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ALAN McGEE (ex-leader of Creation Records) has announced plans for his new label, Poptones. The label will be based around the Internet with an online art gallery, radio station, and film company.

Happy new year to all Excellentians out there... keep watching soon for our 1999 recap, including year-end columns from Shane and Dean, as well as the hotly anticipated Excellent 1999 Poll results.

GEORGE HARRISON is in stable condition this morning at a UK hospital following an overnight stabbing at his home. The intruder stabbed the ex-Beatle in the chest before being subdued by both Harrison and his wife, who also suffered minor injuries in the attack. It's not clear at this time whether it was simply a botched burglary or a crazed fan. Great way to kick off a new Millennium...

POLAK to tour the West Coast? Well there was an announcement on their website asking San Francisco fans to drop them an email to see if there's any interest. Polak is fronted by ex-ADORABLE singer, Piotr Fijalkowski, and they should hit the states in late February/early March.

RICHARD ASHCROFT is on the cover of this week's NME talking about his plans for next year. He is expected to release a new single in January/early February and the album to follow in April 2000. He also recently announced a split from his management company, Big Life.

DEPECHE MODE songwriter, Martin Gore has completed a remix from Ken Andrews' band, ON. Andrews has been working on his solo project since his departure from FAILURE last year. The remix will be on a promo-only single, Shifting Skin, out April 4th. The album will be released soon after and has been recorded mostly by Andrews with help from members of Blinker the Star, Medicine, and God Lives Underwater. Alan Wilder (ex-Depeche Mode keyboardist) will be releasing a RECOIL album on March 7th titled Liquid.

In perhaps a story funnier than Europe's "The Final C*ntdown" tale of earlier this month, BOY GEORGE was nearly killed last night... by a GIANT DISCO BALL! The massive 60-pound ball, obviously pushed to the brink of murder-suicide by the horrid reviews of the new CULTURE CLUB record, fell from the ceiling at Bournemouth International Centre as George was soundchecking for a show. The ball missed George's head by mere inches, instead connecting with his shoulder and sending the flamboyant entertainer to the floor.

CREATION RECORDS head honcho Alan McGee has confirmed today that the new forthcoming OASIS album will likely NOT be released through his label. It was recently announced that McGee and partner Dick Green were exiting the legendary label (which they founded) in June to pursue other interests. At that time, Creation still maintained that "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants," expected to be the biggest selling rock album of 2000, WOULD still come out on the label... all this despite claims from Oasis' Noel Gallagher that the band had no intention of doing so.

Well CATATONIA is indeed coming to the United States to promote "Equally Cursed and Blessed" but it isn't exactly going to be a "tour". The band will play New York on January 24th and L.A. on January 27th and will also make some promotional appearances for radio. We will pass along further details as they become available.