starting 2009 with some good news...

There's a new Swan Lake record on the cards, set to be released in late March on Jagjaguwar. Though 2006's Beast Moans was a slight let down (considering the band contains two of my favourite songwriters, perhaps expectations were too high), it still remains one of my favourite albums to listen to in extreme detail, if that makes sense. I think it's just put together like that. The cover is apparently a court painting bought by Carey Mercer for 25 dollars, and the tracklisting goes like this:

Spanish Gold, 2044
Paper Lace
Heartswarm
Settle on Your Skin
Ballad of a Swan Lake, Or, Daniel’s Song
Peace
Spider
A Hand at Dusk
Warlock Psychologist

Here's one of the songs on the record, probably retitled 'Paper Lace', (but formerly 'Jackie') as covered by Sunset Rubdown:

Sunset Rubdown - Jackie/Paper Lace (live Swan Lake cover)

Elsewhere in the new year, the Skinny have named Rob St. John and Meursault as ones to watch this year, which is good because they are both brilliant, Indiecater have started oh nine with a very nice new release from Belfast's Burning Codes, and the news in the papers is worrying.