Broadcast have gotten their act together again. Following a string of UK shows they are finally going to release some new material. The EP entitled Pendulum features 6 tracks and is expected to be released on May 5 on Warp Records in the UK. In the meantime the band has scheduled some US tour dates that can be found on our tour page. Yippee!!

JJ72 wants to send you to Turkey! The website for JJ72 is running a contest to give away airfare, accomodations and two tickets to an upcoming show in Istanbul, Turkey to coincide with the release of their new single 'Always and Forever'. You can enter at their website between now and 7 pm (GMT) Saturday by entering the first line from the song 'Dog' (featured on the new single). Winners will ne notified next week and you must be over 18 and in possession of a valid passport. Good luck!

Despite rumors here and elsewhere Nick McCabe has not been named the new guitarist for Blur. In an official announcement from the Blur camp, Simon Tong (read the "other" guitarist in The Verve and member of The Shining) has become the hottest guitar player south of Manchester. Um... well ... err... you'll still be hearing Graham on the new album (due out early summer) but Simon will now have to wallow in the corner during the live version of the Albarn show instead of Graham. ;-)

Mark Gardener (ex-Ride, ex-Animalhouse) is about to embark on a solo career. He's currently recording material at a studio in West London that delves into his travels and experiences over the past few years. It's been rumored for awhile now that a few lucky Americans might be fortunate enough to hear some of this new solo material first hand when Mark comes over here for a tour. While dates won't be announced until next week, we can assure you that he is indeed planning an acoustic tour where he will be playing both old Ride material and his new solo songs. Expect a few instore appearances, a few radio shows and perhaps a festival date.

Ride's unofficial website Ticket To Ride is asking for your questions for an upcoming interview with Mark. You can email them directly to Piero Piutti and please, no more questions about if Ride will be reforming. ;-)

Debsey Wykes and Paul Kelly (the couple collectively known as Birdie) just released a collection of b-sides and rarities on the German label Apricot Records. It will be available on cd or limited-edition, hand-numbered, colored vinyl. According to Apricot it's "it's a collection of warm and tender moments - songs you can put on in the middle of the night, a soundtrack for stepping outside to watch the stars."

Lovely...

You can get your copy at www.apricot-records.de.

Canadian Spinmeister Kid Koala has gone from being animated in the Gorillaz to drawing on his own. Kid Koala (aka Eric San) has created an original graphic novel titled 'Nufonia Must Fall' about the life and times of a "lonely office girl" and an "out-of-work robot". Being credited as "a silent paperback film" the novel apparently has few words and is intended to be read whilst playing the accompanying cd. The trailer is available on www.kidkoala.com.

Available this week in the UK is the new single by British crooner Ed Harcourt called 'All Of Your Days Will Be Blessed'. The limited edition single features two new bonus tracks and an enhanced video for the A-side. Ed just finished a support slot on the recent Supergrass UK tour and will be headling his own UK tour in the upcoming weeks. His new album 'From Every Sphere' will be released in the UK on Heavenly on February 17.

There's an interesting video of uh... Ed as "Racoon Boy" available on the Capitol website. Ed's last album was released in the US by Capitol. No word yet on a US label or date for the new album.

British Singer/songwriter Beth Orton will be appearing on the WB television series Charmed on February 9. She'll be performing her new single "Thinking About Tomorrow".

Beth recently joined The Flaming Lips during their London Forum gig in January for a cover of Kylie's 'Can't Get You Outta My Head'. She performed 3 songs with the band including a new, as yet untitled track and "The State We're In" (her collaboration with The Chemical Brothers on their 'Surrender' album).

Legendary producer Phil Spector is being held on one million dollars bail in LA this afternoon after being arrested for first degree murder. Phil was taken into custody early in the morning at his LA area home after police found an as-yet-unidentified woman dead on the scene.

Spector is just back from England where he had recorded four tracks with Starsailor at Abbey Road Studios in London for their upcoming sophomore album. "The greatest thing we've done so far was work with Phil. I think we took a lot away from that. It was like two worlds colliding. He's learned a lot from us about how studios work these days and we learned from him about older techniques." Starsailor's James Walsh recently told the NME.

Spector has been the subject of violent rumors in the past when he supposedly pulled a gun on The Ramones until they agreed to add horns to a track he was producing. Spector has worked with many of the biggest names in music history, amongst those The Ramones, John Lennon, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, The Righteous Brothers

, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner and more.

So the FCC is in the hands of Powell Jr and never before in history has a country seen the media consolidation we currently have in the US. So what's on the radio? Same crap, every station. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) is looking to do something about it by reintroducing the Competition in Radio and Concert Industries Act.

"Since originally introducing this legislation in June 2002, I have seen a groundswell of interest both in Congress and among artists, consumers, independent radio stations, and local promoters in restoring fairness to radio. My legislation will reduce concentration and crack down on anti-competitive practices, such as the new 'pay to play' system."

Cheers Russ!