Lurking In The Shadows: A Very Classic Alternative Halloween

Lurking In The Shadows: A Very Classic Alternative Halloween

A special presentation of Halloween classics and cult classics.

Stream below or here and catch up with the archive of previous episodes here or here.



For more Halloween grooves, stream the previous Halloween episodes:





If Halloween is not your thing, catch up or revisit one of the many episodes in the archive:

Wire announce 17th studio LP 'Mind Hive'

Legendary post-punk band Wire return with a brand new album on January 24th. Mind Hive is the band's seventeenth studio album and first since the release of 2017's Silver/Lead. The album, which features nine songs, has been described as "the most masterful 35 minutes of post-punk you will hear this year."

Two different versions of the album will be released - both will include the same music/tracklist/etc, but feature different cover art. The standard edition features a black background and blue lettering; the limited edition version features a black background and red lettering. The standard edition is available to pre-order through Wire's webstore; the limited edition/alt version will be available exclusively through independent brick and mortar record stores in the UK in an effort to get fans out to support indie record shops.

Stream the first single "Cactused" from Mind Hive below.

Along with the album news, Wire also unveiled live dates in support of the album. The North American leg of the tour takes place in March and so far does not include a Detroit area stop.



Wire - North American tour

Mar 03 -- Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
Mar 04 -- Chicago, IL @ Metro
Mar 06 -- Nashville, TN @ Mercury Lounge
Mar 07 -- Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Mar 09 -- Washington, DC @ Union Stage
Mar 10 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Mar 11 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Mar 12 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Mar 13 -- Boston, MA @ Sinclair
Mar 14 -- Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre
Mar 16 -- Toronto, ON @ Great Hall

The Ocean Blue announce 'The Ocean Blue' + 'Cerulean' vinyl reissues

The first two albums from The Ocean Blue have been repressed on vinyl and will be released next month. The self-titled 1989 dreampop classic The Ocean Blue has been newly pressed on translucent blue vinyl and 1991's Cerulean on clear vinyl. Copies will be available on The Ocean Blue's upcoming U.S. tour, or just head to their webstore to pre-order.

This summer The Ocean Blue released a glorious new album Kings And Queens/Knaves And Thieves -- one of the year's top dreampop records -- and they'll be back on the road in support of the album in November. The tour includes a Detroit area stop at The Magic Bag in Ferndale on November 1st.






The Ocean Blue - U.S. tour

Nov 01 -- Ferndale, MI @ The Magic Bag
Nov 03 -- Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Nov 15 -- San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
Nov 16 -- San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
Nov 17 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
Dec 05 -- Denver, CO @ The Soiled Dove
Dec 06 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
Jan 16 -- Dallas, TX @ Sundown at Granada
Jan 17 -- Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Jan 18 -- Austin, TX @ 3TEN Austin City Limits Live

Classic Alternative - Episode #128: A Casualty Of Failed Dreams

Classic Alternative - Episode #128: A Casualty Of Failed Dreams

Includes Buzzcocks, Depeche Mode, Trashcan Sinatras, New Order, R.E.M., Catherine Wheel, and The Rain Parade.

Stream below or here and catch up with the archive of previous episodes here or here.

Depeche Mode announce career-spanning 'MODE' boxset

After teasing fans for the last four days Depeche Mode announced a massive limited edition career-spanning boxset. MODE contains all 14 studio albums (Speak And Spell through Spirit) and four additional CDs featuring 63 non-album singles, b-sides and bonus tracks including the previously unreleased cover of David Bowie's “Heroes” (Highline Session Version). The boxset also includes a 228-page book with complete lyrics, career-spanning photographs, and the original album cover artwork.

Much of the bonus non-album material has been previously released but MODE is a fantastic comprehensive set for newer fans or those who missed out on some previous releases.

