Green Day Release New Single and Announce Album

After frontman Billie Joe Armstrong tweeted that the band would be releasing a new single on August 11th, fans have had a countdown. Today is the day, and it was like a double whammy of exciting news.

The new single, "Bang Bang" was set to be premiered on radio stations worldwide, with the UK getting to hear it at 3pm on Virgin Radio. Minutes before the single was to be played, The Green Day Authority, a central source for Green Day news created by fans, posted that the band had also confirmed the name of their upcoming album, Revolution Radio, on which would be the new single. The band timed that so perfectly and made everyone so much more hyped for the single. Check out the artwork for the single below.

"Bang Bang" single artwork.

After teasing listeners with other songs, presenter Jon Jackson finally introduced "Bang Bang". There are a lot of elements of the song that reflect the band's previous work; the riffs and speed sound a lot like the American Idiot material, particularly St. Jimmy. There's a raw edge to the song that takes you back to the Dookie era. But the thing that I personally like the most about this song is how similar it sounds to the songs by the band's side project Foxboro Hot Tubs; it sounds very fuzzy, and Billie's smooth voice over the top sounds as though it could be played in a 1950's bar on a jukebox. The band have improved their work since the 2012 album trilogy, and although some may say that it has a similar sound, the band are working with a sound that they like and so they're making the best music they can with it. The band also released the lyric video on Facebook for the song which you can watch below.


"Bang Bang" will be featured on the band's upcoming album Revolution Radio, which is due to be released on October 7th and has been self-produced by the band. After a four year wait for new music, this album will fall on very eager ears. Rolling Stone did an interview with Billie Joe Armstrong, where it was explained that it isn't strictly a political concept album like American Idiot, but it does focus on many issues facing the USA right now, including gun crime and drugs. You can read the full interview here.

You can pre-order the album on Amazon here. The album artwork and tracklist is below.

Revolution Radio artwork.

Revolution Radio tracklist:
1. Somewhere New
2. Bang Bang
3. Revolution Radio
4. Say Goodbye
5. Outlaws
6. Bouncing Off The Wall
7. Still Breathing
8. Youngblood
9. Too Dumb To Die
10. Troubled Times
11. Forever Now
12. Ordinary World

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child Book Review

If you're a devoted Harry Potter fan like me, you'll understand that the void between the final film being released and any new material has been horrible and unbearably long. But the wait came to an end last Sunday (July 31) when the latest addition to the series, 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child', was released.

As the blurb explains, it is "the eighth story, nineteen years later". With any kind of sequel, there's a lot of living up to do and very high expectations; simply put, 'The Cursed Child' is a very fitting extra chapter to the Harry Potter series and rounds off the story well. At the end of the previous story, 'Deathly Hallows', we briefly meet the children of Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione. I know I'm not the only reader who then pictured a story with the children as the main characters, and being the great author that she is, J.K. Rowling, alongside playwright John Tiffany and director Jack Thorne, gave fans what they wanted and did it in the best way.

L-R: J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany. Photo not mine.

The plot of the story captivated me from the first scene. It shows a part of the original characters that wouldn't normally be thought about- their working lives, their marriages and their relationships with their children. It takes Harry and co. from being schoolchildren to being adults and offers the readers and audience a new insight into their personalities. The extreme twists and turns as the story progresses took me on a journey and I couldn't put the book down. Never before have I finished a book the same day I started it, so that must mean something. The character's emotions and reactions to what is going on reflect the original stories but with an added maturity.

I don't want to give the story away if you haven't already read it, so here is the synopsis from the inner dust cover:
"It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy that he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son must learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places."

Having this installment as a stage play, and therefore the book as its script, brings a whole new element to the story. The stage instructions are all there, the pauses are noted, as are the stage descriptions. Reading those as well as the dialogue conjures the image of actually sitting in the auditorium watching the play and being closer into the plot than if it were a novel. The special effects are also included; there are descriptions where the Dementors are seated among the audience and they rise up and head towards the stage together, as well as mentions of the colours of the lighting and what mood it produces. Without actually seeing the play itself, this is the closest I've ever felt towards the story and its action, and the most emotional towards the characters; I think that brings out something even more magical and touching.

