The indie rock blogosphere weeps today as New York’s Sea Ray announced yesterday that they are disbanding after a farewell show next month. The usual reasons are cited – the strains of being a touring band on personal lives and a general overall broke-ness. Being one of my favourite new band discoveries of the past year, to say I’m rather disappointed in this news is an understatement. At least I have my much-cherished copy of Stars At Noon, a t-shirt and memories of being one of the dozen or so people in attendance at their only ever Toronto show this past June (photos here). If you never heard their lush blend of shoegaze, space rock and chamber pop or saw their trippy live show, man you missed out. I mean, I lobbied (albeit very unsuccessfully) to get people out to the Toronto show – you can’t say I didn’t try. This certainly ends 2004 on a bum note. Thanks, Sea Ray. Here’s a going away present:

Sea Ray – “Sister Gone” (live at the Earl, Atlanta GA – October 29, 2004)

Update: MP3 removed as apparently the band is unhappy with that particular recording. I’ll put up another one tonight/tomorrow, or check with Information Leafblower later today as he’ll have some up as well. In the meantime, you can check out the studio version here.

Update 2: Thanks to ILB for providing the live “Sister Gone” from Atlanta, which is now online for your enjoyment. Kyle will also have “Nicholas Ray” form the same show online later today.

KCRW has audio and video of a performance in their studios by American Music Club last month.

The thing about Christmas songs is that you can really only play them once a year – which is why I’m linking directly to Bradley’s Almanac, who has a couple of mp3s of The Cocteau Twins doing Christmas carols rather than squirrel them away for me to post next year.

Stylus is spending this week rattling off their top albums of the year. Nice to see American Music Club make an appearance, but behind Courtney Love? Puh-leaaase. Meanwhile, Pitchfork runs down their top single releases of aught-four.

Cinescape reports that they’re moving ahead with a film adaptation of The Flash. It’s likely be the Wally West version with Ryan Reynolds tipped to don the red tights. I dunno, he could certainly do Wally’s smart-ass personality, but he’s a little… big for the Flash. I always thought the Flash should be more graceful, for lack of a better word. Reynolds is a big boy, isn’t he? Anyway, whichever way they go, hopefully it’ll be better than that short-lived TV show in the early 90s starring Dawson’s dad dressed in velour.

Toner Mishap remembers the days before movie deals when super-heroes had to supplement their incomes with product endorsements. Like Hostess pies!

Filter talks to Noah Baumbach, co-scribe of the forthcoming The Life Aquatic. Reviews have been modest, but I’m looking forward to it when it opens Christmas Day.

Video caps from the set of Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. Zaphod seems to be missing a head.

And check out the first Sin City trailer here – yeah, you have to install some crappy plugin, but it’s worth it. Check out the credits at the end – holy shinola, there’s some star power in this flick. Mickey Rourke AND Nick Stahl? In the same picture? Oh man, someone call the Academy. I’m kidding – I’m very much looking forward to this, and it looks GOOD. Update: Here’s the trailer in a much friendlier Quicktime format.

According to The New York Times, bloggers are not only dating, but having sex. Wha?!? I must have missed a memo.

np – The American Analog Set / Know By Heart

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