MODE arrives on November 22nd and is available to pre-order now. View the tracklisting below:

Discs 1 - 14: Depeche Mode studio albums

01. Speak And Spell
02. A Broken Frame
03. Construction Time Again
04. Some Great Reward
05. Black Celebration
06. Music For The Masses
07. Violator
08. Songs Of Faith And Devotion
09. Ultra
10. Exciter
11. Playing The Angel
12. Sounds Of The Universe
13. Delta Machine
14. Spirit

Disc 15: 1981 - 1985

01. Photographic (Some Bizarre Version)
02. Sometimes I Wish I Was Dead (Flexi-Pop Version)
03. Dreaming Of Me
04. Ice Machine
05. Shout
06. Any Second Now
07. Now, This Is Fun
08. Oberkorn (It's A Small Town)
09. My Secret Garden (Excerpts From)
10. My Secret Garden (Further Excerpts From)
11. Get The Balance Right!
12. The Great Outdoors!
13. Work Hard
14. Fools
15. In Your Memory
16. (Set Me Free) Remotivate Me
17. Shake The Disease
18. Flexible
19. It’s Called A Heart
20. Fly On The Windscreen

Disc 16: 1986 - 1990

01. Dressed In Black (Record Mirror Version)
02. But Not Tonight
03. Breathing In Fumes
04. Black Day
05. Christmas Island
06. Agent Orange
07. Fpmip
08. Pleasure, Little Treasure
09. Route 66
10. Stjarna
11. Sonata No. 14 In C#m (Moonlight Sonata)
12. Dangerous
13. Memphisto
14. Sibeling
15. Kaleid
16. Happiest Girl (Jack Mix)
17. Sea Of Sin (Tonal Mix)

Disc 17: 1993 - 2005

01. My Joy (Seven Inch Mix)
02. Death’s Door (Soundtrack Version)
03. Death’s Door (Jazz Mix)
04. Slowblow
05. Painkiller
06. Only When I Lose Myself
07. Surrender
08. Headstar
09. Easy Tiger
10. Dirt
11. Zenstation
12. Free
13. Newborn
14. Better Days
15. Martyr

Disc 18: 2006 - 2017

01. Oh Well (Single Version)
02. Oh Well
03. Light
04. The Sun And The Moon And The Stars
05. Ghost
06. Esque
07. Long Time Lie
08. Happens All The Time
09. Always
10. All That’s Mine
11. Heroes (Highline Session Version)

Classic Alternative - Episode #127: A Flash Onto Ever

Classic Alternative - Episode #127: A Flash Onto Ever

Includes Suede, Depeche Mode, Front 242, David Bowie, XTC, The Afghan Whigs, and The Jesus And Mary Chain.

Stream below or here and catch up with the archive of previous episodes here or here.


"...and yonder, the winter is coming. The lens of reflection of glory days dims, yet shall never us part"

'New Order: Decades' set for U.S. premiere

The 2018 documentary New Order: Decades will finally be available to view in the United States. The fascinating film premieres on Showtime November 8th at 7:30pm (television) and will also be available for streaming/on-demand viewing November 8th. Head here for more info.

New Order: Decades is a feature length film chronicling the unique and unprecedented series of wall-of-synth shows at the Manchester International Festival. The shows took place in 2017 and featured New Order performing a life-affirming set of iconic songs backed by a 12 piece synthesizer ensemble from the Royal Northern College Of Music with orchestrations conducted by Joe Duddell and stunning visuals provided by Liam Gillick.

The film is more than a concert film, it's a celebration of New Order, their music, and their aesthetic. The documentary explores the initial concept, production, and technical aspects of the MIF shows and includes commentary from New Order, Liam Gillick, and Peter Saville.  New Order: Decades is a rare glimpse into the creative and technical strategy of this massive undertaking, plus also showcases performance footage from these extraordinary wall-of-synth concerts.

New Order: Decades was directed by Mike Christie and premiered last September on Sky Arts. Read more about the film here and watch the trailer below.



New Order's live album ∑(No,12k,Lg,17Mif) New Order + Liam Gillick: So It Goes was captured during the MIF shows and was released on vinyl, CD, and digital album download over the summer.



