Belly premiere new single "Stars Align"

Belly are gearing up to release their first set of songs since reuniting a few years ago. Earlier this month they debuted the video for the first single "Shiny One," and today they've unleashed another catchy song called "Stars Align." Check both tracks out below.

Dove arrives on May 4th and is available to pre-order now. The full length album is preceded by another new release titled Feel. The four track EP includes two songs from Dove along with a cover of "Hushabye Mountain" (from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and one exclusive song. The limited edition EP will be released on April 21st for Record Store Day. Learn more about the release here.





Belly - U.S. tour

May 26 -- Allston, MA @ Boston Calling Music Festival
Aug 08 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Aug 09 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Aug 10 -- San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Aug 11 -- Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Aug 12 -- Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theater
Aug 22 -- Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
Aug 25 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Aug 26 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Sep 28 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Sep 29 -- Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Oct 04 -- Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
Oct 05 -- Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe

Published March 29th, 2018

The Breeders rock out "Wait In The Car" on Conan

The Breeders knocked out a spectacular version of their single "Wait In The Car" last night on Conan. The appearance was the band's first U.S. television gig in support of their newly released album All Nerve and served as a warm up for their upcoming North American tour which kicks off next week. Check out the performance of "Wait In The Car" below:



The Breeders - North American tour

Apr 05 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Theatre at Ace Hotel
Apr 06 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Theatre at Ace Hotel
Apr 07 -- Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Apr 08 -- San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
Apr 10 -- Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
Apr 11 -- Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Apr 13 -- Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
Apr 15 -- Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
Apr 16 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ The Grand at The Complex
Apr 18 -- Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
Apr 19 -- Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
Apr 21 -- Austin, TX @ Emo's
Apr 22 -- Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Apr 23 -- Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Apr 25 -- Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
Apr 26 -- Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
Apr 30 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
May 01 -- New York, NY @ Terminal 5
May 02 -- Port Chester, NY @ Capitol Theatre
May 04 -- Boston, MA @ House of Blues
May 05 -- Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
May 06 -- Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
May 08 -- Chicago, IL @ Vic Theater
May 09 -- Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
May 11 -- Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
May 13 -- Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

Published March 29th, 2018

Garbage announce 20th anniversary edition of 'Version 2.0'

Garbage announced a 20th anniversary edition of Version 2.0 will be released on June 22nd. The original material has been remastered for the release, plus the deluxe version adds an extra disc featuring 10 songs with B-sides from the era and more.

The anniversary edition will be released digitally and on a variety of physical formats: standard CD, deluxe 2CD, 2LP pressed on orange vinyl, and limited edition boxset with 3LP black vinyl and download code. So far, only the digital version of the release is available to pre-order in North America, but Garbage urge fans to check their website for updates.

Originally released in 1998, Garbage consider Version 2.0 to be one of their finest achievements:

Shirley Manson:

"Version 2.0 is in my opinion the quintessential garbage record. We are all very grateful to the millions of people who took it to their hearts at the time it was released and to those who continue to love on it still."

Butch Vig:

"Version 2.0 is the sound of a band growing up, evolving, and more than anything, gaining confidence. When we started recording, we made a conscious decision to not re-invent ourselves, but rather take everything we learned from our debut album and filter it through the new digital technology we were grappling with. Sonically, the album has moments of razor sharp clarity and soft beauty. Indeed, it’s possibly our best album."

Garbage unveiled "Lick The Pavement" from the 20th anniversary edition of Version 2.0 today. Stream below and view the tracklisting for the deluxe edition of Version 2.0.




01. Temptation Waits
02. I Think I'm Paranoid
03. When I Grow Up
04. Medication
05. Special
06. Hammering in My Head
07. Push It
08. The Trick Is to Keep Breathing
09. Dumb
10. Sleep Together
11. Wicked Ways
12. You Look So Fine

Extra tracks on deluxe edition:

01. Can't Seem To Make You Mine
02. 13x Forever
03. Deadwood
04. Get Busy With The Fizzy
05. Soldier Through This
06. Thirteen
07. Lick The Pavement
08. Medication (Acoustic)
09. Tornado
10. Afterglow

Published March 28th, 2018

Raf Simons unleashes more Joy Division + New Order inspired pieces

Last year designer Raf Simons premiered a line of Joy Division and New Order inspired rain gear at his runway show in Manhattan. Simons has now introduced additional items which blend "nostalgic inspirations and futuristic outlook" and feature Peter Saville's iconic artwork. The items include a Joy Division Unknown Pleasures convertible 2-piece hoodie, see-through New Order Substance shirt, and Joy Division + New Order baseball caps.

But OH the price of fashion: The New Order shirt pictured above retails for $940 and the Joy Division hoodie pictured at the top of this post is $1060. Seriously hope Peter Saville and Joy Division/New Order get a major cut of the action. Check out and/or purchase the designs here via Hypebeast.



Published March 27th, 2018

The Mission announce 2CD/1DVD set 'Live at Rockpalast'

The Mission release a new live collection next month titled The Mission Live at Rockpalast. The three disc set (2CD/1DVD) features two full concerts from The Mission - the first was filmed November 24th, 1990 while on the road in support of Deliverance and the second took place April 16th, 1995 while on the Neverland tour. Both shows took place at the venue Philipshalle (now named Electric Halle) in Düsseldorf, Germany and aired on the German television show Rockpalast.

The Mission Live at Rockpalast will be released on April 27th. View the tracklisting below and pre-order here or here.

Meanwhile another live set from The Mission will be released this Friday, March 30th through Cherry Red. The Mission - The Final Chapter was sanctioned by The Mission and captures the band's five "farewell" shows that took place in London in 2008 [in 2008 Wayne Hussey had stated he needed to take an indefinite break from The Mission and intended those shows to be the band's final goodbye to fans. As it turned out, a few years later The Mission regrouped to celebrate their 25th anniversary, thus the "farewell" shows were awesome, but not exactly a true farewell.] More info on The Mission - The Final Chapter is posted here.



