Jack White and Brendan Benson have called their side project the Raconteurs and have nearly finished recording their debut album (NME.com). I can’t wait; Brendan Benson is a favourite of mine (since Lapalco, anyway) and a liking for the White Stripes needs no justification (although having said that, I haven’t heard the new album, and new single ‘Blue Orchid’ has left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed; although I did just listen to it again on BBC Collective’s playlist and quite enjoyed it; maybe it’s a slow burner. Talking of that playlist, the Coral’s ‘In the Morning just came on; damn, that’s good, and I don’t really like the Coral).

Download some free mogwai tracks, and bask in their joy(?)

Got a conscience? Got guilt? Buy your music from warchild.

Watch the video for the Shins’ So Says I at platesanimation.com and join me waiting pathetically for the awesome video for the Arcade Fire’s Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out) which I’ve seen once before but can’t find again… (sob)

Athlete play for KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic (streamed). Prompted by Q‘s article on Athlete this month, I had a listen to some of their second album Tourist on the way into work today. To be honest, I’d downloaded it and then it had got lost in the depths of my iPod, but had never really given it a decent listen (and to be honest, I still haven’t); after Vehicles and Animals, which I really enjoyed even if I thought it was a bit, well, inoffensive, I’d thought that Tourist was just a bit… dull, to be honest. More Coldplay-lite. However, I think I was probably a bit unfair to damn them to the same brain-compartment as post-Good Feeling moan-rockers Travis, as Tourist has some lovely swooping choruses and a few decent hooks, although I don’t think there’s anything as good as the hooks of El Salvador and Vehicles & Animals.

*EDIT to say that after wasting much too much time looking for it, I finallly found the PlatesAnimation video for Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out); thanks go to the guys in the fora at Us Kids Know.*