Nitzer Ebb. Two words should say it all. Many may say it’s Front 242 but for my money these guys were the kings of what is known as EBM, or Electronic Body Music. What is EBM? Think industrial music with an actual melody. Anyways, back to the point. Nitzer Ebb wrote the anthems for a burgeoning sub-culture that was bored of new wave and wanted a bit more anger and nihilism in their music. The battle of Man v. Machine. Man v. Himself. Man v. anyone who was not him or her. Songs like Isn’t It Funny How Your Body Works, Join In The Chant, Lightning Man and Shame remain staples in any industrial club night you may visit and the reverence for this seminal duo remains as strong as ever.

Now fourteen years after their last record, 1995’s Big Hit, the duo of Bon Harris and Douglas McCarthy are back with a brand new record Industrial Complex (Tour Edition) due out 22 January via Major Records. Upon hearing some of the tracks of the record, allow me to simply state that old school fans of the band should be very encouraged as the band sound like they’ve lost none of the passion and vigor and actually sound inspired again. The band is currently on tour through the States and reports from the shows have been glowing to say the least. 2010 is the year of the Ebb and thanks goodness.

To whet your appetite, I’ve included a bit of a treat for you!

“Promises”, by Nitzer Ebb, taken from the forthcoming Major release, “Industrial Complex”

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“hello to you hello to me
yeah i really care
i’ll see you all around sometime
i hope that i’m not there
today’s news is yesterday’s news
you don’t remember you forget
that’s the way the stories all go”

Here I am sitting at my desk thinking about what to pontificate about when it dawned on me. Since I listen to music just about every chance I can (which seems to be all the time), I should talk about a song that’s got me all doe-eyed at the present time. Right now, that song would be Goodbye by the one and only Psychedelic Furs. Easily one of my top five favourite songs from an all-time great band.

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is about this song that makes me swoon. The saxophone? The perfect unison between Tim Butler’s bass and Vince Ely’s drumming? Richard Butler’s Bowie/Rotten lovechild-esque vocals are always a given so that element doesn’t count. Maybe it’s simply the way simply comes together to form an underrated new wave classic. What’s more Goodbye follows the seminal 80s classic Love My Way on what is my favourite Furs record, the Todd Rundgren-produced Forever Now. What better way to follow up such a timeless single than with an absolute stomper such as this?

I think I’m going to listen to this again…

“Goodbye (Dance Mix)”, taken from the Columbia release, “Here Came The Psychedelic Furs”

“It’s something
That look in your eyes tonight
Like magic
it’s changing everything in sight
I hear it
all around me every day
in the music that you play”

The new EP from the Pet Shop Boys is out tomorrow via Astralwerks. I can hardly wait! To celebrate the release, Parlophone presents with a promotional video of All Over The World with footage from the recent Pandemonium tour. A brilliant song from a brilliant record. Enjoy!

Please take the time out to help a worthy cause by feeding your insatiable appetite for quality music.

From Portishead:

Portishead sign to Amnesty

Portishead are releasing a brand new track, – “Chase the tear” for Amnesty International.

It will be available as an exclusive download single from 7 digital http://www.7digital.com/portisheadamnesty from December 10th with all earnings going towards Amnesty’s human rights work and all rights given to the organisation indefinitely.

A video of Portishead performing ”Chase the Tear” will also be available from 10 December at: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/portishead and at http://www.portishead.co.uk

International human rights day (10 December) marks the anniversary of the United Nation’s historic “Universal Declaration Of Human Rights” on 10 December 1948. The UDHR set out for the first time in a single document the fundamental rights to which everyone, everywhere is entitled – including the right to life, liberty, security, the freedoms of opinion, association and expression, and the right not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.

For more information: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/udhr

With all the brilliance of the new electronic pop bands coming to the fore and the second wind we’ve seen this year by the likes of Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys, the time is right for another giant to return to the fold. Yes, friends, let’s rejoice for the band known as Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark is back! I don’t think it’s necessary to go through the band’s voluminous CV. You know the songs, you know the hits. Electricity. Enola Gay. Tesla Girls. If You Leave. The list goes on and on and on. The band had a run like very few of their contemporaries did in the eighties and even after the band splintered towards the end of the decade with singer/bassist Andy McCluskey carrying the torch for a few more records and adding a few more hits to the OMD canon before ending it for good.

