Lost and Found (Christmas) Video - The Wedding Present

Here's a little present from The Wedding Present, a band formed in Leeds, England in 1985.

This cover of the 1973 Bernie Taupin/Elton John composition Step Into Christmas was originally recorded for the 1991 alt Christmas compilation A Lump of Coal, later released as the b-side of The Wedding Present's December 1992 single No Christmas, and eventually appeared on their singles & b-sides collection Hit Parade 2.

For a time, singer David Gedge led the indie pop band Cinerama, which was re-branded The Wedding Present in 2004. The band is still together, and released an album, El Ray, in May of this year. Their official website lists March tour dates in the UK and Japan.

Links o' plenty can be found here and in their Wikipedia article, which is located here.

Thanks to Paul!

Happy Holidays from the Classic Alternative Blog!

Headlines...

From Billboard:

• U2 Looks Toward New 'Horizon'
• Morrissey Inks U.S. Deal, Plots Spring Tour
• Indigo Girls Team With Vanguard For New Album
• Morrissey Unveils New Album In London

From NME:

• Paul Weller campaigns to save British pubs
• The Smiths in free iTunes download
• The Specials announce Coventry homecoming gig
• Anthony Kiedis almost suffered 'organ failure' claim friends
• The Cure perform marathon 'secret' show in LA
• Johnny Marr: 'The Smiths are not reforming'
  

From Pitchfork:

• Brian Eno Scoring New Peter Jackson Movie
• Sonic Youth Plays No Fun
  

Headlines...

From Billboard:

• Roxy Music Members Issue Solo Projects

From NME:

• Simple Minds announce Edinburgh Castle show
• Boy George found guilty in male escort case
• Morrissey to play homecoming gig on 50th birthday
• Tony Wilson honoured by Manchester Council
• Led Zeppelin and Sonic Youth for live collaboration
  
• Appeal launched for missing Bob Marley, Peter Tosh songs
• Morrissey reveals new 'baby' faced album sleeve
  

Oh, the neglect...

Many apologies regarding my recent lack of posts. I would like to give a really cool/interesting/weird reason, such as realizing my life-long dream of traveling the country in the weinermobile and/or indulging in various forms of bacon-related cuisine. In reality it was due not feeling well for a couple of weeks, as well as other circumstances that have come up and pushed this blog down a little lower on the ol' priority list. I'm feeling better, but for the foreseeable future, will have less time to dedicate to the blog. I think I will still be able to find headlines each week, and will have lost and found videos (albeit the postings will likely be a bit utilitarian), along with the occasional tidbit.

If you regularly check for posts, thanks! Drop me a line or comment sometime -- I could use some inspiration!

Now here's a random cool video I recently stumbled upon...

Headlines...

From NME:

• Feargal Sharkey attempting to stop live music bureaucracy
• REM complete world tour in Mexico
• U2 producer talks about their new album
• Elvis Costello turns talk show host
• Johnny Marr joins John Frusciante on new album
• Billy Bragg: 'Barack Obama is good for rock 'n' roll'
• Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis' book set for TV adaptation
• Paul Weller's smoking results in official warning
• Peter Gabriel 'free' music service launches

From Pitchfork:

• The Kinks to Release First-Ever Box Set
• New Order Camp Addresses Reissue Grievances
• Pitchfork.tv: Nick Cave: Interview Part 2
• R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe Designs Polo Shirt for Lacoste
  

Headlines...

From Billboard:

• Ultravox Reuniting For 2009 Tour
• Social Distortion will Anchor Musink Tour

From NME:

• Depeche Mode singer asks to appear on frYars debut
• Johnny Marr gives first university lecture
• Ray Davies says a new Kinks album is underway
• The Cure to headline Shockwaves NME Awards Big Gig 2009
• Pet Shop Boys to receive Outstanding Contribution Award at BRITS
• This came on the eve of the election: Ramones deny they're backing John McCain in US presidential election

Out Tomorrow: Rio ‘Classic Albums’ DVD

Now available for ordering at Amazon.com.

Headlines...

From Billboard:

• U2 Tower Shelved As Credit Crisis Spooks

From NME:

• The Cure respond to 2009 Godlike Genius award
• Bjork and Radiohead's Thom Yorke release single

From Pitchfork:

• Bjork Writes About Icelandic Environment, Economy

From Rolling Stone:

• Video: How Duran Duran Made “Hungry Like the Wolf”
• MTV Cleans Out The Vaults With New Music Video Website
  

Happy Halloween!

Have a very spooky day, and be sure to check out The 80s Underground Halloween Special. Jeff has really outdone himself this year.

