We're finally going to see a release of PLACEBO's Black Market Music album. It will be release on May 15th by Virgin. A US tour is also being planned around the release.

Get ready for one of the greatest promotions machines in the music world to get rolling again, as DEPECHE MODE have kicked into the hype for their upcoming record "Exciter." Starting today, you can log onto the band's official website, www.depechemode.com, and hear excerpts from the band's new material. Today's excerpt appears to be, erm, six seconds of a cappella vocals. The album is slated for European release on May 14, and in the States the following day.

Well, it finally seems as if the holiday lull is starting to end, and musicians and promoters are finally getting back to... well... music and promoting. Today brings news that June 4th is to be declared a Sacred Day of Release, as RADIOHEAD will be unveiling their new album, "Amnesiac." News of the confirmed release date spread across the Net like mad today, until a spokesman confirmed the date this afternoon. We don't know as of yet whether the album will have a simultaneous US release, but of course, we'll let you know.

THE MANIC STREET PREACHERS have unveiled both of their forthcoming new singles this week. One of the two a-sides, "So Why So Sad," is currently available for listen in its entirety on NME, and, boy, it's a bit odd (but we think in a good way.) The other a-side, "Found That Soul," has been given a 30 second sneak clip at the band's official website. As we reported earlier, both singles will be released on the same day in the UK (a rather unusual move) - on March 5th.

OF MONTREAL have announced a short US tour to promote their new compilation, "Early 4 Track Recordings," out now on Kindercore. We've got the dates in our TOURS section...

GLASTONBURY 2001 has been cancelled. The shock announcement was made today via the BBC and NME by festival organizer Michael Eavis. It appears one of the principal reasons for the cancellation was due to issues regarding the "super fence" being built for this year's event, which didn't bode well with the local politicians and residents. The festival took considerable criticism last year for the amount of fence-crashers, and the "super fence" was part of Eavis' plan to reduce uninvited visitors. On the bright side, Eavis promises that the festival WILL return in 2002.

Excellent Online is saddened beyond words at the news that singer KIRSTY MACCOLL has died as the result of a boating accident off the coast of Mexico. Details are sketchy at this point, but NME is reporting that the singer was swimming off of a Mexican beach when she was hit by a passing speedboat.

We're not going anywhere, folks. We feel like we need to tell you all this because it seems like music publications are dropping like flies this year. IPC Publications has just announced that MELODY MAKER will cease publication with its final holiday issue next week. Certain key elements of the Maker, along with some of the more established writers, will jump ship onto the Maker's sister paper NME. The closure comes simply days after SELECT also announced its folding.

The brand new RADIOHEAD album is getting closer to reality, as BBC Radio One announced last night that the band has settled on a title - "Amnesiac." The record, said to be somewhat more mainstream than "Kid A," is expected as early as March.

DUBSTAR have split. In a rather dramatic statement, guitarist Steve Hillier announced today via the band's fanbase that "Dubstar officially split on Monday, November 20." What's more revealing is Hillier's admission that "over the last four years, my relationship with Sarah had become increasingly tested and strained. The time had come to draw a line under my involvement in Sarah's life and move on." Well, at least they got it over with in time to make the "Biggest Loss of the Year" category in our annual member's poll...