Monday, February 28, 2011

Mirrors- Lights and Offerings

The long awaited debut album by Brighton Mirrors 'Lights and Offerings' is out today. The LP is released both as a digital and CD release and offers a full 10 tracks, 6 live cuts and even an hour-long track-by-track analysis chat. The album also features the videos for previous singles 'Ways To An End' and 'Hide And Seek' which were released last year.

www.theworldofmirrors.com



Retrovision: Blancmange- Blind Vision

"Blind Vision" won the Burning Flame February poll for the best Blancmange song. The song was originally released in 1983 and it reached number 10 in the UK charts. This is the official video for the song.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Instant Hit: Cyber People- Polaris

"Polaris" was the first single release for Cyber People in 1984, the same year as the project was formed. It proved to be only a minor hit, as it was only released in Italy, and later in Germany on ZYX Records. The songs features space synths, italo disco style with great melody line and vocoder inputs and in the internet era it has grown into a electronic italo-disco classic.


Friday, February 25, 2011

Patrick Wolf- The City Video

Patrick Wolf is back with a new single entitled "The City" which is the second single to be released from the forthcoming album 'Lupercalia'. The single is out on March 14, 2011 while the album release is scheduled for May. Enjoy the video!

www.patrickwolf.com

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Der Plan Reissues

The first two albums by the German pioneers of the 'Neue Deutsche Welle', der Plan will be reissued in March on Medical Records. This will be the first vinyl release for "Geri Reig" and "Normalette Surprise" since the original release dates in 1980/81. Both albums feature catchy songs and undefinable sound collages geared towards minimal synthetic pop and they are available as a limited edition of 550 hand-numbered copies. Check out Medical Records site for additional information.




Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Adam Ant on BBC 6 Music

BBC 6 Music is to broadcast an interview with Adam Ant this coming Sunday February 27, 2011 at 12 Noon. 6 Music's Matt Everitt is in conversation with Adam Ant about the seminal first moments in his career. Matt Everitt speaks frankly to the man once known simply as Stuart Goddard, about the birth of punk, his emergence to become probably one of the most recognizable and successful major solo pop star of the early 80s.

http://www.bbc.co.uk


Monday, February 21, 2011

Cold Cave- Cherish The Light Years

Cold Cave will release a new album in April. Their second album is entitled 'Cherish The Light Years' and it will be released on Matador Records. The albums was recorded with Chris Coady in New York City and it is reported that the record is a tour de force of pounding synths and soaring romantic melody. The first track from the forthcoming album "The Great Pan is Dead" is available as a free download. The band will also be touring extensively throughout the spring.

http://coldcave.tumblr.com
Tour Dates

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Autumn- Synthesize LP

Autumn, the legendary minimal wave project of Peter Bonne and Geert Coppens will release a full length LP this February. 'Synthesize' the LP reissue will feature a selection of Autumn’s best material including the a "modest summer hit" "Synthesize" from 1982. (via Minimal Wave)

More info...


Saturday, February 19, 2011

Nileism- The Strange Course of the Blue Nile

This year sees the 30th anniversary of The Blue Nile's first work together. Four albums - containing a total of just 33 songs - have followed since. For the first time Allan Brown, a fan from the time of the band's first album in 1983 and friend of the band's composer Paul Buchanan, gets behind the veil to analyse the band's agonisingly slow progress through personal memoir, critical study, access to unreleased recordings and encounters with those who have been central to the strange and elusive mythology of The Blue Nile.


Thursday, February 17, 2011

Blancmange Interview

Blancmange have announced the first single from the new Blancmange album 'Blanc Burn'. "Drive Me" is available now on iTunes and will soon be available from all other good download stores. The track features the Indian percussionist Pandit Dinesh. Find out more about Blancmange and the upcoming album in the interview by John Doran for Quietus Magazine. Also be sure to catch the guys on BBC 6 Music.