The Mission - Live At Rockpalast tracklisting

Disc: 1

01. Amelia
02. Childs Play
03. Severina
04. Hands Across The Ocean
05. Butterfly On A Wheel
06. Into The Blue
07. Sea Of Love
08. Kingdom Come
09. Beyond The Pale
10. Tower Of Strength
11. Dream On
12. Like A Hurricane
13. Wasteland

Disc: 2

01. Wasteland
02. Hands Across The Ocean
03. Sway
04. Into The Blue
05. Heaven Knows
06. Like A Child
07. Swoon
08. Beyond The Pale
09. Deliverance
10. Tower Of Strength

Disc: 3 (DVD)

01. Amelia
02. Childs Play
03. Severina
04. Hands Across The Ocean
05. Butterfly On A Wheel
06. Into The Blue
07. Sea Of Love
08. Kingdom Coma
09. Beyond The Pale
10. Tower Of Strenght
11. Dream On
12. Deliverance
13. Like A Hurricane
14. Wasteland
15. Wasteland
16. Hands Across The Ocean
17. Sway
18. Into The Blue
19. Heaven Knows
20. Like A Child
21. Swoon
22. Beyond The Pale
23. Deliverance
24. Tower Of Strength

Published March 27th, 2018

The Posies celebrate 30th anniversary with expanded reissues + tour

The Posies mark their 30th anniversary in 2018 with a trio of reissues. Their classic albums Dear 23, Frosting On The Beater, and Amazing Disgrace will be released as expanded sets: Dear 23 will be released on June 15th, Frosting On The Beater on July 27th, and Amazing Disgrace on October 26th. The reissues come as 2CD or 2LP sets and include the original material remastered along with a ton of bonus tracks, many of which are previously unreleased.

Meanwhile the power pop kings will hit the road for an extensive 30th anniversary North American tour. The tour rolls through the Detroit area for a stop at the Magic Bag in Ferndale on June 22nd. Tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday, March 30th.



The Posies - North American tour

May 18 – Victoria, BC @ Capital Ballroom
May 19 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
May 20 –- Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
May 21 –- Bend, OR @ Volcanic Theatre Pub
May 22 –- Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s
May 23 –- San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
May 24 –- San Juan Capistrano, CA @ Coach House
May 25 –- Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater
May 26 –- San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
May 28 –- Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
May 30 –- Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Brewing Co.
May 31 –- Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Jun 01 –- San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
Jun 02 –- Austin, TX @ The Parish
Jun 03 –- Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock at House of Blues
Jun 04 –- Little Rock, AR @ Capitol View Studios
Jun 06 –- New Orleans, LA @ The Parish at House of Blues
Jun 07 –- Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
Jun 08 –- Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Jun 09 –- Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
Jun 10 –- Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre
Jun 11 –- Annapolis, MD @ Ram’s Head On Stage
Jun 13 –- Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
Jun 14 –- Fairfield, CT @ Stage One at Fairfield Theatre
Jun 15 –- Somerville, MA @ ONCE Somerville
Jun 16 –- Washington, DC @ The Hamilton
Jun 17 –- New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom
Jun 19 –- Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
Jun 20 –- Cleveland, OH @ Music Box Supper Club
Jun 21 –- Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
Jun 22 –- Ferndale, MI @ The Magic Bag
Jun 23 –- Chicago, IL @ Park West
Jun 24 –- Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Jun 25 –- Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
Jun 26 –- St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Jun 28 –- Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
Jun 30 –- Denver, CO @ Levitt Pavilion
Jul 01 –- Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room
Jul 06 –- Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo
Jul 07 –- Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre

Published March 27th, 2018

Midge Ure releases 'Orchestrated' on LP + more Ultravox reissues

Last December Midge Ure released Orchestrated, a collection of reimagined orchestral versions of Ultravox songs and tracks from his distinguished solo career. Today Ure announced that Orchestrated will be released on vinyl on June 8th. Copies of the double 140 gram clear vinyl autographed by Ure are available to pre-order though his official website.

Meanwhile several Ultravox releases have been issued recently as expanded digipack sets. Vienna, Quartet, Lament, and Rage In Eden are available as 2CD expanded sets; the live album Return To Eden is available on 3 discs (2CD/1DVD); and the 1983 live album Monument on 2 discs (1CD/1DVD). The 1984 compilation The Collection is available on digipack, but is a standard CD (not an expanded release).

Finally, Vienna will be reissued on vinyl on April 6th and is available to pre-order now through Amazon UK.

Links to buy the reissues can be found through the Ultravox news website here.

As previously reported, Midge Ure hits the road later this year for a handful of solo shows, then hooks up with Paul Young for the Soundtrack Of Your Life tour. The tour plays the Magic Bag in Ferndale on June 14th and tickets are available here.



Midge Ure (solo acoustic shows)

May 29 -- Austin, TX @ Ten
May 30 -- Denton, TX @ Dans Silverleaf
May 31 -- New Orleans, LA @ The Parish @ The House of Blues
Jun 01 -- Atlanta, GA @ City Winery
Jun 02 -- Bordentown, NJ @ Randy Now's Man Cave

Paul Young + Midge Ure - Soundtrack Of Your Life Tour

Jun 05 -- Bethesda, MD @ Bethesda Blues & Jazz
Jun 06 -- Sellersville, PA @ Sellersville Theatre
Jun 07 -- Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
Jun 08 -- New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
Jun 12 -- Toronto, ON @ TBA
Jun 14 -- Ferndale, MI @ Magic Bag
Jun 17 -- Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall

Published March 26th, 2018

Nine Inch Nails add live dates in Las Vegas

Nine Inch Nails announced they'll play a pair of shows in Vegas in June and revealed these will be the band's only North American dates this summer. Presales kick off March 28th at 1pm ET and the general onsale is March 30th at 1pm ET.

