Watch Blur perform their new album The Magic Whip, live in Paris, La Musicale in 2015.
May 3, 2015
Blur live at La Musicale 2015
February 20, 2015
Blur announce a new album The Magic Whip in 2015
Blur has officially announced their new album titled "The Magic Whip" to be released on April 27 is available to pre-order from today.
Featuring a distinct Chinese theme, Blur announced their first album as a four-piece in 16 years at a live streamed Facebook event from Chinatown in London.
According to Blur, the recordings began during a five-day break in touring in Spring 2013 at Avon Studios in Hong Kong. Last. November Graham Coxon revisited the tracks and, drafting in blur's early producer Stephen Street, he worked with the band on the material. Damon Albarn completed the songs by adding his lyrics and thus produced this new album.
This is fantastic news for Blur fans, as no one expected a new Blur album to be released at such an early date. Previously, the band announced a comeback but had scheduled it for 2016/2017.
The band also announced they will headline British Summer Time Hyde Park on Saturday 20th June 2015. Tickets go on general sale at 9am, Friday 27 February from www.bst-hydepark.com.
The soundtrack for Blur's new 12 song album in 2015 will be:
- Lonesome Street
- New World Towers
- Go Out
- Ice Cream Man
- Thought I Was a Spaceman
- I Broadcast
- My Terracotta Heart
- There are Too Many of Us
- Ghost Ship
- Pyongyang
- Ong Ong
- Mirrorball
June 14, 2013
Alex James Speaks Out - On the New Blur album 2013
Alex James was featured on a few media outlets this June, and it's not a surprise he had some new things to say about Blur and the band's future, new songs, recording sessions and his new Big Feastival event in partnership with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.
In the RadioTimes interview, Alex mentioned how The Big Feastival "currently has all his attention, but since Blur played in Hyde Park during London 2012, the full band has started touring again."
“We did a bit of recording in Hong Kong and it was brilliant,” says James, “but I don’t know what it is yet. The festival has been the main focus for me. The rest of Blur could also make an appearance at The Big Feastival this year. Graham came [to The Big Feastival] last year. They‘re all invited,” says James. Rizzle Kicks will be one of the guest stars in the music and food festival this year.
Alex James was also quoted in a Contact Music article saying that the "Blur recording sessions went well". BANG Showbiz exclusively reports that Alex said: ''We had a few days off in Hong Kong and thought, 'What the hell, let's go to the studio.' It went very well. The opportunity came and we took it. Any chance to get together and make music is very welcome. It was absolutely brilliant. We were just jamming, but it was good. I hope it happens.''
He also remarked: ''The big bands are getting bigger and bigger and the small ones are disappearing altogether. I think it's very hard to be in an indie band anymore. I think Blur would struggle if we were just starting out now. It's a very different climate.''
"If Damon said 'I hope it happens' I would sit up and take notice, but I wouldn't expect Damon to ever make that sort of public statement. Plus Alex arguably has the most need for Blur activity so always seems to be putting the most hopeful spin on things."
Another forum member '2-J' added: "For better or worse, Damon would really undermine his forthcoming solo album (due 2014) if he were to be too committal about Blur."
There has been many arguments as to whether Blur will indeed go forwards with their new album this year. Some say that Damon Albarn will not delay the recording any further after their massive 2013 world tour; some speculate that the Blur frontman will change his mind and focus on side-projects instead of making new music for Blur.
No news about the new album had been announced this month. Blur will continue their world tour and perform in Finland this week.
Jamie Oliver and Alex James present The Big Feastival, a feel good festival of food and music for all the family on August 31 – September 1. For more info and tickets, click here.
May 10, 2013
Blur's Alex James directs and produces new track for Virgin Media Shorts (video)
For the premier of the Virgin Media Shorts short film competition, Alex James, bassist and cheese-maker from Blur directed, scored, wrote and acted in his very own short film, all under the main motif of the contest- "Life is Short". For the film, Alex James was given a sponsored Nikon D5200 and asked to let his creative juices spill.
