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