Hot on the heels of their 30th Anniversary Celebration Tour that saw them playing to over a quarter of a million people during their sold out 2008 European/UK arena tour, and their performance at Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday concert in London's Hyde Park, Simple Minds are about to enter the most prolific period within their extensive career with the highly anticipated brand new album 'Graffiti Soul' due for international release on May 25th by The Universal Music Records label.

Their 15th studio album, 'Graffiti Soul' was initially written on location in Rome, Sicily, Antwerp and Glasgow. Simple Minds then returned for the first time in almost three decades to the famous Rockfield Studios where the Scottish group originally recorded their earlier seminal albums 'Real To Real Cacophony', 'Empires And Dance' and sowed the seeds of 'New Gold Dream'.

Produced by Jez Coad and Simple Minds, the new album was mixed in Los Angeles by the legendary Bob Clearmountain, who previously mixed Simple Minds multi platinum 'Once Upon a Time album', and who's mixing credentials include Bruce Springsteen's 'Born In TheUSA', David Bowie's 'Let's Dance', and 'Roxy Music's 'Avalon'.

"Graffiti Soul is a bold and energetic collection of songs, and we could not be happier with the result," says lead singer, Jim Kerr. "Stylistically, this is a truly vibrant rock'n'roll album that's bursting at the seams with quite possibly the most ballsy pop songs we have written in years."

Although the heart and soul of 'Graffiti Soul' is contemporary in sound, the feel of classic Minds is evident, although the spirit of some of Simple Minds' original contemporaries such as Joy Division, Magazine and the Stranglers, are not far away.

Jim Kerr of Simple Minds. Photo credit: © Sven Hoogerhuis.

Continues Kerr, "It's taken us a while, but over the last couple of years Charlie Burchill and I have put together a great team of individuals to work with, and that, as well as a revitalised and energetic new commitment has triggered an effect that has dramatically overhauled Simple Minds. 'Graffiti Soul' is testament to that."

In addition to the launch of the new album, Simple Minds are in the process of confirming an extensive 'Graffiti Soul' world tour that will encompass a lot of songs from the new album, plus the band's best loved classics including 'Alive and Kicking', 'Sanctify Yourself', 'Waterfront', 'Promised You A Miracle' and 'Don't You (Forget About Me)'.

"It was a great pleasure making the new album," concludes Kerr. Sometimes you hit a period where everything just fits together perfectly and turns out exactly as you hoped it would. 'Graffiti Soul' reflects that very sentiment, and much more."

www.simpleminds.com

A labour of love many years in the creation, Walking On A Dream is an eclectic,
electric and downright eccentric addition to any fan's collection. Buy it in??stores
and on??download from Monday February 16.

And if you'd like a sneak preview of the delights on offer, you can
listen to??Walking On A Dream on http://www.nme.com now.
Find it on Empire of the Sun's artist page here.

Plus, you'll also be able to buy the 7" version of 'Walking On A Dream',
the single, from Monday February 16.

Grab the Empire widget below!

Find out more at www.empireofthesunsound.com.

ABC will play a very special London show at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall on April 8th when they will perform their classic album 'The Lexicon of Love' in its entirety, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra who will be conducted by ART OF NOISE's ANNE DUDLEY who arranged and played keyboards on the original album. The show will be introduced by producer TREVOR HORN.

MIDGE URE, RICK ASTLEY, BAD MANNERS and ASWAD are among the first acts announced for this year's RETROFEST which will take place in Glasgow over the last weekend in August. Other bands announced include The Bay City Rollers, Right Said Fred and the Average White Band.

THE CURE are to be the subject of a free tribute CD which will be given away by the NME on February 25th to mark the band being awarded the Godlike Genius Award at the magazine's award ceremony on the same day. See NEWS for more details.

DOLLAR, SHAKATAK, VISAGE and BUCKS FIZZ are among the acts filmed for a new LivingTV series entitled 'Pop Goes The Band' which starts broadcast in the UK on February 23rd at 10pm. The show promises to resyle the acts for today through a combination of surgery, diets and fitness regimes...

SUPERTRAMP's ROGER HODGES has been announced as another headline act at the forthcoming Acoustic Festival Of Great Britain which takes place at Catton Hall Park on the weekend of May 22nd-25th. Hodges joins a line-up which will also feature CHRIS DIFFORD, THE CHRISTIANS and THE BLOW MONKEYS.

MADONNA has extended her 2009 dates with the announcement of extra shows in London and Manchester in the summer. See GIGS for all the dates.

JOHN FOXX and former JAPAN percussionist STEVE JANSEN will release their collaborative album 'A Secret Life' on March 23rd. The album was started in 2005 but put on hold until Single Cycle Recorder's Steve D'Agostino revived and completed the project. The album will be released through Foxx's Metamatic label under the name D'Agostino / Foxx / Jansen.

FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS have released a new compilation featuring thirty tracks across 2 CDs including their best known singles, key album tracks and a selection of remixes. See NEWS for the full album tracklisting.

RICK ASTLEY, CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT, ALTERED IMAGES, BUCKS FIZZ, NIK KERSHAW, HOWARD JONES and THE REAL THING will all play at a special HERE AND NOW gig at Ascot Racecourse on August 8th.

TRACIE YOUNG, former solo artist and backing singer for THE JAM, will play her first show for nearly twenty years on June 6th when she supports Billy Franks at London's Shepherds Bush Empire.

JEAN MICHEL JARRE has announced four UK dates for May during which he will perform material from all stages of his career using his original analogue synths. See GIGS for all the dates.

NICK HEYWARD has denied that he will be performing at the forthcoming 80s REWIND FESTIVAL in Henley on August 22nd despite an announcement to the contrary from the festival organisers...

THE THOMPSON TWINS and NEW MUSIK are among a host of early 80s acts featured in unique footage for a US DVD documentary 'Listen To London' charting London's post punk movement. The film was originally made in 1981 and was shown on the US college circuit and has been remastered and revived for a new DVD release. More details in the NEWS section on the website.

BANANARAMA fans may be interested in listening to a couple of demo tracks of songs that have been posted on producer PETE WATERMAN's website... both tracks are early versions of songs that were renamed, given new lyrics and released at a later date. More details in the NEWS section on the website.

ANNIE LENNOX will play an intimate acoustic show at Los Angeles' Grammy Museum on February 13th which will also feature a live interview with Robert Santelli and a question and answer session with the audience.

KAJAGOOGOO will play a free concert in Aylesbury's Market Square in August, headlining the town's annual Hobbles On The Cobbles event. See NEWS for more details.

BELINDA CARLISLE will see a special edition of her 'Heaven On Earth' album released on April 20th.

With Thank to: www.remembertheeighties.com??"The eighties... up to date!"