Published October 9th, 2019

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark "Don't Go" video + "Electricity" reissue tops chart

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark released their 40th anniversary boxset and singles collection Souvenir last week. The limited edition career-spanning set includes singles, a ton of previously unreleased bonus material from their archive, and one brand new song titled "Don't Go" (a condensed 2CD version with just the singles is also available). Today OMD premiered the official video for "Don't Go" on You Tube. Check it out below.

Meanwhile the band's 40th anniversary edition of "Electricity" backed by a brand new Vince Clarke remix of "Almost" was released as a vinyl 7" single in the U.K. last week and has debuted at number one on the vinyl singles chart there. Not only did the single debut at number one, but it outsold the rest of the Top 20 combined!





Published October 9th, 2019

Dead Can Dance announce career-spanning North American tour

Dead Can Dance announced dates for a North American leg of A Celebration - Life & Works 1980 - 2020.  The spring tour will see the legendary band performing a career-spanning set from their critically acclaimed catalog. The tour includes a Detroit area stop April 28th at the Masonic Temple. View the tour itinerary below and head here for more details on the tour.

Dead Can Dance released their last album Dionysus in November of 2018.

Dead Can Dance - North American tour

Apr 17 -- Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia
Apr 19 -- Washington, DC @ The Anthem
Apr 21 -- New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
Apr 24 -- Boston, MA @ Boch Center
Apr 26 -- Toronto, ON @ Meridian Hall
Apr 28 -- Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre
Apr 29 -- Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theeatre
May 03 -- Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
May 04 -- Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum
May 07 -- San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
May 09 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
May 11 -- San Diego, CA @ San Diego Civic Theatre
May 14 -- Mexico City, MX @ Auitorio Nacional
May 16 -- Guadalajara, MX @ Teatro Diana

Published October 9th, 2019

Classic Alternative - Episode #126: Scriptorium

Classic Alternative - Episode #126: Scriptorium

Includes Happy Mondays, The Clash, Depeche Mode, Bob Mould, Sex Pistols, The Legendary Pink Dots, and The Jesus And Mary Chain.

Stream below or here and catch up with the archive of previous episodes here or here.


News stories from the week
Stream Depeche Mode film Our Hobby Is Depeche Mode
Happy Mondays announce boxset Early Eps
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds release Ghosteen
Peter Murphy announces makeup dates for NYC residency
The Legendary Pink Dots kick off 40th anniversary tour
Michael Stipe releases debut solo single
New book on The Smiths: The Day I Was There

Depeche Mode fandom film 'Our Hobby Is Depeche Mode'

The fascinating world of Depeche Mode fandom is the focus of the 2008 documentary Our Hobby Is Depeche Mode. The lost film, by Jeremy Deller and Nicholas Abrahams, features stories of fans from all over the world discussing the importance and impact of the legendary band. The film includes many charming tales from fans young and old and illustrates the power and importance of music. Other than screenings at film festivals, the work has never been available for public viewing until now. View the documentary in full below via The Quietus.

Bonus: also includes some Depeche Mode love from Trent Reznor


Our Hobby is Depeche Mode from nicholas abrahams on Vimeo.

Happy Mondays collect early material on limited edition vinyl boxset

Happy Mondays have dug deep and announced the release of a four piece colored vinyl boxset. The Early Eps collect the band's first four EPs – Forty Five (green vinyl), Freaky Dancin/The Egg (orange vinyl), Tart Tart (blue vinyl), and 24 Hour Party People (yellow vinyl). The material has been remastered from the original analog tapes with restored artwork (redrawn and digitized) by original designers Central Station Design. The limited edition colored boxset arrives October 25th with a digital edition to follow on October 27th.

Head here to pre-order and watch the new animated video for "The Egg" created by Pete Fowler below.



Published October 3rd, 2019

Peter Murphy announces NYC makeup dates

After suffering a heart attack in August, Peter Murphy was forced to postpone the remainder of his residency at Le Poisson Rouge in New York. Today Murphy announced makeup dates which are posted below. Tickets for the shows are on sale now. Head here for more info.

