11.11.02

- Ween have nearly completed their follow-up to their 2000 LP White Pepper. According to a post on band's website: "As far as the music goes, it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 tunes and it's musically pretty unique to any of our other albums." The as-yet untitled album is currently in the mixing stages and has a tentative April release date.

For the time being, you'll have to settle for the Chocodog release of Ween's Live in Austin, TX. The set, whose release is the result of an online vote held at the band's website for which gig the fans most hoped would be made available on compact disc, will span three CDs and include a 40-minute rendition of the band's Prince medley "LMLYP" in MPEG video format as an enhanced portion. Last year's Live in Toronto sold out before they were even manufactured, so if you want this one, check out Ween's Internet HQ on December 1st to reserve your copy.

-The Pretenders will release their new album "Loose Screw" this week. Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon fans rejoice: The actor/bassist will make a guest appearance on the new Pretenders effort, thereby shortening the "separation" between himself and Dead Kennedy's vocalist Jello Biafra by a link or two.

- Ex-Velvet Underground and solo singer/songwriter Lou Reed will release his new album, The Raven, in both regular CD and double-disc formats. The album collects songs written by Reed which were inspired by the writings of poet Edgar Allen Poe. Laurie Anderson and David Bowie will make guest appearances on the album.

- Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of The Smith's first live gig, a new Smiths documentary, These Things Take Time: The Story Of The Smiths, has been released in the U.K. The film features animated sequences depicting key moments in the history of the band.

- After calling it quits 3 years ago after releasing Actions and Indications on Merge Records in 1999, Tacoma, WA power-punk act Seaweed have re-surfaced with a previously unreleased track called "Days Missed Dearly." It can be found on the North Carolina compilation "Patchwork," which contains fourteen songs featuring Chapel Hill and Seattle bands.

- Former Clash vocalist Joe Strummer has signed on to host a new program for MTV2 called Joe Strummer's Global Boom-Box. The show is meant to be the TV equivalent of the radio show he hosted on BBC Radio.

- According to their record label, Death Cab for Cutie drummer Michael Schorr has left the band. Specifics are unknown, but sources at the label have stated that the departure was "mutual and happy." Schorr's exit marks the second time a drummer has quit Death Cab for Cutie in their six years together.

- The Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi will join Hall & Oates for a reunion tour this winter. Put THAT in yr pipe and smoke it, indie rockers!

Thanks to CMJ.com, Pitchforkmedia.com and the 80's Nuts website (www.80sMusicCentral.com) for the above info.