...hang the dj

...hang the dj is a music blog. Old school, shoegaze, psych, and darkwave are featured genres.

Legal disclaimer: This blog is my personal, independent website. It is not affiliated with Bell Media, nor does it represents the thoughts, opinions, or desires of Bell Media

...hang the dj

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Contact info

Send music submissions, press releases, or questions/concerns to: cristina [at] 89xradio.com or: hangthedjmag [at] gmail.com

Or just hit me up on Twitter @cristinarocks

...hang the dj

...hang the dj is a music blog. Old school, shoegaze, psych, and darkwave are featured genres.

Legal disclaimer: This blog is my personal, independent website. It is not affiliated with Bell Media, nor does it represents the thoughts, opinions, desires, etc of Bell Media

For music submissions, press releases, or questions/concerns:

hangthedjmag (at) gmail.com

Or hit me up on Twitter: @CristinaRocks

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Listen to Time Warp on 89X - the long running classic alternative show airs Sunday mornings from 8am - 12pm ET. Listen on the radio (88.7) in Detroit, or stream it worldwide on the net. The Time Warp playlist archive is posted here.
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Monday, March 31, 2014


UPDATE: New Order has revealed the new song is titled "Singularity," not "Drop The Guitar."

New Order spent a good part of 2013 writing new material and as Bernard Sumner revealed in an interview prior to the Tibet House gig in March, the band has 14 "song ideas" and seven of them include Sumner's vocals.  To prove the point, New Order debuted a new song titled "Singularity" during their set at Lollapalooza Chile on March 30th, and they performed the song again on April 1st at Lollapalooza Argentina.

New Order is planning to release new material in the future, however the hangup at this point is how they'll release it. According to Sumner, there's a debate within the band whether to release the new material as a series of EPs or as a full length album.  Regardless, it's highly likely something new from the band will be released later this year in one form or another, perhaps even in time to coincide with their mini-tour of North America. Dates for the tour are posted below along with fan-filmed video of "Singularity" captured at both of New Order's Lollapalooza gigs.

7/01 -- Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
7/06 -- Seattle, WA @ Paramount
7/08 -- Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
7/11 -- San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
7/13 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theater (on sale April 5th)

Video of "Singularity" captured April 1st at Lollapalooza Argentina



Better audio of "Singularity" from Lollapalooza Argentina, but song cuts off at end.



Song debut of "Singularity" at Lollapalooza Chile on March 30th.



Published on March 31st, 2014 @ 6:04 AM
Updated April 2nd, 2014 @ 5:03 PM to include new song title and video

Detroit band Protomartyr returns with the full length album Under Color Of Official Right on April 8th. If you're a fan of dark, gritty, garage, post-punk (think Joy Division or the Fall) this record is highly recommended (as is their 2013 album No Passion, All Technique).  Under Color Of Official Right is short and sweet -- the 14 track record clocks in at under 35 minutes -- and is an interesting listen.  The songs are all rather cold and dark, yet varied, catchy and at times humorous.  Plus the cover art is awesome.  Stream Under Color Of Official Right ahead of its release over at NPR, and pre-order on Amazon or iTunes.

FYI: two songs from the album, "Come & See," and "Scum, Rise!" are still available as a free download from Soundcloud.

Don't miss Protomartyr live in Detroit! They are playing PJ's Lager House in Detroit on April 8th for their record release party, and they return to the Lager House June 7th (opening for Parquet Courts). 

Catch up with Protomartyr on Facebook.





Published on March 31st, 2014 @ 5:51 AM

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Last night The Cure played the first of two shows at Royal Albert Hall in London as part of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust benefit. The band ripped through a 29 song set, then returned for three encores, in all performing 45 songs. The band dusted off a few songs they haven't performed in years like "Harold & Joe" and Jupiter Crash," plus performed the "Lovesong" b-side, "2 Late" for the first time ever.  Video and the setlist from the show are posted below.

The Cure announced earlier this year that their 14th album, 4:14 Scream, the follow up to 2008's 4:14 Dream will be released later this year along with another live DVD release. Details about the releases are forthcoming. The Cure are also heading back on the road later this year and will perform The Top, The Head On The Door, and Robert Smith's fave Cure album, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, in full. Dates for the tour are expected to be announced soon.












01. Plainsong
02. Prayers For Rain
03. A Strange Day
04. A Night Like This
05. Stop Dead
06. Push
07. In Between Days
08. 2 Late
09. Jupiter Crash
10. The End Of The World
11. Lovesong
12. Mint Car
13. Friday I'm In Love
14. Doing The Unstuck
15. Trust
16. Pictures Of You
17. Lullaby
18. High
19. Harold & Joe
20. The Caterpillar
21. The Walk
22. Sleep When I'm Dead
23. Just Like Heaven
24. From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea
25. Want
26. The Hungry Ghost
27. Wrong Number
28. One Hundred Years
29. Disintegration

Encore 1

30. If Only Tonight We Could Sleep
31. Shake Dog Shake
32. Fascination Street
33. Bananafishbones
34. Play For Today
35. A Forest

