The Bulletin: Arts & Culture News | 10 April

MUSIC WORLD REACTS TO THATCHER'S DEATH
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past few days, it's a fair bet you'll be aware of the passing of reviled former Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who ruled the United Kingdom during the 1980s with an iron fist, supported by a ruthless army of senior citizens. It is widely acknowledged that Thatcher was bent on destroying public institutions such as the NHS and the trade unions, along with entire sections of society, such as the working class and Scottish people. Reaction in Scotland to news of her death culminated in an impromptu, Council-opposed street party in Glasgow's George Square, with a reported 300 drunken revellers celebrating the death of the tyrant by singing Rod Stewart songs. Similar celebrations happened across the country, including a large street party in Brixton, London, described by Vice as a "hate-wake."

In contrast to the fawning hagiography of the TV news coverage, and the reverent tributes falling from the mouths of politicians across the left-right spectrum, several of the UK music industry's leading lights were quick to celebrate – Morrissey, who initially appeared to weigh in with the statement that Thatcher was "a terror without an atom of humanity." That statement was later shown to have come from an earlier missive against the dead Baroness, so Morrissey weighed in again with an updated statement: "Thatcher was not a strong or formidable leader. She simply did not give a shit about people." He went on to compare the current UK culture to Syria and China. Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai tweeted "Rejoice, my friends, rejoice," while Los Campesinos helped to make the phrase DING DONG trend on Twitter, and a viral campaign to get the song Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead, from The Wizard Of Oz, to number one this weekend was launched.

Sympathetic tweets and comments from despicable chart-dwelling goblins such as Geri Halliwell revealed their political leanings, while Harry Styles of midget teen hearthrob chain-gang One Direction also tweeted his sympathy, to be met with bafflement and incomprehension by his nubile, staggeringly ignorant fanbase. Finally, over at The Quietus, David Stubbs wrote a compelling essay on Thatcher's life, summing up the true legacy left by the Iron Lady as "...one of gross, almost comically staggering inequality." He goes on to say: "If there's good to come from her death, beyond a few street parties, it's that we realise that Thatcherism never died, was never truly even un-elected. It's time to shake ourselves, and others, out of the daze into which we were collectively not so much handbagged as headbutted back in the early 80s. Thatcherism was the worst thing to happen to this country since the Second World War and it'll carry on happening to us unless we do something about it."

ART OF PROTEST COMES TO MANCHESTER
Noisefestival.com are bringing their exhibition Art of Protest to Manchester from 20 April to 30 June, celebrating the art of positive and peaceful protest, and inviting young people to use their creativity to demonstrate their issues and take inspiration from the most iconic peaceful protests from the last 50 years. The exhibition features work by street artist Banksy, protest singer Billy Bragg, fashion designer Katherine Hamnett, and Turner-winning artist Gillian Wearing, alongside specially commissioned and selected works of sculpture, arts and crafts, fine art, contemporary art, fashion and music. The exhibition will run at the People's Museum. The official launch on 25 April will be hosted by rabble-rousing comedian and activist Mark Thomas. Details here.

NEW MUSIC: QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MOUNT KIMBIE, TNGHT, EL-P & KILLER MIKE, CSS, LAPALUX, AND MORE
As previously reported, anticipation is building for the new record from Queens Of The Stone Age. Their new album ...Like Clockwork is out on 4 June, and this week the band revealed another track from the album, My God Is The Sun.

Mount Kimbie's sophomore album Cold Spring Fault Less Youth is out on 27 May – the London-based duo, often credited with originating the 'post-dubstep' sound, have really pushed the envelope on the new album, with influences from post-rock, folk, house music and musique concrete. They've unveiled a second track from the album, Blood and Form, this week – it's available as a free download when pre-ordering the album.

Hudson Mohawke and Lunice, perhaps the most sought-after producers in the world right now, have unveiled a new track under their TNGHT alias. Acrylics premiered on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show, and is now available to buy. 

