World Party

World Party are releasing a five-disc set featuring 70 previously unreleased songs recorded over the band's 25 year history on April 10th. Arkeology contains old songs, live material, b-sides, covers, and a handful of new songs recorded in 2011. The first taste of the collection is the dancy, catchy number "Words" which you can preview on the official Fontana Records website. Fair warning--the World Party song is the second track on the player--the first track that starts playing is a horrifying Candlebox song, so make sure you quickly skip over to song two for the sake of your ears.

Fans may also be interested in watching an Australian interview from 1993 with Karl Wallinger, plus a World Party performance of "Is It Like Today" below.

Interview + "Is It Like Today" (performance is ~ 4:30 in)

Here come the Smiths rumors (again)

The internets are about to be agog with Smiths' reunion rumors (again) all because of one comment Johnny Marr made to the NME. Marr attended the NME Awards ceremony in London tonight to accept the award for Best Reissue for The Smiths Complete, plus present Noel Gallagher with the Godlike Genius award. On his way into the event Marr was asked about Gallagher being this year's recipient of the award. Here's how Marr responded:

"I think he's a bit young to win it, but it's well deserved." As for The Smiths? We never won many awards so it would be nice to one day, One day..."

Yes folks, Marr said "one day" and now NME writers are in a tizzy thinking this is a hint about a Smiths reunion. From NME's live blog:

"Did we mention earlier that Johnny Marr said he STILL hoped one day to win more awards with The Smiths? That's gotta be a reunion hint, right..?"

Here we go. When the NME gets into a tizzy, it all generally spirals out of control. Be warned.

Garbage

An interesting interview with Shirley Manson from Garbage was posted today by Bullett. Manson talked about the band's hiatus, her solo career, and getting older as it pertains to the music industry. Read the full interview here. Garbage will drop their new record Not Your Kind Of People on May 15th on their own newly launched record label STUNVOLUME.

Garbage will release the first single from the record soon (they just shot a video for it over the weekend). For now watch a short clip/video of new album track "I Hate Love" which premiered a few weeks ago:

"I Hate Love"

Morrissey

Morrissey's South American tour continues this week. Last night he played Estadio Arena in Mendozo, Argentina.

"Let Me Kiss You"



"Irish Blood, English Heart"

Noel Gallagher/Amorphous Androgynous

Noel Gallagher debuted the first music from his collaboration with Amorphous Androgynous today. "Shoot A Hole In The Sun" is the b-side to "Dream On," the next single from Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds which will drop as a digital download on March 11th and physically on March 12th. Take a listen to the eight minute "Shoot A Hole In The Sun" (which is pretty much an experimental rework of "If I Had A Gun") below:

"Shoot A Hole In The Sun" Noel Gallagher w/Amorphous Androgynous



"Dream On" Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds



Don't miss Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds on the road this spring. The Detroit date is March 31st at the Royal Oak Music Theater.

Graham Coxon

Graham Coxon has debuted the video for "What It'll Take" which features footage of fans dancing to the track. Fans from around the world were encouraged to submit video of their best dance moves and the finished video features 85 dancers from 22 countries. A list of fans who made it into the video have been listed here.

"What'll It Take" Graham Coxon



Awesome track. This is SO MUCH BETTER than the new Gorillaz track (no offense Mr. Albarn.) I cannot wait to hear the full album from Coxon. A & E drops April 2nd, but while you're waiting for that, download another track from the album "The Truth" here for free.

Radiohead

Radiohead kicked off their North American tour in Miami last night and it was quite the event! Hours before the show Radiohead fansite King Of Limbs Part 2 posted a leaked setlist, and the list turned out to be legit. The highlights of the show included the premiere two new tracks, "Cut A Hole" and "Identikit," a rare performance of "Meeting In The Aisle," and the classic OK Computer track "Karma Police." The stage set itself looks interesting--there were computer/television screens on the ceiling. Oh, and Thom Yorke was rocking a pony-tailed and some fab-red pants. Watch fan shot video (including both new songs) below.

"Cut A Hole" (new song)



"Identikit" (new song)



"Karma Police"



"Meeting In The Aisle"



"Idioteque"



"Kid A"

Johnny Marr

The episode of Portlandia featuring a guest appearance by Johnny Marr premieres this Friday on IFC according to the channel's "What To Watch This Week" blog:

Friday

Tonight at 10/9 c, it’s a new episode of “Portlandia.” This week Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein get the Mayor of Portland’s (Kyle MacLachlan) blessing to create a grassroots campaign to prevent the Olympics from ever coming to Portland. Plus, Johnny Marr of The Smiths makes a guest appearance. Tune in!

