New DVD from The White Stripes

Although it’s proved difficult to get official confirmation from any of the label camps, the word on the street sez that Universal Music will release a 3-CD box set from Nirvana this November – just in time for the holiday season, where the set should prove to be in high gift demand. Limited editions of the set will also include a DVD, which reportedly even includes footage of the band playing at a house party in the late ’80s. The boxed set was originally intended for release in 2001 – the 10-year anniversary of Nirvana’s Nevermind album – but various legal troubles kept the set off CD store shelves until now...

The 2004 Mercury Music Prize - one of Britain’s most prestigious pop music awards – has been snagged by Franz Ferdinand, who were chosen by a panel of music industry experts from 12 “Album of the Year” nominees that included Keane, Snow Patrol, Basement Jaxx, The Streets, and Belle + Sebastian. The award was given to them at an awards ceremony held in Central London, and the band themselves, reportedly “shocked and chuffed” to have won, will take home a 20,000 pound prize...

Breakup rumors being to the contrary – according to none other than Jack White himself – Motor City rockers The White Stripes are, instead of breaking up, currently writing songs for what is expected to be the follow-up to their last release, Elephant, and they may go into the studio as early as this fall to begin recording. In the meantime, Stripes fans can snag their first DVD, White Stripes Under Blackpool Lights, which is scheduled to drop on October 26 on V2 Records; the DVD was taped earlier this year in Blackpool, England, and includes performances of tracks “Seven Nation Army” and “The Hardest Button to Button.” Jack White is also expected to surface on Beck’s upcoming album on Geffen Records, which is also due this fall...

And fellow Detroiters The Von Bondies, along with Auf Der Maur, are getting ready to hit the road for a co-headlining North American tour of clubs that will kick off on September 16 in Grand Rapids, and will continue through Chicago, Philly, and Detroit with additional dates expected to be added...

MINI BUZZ:
Detroit’s own Madonna has had a beer named after her by Manchester, England Brewery JW Lees, who dubbed one of their brews “Material Girl Ale” in commemoration of the singer’s recent visit to their city on her Re-Invention tour; it’s said to have an... er...“nutty” flavor...

New Yorkers Interpol, whose last album, 2002’s Turn on the Bright Lights, was both a critical and fan fave, are prepping to release their next disc, Antics, which will hit stores on September 28; Antics will be supported by a U.S. club tour...

Swedish rockers The International Noise Conspiracy are getting ready, too, to release their newest studio album in what’s now projected to be February 2005...

U2 have recorded a cover of German electronica legends Kraftwerk’s tune “Neon Lights” - the song will surface on U2’s upcoming single, “Vertigo,” which will hit radio on November 8; U2 have yet to confirm a release date for their upcoming 11th (as yet untitled) album...

Magdelena’s Teahouse in Lansing, Michigan is scheduling a top-notch lineup of acts for this month, including shows from Thom Jayne and the Free Radicals, Seth Bernard, and Wil Fossum; find out more at www.magdelenasteahouse.com...

The new INXS reality TV show Rockstar is now set to hold auditions and begin production in November; the show is set to begin airing in July 2005 on CBS TV, and the winner of the show will record an album with INXS and go on tour with the band...

And new in stores this week are these new releases...
ON CD: Macy Gray’s The Very Best of Macy Gray...Radio 4’s Stealing of a Nation... Prodigy’s Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned... Paul Westerberg’s Folker... Senses Fail’s Let It Enfold You... and Tears For Fears’ Everybody Loves A Happy Ending...
ON DVD: Kylie Minogue’s Body Language Live... The Ramones – Raw... Jimi Hendrix – The Uncut Story... and Bjork’s making-of-an-album documentary Bjork - Inner Part of an Animal or Plant Structure... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

Questions, comments, rants, raves about this column or your fave artists? Send ’em to Kristi at
expressmodernrock@hotmail.com!
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