The New Music

It’s not uncommon for record companies to reissue an album months later as a bonus/deluxe package containing new goodies. But this news about the re-release of Florence and the Machine’s Lungs is a bit OTT. Her label will release a four-disc version of the singer’s Mercury-nominated debut album, with the bonus discs Live At Abbey Road, Remixes, Covers and Rarities and a Live From Rivoli Ballroom DVD. Is there anything left?

Paper Bag Records is celebrating its seven-year anniversary with a collection of 12 covers to download for free. Among the 12 songs are Winter Gloves doing Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Laura Barrett doing Beck’s Gamma Ray” and most curious of all, CFCF doing OMC’s “How Bizarre.”

The NME has revealed its 100 albums of the decade… but only putting the top 50 up on its website. The five best albums are: 5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs Fever To Tell, 4. Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, 3. Primal Scream XTRMNTR, 2. The Libertines Up The Bracket and drum roll… 1. The Strokes Is This It. (Like you didn’t know that….)

Scottish gloom rockers The Twilight Sad were robbed at gunpoint by two men dressed in fake police uniforms. I’m not sure why they thanked them for the experience, but they could be resorting to sarcasm after such a humiliating experience.

The Cribs have announced they will tour North America with ex-Smiths guitarist and newest member Johnny Marr. The Leeds-based band will play Toronto on January 5th and Vancouver on January 31st.