This week’s new releases include the Gorillaz’s ‘Plastic Beach’ — featuring a reunion of The Clash’s Mick Jones and Paul Simonon — plus reissues of Spandau Ballet’s first two albums and a new early-’80s best-of from The Fleshtones.

In some ways it’s the antidote to the schmaltzy, celeb-soaked remakes of “We Are the World” and R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts”: a new Haiti benefit single recorded by iconic punk and post-figures such as The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan, Nick Cave, Mick Jones of The Clash, the Sex Pistols’ Glen Matlock, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie.

It’s not much, but this 30-second promo for the Gorillaz’s forthcoming Plastic Beach is kind of exciting: It offers an all-too-fleeting glimpse of The Clash’s Mick Jones and Paul Simonon recording together for the first time since 1982’s Combat Rock.

[tweetmeme]The Clash’s Mick Jones and Paul Simonon have reunited on record for the first time since 1982’s Combat Rock, each contributing to the title track of the forthcoming Plastic Beach, the just-announced third album from Damon Albarn’s cartoon-fronted Gorillaz.
The 16-track disc — which also features guest turns by The Fall’s Mark E. Smith and [...]

[tweetmeme]The expanded 2CD reissue of This Is Big Audio Dynamite — the 1985 debut from Mick Jones’ post-Clash project, Big Audio Dynamite — will feature 12 bonus remixes, dub versions, B-sides and outtakes, including the previously unreleased track “Electric Vandal,” according to the tracklist from Sony/Legacy.
However, the release of This is Big Audio Dynamite: Legacy [...]

[tweetmeme]Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, reissues and/or box sets.
ARTIST: Public Image Ltd.
RELEASES: Metal Box, Plastic Box
BACKSTORY: Virgin Records this week marks the reunion of John Lydon’s epic post-punk act be reissuing the band’s seminal second album in a CD edition split across three discs to mimic the original vinyl. The label [...]

[tweetmeme]There was a bit of a hubub a few weeks ago when the NME reported that  The Clash’s classic 1979 double album London Calling would receive a new 30th anniversary reissue in December — just five years after the release of a bonus-packed 25th anniversary edition.
While some fans griped about being conned into re-buying the [...]

[tweetmeme]Carbon/Silicon — the band fronted by The Clash’s Mick Jones and Tony James of Generation X — continues its tradition of offering fans free music by posting its latest full-length album, The Carbon Bubble, as a free MP3 download.
The 12-track album — available now, right here — was recorded in 2008 and 2009 with assistance [...]

[tweetmeme]The expanded 2CD reissue of This Is Big Audio Dynamite — the 1985 debut from Mick Jones’ post-Clash project, Big Audio Dynamite — that was supposed to come out in September is now scheduled to be released Feb. 16, according to Sony/Legacy.
Formed following Jones’ expulsion from the Clash, Big Audio Dynamite was notable for its [...]

The latest entry in Amoeba Records’ clever “What In My Bag?” video series — in which musicians shopping at the California chain’s outlets show off their hauls — features Duran Duran bandmates Simon Le Bon and John Taylor. In the clip above, the two reborn vinyl collectors stop to chat during a visit to Amoeba’s [...]