BOW WOW WOW singer ANABELLA LEWIN is among forty-nine artists who have donated tracks to a tsunami victims benefit album in the US. The compilation 'Of Hands And Hearts - Music For The Tsunami Disaster Fund' also features WANG CHUNG, THE FIXX and DRAMARAMA among many others.

SINEAD O'CONNOR is the subject of a new collaboration to be released on May 23rd. 'Collaborations' is an album dedicated to O'Connor's collaborative work and features seventeen tracks including her collaborations with U2, JAH WOBBLE, THE THE, PETER GABRIEL and THE COLOURFIELD and TERRY HALL.

JODY WATLEY will release a new album later this year, 'Remixed, Reconstructed and Remade' will feature new versions of some of her classic material alongside some much anticipated new material.

JOE JACKSON and TODD RUNDGREN will play three UK dates together. The joint headline tour will play shows in Portsmouth, Bristol and London in late May and June.

THE ICICLE WORKS' fromer frontman IAN McNABB will be the supprt act on the forthcoming UK tour from JOHN MARTYN as well as lining up a series of 2005 dates of his own.

THE DREAM ACADEMY are reunited on a new album from the band's GILBERT GABRIEL. The album 'The Believers - Angels & Fools' features contributions from NICK LAIRD-CLOWES and KATE ST JOHN as well as featuring a version of THE SMITHS classic 'Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want'.

TOYAH is to have all her singles released across two compilations from Cherry Red. Each album will feature all her Safari Records singles complete with b-sides, starting with 'The Safari Records Singles Collection Part 1 (1980 to 1981)' in May followed by Part 2 in August.

MADONNA is already at work on a new studio album, the follow up to 2003's 'American Life', and has reportedly finished one track 'I Love New York' for the currently untitled album.

THE COCTEAU TWINS have pulled out of their forthcoming Coachella Festival appearance in the US citing personal reasons as the reason for their cancellation. This cancellation is expected to end previous plans the newly reunited band had to play any other shows elsewhere.

THE CUTTING CREW, T'PAU and DR & THE MEDICS are among artists to be featured on a new UK television show 'Hit Me Baby One More Time'. The show will air on ITV1 at primetime on Saturday nights and will reunite acts from the seventies, eighties and nineties. Each act will perform the hit they are most associated with, plus a new track.

ELVIS COSTELLO, THE UNDERTONES and VAN MORRISON have all been confirmed for this year's Glastonbury Festival which runs from June 24 - 26 and will also feature sets from KYLIE MINOGUE and NEW ORDER.

LATIN QUARTER's frontman STEVE SKAITH will release a new album 'Empires & Us' on April 25th in time for a short series of UK dates in late April and early May.

THE HUMAN LEAGUE have been added to the bill for this year's Homelands Festival which takes place in Hampshire on May 28th. Other artists on the bill fo the annual dance festival include GRANDMASTER FLASH and JAZZY JEFF.

KYLIE MINOGUE is rumoured to be making a one-off return to 'Neighbours', the TV soap that launched her career, as part of the show's special 20th anniversary programming...

A-HA have already recorded over twenty songs for possible inclusion on their new studio album which is due later this year. Meanwhile the group's MAGNE F features on Yusuf Islam's tsunami fundraising song 'Indian Ocean' which will be available as a download from Yusuf's official website from March 21st.

DEACON BLUE frontman RICKY ROSS will soon release a new solo album 'Pale Rider' which will be supported by a UK tour in May - some dates have already been announced with more to come.

KILLING JOKE have announced that they will be the support act for the upcoming Motley Crue dates in the UK. Killing Joke, who are currently working on a new album, will play five arena shows with the US rockers.

LEVEL 42 will release a live DVD on April 4th.

FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD are the subjects of a new VH-1 documentary 'Frankie Say Reform' which follows the bands efforts to reunite to appear at last November's Trevor Horn tribute concert at Wembley. The show watches the band audition for a new singer after original singer HOLLY JOHNSON declined to be involved and follows the selection process, rehearsals and final concert. 'Frankie Says Reform' starts on VH-1 UK this week.

ERASURE's latest single, 'Don't Say You Love Me' from their excellent 'Nightbird' album, will now be released on March 21st, a week later than previously planned, with a US release on April 5th.

ALTERED IMAGES' singer CLARE GROGAN is about to start filming a Hollywood movie, 'Hollywood & Vine', in which she will play a mother determined to push her daughter into show business.

PET SHOP BOYS are taking their musical 'Closer Than Heaven' to Australia. The musical, which has already enjoyed a successful West End run, will play at Brisbane's Visy Theatre from June 8th - 18th.

SWING OUT SISTER have added shows in Holmfirth, Croydon and Gainsborough to their forthcoming UK dates in April.

LISA STANSFIELD will play a show at Salford's Lowry Centre on July 17th.

NEW ORDER, HAPPY MONDAYS and STONE ROSES have all been beaten by A GUY CALLED GERALD in a recent poll to identify the best ever 'Madchester' track. The top ten tracks identified by a panel which included Factory Records' ANTHONY H WILSON, New Order's PETER HOOK and HAPPY MONDAYS' BEZ.