Murphy will take the stage with his Bauhaus bandmates Daniel Ash, Kevin Haskins, and David J, for three Bauhaus reunion shows in Hollywood in November and December.

Bauhaus - reunion shows

Nov 03 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
Nov 04 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
Dec 01 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium

Peter Murphy - NYC Residency

Jan 20: Solo Greatest Hits + Signature cuts from Lion‬
‪Jan 21: Mr Moonlight: Bauhaus Greatest Hits ‬
‪Jan 23: Tribute to David Bowie‬
‪Jan 24: Tribute to David Bowie‬

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds premiere 'Ghosteen'

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds premiered the new studio album Ghosteen today. The album will be available digitally and on streaming services tomorrow (October 4th) and physically on November 8th.

Enjoy the Ghosteen album premiere via You Tube below:

Newly published book The Smiths - The Day I Was There

A new book about The Smiths was released this week. The Smiths - The Day I Was There by Richard Houghton tells the story of the Smiths through fan anecdotes/stories, memorabilia, photographs and more from over 400 fans from the UK and the US. The 320 page book includes commentary from the early club shows all the way through to the Smiths' last ever gig at Brixton Academy in London.

The Smiths - The Day I Was There is available at booksellers everywhere now on hardback and paperback. Head here to view the book's official website; a paperback version on Amazon is available here.

The Legendary Pink Dots celebrate 40th anniversary with North American tour

This week The Legendary Pink Dots kicked off their North American tour in celebration of their 40th anniversary. Though technically formed in August of 1980, they decided to kick off the anniversary celebrations this year which extend well into their proper anniversary year in 2020. The Legendary Pink Dots have released over 40 studio albums over the span of their career and are most definitely a band to experience live. Go see them in a city near you.

FYI: The Legendary Pink Dots released their new studio album Angel In The Detail in August. Check it out here.

Meanwhile a 30th anniversary edition of the stellar The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse featuring bonus material will be released on November 6th. Head here to pre-order.

The Legendary Pink Dots - North American tour

Oct 03 -- Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry
Oct 04 -- Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
Oct 05 -- Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
Oct 06 -- Detroit, MI @ El Club
Oct 07 -- Toronto, ON @ Adelaide Hall
Oct 08 -- Montreal, QC @ L'Esco
Oct 10 -- Allston, MA @ Great Scott
Oct 11 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
Oct 12 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
Oct 13 -- Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
Oct 15 -- Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
Oct 16 -- Atlanta, GA @ Purgatory
Oct 17 -- New Orleans, LA @ Santos Bar
Oct 18 -- Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio
Oct 19 -- Dallas, TX @ Three Links
Oct 20 -- Austin, TX @ Barracuda
Oct 22 -- Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
Oct 23 -- Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
Oct 24 -- San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
Oct 25 -- Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
Oct 26 -- Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore
Oct 27 -- Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
Oct 30 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Oct 31 -- Denver, CO @ Ophelia's

Michael Stipe set to release solo single "Your Capricious Soul"

Michael Stipe is set to release his debut solo single "Your Capricious Soul" on October 5th. Stipe debuted the single live earlier this year at Webster Hall but has now decided to release a studio version of the track. Says Stipe:

"I took a long break from music, and I wanted to jump back in. I love “Your Capricious Soul” – it’s my first solo work. I want to add my voice to this exciting shift in consciousness. Extinction Rebellion gave me the incentive to push the release and not wait. Our relationship to the environment has been a lifelong concern, and I now feel hopeful—optimistic, even. I believe we can bring the kind of change needed to improve our beautiful planet earth, our standing and our place on it."

"Your Capricious Soul" will be released exclusively as a digital single through Stipe's newly launched website on October 5th. Proceeds from the single for the next 365 days will benefit climate change non-violent protest organization Extinction Rebellion.

The single will be priced at 77 cents (name your own price beginning at 77 cents), and will also be available as a free download.

Visit Stipe's website here (fair warning: the site's volume is somewhat jolting).

Earlier this year Stipe guested on the new single from Rain Phoenix "Time Is The Killer." The video for that single is available to view below: