NME — Britpop bassist speaks out about Blur's dangerous drugs and booze years more info

Guardian Music — Mike Smith sketched almost every band he ever watched, and now his pictures are collected in a bookYou can spot the industry executives at gigs – they're the ones lost in concentration, brains computing an artist's potential commercial value, while... more info

Guardian Music — The Mercury Prize shortlist reveals British music's strength in depth. But as the iPod generation roam across genres in search of new sounds, are they missing out on some vital spark of youth?Of all the major cultural awards handed out each year, it ... more info

ContactMusic — British rocker Damon Albarn is to record a special charity album during a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo to raise awareness of the problems facing the country. The Blur star is heading to the African nation this week (beg18Jul11) with a gro... more info

NME — Gorillaz man set to make a new LP in a week in the African country more info

Guardian Music — This London four-piece lionise the lo-fi, celebrate scuzz and fetishise fuzz. Yup, it's our old friend slacker-popHometown: London.The lineup: Jock, Ed, Billy and Kit.The background: More artists, we feel, should telegraph, via their name, what organ... more info

VH1 Blog — We’re fans of the A.V. Club’s “Undercover” series, in which bands visit their offices and play a cover song off a pre-selected list; the limitation means that sometimes the covers are uninspired, but at least as often they force bands to prov... more info

ContactMusic — Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O is following in the footsteps of Damon Albarn by writing her own opera. Blur rocker Albarn has moved from creating chart hits to working on stage shows, launching Monkey Journey to the West in 2007, and Doctor Dee, ... more info

Totally Fuzzy — Graham Leslie Coxon (also known as G. Coxon) (born 12 March 1969) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter. He came to prominence as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of rock band Blur, and i... more info

NME — Luke Pritchard's mob will play their only UK festival show at Oxfordshire festival more info