Kompakt Turns 10

The Cologne-based label that gave us DJ Koze and Justus Köhncke celebrates 10 years of existence. Here's to 10 more! [Pitchfork]

Kraftwerk Remastered Boxset

"Electro Pioneers, living legends and globally revered masters of electronic sound, celebrate the 35th anniversary of their landmark 1974 hit 'Autobahn’ by releasing a special collector’s CD boxset featuring remastered versions of eight astounding albums on October 6th, 2009 [...]" [Altsounds]

Happy Birthday Mozzer!

"To mark the occasion NME.COM has posted up a Morrissey photo gallery featuring images of the singer, plus his most memorable quotes." [NME]

The Breeders

Jude Rogers reports on The Breeders comeback in the Guardian..."Revered by Nirvana, Blur and Radiohead, Kim and Kelley Deal of 90s indie sensations the Breeders are rock survivors. Now, after years of struggle with drink and drugs, they're addicted to good food - and music."

"It used to be about music. Now, without the drink, it's good to go back to that..." [Guardian UK]

NME's Ultimate Indie Album

NME asks you to determine the greatest indie album of all time. "From Slint to The Smiths, Pavement to Pulp, the result is up to you!" [NME]

Depeche Mode 101

As Depeche Mode prepare to release their documentary, Depeche Mode 101, Joshua Klein interviews the band in Pitchfork.

"Depeche Mode 101 lucked into capturing the British group on the cusp of global super-stardom. In that documentary, the band comes off almost shockingly young, if not entirely innocent, but that may be because all the real drama-- substance abuse, nervous breakdowns, divorces, in-fighting, and general self-destruction-- came soon after. Miraculously, Depeche Mode not only survived but continued to prove themselves creatively viable. The proof is in Depeche Mode's latest Sounds of the Universe, which captures the group on the other side of its many ordeals and hardly the sound of band lazy and complacent. In fact, when we spoke separately with members Andy Fletcher and Dave Gahan, Fletch noted with some surprise the group's longevity, and there's no reason to believe Depeche Mode doesn't have many more good years still to come." [Pitchfork]

Sonic Youth To Play NYC

Sonic Youth, The Eternal (Matador, 2009)

Venue: United Palace
Date: Friday, 7/3/09
Notes: Doors 7:00 PM / Show 8:00 PM; $38, $45

"The Eternal is Sonic Youth’s 2009 celebration of newfound freedom. After many years signed to an ever precarious corporate label, the band has been liberated and is releasing this CD with their friends at Matador. Inspirations ran high in preparation for the recording. Abandoning the time tested routine of writing and rehearsing a cycle of songs in one time period, SY changed tactics and would compose two to three tracks one weekend and record them the following weekend. After a solid month they had a dozen killers..." [The Bowery Presents]

UK Decay Reissue

UK Decay, For Madmen Only (Rough Trade, 2009)

Rough Trade reissues a compilation CD of UK Decay. A progenitor of gothic rock, UK Decay were among the first to splinter from punk in the late 1970s and incorporate the moody atmospherics that eventually came to define gothic crossover. On CD for the first time ever, the 19 tracks include the band's one and only album For Madman Only, the Rising From the Dead 12", plus tracks from The Black 45 7" and For My Country 7".

Alex James' Pastoral Dream Incarnate

Continuing with the Blur thread...

Here BBC Three looks back to the "Most Annoying People of 2007" - among them, former ladies' man, Blur bassist and now cheese maker Alex James.



Alex James at the Great British Cheese Festival.

Graham Coxon on Blur - podcast

Graham Coxon, solo artist and Blur guitarist, speaks to the Guardian UK's Music Weekly about Blur's temporary reunion. The band are to play a series of highly anticipated gigs in the UK later this summer!

Hedi Slimane's Coachella Diary

Hedi Slimane Diary

Slimane's favored themes of music and youth again collide as he documents Coachella 2009 with his characteristic crisp black and white photography.