Encore 2

36. Catch
37. The Lovecats
38. Hot Hot Hot
39. Let's Go To Bed
40. Freakshow
41. Close To Me
42. Why Can't I Be You

Encore 3

43. Boys Don't Cry
44. 10:15 Saturday Night
45. Killing An Arab

Published on March 29th, 2014 @ 9:18 AM

Friday, March 28, 2014


Over the years Joy Division's iconic Unknown Pleasures cover art has been copied/imitated for all sorts of different things -- Disney famously ripped off the design for a line of Mickey Mouse t-shirts and other bands have nicked the t-shirt idea too. There's also been music videos, oven mitts (no doubt inspired by Half Man Half Biscuit's song) and even pasta designs.  Now Google Maps Mania discovered a series of maps utilizing data visualization similar to the artwork for Unknown Pleasures.

Population Lines was created by James Cheshire using NASA data to display population density by latitude. Cheshire says he attempted to give a "simple and fresh perspective on these well-known data," and has labeled a few cities on the map to orient the viewer. Cheshire's map can be viewed here (click on it to enlarge), and those interested can also purchase a copy of the map from his website.

Website Road To Larissa adapted Cheshire's Populations Lines map using different threshold effects to display density. Their map is titled Worldwide Population and you can check it out here.

Finally, Elevation Lines is a larger contour map which can be enlarged or minimized to a greater extent than the other maps listed above.  Check out Elevation Lines here.

FYI: Joy Division fans should check out video of graphic artist Peter Saville discussing the legendary Unknown Pleasures artwork, which he adapted from an image in the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy. The video was filmed for a Visualized design conference held in New York City in 2012.



Published on March 27th, 2014 @ 5:50 AM

Morrissey announced Parlophone Records is releasing a 20th anniversary edition of Vauxhall And I on June 2nd. The CD and digital album download will come with bonus material -- a live concert from 1995 recording from 1995 titled Live At The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The reissue of Vauxhall And I will also be released on vinyl, but that format will not include the bonus live material. The tracklisting for the reissue is posted below.

Morrissey's is set to release World Peace Is None Of Your Business, his first album since 2009's Years Of Refusal, this June. An official release date has not yet been announced.  A North American tour in support of the album kicks off in May.

Vauxhall And I

01. Now My Heart Is Full
02. Spring-Heeled Jim
03. Billy Budd
04. Hold On To Your Friends
05. The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
06. Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself
07. I Am Hated For Loving
08. Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning
09. Used To Be A Sweet Boy
10. The Lazy Sunbathers
11. Speedway

Morrissey - Live At The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

01. Billy Budd
02. Have-A-Go Merchant
03. Spring-Heeled Jim
04. London
05. You're The One For Me, Fatty
06. Boxers
07. Jack The Ripper
08. We'll Let You Know
09. Whatever Happens, I Love You
10. Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself
11. The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
12. The National Front Disco
13. Moonriver
14. Now My Heart Is Full

Published on March 28th, 2014 @ 5:48 AM

Thursday, March 27, 2014


Peter Murphy announced a North American tour in support of his forthcoming album Lion. The Detroit date is June 17th at the Magic Stick. Tickets go on sale, Friday March 28th. The full tour itinerary is posted below.

Last July, Murphy announced he was working with you on his 10th studio album, and previewed a video with songs samples at a few of his 30th anniversary Mr. Moonlight shows. Murphy will release the first taste of new material on Record Store Day with a 7" featuring non-album tracks. The full length album will be released June 3rd.  Murphy shared the album's cover art earlier this week on Twitter, which you can check out above.

5/22 -- Las Vegas, NV @ LVCS
5/23 -- Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
5/24 -- Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater
5/27 -- Austin, TX @ Belmont Theater
5/28 -- Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
5/29 -- Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
5/31 -- New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
6/01 -- Gainesville, FL @ Highdive
6/03 -- Miami, FL @ Grand Central
6/04 -- Tampa, FL @ Orpheum Theater
6/06 -- Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
6/07 -- Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Theater
6/08 -- Falls Church, VA @ State Theatre
6/09 -- New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
6/11 -- Hamden, CT @ The Outer Space
6/12 -- Boston, MA @ Paradise Club
6/13 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
6/14 -- Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
6/16 -- Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
6/17 -- Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
6/18 -- St Louis, MO @ Firebird
6/20 -- Chicago, IL @ Double Door
6/21 -- Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
6/22 -- Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
6/24 -- Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
6/25 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
6/27 -- Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
6/28 -- Seattle, WA @ Showbox Theater
6/29 -- Portland, OR @ Star Theater
7/01 -- San Francisco, CA @ Regency Theater
7/02 -- San Diego, CA @ Belly-Up Tavern
7/03 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater
7/05 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater

Published on March 27th, 2014 @ 11:30 AM

After relaunching her website a few weeks ago, Chrissie Hynde has now formally announced details behind the release of her debut solo album. Stockholm will be released on June 9th and includes 11 tracks. As previously reported, the album was produced by Björn Yttling (of Peter, Björn, & John), and includes collaborations with Neil Young and tennis star John McEnroe. Check out the tracklist for Stockholm and stream new single "Dark Sunglasses" below. Pre-order Stockholm on CD, white vinyl, and as a digital album download here.



