HOLY Y2K BATMAN! The Avalanches are back!?

The Avalanches, one of my favourite DJ duos, are putting the “finishing touches” on their new record. So what? you might say. So THIS I’ll say in rebutal – it’s taken them eight years to come up with a follow up to 2000’s sublimely excellent Since I Left You. The Aussie pair let the world know about their impending return with a few short words via their myspace page.

For those with good memories, you might remember the Avalanches simple but eye-popping video for “Frontier Psychiatry.” For those who don’t, here it is.

Bernard Butler: 21st century pop mastermind?

Who saw this one coming? Bernard Butler, the former Suede guitarist, has somehow, finally pierced the US market. Suede, who actually led the charge in the whole brit-pop thing in the UK, never really made a dent in North America the way contemporaries like Pulp and Blur, and certainly Oasis did. As a result, over here they’ve always been regarded as brit-pop also-rans, if they’re regarded at all. But like the Charlatans and James, they always maintained a huge presence on the UK charts.

But then all this happens; Butler, after producing early singles by the Libertines and the Cribs, has managed crack the US by producing Athens, Georgia Jacksonville, Florida blog-gods Black Kids‘ debut Partie Traumatic and now I find out he had a heavy hand in the production and songwriting of soul-pop chanteuse Duffy, including penning her hit “Mercy.” Someone should write a big North American profile on this guy soon before I do. Now who’s gonna pay me to do that…