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Anthony Head, the actor known for Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso and Little Britain, has died aged 72.

The news was confirmed earlier today (June 5) by his daughters, the actors Emily and Daisy Head, who wrote: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father. He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family.”

“It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many,” they added.

Head found his signature role as Rupert Giles in the smash hit late-’90s supernatural show Buffy. His popular character was the mentor and surrogate father figure to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s title figure, and it brought Head to international attention.

He later became familiar to UK audiences for playing Prime Minister Michael Stevens in Little Britain, a character heavily inspired by Tony Blair. Head appeared in sketches alongside David Walliams’ Sebastian Love, a character who barely concealed his sexual attraction to Stevens.

I am very sad indeed to learn of the passing of Tony Head. When we were casting Little Britain, we were looking for a 'Tony Head-type', because we never imagined for a moment that the man himself would be interested, but he was. Lucky us. He was unfailingly brilliant, and always…

— Matt Lucas HQ (@RealMattLucas) June 5, 2026

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More recently, Head also found success with Ted Lasso, playing Rupert Mannion, the vindictive ex-husband of Hannah Waddingham’s Rebecca Welton who formerly owned AFC Richmond and eventually became the owner of West Ham United.

His first brush with fame came in the 1980s when he became the face of a fondly remembered Nescafe Gold Blend series of adverts, with his ongoing romance with a character played by Sharon Maughan capturing public attention between 1987 and 1993.

Head went on to play King Uther Pendragon in Merlin, while he also appeared in a range of other major television series, including Doctor Who, Bridgerton, Motherland, My Family, New Tricks, Jonathan Creek and Spooks.

His film career also saw him appear in The Inbetweeners Movie, alongside his daughter Emily, and Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters, while he also portrayed Conservative politician Geoffrey Howe in The Iron Lady.

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Little Britain co-creator Matt Lucas paid tribute on social media, writing: “When we were casting Little Britain, we were looking for a ‘Tony Head-type’, because we never imagined for a moment that the man himself would be interested, but he was. Lucky us. He was unfailingly brilliant, and always so kind and warm. My heart goes out to Daisy and Emily.”

Harlan Coben, the celebrated writer of the novel The Stranger, the Netflix adaptation of which Head appeared in, described him as “charming and erudite and funny and open and friendly and so damn talented”, saying he “brought joy and warmth and sparkle and wonder to every room he entered”.

Head lost his long-term partner Sarah Fisher, an animal welfare campaigner, last December at the age of 61.

The post ‘Buffy’, ‘Little Britain’ and ‘Ted Lasso’ actor Anthony Head dies, aged 72 appeared first on NME.

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seriously, whats with names like "bassquaker" or "glitchflux"? its like they just smashed two vaguely tech-sounding words together and called it a day. dont get me wrong, some are cool, but others just scream "i used a generator." feels like no one even tries to check if it sounds dumb out loud ive seen a few threads lately about branding for new djs and this keeps coming up. like, if youre trying to stand out, at least pick something that doesnt sound like it belongs on a bad startup logo. or am i the only one who cringes at this stuff? also, quick tip for anyone picking a name: say it in a sentence. "youre listening to dj bassquaker" should not make you laugh.

Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir has announced a new album, This Will Be Us. The news arrives ahead of the 20th anniversary of her debut record, Mount A. Bringing her musical career full-circle, the new record will feature reimagined tracks from Mount A and its follow-ups Without Sinking and Saman alongside two new compositions. This Will Be Us arrives on October 23rd, with its first single, “Bær,” out now.

Hildur is the record’s sole cellist and producer. Seeking to reimagine her old tracks in orchestral arrangements, she is joined by conductor Robert Ames and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. In a press release, she reflected: “When I was recording, trying to be a one-person string orchestra, I always dreamed of having more people playing with me. Now, twenty years later, I decided to make that dream come true – to give that young person the anniversary gift of hearing her music played by an orchestra.”


