Blur EXCLUSIVE Alex James on Cameron, Damon & the next album 2 MAY 2015 2 MAY Is protest music dead? Noel Gallagher Enter Shikari Savages “All politicians are Matt Bellamy crooks and liars” The Horrors HAVE THEIR SAY The GEORGE W BUSH W GEORGE Prodigy + Speedy Ortiz STILL STARTING FIRES A$AP Rocky Django Django “They misunderestimated me” David Byrne THE PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE OF MUSIC Palma Violets 2 MAY 2015 | £2.50 US$8.50 | ES€3.90 | CN$6.99 # "% # %$ % & "" " "$ % %"&# " # " %% " "& ### " "& "$# " " % & " " &# ! " % & "% % BAND LIST NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS | 2 MAY 2015 Anna B Savage 23 Matthew E White 51 A$AP Rocky 10 Mogwai 35 Best Coast 43 Muse 33 REGULARS The Big Moon 22 Naked 23 FEATURES Black Rebel Motorcycle Nicky Blitz 24 Club 17 Noel Gallagher 33 4 Blanck Mass 44 Oasis 13 SOUNDING OFF Blur 36 Paddy Hanna 25 6 26 Breeze 25 Palma Violets 34, 42 ON REPEAT The Prodigy Brian Wilson 43 Patrick Watson 43 Braintree’s baddest give us both The Britanys 24 Passion Pit 43 16 IN THE STUDIO Broadbay 23 Pink Teens 24 Radkey barrels on politics, heritage acts and Caribou 33 The Prodigy 26 the terrible state of modern dance Carl Barât & The Jackals 48 Radkey 16 17 ANATOMY music. Oh, and eco light bulbs… Chastity Belt 45 Refused 6, 13 Coneheads 23 Remi Kabaka 15 David Byrne 12 Ride 21 OF AN ALBUM De La Soul 7 Rihanna 6 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 32 Protest music Django Django 15, 44 Rolo Tomassi 6 – ‘BRMC’ Drenge 33 Rozi Plain 24 On the eve of the general election, we Du Blonde 35 Run The Jewels 6 21 Emmy The Great 33 Sally Dige 23 SOUNDTRACK ask Johnny Marr, Chilli Jesson, Matt The Enemy 33 Sam Duckworth 34 Bellamy and more whether there’s still Enter Shikari 34 Savages 34 OF MY LIFE such a thing as protest music in 2015 Everything Everything 6, 34 Screaming Females 53 Andy Bell, Ride EZTV 23 Show Me The Body 23 Foo Fighters 6 Simon Bird 25 22 RADAR Francesca Belmonte 24 Sleaford Mods 34 Meet London’s new girl 36 Alex James Fruit Bomb 25 Slime 24 Fucked Up 7 Soft Lit 24 gang The Big Moon, plus The Blur bassist and Cotswolds big Gaps 45 Spector 10 3 19 more new artists cheese on why he finds ‘The Magic Gengahr 24 Speedy Ortiz 40 Ghetts 35 Stormzy 51 Whip’ “just devastating” Girl Friend 24 Sunflower Bean 24 42 REVIEWS Girlpool 6 Super Furry Animals 35 ► ALBUMS God Damn 44 Surfer Blood 45 Happy Mondays 35 Swedish Death Candy 23 Palma Violets – Health 7 Swim Deep 6 ‘Danger In The Club’ The Holydrug Couple 45 TĀLĀ 34 Honey Moon 23 Thee Oh Sees 7 Best Coast – Honne 24 Thomston 25 ‘California Nights’ The Horrors 33 Tongue Bundle 25 Jaws 7 Tyler, The Creator 45 Django Django – Johnny Marr 34 Tyondai Braxton 44 ‘Born Under Saturn’ Juan Wauters 44 Unknown Mortal Junk 25 Orchestra 7 Tyler, The Creator – Kurt Cobain 6 Vant 7 ‘Cherry Bomb’ Lana Del Rey 7 The War On Drugs 51 Låpsley 53 Weezer 6 and more Laura Marling 50 Wild Beasts 6 ► FILM The Magic Gang 53 Will Butler 52 Avengers: Age Of Ultron Major Lazer 7 Young Fathers 35 and more ► LIVE ***SHAMELESS PLUG!!!*** ***SHAMELESS 40 Speedy Ortiz PLUG!!!*** SHAMELESS Carl Barât & The Jackals SUBSCRIBE TO AND Laura Marling How the DIY four-piece from Boston GET A £5 AMAZON VOUCHER turned intra-band tensions into fuel Will Butler for a fierce new album SAVE UP TO 39% and more Subscribe now at WWW.NMESUBS.CO.UK/16M Or call 0330 333 4555 quoting code 16KM 58 CROSSWORD/ Lines are open from 8am to 9pm, 7 days a week – UK time ***SHAMELESS PLUG!!! *Offer open to new subscribers only. Final closing date for all orders is June 2, 2015. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery of your first subscription issue, 8 weeks for overseas orders. For full terms and conditions please visit www.magazinesdirect.com/terms. For enquiries and THINGS WE LIKE overseas rates contact [email protected] or call +44 330 333 0233. COVER: ED MILES COVER: 2 MAY 2015 | NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS TELL US Answerin WHAT’S you this week: ON YOUR MIND Tom Howard LETTER OF THE WEEK EMAIL [email protected] twitter.com/nme WINS AN MICRO CRUSH AMP www.orangeamps.com TWITTER Orange Micro Crush practice amps pack plenty of punch with a seriously cool sound. A micro amp with big soul. FACEBOOK British facebook.com/nmemagazine POST NME, 110 Southwark St, A LETTER TO London SE1 