This week’s new releases include expanded reissues of albums from R.E.M. (‘Document’), Sex Pistols (‘Never Mind the Bollocks’), INXS (‘Kick’) and Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, plus new music from Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore, with Yoko Ono, and Mark Eitzel, John Foxx and The Cure’s Robert Smith.
As they near the end of their summer run of European festivals, The Cure tonight plays the U.K.’s venerable Reading Festival — exactly 33 years to the day since Robert Smith and Co. last played the festival. To mark the occasion, we present this vintage tape of The Cure’s 1979 set at Reading.
This week’s round-up of headlines includes items about The House of Love, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Elizabeth Fraser, Robert Smith, World Party, My Bloody Valentine, New Order, Billy Bragg, The Stone Roses, Bob Mould, PiL, Paul Weller and more — plus our latest Auto Reverse mixtape.
The Cure’s Robert Smith is again teaming up with director Tim Burton, following up his contribution to the companion album to Burton’s 2010 version of “Alice in Wonderland” with a song on the upcoming Frankenweenie Unleashed!, a 14-track collection of songs “inspired by” the filmmaker’s new stop-motion creation.
Like the New Order footage we posted today, this half-hour packageof The Cure performing at the Vieilles Charrues festival in France is top-quality stuff. The video was posted to The Cure’s Facebook page earlier today with the message that fans should “EXPERIENCE THE WONDER THAT IS JASON AND THE CUREONAUTS.”
For our latest installment of Vintage Video we turn back to 1987 with this 38-minute reel of rare behind-the-scenes footage of The Cure during the making of its classic video for ‘Just Like Heaven.’ As the indispensable Chain of Flowers points out, this French-produced footage was posted to Vimeo by director Tim Pope.
The Cure’s now a few day into a month-long break in its summer festival tour, and frontman Robert Smith says the band will use the time to record with new guitarist Reeves Gabrels for the first time — plus, he claims, the long-promised ‘Mixed Up 2’ will come out before Christmas with new remixes by the likes of Mogwai and Cranes.
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 