And here's a video for one of the songs featured on the show -- Ghost Town by The Specials.

TV Appearances this week from The New York Dolls and The Damned

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson will feature The New York Dolls tonight, and a two-night stand from The Damned on Thursday and Friday. According to the official website of The Damned: They will perform 2 songs, one old classic and one from the new album, which will be aired on consecutive nights: the 30th and 31st of October.

To get you in the mood, here's the video for Anything from The Damned.

Lost and Found Video - The Del Lords

The Del-Lords were fronted by Scott Kempner of N.Y. proto-punks The Dictators, and former Blackhearts (Joan Jett) guitarist Eric Ambel.

Here is Judas Kiss, the first single from the band's third album Based on a True Story (1988), which got some play on MTV's 120 Minutes, but otherwise seems to have fallen through the cracks. Pat Benatar's husband/guitarist/producer Neil Girardo produced the band's first three albums, and it might be interesting to find out if she sang the backing vocals on this -- she's credited, as is Kim Shattuck (The Pandoras, The Muffs).

Band Update: Kempner and Ambel have mostly been doing solo work in recent years, the latter also being a session producer, and drummer Frank Funaro has worked with Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker.

Links:
The Del Lords on Wikipedia
Trouser Press Entry
All Music Guide Entry
Scott Kempner on MySpace
Eric Ambel on MySpace

Many thanks to Paul for the contribution!

Headlines...

From Billboard:

• Jane's Addiction Rocks Tiny L.A. Bar
• Bono To Write New York Times Column
• U2 Gets Live Nation Stock Payday

From Pitchfork:

• Bjork Reveals All About "Nattura"
• R.E.M. Announce Murmur Deluxe Edition

From Rolling Stone:

• Lou Reed Goes Back to “Berlin”
• Elvis Costello and Nick Jonas Discuss Songwriting, Crazy Fans
• The Cure Debut Entire New Album At Free Concert in Rome
  

New Mullet on Monday - The Records

Well, I somehow managed to scrape up another edition of New Mullet on Monday. I don't think I will be abandoning the feature altogether, but will post the great mullets of the era whenever I happen to run into them. This particular video features a variety of seventies-era mullets, worn by members of The Records, a highly influential British Power Pop band formed in 1978. The band was co-founded by John Wicks (vocals) and Will Birch (drums).

From the 1979 album Shades in Bed, this is Starry Eyes.

Band Update: Wicks has retained the The Records' name, and in 2007, released an album entitled Rotate under the name John Wicks & The Records. Birch went on to produce music, and has also made a foray into writing, publishing the book No Sleep Till Canvey Island - The Great Pub Rock Revolution. He is currently working on a book on the life of Ian Dury.

Links:
TheRecords.com -- A website on the original incarnation of The Records, maintained by Will Burch.
The Records on MySpace
John Wicks & The Records Website
John Wicks & The Records on MySpace
John Wicks on MySpace
Will Burch's Website
Will Burch on MySpace

New Echo & The Bunnymen!!

Several live videos of Echo & The Bunnymen's latest single "I Think I Need It Too" are floating around YouTube. You can view one shaky camera-phone version here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1daoFIbmok0

The band are currently in the studio finishing up their 10th album with producer John McLaughlin. The album is entitled ‘The Fountain’ with a release date still to be announced.

Recent New Releases and Reissues

Here are a few titles for your consideration. Product descriptions are via Amazon.com.

The Clash - Live at Shea Stadium
Recorded at New York's Shea Stadium in 1982, Live at Shea Stadium captures the band at the peak of its powers and on devastating form. Bristling with energy and attitude, Live at Shea Stadium is destined to feature alongside James Brown at the Apollo, The Who at Leeds and Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison as one of the greatest live recordings of all time!The Clash, opening for The Who on their farewell tour of the US, played two nights at the legendary Shea Stadium (October 12th and 13th of 1982). Despite being the support act, the New York Post reported "there were as many Clash fans on those nights as Who fans."

This deluxe edition is a jewel-case size hard bound digi pak which includes a stunning 32-page booklet of backstage and onstage photos shot by Bob Gruen and Joe Stevens. The recording is the first and only full-show live album released from The Clash.

The Pretenders - Break Up the Concrete
Think of this long awaited studio album as if it were the first Pretenders record: musical turf that's defined by attitude, lyrical and melodic mastery, and the unexpected...and Chrissie Hynde's voice as you've always known it. "Break Up The Concrete" is an authentic slice of rock Americana, ranging from blistering punk to the most delicate storytelling as told by the queen of rock royalty herself.

