Nikki Sixx, Eleven Seven Music and Downtown Music Publishing have signed a long-term agreement where Downtown will serve as the worldwide publishing administrator for Sixx’s complete song cataloge, including all of Mötley Crüe’s hit singles. The new partnership with Downtown, which also includes exclusive sync rights to the original Mötley Crüe master recording catalog, provides a streamlined approach in licensing the band’s music to the film, television, advertising and new media communities. Nikki Sixx, President of Eleven Seven Music says, "In a time of industry consolidation, signing with a boutique publisher who can focus on thousands of songs instead of millions is just smart business."

Mark Hoppus has addressed those Blink-182 reunion rumors in a new, lengthy interview with MTV News. Hoppus notes that he and Tom DeLonge have been repairing their fractured friendship and talking on a regular basis again. As for the potential of getting the band back together, Hoppus said, "The future is wide open. ... Blink-182 wasn't manufactured by a label, and we weren't making music to make money or for fame. We were three friends in a band, writing music that we loved. That's where it began and ended. Before there's reunion talk, we need to get back to that point again. Actually, we would need to get beyond that point, to a place where you can say to someone, 'Hey, man, I'm not really feeling this,' and be able to argue constructively about the music...If — and this is a big if — Blink-182 were ever to re-form, it would have to be the most amazing, ridiculous, mind-blowing show and tour ever. I feel like, as bitter as our breakup was, we stepped back at the top of our game, and we'd have to come back even stronger and better than before."

U2 has been confirmed as a performer at next month's BRIT Awards. Billboard reports that the Irish superstars are slated to play "Get On Your Boots," the likely lead single from No Line On The Horizon, due out March 3. The BRIT Awards ceremony will take place February 17 in London.

The Beastie Boys and Sheryl Crow will play at Washington, DC's famed 9:30 Club on the eve of Barack Obama's Presidential inauguration. Citizen Cope and Justin Jones are also on the bill for the January 19 show, which will be a benefit for Rock The Vote. The Beasties and Crow, who combined for a voter awareness tour last year, will each play full sets to help kick off the inauguration festivities. Moby is DJing a sold-out Inaugural Kick-Off Party at the 9:30 Club the night before.

Ne-Yo will continue touring in support of Year Of The Gentleman into 2009. His new dates run from February 5 in Las Vegas to March 1 in St. Louis.

After last year's vinyl reissue of the Radiohead catalog, now a limited edition re-release of 13 of the band's singles is on the way. The 12" singles will be released on April 21, include the rare Drill EP.

Living Things have debuted a video for "Let It Rain," the first single from the upcoming album Habeas Corpus, which is due February 17. The video is featured now on Imeem.com and later in the week it will be posted on livingthingsmusic.com. Meanwhile, the band will join Eagles Of Death Metal on tour next month from February 3 in Solana Beach, CA to February 20 in Toronto.
 
Filter will release its first retrospective collection, The Very Best Things (1995-2008), on March 31. The compilation’s 14 songs are culled from four studio albums, rare radio edits and soundtrack contributions. Filter is planning a string of U.S. tour dates in the spring, with full details to be announced shortly.

G. Love and Special Sauce will return to the road in support of Superhero Brother now that the G-man has recovered from vocal chord surgery, which he had in November. After a long tour last year, G. Love suffered complete voice loss and learned that he was suffering from acute vocal hemorrhage. Now that his surgery was a success, he will get back on the road starting February 12 in Kansas City. Plans for a new video for the single "Soft and Sweet" are also underway.