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The record will be available on vinyl, CD, and a special LP + artcard edition. The album cover artwork was created by acclaimed Icelandic-Danish artist Ólafur Elíasson, with liner notes by Hildur herself and filmmaker Sarah Polley. In addition to the release of This Will Be Us, Mount A, Saman, and Without Sinking will all be released on vinyl.

The first single, “Bær,” originally comes from Saman. Released in 2014, Saman takes its name from the Icelandic word for “together” and reflects Guðnadóttir’s distinctive approach to combining cello and voice. Album track “Biting” is also revisited on This Will Be Us.

Mount A was released in 2006 under the name “Lost in Hildurness.” Hildur recorded the album alone with her cello as a way to, in her words, “hear my own thoughts.” Without Sinking came out three years later, and featured a more collaborative approach. She worked with close musical friends, including Skúli Sverrisson and Jóhann Jóhannsson. Several of Mount A and Without Sinking’s tracks have been reimagined for This Will Be Us.

Listen to This Will Be Us here.

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Steve Lacy has announced his third solo album. Oh yeah?, the follow-up to 2022’s Gemini Rights, is due out July 17 via RCA, and you can see the cover art and tracklist below.

He’s also shared a new single, the smooth, orchestrated R&B track “The Feeling.” Watch the video, directed by Matthew Castellanos, below.

The announcement coincides with the release of Malcolm Todd’s new album Do That Again, which Lacy contributed to the title track of. Listen to that below, as well.





STEVE LACY – OH YEAH? TRACKLIST
oh yeah?
is it cool?
the feeling
pure colour
show you me
doom
nothing
lovesexdrugbomb
nice shoes/in your world
bebe

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John Barnes joined Peter Hook on stage in Manchester to perform his rap from New Order’s ‘World In Motion’ – watch below.

• READ MORE: World In Motion: 10 Geeky Facts About The New Order Football Classic

The former Joy Division and New Order bassist was playing at the Manchester Academy last night (June 4) to mark the 50th anniversary of the Sex Pistols’ legendary show in the city, and he welcomed England legend Barnes onto the stage for a rendition of the 1990 World Cup anthem.

Hook’s epic 35-track performance saw him take a chronological trip through his entire career, and Barnes joined him at the halfway point during the song that became inextricably linked to England’s run to the semi-finals of Italia ‘90, and also New Order’s only Number One single.

Barnes wrote and performed the rap himself back in 1990, with legend having it that he recorded it in a single take. Check out footage of the 2026 version here:

You've got to hold and give, but do it at the right time

Peter Hook & The Light at the Academy World In Motion drops…and out walks John Barnes to deliver that verse.

Goes right off, gaff absolutely erupts
A moment only Manchester could produce.#Madchester #hooky
#JohnBarnes pic.twitter.com/4cZqi3EdIW

— Madchester (@madchester_mdcr) June 5, 2026

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Earlier this week, Barnes revealed audio clips of Paul Gascoigne and Peter Beardsley attempting his rap, and said he battled five other players for the right to perform the rap on the song.

When ‘World In Motion’ was first released, NME asked Barnes how excited he was to be collaborating on a football song, to which he responded: “If I thought it was going to be the same as the usual crap, why bother? But this is alright.”

World Cup fever is ramping up, with the tournament beginning next Thursday (June 11) and England’s campaign starting against Croatia on June 17.

Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds have announced a 30th anniversary re-release of their own England anthem ‘Three Lions’, while Belle & Sebastian have penned a buoyant song for Scotland’s campaign, ‘It Only Takes One Lion’, with Stuart Murdoch telling NME, “you have to understand, it’s been 30 years since Scotland qualified so I think everybody and their dog has written a song for the team”.

Susan Boyle and Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos have teamed up for the Irn Bru World Cup ad, while an official FIFA World Cup soundtrack album has been announced, featuring The Rolling Stones, Shakira and Stormzy.

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Reflecting on the gig last night, meanwhile, Hook wrote on Instagram that it was a “truly memorably show”, and thanked Rowetta and Buzzcocks for their appearances too.

Hook himself was in attendance at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester for the Sex Pistols’ historic show in 1976, and he famously went out and bought his first bass the following day, forming the band Warsaw, who went on to be known as Joy Division.

