RAY Manzarek, a founding member of 1960s rock group The Doors, has died aged 74.

On the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner’s birth, opinion remains deeply divided over whether the quality of his music outweighs his unpalatable views on Jews, writes Michael Fry

HE’S STILL lacking the critical support granted such emerging peers as Daughter or Keaton Henson, but Benjamin Francis Leftwich might yet be swept to success on a wave of acclaim like that which recently brought Ben Howard two Brit awards.

In this week’s round-up of new music: T Break line-up revealed; Wee Chill plans 10th birthday; more acts for Doune the Rabbit Hole; new music from Camera Obscura, Sparrow and the Workshop and Garden of Elks; plus this best gigs across Scotland.

JUSTIN Bieber’s pet monkey has been taken into German state custody after the Canadian singer failed to meet a deadline to retrieve the capuchin.

Russia’s foreign minister – the country’s point man on the situation in Syria and on its relations with the United States – today turned his attention toward a subject close to Russian hearts: alleged vote theft at the Eurovision Song Contest.

TAYLOR Swift won eight awards at this year’s US Billboard Music Awards. The country pop singer took categories that included, Top Female Artist, Top Digital Songs Artist and Top Country Artist.

A SAXOPHONIST who tours the globe with pop star Beyonce is among the highlights of this year’s Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival as organisers seek to open up the ten-day event to a younger audience.

JOE Gideon & the Shark are an amped-up brother-and-sister guitar-and-drums duo from London.

A hundred years ago this month, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring caused a disgusted Parisian audience to riot in the stalls at its world premiere.

How strange to hear Mendelssohn’s Elijah in German. Yet how wonderfully that clean, clipped language helps cleanse the English translation, created – and stubbornly maintained ever since – for the oratorio’s mid-19th century Birmingham premiere, of its sentimental Victorian fatuousness.

Themed musical package tours are no fresh innovation but as the nostalgia market folds subsequent generations of music lovers into its comforting embrace, there is hope for any old act with a couple of hits in the bag to face an arena full of fans once again.

In a climate where start-up festivals come and go and multi-venue events seem to be finding it tough to achieve any degree of longevity, it’s pleasing to report that promoter PCL’s annual one-day Stag and Dagger jaunt around Glasgow appears to have reached its fifth anniversary in good health.

THIS week’s top events across Scotland, including the Perth Festival of the Arts, the Knockengorroch World Ceildih, the Burns an’ a’ That festival and the Electric Frog weekender.

ROD Stewart will officially open the new Hydro venue at Glasgow’s SECC this September.

BRITAIN may have failed to make an impact at this year’s Eurovision song contest, but a Scottish influence helped Denmark’s entry to victory.

In A climate where start-up festivals come and go and city-based multi-venue events seem to be finding it tough to achieve any degree of longevity, it’s pleasing to report that promoter PCL’s annual one-day Stag and Dagger jaunt around Glasgow appears to have reached its fifth anniversary in good health.

How strange to hear Mendelssohn’s Elijah in German. Yet how wonderfully that clean, clipped language helps cleanse the familiar English translation, created – and stubbornly maintained ever since – for the oratorio’s mid-19th century Birmingham premiere, of its sentimental Victorian fatuousness.

Themed musical package tours are no fresh innovation but as the nostalgia market folds subsequent generations of music lovers into its comforting embrace, there is hope for any old act with a couple of hits in the bag to face an arena full of fans once again.

Rod Stewart has celebrated a return to the top of the album charts after 34 years with a champagne toast.