A new 700-page biography of The Smiths by music writer and biographer Tony Fletcher will be published in the U.K. next week — but not in the U.S. until December — and promises, through “extensive research, dozens of interviews and unprecedented access,” to tell “the complete story” of the iconic Manchester band.
Our latest collection of links includes a report The Stone Roses will release a new album in 2013, plus interviews with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, frontman Robbie Grey of the recently reunited Modern English and members of Mission of Burma, who just released a new album, ‘Unsound.’
Welcome to the Week in Rock, where we round up all of the headlines posted on this site over the past week. This edition includes items about INXS, Depeche Mode, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Johnny Marr, Alison Moyet, The Cure, Public Image Ltd., The Dream Syndicate, Franke Goes to Hollywood, The Fixx and more.
Last night at the famed Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, producers and musicians Nile Rodgers and Mark Ronson enlisted Johnny Marr and Alison Moyet, who joined the Rodgers-led Chic on stage to perform Ronson’s arrangement of The Smiths’ “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before.”
This week’s round-up of Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes news about My Bloody Valentine, The Smiths, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Depeche Mode, The Cult, The Charlatans, Duran Duran and Men Without Hats — plus a new Peter Gabriel live CD giveaway.
The Internet was abuzz this morning with rumors of a reunion by The Smiths this fall, fueled by a report from Music-News.com that the band “are to throw their differences aside and return to the live stage this autumn.” After having a bit of fun with the rumors on Twitter, though, Johnny Marr quickly denied the report.
Last September, we gave away a copy of the CD-and-vinyl version of The Smiths’ ‘Complete’ box set to one lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs reader, and now, with the newly remastered albums released individually, the fine folks at Rhino Records have provided us with three copies of the 8-disc CD box set to give away.
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 