Almanac To Mine

Over the next few weeks I'll be taking a look at some of the things to look forward to in 2004. And why not start with the good news that Britain's Best Pop Band Ever(TM) Ladytron are working on their third album, provisionally entitled Anti-Music, readying up for release in October. And while we're talking 'tron, how come nobody mentioned to me earlier that the magnificent Mira Aroyo is wearing a bikini on the front cover of their import all-back-to-mine type thingy Softcore Jukebox? Hmm? Consider yourselves well and truly told orf.

Franz Ferdinand supported Ladytron on their last gig in the UK, and their second release Take Me Out (out today) is this week's choice for Parallax View Single Of The Week, because it's bonkers limb-jerking pop, and as such, reminds me in a perverse way of Devo. You certainly don't have to be Kaiser Kite to reckon this is going to be the best British indiepop single to chart high since Pulp in their prime.

I'm also enjoying Milkshake by Kelis, which has charted at No. 3 following months of pre-release hype, and now at least we can all find out what all the online critics have been creaming themselves about. I'm not quite sure though whether I like the song because of or despite Kelis' somewhat sterile delivery. But they've gone too far with the lyrical content this time, surely? Milkshakes are so bad for your teeth after all, what on earth was she thinking of?

You can read the Brit Award shortlists here if you like, but I lost the will to live following the third mention of The Darknezzzzz, so don't say I didn't warn you. Mind you, for those that haven't been keeping an eye on the news during my blogging absence last week, we may never get to know whether Elliott Smith ever did lose his or whether it was moider.

Some things never change in a New Year, thank God (and Messrs Bertolucci, Altman and Toback) as willowy newcomer Eva Green and Scream and Part Of Five star Neve Campbell discuss their upcoming nude scenes for The Dreamers, and The Company and When Will I Be Loved respectively. Neve Campbell nude scenes are like buses they seem, two coming along in 2004 some seven years after Wild Things. She explains this by saying: "The reason I hadn't done nudity is I don't believe in doing nudity for the sake of being a box-office draw and when it has nothing to do with the movie itself. But if, like here, it has to do with the rawness of a character, then that makes sense to me.".

Meanwhile, no nudity I think, but the trailer for the new Johnny Depp film The Secret Window looks promising. John Turturro co-stars in the film written and directed by David Koepp, who wrote the screenplays for Jurassic Park and Carlito's Way amongst others, as well as directing the similarly spooky Stir Of Echoes. The film's due out in the States in April, Depp's currently so hot it shouldn't be too long after until it gets shown in the UK.

Still bored? Go get yourself some fine mp3s here.