Film director, restaurant critic, raconteur and former NME writer Michael Winner has passed away, aged 77. The news of Winner's death was confirmed by his widow, Geraldine, earlier today (January 21). Mrs Winner issued a statement with the news, in which she pays tribute to her late husband. She says: "Michael was a wonderful man, brilliant, funny and generous. A light has gone out in my life."

The new issue of Uncut, out today (January 3), features Gram Parsons, Ray Davies, Morrissey on Mick Ronson, and Uncut's 2013 album preview. Gram Parsons is on the cover, and inside, collaborators and friends tell the whole story of his incredible last stand – his legendary solo albums, GP and Grievous Angel.

Ray Davies sheds light on his new projects, including an opera, a film and a solo album, in the new issue of Uncut, out on Thursday (January 3, 2013). The former Kinks frontman also explains the conflicting feelings he experiences when songwriting. Revealing what he goes through when he realises he's writing one of his great songs, Davies says: "It’s a moment of excessive emotion. And I do get very emotional when I write, sometimes… It’s just a chill you get.

Gram Parsons' legendary solo career is examined in the new issue of Uncut, out on Thursday (January 3, 2013). The back-to-basics approach of the country-rock singer's acclaimed GP and Grievous Angel albums were in sharp contrast to the more psychedelic work of his previous group, The Flying Burrito Brothers. Parsons' collaborator in his early band, The International Submarine Band, Ian Dunlop explains: "He’d got into a maze with the Burritos. The thing about the GP album is that he’s coming out of that maze wanting to make pure country music again.

The new issue of Uncut, out today, features Bruce Springsteen, The Black Keys, Bryan Ferry and the Uncut review of 2012. Bruce Springsteen is on the cover, and inside we catch up with The Boss live in Pittsburgh and tell the story of his incredible year – including Wrecking Ball, his longest ever show and that cut-off Paul McCartney duet…

Hard to believe that Woody Guthrie, conceivably, could still be alive in 2012, given that he’s been gone for 45 years. Yet his incomparable work, especially circa 1939-1949, and the indomitable spirit of that work, a Big Bang of social-consciousness-in-song that set off reverberations down through history – from Dylan and Ochs and the whole early ’60s folk revival and on to Joe Strummer’s righteous punk rebellion – resonates still, as long as repression, corruption, and abuse of power still flourish.

Los Angeles quartet the Allah-Las have the most perfect of backstories for a group making such informed, articulate pop music. Three of the group’s members met while serving time at the legendary LA record store, Amoeba, one of the best ways to learn your craft and do your listening, all while getting paid to schlep CD cases and LP sleeves into the aisles and across the counter. They’ve been playing together since late 2008, slowly chipping away at a vision that’s equal parts genteel psychedelia, ’60s beat movement, and softly strummed, post-Byrdsian jangle-pop.

The new issue of Uncut, out today (September 21), features The Byrds, Neil Young, Siouxsie & The Banshees and LCD Soundsystem.

Legendary lyricist Hal David has died at the age of 91. David passed away yesterday (September 1) following complications from a stroke at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, reports Rolling Stone. David was Burt Bacharach's songwriting partner and wrote the lyrics for such classic tracks as "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", "Walk On By", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "I Say A Little Prayer" and "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me".

As she releases her new album, The Devil You Know, singular LA singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones is set to answer your questions in Uncut as part of our regular Audience With… feature. So is there anything you’ve always wanted to ask her? What was it like working with musicians as diverse as Dr John and Mike Watt? Just how hard was the protracted writing and recording of Pirates? What happened to all those berets and spandex suits? Send your questions to us by noon, Wednesday August 29 to uncutaudiencewith@ipcmedia.com.