Every once in a while I get a taste of some new band that’s exactly what I’m hankering for at that point in time, and I get all obsessive-like. Current title-holder, Athens, Georgia’s Pacific UV, whose website is currently down. They’ve been getting some chatter on The Big Takeover mailing list, so I downloaded a copy of their 2003 self-titled album and am very much digging their blend of warm, melodic, spacey, drone rock with just the right amount of electronic flourishes. It’s just the stuff to make me forget it’s not a million degrees below zero outside – hell, even the band name sounds warm. MP3.com has some tantilizingly brief snippets, if you’re curious. The album is out on The Warm Supercomputer but hopefully since it’s distributed by Touch and Go, it won’t be hard to turn up a legit copy. While the album is decidedly on the mellower, prettier side, apparently their live show is considerably more thunderous. Hope I get the chance to verify that sooner or later.

Splendid chats it up with everyone’s favourite hip kids, The Arcade Fire.

John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats is asked to compile a year-end list. Instead, he writes an essay.

Pitchfork begins their holiday programming with their top 50 reissues of the year. Still to come – best singles and albums. That’s right boys, milk it. Milk it goooooood.

CBC Radio 3 goes all retrospective with their year-end issue and tallies up the best indie Canadian talent with their “Best of New Music Canada” feature. And speaking of best Canaidan music of the year, The National Post’s Aaron Wherry solicited “Best Canadian albums of 2004” lists from a variety of bloggers and music-writerly folk for the purposes of compiling another list – because god knows we need more lists. Here’s the final tally. I forget what my list was, exactly.

And if you’re not all listed out, The Guardian’s music critics has compiled their own lists. From Pop (All Love).

The Toronto Star (BugMeNot: orkillme@hotmail.com/thestar) takes a look behind the curtain at the two lovable scamps at Penny Arcade. I’m not a gamer but I love this strip – there’s enough universal geek language to appeal. Here’s some recent faves, if you’re unfamiliar with ’em.

What’s going on with all the bit torrent sites dying out? Alas poor Suprnova, we hardly knew ye. Update: A Suprnova RIP FAQ.

np – Mojave 3 / Ask Me Tomorrow

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