This week’s new releases include brand-new studio albums from Paul Weller, The Wedding Present, Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo, John Foxx and the Maths and the Toy Dolls, plus a live album from Frank Black and the Catholics, a live DVD/Blu-ray from The B-52s, and best-ofs from Erasure and Stiff Little Fingers.
This week’s round-up of Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes news about Kate Bush, Peter Buck, Erasure, J Mascis, Husker Du, Howard Jones, Madness, Paul Weller, Mike Watt, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Lee Ranaldo, The Cure and Close Lobters — plus a B-52’s live DVD giveaway.
The Jesus and Mary Chain performed their first concerts in four years this week with a three-date tour of Texas that included a club gig in Houston on Tuesday, a delayed set at 35 Denton on Wednesday and a late-night South By Southwest show in Austin on Thursday.
Kate Bush today announced that she’ll participate in next month’s fifth-anniversary installment of Record Store Day by releasing a limited-edition, two-track 10-inch vinyl picture disc featuring the songs ‘Lake Tahoe’ and ‘Among the Angels,’ both of which can be found on her 2011 studio album ’50 Words for Snow.’
Following the break-up of R.E.M. last year, frontman Michael Stipe was quick to say he had no intentions of making a solo album — but that doesn’t appear to be the case for guitarist Peter Buck. Longtime R.E.M. sideman Scott McCaughey broke the news this week to KIRO 97.3 radio show Seattle Sounds.
This spring, Dinosaur Jr’s frontman will release a six-track, self-titled debut from Heavy Blanket, which Outer Battery Records describes as ‘blistering psych-drenched instrumental blues jams from J Mascis and his stoner buddies.’ The album is due May 6 on CD and vinyl, plus a super-limited run of 200 purple-vinyl copies.
With ‘Fill Us With Fire,’ the third single off last year’s Tomorrow’s Word, out in the U.K. this week, synthpop duo Erasure has released a second video for the track — this one filmed in London during rehearsals for the group’s 2011 world tour. Check out the new clip right here.
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 