Blancmange Interview



Next Wave: Petroleum By-Product

Petroleum By-Product is a trio from Vancouver, BC formed in 2006 by Sally Jorgensen and Vanessa Turner. The band has a penchant for garbage and glamour and their band concept expresses the dramatically altered world since the invention of plastic. Their music is lush and lavish new wave/post-punk and it echoes this view of society as artificial, superficial, excessive and decadent. Their self released debut album Superficial Artificial was released in 2009 and the band has plenty more to offer! We hope their new material will find a way to be released soon.

http://petroleumbyproduct.com
www.myspace.com/petroleumbyproduct


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

February's Singles Round-Up

The Round up of February single releases includes: Cut Copy- "Need You Now", a pick of the month, Alphaville's second single "Song for No One", from the album 'Catching Rays on Giant' which was released last year. Lykke Li is back with  much anticipated new single "I Follow Rivers" which also announces a new album in March. Papercuts are also up for a new album release in March. Their fourth album is entitled 'Fading Parade' and "Do What You Will" is the first single to be taken from it. Yeasayer will release the fourth single from the album 'Odd Blood' called "I Remember" and Hurts are back with "Sunday" an iTunes Bundle released on February 26, 2011.And last but not least, our band of the month is releasing their first single "Drive Me" from the upcoming album 'Blanc Burn'.  


Monday, February 14, 2011

The Dears- Degeneration Street

The long awaited fifth studio album from Montreal based group the Dears is out tomorrow, February 15, 2010. 'Degeneration Street' marks the return of several band members who were absent from the band's previous album 'Missiles', including Patrick Krief, Rob Benvie and Roberto Arquila. The album features a sweeping collection of orchestral pop / rock that is at once enlightening, angst-ridden and mesmerizing. "Omega Dog" is currently the only single from the album which was released in October 2010.
http://www.thedears.org


Saturday, February 12, 2011

80's Duets: Bananarama & Fun Boy Three- "Really Saying Something"

During the 1982, early Bananarama and Fun Boy Three recorded two duets. The three women provided credited chorus vocals on the hit "T'ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" and the Fun Boy Three later sang on the Bananarama song "Really Saying Something". Both songs were released as singles during the same year and also appeared on both bands' albums.

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Friday, February 11, 2011

Instant Hit: The Naughtiest Girl was a Monitor- Front

Thirty years ago the Sheffield minimal synth pop group The Naughtiest Girl was a Monitor released their first EP on the Imaginating Music label. They released one more single before disbanding in 1982. Back then, there were rumours about an official album release which never happened. In 2007 the band released a self titled LP compilation with all the singles, b-sides and six previously unreleased tracks.


Thursday, February 10, 2011

Ladytron's Decade in Review

'The Best of Ladytron: 00-10' will be released on March 29, 2011 in the US through Nettwerk Records (March 28 in UK). The collection reflects on a decade highlighted by '604', 'Light & Magic', 'Witching Hour' and 'Velocifero' plus two new tracks; "Ace Of Hz" and "Little Black Angel." A two-disc deluxe version, featuring an additional 16 tracks & 80-page photo booklet, will also be available on March 29, 2011.

www.ladytron.com/

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Hookey And Barney- The Good Old Times


Cut/Copy- Zonoscope

The Third album by the Australian electro pop group Cut Copy is in the shops. It was released on February 8, 2011 on the Modular Recordings label. Two singles were already released from the album, "Take Me Over" and "Need You Now". Zonoscope cover artwork features New York City engulfed in a waterfall, created by the late Japanese photo montage artist Tsunehisa Kimura.


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Retrovision: Blancmange- God's Kitchen

"God's Kitchen" performed by Blancmange on the Tube show in December 1982. The song was released in the same year as a double a-side single with the songs "I've Seen the Word"

Martial Canterel- You Today

Wierd Records have announced the release of Martial Canterel's new album entitled 'You Today'. The album features nine songs with bright, urgent melodies that snake and and swagger between major and minor keys. The songs emanate a subtle melancholic darkness and a rhythmic, militant propulsion keeping things moving against all odds. You can preview few clips from the album via Wierd Records official page.


Saturday, February 5, 2011

Kate Bush- Reissues

Four Kate Bush albums are expected to be re-issued this year after the singer won back control of them from EMI, but there is no confirmation yet about any new material coming from her in 2011. The Dreaming, Hounds Of Love, The Sensual World and The Red Shoes, which EMI originally released between 1982 and 1993, are all lined up to be re-issued with former EMI and PolyGram executive David Munns now acting as a consultant to her.

http://www.katebushnews.com/index.php


Pet Shop Boys- The Ballet Score

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe will release the music for their first ever full-length ballet, 'The Most Incredible Thing', on March 14 through Parlophone Records. The ballet is a collaboration with choreographer Javier De Frutos and Britain’s leading contemporary dance theatre, Sadler’s Wells. Based on the Hans Christian Anderson story of the same title, it runs at Sadler’s Wells in London from 17-26 March 2011.

www.petshopboys.co.uk/news


Thursday, February 3, 2011

Blancmange

Blancmange was formed in Harrow, Middlesex in 1979 by singer Neil Arthur and instrumentalist Stephen Luscombe. The duo released one EP, three albums and several singles during early-mid eighties. They were among the synth-pop pioneers of that time a long with Human League, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode who made edgy but accessible synth-pop for wider audience. Almost 25 years after their last record release, they are back with a new album.


