Begbie!?!?

It's been an insane week here...but the machine seems to be back in full-swing post holiday. Mr. B swung by MOGworld for the first time in ages to swap tunes, talk shit, discuss the announcement of a new album from New Order (this is highly anticipated as you can imagine), and plot our immediate musical future. B picked up the tab for dinner and for his trouble was able to hear my masterplan for the next year or so, including some ideas I have for the band along with what we'd be playing live, how we'd be playing live, etc. He's been hard at work on the album, and some strides have been made. Real life has made things, as always, difficult for us to get things done as quickly as we want it, but we seem to be slowly (very slowly) on course. This record is going to own. I swear. We gotta get the MOGcollective together for a big ass musical summit, so we can take some more pix for the album (we've been very inspired by the new manics video for EMPTY SOULS), and see where the Factors and the Cobras are at in their respective musical realms.

Speaking of which, EMPTY SOULS, the best song from the best album of last year is this years first great single and is number 2 in the UK charts. It's exciting to see. With the release of this excellent song, which has an even better video (see it on the Manics official site (http://www.manics.co.uk/04/) even the youth-oriented NME is starting to come around and has started to show this excellent album, LIFEBLOOD, the respect it deserves. I will champion this record to my grave.The B-Sides from this album are also worth seeking out.

Also charting in the UK Top Ten is the smooth single mix of the song CUTT OFF by Kasabian. They've just been nominated for many prestigious Brit awards and are due back in the states next month, opening for fellow Brits The Music, who are good, but have a very annoying singer who sounds like the Canadian douche in Rush. if they suck, we can walk out. One the road with Kasabian means The Music will have to pull off no small miracle every night to try and top the mental Kasabians. Hopefully, Ash will make it to this one, though I'm not sure if one's exposure should be to them as an opening act. Regardless, with the gang we have going (Minus DAN HAMILL aka SISSY WHO WONT GO CAUSE OF THE MUSIC), it's EVENT.

Ash IS in to see the OTHER great new UK band, Razorlight, as they return to NYC tomorrow night at The Bowery. Lot riding on here. They're fresh off of opening for the Manics arena tour and have a buzz that is shaking down the rafters. I hope they can live up to it. Irene and I saw them on Letterman last night and musically they were great (Johnny Borrell's voice is MUCH better live), but they seemed nervous and out of place on the show. I expect them to be quite good at least. I will of course, report back.

Say goodbye to the desperate housewife himself, Matt Gentile, who is off to Amsterdaam tomorrow supposedly on Holiday. Some of you may have read Irvine Welsh's PORNO (the sequel to TRAINSPOTTING) and you'll get what I'm thinking. Club superstar? Probably!

Now I must finish a remix.

F