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart will release the Acid Reflex ep for Record Store Day (April 21st). Stream the four song ep below:

Afghan Whigs

In an interview with The Quietus, Greg Dulli talked about how the Afghan Whigs' reunion came about: Dulli is curating the 2012 festivals All Tomorrow's Parties/I'll Be Your Mirror and planned headliner Guided By Voices had a scheduling conflict, leading to Afghan Whigs' reorganizing and throwing themselves back in action. So far, the band has announced four live shows, but Dulli told The Quietus that there will likely be more:

"We’ll see. I’m imagining we’ll play more than four gigs. We’ll probably play 25-30 gigs, would be my guess. We’ve got five gigs now, and we’ll play at least another 20 gigs, I would imagine."

Oh, and as for new music? Forget about it:

"We never broke up the band for any reason other than we’d taken the band as far as we wanted to take it. We aren’t getting back together to make a new album. We’re doing this one time: see it now, or never see it again. That’s what’s going to happen here."

The North American dates for I'll Be Your Mirror/All Tomorrow's Parties is September 21st-23rd in New Jersey's Asbury Park and you can grab tickets here.

Morrissey

Morrissey is currently on his South American tour and he's proven that he loves fans in Chile more than fans anywhere else--last night at his gig at Santiago's Movistar Arena he dusted off "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" for fans. Oh, and he wore yellow.

"Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want"



"How Soon Is Now?"



"Everyday Is Like Sunday" (costume change)



Watch tons of high quality (televised) footage from his show from his Vina Del Mar show on Friday here.

Spiritualized interview

The print edition of today's New York Times features an interview with Jason Pierce from Spiritualized. Of note, Pierce discussed some of the artists who influenced him, including the Beach Boys, Royal Trux, and Panda Bear, and he also revealed Raw Power by The Stooges was the first record he bought:

"I bought [Iggy and the Stooges’] “Raw Power” when I was 14, that was the first record I bought. I didn’t know anything about it, I had no friends that were listening to it. They used to sell records in the chemists’, Boots chemists. I saw the sleeve to “Raw Power,” I saw the silver pants, and I went home holding that. If you’re going to start anywhere in music — I got lucky."

Read excerpts from the print version of the article in the New York Times online.

As previously reported, Sweet Heart Sweet Light, by Spiritualized drops April 17th. Stream the album's first single, "Hey Jane" below, and don't miss them on the road this spring. The Detroit date is May 4th at the Majestic Theater.

Oasis "Wonderwall" remix

I ran into this remix of the Oasis classic "Wonderwall" by I.N.I.T.I.A.L.K. while checking out Deadmau5 on Soundcloud. Take a listen:

Jane's Addiction

Watch video from last night's Jane's Addiction show at the Fillmore Detroit below courtesy of YouTube. And if you missed it yesterday, click here to watch some old school (1986-1991) footage of Jane's Addiction.

"Jane Says"



"Classic Girl"



"I Would For You"

Morrissey takes over Chile

Morrissey's South American tour kicked off last night in Chile. The night before the show fans created a Beatles-like scene outside Morrissey's hotel room:



Last night Morrissey played Chile's Vina Del Mar festival, and his set was broadcast on Chilean television, so enjoy some high quality footage that has surfaced so far below, and if you missed yesterday's post on Moz appearing on a game show in 1984, be sure to click here to watch it.

"First Of The Gang To Die"



"Everyday Is Like Sunday"



"You're The One For Me, Fatty"



"I Know It's Over"



"How Soon Is Now?"




"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"



"I Want The One I Can't Have"



"When Last I Spoke To Carol"



"Black Cloud"

Spiritualized

Spiritualized premiered their new single, "Hey Jane" plus unveiled the artwork for their new record Sweet Heart Sweet Light on Pitchfork. The artwork (posted below as the still to the single's streaming audio on YouTube) is an octagon surrounding the word "Huh?" Huh, indeed. Perhaps it will all make sense once we hear the entire record which is scheduled for release on April 17th.

While you're pondering the artwork, take a listen to the almost nine minute epic "Hey Jane" below (don't get fooled by the false fade around 3:30 in) and don't miss Spiritualized on the road this spring. The Detroit area date is May 4th at the Majestic Theater.

Morrissey Pop Quiz

Back in 1984 Morrissey appeared on the British television quiz show Pop Quiz. The show is a music quiz show and the episode with Morrissey also featured Kim Wilde, Derek Forbes from Simple Minds, and Nick Beggs from Kajagoogoo. This is must see television! Even if you don't like any of the artists above, the music trivia from 1984 is super fun. Enjoy!

