The NME later this month will bestow its “Godlike Genius” award to Johnny Marr, and in conjunction with the issue celebrating that honor the guitarist recorded a couple videos for the publication’s “Song Stories” series in which he offers insight into the writing of the Smiths’ “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.”
Duran Duran today announced it will mark the 30th anniversary of the band’s first U.K. No. 1 single — “Is There Something I Should Know?,” released on March 9, 1983 — by reissuing the single as a limited-edition blue-vinyl 7-inch for Record Store Day, which this year falls on April 20.
After returning to U.K. stages for the first time in a decade last fall for a handful of shows, Karl Wallinger will take World Party out on a proper tour of his home country this spring, performing 11 concerts across two weeks in April in support of last year’s 5CD box set ‘Arkeology.’
Tonight’s Slicing Up Eyeballs Music Hour featured brand-new music from OMD, Depeche Mode, The Butthole Surfers’ Gibby Haynes and New Order, plus old favorites from The Clash, X, Iggy Pop, Camper Van Beethoven, Was (Not Was), Transvision Vamp, Max Q, Simple Minds and more.
The reconfigured Big Country — with The Alarm’s Mike Peters filling in for the late Stuart Adamson and the new addition of original Simple Minds bassist Derek Forbes — will release a new album titled ‘The Journey’ this spring and embark on a world tour that will hit the U.K., Europe and North America.
Like New Order, the reunited Dead Can Dance is using its twin appearances at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival this April as an occasion to squeeze in a couple extra performances — in this case, just-announced shows in San Francisco and Napa, Calif., the week between the band’s festival dates.
It’s not exactly the return to music anyone would have guessed from Michael Stipe, but the former R.E.M. frontman is back with his first new recording since that band split in 2011: a duet with Courtney Love called “Rio Grande” off the new Johnny Depp-curated ‘Son of Rogue’s Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys.’
Q&A: Daniel Ash on Love and Rockets’ reunion, his new band — and figuring out how to play “So Alive” 
Q&A: Chris Frantz talks Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and new book ‘Remain in Love’ 
Q&A: Steve Wynn on The Dream Syndicate’s first new album in nearly 30 years 
Q&A: Bauhaus’ David J on his ‘accidental’ concept album ‘Not Long For This World’ 
Q&A: Peter Murphy on ‘Ninth,’ Bauhaus’ break-up, reuniting Dalis Car 
Q&A: Joey Santiago on Pixies’ ‘Doolittle’ tour, possible ‘Surfer Rosa’ shows, new album talk 
Q&A: Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon on new album, changing the world with music 
Q&A: Peter Hook talks ‘Unknown Pleasures’ tour, re-recording Joy Division 