I only bought a handful of copies of No Depression, but discovered the current one is the last issue, and they're retreating to the online world with a book-like publication per year (or so). What does this mean? I'm not sure. I guess we'll see.

It's true, I saw it! A new record shop in Thornbury, on High St! It's called "Eight Miles High", and appears to have new and second hand stuff (going by what's in the window). Unfortunately it was closed on my way past this afternoon, but I'm looking forward to just having a local record shop again - I've always hoped one would appear on High St while I've been living around here, and ever since Off The Hip moved off into the city, my part of town got a bit less...well...hip.

Apologies for not posting this earlier when Simon sent it to me - tonight at the Tote from 6pm, Mick Harvey, Rowland S. Howard and the Pink Stainless Tail are doing a benefit gig for Bruno Adams:

Mick Harvey, Roland S Howard and Pink Stainless Tail will be playing a benefit show to raise medical fees for Bruno Adams who will also be making a special appearance. Bruno founded the band ‘Once Upon a Time’ which played around Melbourne through the eighties to rave reviews. They relocated to Europe, finding themselves in Berlin not long before the wall came down.18 years later, they are still there. Bruno was running clubs and promoting bands, including many local Australian acts that passed through Berlin, whilst playing in innumerable bands himself. In the last 7 years he has toured Europe extensively with the Fatal Shore (Chris Hughes, Phil Shöenfelt).Tickets will be $20/$15 at the door, 6pm.

I'll be there if I don't melt in the heat.

I made it over to the Edinburgh Castle last night to catch the raggedy blues experience that is John Fox, and noticed a flyer for Oliver Mann, who has a Saturday evening (5-7pm) residency during March (ie. the 1st through to the 29th). Now's your chance!

The Pink Stainless Tail have released their take on RMS' Free Software Song (previously, among others). As with much of their other output the song's available under a Creative Commons license, in what I suppose makes for a rather nerdy ironic twist. update: oh, and there's a video, too.

There's always something to see, around Sydney Road. I needed a refresher walk (well, that and I wanted to drop into Brunswick Bound).

[see all photos from yesterday morning's walk. ]

Thanks to a wonderful gift from two friends, Lian and I woke up real early on Australia Day to go up and over the city. You oughta try it some time.

[see all of our hot-air ballooning photos. ]

Not only did I have some spare time on an interstate flight to actually think about this, but I did my homework beforehand and prepared a list of albums from last year to work through and rate, at the behest of a couple of old friends. Here goes, with a few ultra-quick explanations:

• pelle carlberg - in a nutshell (a bit more middle-aged than jens lekman. and there's that great song about mike joyce...)
• j.p. shilo - as happy as sad is blue (ex?-hungry ghosts guy. fabulous, even though i had to order it from Smells Like Records, and he's a Melbourne artist!)
• gravenhurst - the western lands (Warp is signing guitar bands, now?)
• jens lekman - night falls over kortedala (the older albums are certainly magical, legendary stuff. but this is still really good.)
• electrelane - no shouts, no calls (I guess it's the last one, then. but they went out on a strong note, at least.)
• david kilgour - the far now (I've yet to hear him put a foot wrong)
• blonde redhead - 23 (not sure how i feel about it with respect to older stuff, but found myself listening to it a fair bit anyway)
• devastations - yes, u (i like this more than the previous album, possibly thanks to the extra noises.)
• arthur & yu - in camera (chi? did you hear this?)
• richard hawley - lady's bridge (particularly un-hip but i don't care. we would've played "born under a bad sign" (from previous album) at our wedding, if it weren't for the name...)

honourable mentions:

• angels of light - we are him (i've been mining the back-catalogue via emusic. surprisingly, it's all good so far)
• new estate - is it real? (go and see them live. really.)
• mick harvey - two of diamonds (maybe not as un-hip as richard hawley, but getting there.)
• low - drums and guns (yeah, i like the old stuff and the new stuff)
• von südenfed - tromatic reflexxions (i gather Mark E. Smith just got sacked from the band, so consider it a one-off, then? prolly better than this year's Fall album, which was reasonably good nonetheless.)

things that might've been higher if i'd got around to listening to them more:

• githead - art pop
• bill callahan - woke on a whaleheart
• stephen cummings - space travel
• okkervil river - the stage names
• deerhoof - friend opportunity
• the pink stainless tail - the infinite wisdom of
• ladybug transisitor - can't wait another day

Just found - Tarantula - a bunch of old interviews (mostly from earlier this decade) by The Sand Pebbles' Chris Hollow with overseas bands ranging from The Handsome Family through to Can as well as local legends like Ed Kuepper, The Sunnyboys and Died Pretty.

According to this WFMU post (check out the video, too!), we're now another Monk short - Dave Day passed away after a heart attack (see also). An old article I've linked to previously mentions a scene at Roger Johnston's funeral:

At the graveside, each of his fellow Monks took turns with the shovel, saying quietly, between tossed mounds of dirt, "It's beat time...it's hop time...it's monk time."