Out This Week: The Stranglers- Giants

The Stranglers have released their 17th studio album 'Giants' this week (March 5, 2012). The band is returning as a four piece after the departure of Paul Roberts and the lead vocals are shared between guitarist Baz Warne and bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel. The album is released in the formats of Digital Download, CD and Vinyl with the a deluxe edition of the CD being released with an additional live acoustic disc.

www.thestranglers.net

Lost Videos: Simple Minds- Chelsea Girl

Simple Minds released "Chelsea Girl" in 1979. It was the second single that was taken from their debut a album Life in a Day which was released during the same year and produced by John Leckie. The promo video for this song was taken from Australian music program 'Rage'. 

   

The Wake Announce New Album 'A Light Far Out' for May

The Scottish indie band the Wake are back with the first new studio release since their reformation in 2009 when they played play selected live dates in Brussels, London, Paris and New York. They will release a brand new album A Light Far Out on May 7, 2012. Core duo Caesar and Carolyn Allen worked with Ian Catt (St Etienne), Duncan Cameron (Teenage Fanclub) and remixer Drew Diver of NYC-based duo Horse Shoes. 

 If you buy 'A Light Far Out' direct from LTM mailorder then you will also recieve a free CDR of The Wake's set at Plan K (Brussels) on 12 December 2009, featuring Testament, Uniform, O Pamela, Here Comes Everybody, Favour, Talk About the Past, The Old Men, Something Outside, The Sands.   

www.ltmrecordings.com/wakecat

Trevor Jackson – Metal Dance - Industrial / Post-Punk / EBM : Classics & Rarities 80-88

Trevor Jackson, known for his work as Playgroup and the incredibly influential Output Recordings has collected some of his favorite rarities from the under-explored world of 80s industrial & post-punk dance floor material. This obscure compilation is going to be released under a name 'Metal Dance - Industrial / Post-Punk / EBM : Classics & Rarities 80-88'. The two-disc collection covers recognized masters such as Cabaret Voltaire & Nitzer Ebb and many not so famous act from the 80's underground. The compilation was released this February and it is out on Strut Records.

In Conversation: Clive Pierce (hard Corps)

In the wake of the recent news regarding Hard Corps' reissues on Minimal Wave Records, we had the opportunity to connect with one of the founding members of the group, Clive Pierce. He graciously agreed to share insights in an exclusive interview for our blog.

The genesis of Hard Corps dates back to 1983, emerging from years of musical experimentation. The trio of Clive Pierce, Hugh Ashton, and Rob Doran laid the foundation, later joined by the French-born singer Regine Fetet. Their inaugural single, "Dirty," debuted on Survival Records in 1984, followed by two sessions on Richard Skinner's Radio One show. Martin Rushent and Daniel Miller subsequently approached them, collaborating on several singles released in 1985.

Throughout their musical journey, Hard Corps had the privilege of supporting renowned acts such as the Cure and Depeche Mode during their 80s tours. In 1990, the group disbanded after releasing a compilation featuring a diverse array of tracks. This compilation, available on both vinyl and CD with slightly varied track lists, encapsulates most of their discography, including remixes and rare b-sides.

For an in-depth exploration of Hard Corps, including lesser-known facts, influences, details about the recent reissues, and much more, stay tuned for the interview below.

Instant Hit: O'Gar- Playback Fantasy

"Playback Fantasy" was a first single release for the Italian singer and producer Marco Ongaro who recorded a couple of songs and one album during the 80's under a name O'Gar. "Playback Fantasy" was a hit in Europe and it was released in several European countries. The single was released in 1983 and it was issued as both 7" and 12" inch record with the instrumental version of the song as a b-side. It was also featured on O'Gar's only album Gimmick from the year 1985.

WAW: Bear in Heaven- Reflection of You

While waiting for the new Bear in Heaven album which is going to be released in April, here is a brand new video for the song "Reflection Of You" that has been revealed on Youtube today. The video was directed by John Lee of the infamous art collective PFFR (of Wonder Showzen fame). Beware of Motion sickness!

 

China Crisis- 'Ultimate Crisis'

China Crisis will release a 34-track double CD compilation entitled 'Ultimate Crisis'. This is their first compilation since 1998 when they released 'The Best of China Crisis'. 'Ultimate Crisis' follows the China Crisis story from 1982's "African And White", the first release on the local 'Inevitable' label that caught the attention of Virgin Records, throughout their singles chart career. The compilation album is out on March 12, 2012 on Virgin Records. Available on Amazon and all the big online music stores.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Crisis-China/dp/B006ZGDC0I

Out This Week: School of Seven Bells- Ghostory

School Of Seven Bells are back with their third album release this week. The album is entitled 'Ghostory' and it is their first album to be released without founding member Claudia Deheza who left the band in October 2010. The album features familiar ethereal and enigmatic tones surrounded by layers of influences from 80's pop, shoegaze and ambient electronic sounds. The first single from the album, "Lafaye", was released in January and the album is out tomorrow, February 28, 2012 through Vagrant Records/Ghostly International. 

www.sviib.com

Gemma Ray Sings Sparks with Sparks

Gemma Ray has teamed up with Sparks for a collaboration. The British singer takes on two Sparks songs in her own noir style, but in true maverick fashion Ron & Russell Mael have taken these two Ray-styled interpretations, and re-built them Sparks-style! Over the next weeks these songs will be revealed while a video for “How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall?” is already streaming on Youtube. The single is now available to buy on 7″ and digital download.

http://gemmaray.tv