Erasure Announces U.S. Tour

Erasure will launch a U.S. tour this fall in support of their coming 14th full-length studio album, Tomorrow's World. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

August 31st Tampa, FL The Ritz Ybor
September 2nd Orlando, FL House of Blues
September 3rd Atlanta, GA Center Stage
September 4th Asheville, NC Orange Peel
September 6th Washington, DC 9:30 Club
September 7th Washington, DC 9:30 Club
September 8th Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
September 10th Boston, MA House of Blues
September 11th Toronto, ON Sound Academy
September 13th New York, NY Terminal 5
September 14th New York, NY Terminal 5
September 16th Chicago, IL Congress Theatre
September 17th Chicago, IL Congress Theatre
September 18th Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
September 20th Indianapolis, IN The Vogue Theatre
September 21st St. Louis, MO The Pageant

Above is the first half of the tour, hit the top link for the full list of concert dates.

Andy Bell Competes On Opera Show

From the British show Popstar To Opera Star.

(Via - Pop In Stereo)

Erasure & Hetrick-Martin NYC LGBT Youth Chorus - A Little Respect

Here's the new Erasure single that I mentioned a couple of days ago. Get it now on iTunes.

Proceeds from the track will be donated to The Hetrick-Martin Institute, the home of the Harvey Milk High School, in New York, and the True Colors Fund. The Hetrick-Martin Institute, the nation's oldest and largest LGBTQ youth service organization, provides a safe and supportive environment to all young people -- regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity so that they can achieve their full potential. The HMI Redux features a youth chorus from the Hetrick-Martin Institute who also appear in the music video, directed by filmmaker Jason Stein.

Lots of cameos including Michael Musto and (I think) Broadway star Tituss Burgess.

Erasure Re-Records A Little Respect With New York City LGBT Youth Chorus

As part of an anti-bullying campaign, Erasure has re-recorded their classic A Little Respect with the LGBT youth chorus from New York City's high school for at-risk gay youth.

A colourful new video for the track, shot in New York City and featuring Erasure lead singer Andy Bell, HMI youth and many other passers-by, will be released as well. The HMI Redux features a youth chorus from the Hetrick-Martin Institute who also appear in the music video, directed by filmmaker Jason Stein. The original version of A Little Respect, released in 1988, was on The Innocents, the first Erasure album to hit the UK #1 spot (first on 30th April 1988 and again in January 1989), a chart-topping position they revisited with each of their next four album releases.

The single is out today on iTunes and it's great! But I'm biased because it's my all-time favorite Erasure track. I'll post the video with the youth chorus as soon as I can get my hands on it.

RELATED: Here's a five year-old JMG short story about Erasure, AIDS, and friendship. Take a tissue with you.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today we have two great swag giveaways! First up is the Cinema Pride Collection, a ten disc DVD collection of classic gay movies, available today exclusively from Amazon.

The very first gay-themed film DVD collection from a major motion picture studio, The Cinema Pride Collection debuts only at Amazon.com on June 8 from Twentieth Century Fox and MGM Home Entertainment. Distinctively packaged with vibrant artwork, the set includes ten movies spanning over 40 years and includes The Children’s Hour, La Cage Aux Folles, My Beautiful Laundrette, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The Extra Frills Edition, The Birdcage, Bent, The Object of My Affection, Boys Don’t Cry, Kissing Jessica Stein and Imagine Me & You. “The 10 films included in The Cinema Pride Collection reflect just how far the LGBT movement has evolved over the past four decades. These films offer viewers an unforgettable journey into our collective past” offers Jeremy Kinser of The Advocate. Filled with poignancy, humor and inspiring bravery, the acclaimed movies have paved the way for filmmaking that honors diversity and acceptance.

Also released today is Non-Stop, the new solo album from Erasure's out frontman Andy Bell. We have five copies of Non-Stop to swag you with.

Connoisseurs of deluxe dance-pop, seductive electro anthems and gold-plated disco grooves - lend me your ears, Andy Bell releases a brand new album, Non-Stop. Non-Stop, co-produced and co-written by Andy Bell and Pascal Gabriel (S'Express, Ladyhawke, Debbie Harry, Kylie, Little Boots) is a lavish 10 track collection of exquisite dancefloor confessionals from one of the most acclaimed and beloved singers in British pop. Non-Stop features the forthcoming single Call On Me, and Honey If You Love Him, a duet with and written by Perry Farrell (of Jane's Addiction fame), a huge fan of Andy's voice who suggested the alliance. Although Andy's long-running partnership with Vince Clarke in Erasure (recipients of Best British Group at The Brit Awards) remains very much a going concern - since the release of 1986's debut, Wonderland. The singer's second solo album provides a liberating platform for his more clubby, nocturnal, disco-glam side. He has even purposely changed his vocal register and style for much of Non-Stop, putting clear blue water between his soulfully electronic solo voice and his gleaming, poppy Erasure work.

Enter to win the Cinema Pride Collection or Andy Bell's Non-Stop by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave your email address in the text of your comments. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Andy Bell - Call On Me

In an interview with Windy City Times, Andy Bell says about his new single:

"The song—which features a backing vocal riff inspired by Diana Ross in Ain't No Mountain High Enough—is really inspired by my friends in New York City, and hanging out in the bars in the East Village. I've been told the video looks a lot like the new Ricky Martin video, actually, but I haven't seen it yet. I have a glass wall in my house, and I danced in front of the wall, and we had all these colored lights going off behind the wall. I think I look quite alien-ish ( laughs ) . Oh, and there's also a shot of me coming out of the steamer with nothing on."

I think I hear a shout-out to Save The Robots. The album comes out Tuesday.

Andy Bell - Will You Be There?

Below is a stream of a remix of Will You Be There? from Andy Bell's upcoming album, Non-Stop.

Non-Stop, co-produced and co-written by Andy Bell and Pascal Gabriel (S’Express, Ladyhawke, Debbie Harry, Kylie, Little Boots) is a lavish 10 track collection of exquisite dancefloor confessionals from one of the most acclaimed and beloved singers in British pop. Non-Stop features forthcoming single Call On Me, out May 10th and Honey If You Love Him, a duet with and written by Perry Farrell (of Jane’s Addiction fame), a huge fan of Andy’s voice who suggested the alliance. Although Andy’s long-running partnership with Vince Clarke in Erasure (recipients of Best British Group at The Brit Awards) remains very much a going concern - since the release of 1986’s debut, Wonderland the duo have gone on to sell over 20 million albums, 5 of them hitting #1 and had 17 Top 10 UK singles - the singer’s second solo album provides a liberating platform for his more clubby, nocturnal, disco-glam side. He has even purposely changed his vocal register and style for much of Non-Stop, putting clear blue water between his soulfully electronic solo voice and his gleaming, poppy Erasure work.

Non-Stop will be released on May 25th. Here's the remix.