"The legendary four-piece - Ian, John, Mani and Reni - have announced two massive shows at Manchester's Heaton Park on Friday June 29 and Saturday June 30, 2012. The dates will form part of an extensive world tour.

The band have already been into a rehearsal studio to start work on the set-list for the one of the most eagerly anticipated reunifications ever." - TheStoneRoses.org

Tickets for the Manchester shows go on sale Friday. Stay tuned for the rest of those dates to be announced.

The December issue of Q Magazine is an 'Artists Of The Century' special edition, covering all of the acts that the fine staff of the good ship Q feel are the most important of the century so far. As befitting a special edition of the UK best selling music monthly requires a special cover was commissioned world renowned photographer John Wright has spent over a year shooting 34 artists to fit on triple fold out cover.

The issue is packed to the gills with pieces written by Russell Brand on Noel Gallagher, Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis on Coldplay and Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme on The Arctic Monkeys. In addition it also includes exclusive interviews and photos from the likes of Amy Winehouse, Dizzee Rascal, U2, Dave Grohl, Lily Allen, Rihanna, Sir Paul McCartney, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Brandon Flowers from The Killers, Elbow's Guy Garvey, Pink, Muse's Matt Bellamy, Murdoc from Gorillaz, The Kings Of Leon, Mark Ronson, Mika, Nick Cave, Robert Plant, Florence Welch, Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol and Tom Chaplin of Keane.

What do you get when you throw Pitchfork's favorite albums in a blender with NME's? Q's favorite albums of 2009 are (questionable & very UK-centric and) listed below..

Continue reading "Q Magazine's Top Albums of 2009 "

Ian Brown is the only obstacle to a Stone Roses reunion, the band's former bassist Mani said this week. And if the Manchester band are ever to get back together, it will be up to fans to twist Brown's arm.

"Me, John and Reni are up for doing it and Ian just needs some working on," Gary "Mani" Mounfield told the Channelbee website. Counting Mani, guitarist John Squire and drummer Alan "Reni" Wren, that's three-quarters of the band accounted for. But frontman Ian Brown is stone-hearted, and has hardly spoken to the others since their acrimonious split in 1996.

"Next year is the 20th anniversary of the first album," Mani continued. "It's the ideal time to do it. It's something I would love to do before we are all fat and bald. Start the campaign." [Guardian]

In the meantime we've got Blur, and The Specials.

Also there's Oasis, who play Madison Square Garden in NYC TONIGHT (Dec 17).

Neil Young played the same venue last night, and the night before.