Newsround #1: Beirut, Eugene McGuinness... The Jackson 5?!

DiS is busy, busy, busy at the moment, and we realise we've been a bit slack on the news front of late. Apologies! Here's a handy, bite-sized round-up of what's been gwaning this week to make up for it...

The Beatles

Surely this is more of an 'and finally...'? The Fab Four (well, the ones who aren't dead) have announced the release of a video game that allows fans to play along to their back catalogue of hits. This, remember, is the same Beatles who refuse to have their stuff available for download on iTunes. Go figure. It's basically a Beatles-ised version of Rock Band, and isn't available until next year - so don't get too excited.

Beirut

Zach Condon has announced that he'll release two EPs in February 2009. The first, March Of The Zapotec, is a band offering featuring the following tracks:

• 'El Zocalo'

• 'La Llorna'

• 'My Wife'

• 'The Akara'

• 'On a Bayonet'

• 'The Shrew'

A companion releases, Holland, comprises these solo songs recorded under the Realpeople moniker:

• 'My Night With a Prostitute From Marseille'

• 'My Wife, Lost in the Wild'

• 'Venice'

• 'The Concubine'

• 'No Dice'

The Jackson 5

The original Jackson 5 lineup is to reunite for a tour next year and to record new material, according to Australian Associated Press. And, yes, that includes the really, really famous one. And his sister too: Janet is rumoured to be opening the dates with a set of her own. Talk about keeping it in the family. Let's just hope nobody suggests they're doing it for the kids...

Mastodon

Everybody's favourite prog-metallers Mastodon have a new LP on the way courtesy of Reprise records. It's called Crack The Skye, and features one track that comprises four (count 'em) movements. You don't get that from Iglu & Hartly now, do ya? The band are touring as we speak, a bit.

October

30 London Hammersmith Apollo

31 London Hammersmith Apollo

November

2 Cardiff Arena

3 Glasgow Academy

Eugene McGuinness

One of the few current DiS-approved acoustic songsmiths is touring now in support of his 8/10 rated Domino-released debut LP. Catch him here:

October

30 Liverpool Bumper (with full band)

31 Leeds Brudenell Social Club (with Wild Beasts)

November

1 Nottingham Bodega

3 Bristol Louisiana

4 Brighton Freebutt

5 London Luminaire (with full band)

15 Cardiff The Gate (SWN Festival)

School Of Seven Bells

Brooklyn trio and recent Full Time Hobby signing School Of Seven Bells - who feature ex-Secret Machine Benjamin Curtis - are giving away a free MP3. You want it? Clickety click click.

Subliminal Girls

In a move which is seemingly taking art-rock to its logical conclusion, London never-heard-ofs Subliminal Girls are to release a limited edition of their new single 'Self-Obsession Is An Art Form' - limited in the sense that A. there's only ten copies and B. you'll need £1,200 to purchase one. Why? In the box is an art print, a photographic book, a screen-printed T-shirt, an acrylic disk and signed negatives of the band.

White Lies

Gloom-rockers White Lies have announced their ten-track debut, recorded in Belgium with producers Ed Buller (Pulp/Suede) and Max Dingel (The Killers/Glasvegas), will hit the streets on January 12th 2009 via Fiction. The rather downbeat tracklisting follows. Where's the joy, lads?

• Death

• To Lose My Life

• A Place To Hide

• Fifty On Our Foreheads

• Unfinished Business

• E.S.T

• From The Stars

• Farewell To The Fairground

• Nothing To Give

• The Price Of Love