Cast Away

So solidly sorry to hear via The Sun that Lisa Maffia's record company have apparently decided their option to release her debut album was an offer they could easily refuse. Parallax View feels sure a less short-sighted record company will soon pick up the rights, and judging by the picture to the left, her breasts have already head (off to) East-West.

Excuse Me For Laughing as an old friend of Parallax View returns to the blogging fray. Anonymously, of course. The best of us are, you know.

You didn't hear much from Birmingham City fans up until a few years ago, did you? I'm sure they were about, but like covert terrorists or sufferers of an unfashionable and mildly unpleasant disease, they kept a stoic silence. But now they're seemingly everywhere and even running weblogs. That wonky-nosed Blues boss Steve Bruce sure has a lot to answer for. (via Ben)

The teaser trailer for Kill Bill Volume 2 is here.

Mike Atherton blogs. No, not the cricketer: the other one. And he's blogging to Senser. But we won't hold that against him.

Plep has re-designed during my enforced absence, and a nice clean job he's done of it, too, which is as good a reason as any to re-acquaint yourself with his linky goodness.

Our Danish correspondent John Fogde hits London Town.

The estimable Sleater-Kinney have a new official website. Hopefully, this indicates a new album's due soon.

V Festival line-up announced. The Strokes, The Pixies, Kings Of Leon and Muse should make this the best V for some years.

St Patrick's Day seems like as good a time as any to share the craic with Billy Waters who's blogging from Dublin. Ish.

Celebrities say their favourite swear words for Channel 4 (not safe for work). Worth watching, even if just to see faux-naif OC hottie Mischa Barton say 'I like the word fuck way too much'.

If you missed tonight's hour-long interview with Mark E Smith on Tom Robinson's Evening Sequence on 6music then I would expect archive recording to be up here in the next few days. MES teased Tom about his own 'new wave' past, jokingly confessed to being a Stalinist and when asked whether he worried that his fictional first-person narratives would be mistaken for his own opinions a la Randy Newman or David Byrne, replied 'hmm...I happen to think most fans of The Fall are more intelligent than that'.

On a personal note, my cast is now off, replaced by an electric blue wrist brace. Physio starts Friday.

And finally, is this the face of blogging book sensation Belle de Jour? According to an anonymous e-mail to Parallax View towers it is, although no evidence has been forthcoming linking the former NME freelance to the online call-girl confidential so PV remains sceptical. Dead Kenny has his own pet theory about the true identity of BDJ but have my reasons for keeping my own counsel on the matter for the time being.

CD and book reviews imminent.