(Because some of us really dig them and we hope you do too.)
According to Belle and Sebastian's recent mailer, the surprise new album is none other than their late-1990s classic album If You're Feeling Sinister recorded live at the Barbican. The album will be available only on Itunes beginning December 6, 2005 and proceeds will benefit DEC's Asia Quake Appeal.

Perhaps you have already read about Sony BMG and it's Orwellian Rootkit software. Regardless, here are some links to pertinent information.
Pop Matters Crazed By the Music
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Freedom to Tinker
Wired
More Wired
Mark Russinovich
The Register
Washington Post

There are more. Haven't read them all yet.

I just received my copies of Razorcake Issue #29 over the weekend and have been slowly devouring the issue over the past few days.
First off, so that you don't think that this is an unbiased post, my interview with Constantines is on page 4. We talk about throwing DIY shows, making videos in Canada, Sloan and all sorts of other stuff. Plus, there is an exclusive art shot taken at the Knitting Factory show by Ms. Megan. You can see all of her shots here.
Aside from the blatant self-promotion, I'd like to point out some of the other stuff I love about this issue. Jim Ruland continues his interview with his Swift Boat veteran father, Amy Adoyzie heads to Vietnam, Kat Jetson interviews The Checkers and now I want to see them play. Ryan Leach presents an oral history of the Gun Club and, most importantly, Nardwuar goes head-to-head with David Cross.

Also, because I don't think I mentioned this earlier, I have a few things in Outburn Issue #31. I talked with WiL Francis of Aiden about the darkside of life, shortly before their tour with Bayside ended in tragedy. Also, there is an interview with Horrorpops. This is the second time I've chatted with Patricia Day and she always has good, fun stories. This time around, she talks about what happens when your van breaks down in Salt Lake City on a Sunday. Also, I reviewed new records from Adult. , Calla (who was the only good thing about that Catpower show Estelle and I attended a few years back), New Black, Stellastarr* and Depeche Mode (which was probably the most fangirl sounding review I ever wrote).

In an update sent through the band's mailing list, Belle and Sebastian announced that the new album, The Life Pursuit, will hit stores in Europe via Rough Trade on February 6, while the U.S. version will be released through Matador Records the following day. A single, "Funny Little Frog," will be released on January 16, 2006.
Apparently, there will be some other sort of top-secret B&S release in stores before Christmas. They won't say what it is and we can't guess.
Regardless, here's the anticipated tracklisting for the album.
Act Of The Apostle Part 1
Another Sunny Day
White Collar Boy
The Blues Are Still Blue
Dress Up In You
Sukie In The Graveyard
We Are The Sleepyheads
Song For Sunshine
Funny Little Frog
To Be Myself Completely
Act Of The Apostle Part 2
For The Price Of A Cup Of A Tea
Mornington Crescent

The band will announce US tour dates soon.

Despite the fact that the Pitcherhouse is approximately a five-minute drive from Carlos' pad, we had not ventured inside the PCH sports bar until Saturday night, when we went to see our friend Devin play bass for the Temporary Thing.
The Temporary Thing plays fairly mellow, introspective guitar pop. It is the sort of band that I would recommend to anyone who lists Death Cab for Cutie, Keane and Snow Patrol on their My Space profiles. The hour-long set was a treat but, despite that, I found myself growing more distracted by the minute. Towards the end, I had to take a smoking patio break just because I couldn't focus. This was no fault of the band. My latent case of ADD was triggered by the Pitcherhouse itself.
Generally, I imagine dives as darkly lit, small spaces filled with only a handful of regulars. The Pitcherhouse is larger than most of the Hollywood clubs I attend, brightly lit and filled with beachy-types of people who wear flip-flops and tans year-round. It seemed as though there was either a birthday party or cougar convention going on in one of the adjacent rooms, as middle-aged women in revealing clothing kept walking out of said room to lean over the bar and offer such complaints as "You gave me non-alcoholic beer" to the bartenders.
Then there were the walls-- a veritable collage of all things Dude. The ceiling was lined with album covers, mostly of the metal variety, and the rest of the club was so clogged with stuff that my eyes just darted back and forth between a Cassius Clay banner, a 1984 Los Angeles Olympics poster, more beer advertisements than at a NASCAR track and restroom placards that read something along the lines of "Sitting Bull" for the men and (this is verbatim) "Little Beavers" for the women. Speaking of NASCAR, an inflatable race car loomed over the band, it's string tangling with those of an inflatable beer bottle and a big, fat pink pig. The pig impressed me most and so I tried to take a photo. Alas, there is no flash on my cell phone and so the whole picture thing did not quite work.