AND NOW HERE’S THE NEWS: We recently...

AND NOW HERE’S THE NEWS: We recently described hype-happy popsters Sigue Sigue Sputnik as a band that you’d either find intriguing or ridiculous, depending on what you thought of a group that emblazons its T-shirts with slogans like “Fleece the World,” wears false eyelashes and (with the exception of leader Tony James) were unable to play a note of music when they formed the band. Now here’s the latest: The group has announced that the English version of its debut album, “Flaunt It,” due out July 18, will feature 30-second commercials between each song for such products as cellular mobile telephones and fashion magazines. James claims the move could raise as much as $80,000, with the ads also slated to appear on the sleeve of the record. According to a spokeswoman for Manhattan Records, the group’s U.S. label (who’ll also release the record next month), James is trying to insert similar commercials for the American version of the album. “We just don’t know if there’ll be enough time to get the ads in or not,” she said. “If not, the back of the album sleeve will have a blank column, with the heading: ‘This Space Available.’ ” James has boasted that “Ultimately, the profits could be used to help bring down the cost of records,” though we suspect that the profits will go toward helping the group purchase more mascara and hair spray.