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 The ‘library’ is made up of tens of thousands of items from Jones’ personal collection, gathered over his lifetime. This includes stage-worn clothing, original posters for his shows, and musical equipment from his time in The Clash, as well as a variety of physical media which audiences are encouraged to engage with.   

Alongside the new exhibition, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Public Library are launching a magazine to act as a portable version or the archive. Their first issue is DIY-themed, paying homage to the self-sufficient spirit of the early punk movement, and acts as a parallel to the zine, which were written, designed, and printed by fans.

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 DIY culture was a central pillar of punk, with bands releasing their own music through independent labels, and choosing to make their own unique clothing, all in an effort to be self-sufficient, and not rely on the music industry. The Clash emerged from this world, but quickly signed to CBS records for £100,000, prompting accusations of selling out. Mark Perry, founder of influential punk zine Sniffin’ Glue, declared, “Punk died the day The Clash signed to CBS.”  

Kirk Lane, one part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Public Library Team, describes the collection as charting the journey of an imaginary figure as they meander through childhood into art and music. “This [current] exhibition expands on and complements the first issue of the magazine which is a general overview of the archive,” said Lake.  

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The exhibition’s immersive style, ranging from rooms resembling a mid-century living room to books of handwritten notes that guests are free to browse, will feel familiar to visitors of Davd Bowie Is and The Beatles Story. This project is more hands-on, however, actively encouraging visitors to handle many of the items, and read the hundreds of books that make up the archive. 

Jones has expressed a desire to find a permanent home for the ever-changing exhibition, saying at one of the very first exhibitions in 2009, “I’d like to have a permanent place to exhibit the whole collection… like a library where you can come and see the stuff and maybe get a copy or sit there and read it.”

Though many fans of Jones and The Clash will want to visit the exhibition, the limited duration and location will leave many relying on the magazine to get their fill. Described as a “ragged map to aid further exploration and inspire creation,” it will initially be sold exclusively at the exhibition before becoming available online and in selected shops. 

 With each issue exploring a new theme, the project invites readers into Jones’ obsession with pop culture, a physical link between today and a world that has almost entirely disappeared. The exhibition is open until 16 March and is free to all visitors.

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— The Avalanches (@TheAvalanches) November 13, 2020

We Will Always Love You is only the third studio album from The Avalanches, who have been  active on the dance scene since 1997. The Melbourne outfit – headed up byfounding members Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi – enjoyed their greatest successes in the UK with their 2000 top ten LP Since I Left You. That album spawned a clutch of global hit singles, including the titular track, Electricity and the unforgettable, uncategorizable delight Frontier Psychiatrist.

In an interview with NME, the band have suggested the new record will mark a slight departure from the distinct, so-called ‘sampledelia’ sub-genre they have made their own over the years. Robbie Chater said “This record doesn’t sound exactly like what we’ve done before, and that’s probably the result of following up a sample-heavy epic album with another one and then just knowing we wouldn’t do another one like that. They’re brutal to make.”

Johnny Marr is no stranger to a leftfield collaboration, having teamed up with everyone from Billie Eilish to renowned Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer over recent years. His latest joint effort with The Avalanches – on a track which also features Connecticut indie-pop stars MGMT – comes amid speculation that he is also working on a fourth solo album. In August the former Smiths, Cribs and Modest Mouse man teased his followers on Instagram with the caption “Joe’s Corner. Crazy Face Factory. Album 4.”

Mick Jones can add The Avalanches to his own long list of collaborators: The Clash guitarist has previously recorded with Gorillaz, The Flaming Lips, The Wallflowers and Algerian musician Rachid Taha, among others. He will now appear on new Avalanches track We Go On  alongside Californian multi-instrumentalist Cola Boyy, an artist Dazed magazine have described as a ‘disco crooner, songwriter and Marxist organiser’: an unlikely triad of qualities which will doubtless have attracted one of the key figures behind Sandinista!, The Clash’s legendary triple album which celebrates its 40th anniversary next month.

Tricky, who features on album track Until Daylight Comes, has also had a busy year in 2020.  March’s 20:20 EP was followed in September by his fourteenth studio album Fall To Pieces, which Pitchfork described as producing “some of his most darkly moving music in years.” Not to be constrained by the English lockdown, the West Country rapper released another surprise EP – Doorway – last week.

Other artists featuring on The Avalanches’ new record include Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O, Weezer’s River Cuomo, Swedish singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry, and former The War on Drugs guitarist Kurt Vile. The track listing for  We Will Always Love You – which is due for release on December 11th 2020 – is as follows:

1. Ghost Story (feat. Orono)
2. Song For Barbara Payton
3. We Will Always Love You (feat. Blood Orange)
4. The Divine Chord (feat. MGMT & Johnny Marr)
5. Solitary Ceremonies
6. Interstellar Love (feat. Leon Bridges)
7. Ghost Story Pt 2 (feat. Leon Bridges & Orono)
8. Reflecting Light (feat. Sananda Maitreya & Vashti Bunyan)
9. Carrier Waves
10. Oh The Sunn! (feat. Perry Farrell)
11. We Go On (feat. Cola Boyy & Mick Jones)
12. Star Song.IMG
13. Until Daylight Comes (feat. Tricky)
14. Wherever You Go (feat. Jamie xx, Neneh Cherry & CLYPSO)
15. Music Makes Me High
16. Pink Champagne
17. Take Care In Your Dreaming (feat. Denzel Curry, Tricky & Sampa The Great)
18. Overcome
19. Gold Sky (feat. Kurt Vile)
20. Always Black (feat. Pink Siifu)
21. Dial D For Devotion (feat. Karen O)
22. Running Red Lights (feat. Rivers Cuomo & Pink Siifu)
23. Born To Lose
24. Music Is The Light (feat. Cornelius & Kelly Moran)
25. Weightless