This week’s NME (May 20, 2008)

Dirk and Donny are back! The punk duo behind Towers Of London were tracked down this week at their open casting for a new guitarist and drummer after The Rev and Snell left the band last July following a bust-up. The wannabe Tourettes at the casting were asked to perform the band’s tune ‘Naked On The Dancefloor’ whilst Dirk and Donny assessed the rookies. Read the full story in the issue of NME, dated May 24, out across the UK today.

It’s just a month since the release of their second album, ‘Konk’, in April this year, and The Kooks are already thinking ahead to a third. In News this week we speak to Luke Pritchard backstage at Radio 1’s Big Weekend and find out how the frontman’s love of eclectic, world music is inspiring him to write new songs.

You might have thought you’d seen the back of him but now one time Arctic Monkey Andy Nicholson has popped back up in a new, would-be-supergroup, Mongrel, alongside the likes of Reverend And The Makers frontman John McClure and Babyshambles bassist Drew McConnell. Check out the News section in this week’s issue of NME, on sale across the UK today.
Pic: Tim Cochrane

Alt-princess Scarlett Johansson charts her extraordinary journey from Hollywood starlet to indie icon in the pages of NME this week. Her album of Tom Waits covers, inspired by her travels with her Waits-worshipping father, was released on May 19 in the UK.
Pic: Dean Chalkley

Scarlett Johansson’s debut album ‘Anywhere I Lay My Head’ was produced by TV On The Radio’s David Sitek and features contributions from David Bowie on two tracks, ‘Fannin Street’ and ‘Falling Down’. Read the interview in full in this week’s issue of NME, out now.
Pic: Dean Chalkley

While recording her debut album in the wilds of Louisiana, Hollywood alt-princess Scarlett Johansson experimented with recording owl noises and spinning dog bowls full of water. Read the full bizarre story in this week’s NME, dated May 24.
Pic: Dean Chalkley

NME’s Dan Martin speaks to The Ting Tings in this week’s issue about how they’ve gone from the indie small time to Number One, with their single ‘That’s Not My Name’ – single-handedly saving the pop charts in the process. "I don’t see why all pop music has to be autotuned," explains vocalist Katie White.
Pic: Dean Chalkley

Emo heroes Paramore are reviewed in the mag’s Live! section this week. Cancelled dates and "internal issues" have led fans to fear for the Tennessee quartet’s future. Did their Glasgow Academy show do anything to assuage those fears?
Pic: Drew Farrell

The NME Gallery picture in this week’s issue, on sale across the UK today, shows that the (old) boys are back in town as Paul Weller teams up with Noel Gallagher on a new single, ‘Echoes Round The Sun’. We caught up with the boys for this quick picture on the video shoot.

Pic: Lawrence Watson

Radio 1’s Big Weekend is reviewed in full – from Madonna through to Foals, Kooks and a suitably frantic Gallows, in NME’s Live section. Read our extensive report in the issue, out across the UK today.

Glorious folk architects Noah And The Whale also grace NME’s Radar pages this week. The band are headed up by tune-writing frontman Charlie Fink, his drumming brother Doug, violinist Tom Fiddle and bass and glockenspiel player Urby Whale, a former child actor who once shared screen time with Catherine Zeta-Jones. Get the full story in the issue.
Pic: Sam Jones

LA foursome, the electro-punk noise innovators, HEALTH, are in this week’s Radar as one of THE bands to keep an ear out for. Get the lowdown on their self-titled debut album, out next month, in the new issue of NME, out today.
Pic: Ed Miles

This week’s Radar introduces new bedroom-based recording sensation Get Well Soon, aka 25-year-old, Berlin-based, cello-drums-guitar and piano playing entrepreneur Konstantin Gropper. His sensational debut ‘Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon’ hits British shelves in June.

Pic: Ed Miles

Dizzee Rascal talks through the bands and artists that he’s hooked on – from Snoop Dogg through to Guns N’ Roses. Read the interview in the issue of NME, dated May 24, in shops across the UK today.

Pic: Andy Fallon