The cover album project Echoes In The Alleyway: A Tribute To Doves is done. The album will feature 25 tracks over two discs. Expect an announcement this weekend regarding the running order.

The Official Doves forum is now up and running again. The interim forum has now closed, see you back at the usual place.

We are no longer accepting tracks for the Echoes In The Alleyway cover project. The album will feature 25 tracks spread across two discs. There will also be a few bonus tracks available to download, not part of the album.

Three tracks have been covered twice. But each version is very different, so there will be no note for note repeats!

I have already started work on the running order, not easy! Hope to have this completed next week, plan on making the album cohesive sounding as possible. Expect an announcement late next week!

For more, visit the album microsite echoesinthealleyway.com

No Doves news here sorry, nothing to report just yet!

Good things comes to those who wait! …The first music group I fell in love with return with their first album in 14 years! OMD release History Of Modern in Europe today, with a US release due next week. Admittedly their output after 1983’s Dazzle Ships was patchy at best!They lost the plot as they admit themselves, though I must admit I loved their late 80s hits! Though you can’t beat 1981’s Architecture and Morality my all-time favourite album.

The comeback single isn’t the best in truth. But do check out the album for new OMD classics such as New Holy Ground, Bondage of Fate, History Of Modern (both parts!), RFWK (letter to Kraftwerk) and this one… The Right Side – Kraftwerk’s Europe Endless meets Neon Lights, OMD are not supposed to sound this good after so many years.

Echoes in the Alleyway is almost complete! We are now looking towards the release date which is October 18th. A press release will be issued early October. If you want a copy for your website, blog etc then please get in touch.   Just looking to spread the word, so we can raise as much money as possible for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Press tools will be available at echoesinthealleyway.com before the end of the month.

Some interesting comments from Jez over at NME.com confirming what we already know. The Manchester Warehouse will be the last show for quite some time. Jez also hints at what to expect from his own record..

Doves have admitted they may never play another gig again after their forthcoming homecoming show at Manchester’s Warehouse Project next month.

Guitarist Jez Williams said the gig on October 16 could be their last, after a heavy touring schedule which has seen the band tour two albums –2009’s ‘Kingdom Of Rust’ and recent hits compilation ‘The Places Between: The Best Of Doves’.

“It’s a bit of a strange one but there are no plans for an album or a tour after this gig,” he told NME. “It’ll be our last gig for a long, long, long time, if not indefinitely.

“We’ve been together a long time and we’re just thinking we want to do individual things and musical ventures,” he continued. “We’re going to go down that road.”

Williams said he has already started working on his own solo project, which will feature a number of guest artists. Lead singer Jimi Goodwin and Williams’ brother and drummer Andy Williams are also planning to work on their own records.

“I’ve got a few people in the pipeline for guest artists, which I want to keep under wraps at the moment, but I’m still looking for people to front my project,” Williams said. “It’ll be nice to delve into different territory and it will definitely be more dance orientated than Doves.”

To read the full article, click here.

With the prolonged absence of the official Doves.net forum. I have set up a temporary forum that you are welcome to make use of, until the official forum is back up running again.

Edit: Forums are no longer locked, should be good to go now.

Doves Forum

The album continues to take shape, right now we have 16 tracks for it. With the possibility of up to 8 more, depending however many drop out this final week.

The deadline for submitting music is still September 20th, this is final. Any music received after then will be offered as a bonus track on the website, but will not be on the album, as we have the running order & artwork to complete.

I have been in touch with all the artists yet to submit. If you still have music to submit and I have not been in touch this weekend, then please do email me using the address at the bottom of the site. Not ignoring you, just allot going on. :)

Echoes In The Alleyway will be released October 18th as a free digital download, available on 320 kbps mp3 & wav audio formats. Though we do ask that you please consider a donation to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Cheers for the feedback regarding the new look site! Appreciate it. I have finished off the live section.   If you want to submit info about any show, feel free to email me.

No word on Doves forum, hopefully its restored next week. If not I can set something up here. No word on if Number 1 was the culprit!

Must be a slow news week in the music press as those split-up stories are doing the rounds again. For those of you still wondering, read this interview.

Peter Hook brings his Unknown Pleasures show to these shores later this year. Not sure about this to be honest. For those of you who may have seen the show, is it worth seeing? I probably wouldn’t have considered it had I been living back home in the UK.   Living over here you do become abit more nostalgic for all things British.

Freebass release their ‘long awaited’ lp in a few weeks. I’m sure the PR this week will do no harm. Though articles like this one seem wide of the mark, with statements like:

growing tensions within the Manchester music scene

Are you having a laugh?