The Bulletin: Arts & Culture News | 1 May

MIKE D & AD-ROCK TO PUBLISH THE HISTORY OF THE BEASTIE BOYS
We'll have to wait until 2015 to read it, but news emerged this week that Faber & Faber intend to publish an extensive biography of the Beastie Boys, based on an 'oral history' of the band given by surviving members Mike D and Ad-Rock. The third Beastie Boy, Adam 'MCA' Yauch, passed away on 4 May last year after a battle with cancer.

And what a history: The Beastie Boys burst onto the hip-hop scene in 1983, after modifying their punk/thrash sound and experimenting with rap. Their first single Cooky Puss became the template for a new chapter in hip-hop, consolidated by the release of 1985's Licensed To Ill. Produced by Rick Rubin, who was also working with Slayer at the time, it fused hard rock riffs with tough hip-hop beats. Controversy dogged the band in their early years, with allegations that their lyrics were offensive, and that they encouraged their fans to appropriate dashboard ornaments from the hoods of Volkswagen cars.

Over the course of their career, they released several albums which were credited with revolutionising and popularising hip-hop – Paul's Boutique, from 1989, produced by the Dust Brothers, was acknowledged as one of the all-time classics of the genre, as was 1992's Check Your Head. Throughout the 1980s the band toured extensively with acts as diverse as Madonna and Public Enemy, helping to introduce the rap sound to a white, mainstream, suburban audience. 

A press release from Faber describes the book as a chronological journey through the trio's origins as a hardcore band from a New York high school, to their induction last year into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They promise essays and commentary by "world-famous writers and cultural figures" as well as the oral history shared by Ad-Rock and Mike D. 

BOARDS OF CANADA: NEW ALBUM OUT 10 JUNE
On Monday we gave you the full run-down of the cryptic 'clues' placed across the internet by reclusive electronic band Boards of Canada, suggesting that they might releaser their long-awaited new album this year. The rumours were finally confirmed late on Monday, with the band announcing the title of the new album, Tomorrow's Harvest, due to be released on 10 June. The 17-track album's tracklist can be viewed here, and the album can now be pre-ordered. The band also posted a final video with audio snippets over TV static – view it here.

FESTIVAL WATCH: DOWNLOAD, BESTIVAL, EDEN, OFF FESTIVAL
None-more-metal festival Download (14-16 Jun) has added Thunder, Kvelertak, Devin Townsend and We Are The Ocean to their lineup, along with a whole host of up-and-coming bands. The festival already features such rock titans as Slipknot, Iron Maiden, Motorhead and Alice In Chains. Details and tickets here.

Bestival (5-8 Sep) have added some new acts to their 10th birthday lineup – NYC gay party legends Room Service will curate a night of debauchery with DJs Jodie Harsh, Kris Di Angelis and Severino, and party-starters Horse Meat Disco. Also in attendance at The Grand Palace of Entertainment, one of Bestival's bespoke 'adventure wonderlands,' will be performance artist Scottee's Camp, a unique Drag: Cruise Ship Special, plus entertainment from Massive In China, Sink The Pink, Gutterslut, Hot Breath Karaoke and Cardioke, all taking place in a venue dressed by Alex Noble, dressmaker to Lady Gaga. Details and tickets here.

The Eden Festival (7-9 Jun) has announced this year's fancy dress theme – revellers will be asked to "don octopus legs, diving suits, bathing costumes and other nautical outfits" to take part in the Under The Sea theme. This year's lineup includes Sam & The Womp, Shy FX, Ed Solo and Deekline, Mungo's Hi-Fi, The Correspondents, and Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer. Details and tickets here.

Finally, the OFF Festival (2-4 Aug) in Poland has announced that Stephen O'Malley of Sunn O))) will curate the Experimental Stage for them, with appearances from Peter Rehberg as KTL, with Bohren & Der Club Of Gore, Circle, Zeni Geva, Chelsea Wolfe, Furia and Piotr Kurek. The headliners on the main stage include My Bloody Valentine, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Smashing Pumpkins. Details and tickets here.

