Fans of the genre-busting pop funk group Sly & the Family Stone can take heart. To mark the 40th anniversary of the band's first release, Sony Legacy is celebrating with a long-awaited upgrade of the Sly & the Family Stone catalog with a special re-release of seven classic albums in March 2007.

Each of the seven studio albums will be available in limited-edition, lavish digipaks with restored and expanded packaging that includes rare photos, memorabilia, and new liner notes. A number of bonus tracks, many of them previously unreleased, will be spread across all seven titles.

Being released throughout March will be their 1967 debut A Whole New Thing, 1968's Dance to the Music, 1968's Life, the 1969 smash Stand!, 1971's There's A Riot Going On, 1973's Fresh, and 1974's Small Talk.

Source IceBergRadio

Devon Allman says fans can expect some father-son collaborations when he and his father, Allman Brothers Band frontman Gregg Allman, hit the road together this week. The younger Allman tells us that he expects to join his father's band for "Midnight Rider," as he's done many times over the years, but that they're also considering doing something from Derek & the Dominos'Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs as a tribute to his late uncle, Duane Allman, who was a member of the Dominos. Allman is also hoping his father will join him and his band, Honeytribe, for "One Way Out."

Honeytribe recently recorded a version of the Allman Brothers'"Midnight Rider" for A Song For My Father, an album of rockers'children recording their parents'songs, which will be distributed in 2007 by Target stores.

The Gregg Allman & Friends tour, with Devon Allman's Honeytribe opening, kicks off tomorrow (Thursday, December 28th) in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.

Source IceBergRadio

Following the sell-out success of their birthday celebrations ‘Buzzcocks 30’ tour last month, the group have announced that they will now be playing a handful of additional regional shows next month.

The band, inspired by the Sex Pistols and fronted by Pete Shelley were pivotal in the pop-punk scene of the 70s, and are "still playing their trademark punk pop as if the future of rock ‘n’ roll depended on it" -as Uncut said when we reviewed the band's latest studio album, 'Flat Pack Philosophy.'

31 years after forming, the band are in turn inspiring music, Green Day are the latest band to declare a debt to their sound.

You can catch the band at the following towns early next month:

Cleethorpes, Winter Gardens (February 8)
Gloucester, Guildhall (10)
Preston, 53 Degrees (11)
Sheffield, The Plug (12)

Source Uncut

Speculation that the original Blur line-up will reform next year has increased following reports in today’s papers.

After bassist Alex James exclusively told Gigwise in November that Graham Coxon could rejoin the band, with drummer Dave Rowntree later confirming the news, The Sun has claimed the guitarist will record with Blur in Febraury.

According to the report the band will see how their first time together in four years progresses before making any plans to play live together again.

A source is quoted as saying, “As soon as Damon (Albarn) has finished his tour with The Good The Bad And The Queen in February they are planning to go into the studio. It will be one step at a time.”

The source adds that if the project is successful, then it will produce a fitting curtain call on Blur’s career.

“It may not be a long-term project - it will probably be one last final Blur album to bring closure to the band. Just how it should have been,” the source adds.

Source Gigwise