It's so nice not to announce another band have split ways and to instead announce that an "old favorite" is back in the running. Macclesfield England's MARION have reformed, written some new material and are strutting their stuff next week at a couple of gigs in London and Manchester. For any of you who weren't familiar with Marion back in the day, not ONLY were they some of the nicest guys to throw off that Britpop scene, they earned kudos from SELECT, Melody Maker and the like at the release of their debut record "This World and Body" and the admiration of Morrissey to boot.

We were saddened a few years ago to read reports of Jaime Harding's drug troubles, but excited to have spied guitarist Phil Cunningham in the lineup with New Order. I'd assumed over the years that no news was bad news, so what a pleasant surprise this is. You can give a listen to a few new demos over at the bands's MySpace or check out the "news" from Tripwire.

(sidenote: Marion came to America once upon a time on a short US tour... must've been February or March 1996? And the band probably had a lil to do with my prescence at Excellent as I met Shane that night backstage at the Metro between sets of Marion and The Rentals. I could get even more personal and explain how I eventually met one of my best friends through an evening spent with Jules, Marion's former-former bassist but I'll save that story for another day.)

A sad story makes it way around the Net today. Tough times indeed for former MARION frontman JAIME HARDING, who, according to a press clipping from the Macclesfield Express that's been circulating about the Net, was arrested in his car earlier this month and charged with heroin possession. Also implicated was the singer's girlfriend, Dawn Brocklehurst. The singer has never denied drug problems in the past, and it's been long rumoured that Harding's habit was the real reason behind the band's breakup last year.

MARION have called it a day, following the chaos surrounding the release of their second album, The Program. Originally the album was to be released in the UK by London Records last year. When it looked as if the label was more keen on dropping the band than releasing the record, Marion shopped the album around to other distributors.

Guitarist Tony Grantham has reportedly left MARION. A temporary guitar player will be filling in for the band during their upcoming L.A. show.