BA Newsletter 12.7

*Sometime later this week, the 8th annual British Accents Year-End
Poll will be posted online at www.britishaccents.blogspot.com, and
will eventually be emailed out to mailing list subscribers and Myspace
friends. Here's your chance to voice your opinions on the best and
worst music of 2006.

*CAMERA OBSCURE have announced more US tour dates, including January 27 @
The Paradise in Boston, and January 24 at Warsaw in Brooklyn.

*Members of RAZORLIGHT and COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE have been tested for
radiation after the bands flew on planes implicated in the recent
poisoning of a Russian spy in London.

*After 10 years as a San Francisco institution, "popscene" is
expanding to NYC. While the SF original will not be affected,
"popscene nyc" will debut this Thursday, December 7 at Club Midway and
continue on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Original
popscene DJ Jeremy is at the helm, spinning the Britpop and indie hits
and hosting live bands (tba) and guest DJ's (also tba).
www.popscene-nyc.com for more info.

*Three of Britpop's best-known bassists, PETER HOOK of NEW ORDER, MANI
of THE STONE ROSES and ANDY ROURKE of THE SMITHS, are coming together
to form a new band called FREEBASS. No idea what the music will sound
like, but the band has written some songs and is seeking a lead singer
and possibly other musicians as well.

*NME reports that ALEX JAMES has suggested the return of BLUR,
possibly even including GRAHAM COXON, may happen in the near future.
The band is believed to have been writing and working on new songs,
but has not recorded anything new since "Think Tank".

*Could this be the most tounge-in-cheek feud in recent memory - THE
DECEMBERISTS vs tv comedian STEPHEN COLBERT. Apparenty Colbert and The
Decemberists have both shot videos of themselves in front of a green
screen and invited fans to finish the video. When Colbert, who had
done something similar on his show before, learned of the Decemberists
plan, he tried to "get back" at the band by asking Colbert viewers to
dub him into the Decemberists video. Pitchfork has a nice piece, full
of links, that you can see here:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/39928/Exclusive_Decemberists_Counterchallenge_Colbert#39928

*Expect a new album from THE CURE sometime around May 2007, as ROBERT
SMITH & company are hard at work on the new disc after Smith overcame
a bout of writer's block, which seems to explain what happened with
2004's "The Cure".

*Want to catch a glimpse of THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE QUEEN? Myspace is
offering fans a chance to see the band's first gig live, all by going
to the band's page and befriending them.
www.myspace.com/thegoodthebadandthequeen - my that's a long one!

*SUPER FURRY ANIMALS are planning to release a new album later this
year on Rough Trade, referred to as "speaker blowing" by GRUFF RHYS to
NME. He also said the band has enough material for 3 new albums.

*MODEST MOUSE (now featuring JOHNNY MARR on guitar) have pushed back
their new album "We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank" to March 20
in the US.

*Despite appearing as the title track in a recent OASIS documentary,
the song "Lord Don't Slow Me Down" is not expected to see a UK single
release, the band told NME.

*Anyone remember NORTHSIDE? The flash in the pan Madchester band is
back, and playing a handful of dates in the UK. Better yet, the band
is trying to organize a US tour for sometime next year. Some of you
guys want to make this happen? (The Pill, popscene - I'm looking your
way). Contact the band through their Myspace page -
http://www.myspace.com/northsidesilentpartners

*Check out BLOC PARTY's new video for "The Prayer" here, courtesy of
BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/zanelowe/blocparty_video.shtml

*SPOON will play a one-off New Year's show at NYC's Webster Hall.

*Newcomers THE VIEW will make their US debut on January 3 at Mercury Lounge.

*UNDERWORLD have a new release out this week, sort of - they've
contributed to the soundtrack to "Breaking and Entering", which debuts
in NY & LA this weekend and in 2007 most everywhere else.

*PETE DOHERTY, who will likely defy odds by seeing the year 2007, has
been issued a fine for drug possession, but the wayward singer did
avoid jail time in the case.

*THE DEARS are coming to Boston on January 16, when they'll play the
Paradise. Unfortunately it's the same night SLOAN are at the Middle
East, so there's a choice to make.

*CLINIC have added a handful of dates to their North American tour -
they'll be at The Independent in SF on March 3 and The Gramercey in NY
on March 9, in addition to the Middle East show on March 10.

*KEANE have begun rescheduling shows from their cancelled fall US
tour. So far only a handful of west coast dates have been announced,
including January 27 at Berkeley Community Theatre.

*The makers of UK zombie cult hit "Shaun of the Dead" have a new movie
out next year called "Hot Fuzz". It's about cops... but not really.

*CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH will release their second album "Some Loud
Thunder" on January 30 in the US, first making it available as a
download.

*The good news - THE ARCADE FIRE are playing live again. The bad news
- all of the current shows are in the UK.

*Last week's British Accents radio playlist can be viewed by clicking here:
http://www.spinitron.com/public/index.php?station=wmfo&month=Dec&year=2006&plid=3699