Paul Weller — who will release ‘Sonik Kicks,’ featuring appearances by Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon in March — this morning announced a two-night stand at the Best Buy Theater in New York City this May, which is being billed as the rocker’s only North American appearance of 2012.
This week’s new releases include an expanded reissue of David Bowie’s 1999 album ‘Hours,’ plus the 2CD ‘The Singles Collection 1978-1981’ from Scottish punk act The Skids, and the ‘Underworld Awakening’ soundtrack, featuring a brand-new remix of The Cure’s 1992 track ‘Apart.’
This week’s round-up of Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes news about Ministry, They Might Be Giants, The Chameleons, The Cure, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Kate Bush, Social Distortion, Black Francis, Pulp and Dinosaur Jr — plus our Q&A with Howard Jones.
ChameleonsVox — the band featuring frontman Mark Burgess and drummer John Lever of post-punk favorites The Chameleons — this week announced a brief, five-date U.K. tour this spring that will be preceded by a slot at the Rewind Easter Fest on a bill also featuring Clan of Xymox and Sigue Sigue Sputnik.
With their U.S. tour opening tonight — and a special 30th anniversary show in Los Angeles this weekend — They Might Be Giants stopped by ‘Conan’ last night for an on-air performance of ‘When Will You Die’ off of last year’s ‘Join Us’ album, plus a web-only bonus run-though of ‘Ana Ng’ from ‘Lincoln.’
For fans of Ministry’s early synthpop incarnation, here’s a real treat: Four tracks recorded live in Chicago at the short-lived Misfits club in March 1982, the earliest known live recordings of Al Jourgensen and Co. made nearly 30 years ago — and long before the group morphed into an industrial giant and then near-metal act.
Former Depeche Mode bandmatesVince Clarke and Martin L. Gore, working together again for the first time in 30 years under the name VCMG, will precede their debut album with a second teaser, in the form of ‘EP 2/Single Blip’ — featuring the title track, which you can hear here, plus remixes by Byetone and Mathew Jonson.
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 