NEW MUSIC: FILTER, YOUNG KNIVES, WAMPIRE, THE BLACK DOG'S EARLY WARP MIX
US industrial rockers Filter are back on 3 June with new album The Sun Comes Out Tonight. Johnny Radtke of Kill Hannah has joined the band on guitar duties, and the album was produced by Bob Arlette, who has previously worked with the likes of Atreyu and Seether. Download a track, We Hate It When You Get What You Want, here, and watch the lyric video for What Do You Say below.

Young Knives' new album Sick Octaves is slated for an August release date – this week the band are giving away a new track, Reproduction, via their Soundcloud page. They've upped the ante on the electronic influences, while still retaining the post-punk energy that made their first four albums so essential. You can help fund Sick Octaves by getting involved over at the band's Kickstarter campaign.

Portland's Wampire release their debut album on 13 May. The pysch-rock band's effort will be titled Curiosity. Stream the new track Trains below.

Finally, techno innovators The Black Dog have paid tribute to their roots in the fertile ground of early Warp Records material with a DJ mix for FACT Magazine, featuring tracks from Autechre, LFO, Tricky Disco, and The Black Dog themselves. Stream and download below.

NEW VIDEOS: MOUNT KIMBIE, NEON NEON, DATE PALMS, PET SHOP BOYS, QUICKBEAM, DISCOPOLIS
Our May cover stars Mount Kimbie have unveiled the video for the utterly fantastic, techno-influenced Made To Stray, taken from their forthcoming album Cold Spring Fault Less Youth, out 27 May. It's also our album of the month for May. Watch out for our interview with the duo's Kai Campos in the new issue, available now.

We interviewed Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals and Boom Bip about their second album as Neon Neon last month. Praxis Makes Perfect (reviewed here) is a concept album about an Italian communist publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli. This week they unveiled the new video for Hammer & Sickle. 

Psych-pop combo Date Palms this week unveiled a new video compiled from live footage – their new album The Dusted Sessions is out on 10 June. 

Pet Shop Boys videos are always an event - the spectacular clip for new, Kraftwerk-sounding single Axis is no exception. Their new album Electric is out on 15 July.

A couple of tracks from a few homegrown talents to wrap things up – Quickbeam tread the same epic, cinematic, dreamy territory occupied by Mazzy Star and Sigur Rós, On 3 June, they release their self-titled debut album. Watch the video for Immersed below.

And finally, Edinburgh indie/synth-pop mob Discopolis have a new single and video out this week, co-produced by Axwell, formerly a part of Swedish House Mafia. 

PUBLIC ENEMY: TRAILER FOR 25TH ANNIVERSARY BOX SET
We told you in a previous bulletin all about the 25th anniversary vinyl box-set collecting the first six of their seminal albums - now you can watch a special trailer for the box-set, to whet your appetite. The new release date for the box set is 8 May – just one week from now.

FREE THEATRE WORKSHOP THIS SUNDAY: CREATIVE ELECTRIC
Creative Electric are running a free workshop this Sunday (5 May) from 2-4pm at The Bongo Club, Edinburgh. Joshua Payne will be exploring sound effects and physical theatre in a session aimed at 16-25 year-olds. Payne's background in theatre includes work with Down The Rabbit Hole, and he was an associate designer on the award-winning Enchanted Forest project. Creative Electric are an innovative theatre and contemporary performance collective based in Edinburgh. If you want to take part in the workshop, email creative_electric@hotmail.com.

WILLIAM MCILVANNEY READS FROM LAIDLAW, TOMORROW, EDINBURGH
Celebrated writer and poet William McIlvanney is back in the public eye after the decision to re-publish his entire fictional works was announced by Canongate Press last year. They have just released the new edition of his seminal crime fiction novel Laidlaw, which is credited as being the founding example of the 'tartan noir' genre, which went on to spawn TV shows like Taggart, and successful writing careers for Scottish authors such as Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Denise Mina.

We speak exclusively to McIlvanney in our May issue - read the unedited interview with "the Clark Gable of Scottish crime fiction" (as he is affectionately referred to by McDermid) here. McIlvanney will be at Waterstone's in Edinburgh's West End tomorrow (2 May) at 6pm to read from Laidlaw and discuss his work - on 16 May, he visits Waterstones in Argyle Street, Glasgow, at 7pm.