The show is credited with being a big bang event in British punk music and is also seen as kickstarting the Manchester music scene, with others in attendance including Hook’s future bandmate Bernard Sumner, as well as Morrissey, Mark E. Smith, Tony Wilson and John Cooper Clarke.

The post Watch John Barnes join Peter Hook to rap on New Order’s ‘World In Motion’ in Manchester appeared first on NME.

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Emma Ruth Rundle has announced her sixth album, These Killing Times, which will be out September 18 via her own Errant Child label. She made it with a full band and contributors include Marissa Nadler, regular collaborator Troy Zeigler, Jess Gowrie (Chelsea Wolfe, Mrs. Piss), Patrick Shiroishi, Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos), Gina Gleason (Baroness), Lukas Frank (Storefront Church) and Amelia Baker (Cinder Well).

The first single is “Powerless,” which opens the album and vacillates between gentle piano to raging rock. “This song was initially titled ‘Noam Chomsky is Dead to Me’ – as his relationship to Epstein and the billionaire class was being exposed – just another massively disappointing headline in a time where we are incessantly confronted with an onslaught of news and headlines which are endlessly demoralizing and dehumanizing,” Rundle says.

She continues: “This song – like most of the songs on These Killing Times – is a reaction to the horrors we are seeing laid bare on a daily basis – the clear and painful reality of the myriad injustices levied upon the working class people of earth – from climate collapse to genocide to the miscarriage of justice on a scale- the likes of which we have not seen in our lifetimes- the collapse of empire, the demise of democracy, the erosion of women’s rights and LGBTQIA+ rights and black rights, the attempt to dehumanize immigrants and people of color, the concentration camps in the USA – the list is so long I don’t think I can accurately cover it all here. With ‘Powerless’ – I invoke the hammer; both to destroy and to build – something better. I want people to know they are not alone – they are not insane – I wanted to name the thing that has been causing me so much mental, emotional and spiritual anguish. Sometimes singing – especially repeating phases – can work to fortify one’s self and I think that’s where the bridge of ‘Powerless’ comes in – I refuse to let my agency and resolve become corrupted or diluted by the powers that be and I want others to feel empowered too.”

You can watch the video below.

Emma Ruth Rundle will be on tour this fall with All Them Witches and dates include Asbury Park, NJ’s The Stone Pony on October 17.




These Killing Times:
1 – Powerless
2 – God’s Picture
3 – Anvil
4 – Catherine Wheel
5 – Don’t Delay Heaven
6 – Enough
7 – Human Kindness
8 – Oceans of Time

Emma Ruth Rundle Live Dates:
Jun 19-21: Cascading Midsummer
Oct 10: Chattanooga, TN – The Signal ~
Oct 11: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall ~
Oct 12: Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club ~
Oct 13: Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall ~
Oct 14: Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre ~
Oct 15: Norfolk, VA – The NorVa ~
Oct 16: Harrisburg, PA – XL Live ~
Oct 17: Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony ~
Oct 18: Norwalk, CT – District Music Hall ~
Oct 19: Portsmouth, NH – 3S Artspace ~
Oct 20: South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground ~
Oct 21: Albany, NY – Empire Live ~
Oct 22: Buffalo, NY – Electric City ~
Oct 23: McKees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theatre ~
Oct 24: Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI Annex ~
Oct 25: Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection ~
Oct 26: Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom ~
Oct 27: Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue ~
Oct 28: Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s ~
Oct 29: Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theatre ~
Oct 30: Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s ~

= Performing solo
~ Performing solo, supporting All Them Witches

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Leyla Ebrahimi has released her debut EP, Planet You Forgot Me, via Deerfield Records and Interscope Records. The six-song project is out today, June 5, and includes the previously shared tracks “i’m a little flower,” “I’m Sorry Maria,” and “I Know You’re The Moon.”