U2 - Under a Blood Red Sky - Deluxe Edition CD/DVD
A Deluxe Edition version featuring the Under a Blood Red Sky CD (Disc 1) and the Live at Red Rocks DVD (Disc 2).

The remastered Under a Blood Red Sky album was originally released in November 1983, and consists of live recordings from three shows on the band's War Tour through Europe and America. Recorded at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on 5th June 1983, Live at Red Rocks will be available for the first time on DVD, and will include 5 previously unreleased songs, a director's commentary, digitally re-graded pictures and a 5.1 mix.

This is the fourth CD as part of the Amazon.com-exclusive U2 deluxe edition box set and fits into the open slot within the packaging.

The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
2008 remastered and expanded edition with bonus tracks of The Replacements' fifth album, Pleased To Meet Me, which was released in 1987. The singles from the album were "Can't Hardly Wait" (which was the inspiration for the title of a movie), as well as "Alex Chilton" and "The Ledge" (the video for which was banned from airplay on MTV due to its lyrical content about suicide). The album peaked at #131 on the Billboard Music Chart's Top 200. The album's cover art mocks the band's transition from young punks to successful musicians with a major record deal, depicting a handshake between one person clad in a suit, starched white shirt, glitzy watch and diamond ring and the other wearing a ripped workshirt. The album to some degree maintains the style of the previous album, and major label debut, Tim.

Headlines...

From Billboard:

• New Bjork Single: To Yorke, Or Not To Yorke?
• Devo Playing Rare Akron Show For Obama
• Westerberg, Stinson 'Mess Around' In Minneapolis
  
• Update: Depeche Mode Readies New CD, Tour

From NME:

• Killing Joke play first US show in 20 years
• REM package available for new 'Guitar Hero' video game
• Bono's broadway effort most expensive production in history
• Adam Ant wants to collaborate with Kaiser Chiefs
• Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger working with Eurythmics' Dave Stewart
• Duran Duran announce North American tour
• Depeche Mode announce 2009 European tour

Rolling Stone:

• Download Lou Reed’s “Men of Good Fortune” From “Berlin: Live”
• Chrissie Hynde Talks Veganism and Smoking, Plus Stream New Album
  

The Pretenders on Letterman Monday Night

See the clip for information on their new album coming out today (10/07), as well as the performance. Go Chrissie! Great to see Martin Chambers, too -- I had heard that she had assembled a completely new band.

*****

Update: My prior statement did have basis (not that anyone asked, but I thought I would share). It is said that, as a favor to Chrissie Hynde, Martin Chambers sat out the recording of the new album so that she could work with celebrated session drummer Jim Keltner, but Chambers is along for the tour.

Mullet Hiatus

If you follow this blog very closely (and who doesn't) you may have noticed a lack of New Mullet on Monday for the last couple of weeks. I actually did not intend to take a break from the feature, but a break seems to have developed. After roughly 70 weeks of mullets, I may just be tapped out. I don't know. Maybe I'll find more, or maybe I'll dream up something else for your early week entertainment (or lack thereof). Stay tuned. Oh, and send suggestions, if you have them -- both mullet and otherwise.

Headlines...

From Billboard:

• My Bloody Valentine Wraps Triumphant Reunion Tour
• Morrissey Inks New Management Deal
• Nick Cave To Pen Second Novel

From NME:

• Sex Pistols Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious' squat reopens
• Watch Sex Pistol John Lydon as the face of British butter
• Peter Hook: 'New Order was an empty shell'

From Rolling Stone:

• Echo and the Bunnymen Let “Ocean Rain” Fall On Radio City Music Hall
• New York Dolls: Classic Photos With Memories From Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry
• The Pretenders Unveil Raw New Songs at In-Store Show in Hollywood
• Former Replacements Drummer Chris Mars’ Dark “Tolerance”
  

Lost and Found Video - Tanita Tikaram

First off, sorry about the lack of posts this week. Looks like it will be a busy month, too, so posting may be light.

But I do have a Lost and Found Video this week -- for a song that got quite a bit of play on my college radio station circa 1988. While visiting Chicago, I also heard it quite a few times on WXRT.

From Tanita Tikaram's album Ancient Heart, this is Twist in my Sobriety.

Tanita Tikaram is still making music. Her very cool website is here, and her MySpace page is here.

Headlines...