The Vegas gigs take place prior to NIN's previously announced dates in the U.K., which means the deadline for the final installment in the Nine Inch Nails EP trilogy has moved up by nine days. Trent Reznor told the BBC earlier this month that the band was finishing up work on the third EP and they plan to release it sometime prior to their shows in June. In the same interview he revealed the final EP took a bit longer than originally planned due to an unexpected creative roadblock:

"We started out with a pretty rigid concept of what the three EPs were going to be, having not written them all, but had a kind of blueprint for the trajectory and the sound. And then as we finished the last one, Add Violence, and started work on what we thought was going to be the third EP, we found ourselves - it felt too predictable. It felt like what we originally -- the map we'd kind of drawn out, the plot line -- felt like we were forcing things musically and storytelling-wise, just the whole trajectory.

We thought it was a brief phase and we kept at it and it still inherently felt wrong, so we -- the reason it's been a little bit delayed, is it took us awhile to, for what has become the third EP, to reveal itself to us. It was kind of a left turn, a surprise, it took us awhile to wrap our heads around it, but we're in the process of finishing that right now and that should be out before these shows take place."



Nine Inch Nails - World Tour

Jun 13 -- Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint/Hard Rock Cafe Hotel & Casino
Jun 15 -- Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint/Hard Rock Cafe Hotel & Casino
Jun 22 -- London, UK @ Meltdown
Jun 24 -- London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall
Jun 25 -- Paris, FR @ L'Olympia
Jun 27 -- Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS
Jun 29 -- St. Gallen, CH @ Open Air St. Gallen
Jun 30 -- Prague, CZ @ Aerodrome Festival
Jul 02 -- Berlin, DE @ Zitadelle
Jul 04 -- Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde
Jul 06 -- Belfort, FR @ Les Eurockéennes
Jul 08 -- Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
Jul 12 -- Lisbon, PT @ Nos Alive
Jul 14 -- Madrid, ES @ Mad Cool Festival
Aug 17 -- Tokyo, JP @ Sonic Mania
Aug 19 -- Osaka, JP @ Summer Sonic

Published March 26th, 2018

Johnny Marr continues to tease 'Call The Comet'

Johnny Marr continues to tease his third studio album Call The Comet. Today the legend shared another video preview on social media. The video clocks in at a mere fifteen seconds yet still manages to effectively drum up excitement for his undoubtedly amazing new album. Check it out below.

We're ready whenever you are, Johnny!

Come with me, evaporate...#CallTheComet pic.twitter.com/0uGcPUBebB

— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) March 26, 2018

Published March 26th, 2018

Classic Alternative - Episode 48: Retract

Presenting Classic Alternative - Episode #48: Retract

Rock it old school with a brand new episode of Time Warp. This week's show includes music from The The, Ministry, David Bowie, Primal Scream, The Charlatans, Simple Minds, Velvet Underground, Social Distortion, R.E.M., and more.

Stream below or here and check out the full archive of Time Warp episodes here or here.


Music news stories from the past week

Heads up: The Breeders play Conan this week
Billy Corgan talks Smashing Pumpkins, D'Arcy, and being a heel
Belly premiere video + U.S. tour dates
L7 add new shows; return to Detroit in July
Pixies Surfer Rosa turns 30
James share live "Sit Down" backed by string orchestra
Rhino launch podcast series; talk Ramones 'Rocket To Russia'
Stream Elvis Costello/Johnny Cash collaboration
Peter Hook plays New Order classics + honors Mark E. Smith
Depeche Mode wrap up fan FB takeover with Daniel Miller
Johnny Marr shares teeny preview of Call The Comet
Wire announce "definitive" expanded versions of Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154
Richard Ashcroft + Liam Gallagher announce North American tour

The Breeders playing Conan this week

The Breeders hit the road next week in support of their newly released album All Nerve. Prior to the tour kickoff the band lined up a late night TV gig. Don't miss the Breeders this Wednesday, March 28th on Conan. While you're waiting for that, relive the magic of their 1993 interview/performance on Conan below:

UPDATE (3/29): The Breeders performed "Wait In The Car" on Conan last night. Check it out below:







The Breeders - North American tour

Apr 05 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Theatre at Ace Hotel
Apr 06 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Theatre at Ace Hotel
Apr 07 -- Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Apr 08 -- San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
Apr 10 -- Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
Apr 11 -- Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Apr 13 -- Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
Apr 15 -- Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
Apr 16 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ The Grand at The Complex
Apr 18 -- Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
Apr 19 -- Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
Apr 21 -- Austin, TX @ Emo's
Apr 22 -- Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Apr 23 -- Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Apr 25 -- Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
Apr 26 -- Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
Apr 30 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
May 01 -- New York, NY @ Terminal 5
May 02 -- Port Chester, NY @ Capitol Theatre
May 04 -- Boston, MA @ House of Blues
May 05 -- Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
May 06 -- Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
May 08 -- Chicago, IL @ Vic Theater
May 09 -- Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
May 11 -- Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
May 13 -- Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

Published March 25th, 2018

Billy Corgan talks Smashing Pumpkins, D'arcy, and being a heel

Smashing Pumpkins opened up about their reunion in an interview published in today's New York Times. Though Billy Corgan, James Iha, and Jimmy Chamberlin were each interviewed for the feature, as you might guess Corgan was the one to take most of the spotlight. He revealed that the reunion is going swimmingly right now and stated "I would say this is the happiest time of the band."

He revealed that it was Iha that got the reunion ball rolling - Iha contacted Corgan a few years ago and they tested the water from there before officially deciding to have a go at it. Corgan is adamant that the reunion is more than just a nostalgia trip and there are indeed plans to release new music. The Pumpkins created a 15 song demo which they provided to Rick Rubin, then Rubin chose eight of those songs to record. Rubin told the Times that the band came into the studio "with a healthy mindset" and sonically the new material "fits well with classic Pumpkin catalog." The tracks are expected to be released on a pair of EPs later this year.

Corgan is intensely bitter about how things went down with ex-bassist D'arcy Wretzky who will not be participating in the reunion. Though he chose not to address any of the allegations she made about Corgan and the reunion, he revealed he wasn't happy she broke the news about the Smashing Pumpkins reunion tour (before they were able to), and called it "horrifying" that she took her beefs to the press and publicly posted personal text messages she and Corgan shared.

