ERASURE have completed work on their new album and are anticipating an October release. The album of new material will be titled 'Nightbird' and will be preceded by a new single 'Breathe'.
ADAM & THE ANTS are to reissue their back-catalogue albums 'Dirk Wears White Socks', 'Kings Of The Wild Frontier' and 'Prince Charming' on July 4th, each with a host of extra tracks which include demos, unreleased material, and remixes. ADAM & THE ANTS will also release a new DVD 'Digital Tenderness - 1977 to 1996' later this year featuring the band's videos possibly alongside other archive footage.
DURAN DURAN's classic single 'Wild Boys' has been covered by pop act Phixx... meanwhile this week Duran Duran release their first three albums 'Duran Duran', 'Rio' and 'Seven & The Ragged Tiger' remastered and in a three-disc CD box-set. Each album has been packged in high-quality gatefold sleeve which is a CD sized version of the original vinyl album sleeves, and all three albums are contained in a custom made box.
HEAVEN 17 will release a new album in August. 'Before After' will be the band's first new material since 1997's 'Bigger Than America'.
JOHN FOXX is working on a collaborative project with former KRAFTWERK mainman KARL BARTOS - more details are expected to follow but it is possible that the duo will tour with the project.
SOFT CELL will release a DVD compilation of twelve of their videos on July 26th. 'Non-Stop Exotic Video Show' features the promos for 'Entertain Me', 'Bedsitter', 'Frustrations', 'Torch', 'Seedy Films', 'Secret Life', 'Tainted Love', 'Youth', 'Memorabilia', 'Sex Dwarf (Intro)', 'What', 'Say Hello Wave Goodbye'. The DVD extras include the full audio version of 'Sex Dwarf' set to animation created especially for this release. Meanwhile Soft Cell frontman MARC ALMOND is set to publish a new book charting his journey through mid life. 'In Search Of The Pleasure Palace: Disreputable Travels' will be published on July 15th.
LLOYD COLE has revealed the proposed tracklisting for the forthcoming 20th Anniversary reissue of the LLOYD COLE & THE COMMOTIONS album 'Rattlesnakes'. The 2-CD set will feature the original album on one disc, and a series of b-sides, rarities and live tracks on the second.
PET SHOP BOYS' hit 'It's A Sin' is featured in a new play from Alan Bennett that has just opened at London's National Theatre. The song has been used with the full blessing of Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant who attended the first night of the show and the opening night party.
NEW ORDER have been talking about the recording of their forthcoming album and have revealed that is going to be a dance record more in the vein of 1989's 'Technique' than their last studio album 'Get Ready' made in 2001. The band have over twenty songs recorded although so far only eight of them have had the vocals added. Meanwhile frontman BERNARD SUMNER appeared onstage with The Doves last week to perform an acoustic version of 'Bizarre Love Triangle' at a tribute to former New Order manager Rob Gretton who passed away five years ago.