0SU BRANDON FLOWERS CHEER UP, VAN I can’t believe that Catfish Dear Brandon, I hope this letter reaches you & The Bottlemen frontman well, all the way from Yorkshire – God’s Own Van McCann has said that Country and a stop-off on your upcoming O2 it’s a “lonely existence arena tour. My name is Adam Pickles. I am 28 being in a band” and that years old and work as a bar manager in my he has “no girlfriend, no local pub. I am a huge Brandon Flowers and best friends, no mum or The Killers fan, and still get goosebumps dad”. What a monumental thinking about Wembley on June 22, 2013, bellend. Kids will read the which I went to with my girlfriend, who is the NME and dream of being in subject of this letter. She is a big fan, and I’ve a band and playing music, managed to get us a couple of standing then read an article from tickets for your show at the Leeds O2 Arena someone they think is on May 26, which is four days after her their voice, and he’s there birthday. She’s had a crappy couple of years whingeing about how tough (I won’t go into details, but she’s been dealing with stuff Tom Howard: Adam, I have some encouraging news it is. If it’s that tough, get a you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy), so this letter is for you. We’re hanging out with Brandon in Los Angeles real fucking job. There are a plea to see if there’s anything you could sort out for her/ very soon, so I’ll implore the NME journalist tasked people who actually don’t us, be it a meet with yourself, a T-shirt, or even a plectrum with quizzing him to pass on your request. I’ve never have a family or a mum or a or drumstick would make her day. I know this is a long met Mr Flowers myself, but from what I understand dad. He does, and he needs shot, but anything you could do would be amazing. he’s a charming and accommodating human being. to stop making out that life Adam Pickles, via email I’ll be in touch… is so difficult. He doesn’t know how difficult life is. 4 Alfie Green, via email OASIS REUNION: music, their attitude and a stage for two hours. I happen? No. Noel wouldn’t BRING IT ON everything they stood for, bet he’s planning out his want to, not after he’s just TH: I hear you, Alfie. It’s There’s a lot of negativity my opinion of them grew reunion haircut right now. released his second solo hard to imagine how a life around the possible Oasis much more positive. It’s album. And Noel and Liam of hit records and adoring reunion, because they might stayed much the same OASIS REUNION: may have reconnected as fans could be anything kill the legacy. But let’s get ever since: they’re not my NOT GONNA brothers, but I very much other than dreamy. But, real here: who wouldn’t favourite band, but not HAPPEN doubt they’re ready to y’know, people react to want to stand in front of the my worst. If they get back As one of Oasis’ biggest spend extended periods success in different ways. Gallaghers while they belt together I’ll be happy, but fans, I think people need of time together on tour or Plus I do like it when my out ‘Live Forever’? not ecstatic. Where would to forget about the hope of even in the studio. Maybe rock stars get pissed off Zac Sherratt, via email they play? Somewhere big, a reunion. Noel has made it in five or 10 years’ time. – adds a bit of spice. clearly. And if I know the clear there won’t be one as George Wilding, via email TH: Well exactly, Zac. And Gallaghers’ personalities, far as he’s concerned, and I can tell you from frequent they’ll play a bunch of why would he even want to? TH: Jess–Itotally agree personal experience that in-your-face shows that His High Flying Birds are a that an Oasis reunion is that opening drumbeat will be a middle finger up huge success, and if there unlikely to happen while signals the beginning of to the world and them was a reunion it wouldn’t the High Flying Birds are the best time of all time. saying: “We can still do it.” be as good as they were booming. He’s got a bunch Tom Sandford, via email 20yearsago.LookatThe of festivals to headline OASIS REUNION: Stone Roses. Their reunion first, to show the world DEFINITELY MAYBE TH: This is interesting, didn’t have the effect it howbigadealNoelyGis. I was 13 when Oasis split, Tom. I think a lot of people should’ve done and it’s But you are DEAD wrong LOOK WHO’S and never thought anything being negative about such a shame.