The EP was co-produced by Alexander 23, whose credits include Olivia Rodrigo and Reneé Rapp, and Ebrahimi’s collaborator Shane Pielocik. Ebrahimi said she wrote the title track while backpacking far from home, during a period when she was unsure whether she would return to New York. “This EP is a sonic archive of a love story,” she said. “And I lived every second of it.”


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Planet You Forgot Me takes its title from Ebrahimi’s 2025 independent track “planet you forgot me,” a six-minute song that now opens the EP. The set also includes the video-supported single “i’m a little flower,” whose official clip places Ebrahimi outside the city as she jumps on a trampoline, sets off 2-liter cola volcanoes, and wades into a creek. The tracklist is completed by “This graveyard is for lovers” and “you forgot me (planet reprise).”

Ebrahimi will mark the release with a Los Angeles house show at 2627 Orchard Ave. on June 6, with support from camille blackman. On June 21, she joins Holly Humberstone’s Cruel World Tour at Gothic Theatre in Englewood, Colorado, with additional stops this month at The Complex in Salt Lake City, The Showbox in Seattle, The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, Roseland Theater in Portland, The Fillmore in San Francisco, and The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. In 2025, Ebrahimi signed with Deerfield Records and Interscope Records after releasing a series of singles that included “i’m too pretty for this” and “nobody matters but You.”

Listen to “Planet You Forgot Me” here.

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Nearly 75 years after its debut, a classic Nat King Cole track is finally getting a music video. “Unforgettable,” which Cole recorded on August 17, 1951 at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, has officially debuted a new animated video. The new music video comes in time not just for the track’s landmark 75th anniversary, but in time for Black Music Month as well.

Widely considered one of Cole’s signature recordings, the original string-accompanied piano ballad captures a master at the height of his powers. Now, the classic will be paired with an animated video from French-American animator and illustrator Nevil Bernard, who has previously created clips for other iconic artists like The Rolling Stones, Nina Simone, and Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck. The new “Unforgettable” clip is inspired by the Japanese art form of ikebana, or floral arranging. The animation moves through the four seasons as flowers bud and bloom and evergreen trees dominate. Throughout it all is a hand-drawn impression of Cole’s unmistakable silhouette, highlighting the elements of change and how Cole’s music has transcended through time. Bernard’s animation gives fans a new interpretation of a classic track while also preserving what they’ve always loved about it.


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Written by Irving Gordon and arranged by Nelson Riddle, “Unforgettable” was released in October of 1951 and eventually inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2000. Cole’s daughter Natalie also famously recorded the song as a duet with her father’s recording.

This is just one of Cole’s classic tracks to have recently received a new music video. Last year, his song “Orange Colored Sky” also got a watercolor-style visualizer. Before that, his tracks “I Don’t Want To See Tomorrow” and “When I Fall In Love” also received new visuals. Some of Cole’s best-known music has also been given special reissues over the past year, with his famous song “L-O-V-E” getting a reissue as the International L-O-V-E EP, which features Cole singing the track in Spanish, Japanese, Italian, French, and German as well as the original English.

Browse Nat King Cole’s music on vinyl and CD here.

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The inaugural Schellraiser Humboldt Hideaway happened last weekend in Wells, NV. Over the course of the two days, the micro festival hosted a lot of classic indie and shoegaze, as well as a few rising acts, including Camera Obscura, Swervedriver, Ivy, Hotline TNT, Isobel Campbell, Woods, Frankie Rose, GIFT, White Denim, Tyler Ramsey, Psymon Spine, and more.

Check out photos from Humboldt Hideaway by Ryan Salm below.