Reading the script is only half of the experience, and I would imagine that seeing the stage show as well is the cherry on top. If you have the opportunity to go then I would highly recommend it as it will bring this amazing story to life in a way a paper version can't. If you would like to know more about the book or book tickets to see the play, go to the official website.

This story is different, it's an extension of the characters and their lives, and it is a worthy final chapter to the series that bought magic to life.

Mercury Prize Nominees 2016

The nominees for this year's Hyundai Mercury Prize were announced earlier today, and it's quite an eclectic mix of artists.

The most pleasing nomination for this 'Album of the Year' award is David Bowie's album Blackstar. This posthumous nomination is touching to his family, fans and those who have worked with him, showing that even after his passing he still has an influence on the music industry and his music will never be forgotten.

Blackstar, Bowie's final and "parting gift" album, is up against records from a wide range of genres and artists, including The 1975, Skepta and Radiohead. This years shortlist has been described by the judging panel as "music to make sense of our unsettling times - heartfelt, angry, thoughtful and thrilling". Each nomination brings something new to the game, whether that be a political statement, a way of saying goodbye or telling a story; every nomination is unique and is on the shortlist for its own reasons.

Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool has received its fifth nomination for the award, and the band have yet to win previously. There are also two grime albums in the shortlist- Skepta's Konnichiwa and Kano's Made In The Mirror. These records deal with issues including crime and broken families, and have shown a real growth in the genre.

Watch the music video for Radiohead's single 'Burn The Witch', taken from their nominated album A Moon Shaped Pool below.

What is the Hyundai Mercury Prize?

The Mercury Prize promotes and praises the 12 best albums of the year of British or Irish origin whilst also snapshotting the year in music. Its publicity is also a way of showing different artists and genres to a wider audience.

All nominations receive a Mercury Prize trophy, with the overall winner receiving the winner trophy and £25,000. The shortlist is decided by a panel of independent judges and is based on the quality of the music only; they don't take into account an album's chart or sales success. This is a great way of promoting worthy music to the people who don't necessarily consider the commercial success of a record. This year's judges include Phil Alexander (Kerrang!, Q and Mojo), Jamie Cullum and Annie Mac. You can find the full list of judges for this year's award on the Mercury Prize website.

This year's voting system is new. Voters use an online poll to choose 6 finalists, one of which will be the winner. The winner, along with the remaining 5 finalists, will be announced on the Awards Show.

The full list of nominations is:

• Anohni - 'Hopelessness'
• Bat For Lashes - 'The Bride'
• David Bowie - 'Blackstar'
• Jamie Woon - 'Making Time'
• Kano - 'Made in the Manor'
• Laura Mvula - 'The Dreaming Room'
• Michael Kiwanuka - 'Love & Hate'
• Radiohead - 'A Moon Shaped Pool'
• Savages - 'Adore Life'
• Skepta - 'Konnichiwa'
• The 1975 - 'I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it'
• The Comet Is Coming - 'Channel the Spirits'

You can vote for your favourite nomination here. The Mercury Prize Awards Show will be held on September 15th.

Green Day Announce New Single, Bang Bang

It's been a hell of a long time coming, but it's finally happening.

This morning on his Twitter, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong posted a confirmation of the band's new single, 'Bang Bang', set to drop on August 11th.

Accompanying the photo of the band read this caption: "dear friends! green day is putting out a new single called "BANG BANG" August 11. stay tuned for more details.." You can check out the tweet below.

dear friends! green day is putting out a new single called "BANG BANG" August 11. stay tuned for more details.. pic.twitter.com/AuD0Ly3it9

— Billie Joe Armstrong (@BJAofficial) August 1, 2016

Whether the band will be releasing the single to the public on that date or if it is a radio premiere is yet to be announced, but either way this is very exciting news. The band have dropped hints for a fair few months now about being in the studio and getting ready for a tour, so this is just the icing on the cake.