01. You Or No One
02. Dark Sunglasses
03. Life In The Movies
04. Down The Wrong Way
05. You’re The One
06. A Plan Too Far
07. In A Miracle
08. House Of Cards
09. Tourniquet (Cynthia Anne)
10. Sweet Nuthin’
11. Adding The Blue

Published on March 27th, 2014 @ 11:05 AM

Wednesday, March 26, 2014


After launching a successful crowdfunding campaign through Pledge Music (the campaign goal was met in 24 hours), Echo & The Bunnymen return with the full length album Meteorites this spring.  Today the band premiered the first song from the album "Market Town" which you can stream in full below via Consequence of Sound. Echo says the 7 minute track is the first taste of Meteorites, but will not be the first single from the album.



Echo & the Bunnymen have previously stated that Meteorites revives a "passion for the Velvet Underground" and will rank alongside some of their classic albums like Crocodiles and Ocean Rain.

Meteorites will be released on June 3rd through 429 Records and is available to pre-order now through Amazon or Pledge Music.  The tracklisting for the album is posted below.

Dates for a U.S. tour are expected to be announced shortly. 

01. Lovers On The Run
02. Is This A Breakdown
03. Holy Moses
04. Meteorites
05. Explosions
06. Icarus
07. I Loved The Devil
08. Constantinople
09. Market Town
10. New Horizons

Published on March 26th, 2014 @ 1:27 PM

Evil Presidentes posted the third and final installment in his Depeche Mode remix trilogy.   Depeche Mode Mix Volume 3 is a live concert remix featuring audio from nine different Depeche Mode shows, and serves as a "homage to another monumental world tour and the truly unforgettable experience of going to see DM live." Stream the two hour concert mix below and download it free here. Check out the two previous remixes (Volume 1) here and (Volume 2) here and follow Evil Presidentes on Twitter.



01. Intro
02. Welcome To My World
03. Angel
04. Barrel Of A Gun
05. John The Revelator
06. Policy Of Truth
07. Soothe My Soul
08. Fly On The Windscreen
09. Condemnation
10. Judas (Martin)
11. It Doesn't Matter Two (Martin)
12. Only When I Lose Myself (Martin)
13. Heaven
14. Behind The Wheel
15. A Pain That I'm Used To
16. Question Of Time
17. Black Celebration
18. Strangelove
19. Personal Jesus

Encore:

20. Leave In Silence (Martin)
21. But Not Tonight (Martin)
22. Halo
23. Just Can't Get Enough
24. Enjoy The Silence

Published on March 25th, 2014 @ 11:44 AM

Creation fans probably are already aware of the brilliant film Upside Down: The Creation Records Story, the award winning documentary from 2010 that tells the story of Creation and the legendary bands who were signed to the label. This year, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Creation's first release, Jesus & Mary Chain's Upside Down, as well as the 20th anniversary of Oasis' debut album Definitely Maybe, a boxset for the film is in the works. Upside Down: The Creation Records Boxset features the deluxe version of the (multi-regional) DVD including bonus extended interviews (and interviews cut from the original version of the film) with Alan McGee, Noel Gallagher, Mark Gardener, Andy Bell, Adam Franklin, Bobby Gillepsie, Jim Reid, Norman Blake, Peter Hook, Seymour Stein, and more.

A crowd-funding campaign for the boxset has been set up at Indiegogo and runs through April 21st. This is a fixed funding campaign, so the goal must be met in order for the campaign to receive any funds. Tons of exciting incentives/perks are available including postcards and visual clips, plus incredibly rare and exclusive items like Ride white label releases (signed by Mark Gardener), a Primal Scream limited edition boxset, and a Q & A session with director/producer Danny O'Conner & Mark Gardener at the OX4 studio in Oxford, England!

Take a look at the campaign trailer below and donate to the Indiegogo campaign here.



For more on Upside Down: The Creation Records Story, visit the official website, Facebook, and Twitter, plus stream an excellent 30 song playlist of Creation bands below:



Published on March 26th, 2014 @ 11:43 AM


Tuesday, March 25, 2014


Elvis Costello announced a new set of dates for a North American solo tour. Don't miss Elvis Costello at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on June 13th (it's a Friday the 13th, but don't let that stop you). The pre-sale begins Thursday, March 27th at 10am and the general onsale starts Friday, March 28th. For more details about the tour, visit Elvis Costello's official site.

North American tour itinerary

6/09 -- St. Paul, MN @ O’Shaughnessy
6/10 -- Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre
6/11 -- Chicago, IL @ Copernicus Center
6/13 -- Ann Arbor, MI @ Michigan Theater
6/14 -- Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
6/16 -- Cleveland, OH @ Palace
6/17 -- Louisville, KY @ Palace
6/19 -- Atlanta GA @ Cobb Energy Centre
6/20 -- Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre
6/21 -- Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
9/05 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl (with Los Angeles Philharmonic)
9/06 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl (with Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Published on March 25th, 2014 @ 7:08 PM

Monday, March 24, 2014


The Pixies announced the release of EP3 as well as the full length compilation album Indie Cindy.

