Let England Barcelona shake

Even by its usual high standards, this year's Primavera line-up, announced yesterday, is exceptional. Joining Radiohead and the reformed LCD Soundsystem as headliners is PJ Harvey - whose new single 'The Wheel', coincidentally, got its first full play on 6Music yesterday evening. Her show in Barcelona is currently set to kick off a tour in support of new album The Hope Six Demolition Project, her first since the stupendous end-of-year-list-topping Let England Shake in 2011.

Primavera is very much an ensemble cast, though, and the list of bands/artists who'll also be appearing is awe-inspiring and never-ending. To name but a few: Explosions In The Sky, Sigur Ros, Deerhunter, Shellac, Beach House, Dinosaur Jr, Drive Like Jehu, Julia Holter, Ty Segall, Battles, Savages, Tortoise, Mudhoney, Parquet Courts, Wild Nothing, Bardo Pond, White Fence, Boredoms, Algiers, Thee Oh Sees, Loop, Beach Slang, Jenny Hval. And that's not to mention the not-so-insignificant matter of Brian Wilson performing Pet Sounds. It's at times like these that the responsibilities and lack of cash that come with parenthood are a real curse...

Meanwhile, the organisers of Field Day had announcements of their own, with Parquet Courts, Moon Duo and Sleaford Mods among those joining the bill. It remains sorely tempting - more so than the ATP curated by Drive Like Jehu, despite the additions of Wire and (perhaps inevitably) Hot Snakes.

And on top of all the festival news came the revelations that At The Drive-In are back (again) and set to tour armed with new material this time, and then that, unbeknownst to anyone, Josh Homme and Iggy Pop have been working on a secret album, Post Pop Depression, due to be released in March...