As reported earlier on this blog, The Cure’s legendary frontman Robert Smith is to team-up with Ashlee Simpson on her next album. It’s a bizarre piece of news to say the least, and is bound to be treated by some fans as the day their hero jumped the shark.

It was thought that Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz might have been responsible for the unlikely pairing, as he’s good mates with them both, but not so apparently. He told MTV: “I doubt I had anything to do with it,” said Pete, “cos they were friends since she was performing in Chicago.

“But I definitely only have good things to say about Ash - I think the collaboration could be great.”

NME has revealed that The Cure frontman Robert Smith has teamed up with singer Ashlee Simpson for a collaboration on her new album.

The as-yet-untitled album is the follow up to 2005’s “I Am Me”.

Tiesto, Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, The Cure and NME faves Shiny Toy Guns headline an expanded Ultra Music Festival in Miami this March.

It’s official – the Ultra Music Festival is now a two-day event. This year, there’s three stages of live acts and DJs planned for Friday as well as the usual nine-stage extravaganza on Saturday. For the past eight years, the UMF has traditionally taken place on the Saturday of the Miami Winter Music Conference, attracting some of the bigger names in dance such as The Chemical Brothers, Sasha and Paul Oakenfold.

Confirmed DJs for 2007 include Paul Van Dyk, Richie Hawtin, Carl Cox, Erick Morillo, Danny Tenaglia, Deep Dish, Ferry Corsten and Miss Kittin. Tiesto will also perform live. Non-dance heads can look forward to sets by The Cure and current English music press darlings Shiny Toy Gun too.

Eighties mope icons The Cure will probably bring along lots of sun block when they head to Miami to headline the newly expanded Ultra Music Festival March 23.

The ninth edition of the festival, which marks the end of the annual Winter Music Conference, will be held over two days on nine stages in Miami’s waterfront Bicentennial Park. Tickets are on sale through ultramusicfestival.com.

In the past, Ultra was a one day event and focused primarily on DJs like Deep Dish, Paul van Dyk and Danny Tenaglia, all of whom will perform at this year’s festival.

Ultra founders Russell Faibisch and Alex Omes decided to add an extra day to the festival to allow fans the opportunity to hear live bands like The Cure, Shiny Toy Guns, and a rare live set by Tiesto, without forcing them to abandon the artists that have traditionally been the core of theevent.

Returning with a more stripped down feel, due to their pianist quitting last year, The Cure are hoping for a triumphant return. With original guitarist, Porl Thompson, returning frontman Robert Smith will be backed up by a four piece band.

Their new album slated for release this May is the follow up to their 2004 self-titled album. The sound will differ slightly this time around with a mix of melancholy songs and upbeat tunes lining the disc.

No plans for a tour have been released at this point.

The highlight ofKorn recording their MTV Unplugged set last Saturday night was getting to share the stage with the legendary British band The Cure.

The brash, loud and aggressive rock band of the 90s pulled off a remarkable acoustic set.

Clearly, the magical moment of the evening — for both frontman Jonathan Davis and his audience — was the arrival of Robert Smith and the rest of his band, the Cure (guitarist Porl Thompson, bassist Simon Gallup and drummer Jason Cooper), for an acoustic mash-up that blended Korn’s “Make Me Bad” with the Cure’s “In Between Days.”

“You never thought you’d see that sh–, did you?” Davis asked the audience, pointing at Smith. “This is the band that got me through high school. They were the soundtrack of my life then. So to be onstage with these legends … I just never thought in my wildest dreams this moment would happen.”

The collaboration was perfect — the two songs woven into one gloomy masterpiece. “I feel the reason as it’s leaving me, no, not again,” sang Davis, followed immediately by Smith’s wispy response: “Make me bad.” Then, it was Smith’s turn, as he floated through the first two verses of “In Between Days” and shared the microphone with Davis on the chorus: “Come back, come back/ Don’t walk away/ Come back, come back/ Come back today/ Come back, come back/ Why can’t you see?/ Come back, come back/ Come back to me.”

The song’s end was met with a standing ovation, and underneath the shy Smith’s long black hair, one could see a smile come across his rosy red lips. Davis, still awestruck, took a deep breath before saying, “That was some crazy sh–.”

“MTV Unplugged: Korn” — which will be released on CD February 20 and air online February 10 and on TV February 17 .

The Cure are hoping to release their new album in May.

Frontman Robert Smith has been writing new songs for the follow up to 2005’s ‘The Cure’, attempting to overcome a bout of writer’s block.

“I find myself stopping short and thinking ‘I’ve done this before’ and better,” he explained. “I’ve given myself a deadline to finish the words before Christmas. If I don’t I should be shot.”

Smith said that the album will be a mix of sadder songs alongside more upbeat tracks.

“I tend to favour this option,” he said. “More in the style of (1987)’s Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me’ album, with different things happening instead of being a mood piece. But the art of that is to get it all to hang together.”

The band no longer has a keyboard player since Roger O’Donnell quit last year, while original guitarist Porl Thompson has returned.

Smith added: “There’s no need for keyboards when you have Porl playing guitar. He can pretty much create any sound you want. He’s brought back a sense of urgency and we’ve got a rock edge again.”

The band is augmented by bassist Simon Gallup and drummer Jason Cooper

Speaking to Reuters Smith said: “Being a four-piece is getting back to stripped down stage look and sound.”

As previously reported the band are set to headline the Ultra Music Festival on March 27 at Miami’s Bicentennial Park.

A nice performance by The Cure and Placebo!

Levinhurst, featuring The Cure founding member Laurence ‘Lol’ Tolhurst and his wife Cindy Levinson, has released a digital-only EP entitled “The Grey” EP. The EP will be released on What Are Records? and also features a re-working of the Cure classic “All Cats Are Grey” (featured in the new movie “Marie Antoinette”), along with 2 alternate versions of songs on the upcoming album, “House By the Sea”. Note as well that the track “Never Going to Dream Again” was remixed by fellow founding Cure member and alum Michael Dempsey. The EP comes after their 2004 debut “Perfect Life”

The Cure have been confirmed for 2007’s Ultra Music Festival in March, Sound Generator can reveal.

Set to coincide with a new studio set - reportedly a double album - which follows their well-received self-titled 2005 album, the band will headline the U.S. event on March 27th, which is expected to be held in the same location in Miami’s Bicentennial Park. This year saw headline sets from the Prodigy, Paul Van Dyke and Oakenfold.

In other Cure news, the band are set to release a new live DVD, entitled The Cure: Festival 2005. The 30-song compilation of their 2005 Festival tour is released 5th December in America.