EP3 features four more songs from the Pixies and will be released as a limited edition 10" on April 28th.  Pre-order the vinyl version of the EP3 here.  A digital download version is also available through the band's store and will also be released soon to iTunes, Amazon, and other digital etailers. 

The Pixies are releasing a full length album titled Indie Cindy on April 28th.  The 12 track album compiles all of the material from EP1, EP2, and EP3 and includes new artwork from Vaughan Oliver.  The deluxe editions of Indie Cindy come with a bonus 13 track live album recorded earlier this year while on tour in North America (features touring bassist Paz Lenchantin).  Additionally, a limited edition deluxe gatefold album edition will be released for Record Store Day.

Find out more about Indie Cindy by checking out the trailer and tracklistings for Indie Cindy and Live In the USA below, then pre-order here.





Indie Cindy

01.  What Goes Boom
02.  Greens & Blues
03.  Indie Cindy
04.  Bagboy
05.  Magdalena 318
06.  Silver Snail
07.  Blue Eyed Hexe
08.  Ring The Bell
09.  Another Toe In The Ocean
10.  Andro Queen
11.  Snakes
12.  Jaime Bravo

Live in the USA

01.  Bone Machine
02.  Hey
03.  Ana
04.  Magdalena 318
05.  Snakes
06.  Indie Cindy
07.  I've Been Tired
08.  Head On
09.  The Sad Punk
10.  Distance Equals Rate Times Time
11.  Something Against You
12.  Isla de Encanta
13.  Planet Of Sound

Published on March 24th, 2014 @ 12:55 PM

Afghan Whigs premiered another song from their forthcoming album Do To The Beast today. Stream "The Lottery" below:



Do To The Beast arrives April 15th and is available to pre-order through SubPop, iTunes, and Amazon (bonus: SubPop's store is offering the "Loser Edition" pressed on white vinyl while supplies last). Fans who pre-order from Sub Pop can stream the album in full now ahead of its release.



North American tour itinerary

4/10 -- Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet's
4/11 -- Indio, CA @ Coachella
4/14 -- Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
4/15 -- Seattle, WA @ Showbox Market
4/17 -- San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
4/18 -- Indio, CA @ Coachella
5/15 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl
5/16 -- Boston, MA @ Paradise
5/17 -- Baltimore, MD @ Otto

In February Depeche Mode began reissuing its back catalog on 180 gram vinyl with the release of Some Great Reward, Black Celebration, Music For The Masses, and Songs Of Faith & Devotion. The next batch of reissues -- Violator, Construction Time Again, A Broken Frame, and Ultra -- arrive on March 25th and are available to purchase through Amazon. The reissues come with an autorip (free digital download), and include an insert, liner notes, and glossy gatefold sleeves.

Links to order the Depeche Mode reissues are posted below:

Violator
Construction Time Again
A Broken Frame
Ultra

The final installment in the reissue series arrives May 27th with the release of Speak & Spell, Exciter, Playing The Angel, and Sounds Of The Universe.



Published on March 24th, 2014 @ 5:42 AM


Iggy Pop paid tribute to the late Scott Asheton in a touching piece published in Rolling Stone. The tribute was taken from a phone conversation Iggy had with the magazine after Asheton's death last week. Read the tribute here. Asheton died on March 15th from a heart attack at the age of 64.

Published on March 24th, 2014 @ 5:41 AM

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Mark Gardener (Ride) and Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) previously collaborated on the single "The Places We Go" back in 2012, and last year the two headed back in the studio to record a full length album, which was revealed in a May 2013 interview with Gardener in Stereoboard :

"We’ve just finished a new 10-track album together...it's one of the best albums I have ever been involved in – I’m looking forward to releasing and playing more shows with Robin and the band."

Last year, Guthrie also briefly mentioned working on the record in a posting on his official site, revealing that the recording seemed to be going "rather well."

Today OX4Sound, Gardener's recording/production company, announced that the collaborative album is complete and will be released worldwide in September.  No other details (exact release date, album title, etc) have been announced, but it's a good idea to follow OX4Sound on Facebook or Twitter for updates and news about Gardener's other exciting musical projects.

Meanwhile, for Ride fans who like to ride...
London cycling gear company Milltag collaborated with Ride (bassist Steve Queralt is big into cycling) to create a special edition biking jersey and bib shorts. [A picture of the front of the jersey is at the top of this post and the back of the jersey is posted above. Note the back of the jersey reads "leave them all behind"!] Pre-order the jersey and shorts through March 31st here.



Stream "The Places We Go" below and purchase on Amazon and iTunes.



Published on March 22nd, 2014 @ 5:05 PM

Not sure how this slipped past the radar (this was announced in November!), but Madchester faves Northside have reunited. All four original members are back together and hitting the road for a U.K. tour in April and May.

