Earlier this year, Martin Gore promised the next Depeche Mode album will be out ‘no later than early 2013,’ and now we’ve got a better idea of what that means: DM manager Jonathan Kessler tells Rolling Stone that the band’s 13th studio album is due out in April 2013 and will be followed by a ‘full world tour.’
Pet Shop Boys have recorded a cover of the Bee Gees’ 1968 hit single ‘I Started A Joke’ in tribute to the late Robin Gibb — the band co-founder who died in May at age 62 — and will include it as a B-side to the duo’s upcoming single “Winner,” the first to be released off the forthcoming album ‘Elysium.’
This week’s new releases include the U.S. reissue of Sugar’s catalog, a live CD/DVD from Propaganda’s Claudia Brücken, a live CD from Happy Mondays, an audiophile vinyl pressing of Yazoo’s ‘Upstairs at Eric’s,’ the U.S. release of Peter Gabriel’s ‘Secret World Live,’ and reissues of Icehouse’s ‘Primitive Man’ and ‘Man of Colours.’
The playlist from tonight’s edition of “Dark Wave” — the Sunday night “darker side of alternative” show on Sirius XM’s 1st Wave — featured Southern Death Cult, Cocteau Twins, Love and Rockets, Shriekback, The Mission, The Sugarcubes, The Human League, Bauhaus, Japan and much more.
Depeche Mode isn’t expected to return to the stage until 2013, but about 150 people got an unusually up-close-and-personal glimpse of frontman Dave Gahan in action Saturday night when he performed a special one-off show with Soulsavers, showcasing seven tracks off ‘The Light the Dead See.’
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 Fixx, Bob Mould, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, Black Francis, Kristin Hersh, Sonic Youth, The Jam and more — plus a special mixtape.
With Merge Records set to release U.S. editions of Sugar’s catalog reissues next week, the label is teasing the discs with this video of Bob Mould and his band — drummer Jon Wurster and bassist Jason Narducy — tearing through ‘Copper Blue’ standout “Hoover Dam” at San Francisco’s NoisePop festival back in February.
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 