Rock news

Kevin Shields comes out of hibernation, The Pet Shop Boys, Morrissey, OutKast, Mojave 3, Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips, and Pretty Girls Make Graves.

Exclusive: Kevin Shields Remixes the Go! Team

Amy Phillips reports:

It's a match made in surround-sound heaven: Kevin Shields, the mysterious, reclusive genius behind My Bloody Valentine, has ventured out of hibernation to create a mega-remix of the Go! Team songs "Ladyflash" and "Huddle Formation", to be included on the forthcoming "Ladyflash" single. Due January 30 on Memphis Industries in the UK, the single will also include a RJD2 remix of "Huddle Formation", a Simian Mobile Disco remix of "Ladyflash", and a brand new Go! Team song, "The Wrath of Mikey". It will be available as a 7", CD, and download.

According to Memphis Industries, the genesis of the Shields collaboration began when label representatives approached him following a Go! Team show. Shields told them that the performance was the greatest concert he had ever seen in his life, and expressed his desire to work with the band. The resulting mix is, according to Memphis' Ollie Jacob, "really really happy". He added, "Kevin Shields out-Go! Teamed the Go! Team."

In other Go! Team news, the band recently turned down the opportunity to open for Duran Duran, and announced a new round of shows in the UK in February and March. Let's cross our fingers for a live Shields Team mash-up.

* The Go! Team: http://www.thegoteam.co.uk

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-11/23.shtml

and

Pet Shop Boys finish new album:

Electro legends look to Spring 2006 release. Pet Shop Boys have just completed their new album in a West London studio.

The album has been produced by Trevor Horn and features 10 new Tennant/Lowe songs, a short introduction (also written by Tennant/Lowe) and 'Numb', a song by Diane Warren, originally recorded for the 'PopArt' compilation in 2003.

Neil and Chris started writing songs for the album in January and commenced recording with Trevor Horn in May.

Chris Lowe commented: "We've really enjoyed making this album with Trevor and his team and are very happy indeed with the finished result."

Neil Tennant added: "We think it's a great Pet Shop Boys album and also a great Trevor Horn record."

The album is expected to be released worldwide in April 2006.

http://www.nme.com/news/pet-shop-boys/21623

and

Morrissey: New album is a fresh start

'Ringleader Of The Tormentors' is no 'continuation' of past work Morrissey has spoken for the first time about his forthcoming album 'Ringleader Of The Tormentors', declaring that it is not a "continuation" of his previous work.

Taking part in an online Q&A with fans for website True-to-you.net, the former Smiths frontman spoke about the record and praised the contribution of producer Tony Visconti.

"Firstly, the musicianship is outstanding. Secondly, the songs are very strong, which is a great thing to be able to say this far down the line," he explained. "We were all very unified - everyone gets on very well, we are all very close friends, and everyone works for the common good, and there is never anyone pulling away - as there has been in the past."

He added that the record stood on its own. "It is not a continuation of 'You Are The Quarry', and it has no links to the past. Tony has been a very uplifting influence - has done a great job as producer and I'm honoured to have worked with him."

Talking more generally, Morrissey revealed to his fans that "the birth of each album" had been among his happiest moments in life, adding his other highlights included "Meltdown was also a high spot for me, and selling out the MEN Arena so quickly".

http://www.nme.com/news/morrissey/21621

and

OutKast name new album

The Atlanta duo to release soundtrack to their film Outkast are to release their new album 'Idlewild' in February.

The follow up to 2003's 'Speakerboxx/The Love Below' is not only the duo's new album, but also the soundtrack to their feature film debut.

Set in America's Deep South during the time of the Depression, the film follows the exploits of a struggling musician (played by Andre 3000) and a lovable lothario (Big Boi).

"It's not your typical soundtrack where you have a lot of different artists," Big Boi told Rolling Stone. "It's me and Dre, and Organized Noize doing the production. Sleepy Brown is on the album, a new artist, Janelle Monae and then me and Dre. It's crazy."

Explaining the fact that the album's release date had been put back from December, Big Boi said that the duo were having problems picking a lead-off single from the album.

He said: "There are four songs that we really love and we just want to make sure we pick the right one to come out first. The potential singles are 'The Train', 'Idlewild Blues', 'Foot On The Gas' and 'Cock-A-Doodle-Do'."

http://www.nme.com/news/outkast/21607

and

Mojave 3 forthcoming new album, due out next March

The new Mojave 3 record is at the very top of my most eagerly anticipated records for '06.

http://chromewaves.net/

and

Goldenfiddle reports that Dean & Britta (that's Wareham & Phillips, ex-Luna), have been tapped to provide the soundtrack to the forthcoming film Just Like The Son, which will be directed by Morgan Freeman. They also currently have a couple songs on the soundtrack for The Squid & The Whale, which they also scored...

Dean and Britta are also working on their follow-up album to 2003's lovely, languid L'Avventura and hope for a Spring '06 release. Their freshly redesigned website also has a forum that Britta is hanging out in and will be nice compliment to the Full Of Wishes G500/Luna/D&B HQ as well as the G500 mailing list. If you've never heard any of the D&B stuff, it's really nice. Certainly not light-years away from Luna, but still quite a distinct entity.

http://chromewaves.net/

and

Pretty Girls Make Graves Tour in Advance of Album

Kati Llewellyn reports:

Everyone knows that Pretty Girls Make Graves, but we also know that at the end of the month, the Matador Records power-punk band will embark on a grave procession across their home continent. PGMG will hit both the Northwest and the Northeast, before wrapping it all up in mid-December (like a present). Short and sweet.

...remember that PGMG have a new album in the works, following up 2003's The New Romance.

Aimed for an April 2006 release on Matador, the record is said to be completely different than the oldies. It even features some n00bs to the PGMG crew: producer Colin Stewart (Black Mountain) and multi-instrumentalist Leona Marrs (in place of former guitarist Nathan Thelen).

Bassist Derek Fudesco told Canada's ChartAttack.com, "The difference between Good Health and New Romance is not that big, but sort of big. This one is so much different than both of those. People who liked those two records might not really be into what's going on on this one." Gee, that's descriptive. He also told Milwaukee's Shepherd Express Online that the album is "less guitar-oriented than our other records," and "this is the first record where individual members wrote whole songs. There are a lot of different personalities." Once again, not too helpful.

* Pretty Girls Make Graves: http://www.prettygirlsmakegraves.com

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-11/22.shtml#prettygirlsmakegraves


Note :

Once again, thanks go to the great Jen from Stratosphere Fanzine

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