Though no North American dates are planned at this time, at least fans can look forward to a Northside reissue. Cherry Red Records announced the band's recordings on Factory Records will be released in May -- Factory released several Northside singles in 1990 as well as the band's sole full length Chicken Rhythms in 1991. It's unknown whether any of the material Northside recorded in 1992, which was never released due to Factory's bankruptcy later that year, will be included in the reissue. Cherry Red has requested that fans who have photos of rare Northside recordings, memorabilia, etc., can submit them for possible inclusion in the cd booklet.

More details on the release should be announced soon. In the meantime, shall we take a trip down memory lane?







Fast forward to the present and check out some recent pictures of Northside below. Catch up with the band on Facebook and Twitter.




Published on March 22nd, 2014 @ 3:54 PM

Friday, March 21, 2014


The news about this release was posted on the blog way back in February, but the details have now been confirmed.

Joy Division's EP An Ideal For Living will be reissued by Rhino on April 19th for Record Store Day. The EP was originally released in 1978 and includes (A side) "Warsaw" & "No Love Lost," (B side) "Leaders Of Men" & "Failures." The new version of An Ideal For Living was remastered in 2010 and will be pressed on 12" vinyl. The release includes slightly different artwork from the original EP. The listing for An Ideal For Living is posted here.



Published on March 21st, 2014 @ 5:44 AM

Brian Jonestown Massacre premiered an excellent new single titled "What You Isn't." The track is the first offering from the forthcoming album Revelation, which is scheduled for release on May 19th. Stream "What You Isn't" below.  The band also announced a split 12" single with The Magic Castles for Record Store Day. Details on that are posted here.



Published on March 21st, 2014 @ 5:27 AM

Thursday, March 20, 2014


Kim Deal announced the fourth single in her limited edition 7" solo series: "The Root" b/w "Range On Castle" features Morgan Nagler, and will be released as a limited edition white label 7" single on April 1st.  A non-limited edition version of the 7" single with artwork (non-white label, artwork posted below) is also scheduled for release on April 1st.  Pre-order the 7" singles on Kim Deal's official website .  "The Root" will be available as a digital download through iTunes and Amazon on April 1st.

Artwork for the non-limited edition version of "The Root"


Check out the official video for "The Root" below




Published on March 20th, 2014 @ 11:03 AM


The Dandy Warhols are releasing their first-ever live album on March 25th. Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia: Live at the Wonder was recorded last June in Portland on the 13/13/13 tour (13 date tour marking the 13th anniversary of the 13 track album Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia). The live album will be available on cd, double vinyl, and as a digital download - the vinyl version will include two bonus tracks.

The album is streaming in full this week ahead of its release over at Yahoo, so take a listen to it here and pre-order Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia: Live at the Wonder from the Dandy Warhols online store, Amazon, or iTunes.  Vinyl copies are also available at Urban Outfitters and independent record stores.

The Dandy Warhols are also kicking off a North American tour this spring. Dates are posted below:



4/23 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
4/24 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
4/28 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
4/29 - Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Sol Stage
5/01 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
5/03 - Plano, TX @ Suburbia Music Festival
5/04 - Plano, TX @ Suburbia Music Festival
5/05 - Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
5/06 - Louisville, TN @ Mercury Ballroom
5/08 - St. Louis, MO @ Ready Room
5/09 - Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
5/10 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater

Published on March 20th, 2014 @ 5:24 AM

Wednesday, March 19, 2014


Slint announced a handful of dates for a spring North American tour which is set to coincide with the April 15th release of the deluxe boxset edition of their seminal post-rock album Spiderland.  Tickets for all the shows on the tour, including the May 9th stop at St. Andrew's Hall, go on sale Friday, March 21st.  Pre-sales begin March 20th.  The full list of dates is posted below:

4/29 -- Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
4/30 -- Asbury Park, NJ - The Stone Pony
5/01 -- Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
5/02 -- Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
5/04 -- New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
5/06 -- Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
5/08 -- Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
5/09 -- Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
5/10 -- Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
5/11 -- Minneapolis, MN - Mill City Nights

Meanwhile, Breadcrumb Trail, the 90 minute documentary about Slint and the making of Spiderland premiered earlier this month at select theaters nationwide and opens in the U.K. next week.  More U.S. screenings are expected to be announced soon, plus the film is included in the Spiderland box set. Breadcrumb Trail was directed by Lance Bangs and includes appearances from Steve Albini, Ian Mackaye, and David Yow. Check out the trailer for Breadcrumb Trail below and pre-order the Spiderland box set here.





Published March 19th, 2014 @ 6:54 PM

A new version of XTC's Skylarking will be reissued on April 14th -- the special edition reissue corrects the polarity/audio issues found on the original version of the 1986 record. A few years ago, mastering engineer John Dent identified the reversed polarity issue, which is explained by the band:

"Somewhere, possibly in the transfer from the multi-channel tape to the stereo master, a polarity had been reversed. This is not the same thing as a reversed left/right channel which puts a stereo picture out of phase & makes the sound unlistenable, but a much more difficult to pin down event that can be triggered by something as simple as a badly wired plug in the overall system which, nonetheless, removes some of the punch & presence from a finished recording."

The special edition of Skylarking also restores the original tracklisting as well as the record's original artwork (posted above) which was suppressed by Virgin Records. The album is available to pre-order XTC's webstore and Amazon.

