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Yet another Day the Music Died, as SPIRITUALIZED have split up in the strangest of circumstances. Lead guitarist Mike Mooney, drummer Damon Reese, and bassist Sean Cook were abruptly sacked from the band this week by frontman Jason Pierce (while keyboardist Kate Radley, once girlfriend of Pierce and now wife of Richard Ashcroft, apparantly left the band prior to this week's actions.) The sacked members were notified this week by nothing more than a legal document seeking to terminate their "contract" with Pierce.

THE CHARLATANS are ready for an active second half of 1999. Following festival appearances this summer, the band returns with a new single in August and an album in September. The album is reportedly in the final stages of mixing. In other Charlatans news, their former accountant has pled guilty to stealing about $ 500,000 from the band and will be spending a little time in the big house.

The Freestylers have just released one of the most important dance albums this year. What makes the album so important is the simple fact that you can dance to the entire record -- just put it on and it busts out the beats throughout! I found out about the Freestylers when my friend recommended them to me; at about the same time, I also heard them at a club. I picked up the import version of "We Rock Hard" and it totally knocked me on my ass.

On March 23, 1998, the Freestylers played at the World Club in Hollywood. They brought it all together with a full band, breakdancers, keyboards, and a DJ that took the place to a new level. Their concert really does the album justice because it sounds like a big party and that's exactly is what was happening on stage.

A few days later I was given the opportunity to interview them at a video shoot. As I drove up there were tons of people all around, a bunch of RV's, catering trucks . . . A video shoot for an unknown electonica band? It looked more like a Metallica video. I'm glad that Mammoth records are behind the Freestylers because they'll be the biggest dance act this year.

I was introduced to Aston Harvy and Matt Cantor who are the main music writers. DJ Jay Rock also joined the interview in its final stages.

Interview by Ajay Sharma

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.

Superstars in our midst? NME is reporting this week that TIM BURGESS of the Charlatans has been popping up incognito on Internet chat rooms and websites, aimlessly talking to fans without revealing his true identity. Makes ya wonder if there are other mega-stars roaming around on our usual hangouts... maybe they're right here on our website... maybe they're members of our mailing list... maybe we'll actually find Richey James... maybe I'm Thom Yorke... the mind boggles.

Yep, it's been a quiet week in the world of music, folks. You know it's rough when the top story of the week is LIAM GALLAGHER staying sober. About every magazine and website on the planet has been documenting the strict no-booze policy set to the Oasis frontman by brother NOEL. Today, Dotmusic is reporting that Liam's seats for this weekend's Man City match are indeed in the tee-totaller section. Look in the sky for four horsemen, appearing at an apocalyse near you.

Oh boy. You know what I really can't stand? What really gets on my nerves? What makes me want to tear out my larynx with a tongue depressor and jump into an ocean of sore throat lozenges and come up with really bad analogies? When a couple of albums come out that are so excellent, so refreshing, so emblematic of what can be good, gorgeous and -- dammit -- right in this world of music, that it makes virtually anything else out there (anything) seem like a punctured elephant testicle on a stick. It sorta blows. Until you look into it. So this world is full of disappointment? Fear? Outright evil? So everything can be a total fucking misery? So what. ULTRASOUND and SUEDE both just put out an album.

It seems that all that we've been reporting on lately is sad news. Unfortunately, we're not done: the UK music world has lost two important figures over the weekend.

JEAN EAVIS, the wife of Michael, passed away from cancer over the weekend. The Eavis' are the founders and organizers of the Glastonbury Festival, whose 1999 date looms less than a month away. The Eavis' had previously stated that they would turn over control of the festival in the New Millenium -- there is no word yet whether the loss of Jean Eavis will alter this year's agenda.

On a bit of sad news, we also need to report on the death of Welsh Councillor and noted poet Ioan Bowen Rees, who passed away last Wednesday. Rees is likely better known to many Excellentians as the father of SUPER FURRY ANIMALS frontman Gruff.

A bit of bad news for fans of Dean Wareham: LUNA have been dropped from Elektra Records, on the eve of the scheduled release of their next album. The band, which formed from the ashes of GALAXIE 500, are currently shopping around to secure a new deal. Advance promo copies of the new album HAVE been released, so grab them up while you can.