Guardian Music — Our writers are picking their favourite albums – here, Gareth Grundy explains his love for The Good, the Bad and the Queen"It's hard to imagine an anti-war song becoming a radio hit, as it might have done in the 60s. The way people listen to music ... more info

Nialler9 — As well as the previously announced news of an Honest Jon’s Chop Up in Cork, Choice Cuts will bring the show to Vicar Street, Dublin on November 1st. The event features performances from Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Flea, Fatoumata Diawara, Phil Cohr... more info

Guardian Music — Damon Albarn's latest musical travels and Sufjan Stevens's dance epiphany should help you get your clicks this weekDamon Albarn finds it difficult not to make music. In the last year, he's launched an opera; made a Gorillaz album on his iPad to reli... more info

Guardian Music — Palace Theatre, ManchesterThose already expressing qualms about next year's Cultural Olympiad should cheer up a little: some strange alchemy has been at work, conjuring up a truly original new opera that will launch the 2012 celebrations. Premiered a... more info

Guardian Music — Palace Theatre, ManchesterDamon Albarn discusses the making of the opera It is perhaps as much a disservice to call the 16th century alchemist and astrologer John Dee a Renaissance man as it is to refer to Damon Albarn as the former frontman of Blur... more info

Guardian Music — Doctor Dee was a confidante of Elizabeth I, a mathematician and alchemist. Damon Albarn has written an opera about him and says the work has allowed him to express his patriotismIt's Tuesday morning in the mess of glass, metal and international retai... more info

Nialler9 — An extremely funky cut from Stuttgart’s Danilo Plessow aka Motor City Drum Ensemble. Once that rolling bass comes in just after a minute in, it’s game over. ‘L.O.V.E.’ features on Motor City Drum Ensemble’s DJ-Kicks compilation which will ... more info

Altsounds — 'Afrodisiac' is the debut single from the highlyanticipated forthcoming album by British born Nigerian afro jazz singer and composer Teni. The single featured legendary afrobeat co-creator and master drummer, Tony Allen. Afrodisiac is a timeles... more info

Guardian Music — Damon Albarn's new show explores the Elizabethan thinker and magician John DeeJohn Dee was born in 1527 to one of Henry VIII's courtiers. Growing up with a voracious intellect, he collected a huge library of rare and esoteric material over his lifeti... more info

Totally Fuzzy — The ambient pioneer's latest track, the first track in this sampler, comes from a forthcoming collaborative album with poet Rick Holland titled Drums Between The Bells and it is a darkly thrilling experiment A year ago almost to the day, Brian E... more info