Andy Rourke of The Smiths is no longer part of the Manchester triple-bass supergroup Freebass, which also features Peter Hook of New Order and Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield of The Stone Roses, according to a note posted on the band’s website.

Crooner Bryan Ferry enlisted a star-studded cast — including Roxy Music bandmates Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay — for this fall’s ‘Olympia,’ his first album of new material in eight years and his first recorded collaboration with those ex-bandmates since 1973’s ‘For Your Pleasure.’

Last night, bassist Peter Hook marked the 30th anniversary of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis’ death by performing the band’s 1979 debut ‘Unknown Pleasures’ in its entirety — plus assorted other Joy Division and Warsaw songs — at his Manchester club FAC251 The Factory.

A trailer for what appears to be a full-length concert film of The Stone Roses’ now-legendary Spike Island concert surfaced on YouTube over the weekend, despite long-held beliefs the May 27, 1990, gig — performed in front of nearly 30,000 fans on a reclaimed toxic-waste site — wasn’t filmed.

Less than a month after dropping its debut EP, Peter Hook’s triple-bass supergroup Freebass — which also features The Smiths’ Andy Rourke and Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream — today released its five-years-in-the-making album, ‘It’s a Beautiful Life.’

Ex-New Order bassist Peter Hook’s long-gestating Freebass — a triple-bass supergroup featuring The Smiths’ Andy Rourke and Gary “Mani” Mounfield of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream — today released its debut EP and will make its official live debut in London and Manchester in June.

The third-annual Record Store Day is set for April 17, and this year’s exclusive releases include a reissue of Rhino’s 4LP Joy Division vinyl box set, a blue-vinyl reissue of R.E.M.’s ‘Chronic Town’ and fresh vinyl reissues from Sonic Youth, Joe Strummer and the Ramones.

The short career of enigmatic Liverpool indie-pop act The La’s will be celebrated this spring with Callin’ All, a four-disc, 91-track box set that compiles singles, b-sides, unreleased outtakes and live material — and no fewer than six versions of ‘There She Goes,’ the band’s signature tune.

Peter Hook last night christened his new Manchester club FAC251 — housed in the former headquarters of Factory Records — with members of The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays helping perform a career-spanning set that included the live debuts of an unfinished Joy Division song and a New Order outtake.

Tweet For music fans of a certain stripe, Christmas — and its Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping splurges — is a great time of […]

Turns out Peter Hook’s Freebass may not be the only Stone Roses/Smiths collaboration afoot: Ex-Roses vocalist Ian Brown this week told the BBC he’s planning […]

Former New Order bassist Peter Hook’s long-gestating Freebass project — which also features the four-stringed talents of The Smiths’ Andy Rourke and Gary “Mani” Mounfield […]

Record Rack: A weekly round-up of the pertinent new albums, reissues and/or box sets due out Tuesday. ARTIST: Ian Brown RELEASES: My Way BACKSTORY: The […]