SIOUXSIE SIOUX and DAVID BOWIE are competing for the Icon Award at the forthcoming Mojo Magazine Awards in London on June 16th. Other nominees for the respected awards include MORRISSEY, PIXIES and GANG OF FOUR who are all up for the Inspiration Award, and KATE BUSH and PAUL WELLER who have both been nominated in the Songwriter category.
BOY GEORGE has co-written the forthcoming new single from dance act Faithless. 'Why Go' features vocals from Estelle and will be released on May 30th.
CARLY SIMON is to release an album in July. 'Moonlight Serenade' will feature eleven tracks, each one an interpretation of an old standard, and will include versions of 'I've Got You Under My Skin', 'How Long Has This Been Going On'and 'All The Things You Are' as well as the title track.
HUGH CORNWELL has lined up dates from June to November around the UK which will see the former STRANGLERS frontman play acoustic sets interspersed with readings from his recent autobiography 'A Multitude Of Sins'.
GANG OF FOUR are working on a double-CD release which will feature re-recorded and remixed versions of songs from their back catalogue for August release. The newly reformed band have recorded new versions of a number of songs including 'To Hell With Poverty', 'I Love A Man In A Uniform' and 'Damaged Goods' in addition to approaching remixers including the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ladytron, Dandy Warhols and the Futureheads.
THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS are planning some UK dates in June, the band's first here for some years... nothing has been announced yet but watch this space!
OMD are though to be reforming for a German TV show at the end of the month. The show will see ANDY McCLUSKEY, PAUL HUMPHREYS and MAL HOLMES reunited although it is currently unclear whether MARTIN COOPER will join them.
HAIRCUT 100, HOWARD JONES, T'PAU, KAJAGOOGOO and TIFFANY are just a handful of the artists featured on a new compilation to tie-in with the current TV series 'Hit Me Baby One More Time'. The twenty-two track compilation was released this week.
CYNDI LAUPER will release an album of remixes and rarities this year on the Sony label. 'Hey Now! Remixes & Rarities' will feature ten tracks; six of them remixes, two longer versions and two rare tracks.
MARIA MCKEE has announced a UK tour in June to support her forthcoming new album 'Peddlin' Dreams'. The former LONE JUSTICE singer will play nine shows in the UK and Ireland.
BLACK will start a UK tour next week. The band, fronted by Colin Vearnecombe and responsible for the hits 'Wonderful Life' and 'Sweetest Smile', will release a new album 'Between Two Churches' in August which will be Vearncombe's first release as Black for over ten years.
T'PAU frontwoman CAROL DECKER will play a prestigious gig as part of The Lord Mayor's Show in Birmingham in May as well as lining up a full show at Wolverhampton's The Robin 2 in July.
A-HA have added three more UK shows to the European leg of their tour in December. The band will now play shows in Nottingham, Brighton and Cardiff.
MARC ALMOND, SINEAD O'CONNOR, TIM FINN and KRISTEN HERSH will all appear as special guests of the legendary Patti Smith who is curating this year's Meltdown Festival at London's Southbank Centre from June 11 - 26th.
NIK KERSHAW's forthcoming album 'Then & Now' has been postponed until June.
THE HAPPY MONDAYS are among artists appearing at this year's Get Loaded Festival which will take place on London's Clapham Common on August 28th.
HEAVEN 17 spin-off project Honeyroot have released their cover of JOY DIVISION's classic 'Love Will Tear us Apart' as a single. The track, which is currently gaining a lot of radio airplay, will precede an album 'Sound Echo Location' which will be released on May 9th.