From Billboard:

• Smashing Pumpkins Ready 20th Anniversary Tour
• Rockers Band Together For Obama Events (includes the Breeders)
• My Bloody Valentine Brings The Noise At ATP

From NME:

• Morrissey and Marr collaborate for Smiths hits and rarities compilation
• U2's Bono turns blogger
• Sting and 'Little Britain''s David Walliams snog – Daily Gossip

From Pitchfork:

• Thurston Moore, Jemina Pearl From Be Your Own Pet Cover the Ramones' "Sheena" for "Gossip Girl"
• Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon Starts Fashion Line

From Rolling Stone:

• R.E.M.’s Peter Buck Gets His Stolen Guitar Back
• Ray Davies: Kinks Are “Three Quarters Of The Way” To Reunion
• Thurston Moore at All Tomorrow’s Parties
  

Lost and Found Video - The Cramps

It is surprising that I didn't think of using this video as a lost and found video until now, as it was one of the first non-mainstream videos I was exposed to, via Video Concert Hall.

From the 1979 album Songs the Lord Taught Us, this is Garbage Man.

I have the excellent Post Punk Progressive Pop Party (P5) to thank for the reminder, as they recently commemorated the release of the Cramps tune Crusher. This brief history and update were included in the blog entry: The psychobilly band was originally formed in Sacramento, California by Lux Interior and Poison Ivy but made their name in New York City as part of the early CBGB's punk scene. They are still together with Lux Interior and Poison Ivy still leading the way.

Links:
The Official Cramps Website
The Cramps on Wikipedia
The Cramps on AllMusic

New Mullet on Monday - The Vapors

Our mullet for this week is one I actually kind of like, really not quite a full-fledged mullet -- a pre-mullet, if you will, in the vein of David Bowie or Leonard Graves Phillips of The Dickies. It's a little shorter in front, so it's alright. Anyway, this pre-mullet belonged to David Fenton, lead vocalist and guitarist of The Vapors, a British band that released a pair of albums in 1980 and 1981.

Much to my surprise, Turning Japanese was not the only Vapors video to be found on YouTube. From New Clear Days (1980), this is Waiting for the Weekend.

Trivia: The Vapors were discovered by Bruce Foxton of The Jam (and prior New Mullet on Monday), and were managed by Foxton and and Paul Weller's father, John.

A bit of an update from the fan-run MySpace page of The Vapors: Dave Fenton has recently gone back to working as a solicitor (a lawyer who offers legal services outside of the courts), Howard Smith (drums) started at PRS (not sure what this is) in 1982 and still, Ed Bazalgette (lead guitar) works as a tape editor at the BBC, Steve Smith (bass and vocals) still plays in bands and does some sound mixing etc...

Links:
The Vapors on Wikipedia
The Vapors at the AllMusic
Secret Noise - A Fan Site

Headlines...

From Billboard:

• Bono, The Edge Guest On Tom Jones Album
• Live DVD Explores Smashing Pumpkins Reunion

From NME:

• Clash legend Mick Jones reveals 'Carbon Casino' plans
• Sex Pistols' John Lydon to become face of British butter
• The Police to release new live album and DVD

From Pitchfork:

• Photos: David Byrne [Baltimore, MD; 09/17/08]
• Chrissie Hynde Fronts New Pretenders on New Album
• Robert Smith Reveals Cure LP Details, Bitches at iTunes
• Feist, Elvis Costello Do Christmas With Stephen Colbert
• Nick Cave Launches Bad Seeds Tour, Scores The Road

From Rolling Stone:

• “New York Dolls: Photographs” Explores Glam Band’s Legacy
• Juliana Hatfield’s Bad Boy Decisions: An Excerpt From Her Memoir “When I Grow Up”
  
  

New Mullet on Monday - Depeche Mode

Our former mullet-wearer for this week is none other than Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode.

From the 1984 album Some Great Reward, this is Master and Servant. Enjoy the mullet.

Update: A new Depeche Mode album is said to have been recorded, and is, set for, depending on the source, either late this year or early in 2009. Their last album was 2005's Playing the Angel. Dave Gahan released solo albums in both 2003 (Paper Monsters) and 2007 (Hourglass).

Links!
The Official Depeche Mode Website
Depeche Mode on MySpace
Dave Gahan on MySpace

Headlines...

