BLOC PARTY and NPR are offering a recording (MP3 or stream) of the Party's DC show at the 9:30 Club last Thursday as a free download. If you want to hear what the boys had to say... as well as play you can also stream an interview that ran on All Songs Considered.

Here's some unexpected news...

Porl Thompson has re-joined THE CURE. Just when we thought ol' Robert was losing it by firing his guitarist and keyboard player last month, now it seems to make sense. Thompson is often considered the quintessential Cure guitarist, having put in two stints with the band, one of which was during the band's "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me"/"Disintegration" heyday. After leaving the band for the second time following the "Wish" album, Thompson has gone on to work with (among others) Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Cure fans on the net are, naturally, either (a) extremely excited, or (b) incredibly upset by the announcement.

Well, well. Looks like the decision to go with XM or Sirius satellite radio just got a little easier, as Sirius has today announced via a press release that they'll be carrying BBC Radio 1 twenty-four hours a day by the end of the summer. (Awesome news!) Now, we hate it when stuff's not live, but this is pretty cool -- when the station goes live, it will be time-shifted on a six hour delay, meaning that Sirius listeners in the States will get the Radio 1 morning show in the morning, Pete Tong's Essential Friday Night Selection on Friday night, etc. VERY cool.

Could any new material be in the cards? Odds are slim... but still, we're incredibly happy that THE OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL are hitting the road. Sadly, it's only 4 gigs (Chicago, Athens, and 2 nights in New York City) in late July/early August. Meanwhile, Olivia co-frontman Will Cullen-Hart is confirming that the 2nd release from his new project, Circulatory System, will be finished this month for release soon.

The trouble with some of the indiepop bands that we know and love is that since they operate on such a small scale, you oftentimes miss the press exposure that your Coldplays and Radioheads of the world get... that's why discovering a fun interview with one of your favorite bands can sometimes be a refreshing goldmine. OF MONTREAL, one of our favorite indie bands out there, recently got some pretty decent exposure on NPR's Weekend Edition. The NPR website has the entire interview archived on their site. Check it out if you havent joined their cult yet.

MARK GARDENER, he of Ride fame and friend/musical hero of this site, has finally revealed plans for his upcoming solo record. The record is now in its final stages of recording and should be out in the fall. Gardener, however, is asking for a little bit of support. Mark is attempting to fund the recording of the album on his own and then its release will be licensed and distributed through an array of global labels that he's already arranged. However, he's looking for some more funding to complete the record's recording... that's where we come in. Gardener is offering a pre-sale on the CD through Oxfordmusic.net. Those of you who pre-order the record will not only be helping a very worthy cause, you'll also get something special for your trouble: a limited edition DVD documentary of Mark's past couple of years on the road and in the studio. There will only be 2500 copies of the pre-order available, so don't miss out on the bonus disc. We have also inquired with Oxfordmusic.net as to the format of the DVD. At this time, their plan is to release the DVD on a region-free format, compatible with all DVD players.

Also, we can attest to the prompt and reliable service of Oxfordmusic.net, as we have ordered from their site frequently ourselves and give it glowing reviews.

Well, like he's prone to doing, Robert Smith has pink slipped three members of THE CURE. Longtime keyboardist Roger O'Donnell and guitarist Perry Bamonte were both handed walking papers this weekend. Bamonte's brother, Daryl, who served as the band's manager, was also let go. Extreme shake-ups like this are nothing new for The Cure, though Smith had kept a fairly steady line-up over the past several years without much change. Rumours are flying about that Steve Severin of Siouxsie & the Banshees may be called to task on guitar for the band's small slate of summer gigs, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Sacked keyboardist Roger O'Donnell has posted to his official website about the split, and plans to record a second solo record and continue in music. When contacted by Excellent Online, O'Donnell said he was sad about Smith's decision. "This line up has a place in people's hearts," he told us, "but I'm looking forward, not back."

LONGWAVE have finished recording their new album, "There's A Fire" which is scheduled for a June 28 release. John Leckie produced this album and they recorded it in New York. Currently on their site you can download a new song from the album called, "The River". They're also doing a quick tour in June before the album comes out.

Former STONE ROSES guitarist John Squire certainly got the rumor mill going in full swing today, thanks to an interview in "Time Out" magazine that has him direct quoted as saying his 2005 plans include "making a ferocious guitar record on my own, then put the Roses back together." Lots of talk has swirled about a possible Stone Roses reunion for some time now, with bassist Mani often citing the possibility in interviews. What remains to be seen at this point, however, is whether or not Squire can put an end to the slagfest going on lately between himself and former Roses frontman Ian Brown. Beyond THAT, the 3 would then have to look under every rock in Manchester in search of Roses drummer Reni, who pretty much disappeared off the map when he left the band a decade ago. Today's news, while not a confirmation by any stretch of the mile, does make us raise an optimistic eyebrow, as until now, it's been thought that Squire would be the biggest hurdle to overcome if the Roses were to ever attempt a reunion. Seeing as how if they were to reform it would likely be the biggest news story we've ever covered, it's safe to assume that we WILL keep you informed as things play out...

I have not one but two bands on the MUST SEE list for May... The Lucksmiths and The Changes. The first... Australia's LUCKSMITHS are on what is gossiped to be their last US tour (for awhile... oh a long while) after just releasing a brand new record, Warmer Corners, on US indie label Matinee Recordings (click the link for sound samples). They've been quickly gathering positive reviews from Pitchfork and the like for their constantly expanding emotional depth and are an absolute pleasure to experience first hand.

The other band, THE CHANGES, you might not have heard of yet but mark my words these guys have what it takes. Hailing from my home town of Chicago they have been quickly building momentum and are (as of today) the only unsigned band that will be gracing the stage of Lollapalooza. I wouldn't expect their unsigned status to last for long as recorded and onstage they are already proving themselves a shoe in for next-big-thing. (Psst... If you see them... be sure to pick up the limited edition EP they're carrying with them. It's priceless.)