The Blur bassist's final film is a mere 2.20 minutes long, but manages to include an exclusive, new Alex James song titled "Superordinator". The brand new track is the background music to the short film and will definitely keep Blur fans hoping for new sounds satisfied.
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| Scene from Alex James's directing debut for the Virgin Media Shorts competition |
Alex's film, titled "Slice of Life" was filmed in Los Angeles, USA, and features Alex James dancing to the beat, shaking his head, brushing his teeth and walking around the sunny Los Angeles streets.
The film highlights that colorful, high-resolution scenes can be created using a normal-priced DSLR camera. Additionally, the background track also sounds somewhat like an early Blur demo . It also has a surprise ending which you can find out by scrolling down and watching the full film.
Watch: "Slice of Life" - a film by Alex James
Rate Alex James's Short Film:
March 5, 2012
Blur has a new hymn-like, tear jerking track up their sleeves for Olympics gig 2012
Alex James appeared on television show Top Gear on March 4th 2012 and spoke about Blur's future plans.
He told host Jeremy Clarkson that Blur has been working on a new song - "We've got a new song to unveil, I just listened to it in the morning".
Alex also added that the unnamed track was "like a hymn, a real tear-jerker".
When asked about their controversial Brit Awards performance of 12 days ago, (click to read a feature article about the happenings of that night) where Blur received the Outstanding Contribution to Music award, he said: "It was utterly magnificent to get back together and smash those songs out again."
Last month, Blur's frontman Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon played a new Blur song 'Under The Westway' during an acoustic set at the War Child pre-Brit Awards charity gig at O2 Sheperd's Bush Empire in London. Watch an exclusive BlurBalls recording of the great performance in the video below.
In a recent NME Magazine interview, Blur did confirmed they were trying out new songs and new material since their 2009 reunion, but were "cagey about whether they'd record a new
album", which would be their first since 2003's Think Tank.
When Graham Coxon was asked about new album plans in time for Blur's massive Olympics 2012 Hyde Park set,
he said he'd be "interested in playing new things" during the live gig, exclaiming: "We always used to play underdeveloped things and kick them into
shape during the shows, but it isn't the occasion for that. Obviously we're not
gonna play the same set we played in 2009, but there things that people always,
always wanna hear."
Previously, super producer William Orbit (who produced Blur's dark, edgy album "13" in 1999) hinted he was working on new
material with Blur in a series of tweets and facebook page, sparking rumours that there was a new Blur album.
Producer Stephen Street, who produced five Blur albums including the hugely successful "Parklife" in 1995, has also said he "would like to work with" the band and "recording with them again".
Street is currently remastering all the Blur records, perhaps for a release late this year in a box set/ vinyl collection. Click here to read all about the Blur remasters.
Besides the Hyde Park Olympics concert, Blur are also headlining two other events: Denmark's Skandeborg Festival in August 9th 2012 and Sweden's Way Out West Festival on August 10th.
However, the band still contradicted themselves with mixed messages about their future "new" recording. In recent interviews, there were a lot of "Yes, we are working on new songs" and "No. we are not going to make a new album" and some "We're not sure"'s.
A young Blur in their Modern Life is Rubbish days
However, the band still contradicted themselves with mixed messages about their future "new" recording. In recent interviews, there were a lot of "Yes, we are working on new songs" and "No. we are not going to make a new album" and some "We're not sure"'s.
Watch Graham Coxon speak out about the band's preparations for the Hyde Park gigs and click HERE read all about Graham vowing to make this gig bigger and better than their 2009 runs.
With these mixed messages about the potential new Blur album, fans can only speculate. So far, nothing was confirmed by the band. They seem reluctant to talk about any future albums, although are happy to chat about individual tracks. They debuted Under the Westway in the War Child event. However, Alex James did say it's probably a "no" to a new Blur album on last night's Top Gear episode.
Read all about Blur being BASHED AT THE BRITS HERE,
The Olympics Gig HERE
New potential album HERE
Alex Jame's new cheesy book HERE
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