Category: Music News

Swervedriver have confirmed their reunion.

The band, whose last release came in 1998, are back after almost 10 years and are planning a worldwide tour in 2008. There are no dates as yet, but they will be forthcoming. The official press release on the band said:

“After almost a 10-year long absence, the revered UK band Swervedriver plans to reform for an early 2008 worldwide tour. Swervedriver is Adam Franklin on guitar and vocals, Jimmy Hartridge on guitar, Steve George on bass, and Jez on drums.

Swervedriver formed in Oxford, England in 1989 and released a series of EP’s followed by their debut full-length, Raise, in 1991 on Creation Records in the UK and A&M Records in the U.S. Mezcal Head followed in 1993, then in 1995 Ejector Seat Reservation came out on Creation in the UK, but was only available as an import in the US.

Their last release, 99th Dream, was released by Zero Hour in 1998. Tour dates for Swervedriver will be announced shortly. Adam Franklin is in the midst of a U.S. solo tour in support of Bolts of Melody, which was released this past June on Hi-Speed Soul.”

www.hispeedsoul.com

Portishead have announced the band is only a day away from finishing their third album.

Geoff Barrow posted on the band’s wesite saying that they have been in London putting the finishing touches to the follow up to their 1997 self-titled album. Barrow said:

“I think one more day messing about with it and it will be done. Then into the wonderful world of mastering…[the band are now] working on some art work and getting the live stuff together.”

www.portishead.co.uk

The Hold Steady are ready to record their new album.

Singer Craig Finn recently spoke after the band’s show in Providence and said that they have much of the material ready to be recorded and even played one of the songs Ask Her For Adderall at the show. The plan is to start recording in December though Finn has yet to put vocals to most of the music. He went on to say:

“It sounds like the rest of our stuff. It’s hard for me to tell what’s different. I haven’t finished lyrics at all. Writing a record to me is like doing a crossword puzzle, there’s that last one on the bottom and once you get that one the rest of them it gets really easy. I don’t have that one yet, but I have a lot of the other ones”

www.theholdsteady.com

Another band splitting up is The Blood Brothers.

The news of the split was confirmed by Justin Pearson on the Three One G forums and there have been no announcements about farewell shows. The band had found themselves without a label in January when their then label V2 was all but shot down.

www.myspace.com/thebloodbrothersband

Some Girls have split up.

The band, who released material over a number of labels including Epitaph gave no explanation for the break up but pointed out where some of the members were.

Bassist Justin Pearson and guitarist Charles Roswell are working on new material with Ground Unicorn Horn, vocalist Wes Eisold has a new project, drummer Sal Gallegos is working with Geronimo.

www.myspace.com/somegirls

A full album stream from Avenged Sevenfold has been made available.

The group’s new self-titled album is due out at the end of October but you can check it out before that by clicking right here.

www.avengedsevenfold.com

The Weakerthans first two albums will be reissued.

Epitaph will be doing the reissuing after the records became unavailable through G7 Welcoming Committee Records who had stocked them previously. Epitaph will reissue Fallow and Left And Leaving though there is no word on their Watermark EP. The band recently released Reunion Tour.

www.theweakerthans.org

RZA has moved the release date of the Wu Tang crew album after Ghostface‘s recent outburst.

Ghostface had mentioned his disappointment that the Wu album was being released on the same day as his own solo album Big Doe Rehab. He mentioned that the “hierarchy” was to blame but now RZA has moved the crew album back a week saying:

“I think that shows the kind of bigger men we could be. Ghost is my brother, [I] love him to death. But we’re in this business, and it’s hard to kind of discern what’s right and what’s wrong.”

www.wutang-corp.com

N.E.R.D. will follow up their 2004 album Fly Or Die next year.

The trio, fronted by producer and rapper Pharrell Williams are planning to bring out the untitled album next spring and claim they are one song away from finishing it. When asked about the record, Pharrell said “It also has a lot to do with pretty girls”.

www.n-e-r-d.com

Paramore are set to hit the UK in January.

The band have announced the dates below and will be bringing over New Found Glory as the support for the tour. You can check them out at the following shows:

January

25th – Leeds, Uni
26th – Newcastle, Academy
27th – Glasgow, Academy
29th – Manchester, Apollo

February

1st – Brixton, Academy
4th – Birmingham, Academy
6th – Bristol, Academy
8th – Portsmouth, Guildhall
9th – Nottingham, Rock City

www.paramore.net