Slipknot scooped a two of the top gongs at the 2009 Kerrang! Awards in London last night (August 3). The Iowa-based masked metallers were named as the Best Live Act and the Best International band at the ceremony. Read more >>

Arctic Monkeys will release their new single 'Crying Lightning' on 7" vinyl exclusively through Oxfam. Released on Monday 17 August the limited-edition 7" record will be the first single to be released from Arctic Monkeys third album 'Humbug'. A cover of Nick Cave's 'Red Right Hand' will be the B-side. Read more >>

It has been announced that McFly have been added to the now complete V Festival line-up. Asher Roth, Miike Snow, Pixie Lott, Sneak Sound System, Zarif, Carolina Liar, Exit Calm and Abba tribute band Bjorn Again have also been added to the bill. Read more >>

The artwork for Jay-Z's forthcoming album 'The Blueprint 3' has been unveiled via his official website. Showing a huge collection of white instruments thrown together, the cover is thought to represent Jay-Z's recent use of live instruments and a large backing band in live performances. Three red stripes overlay the image to complete the cover. Read more >>

Jarvis Cocker has written three songs for Russell Brand to perform in his forthcoming film Get Him To The Greek. The film sees Brand reprise his role as Aldous Snow from the hit comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Get Him To The Greek sees the hell-raising Snow, aided by a hapless intern, attempting to get to a concert in Los Angeles on time. Read more >>

Birmingham pub-rockers The Twang have just announced details of a massive 17 date tour for the coming autumn. Touring in support of their recently released second album 'Jewellery Quarter' (which came out yesterday) the band are due to kick off in Crewe on September 30 and finish up in Middlesbrough on October 19th. Read more >>

Lead singer of Muse Matt Bellamy has revealed that George Orwell's dystopia novel 1984 has a had massive influence on the lyrics he has written for the next Muse album. Read more >>

The Prodigy's Liam Howlett has hit out at the Mercury Prize after the dance group were ignored from this year's shortlist. In an interview with BBC 6 Music, Howlett said the annual album prize had become too focussed on the music industry. Read more >>

Michael Jackson's body was treated with “more prestige” than normal during the singer's post-mortem, an investigator has said. Lieutenant David Smith told Sky News he watched as Jackson's body arrived at the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office in June. Read more >>

Jamie T has announced that his second album, 'Kings & Queens' will be released on September 7. The album will Jamie T's second, following on from 2007's Mercury Prize shortlisted 'Panic Prevention'. Read more >>

Sir Paul McCartney has denied reports that he plans to retire in 2010. Last week, The Sun newspaper claimed the former Beatle was to give up touring next year following a series of farewell concerts. Read more >>

Muse have today unveiled the artwork to their forthcoming fifth studio album 'The Resistance'. The typically intergalactic image shows a solitary figure staring at planet Earth from space surrounded by a kalaeidoscopic mosaic. Read more >>