Jane's Addiction

Jane's Addiction kicked off their North American tour yesterday and will be in town at the Fillmore Detroit tonight. In celebration, watch some early footage from Jane's. The first two videos are from their December 1988 show at St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit:

"Pigs In Zen" (1988, Detroit)



"Stop!" (1988, Detroit)



"Mountain Song" (1986, Los Angeles)



"Whores" (1991, Lollapalooza, Cuyahoga Falls )

The Machine Room

As previously reported, The Machine Room will drop the Love From A Distance ep on March 5th. The four song ep features the amazing single, "Your Head On The Floor Next Door." The video for the song premiered earlier this week. Take a look:




Stream the full ep below or on bandcamp.

Joy Division vs Cher

Few things leave me speechless. But this, wow...

Words. Cannot. Describe.

Mark Lanegan

Mark Lanegan Band is playing an all ages show at Small's in Hamtramck on May 16th. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 24th through the official Small's website. Tickets are 16 dollars in advance and are will call only (tickets will NOT be mailed). FYI, capacity is 300 at Small's, so if you're interested in going, I wouldn't wait to get tickets. Here's the listing on the official Small's Facebook page. Please contact Small's if you have questions about the tickets or event.

Mark Lanegan is supporting his newly released cd Blues Funeral. Watch a recent live performance of the album's first single, "The Gravedigger's Song"



Blues Funeral is still streaming in its entirety here.

Joy Division house cover

South African house Spoek Mathambo dropped his record, Mshini Wam back in 2010 and the fourth single from the album happens to be a cover of Joy Division's "She's Lost Control" which he simple renamed "Control." A house version of Joy Division seems like it would be awful, but it's not. Mathambo's version is definitely worth a listen, plus it's got an excellent black and white video featuring images and scenes from Langa, located in Cape Town, South Africa. Check it out below and buy the single here.

Crocodiles

Crocodiles will return with a new record, Endless Flowers, on June 4th. Stream the album's first single, "Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9)" below and buy it as a digital single on iTunes. Catch up with Crocodiles on Facebook.

Johnny Marr

An interview with Johnny Marr is featured in the latest edition of British mag Vive Le Rock! which is available here. Among other things, Marr was asked about some of the cover versions of Smiths songs that have been recorded over the years:

You say it's flattering when other bands cover your songs, but has there ever been one where you think 'that's fucking awful. put the instruments down lad and give up'

"Well, I know it's supposed to be funny but when the Word had Bernard Manning doing it. Did you see it? Bernard Manning's Smith medley. See, you're getting more than you bargained for there, mate (laughs). Him spinning around with flowers in his back pocket singing "Girlfriend In A Coma" is something I really wished I hadn't seen in my lifetime. Fuck's sake.

"I've always been pleased because the sort of bands that cover The Smiths have always been from a culture that I think is alright. I mean, Placebo did "Big Mouth Strikes Again" and that was great. To be honest with you, I only remember the good stuff. Low did a version of "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" and that was just so good and I think Supergrass did a version of something too. It's always been people with great intentions from a really good culture so it would be horribly churlish to look at it with any kind of serious criticism"

Marr is right, this Bernard Manning medley is so awful I couldn't get through the entire clip and it's only about a minute long. See how long you can go before YOU bail:

Bernard Manning Sings the Smiths:



Cleanse your ears with Placebo and Low covering The Smiths:

Placebo "Big Mouth Strikes Again"



Low "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"



FYI, the Supergrass cover Marr was referencing was "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" which sadly isn't available to stream here.

Last Shop Standing

A documentary about independent record shops in the U.K. is in the works. The hourlong documentary is based on the 2010 book, Last Shop Standing, by Graham Jones. The film tours record stores that have survived in this digital, instant gratification musical world, and examines just how they've managed to stay afloat. Johnny Marr, Norman Cook, Johnnie Walker, and other musicians and industry insiders have been interviewed for this project, which is still in the editing stage. Last Shop Standing was initially targeted for a Record Store Day release, but a summer release is now anticipated. The film will likely premiere at film festivals worldwide before landing on DVD. To find out more about Last Shop Standing visit the official website, and watch two previews below.

The Brit Awards--Coldplay/Noel Gallagher

Here are some video highlights from tonight's Brit Awards:

Coldplay "Charlie Brown"



Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds featuring Chris Martin on piano

"AKA...What A Life"



Of course, the true highlight of the Brits was the five song set from Blur. Watch the entire set here.

Blur

As expected, Blur reunited for the Brit Awards in London tonight. The band received the Outstanding Contribution To Music award, then launched into a five song live set. Watch the awesomeness below:

"This Is A Low"



"Tender"



"Parklife"



"Girls & Boys/Song 2"

Alan McGee auction

Creation Records' Alan McGee did some spring cleaning and he's decided to part ways with a ton of musical memorabilia he's amassed over the years. Thousands of records, cds, posters, fanzines, and more will be auctioned off starting this weekend through Omega Auctions. Items from Joy Division, New Order, Electronic, Oasis, Jesus & Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, and The Stone Roses are available to bid on, and if it's classic rock you're into, there's quite a few items from The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Patti Smith, and The Rolling Stones. Scroll through the entire catalog of items, or take a look at selected items below. The auction kicks off this Saturday at 11am/5am ET online and interested bidders should register here to participate in the auction.

