In an effort to create a synthesizer version of the ever-popular air guitar, Erasure’s Vince Clarke is asking fans to enter his First International Synth Gurning Competition by filming themselves making synth sounds with their mouths “whilst pulling a funny face.” To help get things started, he’s offered up his own video.
We’re still more than a month out from the release of The Mission’s The Brightest Light, but the band this week premiered the first full track off the record: “Drag,” a song Wayne Hussey describes as a “throwaway” blues rocker that was so fun to play that he ended up finding a place or it on the album.
Fans of The Church who missed the Australian rockers’ recent “Future Past Perfect” tour — on which the band played 1988′s Starfish, 1992′s Priest=Aura and 2009’s Untitled #23 in their entireties — can now witness the group’s full performance of those record in Syndey in 2011 via a new three-disc DVD package.
This week’s Slicing Up Eyeballs Music Hour on Strangeways Radio featured music from The Cramps, World Party, Public Image Ltd., Jane’s Addiction, The Sugarcubes, I an McCulloch, Roby Hitchcock and the Egyptians, The Replacements, Pixies, Siouxsie and the Banshees and more.
Morrissey’s new concert film “Morrissey 25: Live” hits theaters beginning Aug. 29, and, after seeing the trailer a few weeks ago, now we get a glimpse at the first full performance from the film via this cilp of “Everyday is Like Sunday” that the NME premiered today.
Fans of Sonic Youth may still be struggling to get over the presumed end of the legendary noise-rock band, but there is good news ahead: The band’s four members all will be on tour in the U.S. this fall — albeit separately, for the most part — and three of the four have new music due out later this year.
XTC this week launched the first of what promises to be a new series of expanded reissues, beginning with the band’s 1992 album Nonusch, which will be re-released this fall with new 5.1 Surround, stereo and high-res stereo mixes as well as Andy Partridge home demos and Colin Moulding work tapes.
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 