From Billboard:

• Bob Mould Pens Autobiography, Wraps New CD
• Magazine Reforming For Two U.K. Dates
• Sonic Youth Inks New Deal With Matador

From NME:

• David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' voted 'gayest album ever'
• Billy Idol announces LA residency
• The Edge: delaying release will take U2 album 'to next level'
• U2's The Edge presents Peter Gabriel with human rights award
• REM's signature guitar stolen
• The Cure score four singles in US Top 20

From Rolling Stone:

• Brian Eno’s Mutating “Spore” Score Reinventing Game Music
  

New Mullet on Monday - Let's Active

Well, it's another painful edition of New Mullet on Monday, as the mullet spotlight shines on Mitch Easter of Let's Active, a musician/producer whom I hold in particularly high esteem. Although most of the time, Easter did not have a mullet, there was a brief period in which he sported one that was nice and fuzzy on top...

from 1984, this is Waters Part, from the Cypress album.

From the 1983 EP Afoot, this is the video for Every Word Means No. This video is pre-mullet, but I felt compelled to throw it be because of the puppy.

A post in the Classic Alternative Blog archives (click here) gave an update on the album released last year by the Mitch Easter Band, entitled Dynamico. More recently, Easter's new Let's Active cover band, Gravel Truck, opened for the newly reformed Pylon -- the story is here. Easter also plays in a band called Shalini.

Headlines...

From Billboard:

• Next U2 Album Pushed To Early 2009
• Morrissey Splits With Management
• Rhino Snaps Up Sex Pistols Live DVD
• The Cure 'Dreams' On With New Album

From NME:

• David Bowie to release his own favourite tracks on compilation
• U2 compare new album to 'Achtung Baby'
• Billy Bragg to head out on US tour
• Henry Rollins and Charles Manson were pen pals
• Sonic Youth debut new songs in Brooklyn
  

Lost and Found Video - Hindu Love Gods

Today's edition of the Lost and Found Video is from Hindu Love Gods, a supergroup of sorts that consisted of Warren Zevon and three-fourths of R.E.M.: Bill Berry, Mike Mills, and Peter Buck. According to Wikipedia, the band released a single entitled Narrator in 1984 that didn't get much notice. Then in 1987, while Berry, Mills, and Buck were playing on Zevon's 1987 album Sentimental Hygiene, the four participated in what was rumored to be a drunken, late night recording session that resulted in 10 tracks -- all covers, and mostly blues. The album was apparently never intended to see the light of day, but ended up as a self-titled 1990 release.

From the album Hindu Love Gods, this is Raspberry Beret.

Band update: This will be a brief one as there are no surprises to reveal: Warren Zevon passed away in 2003 (RIP), Mike Mills and Peter Buck are still with R.E.M., and Bill Berry left R.E.M. to pursue a life of farming, golfing, and parenting.

Headlines...

From NME:

• The Charlatans announce UK tour
• REM man curates two new compilations
• The Cribs and Johnny Marr to release single this year
  

From Pitchfork:

• New Westerberg Release Possibly Features Tom Waits - R.I.P. Former Replacements Drummer Steve Foley
• The Cure Reveal New Album Title
• New Music: Lou Reed [ft. Antony Hegarty]: "Caroline Says, Pt. II" (Live) [MP3]
• Video: My Bloody Valentine: "To Here Knows When" (Live at the Fuji Rock Festival)
• My Bloody Valentine Catalog Gets Digital Release
  
• Sonic Youth Poised to Take Indie Label Plunge
• Björk Takes on Sexism in the Music Press
• R.I.P. Producer Jerry Finn
  

From Billboard:

• The Smiths Anthologized On Double-Disc Set

From MySpace:

• Magazine To Reform For Two Shows (via Waist High)
• Alison Moyet is returning to North America for her first solo tour in 14 years
  

Lost and Found Video - The Popinjays

The Popinjays were a three-girl (with the obligatory male drummer) band from Huddersfield in Southeast London. The band, whose core consisted of singer Wendy Robinson and guitarist Polly Hancock, was active from 1988-1994, and produced three albums.

This is Vote Elvis, a single that hit #17 on the US Modern Rock charts in 1990, but was featured on the 1992 album Flying Down To Mono Valley, an album produced by Ian Broudie of The Lightning Seeds. The band's MySpace page notes that Vote Elvis was inspired by ...a candidate from the Elvis Presley Party (in a Sheffield by-election), who promised that if everyone listened to Elvis they'd be no more wars.

Regarding the current whereabouts of the Popinjays, web searches have turned up nothing, although there is a photographer in the UK named Polly Hancock, who may or may not be the Polly Hancock in question.

Links:
The Popinjays on MySpace
The Popinjays on Wikipedia
The Popinjays on The All Music Guide

Thanks, Paul!

New Mullet on Monday - Shriekback

One of the things I did while on my break from blogging was to host my lovely sister and her lovely daughter on their visit to the Northern Plains (which are, in fact, lovely, although humid this time of year). While they were here, we caught an episode of 120 Minutes on VH1 Classic, which featured a video from Shriekback, a band that not only had a bald singer, but two bemulleted members...