Factory Records Collection
Hacienda floor
Oasis artwork proofs
Oasis demos/promos
John Squire painting
Joy Division LPs
Entire page of Joy Division/New Order records

Public Image Limited

Public Image Limited have confirmed the release date for their new record. The 4-song EP, One Drop, will be released on the band's label PIL Official on Record Store Day then a full length record This Is PIL will follow on May 28th.

The new single "One Drop" debuted last week on British Radio. Here are the comments John Lydon made about "One Drop"

“One Drop is a reflection of where I grew up in Finsbury Park, London. The area that shaped me, and influenced me culturally and musically, a place I will forever feel connected to. But within this I am also saying it doesn’t matter where you come from, we all go through the same emotions especially the disenchanted youth of today, yesterday and the future. Bearing in mind the Olympics are in London this year and who knows what that could bring for London and our country….”

Read more on P.I.L. here.

Paul Weller

Paul Weller just released the official video for his new single, "That Dangerous Age." The single drops March 11th and the full length record, Sonik Kicks, follows on March 26th. Take a look at the video:

Rhodri Marsden

Scritti Politti's Rhodri Marsden, has been on a tear recording covers and posting them online. Last Christmas he gave us the awesome "Heaven Knows I'm Christmassy Now" and he's followed that up with an outstanding acoustic piano cover of XTC's "Love On A Farmboy's Wages." This is seriously the best cover ever:




His latest cover is "Up, Up, And Away" originally by the 5th Dimension

"Up, Up, And Away"



This one might make you laugh a bit--it's "Love Will Keep Us Together" originally by Captain & Tennille, but with a bit of a Joy Division flair at the beginning:

"Love Will Keep Us Together"



And who can't get behind a Hall & Oates cover?

"Private Eyes"



Besides creating music, Marsden has also been busy with writing--he's just authored a book on dating and he has a weekly column in The Independent. His book, Crap Dates, is available here and you can follow him on Twitter (he tweets a lot, but he's ridiculously entertaining).

Blur

We're just hours away from Blur's reunion set to take place tonight at The Brit Awards in London! Blur have also announced they'll be playing the 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony Concert!

Blur have accepted the invite to headline the Olympics Closing Ceremony Celebration Concert in Hyde Park on 12th August twitter.com/blurofficial/s…

— blur (@blurofficial) February 21, 2012

Whoo hoo, indeed! Blur, New Order, and The Specials??!? Peeps in London clearly know how to throw a Closing Ceremony.

Oasis

Oasis "Supersonic" (live television debut, 1994)



Oasis "Supersonic" (Wembly, 2000)

Ian Brown

Happy Birthday to Ian Brown from The Stone Roses:

Michael Davis, R.I.P.

Michael Davis, bassist for the MC5, died from liver failure on Friday at the age of 68. Read Rolling Stone's report here.

Damon Albarn/Graham Coxon--War Child

Tomorrow night Blur are reuniting for the Brit Awards--they'll be honored with the 'Outstanding Achievement' award, which will be followed by a ten minute performance. Last night Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon shared the stage and played a handful of acoustic songs for a pre-Brit Awards War Child benefit show in London, including a new song. Take a look at some more fan-shot footage of Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon from event:

"Under The West Way" (new song)



"Strange News From Another Star"



"He Thought Of Cars"

Damon Albarn/Graham Coxon

Damon Albarn & Graham Coxon from Blur performed together tonight for a pre-Brit Awards charity event in London. Watch fan shot footage of the two performing a new song "Under The West Way" and read more about the event here.

Andy Partridge interview + XTC concert

Here's a short interview with Andy Partridge from 1992--near the end of the interview Partridge talked about XTC's classic "Dear God" and commented about getting hate mail over the song.



Enjoy one of XTC's last concerts from February, 1982 (XTC stopped touring in 1982 because of Partridge's crippling stage fright):

Boz Boorer

Check out Boz Boorer rocking out "Hillbilly Train" with Sonny George & the Tennessee Sons

Adam Ant

Today's edition of The Guardian includes an interesting feature story on Adam Ant. The article includes an interview with Ant, who discussed his musical history, his past and present struggle with mental illness, as well as his personal relationships and marriages. Ant also revealed that he hates being considered a new romantic artist:

"New romantic was basically, in my mind, clubbers with too much makeup on with stupid clothes. I never set foot in any of their clubs, so I find it quite distressing to be nobbled into new romantic, cos it was just a load of guys who looked like they'd had a row with their girlfriends' makeup. There was nothing tough about it, nothing dangerous about it, it was soft electro stuff and it just looked a bit wet. And I didn't like being associated with it."