Last year El-P produced the Killer Mike album R.A.P. Music to great acclaim – now the duo have decided to formalise their collaboration, working under the new name of Run The Jewels. They've unveiled a 90-second teaser clip of the new material, but no release dates or titles have been mentioned thus far.

CSS, the Brazilian new-rave collective, have a new album out on 11 June, entitled Planta, the follow-up to 2011's La Liberacion. They revealed the first track from the new album this week.

Brainfeeder ingenue Lapalux offered up another free download this week – Moveoutofmyway, featuring guest vocalist Shadowbox, is an offcut from his recent debut LP Nostalchic (reviewed here). Download it for free from his Soundcloud page.

This week also sees the welcome return of producer Chris Dexter, better known as oOoOO (pronounced 'oh'). The San Francisco-based producer, initially associated with the witch house scene, makes glacial, haunting, ethereal R&B / hip-hop, often featuring guest vocalists. This week he unveiled the first official new material since his debut EPs on Tri Angle, and announced the planned 24 June release of his full-length album, on his new label Nighjgt Feelings. 

Finally, this week saw the release of Lost On Hope Street, a solo album from rapper Louie, front-man of much-touted Glasweigian hip-hop / indie fusionistas Hector Bizerk. With beats by US producer Shahab Mohebpour, the album is a politically conscious, musically adventurous 15-track wander through the back streets of Scotland's biggest, most notorious city. We reviewed it here.

Staying on a Scottish hip-hop tip, this week saw a free track surface from Stanley Odd, who just got back from their first US dates, playing alongside The View at New York's legendary Bowery Ballroom, and with Rachel Sermanni and Braebach at the Webster Hall. The band returned triumphant, and revealed this fantastic new track, Odd State of Mind – grab it free from their Bandcamp.

THE KNIFE INTERVIEWED
Transgressive Swedish electronica duo The Knife have given a rare interview, in which they discuss the making of their new album Shaking The Habitual (reviewed here). The video was directed by regular collaborator Marit Ostberg. Karen Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer reveal that the album nearly didn't get made, saying: "We wanted to do something again but had to find a purpose. Music can be so meaningless. We had to find lust."

EXHIBITION: CLARE SHERIDAN'S WINTER WOODLAND
Running until 30 April, a new exhibition curated by artist Claire Sheridan showcases the work of Arab women living in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow, inspired by the Castlemilk Community Woodland. The artworks, created in collaboration by Sheridan and the local residents, use textiles, sculpture techniques, and trees themselves to create a 'winter woodland' theme, which lends the exhibition its name. Taking place at Castlemilk Stables, the exhibition was funded by the Forestry Commission as part of their Engagement Programme, which aims to help a diverse range of minority groups to access and enjoy the benefits of being in the woodlands. "What has been produced is truly special, original and directly linked to the local area and these wonderful women," commented Sheridan. 

NASA SETS SIGHTS ON 2021 ASTEROID LANDING
In a story reported by geek culture website io9.com, it is rumoured that NASA have plans for a manned mission to a near-Earth asteroid within the next ten years. "This would be the first time humanity has left low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972," the site's Alasdair Wilkins reports, "and it could set the stage for a NASA mission to Mars." Once captured and towed back to Earth, the asteroid would then be used as a practice site for space walks and other activities. Wilkins quotes a White House source: "This mission would combine the best of NASA's asteroid identification, technology development, and human exploration efforts to capture and redirect a small asteroid to just beyond the moon to set up a human mission using existing resources and equipment, including the heavy-lift rocket and deep-space capsule that have been under development for several years." Could this be the start of a new era of space exploration, as Jeff Mills predicted in our interview back in February?

CHVRCHES COVER GAME OF THRONES THEME
Finally, a bit of fun for you – much-touted Glasweigian electro-pop trio CHVRCHES proved that a) they have a sense of humour and b) they are just as huge fans of the TV show Game of Thrones as the rest of us, by covering the show's distinctive theme tune in a synth-pop style. The clip has had over 60,000 views since its upload two days ago. We reckon they should record a proper studuio version...