Ecstasy On The Fly

Well it needed something like a technical knockout to stop The Boxer Rebellion from swiping Parallax View Single Of The Week, and that's just what Joy Zipper have delivered with Baby You Should Know (out in stores on Monday). It's Tabitha Tindale's only sole songwriting credit off the 'American Whip' album, but it's a beauty that's arguably the record's highlight. Imagine Blondie produced by Kevin Shields, and you have the aural equivalent of being enveloped in a warm embrace of eternal unconditional love. Like taking smack then, but without the needles, burglary rapsheet and the dead babies crawling over the ceiling coming to getcha. Which can only be a good thing.

So how come nobody told me Add N To (X) had split up, then? I knew that the three members recorded their songs for last album (the under-rated 'Loud Like Nature') not just in separate studios but in separate countries, so I guess in retrospect this sad news was a long time coming. So, no more songs about filthy robot sex and analog keyboard equipment, then. But there is some good news, as Ann Shenton is already putting some promising stuff out under the name of Large Number, and in this recent interview she discusses her new material/direction and the final fiery days of Add N To (X) which predictably resulted in trashing of electronic equipment. Ann concludes, I think me Barry and Steve should just strip down to our knickers and just have a good fight in a big boxing ring. Maybe this is something we should also suggest to the rumoured-soon-to-be-splitsville Sugababes?

Former Melody Maker scribe Everett True's careless talk cost lives but hopefully Plan B will suffer fewer casualties. A trial issue is due out in June before a monthly run later in the year. ET still has the business, printing and distribution to sort out, but his staff still have the time to blog their activities leading up to publishing, so they've clearly got their priorities sorted. Live editor Sophie Heaywood (who either possesses a spectacularly lop-sided face or is a victim of a most unfortunate camera angle) offers the most candid snippets: I’ve agreed to pose topless for an album cover. I told him I wasn’t well endowed and he said so much the better because big ones are such a rock cliché. Meanwhile Everett is opening the doors to his house in Brighton this Sunday (4th) for people to pop in for a chat and buy some cheap records off him. Which isn't quite like holding a car boot sale to help raise your launch fund, but not far off I shouldn't imagine.

Stream the entire Tortoise album from here. Why? Because I told you to, and because it won't be available after the album ships Monday (5th). (via slatch)

Death Cab for Cutie riding a wave, thanks to The O.C. It's the Beverly Hills 90210 it's OK for emo kids to watch, but still people find things to worry about: witness Google visitors asking me is Mischa Barton too skinny?. I believe the appropriate response is hellz no! but judge for yourself from these not-quite-safe-for-work screencaps of her bareback ride with Enrique Iglesias in his Addicted video.

Marc (Lard) Riley's 6Music show debuts tomorrow 2-5pm. It's not rocket science. Or is it?

Chromatic Musings is a new and noted blog from a self-deprecating musician from Tennessee.

Been a big week for hotly-anticipated new releases entering the public domain for the first time. Morrissey's Irish Blood English Heart is being treated as the second coming, but while it's a welcome return for an original, witty if occasionally misguided voice, the record shares a similar fault to much of his solo output: potent, barbed lyrics set against a fairly ordinary melody and served up in a bland (if undeniably radio-friendly) production. I'm liking PJ Harvey's The Letter much better, in which she muscles into the post-punk market with a snaky number that has invited comparisons with Siouxsie and the Banshees. You can listen to streaming samples of both songs from here (requires RealPlayer).

Patti Smith is also on the comeback trail and I heard three tracks from forthcoming album Trampin' (due out end of April) earlier this week, all of which sounded good. Tracks include a nine-minute song where she attempts to re-evoke the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi to help her mixed-up and vengeful countryfolk. Patti has the chutzpah to rhyme 'Gandhi' with 'Candy', in a move set to send JAMC's Reid brothers into an unqualified jealous rage.

And that, is that. For now. I'm off to wrestle with some playdoh (don't ask).