Pete Shelley, the co-founder, guitarist and brilliant songwriter behind genre-shaping U.K. punk act Buzzcocks, as well as an accomplished solo artist in his own right, has died, the band announced Thursday via its social media accounts. The BBC reports that Shelley died of a suspected heart attack in Estonia, where he was living.
Chicago’s Riot Fest this morning unveiled the lineup for its three-day September festival, which will be headlined by Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age and a reunited Jawbreaker. Also on the bill: New Order, Ministry, Dinosaur Jr, X, Bad Brains, Buzzcocks, GBH, Fishbone and Alice Bag.
This week’s releases include brand-new studio albums from the Buzzcocks, The Vaselines and Stiff LIttle Fingers, plus a reissue of Big Country’s “Steeltown” to marks its 30th anniversary, a collection of David Byrne/Fatboy Slim remixes from their stage production about Imelda Maros.
The Cure’s penchant for topping festival bills continues as Robert Smith and Co. were announced this evening as the headliners of all three Riot Fests — set for Toronto, Chicago and Denver this September — joining the band’s appearance at Bottle Rock in Napa Valley, Calif., this month.
One of the truly wonderful aspects of Record Store Day is the ability to dredge up long-forgotten releases and grant them new life, as the Captured Tracks label is doing this year with Bok Bok, the blink-and-you-missed it project from Buzzcocks bassist Steve Garvey and drummer Karl Burns of The Fall.
The Buzzcocks late last week launched a PledgeMusic crowdsourcing campaign to help fund the recording and release of their first new studio album in eight years, saying the fundraising effort — which is already halfway to its goal — will allow the legendary punk act to release its new music much faster than before.
This week’s round-up of Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes reports about The Stone Roses, The Cure, Buzzcocks, Skinny Puppy, Nick Cave, Redd Kross, Ultravox, Paul Weller, Vince Clarke and Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel, Morrissey, Sugar, Blondie, Devo and more.
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 