Musical reunions have taken centre stage in recent showbiz news, from The Cure to The Stone Roses, with the comeback gigs for the latter selling out in just 14 minutes. Here are other acts who are making an exciting return:
Leonard Cohen
Next year, the 77-year-old Canadian poet, novelist and singer-songwriter will release his first new album since 2004’s Dear Heather. It will be called Old Ideas and will consist of ten previously unpublished songs, he told journalists in the town of Oviedo in northern Spain. In Oviedo, Cohen collected Spain’s most esteemed prize for non-Spanish writers. Will there be a tour to accompany Old Ideas? Cohen replied: “God willing, I never quite know whether there’s going to be a tour or not.”
Mazzy Star
Longing romantic lyrics sung serenely by Hope Sandoval and David Roback on guitar, keyboard and piano is Mazzy Star. The dreamy and mysterious Californian group have digitally released Common Burn 15 years since their last single. It is accompanied by the B-side Lay Myself Down and a vinyl release will follow. The alternative rock band was formed in 1989 in Santa Monica and is best-known for the hit Fade Into You.
Garbage
The rock group has announced that their first album since 2005’s Bleed Like Me should be released in spring next year. Singer Shirley Manson told Spin.com: “The overriding themes [of the record] are pretty much about being a misfit, a geek, a nerd, a forgotten-about, in a way.” Manson, drummer Butch Vig and guitarists Duke Erikson and Steve Marker are working on the album, which is currently untitled. The group was formed in in 1994 in Wisconsin and their debut album, Garbage, was astoundingly successful, as were their singles of the mid-1990s, such as Stupid Girl and Only Happy When It Rains.
Kate Bush
The eccentric singer-songwriter’s first album of original material for six years – 50 Words For Snow – will be released on 21 November 2011. Now aged 53, Kate Bush’s rise to fame began when her debut single Wuthering Heights made her the first woman to have a UK number one with a self-written song. 50 Words For Snow will feature seven new tracks, an exciting prospect after Bush’s album Director’s Cut, released on 16 May 2011, divided fans with its new versions of songs originally on The Sensual World (1989) and The Red Shoes (1993).
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys’ 50th anniversary will be commemorated by a world tour next year and follows years of legal battles between band members. Al Jardine announced the news to Rolling Stone magazine and said that “We’ll do maybe 50 amphitheaters [in the US] and 50 or 60 overseas.” There are archival releases on the way, including the Smile Sessions, which will come out on 1 November. However, only Jardine, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston are regrouping; Brian Wilson said that he would not in a solo interview with Q Magazine. Back in May, Wilson said that he was considering rejoining the group.
Splits and a departure
It’s not all glorious reunions though…
Bloc Party
The band responsible for the stunning debut album Silent Alarm has not split, but its lead singer and rhythm guitarist Kele Okereke has left, according to NME. In September, the band confirmed that they would audition new singers and claimed that they were on good terms with Kele. Losing Kele’s distinctive vocals would undoubtedly be a great loss to the band. Kele’s band membership seemed unsure after his release of the electronic solo album The Boxer last year. Publicly, this did not appear to be seen as a betrayal by the rest of the band, given that the record was advertised on Bloc Party’s official website. Currently, this website states that “Bloc Party is still Bloc Party- See you soon” and features a picture of The Simpson’s version of the band, including Kele.
Sonic Youth
Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon’s separation after 27 years of marriage has cast doubt on Sonic Youth’s future, according to their record label’s parent company. The rock group will still carry out their their South American tour in November. “Plans beyond that tour are uncertain. The couple has requested respect for their personal privacy and does not wish to issue further comment” said Catherine Herrick, a spokeswoman for Beggars Group, the owner of the band’s Matador label. The band has made albums roughly every 2 to 3 years since their heyday in the late-1980s and early 1990s, the most recent of which is The Eternal, 2009.
Westlife
Kian, Mark, Nicky and Shane have finally done it. In a statement, the Irish pop group announced that their split was “wholeheartedly a united decision.”
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