Paul Weller has announced the release of his new studio album.

‘Sonik Kicks’ – Weller’s eleventh studio album – will be released in the UK on March 26th. The release will feature guest appearances from ex-Oasis man Noel Gallagher and Blur guitarist Graham Coxon.

Ahead of the album’s release, The Modfather will play two dates at London’s Roundhouse on March 18th and 19th, where he will premier the new album in full.

‘Sonik Kicks’ official tracklisting:

‘Green’
‘The Attic’
‘Kling I Klang’
‘Sleep Of The Serene’
‘By The Waters’
‘That Dangerous Age’
‘Study In Blue’
‘Dragonfly’
‘When Your Garden’s Overgrown’
‘Around The Lake’
‘Twilight’
‘Drifters’
‘Paperchase’
‘Be Happy Children’

The new video for Florence + The Machine’s new single ‘No Light, No Light’ has come under fire for potentially racist views.

The video depicts a man in black body paint practising voodoo – presumed evil, while Florence – presumably the good in the piece – suffers at the hands of the voodoo doll.

Various websites are now claiming the piece to be racist. It is unlikely this was Florence Welch’s intention, or the intention of the clip’s Icelandic directors Arni & Kinski.

Fans are naturally jumping to Welch’s defence, some with the argument that many of her key influences are black, so therefore she could not be racist.

Real Gone would like to play devil’s advocate here: not being racist isn’t as simple as that. Eric Clapton idolises dozens of blues legends. He even takes Buddy Guy on tour with him regularly. And yet, at a concert on August 6th 1976, he spouted what could be one of the most racist rants ever, worthy of an extreme right-wing political party. He has never apologised.

Below is the new Florence + The Machine video. Racist, misjudged or just overtly pretentious? You decide.

German melodic rock band Jaded Heart have signed a new contract with Fastball Music for the release of their next album.

Although no other details are known at this time about the band’s eleventh studio album, it is expected to appear sometime in May 2012.

The band’s three previous outings, ‘Helluva Time’ (2005), ‘Sinister Mind’ (2007) and 2010’s ‘Perfect Insanity’ were issued by Frontiers Records – Europe’s premier melodic rock label. The band’s earliest work released by the now-defunct MTM Records label is now out of print.

Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore is to work with Vince Clarke on a new project, marking the first time the pair have worked together since 1981. The new project is entitled VCMG and will release a new EP in December and a full-length album at some point during 2012. At this time, no further details are known about the album

Both Clarke and Gore were essential members of the early Depeche Mode. Clarke left the band in 1981 to persue other projects: quickly teaming up with Alison Moyet in the fairly short-lived Yazoo and releasing a one-off single with The Assembly, before forming Erasure with Andy Bell, with whom he would score a string of hit singles and albums.

Martin Gore, meanwhile was promoted to cheif songwriter with Depeche Mode. Under his leadership, the band moved away from synth pop into other rock/pop genres and achieve huge success.

Listen to a cool cover of Yazoo’s ‘Don’t Go’ in the widget on this page.

Watch a couple of clips from Clarke and Gore’s past below.

In support of his number one album release, Noel Gallagher has announced more live shows for 2012.

With new dates now added for shows in Aberdeen and Sheffield, Gallagher will now make seven appearances in all at the following venues next February, July and September:

Aberdeen P&J Arena (February 14)
Sheffield Motorpoint Arena (19)

Bournemouth BIC (September 4)
Liverpool Echo Arena (6)
Cardiff Motorpoint Arena (9)
Nottingham Capital FM Arena (10)