Read the full interview in The Guardian.

Earlier this year Adam Ant rescheduled dates for his world tour which is now set to kick off next month in London. The North American leg kicks off in the fall and will include a stop at the Crofoot in Pontiac on October 11th. Check out the full list of rescheduled dates here.

Jack White

Jack White will be the special musical guest on Saturday Night Live March 3rd. According to Third Man Records, White will perform two songs from his debut solo record, Blunderbuss, which drops April 24th. Check out the video to the record's first single, "Love Interruption" below.

Anton Corbijn biopic: Anton Corbijn Inside Out

Anton Corbijn, director of countless music videos and the film Control (Ian Curtis biography) is himself the subject of a biopic that premiered at Berlin's film festival Berlinale 2012 yesterday. Directed by Klaartje Quirijns, Anton Corbijn Inside Out examines Corbijn's life as told through interviews with friends, family, musicians he's worked with, and Corbijn himself. The film also features Corbijn's brilliant work--footage from his films, music videos, and stunning photos he's taken over the years. So far the two reviews I've read have been mostly positive: The Playlist gave it a B+; Screen Daily didn't grade the film but called it "more satisfying, well-crafted, and revealing" than Shadow Play (previous biopic on Corbijn). Screen Daily also posted this intriguing commentary:

"Though he’s clearly not participating in Quirijns’ project against his will, Corbijn seems embarrassed to be talking about himself, and unused to being directed rather then directing, and these two sources of friction generate some interesting static "

According to IMDB, Anton Corbijn Inside Out will be released in the Netherlands on March 22nd, but no other info is available regarding a worldwide release. I suspect the film will enjoy a limited run in select theaters in North America in the future, though nothing has been announced yet. We'll keep you posted with updates, but for now watch the official trailer:

Anton Corbijn Inside Out official trailer



Watch some of Corbijn's work from over the years:

Control official trailer



Q & A session with Corbijn at the Toronto premiere of Control in 2007. (Starts at around 1:23)




"Bring On The Dancing Horses" Echo & The Bunnymen




"Headhunter" Front 242




U2's "One" has two videos. Here's the one Corbijn directed:




"Strangelove" Depeche Mode




"Re-Offender" Travis




Corbijn directed Coldplay's concert in Madrid last year for the American Express concert series Unstaged. Watch the full concert (the concert itself starts at around 24 minutes in, there's an interview with Coldplay prior to that, fyi)

Noel Gallagher comments on Beady Eye and The Smiths, plus watch Irish tv interview

This week's NME features a cover story on Noel Gallagher, who is always a pretty interesting interview. He told NME he's jealous of Beady Eye (Liam Gallagher's band) because "I should have had custody of Gem" (Oasis guitarist, Gem Archer). Noel also made the following comments on the likelihood of an Oasis (and Smiths) reunion:

"I don't believe a reunion will happen: "I don't think either Oasis or The Smiths will reform. I think Morrissey and Marr, probably, but I don't think The Smiths will ever reform. And Oasis, at the moment, no. Morrissey and Johnny Marr is probably more on the cards."

Meanwhile, Noel appeared on Irish television last night and revealed to host Ryan Tubridy what he misses most about the Oasis experience:

"Playing stadiums. I enjoy that...such a spectable. When people come to see it, they're watching essentially five guys working. When you're on stage you're watching 75,000 people...it's indescribable, they're all there because of the songs you wrote."

Noel also disclosed that though he's been playing about six or seven Oasis songs at his live gigs, he won't play certain songs, namely the ones "so related to Liam's voice" like "Rock & Roll Star" and "Champagne Supernova." Hmmm, yet he plays "Wonderwall" which is the song probably most associated with Liam's voice, well, at least to me.

Watch the full interview from RTE's The Late Late Show below:



Don't miss Noel Gallagher on his North American tour. The Detroit area date is March 31st at the Royal Oak Music Theater.

Roxy Music remixed

"Love Is The Drug" by Roxy Music was remixed by Todd Terje and is available in the U.K. on Beatport. Take a listen to the remix below:

"Love Is The Drug" Todd Terje remix



Roxy Music haven't revealed if the "Love Is The Drug" remix is going to appear on a new remix ep release, but we'll keep you posted. A few years ago Roxy Music released a series of remix eps--each ep was numbered and named after a color--EP #1/Pink, EP#2/Orange, EP#3/Purple, and EP#4/Blue. and you can still purchase the releases on Amazon or iTunes.

