The Pogues today announced a ‘Farewell Christmas’ tour of the U.K. and Ireland this December, which band co-founder Peter ‘Spider’ Stacy declares will be ‘the last Christmas tour for the foreseeable future’ — although there’s disagreement even amongst the band about that.

Danish duo The Raveonettes has covered The Stone Roses’ classic ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ for Dr. Martens’ 50th anniversary; check out the video, a making-of clip and download a free MP3 of the track.

The life and musical legacy of Kirsty MacColl will be celebrated this fall at an all-star concert in London featuring the likes of Alison Moyet, Billy Bragg, Johnny Marr and Shane MacGowan, who famously duetted with the late singer on the Pogues’ classic ‘Fairytale of New York.’

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.

[tweetmeme]Here’s a new take on a Christmas classic: Billy Bragg and UK indie sensation Florence and the Machine performing “Fairytale of New York,” the beloved 1987 single by The Pogues and the late Kristy MacColl. The clip above was recorded live in the studio last Saturday for BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob da Bank’s show. [...]

Stadium headliners U2 did something pretty unusual last night: Bono and Co. served as a backing band for longtime friend Gavin Friday at the Irish singer’s AIDS fundrasier “An Evening With Gavin Friday and Friends” at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Above, you can see the night’s finale, as Friday — former leader of goth-punk act [...]

Record Rack: A weekly round-up of the pertinent new releases hitting stores this Tuesday.
ARTIST: The Popes
RELEASES: Outlaw Heaven
BACKSTORY: With Shane MacGowan having resumed his role in The Pogues in recent years, the band he formed after leaving that group in the early ’90s — The Popes — is now operating on its own. Sort [...]

Boozy Celtic punk act The Pogues — including once-ousted frontman Shane MacGowan and his new teeth — will embark on a 12-date tour of the U.S. this October plus play the Voodoo Experience rock festival in New Orleans on Nov. 1.
The Pogues, who have been playing sporadically since first reuniting in 2001, will hit the [...]