13 things we learn in this week’s NME (18 June 2009)

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In this week’s NME we mark the 30th anniversary of Joy Division’s
‘Unknown Pleasures’. Key revelations include the fact that drummer
Stephen Morris never realised that Ian Curtis’ tormented lyrics were
personal: “How could I have been so stupid? Of course he was writing
about himself. I didn’t grab him and ask, ‘What’s up?’ I have to live
with that.”

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Ladies love a man with a beard. That’s according to Eels singer Mark Everett, who reckons his copious facial hair gives him an edge with the opposite sex. “You’re raised to believe that girls don’t like beards,” mumbled the vocalist. “But if rock’n’roll has taught me anything, it’s that the exact opposite is true.”

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In the new issue of NME we expose White Lies frontman Harry McVeigh’s embarrassing karaoke secrets. “We’ve just got back from Japan, where we went to karaoke a few times,” he tells us. “I did this song [Journey – ‘Don’t Stop Believing’], it was a beautiful moment.” Pic: Guy Eppel

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The Cribs revealed the title and tracklisting of their fourth studio album this week: ‘Ignore The Ignorant’. The band named the album after hearing that the BNP’s Andrew Brons was elected to the European Parliament. “There were a bunch of titles we could have gone with,” Ryan Jarman explained, “Then in Yorkshire the BNP got a seat and we were like, ‘Fuck’. It’s hard to accept that it can happen in your own town.” Pic: Andy Willsher

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Dan Black owns a massive gun. We discovered this when we visited him at home in Paris. Showing us round his flat, the singer-songwriter explained the unusual prop: “I’m not violent and I don’t find guns glamorous, but it summed up how I felt. Playing shows is hard work and you’ve gotta be single-minded.” Pic: Andy Fallon

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Courtney Love is to ditch her solo project and resurrect seminal grunge outfit Hole. Founding guitarist Eric Erlandson is to be replaced by Micko Larkin, formerly of Larrikin Love, and former bassisst Melissa Auf Der Maur will return to provide backing vocals. Watch in-the-studio footage at NME.COM/theoffice. Pic: Andy Willsher

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kings of leon shot for nme magazine, location elms lester painting rooms

There’s so much interest in Kings Of Leon’s new material the band have had to employ security guards to keep snoopers out of their soundchecks. Frontman Caleb Followill told NME: “It’s crazy, all the workers from these venues, they all come trying to sneak in and see what we’re doing.” Kings Of Leon intend to start recording their fifth studio album as soon as possible. Pic: Dean Chalkley

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BBC SWITCH – NICK GRIMSHAW

Nick ‘Grimmy’ Grimshaw likes Zane Lowe…a lot. “Oh God. If he [Zane Lowe] died I think I’d run in and do some kind of mouth-to-mouth,” the BBC Radio 1 DJ told NME, “I think we’d all like to kiss Zane Lowe, wouldn’t we?”

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Isle of Wight Festival 2009 – Day Three

Pixies frontman Frank Black told NME that they are set to record their first full length studio album since 1991’s ‘Trompe Le Monde’. Black explained that they are looking for someone with a film background to produce the record. “The band needs to work with a film director,” Black told NME. “Quentin Tarantino or someone like that. A respected film maker who’s serious about his craft and who’s into rock ‘n’ roll.” Pic: PA Photos

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Style: “invasion”

This woman (see picture, left) will save rock. She’s called Chan Brown and she fronts Invasion, the cloaked three-piece set to reclaim kick-ass metal and reinvigorate the UK’s flagging heavy music scene. Pic: Tom Oxley

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Peter Hook of Joy Division told NME why the band went with Factory records for their first album, despite a £70,000 offer from Genetic Records. “Rob Gretton [manager] thought that taking us dickheads out of Manchester and putting us in a big London studio might mean that we ended up losing control over everything. He felt that it would be better to do it with Tony Wilson and Factory to keep us as we were – grounded.”

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