Rewind Scotland — The ’80s Festival will return for a second year this July, featuring 24 acts spread over two days — including sets by Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Bronski Beat’s Jimmy Sommerville, Squeeze, Midge Ure, Lightning Seeds, Marc Almond, ABC and Roland Gift of Fine Young Cannibals.
A day after announcing headlining slots at three European festivals, The Cure — making good on its promise that ‘lots more’ were still to come — this evening announced appearances at five more fests in Holland, France, Denmark and Italy this summer.
This week’s installment of Slicing Up Eyeballs on Strangeways Radio featured brand-new music from Bauhaus’ David J and Lee Ranaldo of Love and Rockets, plus old favorites from Ian McCulloch, Talking Heads, Violent Femmes, The Lucy Show and Clan of Xymox, plus Fujiya & Miyagi covering New Order.
The Wedding Present this morning announced the release of its eighth studio album, the 10-track Valentina, which was recorded in France, California and England throughout 2011 and will be released worldwide in March in conjunction with the band’s previously announced South By Southwest appearance and North American tour.
Former Violent Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie has assembled an ad-hoc supergroup featuring The Dresden Dolls, former Bad Seeds multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish to perform the Femmes’ classic 1983 self-titled debut album at the MONA FOMA Festival in Tasmania on Friday.
The reunited New Order — Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert , 2000s-era guitarist Phil Cunningham and Bad Lieutenant bassist Tom Chapman — has added headlining dates in Melbourne and Sydney to its March tour of Australia. Additionally, New Order is set to play New Zealand on Feb. 27.
The Cure this morning confirmed headlining slots at three European festival performances this summer — Hultsfred Festival in Sweden and Hurricane and Southside festivals, both in Germany over the same weekend — with a promise of ‘lots more to come,’ according to the band’s official site.
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 