OK, up periscope, let's see what's out there...

'The new Norfolk & Western record is almost done. Mixing will take place in mid January and it will be available online and at shows in March. The tentative tilte is If You Were Born Overseas', the band reports, adding that Adam & Rachel have been asked to play drums and bass (and other sounds) for M. Ward on the upcoming 2005 tours for his new record..

..Transistor Radio which, of course, we're all already queueing for, no?

And Adam Selzer and Rachel Blumberg also lend a hand on the next release due from KEEP Recordings, Anamude's Pentimento, just as they did on Shelley Short's uber-engaging Oh' say little dogies, why? from the same source...
Anamude / KEEP

'Meredith Bragg and The Terminals play acoustic indie-rock to those fortunate enough to be in earshot,' says The Kora Records of their new signing. The debut's not around 'til early summer but there's a couple of sample tracks that are well worth checking...
meredithbragg / Kora Records

While it's just great to see Rilo Kiley splashed across a page-and-a-half of the latest edition of The Word it does serve to point up their slightly schizophrenic appeal. Long feted (or dismissed) as archetypal indie kid fare they now find themselves championed by a mag with probably very few readers under 30 years of age. The same applies to Bright Eyes with whom they tour the UK in March - fun for all the family then...

And who will The Word, ahem, 'discover' next? Maybe it'll be matt pond PA but only, of course, if someone finally gets together a UK release of Emblems. A new mini-LP Winter songs (featuring instrumentals and covers of songs by such as Richard Thompson, Neil Young and Neutral Milk Hotel) will surface at the end of this month via Altitude Records. The label's only other act at present is Alaska! who should also have an album ready soon...
Altitude Records / Alaska!

Back in May 03 reallyrather murmured approvingly of the indie-rocking chimes to be found on Cedarland by Palaxy Tracks. Their follow-up is slated for April 25 and will hopefully be a touch more inspiring than it's rather underwhelming title, Twelve rooms...
Palaxy Tracks

Wait, there's more...

'As of January 1 2005, Denison Witmer will be heading into the studio with producer and friend Don Peris (Innocence Mission) and various musicians [inc.Sufjan Stevens] to start recording next LP titled Are You A Dreamer? This record will be a mellow one... vaguely similar to the first release Safe Away and will be released in Spring 2005 on the California based label The Militia Group.' Woo, not to say Hoo!
Denison Witmer / The Militia Group

Denison's actually over playing some dates in Europe this Feb but none (as yet?) in the UK. Rather impressively, he seems to be headlining a little festival in Holland, Peacedog's Fred Festival in Ede. Next on the bill is a local act called Brown Feather Sparrow and yes they sound just as nice as you'd expect with a name like that...
Brown Feather Sparrow / Try to float mp3

And what's this? Another troubador bearing news: '"The album is pretty close to being finished. It will be called Town Feeling and should be out in May through Badman as usual. Just working on the cover now', reports James William Hindle...

The Magic Numbers' Bush Hall show on Feb 4 sold out pretty swiftly. For the latest news, gossip & random stuff about the swoonsome foursome the place to go is Iseeyouyouseeme. So what chance The Magic Numbers winning the Mercury Music Prize this year? Slim, though the debut album should make the shortlist if it's out in time as will the legions of Razorlights, Kasabians et al. But they might just all be trumped by Morrissey if the powers that be decide to make a 'body of work'-type gesture a la P J Harvey in 2001...

And will The Pipettes even get to make a record this year? With less tedious r'n'r attitude than The Long Blondes and way better tunes than The Schla La Las, let's have a whip-round and make it happen...
The Pipettes (groovy new site!) / pics via underexposed

And finally...
Apologies to the Canadian Broadcasting Co., they do have an archive after all and a rather terrific content-enhanced one it is to boot. So we all get to hear Julie Doiron playing some of her songs with Radiogram (mmm, Snowfalls in November) and read Ken Beattie's session notes. Go here (then to Table of Contents down the left-hand side)...