"I think what she did demonstrates why she couldn't be involved. I was vulnerable and shared things and trusted that there was a reason to give it a chance despite empirical evidence that that was not a wise decision."

Corgan wrapped up his comments about Wretzky by stating the bridge between them has been burned forever.

A portion of the interview focused on Corgan being a controversial and outspoken figure. To that end Corgan agreed he was a villain of sorts and acknowledged his over the top comments have been a detriment to Smashing Pumpkins, claiming but for his antics they'd probably be playing bigger venues or in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He went on to describe himself as a "heel" and declared himself the second biggest heel in all of rock history, coming in second only to Lou Reed, who he considers "the king" of all heels.

Read the full feature on Smashing Pumpkins over at The New York Times.

Smashing Pumpkins hit the road for their Shiny and Oh So Bright reunion tour this summer. Dates are posted below:

The Smashing Pumpkins - The Shiny And So Bright Tour

Jul 12 -- Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
Jul 14 -- Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
Jul 16 -- Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
Jul 17 -- Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Jul 18 -- Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Jul 20 -- Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
Jul 21 -- Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Centre
Jul 22 -- Atlanta, GA @ Infinite Energy Arena
Jul 24 -- Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
Jul 25 -- Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
Jul 27 -- Baltimore, MD @ Royal Farms Arena
Jul 28 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Jul 29 -- Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Jul 31 -- Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Aug 01 -- New York City, NY @ Madison Square Garden Arena
Aug 04 -- Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Aug 05 -- Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
Aug 07 -- Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell
Aug 08 -- Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
Aug 11 -- Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
Aug 13 -- Chicago, IL @ United Center
Aug 14 -- Chicago, IL @ United Center
Aug 16 -- Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
Aug 17 -- Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Aug 19 -- St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
Aug 20 -- Omaha, NE @ Centurylink Center
Aug 21 -- Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center
Aug 24 -- Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
Aug 25 -- Portland, OR @ Moda Center
Aug 27 -- Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
Aug 28 -- Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
Aug 30 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Forum
Aug 31 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Forum
Sep 01 -- San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
Sep 02 -- Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
Sep 04 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
Sep 05 -- Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center Arena
Sep 07 -- Boise, ID @ Ford Idaho Center

Published March 22nd, 2018

Belly premiere video + U.S. tour dates

Belly return with their first new album in over 20 years in May. The band issued the first single "Shiny One" last month and now they've premiered the track's official video. Check out "Shiny One" below.

Dove arrives on May 4th and is available to pre-order now. The full length album is preceded by another new release titled Feel. The four track EP includes two songs from Dove along with a cover of "Hushabye Mountain" (from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and one exclusive song. The limited edition EP will be released on April 21st for Record Store Day. Learn more about the release here.



Belly - U.S. tour

May 26 -- Allston, MA @ Boston Calling Music Festival
Aug 08 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Aug 09 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Aug 10 -- San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Aug 11 -- Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Aug 12 -- Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theater
Aug 22 -- Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
Aug 25 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Aug 26 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Sep 28 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Sep 29 -- Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Oct 04 -- Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
Oct 05 -- Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
Oct 06 -- Chicago, IL @ Vic Theater

Published March 22nd, 2018

L7 add new shows; play Detroit this summer

L7 hit the road next week for a handful of North American dates, which brings them to El Club in Detroit on April 21st where they'll perform a set as part of John Waters' birthday show (Waters performs a live commentary to Serial Mom and L7 perform after). Now the band announced a few more gigs which bring L7 back to Detroit July 24th for a headline show at St. Andrew's Hall. Pre-sale tickets for the newly announced St. Andrew's Hall show are available here, and the general onsale is Friday, March 23rd.

FYI tickets for the April 21st John Waters/L7 event at El Club are no longer available online, however the venue is referring those interested in the show to visit their box office for ticket availability.

L7's documentary Pretend We're Dead was released last year and is available on Blu-Ray and DVD. The band also released a few new songs since reuniting. Watch the video for their most recent single "I Came Back To Bitch" below:



L7 - North American tour

Mar 29 -- Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Apr 10 -- Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall
Apr 11 -- Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Apr 12 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Apr 13 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
Apr 15 -- Columbus, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Apr 16 -- Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave/Eagles Club
Apr 18 -- Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
Apr 20 -- Chicago, IL @ The Metro
Apr 21 -- Detroit, MI @ El Club
May 04 -- Mexico City, MX @ Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
May 05 -- Mexico City, MX @ Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
May 25 -- Las Vegas, NV @ Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
May 26 -- Las Vegas, NV @ Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
May 27 -- Las Vegas, NV @ Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
May 28 -- Las Vegas, NV @ Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
Jul 23 -- Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
Jul 24 -- Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew's Hall
Jul 25 -- Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall

Published March 22nd, 2018

Pixies debut LP 'Surfer Rosa' turns 30 today

On this day in 1988, Pixies released their debut full length album Surfer Rosa. This classic alternative masterpiece influenced legions of artists and musicians and years later it still continues to inspire and amaze with its edgy yet melodic intensity and timeless gems including "Gigantic," "Where Is My Mind," "Bone Machine," "Broken Face," and so many more.

Surfer Rosa was produced by Steve Albini, who at the time was known as a respected musician in Big Black, but hadn't yet become a household name in the producing/engineering world. Surfer Rosa changed all of that for Albini - he became an in-demand recording engineer, producing albums for PJ Harvey, Helmet, The Jesus Lizard, Pigface, The Wedding Present, and of course, Nirvana.

Happy Birthday, Surfer Rosa!







Published March 21st, 2018

James share live version of "Sit Down" backed by string quartet

During their December 17th show at Albert Hall in Manchester, James performed their beloved single "Sit Down" backed by a string quartet. The band shared the performance as part of a new campaign for Musicians Against Homelessness.

Leader Tim Booth was thrilled to help raise funds and awareness with "Sit Down"

"Sit Down is a song about empathy so we are really honoured and happy that this beautiful version, arranged by Joe Duddell, is being used to raise money for the homeless.

We seem to be living in times of increasing inequality where all the safety nets that my generation took for granted have been taken away. "I don't know how a person can hold their life together if they don't have a home, a cave, someplace safe they can call their own. It is too easy for us to look the other way. Thank you to the kind souls who are running this charitable organisation for not doing so."

Musicians Against Homelessness organized successful campaigns in the past which have raised over 150 thousand dollars. The charity was founded in 2016 by Alan McGee (founder of Creation Records) with the hopes of helping out the homeless while also giving artists a high profile opportunity to have their music heard. To learn more about the organization and how to donate, visit the official website here.

Watch the video of "Sit Down" below.

James hit the road later this year for their Better Than That tour, however no North American dates have been announced.



Published March 21st, 2018

Ramones 'Rocket To Russia' episode launches The Rhino Podcast

Rhino launched its own podcast today - The Rhino Podcast. The bi-weekly podcast promises to share stories behind seminal albums, along with exclusive interviews with legendary artists, music tracks, and more. The pilot episode of The Rhino Podcast focuses on Ramones Rocket To Russia and features an interview with the album's producer and engineer, Ed Stasium. Stream the episode in full below or check it out on iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn, SoundCloud, and more. FYI: Rhino has an episode on The Smiths in the works - stay tuned for more details on that soon.



Published March 21st, 2018

A Place To Bury Strangers premiere "There's Only One Of Us"

A Place To Bury Strangers return with their fifth studio album Pinned on April 13th. The Brooklyn post-punk veterans previously issued the single "Never Coming Back" and now they've premiered another superbly gritty and ferocious track "There's Only One Of Us" which is available to stream below. Pre-order Pinned here.

A Place To Bury Strangers melted minds during their whirlwind 14 shows at South By Southwest in Austin last week. They'll hit the road for a North American tour in support of Pinned in May. The tour mostly hits the Southwest, but they'll likely announce more live shows in support of their record later this year.





A Place To Bury Strangers - North American tour

May 24 -- Washington, DC @ DC9 Nightclub
May 25 -- Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
May 26 -- Raleigh, NC @ Kings
May 27 -- West Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
May 28 -- Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
May 30 -- New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
May 31 -- Houston, TX @ The Secret Group
Jun 01 -- Austin, TX @ Barracuda Austin
Jun 02 -- Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Jun 03 -- San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
Jun 05 -- Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
Jun 06 -- Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Jun 07 -- San Diego, CA @ Casbah San Diego
Jun 09 -- Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
Jun 10 -- San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Jun 12 -- Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Jun 13 -- Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret
Jun 14 -- Seattle, WA @ Crocodile

Published March 21st, 2018

Stream: Elvis Costello + Johnny Cash collaboration "I'll Still Love You"

As previously reported a new collaborative album Johnny Cash: Forever Words, will be released April 6th. Cash's unpublished writings were set to music by Chris Cornell, Elvis Costello, T Bone Burnett, The Jayhawks, and more and the results are nothing less than stunning. Cornell's contribution "You Never Really Knew My Mind" premiered last month and this week the collaboration featuring Elvis Costello premiered. Stream "I'll Still Love You" below along with a short video of Costello explaining how Cash's lyrics inspired him.

Johnny Cash: Forever Words serves as the musical companion to 2016's Forever Words: The Unknown Poems, a volume of Cash's (previously) unpublished writing. Pre-order the album here.





Published March 21st, 2018

Peter Hook plays New Order classics + honors Mark E. Smith during live session

Peter Hook and The Light appeared on BBC Radio 6 Music today for a live session. Hook and his band performed the New Order songs "Regret" and "Run," plus dedicated a cover of The Fall's "Totally Wired" to Mark E. Smith.

The session was hosted by BBC DJ Marc Riley, who is a former member of The Fall. Throughout the session Hook and Riley shared some memories (fuzzy memories at times) of back in the day. This led Riley to ask Hook if he kept a diary back in the Joy Division days. Hook reveals he did have one, but it's been lost for some time:

"I kept a diary for the first three years, which I lost, would you believe? And when I came to do the Joy Division book...turned the house upside down and couldn't find it, so I've no idea where those diaries went..

...the (Joy Division) book became my diary, which is quite interesting 'cause you did so much research it actually all came through in the end. It was actually really nice to do it, to fill in all those blanks, because I had a few blanks."

Hooky talked a bit about what it's like to play in the band with his son Jack:

"As long as I do what he says, then everything's fine...Jack has a little unique gift I don't have, he's got the ear to pick things out and I don't, I've always struggled with that, tone deaf. So he gets it right and I have to pretend he doesn't for awhile and then just do it the way he says...it is wonderful to play with him, and he's almost as good as me now."

On whether he still loves touring and playing cities worldwide:

"I do, it's quite a strange addiction I have to say and we've been at home for a couple of months and I'm really missing the chaos. You're coming together and you're doing the gig and it's a really strange thing to do, as everybody keeps telling me, especially when you've been doing it for as long as we have, but yeah, it's really enjoyable we had such a great time doing Substance when we went last time. The promoters asked us to do it again before we went into Technique and Republic. We were a little bit worried about it, whether we would pull it off but, we've done really well and it seems that people want to hear the two LPs, the LPs are such a great contrast. That's what I like about it."

The session wrapped up with Hooky dedicating "Totally Wired" to Mark E. Smith. Prior to playing the song he had some kind words to say about Smith:

"I just wanted to dedicate this last song to Mark E Smith who was absolutely unique at what he did. We banged heads many times, but I had great admiration for him, great respect for him, as a musician and a guardian you feel the same in some different ways I would imagine. But yeah he was so hardworking he believed completely in what he did. You know he was the true punk, he didn't care what anybody else thought and I think he's going to be very very sadly missed."



Stream the full session over at BBC Radio 6 Music.

21:00 short intro
22:05 performance of "Regret"
26:19 first segment finishes, resumes normal Radio 6 programming
46:13 second segment begins
46:35 performance of "Run"
50:44 interview with Hook
58:13 performance of "Totally Wired"

Peter Hook & The Light return to North America next month to perform the Joy Division and New Order compilations Substance in full. The tour includes a Detroit area stop at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on May 3rd and tickets are available here.

Peter Hook - Substance tour

Apr 24 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Apr 27 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Apr 28 -- Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Apr 30 -- Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
May 01 -- Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
May 03 -- Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
May 04 -- Chicago, IL @ Metro
May 05 -- Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
May 07 -- Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
May 08 -- Vancouver, BC @ Venue
May 10 -- Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
May 11 -- Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
May 12 -- San Francisco, CA @ Warfield
May 14 -- Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
May 15 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
May 17 -- Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
May 18 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern*
May 19 -- San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues
May 21 -- Sacramento, CA @ Ace Of Spades
May 22 -- Dallas, TX @ Granada
May 23 -- Austin, TX @ Mohawk
May 25 -- Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
May 26 -- Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine
May 27 -- Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
May 29 -- Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
May 30 -- San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
May 31 -- Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Jun 02 -- West Palm Beach, FL @ Respectable Street
Jun 03 -- Orlando, FL @ Plaza Live
Jun 04 -- St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre

Published March 19th, 2018

Daniel Miller wraps up Depeche Mode's fan takeover + Martin Gore shares video

Last year Depeche Mode launched a Facebook Fan Takeover series and selected a different fan each day to share their thoughts, memories, and love on the official Depeche Mode page. Yesterday was the final day of the takeover and Depeche Mode saved their most influential fan and biggest supporter for last - Daniel Miller.

Miller signed Depeche Mode to Mute Records in 1981 and gave them a launching pad for their career. He went on to co-produce several of their albums, offered guidance and helped develop the band artistically. During Miller's takeover yesterday, he posted several pictures of Depeche Mode from his collection and revealed that one of his big regrets is that he didn't document the band's early years enough. Check out Miller's introductory comments about Depeche Mode below and view all his posts on Facebook.

Meanwhile today Martin Gore officially wrapped up the takeover series by posting a video of himself thanking all the fans and those who participated in the fan takeover. Gore reveals the band enjoyed all the postings and stated that the other members of Depeche Mode will also be posting some comments about the series shortly.

UPDATE: Andy Fletcher has posted a thank you video and Dave Gahan posted a picture of his handwritten thank you letter to fans.

Daniel Miller comments on Depeche Mode:

"Hi, my name is Daniel Miller.

After studying film, a stint as an editor and doing some travelling and DJ'ing, I started Mute Records. That was 40 years ago this year. During those years I've had the privilege of working with some of the most talented and important artists of the era including Erasure, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Moby, Goldfrapp and many others including of course, Depeche Mode with whom I've collaborated for over 35 years co-producing their first five albums and then watching their evolution and artistic growth from the comfort of my Mute office desk, lending a hand in the studio whenever needed.
Over that time I’m seen them grow from supporting Fad Gadget at the Bridgehouse pub in the east end of London playing to 15 people to the incredible place they are today. To say its been a ‘journey’ would be the greatest understatement when its been such a life changing and enhancing experience for me personally.

Mute is still going strong and although the band are no longer ‘on' the label I continue to remain close to the guys and still help out a bit in the studio which continues be a great pleasure for me.

I'm going to post some photos today that show the band at work and play.

One of my regrets is that i didn’t document the early years nearly enough- maybe i was too focused on the job in hand, but i hope you find these interesting and they give you a little insight."

Depeche Mode - North American tour

May 22 -- Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
May 24 -- Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
May 27 -- San Antonio, TX @ AT & T Center
May 29 -- Tulsa, OK @ BoK Center
Jun 01 -- Chicago, IL @ United Center
Jun 03 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Jun 06 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
Jun 09 -- Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Jun 11 -- Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

Published March 19th, 2018

Johnny Marr shares teeny preview from 'Call The Comet'

Johnny Marr continues to tease his third solo album Call The Comet. Today he shared a short preview of a new song with the caption "make your way to the edge of the world" on social media. It may be only 10 seconds, but it'll fill your heart with joy and might just be the best 10 seconds of your day.

Check it out below:

Make your way to the edge of the world...#CallTheComet pic.twitter.com/idojpeK7vr

— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) March 19, 2018

Published March 19th, 2018

Wire announce definitive expanded editions of 'Pink Flag' 'Chairs Missing' & '154'

Wire's first three albums Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154 are undisputed post-punk classics that heavily influenced countless artists and still remain vital and relevant today. Today Wire announced the release of special expanded editions of these timeless albums, plus remastered standard editions of the original releases on vinyl and CD.

The expanded editions of Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154 are encompassing definitive versions. Pink Flag will be released as a 2CD set; Chairs Missing and 154 are both 3CD sets. The first disc in each set includes a remastered version of the original material, and the extra disc(s) come with a ton of bonus material including non-album singles, b-sides, alternate versions, demos, and previously unreleased material. The sets are packaged with an 80 page hardback book with lyrics, commentary, archival photos, and new interviews with Colin Newman, Graham Lewis, Robert Grey, and Bruce Gilbert. These special editions arrive May 18th and are available to pre-order through Wire's store. It should be noted that the extra/bonus tracks from these reissues will not be released digitally.

On June 22nd, Wire will issue standard CD and standard vinyl editions of Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154. Other than remastered audio, Wire attempted to keep these standard editions as similar to the original releases as possible. The vinyl releases have the same artwork as the originals (minus the Harvest logo). The digi-pack CDs have identical tracklistings to their vinyl counterparts. According to Wire, "these versions should be considered Wire’s classic 1970s albums, pure and undiluted."

Meanwhile Wire will be releasing a singles box set for Record Store Day in the U.K. on April 21st. The box set Nine Sevens collects nine 7-inch singles recorded between 1977 and 1980 along with the rare EP given away with the first pressings of 154. Though the release is restricted to the U.K., the singles will be individually released digitally after Record Store Day.

View the tracklistings for the Wire special editions + Nine Sevens box set below

Pink Flag - CD 1/Original album

Reuters
Field Day For The Sundays
Three Girl Rhumba
Ex Lion Tamer
Lowdown
Start To Move
Brazil
It's So Obvious
Surgeon's Girl
Pink Flag
The Commercial
Straight Line
106 Beats That
Mr. Suit
Strange
Fragile
Mannequin
Different To Me
Champs
Feeling Called Love
12XU

Pink Flag - CD 2 demos/alt mixes

The Commerical
Mr. Suit
Pink Flag
Surgeon's Girl
Field Day For The Sundays
106 Beats That
Fragile
Reuters
Different To Me
Ex Lion Tamer
Mannequin
Champs
Start To Move
Three Girl Rhumba (alt mix)
Ex Lion Tamer (alt mix)
12XU (mono mix)
Mannequin (mono mix)
It's So Obvious (alt mix)

Chairs Missing - CD 1/Original album

Practice Makes Perfect
French Film Blurred
Another The Letter
Men 2nd
Marooned
Sand In My Joints
Being Sucked In Again
Heartbeat
Mercy
Outdoor Miner
I Am The Fly
I Feel Mysterious Today
From The Nursery
Used To
Too Late

Chairs Missing - CD 2/singles, b-sides, studio recordings

I Am The Fly (single version)
Dot Dash
Options R
Outdoor Miner (single version)
Practice Makes Perfect (single version)
Underwater Experiences (advision version)

Chairs Missing - CD3 - studio demos

Practice Makes Perfect
Oh No Not So
Culture Vultures
It's The Motive
Love Ain't Polite
French Film Blurred (version 1)
Sand In My Joints
Too Late
I Am The Fly
Heartbeat
Underwater Experiences
Stalemate
I Feel Mysterious Today
Dot Dash
French Film Blurred (version 2)
Options R
Finistaire (Mercy)
Marooned
From The Nursery
Indirect Enquiries (version 1)
Outdoor Miner
Chairs Missing (Used To)
Being Sucked In Again
Men 2nd
Another The Letter
No Romans

154 - CD1/original album

I Should Have Known Better
Two People In A Room
The 15th
The Other Window
Single K.O.
A Touching Display
On Returning
A Mutual Friend
Blessed State
Once Is Enough
Map Ref. 41°N 93°W
Indirect Enquiries
40 Versions

154 - CD 2/singles, B-sides and studio recordings

A Question Of Degree (single)
Former Airline (single)
Go Ahead (single)
Our Swimmer (single)
Midnight Bahnhof Cafe (single)
Our Swimmer [2nd length] (single)
Catapult 30 (single)
Song 1 (154 EP)
Get Down 1 + 2 (154 EP)
Let's Panic Later (154 EP)
Small Electric Piece (154 EP)

154 - CD3/studio demos

40 Versions
Ignorance No Plea (I Should Have Known Better)
Blessed State
A Touching Display
The 15th
A Mutual Friend
Once Is Enough
The Other Window
Stepping Off Too Quick
Indirect Enquiries v2
Map Ref. 41°N 93°W
Single K.O.
On Returning
A Question Of Degree
Former Airline
Two People In A Room

Nine Sevens - boxset

#1 - Mannequin
Mannequin
Feeling Called Love
12XU

#2 - I Am The Fly
I Am The Fly
Ex Lion Tamer

#3 - Dot Dash
Dot Dash
Options R

#4 - Outdoor Miner
Outdoor Miner
Practice Makes Perfect

#5 - A Question Of Degree
A Question Of Degree
Former Airline

#6 - Map Ref. 41°N 93°W
Map Ref. 41°N 93°W
Go Ahead

#7 - Our Swimmer
Our Swimmer
Midnight Bahnhof Café

#8 - 154 EP
Song 1
Get Down pts 1 & 2
Let's Panic Later
Small Electric Piece

#9 - 2nd Length
2nd Length (Our Swimmer)
Catapult 30

Published March 19th, 2018

Liam Gallagher + Richard Ashcroft team up for North American tour

Swoon city: Richard Ashcroft and Liam Gallagher are playing a few shows overseas together later this year and now they've announced they're teaming up for a North American tour. The two legends head to North America in May for a six-date engagement which does NOT include a Detroit date. If you'd like to see this dream tour, the general onsale for tickets is Friday, March 23rd. Pre-sales start March 21st and March 22nd, depending on the show. See the tour itinerary and ticket info down below.

In the early 90s prior to becoming massive, Oasis opened up for The Verve and later eclipsed their success. Liam Gallagher (and for that matter Noel) maintained a close friendship with Ashcroft and Liam appeared on a few Verve recordings, including "History," "Space and Time," and the brillant "Come On." In 2012 Ashcroft revealed a bit about Gallagher's participation on "Come On":

"If you concentrate you can hear some demented guy screaming "COME ON" and I imagine everyone thinks that's me, but I remember him doing it. He arrived at the studio in Barnes with a tape of a song he'd just done with John Squire. So he proceeded, as he does, and played it 15 times in a row in the studio, so I played him "Bittersweet" and I said we're doing "Come On" now -- you've got to be on it. He went into this booth with someone else and he was going ballistic at the end of it, smashing his tambourine against the side of the vocal booth."

In recent months Ashcroft also paid tribute to Gallagher at the Q Awards, calling him "the real fucking thing" and "the legend."

#LiamGallagher and #RichardAshcroft at Q Awards 2017 pic.twitter.com/p6DSN34uSN

— Oasis BeadyEye (@OasisBeadyEye) October 19, 2017

Liam Gallagher is touring in support of his debut solo album As You Were; Richard Ashcroft's latest solo record These People was released in 2016.

Liam Gallagher - Richard Ashcroft North American tour

May 10 -- San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic (pre-sales start 3/21)
May 11 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre (pre-sales start 3/22)
May 13 -- Toronto, ON @ Sony Centre For The Performing Arts (pre-sales start 3/21)
May 14 -- Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion (pre-sales start 3/21)
May 16 -- New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage (pre-sales start 3/21)
May 17 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier at Penn's Landing (pre-sales start 3/22)

Published March 19th, 2018

Classic Alternative - Episode #47: Calumny!

Presenting Classic Alternative - Episode #47: Calumny!

Rock it old school with a brand new episode of Time Warp. This week's show includes music from Radiohead, Kate Bush, Skinny Puppy, The Cure, Afghan Whigs, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, The Mighty Lemon Drops, Sparks, Nine Inch Nails, R.E.M., and more.

Stream below or here and check out the full archive of Time Warp episodes here or here.


Music news stories from the past week

Morrissey lashes out at The Independent + watch his Vive Latino set
Trent Reznor talks NIN trilogy + reveals final EP is coming soon
Charlie Quintana, R.I.P.
Video: Morrissey performs on Mexican TV
Johnny Marr talks 'Call The Comet' in new interview
Liz Phair announces Girly-Sound To Guyville: The 25th Anniversary Boxset
Beck expands North American tour; plays Detroit
Morrissey's extraordinary Viva Hate turns 30
The Mission U.K. box up live recordings for new boxset
Throbbing Gristle's Chris Carter unveils "Moon Two"
New York Dolls collect demos + live material for new boxset
Violent Femmes announce West Coast tour
David Byrne premieres new video starring Detroit School Of Arts
Brian Eno announces 'Music For Installations' box
Pearl Jam release new single "Can't Deny Me"
Sub Pop's entire catalog to air on KEXP
Johnny Marr reveals third LP called Call The Comet
Book Of Love announce Lullaby Redux anniversary show
Depeche Mode film marks 30th anniversary of their historic East Berlin concert

Morrissey lashes out at The Independent + watch his Vive Latino performance

It turns out Morrissey was fibbing a bit in his song "Spent The Day In Bed." He hasn't really stopped watching the news, or the very least he hasn't stopped reading the news. The legend was pretty ruffled by yesterday's feature in The Independent titled This Charmless Man: How Morrissey's big mouth struck again...and again.  The piece was by no means complimentary, however it doesn't particularly stand out all that much from other op-ed/commentaries that have been omnipresent since last fall.

At any rate, Morrissey wasn't having any of it and called out the paper for being "fake news," "old news" and "no news." Later in a subsequent post he urged fans that were "tired of reading the same old shit" from The Independent to contact them and complain. [He made it clear that doesn't hate all media - BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, Q, and Clash Magazine were acknowledged for their support]. 

Check out the posts below or over on Facebook:

Meanwhile, Morrissey played an hour long set at Vive Latino 2018 in Mexico City last night. His set was part of the festival's live stream - if you missed the performance or just want to relive the magic, check it out in full below.









Published March 18th, 2018

Nine Inch Nails to release final EP in trilogy soon; Trent Reznor explains delay

Nine Inch Nails appeared on BBC Music 6 today in promotion of two upcoming London shows - they play Meltdown festival on June 22nd, and a newly announced show June 24th at London's Royal Albert Hall. Near the end of the interview, host Tom Ravenscroft asked for a progress report on the band's third and final installment in their EP trilogy. Reznor revealed that they were still completing work on the EP but it will be out before the shows take place in June. According to Reznor, the final EP took a bit longer than originally planned due to an unexpected creative delay:

"We started out with a pretty rigid concept of what the three EPs were going to be, having not written them all, but had a kind of blueprint for the trajectory and the sound. And then as we finished the last one, Add Violence, and started work on what we thought was going to be the third EP, we found ourselves - it felt too predictable. It felt like what we originally -- the map we'd kind of drawn out, the plot line -- felt like we were forcing things musically and storytelling-wise, just the whole trajectory.

We thought it was a brief phase and we kept at it and it still inherently felt wrong, so we -- the reason it's been a little bit delayed, is it took us awhile to, for what has become the third EP, to reveal itself to us. It was kind of a left turn, a surprise, it took us awhile to wrap our heads around it, but we're in the process of finishing that right now and that should be out before these shows take place."

Reznor also briefly talked about playing Meltdown, which is being curated by Robert Smith this year:

"We absolutely love The Cure and Robert Smith. I've been a lifelong fan. To be asked (to play), it didn't take much thought on our part."

Stream the full interview with Nine Inch Nails here (begins ~ 1:46:30).



Published March 15th, 2018

Charlie Quintana, R.I.P.

Drummer Charlie Quintana has died at the age of 56. Quintana was a founding member of The Plugz and over the years played with numerous artists including Bob Dylan, Cracker, Mike Ness, and Social Distortion. Quintana was an official member of Social Distortion from 2000 and played on 2004's Sex, Love and Rock N Roll before departing the band in 2009.

The cause of death has not been announced. Read more over at Billboard.

R.I.P.





Published March 15th, 2018

Video: Morrissey performs on Mexican TV

Morrissey appeared on the Mexican daytime television show Sale el Sol today ahead of his March 17th gig at Vive Latino in Mexico City. Moz's performance was somewhat unusual for him - he and the band roughly re-enacted the kitschy music video for "Jacky's Only Happy When She's Up On The Stage," blue suits and all.

As it was Morrissey's first ever appearance on Mexican TV, the show's hosts spent a few minutes to explain to viewers why Morrissey is a music icon, then rolled a montage of video featuring Morrissey and The Smiths, then finally Moz and his band took the stage and did their thing.

Watch how it all went down below.

FYI: the interview and montage is in Spanish. In case you don't want to watch the interview/montage, I posted three versions of the video so you can easily skip over the parts you don't want to watch.

This video is forwarded to Morrissey's performance



Video forwarded to the montage + performance



Full video - interview, montage, and performance



Published March 15th, 2018