Eight months after first announcing plans for a new album, The Mission have convened in England to begin recording with producer David M. Allen — who has worked with The Cure, Depeche Mode, Wire and The Sisters of Mercy — and this week announced a new record deal and plans to release the album in September.
Wayne Hussey of The Mission today delivered an early holiday gift to fans in the form of a free download of his new recording of the classic “White Christmas,” writing, “I do hope you receive it in the spirit in which it is given and I hope it may raise a smile to your lips along with a glass of red.”
Next September, two years after reuniting to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary, The Mission will tour North America for the first time in 11 years, playing a short run of 10 concerts set to take place mostly on the East and West coasts of the United States, with a lone Canadian date thrown in, the band announced today.
This week’s new releases include expanded reissues of Peter Gabriel’s ‘So’ and Heaven 17’s ‘The Luxury Gap,’ plus a new live CD/DVD set from The Mission, the previously unreleased original demo tape from Rites of Spring, a new album from XTC’s Andy Partridge and Peter Blegvad, and vinyl release from The B-52s and Ultravox.
Killing Joke this weekend announced plans to release two albums in 2013 and perform “a very small run of headline shows” to coincide with the first release — expected some time in March or April — including “limited U.S. tour dates,” according to a short note posted on the band’s Facebook page.
As we’ve reported, The Mission will document its ongoing 25th anniversary reunion this fall with a limited-edition 3-disc CD/DVD set called Silver that features two full concerts recorded last year and part of a third on either DVD or Blu-ray, plus a bonus CD featuring near-complete audio from one of the gigs as well.
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 Dead Can Dance, R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, The Fixx, The Mission, OMD, Laibach, The Wedding Present, Killing Joke, Morrissey, Devo, Madness 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 