Take a listen to a few of the remixes below:

"Always Unknowing" (Cinnamon Chasers remix, Blue )



"Rain Rain Rain" (Tiefschwartz remix, Pink)



"Virginia Plain" (Headman rework, Purple)



"Same Old Scene" (Glimmers remix, Orange)



"Avalon" (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas, Blue)



For those who enjoy listening to the classic versions of Roxy Music, don't forget an extensive 40th anniversary deluxe box set will be released later this year. Roxy Music: The Complete Studio Recordings 1972-1982 is a 12 disc set (8 CDs, 4 DVDs) and will include the band's eight studio records plus b-sides, remixes, non-album singles and more and will drop on April 2nd.

Dandy Warhols

The Dandy Warhols have announced details regarding their new album. The band's tenth record, This Machine, features eleven tracks and two musical guests: David J (Bauhaus/Love & Rockets) and Miles Zuniga (Fastball). David J appears on the track "The Autumn Carnival" and Zuniga is featured on "Rest Your Head" and "Seti Vs The Wow! Signal." This Machine will be released on cd, vinyl, and digitally April 24th. Take a look at the tracklisting below and catch up with the Dandys here.

I. SAD VACATION
II. THE AUTUMN CARNIVAL
III. ENJOY YOURSELF
IV. ALTERNATIVE POWER TO THE PEOPLE
V. WELL THEY’RE GONE
VI.REST YOUR HEAD
VII. 16 TONS
XIII. I AM FREE
IX. SETI VS. THE WOW! SIGNAL
X. DON’T SHOOT SHE CRIED
XI. SLIDE (DeBoer)

Noel Gallagher

This shouldn't come as a massive shock, but you'll be waiting even longer for the new Amorphous Androgynous/Noel Gallagher record. In an interview with NME Gallagher revealed the collaboration likely won't be out until next year. He told the mag he has some time off in July and is planning on finishing up the record then, so it could be out by year's end, but most likely it'll drop next year. Gallagher being Gallagher also threw in this chunk of awesomeness:

"I set the benchmark pretty high with this record ['Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds'], and I'm not just putting a record for the fucking sake of it. At the moment it's not a great record – so it won't come out until it is."

Awesome. As previously reported the first Androgynous Amorphous/Gallagher track "Shoot A Hole In The Sun" will be released as the b-side to the latest High Flying Birds single, "Dream On" next month.

Morrissey

Liven up your day by watching Morrissey's appearance from Glastonbury 2011.

Bloody Knives

If you like guitary-shoegaze music you really should check out Bloody Knives. The band have kind of labeled their music as "industrial shoegaze" and the description is pretty much dead on. The three piece hail from Austin, Texas and put out a 5 song digital ep last year. I LOVE this. Check out the song/video to the lead track "Disappear" below:

Bloody Knives "Disappear"



Check out a full stream of the 5 song digital ep they released last May, and head on over to bandcamp to download it.



Catch up with Bloody Knives on Facebook.

Boz Boorer

Morrissey guitarist, Boz Boorer has recorded a short (VERRRRRY short) video teaser for his upcoming single, "Slippery Forces" which drops in April. Watch the teaser below and don't blink, or you'll miss it!



By the way, Boorer just released a full record with his other project Happy Martyr. A digital version of the full album, One Square Mile is available on iTunes.

Back in 1995 Boorer was featued on Adam Ant's album Wonderful then in 2003 the two teamed up for a charity record to benefit endangered mountain gorillas. Together they reworked the Adam & the Ants' song "Stand & Deliver" changing the lyrics to "Save The Gorilla" but in the end the Save The Gorillas record was never released due to licensing issues. Watch footage of Boorer and Ant recording "Save The Gorilla" below:

Boz Boorer + Adam Ant "Save The Gorilla"



One song from the Boorer/Ant sessions did eventually end up getting released on Boorer's 2008 solo record. Take a listen to "Jungle Rock" below.

Boz Boorer/Adam Ant "Jungle Rock"

Garbage

Last week Garbage asked fans to submit art for a project revolving around their new song "I Hate Love." It turns out Garbage used those fan submissions as the video portion of their 60 second song preview which you can watch below (accessed via USA Today). "I Hate Love" will be one of the songs on the band's new cd Not Your Kind Of People, although as the band pointed out last week, the song is NOT going to be a single from the record. Not Your Kind Of People drops on May 15th.

Peter Hook

Peter Hook's book about Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, will be released September 27th. Here's all the info on the Amazon listing:

As co-founder of Joy Division, Peter Hook was the inspiration behind a band that would shape the course of popular music. He provided the propulsive bass guitar melodies of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', and was at the heart of the sound that came to define an era and inspire a generation. In Unknown Pleasures, he tells the story of that time; of the music, the madness, the band members and the other characters on the scene that made it the unforgettable, iconic time it was.