Swervedriver will be on a BrooklynVegan-presented tour this summer and fall in celebration of their debut album’s 35th anniversary.


photo by Ryan Salm

photo by Ryan Salm

Dummy (photo by Ryan Salm)

photo by Ryan Salm

photo by Ryan Salm

Tyler Ramsey (photo by Ryan Salm)

photo by Ryan Salm

Isobel Campbell (photo by Ryan Salm)

Isobel Campbell (photo by Ryan Salm)

Isobel Campbell (photo by Ryan Salm)

photo by Ryan Salm

Woods (photo by Ryan Salm)

Woods (photo by Ryan Salm)

photo by Ryan Salm

Ivy (photo by Ryan Salm)

Ivy (photo by Ryan Salm)

Ivy (photo by Ryan Salm)

Ivy (photo by Ryan Salm)

Ivy (photo by Ryan Salm)

Ivy (photo by Ryan Salm)

Ivy (photo by Ryan Salm)

photo by Ryan Salm

Camera Obscura (photo by Ryan Salm)

Camera Obscura (photo by Ryan Salm)

Camera Obscura (photo by Ryan Salm)

Camera Obscura (photo by Ryan Salm)

photo by Ryan Salm

photo by Ryan Salm

Stevenson Ranch Davidians (photo by Ryan Salm)

photo by Ryan Salm

Psymon Spine (photo by Ryan Salm)

photo by Ryan Salm

photo by Ryan Salm

Gift (photo by Ryan Salm)

Gift (photo by Ryan Salm)

Gift (photo by Ryan Salm)

Gift (photo by Ryan Salm)

Gift (photo by Ryan Salm)

photo by Ryan Salm

photo by Ryan Salm

photo by Ryan Salm

photo by Ryan Salm

photo by Ryan Salm

photo by Ryan Salm

White Denim (photo by Ryan Salm)

Hotline TNT (photo by Ryan Salm)

Swervedriver (photo by Ryan Salm)

Swervedriver (photo by Ryan Salm)

Swervedriver (photo by Ryan Salm)

Swervedriver (photo by Ryan Salm)

Swervedriver (photo by Ryan Salm)

Swervedriver (photo by Ryan Salm)

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We went back to an older method of writing for this one,” John Dwyer says of the OSEES‘ new album, OFF COURSE, which was surprise released today on his own Deathgod label. “We jammed and jammed and jammed. I took the tapes home and ironed out some mutant tunes. We went back into the studio and burned them to tape live and then I took it home to Stu-Stu-Studio and did the vocals and bought in Tom Dolas & Brigid Dawson to put the finish on.”

“Spice is always nice,” Dwyer continues. “Mixed it all up in the cauldron, and thus we have a strange brew indeed. Floating in the smoke we have: A couple long jams, a couple short jams and a finale that’ll dump a bucket of ear worms on you (reminiscent of “the axis”?) Dip your toe in organ rock and roll, So without further ado, we present to you “OFF COURSE” An album wondering where the fuck are we and how did we get here A signal dispatched out into the darkness We are here We are alive And we are together.”

Listen to OFF COURSE below.

OSEES will be on tour this fall, hitting Brooklyn’s Warsaw on October 24 & 25. All dates are listed below.


OFF COURSE
1. OFF COURSE 09:17
2. HECATE’S REFLECTION IS A TRICK 08:43
3. THE TRICK 06:16
4. SYRINGE 03:17
5. THE BRUTE ON HIS KNEES 05:25

OSEES – 2026 TOUR DATES
7/2 – Barcelona, ES – Vida Festival
7/3 – Lyon-Feyzin, FR – L’Epicerie Moderne
7/5 – Fribourg, CH – Fri-Son
7/7 – Groningen, NL – Vera
7/9 – The Hague, NL – Paard
7/10 – Eindhoven, NL – Effenaar
7/11 – Lille, BE – Sjock Festival
7/12 – Bruges, BE – Cactus Festival
7/14 – Leeds, UK – Irish Centre
7/15 – Leeds, UK – Irish Centre
7/16 – London, UK – Earth
7/17 – London, UK – Earth
8/26 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
8/27 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
8/28 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
8/29 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
8/31 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
9/2 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
9/3 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
9/5 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma
9/6 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
10/2 – Los Angeles, CA – The Bellwether
10/11 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
10/13 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
10/15 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
10/16 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
10/17 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
10/18 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
10/19 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
10/21 – Providence, RI – Fete Ballroom
10/23 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
10/24 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
10/25 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
10/27 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
10/29 – New Orleans, LA – Civic Theatre
10/31- Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas
11/1 – Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas

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