This week’s new releases include ‘Silver Age,’ the first new album in three years from Bob Mould, plus the ‘Spirit of Talk Talk tribute album, featuring Depeche Mode’s Alan Wilder and members of The Arcade Fire and Grandaddy, and ‘Fac. Dance 02,’ a compilation of 12-inch cuts from the Factory Records catalog.
As we wait for the release of the delayed “US Generation” documentary — not to mention next week’s English Beat CD/DVD combo Live at the US Festival — it’s worth marking today’s 30th anniversary of the first of two giant multi-day US Festivals, envisioned by their organizer, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, as “Woodstock West.”
Welcome to the Week in Rock, where we round up all of the headlines posted on this site over the past week. This edition includes items about The Sugarcubes, Ian McCulloch, Tom Tom Club, The The, Laibach, Pet Shop Boys, Duran Duran, Yazoo, Edwyn Collins, Morrissey, Bob Mould, The Smiths and more.
Echo & The Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch today announced additional concerts on his fall acoustic tour of the U.K. in support of the upcoming expanded reissues of his first three solo albums, bringing the total number of dates to 13 so far in September, October and November.
Talking Heads offshoot Tom Tom Club — husband-and-wife rhythm section Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz — this month will release their first new music in a dozen years in the form of the 6-track EP ‘Downtown Rockers,’ and you can listen to the whole set ahead of its release via an exclusive stream on East Village Radio.
For this week’s installment of “120 Minutes” Rewind we re-visit the Kevin Seal era for a 1989 interview with Matt Johnson of The The, who discusses his band’s then-new album ‘Mind Bomb,’ his decision to assemble an actual band, professional boxing and the student uprising in China.
With about 10 days left before the release of their 11th album, ‘Elysium,’ the Pet Shop Boys have released an 8-minute interview reel with Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. about their songwriting process and the making of the album, which already is garnering comparisons in sound and mood to 1990’s ‘Behaviour’.
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 