BLANCMANGE: RE-RECORDED EDITION OF ‘HAPPY FAMILIES’

BLANCMANGE have remade their 1982 album 'Happy Families' for a 're-imagined and re-recorded' edition entitled 'Happy Families Too' which was released on April 7th and will feature one bonus track and a number of new remixes.

'Happy Families Too' features the bonus track 'Running Thin', with several brand new remixes by VINCE CLARKE, Greg Wilson & Derek Kaye and Komputer.

Blancmange are currently working on a brand new studio album for release towards the end of 2014.

TRACKLISTING:
Feel Me (Greg Wilson & Derek Kaye Mix) 
Living On The Ceiling (Vince Clarke Mix) 
Cruel (Kmomputer Mix)
God's Kitchen (Komputer Mix)

ADAM ANT: FORMER ANTS CELEBRATE ‘DIRK WEARS WHITE SOX’ REISSUE

ADAM ANT has overseen the mastering and production of a limited edition of ADAM & THE ANTS' 'Dirk Wears White Sox' album which was released on Record Store Day on April 19th with a concert - featured the album performed in it's entirety at London's Hammersmith Apollo on the same day.

The line-up for the show included DAVE BARBAROSSA and LEIGH GORMAN, both members of the original Ants who subsequently left the band to form BOW WOW WOW. The line-up played five other shows, all of which will featured 'Dirk Wears White Sox' material.

The Cure Return With their 14th Studio Album

The Cure will return this year with their 14th studio album. The goth-pop greats have announced that the long-awaited follow-up to 2008's 4:13 Dream will be out sometime "in the next few months." According to the statement, the upcoming LP was recorded at the same time as 4:13 Dream and is tentatively titled 4:14 Scream. No other details on the full-length are available.

Robert Smith and co. are also planning to put out several live concert DVDs in the coming months, but specifics on that project aren't clear yet either.

What is clear, though, is that the Cure are plotting another "Trilogy" world tour for late 2014. The next installment in the band's signature series — in which they perform three of their albums in full — will focus on their mid-'80s output: 1984's The Top, 1985's The Head on the Door, and 1987's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.

The Cure will headline the upcoming Bottlerock Festival in Napa, CA May 31-June 2.

Thurston Moore Speaks Out on Split With Kim Gordon

By Jon Blistein 

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Thurston Moore spoke about the lingering pain from his split with wife and Sonic Youth bandmate Kim Gordon, as well as his current relationship with Eva Prinz in a new interview with The Fly.

"I'm involved in a really sweet relationship and it really does make me happy, it truly does," Moore said. "But I’ll always have that experience of sadness that a separation brings, especially one that was as important, not just to me, but everybody around us. There have been some fall-outs, but that’s to be expected. It's pretty heavy."

Moore kept mum on the more private details about the split, including the nature of his relationship with Prinz while still married to Gordon. In an interview with Elle last year, Gordon said their marriage "ended in a kind of normal way – midlife crisis, starstruck woman." While he didn't comment specifically on Gordon's interview, Moore said that the two do not tell each other what they can and can't say, and that it comes down to what they each choose to divulge.

 

"I’ve had some life issues," Moore said. "In your 40s and 50s, things can change in ways that upset the order of things that have been established over 25 years-plus of marriage. It's really distressing. You have to work through it, it's very personal and I don't really talk about it so much."

Caught up in all of this was, of course, the music the couple made together in Sonic Youth, and their divorce effectively put the band on an indefinite hiatus. While Moore says that makes things more complicated, his focus is on the future: "I’m in a really romantic place with Eva; we've kind of been a couple for close to six years. A lot of those years, nobody was very aware of it except us. The cat's been out of the bag a while now, that's kinda where I'm at."

Both Moore and Gordon have moved on to new musical projects since Sonic Youth disbanded. Gordon and guitarist Bill Nace released Coming Apart, their debut album as the noise outfit Body/Head last year, while Moore also released the first record for his new band Chelsea Light Moving.

Moore reportedly has a new solo record in the works as well, which could see release on Matador later this year. He described the music as "fun, dangerous, liberation of the idea of noise as complete rock'n'roll," adding, "The ideas are coming from my own guitar playing. I'm taking ideas to [guitarist] James Sedwards. He's remarkable and we met through Eva. It's local happenstance."

Brian Eno and Underworld's Karl Hyde Launch 'The Satellites'

By Jon Blistein 

 

Brian Eno and Underworld's Karl Hyde have released "The Satellites," the first taste of their collaborative album, Someday World, out May 6th on Warp. You can take a listen to the bustling dance cut above, which blends rushing tick-tack percussion, striking synth blares and crestfallen, near monotonous, vocals from Eno.

The track also features a number of guest collaborators, including Eno's old Roxy Music cohort Andy Mackay on alto sax and the ambient legend's daughter Darla (credited with lending the track those crucial "Ooh"s). "The Satellites" also includes contibutions from Georgia Gibson on alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, John Reynolds on drums, and producer Fred Gibson on piano, drums, bass and backing vocals.

 

Eno and Hyde tapped a number of different musicians to help out on the rest of Someday World, including Coldplay drummer Will Champion and his wife Marianne, as well as soul singer Don-E and viola player Nell Catchpole.

You'll also be able to catch Eno singing on "Heavy Seas of Love," the final cut on Everyday Robots, the upcoming solo debut from Gorillaz and Blur's Damon Albarn. "I've gotten to know him since we belong to the same health club, though we engage in very different activities," Albarn said of Eno in a recent chat with Rolling Stone. "Mine are mind-numbing, machine-based running things. He was doing something much more interesting: unisex water aerobics. Even in the health club, he's being Brian Eno. I just figured you don't hear his voice very often, so I thought it would be a great idea to get him to sing."

MARC ALMOND: INTERVIEW 'Tasmanian Tiger' EP

Marc Almond released his 'Tasmanian Tiger' EP on February 14th.

THE NEW EP FEATURES A COLLABORATION WITH JARVIS COCKER, HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT AND HOW DID YOU DIVIDE THE WORK ON THE SONG BETWEEN YOU?

The Jarvis Cocker song ‘Worship Me Now’ just turned up one day, Jarvis had written it especially for me with his writing and production partner Jason Buckle. It was co produced with Tris Penna, and to be honest I had little to do with the track except my vocals and suggesting some gospel-girl backing vocals. I love the track!

’WORSHIP ME NOW', IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE IT'S A RETURN TO YOUR ELECTRONIC ROOTS.
IT'S NOT A GENRE YOU SEEM TO WORK IN MUCH AT THE MOMENT, IS THAT BECAUSE YOU FEEL YOU'VE EXPLORED THAT AREA ENOUGH?

I've actually been returning to electronic sounds a lot recently. My next album, which will be out in September, has a lot of electronic leanings and I've been slowly recording songs with a German duo called Starcluster, and they’re very old school electro, and reference very early 80s, maybe even late 70s, sounds. I'm loving it again!


Read the full interview at ThisIsNotRetro.

The Best 80s Singles That Never Made the Top 40

by Xaque Gruber

Posted: 12/31/2013

 

As a teenager in the 1980s, I amassed a large, eclectic collection of that decade's vinyl. In going through it all, I find myself listening more often to the hits less travelled, and after some research, I discovered a surprising array of brilliant, beloved singles that failed altogether to grace Casey Kasem's countdown. So I compiled a list (in alphabetical order) of the best 80s singles that, despite their awesomeness, never made Billboard's Top 40 (and in many cases, the Hot 100)...

Anchorage (1988) - Michelle Shocked
A brittle, heartbreaking ode to friendships growing apart, this folk-pop classic (#66) written in the style of a postal letter reminds us that in the not so distant past, reconnecting with long lost friends didn't happen with a Facebook search. (no music video available)

Ashes To Ashes (1980) - David Bowie
Despite a riveting music video, and a tuneful, inventive hook, Bowie somehow missed the charts (#101) with this moody and memorable Scary Monsters jewel.

Bad Reputation (1981) - Joan Jett
In a catalog legendary for fiery badass rock hits, this two minute and 42 second fireball showcases Jett at her punk best. Missing the Hot 100 altogether, it's proof that the charts don't know anything.

Bizarre Love Triangle (1986), Blue Monday (1983) or anything by New Order
Top 40 success finally arrived with True Faith (#32, 1988), but come on - I hear Bizarre Love Triangle more frequently on 21st century radio than I ever did in the 80s, and the most bizarre thing about it to me is that it only made it to #98 in its heyday.

Bringing On The Heartbreak (1982) - Def Leppard
One of the first metal videos on MTV, this dark beauty of a headbanging power ballad rocked its way to #61.

Burning Up (1983) - Madonna
"Unlike the others I'll do anything, I'm not the same, I have no shame, I'm on fire." With these lyrics Madonna laid the foundation for her career. A rock-infused dance treat (the second single from her debut album), Burning Up failed to catch radio's attention in its day, but still ranks among her most delicious.

Cities In Dust (1986) - Siouxsie & The Banshees
Was her image too goth? Was singing about the volcanic eruption that buried everyone in the lost city of Pompeii just too much for pop radio? Whatever pop radio. Siouxsie Sioux cranked out some of the coolest, smartest and catchiest singles (and videos) of the decade. I still get chills listening to her croon "my friend" after essentially declaring all is lost.

Dear God (1987) - XTC
Probably never stood a chance on U.S. Top 40, but college radio (as it was called back then) ate it up. XTC's scorching laundry list of everything wrong with the Bible (bookended with the vocals of an eight year old girl) was the crowning jewel of Skylarking -- a stunning concept album spanning the cycle from birth to death. 

Destination Unknown (1982) - Missing Persons
Sexy pop tarts from Madonna to Gwen Stefani to Lady Gaga owe props to Dale Bozzio, who (to my surprise) narrowly missed the Top 40 with her band's two best known hits: Destination Unknown and Words (both peaked at #42).

Everywhere I Go (1986) - The Call
With echoes of U2 and Simple Minds, California's The Call made its mark on college radio with dark, poetic radio ready anthems, yet were nowhere to be found on Top 40. More essential Call singles: I Still Believe, Let The Day Begin, I Don't Wanna, The Walls Came Down.

Fascination Street (1988) - The Cure
An hypnotic, ghoulish wall of sound by rock's great gloomsters peaked at #46 -- so why not six notches higher? In 1988, The Cure were considered hot up and comers in late-to-the-party mainstream America, which is crazy considering they already had a vast catalog including a Greatest Hits album under their belt.

Here Comes Your Man (1989) - The Pixies
In a year when fellow alterna-darlings Love & Rockets and The Cure cracked the top 10, the moment seemed right for The Pixie's three minutes and twenty one seconds of pure pop perfection to rule the charts, but for whatever reasons, it was to remain "alternative."

How Soon Is Now (1984) - or anything by The Smiths for that matter
Huge in their native England, The Smiths dark, jangling melodies had no impact whatsoever on mainstream U.S. radio in the 80s. How Soon Is Now tops my list of breathtaking Smiths singles, but any in their catalog will do.

I Melt With You (1982) - Modern English
This radio mainstay (#78) may be the most famous 80s track never to hit the Top 40.

I Need A Man (1987) - Eurythmics
Roaring Stonesy rocker from Eurythmics' underappreciated Savage (#41). Its edgy video earned well-deserved MTV Video Music nominations, but radio didn't roar along, and it stalled at #46 joining the ranks of the duo's other great non Top 40 singles: Thorn In My Side (#68), You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart (#64), It's All Right Baby's Coming Back (#78), and Sexcrime (#81).

I Want Candy (1982) - Bow Wow Wow
Iconic 80s radio/MTV staple that much to my amazement only peaked at #62.

I'm In Love With The German Film Star (1981) - The Passions
A shimmering wash of layered guitars and synths opens this seductive, unsung jewel, which went to #25 in its native UK, but was M.I.A. on US radio. To quote the tune's final desperate lyric "I'm in love!"

What are your favorite singles from the 1980s?

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