Meanwhile, Andy Partridge, who runs XTC's twitter, sent out a flurry of tweets over the past 24 hours. His tweets are a must read for fans -- Partridge sets the record straight with some very fun facts about XTC and more. Check out a few of his tweets below, and read them all here








Published on March 19th, 2014 @ 9:28 AM

Tuesday, March 18, 2014


Last year Chrissie Hynde revealed she finished up work on a new solo album with Björn Yttling (of Peter, Björn, & John), which also includes collaborations with Neil Young and tennis star John McEnroe. Though Hynde still hasn't announced when her album will be released, she has relaunched her website, which likely means the announcement is coming soon. For now check out audio of Hynde talking about working with Yttling over on her site here.

Watch Hynde talk about her new album in an October 2013 interview after being named Classic Songwriter at the Q Awards below:





Published on March 18th, 2014 @ 5:59 AM

R.E.M. announced the release of a limited edition, four LP acoustic set for Record Store Day. The collection includes all the audio from the band's MTV Unplugged episodes in 1991 and 2001, plus 11 songs that never aired as part of the telecasts.

R.E.M. Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions will be pressed on vinyl and sold exclusively in limited quantities at select record stores on April 19th, so now would be a great time to start sucking up to your favorite record store. Barring that, a CD and digital album download of the set will be released on May 20th. Check out the tracklisting below and read more about the release here. Watch the trailer for R.E.M.'s Record Store Day offering here.

1991 Unplugged

Side One

1."Half A World Away"
2."Disturbance at the Heron House"
3."Radio Song"
4."Low"

Side Two

1."Perfect Circle"
2."Fall on Me"
3."Belong"
4."Love Is All Around"

Side Three

1."Its The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
2."Losing My Religion"
3."Pop Song 89"
4."Endgame"

Side Four

1."Fretless"*
2."Swan Swan H"*
3."Rotary 11"*
4."Get Up"*
5."World Leader Pretend"*

2001 Unplugged

Side Five

1."All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)"
2."Electrolite"
3."At My Most Beautiful"
4."Daysleeper"

Side Six

1."So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)"
2."Losing My Religion"
3."Country Feedback"
4."Cuyahoga"

Side Seven

1."Imitation of Life"
2."Find the River"
3."The One I Love"*
4."Disappear"*

Side Eight

1."Beat a Drum"*
2."I've Been High"*
3."I'll Take the Rain"*
4."Sad Professor"*

* Not included in original television broadcast

Published on March 18th, 2014 @ 5:49 AM
Updated with Record Store Day video March 19th, 2014 @ 12:30 PM

Ahead of the Pixies upcoming Australian tour, drummer David Lovering spent a few moments talking to the Guardian. For the most part the article doesn't include much new info, it's more of a summary of the band's career from the classic years up until the present day.  Lovering did make a few comments about new touring bassist Paz Lenchantin, commenting that she makes him play better and comparing her style to Kim Deal:

"When we had Kim Deal, that’s all I knew as a bass player – I didn’t know anything different. And now playing with Paz, it’s a different breed...The Pixies are all eighth-notes on the bass, you know? Paz has got me on guard. I’m just trying to lock in with her. It’s much more powerful."

Lovering was reminded that both Deal and Kim Shattuck, who played with the Pixies on tour last year, were guitar players who switched to bass out of necessity, to which he responded:

"It definitely does change it! I’d completely forgot that Kim Deal was a guitar player before,” he says. “But you’re right, and there was the one before Paz [Shattuck] who was also a guitar player, so now we’re finally on to a bass player."

The Pixies still enjoy being evasive about what the future holds for the band. When asked for details, Lovering said "as a magician I don't like to reveal surprises" and added that there could be an album or an EP3 on the way.  I'd at least put money on an EP at this point, all things considered.

Read the full interview with David Lovering over at the Guardian.

Published on March 18th, 2014 @ 5:31 AM

Monday, March 17, 2014


As reported here last year, Veruca Salt's original lineup (Nina Gordon, Louise Post, Jim Shapiro, and Steve Lack) has reformed and the band has been busy creating new music with producer Brad Wood, the man responsible for producing Veruca Salt's debut 1994 album American Thighs.



Since the announcement last year, Veruca Salt have spent countless hours in the studio, and from time to time they'd post a picture as evidence they were working on some new songs.







A few weeks ago, a listing for a Veruca Salt 10" Record Store Day release appeared on several vinyl websites. Though the listing wasn't posted on the official Record Store Day website (the official list is published March 20th), it appeared pretty legit. And it was. Today in a posting on the band's official site, Veruca Salt confirmed they're releasing a limited edition 10" single for Record Store Day:

"It's been 14 years but the day has finally come: The original members of Veruca Salt are back together and we're doing our thing once more. On April 19, Record Store Day, we're releasing a limited-edition ten-inch. On one side are two brand-new VS songs; on the other side is "Seether," (a) because this is the 20th anniversary of its original release, and (b) because come on.

We recorded the new songs with Brad Wood, and Minty Fresh is putting the record out, just like the first time around. So much more to tell, but we're too busy relearning all our old songs and recording new ones."

