On the way into work this morning I found the aforementioned new Scientists re-release, Pissed on Another Planet, in Greville Records. It's a piece of loser rock (in Kim Salmon's own words in the liner notes), with all the hallmarks of a young rock band - those young voices, guitars that just aren't as pumped up as they would be later, and of course the old-style lyrics about wanting to meet gurls or listening to the New York Dolls. There's shades of their future directions in tracks like Teenage Dreamer, with a lurking bass line and a bit of feedback wailing behind the vocals. It seems like a fun (if patchy) listen, so far.

I also picked up a copy of Nurse With Wound's Salt Marie Celeste, a single-track epic recorded in the latter half of 2002 that delves even deeper into the theme of dropping into unknown darkness and ultimate demise, according to the discography. I expect I won't manage to listen to this until I'm away, where I'm more likely to have a spare hour. Sounds like fun holiday listening, eh? If you hear of an Australian tourist running through the streets of somewhere in Malaysia or Thailand screaming "I GOT THE FEAR", maybe it meant I just finished listening to this.

Other current listening efforts include:

• Digging up Severed Heads' early compilation Clifford darling, please don't live in the past, from back in the tape-loop plus a bit of side-noise days.

• Waking up one morning and hearing 3RRR play Tom Waits' Burma Shave. Her hair spilled out like rootbeer, indeed.

• Wandering through the YMO and Sakamoto back-catalogue. YMO's self-titled first album is still a funny listen, and oughta go down a treat at your next retro party.