wearethelastbeatniks

Who only ever phones them when they’re high? Why do they think it sounds like “an Escher painting” or “a Dr Dre beat, but we’ve given it an Ike Turner bowl cut and then we’ve sent it galloping across the desert on a Stratocaster”? And why are they so insistent that we shouldn’t ever describe it as “rap-rock”? NME gets an exclusive run-down on the new Arctic Monkeys “LA album” ‘AM’…

Having conquered the mad bouncing vegetation of Latitude festival, Foals talk to NME about how they’re all revved up with everywhere to go. “It just feels like we’re doing 60mph down an awesome, open boulevard with the sea on the left, a pine forest on the right and models in the back,” says Yannis, but as NME probed deeper we discovered a singer railing against the current wave of nostalgia acts clogging the festival circuit, explaining how he almost become a “rock casualty” and getting acupuncture on the advice of Michael Stipe…

NME corners The Horrors at Truck festival to find out why their new album is delayed, why they’d love to work with Shirley Bassey and how they’re definitely NOT turning into Hawkwind.

As their teenage girl-fan following grows, NME follows Swim Deep around the UK festival circuit to see Deepmania in action and find out what it’s like to be adopted as indie’s latest boyband and get Tweeted by Harry Styles

As White Lies step down from Wembley to premiere their new album ‘Big TV’ in a series of tiny Hoxton club shows, NME piles in to demand if this is make or break for the band, if Hurts have stolen their thunder and why they’ve made a quasi-concept album about Eastern European migration. Oh, and what’s more fulfilling: music or cooking?

NME heads to the wilds of South London to visit Leefest, the burgeoning festival that grew out of a garden party held by some bloke called Lee. Now it’s a proper festival with a truly home-grown feel, but what makes it so tota-Lee brilliant(sorry)?

Nick Allbrook left Tame Impala to concentrate on the latest album by his own band Pond – was he the maddest man on the planet? Or is that the guy he recorded the title track of Hobo Rocket’ with? Pond’s latest goes under the microscope…

Charlie Fink takes the Braincells quiz! Toronto Radar stars Diana on becoming an internet sensation! NME Vs iPads at gigs! Biffy’s Ben Johnson unveils his most influential records! An MP controversially claims that politicians like music too! And Latitude, Alan Partridge, Mumford & Sons, Pussy Riot, The Bug and BRMC reviewed!