Kevin Ayers, one of Britain’s most gifted and idiosyncratic singer-songwriters, has died at the age of 68. Ayers was born in Kent in 1944. Though he spent his childhood in Malaysia – moving there with his mother and British district officer stepfather – he returned to London at 12, only to be told to leave the city by a magistrate five years later following a drug bust. Ayers always maintained the bust that sent him into exile (and more importantly, into Canterbury) was a set-up. Whether it was or wasn’t, it was certainly an act of fate.

In the issue of Uncut dated December 2008 (Take 139), Kevin Ayers talked us through the making of some of his finest albums - including the Soft Machine’s debut, through his collaboration with Brian Eno, John Cale and Nico, his much-loved solo album Whatevershebringswesing, and more. Interview: John Robinson __________________

I’ve been meaning to write about this for a week or so now, but pesky deadlines for next month’s issue of Uncut kept getting in the way. Anyway, here’s some thoughts on the trailer for the new Coen brothers film, Inside Llewyn Davis.

A recording of Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” night at the Tate Modern seems to have fallen off the back of the internet this morning: genuinely not sure where one of my colleagues found it, before you ask.

Suede have announced details of a new single and intimate London show. The band will release the track 'It Starts And Ends With You' – which you can listen to below – to coincide with the release of their new album 'Bloodsports' on March 18. The track follows 'Barriers', which you can hear on Suede's official website. The band have also announced that they will play an intimate show at The Barfly in Camden on March 4 for XFM, which they will follow-up with a big London show at Alexandra Palace on March 30.

Jack White has been named the official ambassador for Record Store Day 2013. The former frontman of The White Stripes has been named as the figurehead of the celebration of independent record shops thanks to the fact that he not only makes records, but also owns a record store and a record label: his Nashville based Third Man Records.

Nick Cave has spoken about reforming Grinderman in order to play the Coachella Valley Festival of Music and Arts in California this April. Cave took to Twitter on Tuesday in order to answer questions from fans. When asked why Grinderman were getting back together after splitting in 2011, Cave responded: "Every other shitty band is doing it, why not someone who's actually good."

In his memoir, Prince Among Stones: That Business With The Rolling Stones And Other Adventures, which I’ve just reviewed for the next Uncut, Prince Rupert Loewenstein, who was the band’s financial adviser for nearly 40 years, reflects at one point about how time as he gets older has started, as they say, to fly. Thinking about this, he is reminded of a famous quote by the grand old thespian, John Gielgud, who wryly remarked that in his old age time had started to speed by at such a pace that it seemed like breakfast was being served every 10 minutes.

Bruce Springsteen has added a new date to the UK leg of his Wrecking Ball Tour. He will play at the brand new Leeds Arena on July 24, his first indoor UK performance since 2007. The Leeds date will be this tour’s fourth UK date Springsteen, immediately preceded by nights in London, Glasgow and Coventry all announced last year.

It’s an odd week to release a film, I guess, as no one’s entirely paying attention. The usual brouhaha surrounding this coming Sunday’s Oscars ceremony has been chewing up a lot of film content in magazines and on websites, while elsewhere the internet seems preoccupied with Star Wars spin-offs, Star Trek and Sin City posters and whether or not Sam Mendes will direct the next Bond film.