Here's a promo clip of the 1985 single Nemesis, with the added bonus of a self-introduction to America. If you want to skip straight to Nemisis, it's at about 1:36.

Update: Shriekback is still around, although the only original member remaining is vocalist Barry Andrews, who, before Shriekback, was a member of XTC. Interestingly enough, Andy Partridge of XTC played guitar on the most recent Shriekback effort, 2007's Glory Bumps.

As for the other original band members, Wikipedia says: Dave Allen (bass) would go on to play in King Swamp, The Elastic Purejoy, and most recently in the reformed Gang of Four (his pre-Shriekback band). Carl Marsh (guitars/vocals) was in the band Happyhead. Both Allen and Marsh did return to the studio to contribute to the recording of Shriekback's 2003 release, Having a Moment.

Links:
Shriekback.com
Shriekback on MySpace
Barry Andrews on MySpace
The Barry Andrews Resource Center
Dave Allen's Blog

Headlines...

Okay, I am finally back from my hiatus. Thanks to Jeff for posting!

From NME:

• Morrissey becomes a radio DJ
• David Byrne-designed bike racks installed in NYC
• Jane's Addiction not reforming
• Bob Geldof still blanking Peaches after wedding saga – Daily Gossip
• Annie Lennox undergoes back surgery

From Rolling Stone:

• What’s Next For The Police After Final New York Show?
• News Ticker: (includes) U2, Byrne and Eno.

From Billboard

• Difford: No New Squeeze Album On The Horizon
  

The Cure release new video

The Cure have launched their new video for the single "The Perfect Boy." You can check it out here on YouTube. The single was released on August 13th, the last of four that band has been releasing on the 13th of every month leading up to the release of their new record. It was preceded by "The Only One" in May, "Freakshow" in June and "Sleep When I'm Dead" in July. With the album pushed back to the 13th of October, September will now feature an EP of remixes titled Hypnagogic States. The still untitled record will be released by Suretone/Geffen and follows up 2004's The Cure.

Out of the Office

With even more going on than usual, I feel a break coming on -- a week long break, in fact. I'll be back with a new post by mid-week next week. In the meantime, perhaps one of my co-bloggers will be moved to post.

Headlines...

From the New York Times:

• Robert Hazard, Songwriter, Dies at 59
  

From Billboard:

• The Police Call It A Career At New York Show
• Best Buy Snags Police Live CD/DVD Exclusive
• The Clash's Shea Stadium Gig Heading To CD
• Iggy & The Stooges Gear Robbed In Montreal
• New Morrissey Album Pushed To Early 2009
• David Byrne Tour To Run Into Spring 2009

From NME:

• REM forced to move Cardiff show due to poor ticket sales
• Bjork and Antony Hegarty collaboration to be released
• U2 warn fans about 'fake' gig tickets
  

From Rolling Stone:

• Exclusive: Bono Remembers U2’s “Boy”
• Love and Rockets Dial Up the Low End at Lollapalooza
• Talk Show Flashback: Evan Dando Hangs With Regis and Kathie Lee

From the Blogs:

• Alison (Moyet) takes to the Airways!
• The B-52s live from Paradiso in Amsterdam
  
• From the Bob Mould MySpace: New show date: All Tomorrow’s Parties NY on 9/21 (show also includes Dinosaur Jr. and My Bloody Valentine).
• From the Glenn Tilbrook MySpace: October Fluffers Tour Changes
  

New Mullet on Monday - The Adventures

It is a treat to be able to feature another female mullet -- that of Eileen Gribben, a vocalist with The Adventures. This band, formed in Dublin (later based in London), released four albums between 1985 and 1993.

From the 1985 album Theodore and Friends, this is Send My Heart.

It may not come as a surprise, but there is very little about The Adventures out there on the internets. I do have some links, though...

Scarlet -- A Fan Page
The Adventures on Wikipedia
The Adventures on the All Music Guide

The Regeneration Tour

Just passing along word of another big tour that just got underway -- the Regeneration Tour, featuring The Human League, Belinda Carlisle, ABC, A Flock of Seagulls, and Naked Eyes. Dead or Alive was also supposed to be part of the tour, but pulled out, due to undisclosed health issues being experienced by Pete Burns.