Spandau Ballet

Spandau Ballet's "Gold" has been given the remix treatment. The 2012 Gold remixes have been available in the U.K. since last month, and will finally be available digitally in the U.S. on February 28th. Listen to a short preview of the three remixes--all done by Paul Oakenfold--on the official Spandau Ballet website (follow the links below):

Gold (Paul Oakenfold BMX remix)
Gold (Paul Oakenfold Dub mix)
Gold (Paul Oakenfold Club mix)

I always thought "Gold" was so much better than their biggest hit "True."

Spandau Ballet "Gold"

New Order's Bernard Sumner talks Peter Hook

New Order's Bernard Sumner has revealed to the Telegraph why original bassist Peter Hook wasn't asked to take part in the reunion. Sumner says he was very upset after learning about Hook's plans to perform Joy Division albums live, and that led Sumner to reform New Order without Hooky. Read a few choice comments from Sumner below and read the whole interview here:
"Were we cool with him touring (Joy Division albums)? No. God knows, if he hadn't done that, whether we'd be doing this now," Sumner says.

"It seemed disrespectful to other members of the band. We weren't consulted about it. We had no intentions of (touring again). Truth be told, we thought 'F--- it, if you're going to do that, what are we holding back for?' As Winston Churchill said: let him do his worst and we'll do our best.

"He said he'd work his way through the New Order albums after the Joy Division stuff, so we thought we'd head him off at the pass, really."

"He's saying we shouldn't use the New Order name. He shouldn't be using the Joy Division artwork. It's OK for him to benefit from the Joy Division heritage but not for us to benefit from it or the New Order heritage? In Peter Hook World I guess that makes sense but in no one else's world does it make sense. And fortunately for us in the legal world I don't believe it makes sense either. If he wants a fight we're ready for a fight... "

Read the entire interview in The Telegraph here.

Peter Hook

Peter Hook has been on the road performing classic Joy Division records with his band The Light. On Sunday, Hooky played Prague and during the show he dedicated the track "Atmosphere" to the late Whitney Houston. Watch video of his dedication as well as a few other songs from the show.

"Atmosphere"



"She's Lost Control"



"Shadowplay"



"Love Will Tear Us Apart"

Morrissey

A few Morrissey nuggets are coming your way this spring! A remastered version of Viva Hate, Morrissey's debut solo record from 1988, will drop on March 26th. Then, as previously reported, Ron and Russell Mael (aka Sparks) remix of "Suedehead" will be released as part of a limited edition picture disc on April 23rd. The "Suedehead Mael mix" will be backed with two previously unreleased live tracks from 1995. Read more about the Viva Hate remaster and the "Suedehead" remix here.

James

James just announced dates for a North American tour.  The tour won't be headed toward the Midwest, but you can check out the tour when it hits these fine cities:

 

Apr 07 Vancouver, BC – The Commodore Ballroom
Apr 08 Seattle, WA – Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room
Apr 09 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
Apr 11 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
Apr 13 Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Apr 15 Las Vegas, NV – Hard Rock Cafe On The Strip
Apr 16 Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre
Apr 18 Tucson, AZ – The Rialto Theatre
Apr 19 San Diego, CA – House Of Blues
Apr 20 Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Apr 25 Monterrey, Mexico - Details to be announced
Apr 26 Mexico City, Mexico - Details to be announced
Apr 28 Santiago, Chile - Teatro Caupolicán
Apr 30 São Paulo, Brazil - Details to be announced
May 02 Buenos Aires, Argentina - Details to be announced

 

The band also made the following comments regarding their long delayed boxset, The Gathering Sound: "as soon as we've seen that the problems with the USB have been resolved and we're confident Universal are in a position to set a realistic release date, we'll post an update."

Noel Gallagher

Watch video from Noel Gallagher's gig in Manchester last night:

"Don't Look Back In Anger"



"It's Good To Be Free"



"Half The World Away"

Manchester: Beyond Oasis

The creative team behind Iceland: Beyond Sigur Ros is filming a new documentary--this time about the current music scene in Manchester, England. The 90 minute film Manchester: Beyond Oasis sets out to explore the indie scene in the legendary city, following over 40 bands and featuring interviews with key players from the scene. The film is still a work in progress, but you can take a look at the official trailer below:

Manchester: Beyond Oasis (trailer)



Listen to a BBC Radio interview with the film's production company Serious Feather

Paul Weller

Paul Weller is set to release a new cd (his 11th solo cd!), Sonik Kicks, on March 26th. The album's first single, "That Dangerous Age" will be released digitally on March 11th. The digital single will feature a remix by Arctic Monkeys' drummer Matt Helders and another remix by Ladytron. Take a listen to a full stream of "That Dangerous Age" and a short interview Weller did with BBC Radio 6 earlier today.

