Sonicnet is reporting that the unreleased 6th RED HOUSE PAINTERS album, tentatively scheduled for a March release, is now tied up in the Polygram/Universal merger. MARK KOZELEK of Red House Painters is also reportedly pulling together a John Denver tribute album scheduled to feature, among others, HIS NAME IS ALIVE.

It appears as though the on/off status of ELASTICA may be on again. As we reported earlier, rumours of the band's demise had been traced to Elastica frontwoman Justine Frischmann herself. Now comes word that the band have settled their differences and are putting the final touches on their sophomore album. Speaking last week to USA, Uber-producer Marc Waterman (one of four to work on the Elastica record) said that 17 tracks were planned for inclusion on the record, with additional b-sides (including a cover of Trio's "Da Da Da") also in the can.

NME is reporting that the new SUEDE album will be out on May 3, preceded by a single in April. New CATATONIA is on the way even sooner, with the first single ("Dead from the Waist Down") due out March 22, to be followed by an album in April. For a lot of what's coming out first quarter 99, click on Releases.

The rather nice people at Velvel records will be rereleasing the complete CANDYSKINS back-catalog on February 23rd. The first two Candyskins albums, "Space I'm In" and "Fun" were previously issued on Geffen, while their third album "Sunday Morning Fever" has never before been released in the U.S. The 'Skins current album "Death of a Minor TV Celebrity" made the top albums of the year listed as voted by the Excellent UK-Indie mailer, and the band is being tipped by Sonicnet as rising stars for 99. Nice going, lads!

Some tour news: Hotly tipped Swedish popsters KENT will be opening for THE CARDIGANS on their upcoming U.S. tour in February. The people behind that rather unfortunate cover of "Blue Monday", ORGY, will be opening for LOVE AND ROCKETS on their U.S. tour which will run from March into April.

NME is confirming this afternoon that SLEEPER have split up. Just last week, the band were freed of their contract with RCA Records, and were apparantly waiting for the legalities of the contract break to announce their dissolution. Louise Wener and Sleeper drummer Andy Maclure are readying a new band, while guitarist Jon Stewart has relocated to L.A. and is currently playing in a band called UFO BRO.

News has leaked that VERVE frontman Richard Ashcroft has been recording solo tracks at a UK studio. There has been no official announcement from the band, but Verve management told NME to expect news sometime in the new year. Whether this spells the end of the band is anyone's guess, but things in the Verve camp have been shaky at best lately -- guitarist Nick McCabe quit "touring" with the band halfway through 1998, and the band's tour manager recently said that 1998's festival shows were to be the band's last. Of course we'll keep you up to date as news unfolds.

Creation Records have announced that OASIS are readying a new record for a Fall 1999 release. Expect a single in early September, with the new album to follow shortly. Noel Gallagher had previously claimed that no new Oasis material would surface until the year 2000, but a recent songwriting foray has netted a new album's worth of material.

THE CHARLATANS are in the studio working on their follow-up to "Tellin' Stories". The new album is targeted for a summer '99 release, and it appears that the band will not be playing any live shows until the new record comes out.

BLUR's new album, "13" is set to be released in the U.S. on March 23. The lead single from the album, "Tender", has been touted as among the best that the band has ever recorded.