Get ready to stalk your favorite record store to obtain your copy! 

Catch up with Veruca Salt on their official website, Facebook Page, and Twitter.

Posted on March 17th, 2014 @ 7:54 PM

New Order announced a handful of North American tour dates. Most of the shows go on sale Friday, March 21st at 10am local time.

7/01 -- Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
7/06 -- George, WA @ Sasquatch (on sale now)
7/08 -- Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
7/11 -- San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
7/13 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theater (on sale April 5th)

Meanwhile Peter Hook tours North America this fall playing Low Life & Brotherhood in full. Tickets for all of the shows, including the Detroit area stop at the Magic Bag on November 13th, are on sale now.

Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails are hitting the road together for a summer co-headline tour. The opener for most of the shows -- including the Detroit area date Saturday, July 26th at DTE -- is Death Grips. The general onsale is Friday, March 21st, but there are several pre-sales for the tour. The following is the pre-sale info for the DTE show:

The first pre-sale kicks off TODAY at noon. The password for TODAY'S pre-sale was emailed out by Soundgarden's fanclub, but they also posted it on their website HERE.

Two other pre-sales begin TUESDAY at 10am: the Citi pre-sale starts at 10 am (Citi card required), and a Facebook pre-sale starts at 10am. The password for the Facebook pre-sale is posted HERE.

The Live Nation pre-sale starts Wednesday at 10am.

Full tour itinerary is posted below:

7/19 -- Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood
7/21 -- Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
7/24 -- Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/26 -- Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
7/27 -- Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
7/29 -- Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
7/30 -- Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
8/01 -- Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre
​8/02 -- Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
8/04 -- Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
​8/05 -- Virginia Beach, VA @ Farm Bureau Live at Lakewood
8/07 -- Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
8/08 -- Atlanta, GA @ Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood
8/10 -- West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre
8/11 -- Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union
8/14 -- Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheatre
8/16 -- Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/17 -- Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
8/19 -- Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheatre
8/21 -- Chula Vista, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
8/22 -- Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
8/24 -- Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
8/25 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

Soundgarden previously announced the 20th anniversary edition of Superunknown on standard CD, deluxe CD, super deluxe 4CD/1Blu-ray, and 2 LP vinyl. Pre-orders are now available, and exclusive merchandise bundles come with a FREE 15 track instant download of the newly remastered Superunknown immediately after purchase. The reissues are available June 3rd and are available to pre-order (physically) here or (digitally) here.

Published on March 17th, 2014 @ 5:37 AM

Scott Asheton, drummer for The Stooges, died on Saturday at the age of 64. Iggy Pop announced the news via a post on Facebook.

"IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM IGGY:

My dear friend Scott Asheton passed away last night.

Scott was a great artist, I have never heard anyone play the drums with more meaning than Scott Asheton. He was like my brother. He and Ron have left a huge legacy to the world. The Ashetons have always been and continue to be a second family to me.

My thoughts are with his sister Kathy, his wife Liz and his daughter Leanna, who was the light of his life."

So far the cause of Asheton's death has not been made public. Ron Asheton, Scott's brother, died in 2009 from a heart attack.

MLive posted an excellent Scott Asheton photo tribute which you can check out here. Some vintage video of The Stooges (with pretty hilarious play-by-play commentary) is posted below.



Published on March 17th, 2014 @ 5:20 AM

Sunday, March 16, 2014


A few weeks ago news leaked out about a summer co-headline tour with Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails. While the details of the tour were supposed to officially be announced on Monday, March 17th, Soundgarden and NIN went ahead and let the cat out of the bag Saturday night, offering up the full tour itinerary and ticket information. Don't miss Soundgarden and NIN this summer -- the opener for most of the shows, including the Detroit area date Saturday, July 26th at DTE -- is Death Grips. Both Soundgarden & NIN have announced fanclub pre-sales which kick off Monday (bands emailed out details/password for those pre-sales), a SEPARATE pre-sale starts Tuesday with password info posted here. The general onsale is Friday, March 21st at 10am. 

Soundgarden previously announced the 20th anniversary edition of Superunknown on standard CD, deluxe CD, super deluxe 4CD/1Blu-ray, and 2 LP vinyl. Pre-orders are now available, and exclusive merchandise bundles come with a FREE 15 track instant download of the newly remastered Superunknown immediately after purchase. The reissues are available June 3rd and are available to pre-order (physically) here or (digitally) here.

7/19 -- Las Vegas, NV @ Planet Hollywood
7/21 -- Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
7/24 -- Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/26 -- Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
7/27 -- Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
7/29 -- Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
7/30 -- Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
8/01 -- Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre
​8/02 -- Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
8/04 -- Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
​8/05 -- Virginia Beach, VA @ Farm Bureau Live at Lakewood
8/07 -- Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
8/08 -- Atlanta, GA @ Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood
8/10 -- West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre
8/11 -- Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union
8/14 -- Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheatre
8/16 -- Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/17 -- Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
8/19 -- Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheatre
8/21 -- Chula Vista, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
8/22 -- Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
8/24 -- Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
8/25 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl





Thursday, March 13, 2014


Worst luck ever for a guitar player -- Johnny Marr announced he broke his hand last week while out for a run in London. From Marr's official site:

"I was running pretty fast and just went straight over. I banged my shoulder and then realised my hand was in a bad way. Obviously we're hoping there's no long term damage. The plan is to do the Leeds Brudenell shows on the 24th and 25th of March and then the dates I have in South America as long as I can play the guitar when the plaster comes off. Usually that would be after six weeks but I’m hoping it will be ok, it’s a bit up in the air at this point. I may have to start drinking heavily."