Here we are thirteen years from the last release, 1996’s Universal, to discover the news of a new record The History of Modern will soon be upon us in the new year.  With this news comes a bit of a tease for fans ol and hopefully new. It’s a demo of what may very well be the new single called Sister Marie Says. Upon the first couple of listens, the song begins with a choral sample before opening wide into yummy electro-pop. Very reminiscent of OMD circa Sugar Tax/Liberator. Welcome back Andy and Paul!

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“Sister Marie Says” by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, taken from the forthcoming release, “The History Of Modern”

After long last, it is official. There is a new record from the trip-hop giants known as Massive Attack. Ladies and gents, welcome to Heligoland! Not too long ago, I waxed poetic about the first single from the record called Splitting The Atom. It caused quite a stir throughout the blogosphere as one would expect when talking about such an influential act such as the Attack. It’s awesome to finally have something to look forward to in the new year. The record is out in the UK 8 February and hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for news on the US release. It’s about time…

The tracklisting shall be as follows…

Pray For Rain
Babel
Splitting The Atom
Girl I Love You
Psyche
Flat Of The Blade
Paradise Circus
Rush Minute
Saturday Come Slow
Atlas Air

Sure to cap off what has been one of the best years in their storied history, the Pet Shop Boys are set to release a Christmas EP simply titled….Christmas. It’s due to be released on 14 December in the UK with no US date at the moment and includes five tracks. One of these tracks definitely should be interesting to fans who hadn’t had a chance to see the Boys perform it during the Pandemonium tour…

It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas (this one’s been around since 1997 but it’s been re-recorded for this EP)

My Girl (Madness cover)

All Over The World (new version)

*Viva La Vida/Domino Dancing (The former is the highlight here. A studio version of the Coldplay smash and produced by Stuart Price)

My Girl (Our House Mix)

Needless to say, this is a must buy.

What else needs to be said about the King of Pop that hasn’t already been said by people much smarter and/or dumber than myself? He was the greatest entertainer I’ve ever seen and probably ever will see. Say what you will about the decline in the quality of his material over the last few years but what cannot be denied is that a new Michael Jackson record was a worldwide event the likes that the rapidity of the internet and the 24 hour news cycles couldn’t even create.

To promote the release of the movie This Is It, Epic has released the first fruits of what will be a seemingly endless ransacking of every second of unreleased demo and rarity from the Jackson vaults. Every gurgle and cough. Every unfinished and barely begun song Jacko ever recorded will be released to allow the cash grab memory of Michael Jackson to prosper. The new single This Is It is here. It’s a rather mellow piece to be sure. Not exactly the kind of song one would pick to promote a film but hey, this is why the suits at Epic make the big bucks to figure this stuff out. What do we think?

“This Is It” by Michael Jackson

Look. This band needs no introduction. The band were a perfect blend of the Doors, Bowie and the last vestiges of punk. A lead singer who not only was cool but personified the word and gave it a new meaning and thus offering a blueprint for future frontmen to adopt and follow. A guitarist who knew very few rivals, if any. Add in one of the more underrated rhythm sections of the day and you get Echo and the Bunnymen. Beginning with the epic debut single Rescue to era-defining hits like The Cutter, The Back Of Love & Lips Like Sugar, the Bunnymen were always a band to be reckoned with.  In fact, I’ve always been of the opinion that if it wasn’t for the more important and challenging bands such as Echo, the Smiths, the Sound, etc falling by the wayside in 1987, U2 never would have become the one-eyed monster they were to become.  Echo were simply that good.

The band are back now with a new single called Think I Need It Too. It’s a slow burner but it’s a good one. It features the signature Will Seargeant guitar sound as it carries Ian McCulloch’s smoke-drenched vocals. It must be said that in his prime that very few could wail like Mac and the smokes over time have done quite a number to his vocals.  That minor complaint aside, the single is the lead track taken from the brand new record The Fountain due out next week. Play it once, play it the rest of the day and groove. This is the sound of cool.

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“Think I Need It Too” by Echo and the Bunnymen, taken from the forthcoming release, “The Fountain”