During the late 70's, Neil and Stephen were in a variety of alternative rock bands. In 1978 they decided to join forces with Neil on lugubrious vocals and guitar and Stephen on keyboards. Their motto was “anything goes” and it showed, what with their use of Tupperware and tin foil for percussion, tape loops and borrowed synth equipment. Following a mad moment during which they toyed with the idea of calling themselves A Pint of Curry, Blancmange were born.


They became "official" in 1980 with the release of their debut EP, "Irene and Mavis", a 1000-copy affair with the image of the nattering old dears on the cover that led Daniel Miller of Mute Records to christen Blancmange the “maiden aunts of techno”. Further exposure came over the next 12 months when they toured as support to eccentric performance artist and multi-instrumentalist Nash the Slash and appeared alongside Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and The The on the celebrated ‘Some Bizzare’ compilation album of new electronic pop acts with their track “Sad Day”. This would attract the attention of London Records and, in 1982, secure the pair a major label deal.


By the following April, they were heading for the charts: the Talking Heads-influenced "God’s Kitchen", the follow-up single "Feel Me" and the supremely infectious “Living on the Ceiling” with its blend of Indian textures and World Music flavors with primitive but powerful electronics which reached number 7 and remained on the charts for 14 weeks. There followed tours with Depeche Mode and Japan and further hits featuring "Waves", "Blind Vision", "That’s Love, That Is", "Don’t Tell Me".


In July ’84, Blancmange made the last of their many appearances on Top of the Pops when they charted at number 22 with an unexpected cover of Abba’s “The Day before You Came”. In September ’85 they had their last top 40 entry with "What’s Your Problem?" and in May ’86 they grazed the top 75 for the final time with "I Can See It". They had released three albums of dark, compulsive electronic pop – 1982’s 'Happy Families', 1984’s 'Mange Tout' and 1985’s 'Believe You Me' – and they realized they had probably taken things as far as they could. Blancmange formally split up in 1987.


They didn’t exactly retire from the music industry after the split. Neil worked on a project called Saturn 5 with Malcolm Ross and David McClymont of Josef K and Orange Juice and reggae producer Dennis Bovell. He began composing music for TV back in the UK and also released solo album entitled ‘Suitcase’. Meanwhile, Stephen collaborated with longtime Blancmange associate Pandit Dinesh as West India Company. He did soundtrack work for film and TV, music for the Channel 4 series Lonely Planet, a score for BBC film The Legend of Leigh Bowery.


Throughout it all, Neil and Stephen resisted offers to reform, although they did communicate regularly and even tentatively worked on new material. Finally, in 2010, perhaps encouraged by the use of Living On The Ceiling on the Berocca TV advert, the Faithless remix of "Feel Me" or the regular citing of Blancmange as an influence by the new wave of electro acts, from Hot Chip to La Roux, they began working on their first album for a quarter century.
The result is 'Blanc Burn', an album of creeping atmospherics, crunching electronics, chart-friendly melodies and lyrics that explore the darker recesses of the human condition. There may have been a 25-year gap between it and the third, but Blancmange’s fourth album is worth the wait in gold.

Source: http://www.blancmange.co.uk  edited version

Editors- Unedited

Editors will release a deluxe edition collectors box set entitled 'Unedited' this February. Tom Smith from Editors has announced that they've been picking through the archive recently, looking back at their 3 records, many b-sides and some material that has never seen the light of day and decided to compile it into this wonderful box set. 'Unedited' box set contains all three studio albums plus four CD's b-side collection, 7  heavy weight vinyl LP's, an photo-art book and much much more.

For additional information visit this page.






Wednesday, February 2, 2011

The Human League's 'Credo' on pre-order

The new Human League album 'Credo' is scheduled to be released on March 28, 2011. The album which features the single "Night People" is available to pre-order now. Check out the New Human league Facebook official fan-page for more info about where you can buy it as well as the most recent Human League press shots.

www.facebook.com/thehumanleague





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