Coachella 2009 Medley

Leonard Cohen, "Hallelujah"


Morrissey, "How Could Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel"


Paul McCartney, "Hey Jude"

Soundtrack of My Life: Brett Anderson

As Suede's singer, he put the glam into Nineties pop. Anderson tells Will Hodgkinson how charming Bowie is and explains why Prince is untouchable...

"The first record I bought
Never Mind The Bollocks, The Sex Pistols (1977)

When I go to sleep
Music For Airports, Brian Eno (1978)

The soundtrack to my adolescence
The Queen Is Dead, The Smiths (1986)

The record that made Suede what they were
Parade, Prince (1986)

When I got compared to Bowie
Low, David Bowie (1977)"

[Guardian UK]

NEW ORDER Re-releases Update

New Order, Power, Corruption & Lies (Factory, 1983)

"This is a very difficult one, we are aware of the problems and because we did not have finished product to listen to? It has, shall we say……slipped through the net?? My great friend Claude Flowers has taken it on himself to sort this mess out personally, but please be aware, that after the fact it is going to be very difficult, unfortunately because many of you have purchased them already (a great compliment in itself) we are doing all we can to try and get fresh masters made and available, somehow to try and remedy the situation, so please bear with us.

I have said before how difficult it is compiling this stuff, the masters Steve and I listened to, were all basically from people's collections, so it was then left to someone? In the library department to compile, as much as possible from original masters, this is where it seems to have gone wrong, unfortunately it is industry standard these days to not have production masters of the cd's or the sleeves, much to Pete Saville's amazement, but that's just the way it is, hopefully they might resurrect the process after this. Here's hoping, Hooky." [Peter Hook Official MySpace]

Bleep of Faith

For 20 years, Warp Records has been wrecking clubbers' eardrums and delighting fans of electronica. Dave Simpson celebrates the pioneering Sheffield label...

"It's one of the UK's greatest independent labels, responsible for introducing the world to Aphex Twin, LFO, Boards of Canada and Squarepusher. But the origins of Warp Records, which celebrates its 20th birthday this year, were much humbler. The track that would inspire a revolution in UK dance music was conceived in a teenager's bedroom..." [Guardian UK]

Soundtrack of My Life: Jarvis Cocker

The Saint Martins College student turned cultural provocateur reveals his inspirations to Will Hodgkinson...

"The first song I heard
Where do you go to (my lovely), Peter Sarstedt (1969)

My first love affair
Burning up, Madonna (1983)

The song that reminds me of art school
French Kiss, Lil Louis (1989)

The song that reminds me of my son
Milk and alcohol, Dr Feelgood (1978)

The last song I heard
The whole world's got the eyes on you, Legendary Tigerman (2008)"

[Guardian UK]

Heaven and Hell

I love me some reverb. Shoegaze forever!

The Story of the Jesus and Mary Chain by Jonathan Garrett

"If one had any doubts that heaven is indeed too close to hell, as the Jesus and Mary Chain first suggested on 1987's Darklands, the band's own career ought to lay them to rest. For three decades, the Scottish brothers who comprise the core of JAMC, Jim and William Reid, have demonstrated that noise and melody can not only coexist, but when properly executed, each can cast the other in sharper relief. While many artists have been drawn to extreme, few have explored such opposite ends of the spectrum simultaneously. This is their story, as told by the Reids themselves and those who know them best." [Pitchfork]

NPR Guest DJ Portishead - podcast

Portishead, Third (Island, 2008)

"Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley of the trip-hop group Portishead talk with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen about their new album, Third and share some of the songs that have influenced their work over the years. Hear selections from Third, along with music from Jimi Hendrix, Public Enemy, Kraftwerk and British actor and singer Noel Harrison." [NPR]

Phil Spector - Guilty As Charged

Dear Phil Spector,
I hope this has taught you that you can't go blowing people's minds - at least literally. See...guns aren't your friends! The music, however, always was.
Sincerely yours,
m.i.


The Ronettes, "Be My Baby" (Philles Records, 1963)

Radiohead Covers Joy Division

A version of "Ceremony" performed by the band during their webcast on November 9, 2007.