"Listeners searching for that more intelligent, yet wonderfully light-hearted pop sound have to look a little bit harder. Rilo Kiley craft exactly the whimsically sweet music those engaged in the hunt are looking for." Wise words from The Wood, though reallyrather is aware that this is just the sort of band that can convince otherwise quite peaceable folks that the gun laws may, after all, be a tad restrictive. My only problem with them is that the bloke gets to 'sing' (a common affiction, cf. Holiday Flyer, The Mendoza Line) - chaps, please, no...

In other news from the Barsuk stable, John Vanderslice today releases new album Life and death of an american fourtracker featuring contribs. from assorted Beulahs, Spoons, Cuties and Mates of State. There's a distinct Spooniness to the rhythm of the rather fine Me and my 424 available at his site...

Money, money, money. Splendid last week harshly pitched The Big One to the amiably shambling Mendoza Line: "How do you make a living?" Aah, the eternal indy band conundrum, and one which reallyrather is oft given to pondering. "Independence ain't that bad, ya know...you can make money," Donna Simpson of Aussie folk-pop charmers The Waifs insists to Ink19. "I just want to sell a few records and get to play," Colin MacIntyre (aka Mull Historical Society) tells Splendid today, "It's not about making money". Well, I believes him. Loss was comfortably reallyrather's album of '01, just great pop music. But what of the follow-up, Colin? "I've been walking around New York listening to rough mixes of my next record. There are a couple of songs that are the best things I've ever written. They're not very big, but very melodic. I want the next record to sound a bit more real, or natural, but still very poppy." Fine with me, Colin, fine with me...