Inside this week’s NME, Peter Hook gives us exclusive extracts from his new book ‘Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division’, shedding some light on the real stories behind Manchester’s most mythologised post-punkers.

As two of our favourite guitar bands claim No 1 and 2 in the charts, we get the bands and the fan’s thoughts on the most loved-up chart battle of the year: Two Door Cinema Club versus The Vaccines.

We also get the lowdown on one of Birmingham’s most exciting new bands, Swim Deep, who reckon they sound like Duran Duran mixed with One Direction. Happily, that’s not true.

Biffy Clyro have been hanging out in California, but, as we learn, the making of their new double album ‘Opposites’ was far from all sunshine and rainbows.

The Killers’ new album ‘Battle Born’ is almost upon us – prepare yourself, says Mark Beaumont, for a band “with big issues on their minds and a big noise to make about them”.

Grimes plays from behind a hotdog stand in Glasgow. Clearly her courage extends beyond pushing pop boundaries…

…and finally, in Does Rock’N’Roll Kill Braincells This Week, we pick the frontal lobes of Mystery Jets’ Blaine Harrison, who extends an open invitation to Her Majesty The Queen.

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