QTheMusic.com

Wednesday, 1 August

U2 will feature in a video game, for the first time ever it's believed, thanks to Jay-Z. Acting as executive producer for basketball game NBA 2k13, the rapper has convinced the band to allow their song Elevate to be included. "I'm not sure if they've ever been in a video game," said Jason Argent of game publisher 2K Sport. Jay-Z has also recruited music from Coldplay Daft Punk, The Hours, Phoenix, Dirty Projects and ever tracks from Kanye West for the game. "Jay is completely obsessed with authenticity," added Argent. "So right off the bat, he said Look, I love this franchise and I love this game, but if you want me to be involved, I need to be truly involved. I want to actually help make this game."
Billboard.com

Listen to Blur's BBC session for Steve Lamacq which was recorded live at Maida Vale Studios last night. The band are now set for some proper gigging, kicking off a series of dates with a show in Margate this evening.
bbc.co.uk/Radio2

Plus get our new issueQ314, out now, for an exclusive interview with Blur

Appropriately enough for this Olympic season, Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band have set a new personal best. The Boss and co played a show lasting four hours and six minutes at their gig in the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. They played 33 songs in the epic set, and to prove it wasn't a fluke, Springsteen had actually warmed up by playing a short acoustic set as a treat for people who'd turned-up very early.
Billboard.com

Hot List exclusive, here's Any Movement, a track from Dog Is Dead's forthcoming debut album, All Our Favourite Stories, out 8 October.

Biffy Clyro have told Zane Lowe their new record will be called Opposites and will be a double album.
bbc.co.uk/rado1/zanelowe

After Roger Daltrey joked that fans who still had tickets for a cancelled 1979 Who gig in Rhode Island could get into their date at the same venue on their new US tour, the general manager of the Dunkin Donuts Center (it wasn't called that in the 70s, incidentally) has confirmed he'll honour the old stubs after ten holders of the unused tickets came forward.
Gawker.com

The Q Awards 2012 have gone live, vote now so your favourite act stands a chance of making this year's short list.
Qthemusic.com

Killing Joke singer Jaz Coleman has gone "AWOL" according to his bandmates. The frontman was responsible for a recent Facebook post attacking The Cult and The Mission, who the band were due to tour with in September, and has not spoken to the rest of Killing Joke since. "We are deeply embarrassed by this and offer our sincere apologies to all involved," they explained in a statement. "We are all concerned about our missing singer's welfare."
Killingjoke.com

Snoop Dogg, or Snoop Lion as he has rechristened himself, has explained why he's releasing a reggae record. "What it is, is trying to bring some love and awareness to some great music that was created, that was made to grow and made to have a life, to have the right attention put on it, so hopefully it'll do what it's supposed to do," he explained. "People, no matter who they are or what colour they're made, this is some great music and it's made for everybody."
Rollingstone.com

The nominees for the MTV VMAs have been announced, with Rihanna and Drake leading the way with five nominations apiece, while Katy Perry has four.
MTV.com

Example is set to release single Say Nothing on 16 September. The track is taken from his third album due later this year.
Trythisforexample.com

The Russian Orthodox Church insist the trial of punk band Pussy Riot for making an anti-Putin protest in their main cathedral is "being willed by God" and they are not persecuting the band. "It was a sin against God and it is God that is judging it," explained spokesman Vsevolod Chaplin, "and all Christians should know this." It has been suggested that the prosecution of the three women singers is politically motivated and is trying to stop criticism of the government.
Guardian.co.uk

Watch Calexico performing a track from their new album Algiers live in session.
Qthemusic.com

Dr Dre has beaten the Olympics sponsorship restrictions by simply giving his Beats By Dre headphones to members of Team GB. Doh!
Guardian.co.uk

Bill Doss from Oliva Tremor Control has died at the age of 44.
Beatsperminute.com

The Cribs' Ryan Jarman has announced he will play his first ever solo gig, in New York on 4 August.
NME.com

Want your web browsing experience replicate the sound of Skrillex's mind? Well you're in luck, a new website provides a bass drop to all online experiences. Prolonged exposure is not recommended.
Aux.tv/skrillex

Today's Track Of The Day is Bloc Party with Octopus - get Q314 out now for our review of their new album Four

That's it for today. More Hot List tomorrow at noon.

12:00 PM | 01/08/2012