Marr posted photographic proof of his injury -- check out his cast here.

Marr announced recently that his new album, the follow up to 2013's The Messenger, will be out in late September/early October.

Published on March 13th, 2014 @ 9:08 AM

Wednesday, March 12, 2014


The 24th annual Tibet House benefit took place at Carnegie Hall last night. As reported previously, it was a night of collaborations. New Order's set began with Manchester poet Mike Garry, who paid tribute to Factory Records great Tony Wilson -- Garry recited his poem "St. Anthony" backed by New Order's orchestral interpretation of "Your Silent Face." Iggy Pop then joined New Order on stage and sang along with Bernard Sumner on Joy Division classics "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Transmission," as well as New Order's Lost Sirens track "California Grass."

Iggy Pop later played his own set backed by Patti Smith's band (drummer Jay Dee Daughtery had earlier performed with New Order, as Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert were not in attendance).  Smith herself paid tribute to Lou Reed during her set with an exquisite cover of "Perfect Day," which she dedicated to Reed's wife Laurie Anderson. Smith ended her set with an encore performance of "People Have The Power" featuring Iggy and New Order.  Check out some video from last night's show below:















Published on March 12th, 2014 @ 7:25 AM

Tuesday, March 11, 2014


An interesting compilation titled The Space Project is set for release on April 19th. All of the songs on the album were inspired by space, plus actually include recordings of electromagnetic radiation fluctuations obtained during the Voyager I and Voyager II space probes. The Space Project includes songs from Spiritualized, Beach House, the Antlers, and Youth Lagoon. So far the contributions from Spiritualized and Beach House have surfaced and are available to stream below. The Space Project will be released on CD, vinyl, and 7" boxset for Record Store Day.





Published on March 11th, 2014 @ 8:43 PM

A documentary on Sparks titled A Shower of Sparks aired on BBC Radio 4 today. The documentary, hosted by Stuart Maconie, features Ron and Russell Mael talking about the old days and the evolution of the band. Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore also had a few glowing words to say about Sparks, saying he was intrigued by them, and called their 1974 album Kimono My House, "a really sort of classic, contemporary rock record," comparing it to David Bowie and Roxy Music. Stream the audio documentary here.

Sparks are currently working on their 22nd studio album.

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Published on March 11th, 2014 @ 6:45 PM

Monday, March 10, 2014


UPDATE: Video from the event is posted here.

New Order are preparing to play the 24th annual Tibet House benefit tomorrow night at Carnegie Hall. Ahead of the gig, Bernard Sumner told Boston's Metro that the band is planning to perform a special arrangement of the classic "Your Silent Face," plus they'll do some sort of collaboration with Iggy Pop, who is also performing at the benefit. In the interview, Sumner mentioned he's a big Iggy fan and recalled the time he met him back in the 80s:

"I’ve been a massive fan of Iggy’s from the early days of Joy Division...I shook his hand once! A friend was a roadie for him. I was a bit inebriated at the time. I was so pleased to meet him that I got really drunk, I got drunk as his show went on. I didn’t even say it was me, I just said hello like a fan."

Sumner also shrugged off recent criticism from ex-bassist Peter Hook about only touring the hits, revealing New Order has 14 new ideas they've been working on, with seven of the songs now finished with his vocals.  Sumner said the band is still trying to figure out whether to release the material as a full album or series of EPs.

The article ended with Sumner commenting on Hook, claiming he left the band and wishing him the best. Read the full article over at Metro.

Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook are both writing memoirs about their days in New Order. Sumner's autobiography is scheduled for release this fall, and Hook's book is still in the works, though his Joy Division memoir, Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division was released in 2012.

Peter Hook recently announced dates for a North American tour. Tickets for the November 13th date at the Magic Bag in Ferndale go on sale Friday, March 14th.



Published on March 10th, 2014 @ 5:39 AM

Friday, March 7, 2014


UPDATE: Soundgarden announced iTunes Festival live stream now starts at 11pm ET on 3/13 (instead of 12am)

Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails are hitting the road for a co-headline tour this summer. Both bands are celebrating 20th anniversaries: Soundgarden's Superunknown and NIN's The Downward Spiral turn 20 this year, in fact the records were released on the very same day -- March 8th, 1994. So far NIN and Soundgarden are teasing fans with promo videos, but the tour announcement is imminent, so stay tuned for official details on the shed tour.

Soundgarden fans can also chat with Chris Cornell on Thursday, March 13th at 4pm on Twitter, then later that evening Soundgarden's Superunknown performance live from SXSW streams live on iTunes starting at 11pm ET (10pm CT).





Published on March 7th, 2014 @ 8:58 PM