Here are the remaining dates on the tour:

August 4 - San Diego, CA
August 5 - Universal City, CA
August 7 - Salt Lake City, UT
August 11 - Saratoga, CA
August 13 - Monterey, Mexico
August 14 - Guadalajara, Mexico
August 15 - Puebla, Mexico
August 16 - Mexico City, Mexico
August 19 - Hyannis, MA
August 20 - Boston, MA
August 21 - Trenton, NJ
August 22 - Wantagh, NY
August 24 - Detroit MI
August 25 - Cincinnati, OH
August 26 - Vienna, VA
August 27 - Raleigh, NC
August 28 - Portsmouth, VA
August 29 - Atlanta, GA
August 30 - Clearwater, FL
August 31 - West Palm Beach, FL

For more information, check out regenerationtour.com.

Headlines...

So, the feature "Briefly..." is being somewhat jettisoned in favor of a new format. I still provide the links for relevant stories -- but give you the entire headline. I hope this gives you, the reader, the opportunity to make a more informed decision on what links to click, and ultimately, more time to read about the important things, like the Matthew Broderick affair...

From Billboard:

• Altercation Marrs Butthole Surfers NYC Show
• Liz Phair Feeling 'Natural' On New Album
• Byrne/Eno Album 'Happening' Next Month
• Ex-Pumpkins Members Sue For Digital Royalties
• Pretenders To Roll Out New Album As MP3s

From NME:

• Madness star to busk for charity
• Petition asking Bono to retire launches
• Rare Clash material set for new release
• Juliana Hatfield maps US dates
• Billy Corgan sues filmmaker
• Haçienda club doors join museum collection
• Lost La's songs available to download
• Charlatans to play intimate club show
• John Lydon threatens to take newspapers to court
• REM say being geeks is their strong point
• Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds' catalog to be reissued

From Rolling Stone:

• Perry Farrell Explains Big-Name Lollapalooza Lineup, State of Jane’s Addiction
• Patti Smith Hits the Big Screen in Untraditional Rock Doc: Exclusive Clips
  

New Mullet on Monday - The Kinks

Yes, even the very cool Ray Davies had a mullet...

Here is a TV performance of Destroyer, from the 1981 album Give the People What they Want.

Ray Davies has been particularly busy in the last several years, releasing two albums, Other People's Lives, and Working Man's Café. This summer's tour has taken him from the UK to North America. Next on the agenda: The Notodden blues festival in Norway.

The Kinks' founding guitarist, Dave Davies, has also pursued a solo career, but was sidelined by a stroke in the summer of 2004. By 2006, he is said to have regained the ability to walk, talk, and play guitar. Last year, Dave Davies released an album of new material, Fractured Mindz, and a live recording of a 1997 show, Belly Up, is set for release next month. A DVD series chronicling his life, entitled Mystical Journey, has also been in production, part of which is due out this summer.

Of course, there were other musicians in The Kinks, but with a collective career spanning 30 years and alternating band members, it would take more time than I have to give updates on all of them. Each member does have an entry in the Wikipedia, all of which can be linked to from The Kinks Wikipedia entry.

Links!
Dave Emlen's Unofficial Kinks Website - A thorough and recently updated fan site.
The Official Ray Davies Website
Ray Davies on MySpace
Dave Davies Official
Dave Davies on MySpace

For Against return...

One of the most criminally-overlooked bands of the 80s' - Lincoln Nebraska's For Against - have just released Shade Side Sunny Side, their seventh full-length record and first studio album since 2002. As the trio approaches their 25th anniversary on the independent music scene, For Against has reemerged with an exclamation point: Shade Side Sunny Side is a landmark record for the band, boasting For Against's darkest (and loudest) material to date. Read More...

Brand New Paul Westerberg

49 minutes (well, okay, 43 minutes, 55 seconds) of Paul Westerberg for 49 cents! Does it get any better?

Thanks to Man Without Ties for the tip.

P.S. The Amazon downloading process was quick and painless.

New Mullet on Monday - Bryan Ferry

For many years, Bryan Ferry had a bit of a mullet going on, and looking at the cover of his latest album, Dylanesque, it looks like he still has it. Or is it just me?

Here's a Bryan Ferry selection you may have forgotten: From the soundtrack of the 1985 movie Legend, here's Is Your Love Strong Enough.

Update: Roxy Music, having reunited in 2001, have been working on a new album, with all five original members (including Brian Eno) involved. Eno's involvement was alternately confirmed and denied, but he is said to have eventually admitted to contributing a couple of tracks and playing keyboard on others. The album, several years in the making, is due to come out at some point this year. According to Wikipedia, In June 2007 the band hired Liverpool based design agency to develop their new website supporting their new album. Early in the year, Phil Manzanera revealed that the band are planning to sign a record contract.

