Mojo - The Music Magazine

War Child's Heroes album is now streaming via MySpace. The compilation sees legendary artists nominating a new act to cover one of their classic songs. The tracklisting looks like this...

1. Beck (Bob Dylan: Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat)
2. Scissor Sisters (Roxy Music: Do The Strand)
3. Lily Allen (The Clash: Straight To Hell)
4. Duffy (Paul McCartney: Live And Let Die)
5. Elbow (U2: Running To Stand Still)
6. TV On The Radio (David Bowie: Heroes)
7. Hot Chip (Joy Division: Transmission)
8. The Kooks (The Kinks: Victoria)
9. Estelle (Stevie Wonder: Superstition)
10. Rufus Wainwright (Brian Wilson: Wonderful/ Song For Children)
11. Peaches (Iggy Pop: Search And Destroy)
12. The Hold Steady (Bruce Springsteen: Atlantic City)
13. The Like (Elvis Costello: You Belong To Me)
14. Yeah Yeah Yeahs (The Ramones: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker)
15. Franz Ferdinand (Blondie: Call Me)

Sir Paul McCartney has said: "I have been supporting War Child since 1995. Their work with children in war zones saves lives and their work with those who take decisions that help them to do something about it saves even more lives. The breadth of talent on this project is amazing; it's great that so many people gave their time, energy and support to this initiative. I urge everyone to support War Child."

The album is released on February 16. You can hear it now, buy clicking HERE.

War Child's official site can be found HERE.

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The Blockheads will release their new album, Staring Down The Barrel, on April 6.

The record - their second since the death of Ian Dury in 2000 - is set to feature material written by long-serving Blockhead Chaz Jankel and vocalist Derek The Draw (aka Derek Hussey - Dury's close friend and minder).

The band will tour the UK and France in April and May. They play:

Cambridge The Junction (April 1)
Monte Carlo Le Moods (2)
Paris New Morning (3)
Cleon (Rouen) Le Traverse (4)
Tewkesbury Roses Theatre (8)
Brighton The Old Market (11)
Basildon Towngate Theatre (15)
Harrogate Ripley Blue (18)
Gateshead The Sage (19)
Swindon Wyvern Theatre (22)
Stevenage Gordon Craig Theatre (24)
Southampton The Brook (25)
Sheffield The Boardwalk (26)
London Electric Ballroom (30)
Southend Palace Theatre (May 2)

For more, head over to their official site HERE.

In other Blockheads news, a new biopic charting the life and times of Ian Dury is tentatively set for release next year. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll will star Andy Serkis (Lord Of The Rings’ Gollum / 24-Hour Party People’s Martin Hannett) in the title role. Jankel has been appointed Musical Supervisor.

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Buena Vista Social Club founding member and legend of the double bass Orlando "Cachaito" López, has died in Cuba following complications resulting from prostrate surgery. He was 76.

"It is a great loss for the group and for Cuban music because he was a superb bassist and a brilliant band mate," said trumpeter Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal. "He was an excellent person and the quality of his music was, honestly, unparalleled."

Born in Havana in 1933, López hailed from a long line of bassists - there were a total of 30 in his family. His first foray into music occurred when he composed his first piece, Isora Infantil, at the age of 13. Four years later he became a mainstay in his Uncle's band Arcana y sus Maravillas. In 1957 he joined the Havana dance band, Orquesta Riverside, before going on to play bass in the National Symphony and experimental combo Irakere. López was the only member of Buena Vista Social Club to appear on all of the band's recordings.

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More sad news now - Blossom Dearie, the US jazz singer and pianist, died at her home in New York on Saturday (February 7). She was 82.

A star fixture in the cabaret clubs of London and New York throughout the 1940s, Dearie went on to record several albums for the Verve label in the latter half of the '50s. Her own label Daffodil Records, set up in 1974, yielded another batch of successful recordings and she continued to grace the stage at clubs in Europe and the US until 2006.

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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will headline the second night of the Hard Rock Calling Festival in London's Hyde Park on Sunday, June 28.

The Dave Matthews Band and New Jersey rockers The Gaslight Anthem will support.

Tickets for the show go on sale at 9am (GMT) on Friday (Feb 13).

And what of The Boss's hotly tipped appearance at Glastonbury? Two festivals in the same weekend? The rumour mill continues to churn...

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And finally...42 years ago today, the promo for The Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever was premiered on Top Of The Pops. Here it is again in all its psychedelic glory: