2005

ure plans to hit the studio in January to record its next album, according to a post from frontman Robert Smith on the group’s Web site. “We are still on course for a summer release, as it’s all in the preparation,” he said.

The-as-yet-untitled effort will be the Cure’s first since keyboardist Roger O’Donnell and guitarist Perry Bamonte left the band earlier this year (former guitarist Porl Thompson has since rejoined). It will be the follow-up to 2004’s “The Cure,” which has sold 317,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Smith also said that he is close to completing the next phase of the band’s expanded reissue series, which will include 1984’s “The Top,” 1985’s “The Head on the Door” and 1987’s “Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, as well as “The Blue Sunshine,” a 1983 album Smith and Siouxsie and the Banshees bassist Steve Severin created under the name the Glove. The sets should be out by next spring.

In addition, Smith is assembling a live DVD from the Cure’s summer performances and “writing some film music,” according to his message.

Source billboard.com.

Veteran Scottish rock act Belle & Sebastian will release its new album, “The Life Pursuit,” Feb. 6 via Rough Trade in the United Kingdom and Europe. The set will arrive the next day in the United States via Matador. B&S recorded its first five studio albums for the New York-based label before inking with Rough Trade for the release of 2003’s “Dear Catastrophe Waitress.”

“The Life Pursuit” was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Tony Hoffer (Air, Beck). First single “Funny Little Frog” will be commercially released Jan. 16 internationally.

The group will tour the United Kingdom early next year, beginning with a Jan. 15-17 stand in Glasgow. North American dates are being eyed for March.

As previously reported, former member Isobel Campbell will release a collaborative album with Mark Lanegan, “Ballad of the Broken Seas,” next year via V2. The project will be preceded Dec. 13 with the EP “Ramblin’ Man.”

Here is the track list for “The Life Pursuit”:

“Act of the Apostle Part 1”
“Another Sunny Day”
“White Collar Boy”
“The Blues Are Still Blue”
“Dress Up in You”
“Sukie in the Graveyard”
“We Are the Sleepyheads”
“Song for Sunshine”
“Funny Little Frog”
“To Be Myself Completely”
“Act of the Apostle Part 2”
“For the Price of a Cup of a Tea”
“Mornington Crescent”

Source billboard.com.

Kaiser Chiefs have been forced to cancel their appearances at Spain’s Wintercase Tour this week due to a “highly contagious and rare virus”.

The band were due to kick off their stint on the travelling festival in Valencia tomorrow night (November 17) with The Tears and Clovis, before heading to Barcelona (18), Madrid (19) and Bilbao (20).

A statement from the band on their official website, kaiserchiefs.co.uk, said: “It’s with deep regret we have to cancel our planned gigs on the Wintercase Tour in Spain this week. These are the first shows in Kaiser Chiefs history we have cancelled.”

“The cancellation is caused by an outbreak a highly contagious and rare virus in our travel party. Unfortunately this has lead to enforced cancellation of all Kaiser Chiefs gigs this week until each of the band has the all-clear following medical tests.”

They added: “We apologise for any disappointment this may cause and hope you understand the strange circumstances that have lead to this. We hope it’s not too long before we have the chance to visit Spain again. We apologise for any disappointed Spanish fans and those of you that were travelling from anywhere else. We hope you still enjoy The Tears at these gigs.”

Source NME.com.

Capitol recording group Supergrass has unveiled plans for their next North American tour. The much-beloved Britpop pioneers – whose acclaimed fifth album, “ROAD TO ROUEN,” arrived in September – are set to land on these shores early next year for a 15-date trek, kicking off on February 6th in Toronto.

While Supergrass recently heralded the release of the surprising and subtle “ROAD TO ROUEN” with an international acoustic tour, the upcoming itinerary will see the band performing in all their electric splendor. The recent series of low-key dates drew high praise for their inventiveness and stagecraft. “Wherever they go, Supergrass bring a little sunshine with them,” raved Mojo’s Pat Gilbert of the band’s performance at New York’s Bowery Ballroom. “(Supergrass is) one of the glorious little pop bands on this planet, whichever city their sun is shining on.”

For full dates see: supergrass.com

Muse have confirmed the details of their forthcoming ‘Absolution Tour’ DVD.

Shot during their 2004 jaunt, the film features re-edited and re-mastered footage from the band’s headlining Glastonbury performance.

Additionally there is new, previously unseen footage from the London’s Earls Court, Wembley Arena and the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

The ‘Absolution Tour’ DVD is released on December 12.

Source NME.com.

REM guitarist Peter Buck joined Patti Smith onstage in Seattle last weekend.

The union came at Smith’s sold-out performance at the Crocodile Club in Seattle (November 11), owned by Buck’s wife.

After an acoustic set by Smith and her guitarist Lenny Kaye, Buck, along with other members of his Minus 5 collective Bill Rieflin, John Ramberg and Scott McCaughey, came on for an eight-song set of Patti classics and a few covers, including Bob Dylan’s ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ and garage rock classic ‘Pushin’ Too Hard’ by The Seeds.

For the encore The Minus 5 came back on for a version of Smith’s ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Nigger’ to close the evening’s proceedings.

Smith has long been a pal of REM – she guested on the band’s 1996 Top Five UK hit ‘E-Bow The Letter’, and joined the band in London’s Hyde Park for a version of the song this summer.

Source nme.com.