"That Dangerous Age" Paul Weller




Interview on BBC Radio 6

Peter Hook

Happy Birthday to Peter Hook! Now if only his comrades in New Order would pick up the phone and make peace with him, well...yeah, that's not happening. But wouldn't it be great if it did?

Here's some footage of Hooky in action throughout his musical career. Note: I left out his dance project Revenge because I could only find audio, not video.

"She's Lost Control" Joy Division



"Age Of Consent" New Order



"What Do You Want From Me" Monaco



"Pictures In My Mind" Peter Hook & The Light (2011)



"Warsaw" "Love Will Tear Us Apart" "Transmission" (live, 2010)

Depeche Mode

According to a short article posted on a Depeche Mode page for fans in Germany/Austria/Switzerland, it appears Alan Wilder may either be working with Martin Gore on a new project, or possibly even on the forthcoming new Depeche Mode record which is expected early next year. I had to use Google Translate to read the page, so a little is, shall we say, lost in translation. Take a look at the original post (in German) and the translated page.

Meanwhile another Depeche Mode biography hit bookshelves recently. Just Can't Get Enough: The Making Of Depeche Mode by Simon Spence is out now and according to a few reviewers, does a good job of detailing the band's early days through the Black Celebration era. Here's a link to buy the biography on Amazon. (via Sideline)

Echo & The Bunnymen

I don't even know what to make of this Echo & The Bunnymen remix. On the one hand, it annoys me, because adding fat/phat dance beats ruins the beauty of the song. On the other hand, the remix sort of works in a bizarre way.

Take a listen and see what YOU think:



Note to all remixers: "Ocean Rain" is a sacred Bunnymen track. Please, please, please, leave that song alone, ok?

"Ocean Rain" (audio)



Finally, if you missed this the other day, here's the link to a full Echo & The Bunnymen concert from 1983.

Unite & Take Over: Stories Inspired By The Smiths Vol 2

Last year Spaz Dog Comics published the independent comic Unite & Take Over: Stories Inspired By The Smiths Volume 1 and coming this Record Store Day (April 21st), Volume 2 of the series will be released. The premise of Volume 2 is the same as with the first volume: "what is the story that plays in your head when you listen to your favorite Smiths song?" I am SUPER excited that one of my all time favorite songs "Sweet & Tender Hooligan," will be part of the collection! Take a look at the lists of songs to be tackled in Volume 2:

Well I Wonder
The Headmaster Ritual
Half a Person
Oscillate Wildly
London
Reel Around the Fountain
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
I Won’t Share You
A Rush, A Push and the Land is Ours
Girl Afraid
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Strech out and Wait
Sweet and Tender Hooligan
Big Mouth Strikes Again

Unite & Take Over: Stories Inspired By The Smiths: Volume 2 is an independent project, and as such Spaz Dog Comics appreciates any funding help you can provide. A Kickstarter campaign has been established and the pledge deadline is February 15th. Pledge and/or learn more about the project here.

Joy Division/Playmobil

Last year D.O. Roth, a German video director took Joy Division's 1979 performance of "Transmission" and created a Playmobil version of it. Clearly the musicians are happier than any member of Joy Division would ever be, but if you've never seen the video, it's worth a look:



As Lost In E Minor reports, a new Playmobil video from Roth has surfaced--this time for a song by Manchester band The Slow Readers Club. Roth created the video for the band's upcoming single "Feet On Fire" which drops April 2nd. Take a look at the video below, and catch up with The Slow Readers Club here.

How The Brits Rocked America: Go West

The third and final installment of the BBC documentary on British music in America debuted last night. How The Brits Rocked America: Go West, Episode 3 We're The Kids In America focuses mainly on the 80's (though it begins with the Sex Pistols), and includes The Cure, U2, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Echo & The Bunnymen and other 80's artists.
How The Brits Rocked America: Go West, Part 3--We're The Kids In America

Echo & The Bunnymen

Watch a full Echo & The Bunnymen concert from 1983:



Ian McCulloch is currently finishing up work on his new album in Wales. The record is expected to be released in early March if McCulloch reaches his pledge goal through PledgeMusic. For more info on that visit his page on PledgeMusic.

The Dandy Warhols

The Dandy Warhols have announced they'll be releasing a new record titled This Machine later this year. They haven't offered up an official release date, only that they'll be promoting the new album on their upcoming European tour which kicks off in April. Read their brief update here. Via Consequence Of Sound