-shirts like his old bandmate Jim Morrison, but all of today’s contemporary psychedelic explorers, from Temples to Jagwar Ma and even Palma Violet’s 60s garage-rock organ noise, owe a huge debt to the sound of Doors keysman Ray Manzarek. Ray departed for the great Whiskey Bar in the sky yesterday, but here’s five killer examples of the playing that will live forever:

5'Riders on the Storm'
Ray plays electric piano on this track, from 1971’s 'L.A.

 

Lisa Wright

Monday, May 20, 2013

 
10 Awesome Things That Happened At The Great Escape

So, The Great Escape is over for another year. London has been reinstated to its usual industry hub status, everyone has returned to waiting until at least midday to start drinking and Brighton's makeshift weekend venues have gone back to the pubs, car parks and front rooms they usually operate as. The beachside festival always throws up its fair share of treats and this year was certainly no exception. So, with a sepia-tinted air of reminiscence in our hungover hearts, here are the best ten things that happened at TGE 2013... [subhead]Superfood.