OMD, Faces reunite for albums & live show

July 4, 2010

OMD, Faces Reunite For Albums and Live Shows
OMD’s original line-up have gotten back together for some touring and are now slated to record, too - and, after a whopping 24 years off the charts, they’ll release a new album as a band again later this year. Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper, and Malcolm Holmes are all back on board again for the project, which will serve as the (much-delayed) follow up to OMD’s last set, 1986’s The Pacific Age. The new album will be produced by Arctic Monkeys’ producer Mike Crossey...
In other reuniting news, The Faces - albeit without original frontman Rod Stewart - are now set to play a show at the Vintage at Goodwood Festival in the UK in August, with Simply Red’s Mick Hucknell stepping in to take on Stewart’s vocals, and Sex Pistols bass player Glen Matlock performing in place of The Faces’ late bassist Ronnie Lane. Original Faces members Ronnie Wood, Kenney Jones, and Ian McLagan will all appear; the revived camaraderie, the band says, is both a result of a live show they played recently that went well, and the fact that they found a renewed energy in their ol’ band after receiving a PRS Lifetime Achievement Award last year...
After six years out of the music scene, L.A. trio Autolux is set to release their sophomore (finally) album, Transit Transit, via TDB Records, with the album serving as the follow up for their 2004 debut, Future Perfect. The band says they never stopped working on music during their perceived hiatus, and that the reasons why they vanished for so long are “multitudinous, unfit for print, and predominately boring.” No matter - Autolux fans can still snag Transit Transit soon enough, as it will hit stores on August 3...
And the 10th anniversary of the Siren Music Festival is set for Saturday, July 17 at NYC’s Coney Island, so you can both watch great bands and check out the amusement park rides. Two stages will welcome the likes of Harlem and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, among others; the best part? The fest is totally free, no tickets required (but be prepared to deal with over 100,000 people attending)...

MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:
Influential rockers Pixies will perform their 1989 Doolittle album, plus its B-sides, in its entirety on a tour set to kick off in Philly on September 7. The jaunt will include stops in Atlanta (9/13), Dallas (9/19), and Las Vegas (9/25); not sure who the Pixies are? Well, they’ve influenced the likes of Weezer and Nirvana, so go learn more at www.pixiesmusic.com...

MINI BUZZ:
The 2010 Bestival is now set for September 9 through the 12th on the Isle of Wight in England, and will feature DJ sets from the likes of Ewan Pearson plus live performances from Fever Ray, Echo and the Bunnymen, Hot Chip, and Dizzee Rascal, among others...
The 9th Annual Northwest String Summit with Mickey Hart, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Rhythm Devils (among others) is set for July 16 through the 18th this year near Portland, Oregon...
Lilith Fair has added more dates to its itinerary, now making stops in Chicago (7/17), Indianapolis (7/18), Detroit (7/21 at the DTE Energy Music Theater, Toronto (7/24), Cleveland (7/27), Philly (7/28), and Washington DC (8/3)...
Singer Bat for Lashes is just beginning work on her third album, with a 2011 release date scheduled for the new set...
The White Stripes might begin work on some new songs soon, too, according to the Stripes’ Jack White, who mentioned in a recent interview that he would like to resume writing and recording with bandmate Meg White, now that she’s reportedly gained control of her struggle with anxiety...
Big Head Todd and the Monsters are set to release their new studio album, Rocksteady, on July 20 on Big Records...

And rockin’ their way to your CD collection are this week’s new releases... Katzenjammer’s Le Pop... Wolf Parade’s Expo 86... Judy Collins’ Paradise... Three 6 Mafia’s Laws of Power... and Kylie Minogue’s Aphrodite... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

Questions, comments, rants, raves, suggestions on this column or your favorite musicians? Send ‘em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com