Links:
BryanFerry.com
Roxyrama -- The Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music Archive (fan site)
These Vintage Years (another fan site)

Briefly...

From Billboard:

• Stories on U2 and Liz Phair (same page, different stories), The Replacements and Paul Westerberg, Brian Eno and David Byrne, The Police, & Tim Finn.
  

From NME:

• News on the Sex Pistols, My Bloody Valentine, U2, & Jane's Addiction.
  

From Rolling Stone:

• An item on Ray Davies.
  

Rockin' the Colonies II

One of the big summer tours that I regret not posting about sooner is the triple bill of The English Beat, The Fixx, and The Alarm -- Rockin' the Colonies II, which kicked off July 10 in Washington D.C. The remaining dates on the tour are as follows:

July 17 - Maryland Heights, Missouri
July 18 - Chicago, Illinois
July 19 - Kansas City, Missouri
July 20 - Minneapolis, Minnesota
July 24 - Hollywood, California
July 25 - Las Vegas, Nevada
July 26 - Reno, Nevada
July 27 - Anaheim, California
July 31 - Saratoga, California

New Mullet on Monday - The Call

Last October, when I featured The Call's Everywhere I Go as a Lost and Found Video, I neglected to mention whether or not the band was still around. I also neglected to notice that there were a couple of mullets in the band. So The Call gets a second mention, and members Tom Ferrier (guitar) and Jim Goodwin (keyboards) receive the honor of having worn our featured mullets of the week. As far as the first question goes, I have no definite answer (perhaps someone in the know will read this and enlighten us). All Music lists The Call as having broken up in 1990, while Wikipedia states that they are still active. The band's official website, as far as I can tell, has nothing about recent history, nor are there any tour dates. Whether or not they are officially disbanded, they don't seem to be doing a whole lot. Vocalist/bassist Michael Been is said to tour often -- as the sound engineer for his son's band, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

From the (pre-mullet) 1983 Album Modern Romans, here's The Walls Came Down. By the way, the keyboardist in this video is apparently Garth Hudson of The Band.

Lost and Found Video - The Screaming Blue Messiahs

Formed in London in 1983, The Screaming Blue Messiahs released three albums and toured with, among others, The Cramps, Echo and the Bunnymen and David Bowie. The band dissolved in 1990.

From the 1986 album Gun Shy, this is The Wild Blue Yonder.

According to Wikipedia, post break-up, Chris Thompson (bass/vocals) and Kenny Harris (drums) went on to form The Killer B's. Vocalist Bill Carter dropped out of the music biz for a time, but seemed to resurface in 2006 with a MySpace page. Although the official website of The Screaming Blue Messiahs claims that there is new music on Bill Carter's website (the sentence linking to the MySpace page), no music is to be found. However, Carter's art is featured at this website.

Links:
The Official Screming Blue Messiahs Website
Blue Heaven -- a very good fan site.
Bill Carter's MySpace Page
The Killer B's on MySpace

New Mullet on Monday - The Jam

In the video for the 1980 single Going Underground, The Jam's Paul Weller flirted with mulletdom, while bassist/backing vocalist Bruce Foxton fully embraced it.

Band Update: The last couple of years found Bruce Foxton and drummer Rick Buckler reforming and performing The Jam's back catalog as "From The Jam - Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler". Foxton and Buckler are joined by vocalist Russell Hastings, and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist David Moore -- both said to be devotees of The Jam. According to Wikipedia, From The Jam toured the UK in autumn 2007, finishing with a concert at Brighton Centre on 21 December 2007 to mark the 25th anniversary of The Jam's final show. In February 2008, they toured the United States and Canada, selling out in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago and New York. In March 2008, they toured Australia and New Zealand - a first for Foxton and Buckler. A From The Jam album and DVD is planned for release in 2008. The band is continuing to tour, as well.

Since the break-up of Paul Weller's post-Jam band, The Style Council, Weller has enjoyed a highly successful solo career. The most recent of Weller's nine solo albums, 22 Dreams, was just released on June 2, and went straight to #1 on the UK album charts. Weller is currently on tour and plays in Italy and Serbia this week.

Links!
Thejamfan.net
A MySpace Page for the above mentioned fan site.
From The Jam Official Website
From The Jam Official MySpace Page
Bruce Foxton's Official Website
Paul Weller's Official Website
Paul Weller on MySpace

Ian Curtis' Gravestone Stolen

As reported by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NME, and my cohort, Waist High -- the headstone of Ian Curtis has been taken from the site where his ashes are buried at Macclesfield Cemetery.