Here in the UK, the summer is at its peak, which as anyone who has ever visited Britain would know means lots of rain with the occasional sunny spell in between. But regardless of the weather outside, music has the ability to lift our spirits and at least make us feel like it’s fine outside.

Some of the blogs on the b5 Music Channel have put together their soundtracks for the summer, and here is mine. There are only five songs, but they are all very recent and all have one one thing in common: they cheered me up when I didn’t really feel as though it were summer.

The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go

Mint Royale - Singin’ In The Rain

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When The Verve announced their reunion back in July of last year, fans of the band hoped that new material would be forthcoming from the coming together. Last month saw this hope realised when The Verve announced details of their new album, named Forth.

There has already been one single released from the album, with Love Is Noise being both brilliant and annoying (what is it with the Tellytubbies noises?)

No other songs have been heard until now but The Verve’s record company Parlophone has rectified the situation by releasing an album sampler for Forth which contains sizeable snippets from all ten songs on the long player.

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The Stone Roses are one of the best bands to have ever come out of Britain, but their musical legacy was pitifully small due to only two albums being produced before they split up. Although that was way back in 1996, there have been numerous calls for them to reunite from the public and band members alike.

The split was somewhat acrimonious, and so the chances of a reunion seemed to be as likely as The Verve or The Police getting back together, both of whom also split up due to band tension. Now those two have managed it, although The Police have now split again after picking up their hefty pay cheques, maybe The Stone Roses could follow?

Mani, the bassist for the legendary Madchester indie band, certainly thinks it could happen, and stated that lead singer Ian Brown was the only original member against the idea. Now, Ian Brown has confirmed that view, and gone on to state quite categorically that he would never be involved with a Stone Roses reunion.

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The Vodafone Live Music Awards are an annual awards ceremony, sponsored funnily enough by Vodafone.

Unlike other all-encompassing awards ceremonies, these focus on live music. I bet you’d have never guessed if I hadn’t told you so.

The year’s nominations have now been announced and it’s an eclectic bunch of artists to say the least. Leading the way are bands such as Muse, The Verve and Led Zeppelin, while female solo artists are also well represented by the likes of Amy Winehouse, Duffy, and Kate Nash.

Unfortunately, the list of solo male artists is a bit bare, with Morrissey and Paul Weller surely there just to make up the numbers? And as good as Mark Ronson is, he is a producer, and needs a lot of support from singers and band members to be able to put any kind of show on. ‘Read More’ for the list of nominees…

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The Stone Roses remain fresh in people’s minds as one of the seminal bands of the late 80s and early 90s, and a founding member of the much-acclaimed Madchester scene. However, they split up in 1996, and have all gone their own ways, and concentrated on solo projects since.

As much as many of us would like to see them reform, the split was acrimonious, and the chances have always been very slim of a meeting of minds, and any sort of reunion. In particular, the relationship between lead singer Ian Brown, and guitarist John Squires is non-existent, with Brown angry after Squires left the band in April, 1996, which lead to the band splitting later that year.

There has been many reunion tours and bands reforming over the last couple of years, with The Verve, and The Police two of the most credible and biggest names amongst that ever-burgeoning list. So, could it now be time for the Stone Roses to finally put their differences behind them and reform to show us all what we’ve been missing?

Mani, who lives just down the road from me, and who I see on a regular basis, recently spoke to the BBC about his career, his current band Primal Scream, the state of the British music scene, and the Stone Roses.

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The Verve were once one of the biggest bands in Britain, and one which found themselves revered around the world for their soulful take on indie rock. But it all came to a rather abrupt and bitter end when the band split in 1999 due to musical differences, and not being able to stand the sight of each other.

But now they are back. In July of last year, The Verve announced they were getting back together, with all four original members signing up together for a world tour and a new album. We’ve had the tour, and now the comeback album has been revealed in all its glory.

Although some websites are claiming the album will be called Four and others claiming it will be called Fourth, the official and correct title is going to be Forth. It is definitely a play on words though with the name referring not only to the band going forth, but also this being the fourth album and the four band members being united again.

Forth is due out in the UK on August 18th, and in the US a day later. It will be the band’s first new album since Urban Hymns was released in 1997, an album which made them a household name in many different countries and gave us such classics as Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Drugs Don’t Work and Lucky Man.

The album contains ten tracks including the first single Love Is Noise which you can hear on the band’s MySpace page, and Valium Skies which the band have debuted at recent live shows.

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The full line-up for this year’s Glastonbury Festival is due to be officially announced at midnight on Tuesday April 29th, but has instead been leaked by an eagle-eyed reader.

Someone posted photos on the eFestivals forum supposedly taken from the latest issue of Q magazine, which is due out tomorrow.

We’ve already heard that the headliners on the main stage are due to be Jay-Z (controversially), Kings Of Leon and The Verve, but the rest of the line-up looks even tastier.

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Today is the last day to register for your chance to obtain tickets for the Glastonbury Festival.

Although tickets won’t actually go on sale until April 6th, everyone who wants to be in the queue, needs to have registered by midnight tonight (March 14th) or miss the chance until next year (if there is a Glastonbury next year).

The policy is part of several anti-tout measures brought in in recent years, after the site was overrun by non or fake ticket holders.

Unfortunately this also means uploading a passport style picture now, which should you be successful in buying a ticket in 3 weeks time, will be printed on your ticket, enabling security staff to make sure you are who you say you are.

To register, simply head to the Glastonbury Festival Ticket Registration Page, and submit the details which are asked of you.

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Well at least The Park Stage. We already know that Jay-Z, Kings of Leon and The Verve will headline the main Pyramid Stage, but now it looks as like Britain’s resident junkie (male version of Amy Winehouse) will be the big draw on The Park Stage.

According to NME, Doherty will play a solo show on the stage, rather than playing a set with his band Babyshambles.

As much as I dislike the guy, and would pay NOT to see him live, he certainly has the capacity to bring the crowds in, after selling out his recently announced show at the Royal Albert Hall in under 30 minutes. Maybe all 5,500 of the capacity are dealers he owes money to?

Joining Pete on The Park Stage will be new ravers CSS, who have been officially confirmed to be playing.

Tickets for the 2008 Glastonbury festival are due to go on sale on April 6th, and the usual scrum for places is expected both on the Internet and phone lines. The actual 3 day event will take place between June 27th and the 29th at Worthy Farm in Pilton.

Yes, if you take Emily Eavis’ thoughts on the matter as hard fact. No, if you take more notice of Michael Eavis’ denials on the whole business.

Michael Eavis has been organising the Glastonbury festival in the UK for 38 years now, but recently starting sharing the responsibility with his daughter, and now co-organiser Emily. The problem is, she sometimes puts her foot in more than just the annual mud bath.

Speaking to Orange World Emily Eavis said a few days ago:

“I kinda feel that we should ply everything into this as if it be the last. It’s a risky, risky business and it would be nice to think, to know that it could go on forever, [but] I don’t know if that’s possible.”

Now obviously if take that as it is said on paper then yeah, this year’s festival, which is likely to sell out within hours of tickets going on sale, could be the last. But, I don’t think that’s what she intended to come across, and her father agrees.

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