This week’s new releases include a brand-new studio album from former Yazoo singer Alison Moyet, plus a new singles collection from Killing Joke, a five-disc box set of Berlin-era albums from David Bowie and the U.S. releases of the latest records from The Wonder Stuff and The Blow Monkeys.
Tonight’s edition of “Dark Wave” — the Sunday night “darker side of alternative” show on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave — celebrated the birthday today of Ian McCulloch, with selections from Echo & The Bunnymen and Mac’s solo career, including a pair of cuts off his new solo album Holy Ghosts.
Welcome to the Week in Rock, where we round up all of the headlines posted on this site over the past week. This week featured posts about The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Skinny Puppy and more — plus we launched R.E.M. and Simple Minds giveaways, and Duran Duran’s Rio topped our 1982 readers poll.
This year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival won’t officially announce its lineup until May 7, but the event’s organizers are cleverly planting clues around Austin in newspaper ads, plastic cups, T-shirts and even bottle caps. And it’s the latter that, by all appearances, confirms The Cure will play the Texas festival.
Depeche Mode opened its massive Delta Machine world tour tonight with a 23-song set that featured a healthy dose of material off the new album, the usual crowd pleasers (“Enjoy the Silence,” “Personal Jesus,” set closer “Never Let Me Down Again”) and some welcome callbacks.
As Johnny Marr wraps up his U.S. tour in support of solo album The Messenger, he pulled a very special guest up on stage last night in Brooklyn: former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke who helped play “How Soon Is Now?” in an on-stage reunion of half of that legendary band. Check out video of the performance.
For this week’s “120 Minutes” Rewind,we present a real gem: a 17-minute reel from the May 24, 1990, episode of “120 Minutes” in which host Dave Kendall interviews the principal players of that summer’s Escape From New York Tour, with Joey Ramone, Debbie Harry, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrision.
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 